Overstock.

Running a store like mine, I end up with lots of excess.  There's no way around it.  If I try to order so tightly it doesn't happen then I'm inevitably underordering.  Yes, I can sell through at 100% --- but only at much lower sales levels.

Obviously it's a constant balance between profit margin and sales. 

So anyway, I end up with a lot of junk.  I will sell the junk to individual customers at big discounts if they express an interest, but other than that I don't put stuff on sale.  Too much work for too little return.  Like advertising, I thinks sales have lost their effectiveness.

So I simply set it aside in the basement.

Lately I've been wondering what I can do with it all.  We have a storage unit full of books, as well. 

I may just see if I can't get pennies on the dollar for my boxes of comics.  The overstock toys and books and cards are probably just a loss.  Headed for the dump some day.

I'm lucky to have the storage, I guess.

I just ordered a ton of books at discounted prices -- and I know that probably half of them won't ever sell.  But the half that do sell will pay for the rest.  It's the only way to do it.  Seems like a bit of a waste but without knowing what the customer will buy, I'll always have stuff I thought they would buy but they didn't...

What about the internet?

The hidden costs are too high.  Mostly time and mental space.  It's more or less an all or nothing proposition -- being aware constantly of what things are selling for, and how to divvy up the material in a cost-effective manner, etc. etc.  For low return.  Yes, I could spend years online selling this stuff off, but I've got better things to do.

So, I'm not asking for anything here, just saying. Our whole culture is awash with overstock, though maybe only retailers see it cold-bloodedly.