Liquidating leads to TV
Anyone watching the Outdoor Life Network today (July 5) might just see a familiar face.
Jeff Schwarz calls Kamloops home — and he is the star of OLN’s new series, The Liquidator.
The show premieres at 9 p.m.
The docu-series follows Schwarz, owner of Direct Liquidation.ca — located in Burnaby — and his liquidation business.
“I’ll buy anything from farm equipment right down to the kitchen sink kind of thing,” said Schwarz.
He said unlike what people might see in similar shows from the U.S., it’s important to remember it’s not about what something is worth, but rather what you can get for it.
“You buy a bike for example, for $200 that’s worth $800, well is it worth $800 or is it worth whatever you can get for it?,” said Schwarz.
He said the show is 100 per cent real and aims to give a true look at all the ins and outs of his business.
Not all the deals turn out to be winners.
“It’s easy, but not all that easy,” said Schwarz.
Schwarz said he sells to PennyPinchers in Kamloops as well and other places like it across B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Schwarz went to high school at Valleyview secondary and then spent grades 11 and 12 at Norkam secondary, studying forestry.
He left Kamloops after graduating in 1986 to attend BCIT for forestry.
Schwarz said he didn’t have the money for the program and started working construction instead.
Eventually, some opportunities arose for him through buying and selling at garage sales and flea markets in Vancouver.
He would even come to flea markets in Kamloops — in particular ones in the old K-Mart parking lot in Valleyview.
From there, he was hooked and what started out as flea markets and garage sales soon blossomed into the liquidation business he runs today.
Schwarz said even when he was in school, teachers told him he should get into business and, sure enough — though he said it didn’t dawn on him at the time — Schwarz found his calling.
As far as advice for others, Schwarz said it’s key to surround yourself with a good network of friends who know the business and not to expect to strike it rich on every item.
“They say that if a good buyer hits six out of 10 times, he’s doing good,” Schwarz said, “so, I like to go 10 for 10 but [it] doesn’t always work that way.”
The key, he said, is to keep going and not get discouraged.
COMMENTS
Let's keep comments:
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters.
We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.