Friday, December 30, 2011

Dear Granny, After Christmas Sales

so, if you saw my storage area(s) right now you'd think the last thing I needed to do was to go after Christmas shopping. But, shopping the day after Christmas its a tradition with mom and I, the earlier the better. Off we were at 5 in the morning, driving 45 minutes to a bigger town then we usually have access to, only to discover our first planned stop didn't open until 8. We drove around and the only place we could find that was open was Wal-mart. So in we went, got our two shopping carts from the cute little old man greeters and headed to the Christmas Department.
I quickly loaded the cart with a large box of the peppermints hubby loves, ziploc bags (1/2 off) presents for my co-workers next year (can't say what, they might be reading this) and then down to the toy aisle.

Where I got two of these Playskool bopping ball sets for $ 6.86 a piece. I listed them on Amazon when I got home and when I woke up the next morning they had both already sold for 24.95 each. : )  I could have waited and listed them at the 49.99 the others were listed at, but I really thought I might be sitting on them until next December, I didn't realize that people bought toys the day after Christmas at retail price. Lesson learned, don't mark down toys, even the day after Christmas- who knew?
Other After Christmas Toy sales for this week:

it was a "joke" gift for my son from a relative, I didn't think it was that smart or funny, until it sold the next day for $15, (and that goes into little one's college fund account, which is where it got much smarter! )

And today's sale Santa Mr. Potato Head- I accidently bought two of these last year for little one- you know how crazy it gets in those aisles full of women and carts the day after Christmas, so little one got one, and the other sold on Decemeber 30th priority shipping, maybe someone needs a late gift, or siblings are fighting over it?  


Doesn't matter to me, it's out the door for 15.75, and I paid $4 last year at Target a few days after Christmas. 

Well Granny, that's it for today. After all my ebay and amazon toy sales before Christmas and all of them after Christmas, what have I  learned for next year --it pays to go Day After Christmas shopping and next year I'll take my own car so I have more room for toys!  




Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Welcome to Granny's Hoard

Hello, my name is Melissa. Welcome to Granny's Hoard. I learned the art of thrifting at the side of beloved Granny Janny. When I was a child I would go garage saling and thrift store shopping with my Granny and Grandpy, and I loved to take my time and find the perfect item to purchase. 
Then I turned into a teenager and was embarrassed to thrift anymore. When I was a Sophomore in high school my Granny suddenly passed away from complications from the flu. It took my grandpy and my family several years to sort thru Granny's hoard, a semi sized dumpster at a time. Boy, do I wish I had those things back now, there were a lot of things I could've sold- sorry Granny!

Happily, I rediscovered thrift stores my first year of college, amazing how lack of money can change your perspective, and have been hooked ever since. While I was in college I opened a craft/antique/floral/scrapbook shop with my mom in our small town, and I also sold scrapbooking supplies on ebay. Then I got married, and a few years later had a baby. Not much time for selling on ebay anymore. So we continued to run the store, and I let thrifting and crafting for profit fall to the wayside.

Almost two years ago my full time teaching job unexpectantly turned into a part-time job and I started looking for ways I could make some extra money and still be able to have my then 1 year old with me.
I remembered selling on ebay and thanks to a blog I found called, Apronthriftgirl, I thought I'd give it a try to make up for the half income.  I've learned a lot along the way about what sells, what doesn't and everything in between. I've also been going thru many of the items I inherited from my granny and making her proud by making a profit.

For the past year each Saturday when I get ready to go garage-saling, thriftstore shopping, or otherwise hunting for a good deal, I find myself thinking of how much Granny would have liked this. She would have had more stuff then I could list in a lifetime waiting for me. I miss her more than ever now, my family is proud of me for making extra money and working so hard, but only Granny would understand my true joy in doing what I do.

So, I decided to start this blog, to share with my readers what I would like to share with my Granny. 

Join me as I shop, sell, sort and ship my way through Granny's Hoard, (and my own!)

I'm back......

Whoa Friends, has it been a long time! Hard to believe my last post was over 3 years ago- but here I am. A few things have changed- I am now...