The old adage that one man's junk is another man's treasure is Anthony Stephen's motto.

When the 46-year-old was made redundant from his comfortable desk job he decided to take a risk and set up his own online store - and he has not looked back since.

He now regularly browses an Etwall auction house to find things to sell online – even earning enough to pay for a holiday to the Caribbean.

Mr Stephen was made redundant from his e-commerce manager role in 2014, and decided not to hunt for another similar role but to opt for becoming his own boss , taking the phrase, 'one man's junk is another man's treasure' to another level.

Anthony Stephen was made redundant in 2014
Anthony Stephen was made redundant in 2014 and hasn't looked back

He now runs his own store on shopping website eBay, called Tangerine Collectibles.

He scours auction houses across the North West of the country and the Midlands looking for anything that he believes he might be able to make a profit on.

Mr Stephen regularly pays a visit and bids for lots at Hansons Auctioneers, in Heage Lane, Etwall.

He says he earns more money as he used to make in his old job and can also afford to pay for holidays and enjoy life, despite being just two-and-a-half years into running his own business.

Mr Stephen, from Liverpool, explained the series of events that led to him 'accidentally' becoming an entrepreneur.

The set of CDs that Mr Stephen scooped up from Hansons Auctioneers
The set of CDs that Mr Stephen scooped up from Hansons Auctioneers

He said: "You can't afford to be too niche or you won't sell enough to make a living. I'd booked a holiday and thought, 'how am I going to pay for that?'

"I decided to put my personal CD collection on eBay and couldn't believe how much money I made. It didn't just pay for the holiday but covered my spending money too.

"I'd always enjoyed selling on eBay as a hobby, just never thought I could make a living from it. I started going to auctions and I'd see things like job lots of books for £20.

"I thought 'I'm going to make a go of this' and went self-employed. I sell everything through my eBay shop.

"I've sold 1950s books, Royal Crown Derby paperweights and limited-edition Barbie dolls, which I found in a box of miscellaneous items at an auction house. Those Barbies sell for £80 each or more.

"You'd be amazed at what people will pay for things other people don't want or think are rubbish.

"My biggest profit came from selling 32 rubber fetish magazines from the 1970s which I picked up at an auction house in the North West.

"I paid £20 for them and sold them for £600 to a shop in London's Soho.

"Although I'm probably working more hours now than I ever did in employment, it's very rewarding being self-employed.

"It's not all work though. My girlfriend and I did manage to take a holiday to the Caribbean last year – but I still had my iPad on the beach to answer questions from customers. You just can't get away from it."

He recently snapped up a set of 1,800 CDs from Hansons Auctioneers, in Etwall, costing him between £1,950 and £2,400 depending on auction fees.

A lot, that Mr Stephen believes he will double his money on by selling online.

The complete set of 1,800 CDs in the collection
The complete set of 1,800 CDs in the collection

He said: "When I got the CDs home I scanned every single one on Music Magpie and I could have made £2,100.

"Around 90 per cent of CDs aren't worth much but, because I did my homework, I knew I could make more as the best CDs sell for £15 to £20 each.

"I wasn't sure whether this batch would be worth anything but I went to Hansons – a 180-mile round trip for me – before the sale I took photos of all 1,800 CD sleeves.

"Back at home, I checked what they were selling for online.

"Rarer CDs sell for £15 or £20. For example, there was a whole series of Cliff Richard's CDs which you might think are ten-a-penny but they're not.

"Out of 12 boxes of CDs, four boxes were good CDs, four average and four not worth a lot. It will take me about a year to sell them all.

"CDs have never really gone out of fashion. People want physical copies of music again which is why vinyl is back.

"When people buy music digitally they have nothing to show for it."

Mr Stephen has credited his dedication to research, work ethic and leg work for his success.

CDs make up 20 per cent of his sales, with Tangerine Collectibles also selling toys, glassware, books, magazines and porcelain.

Commenting on the collection purchased by Mr Stephen, Charles Hanson, the owner of the auction house said: "I am delighted for Mr Stephen.

"Thousands of eclectic items come into our salesroom to be sold at our monthly auctions and it's good to know that this gentleman's hard work and sharp eye for business is paying off."

Mr Stephen will be listing all of the CDs he bought at Hansons Auctioneers in the next couple of weeks on his eBay store, which can be found online here

Find out which sales are coming up at Hansons Auctioneers online at here.