Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Is it just me or what?

Short and sweet tonight
  •  $300 netbook died a few months ago
  • overheated during listing madness 
  • cute little red laptop bye-bye
  • hubby's big bulky laptop, hello
  • I am 5 foot tall, I have very small hands (and LOVE the color red)
  • hubby's laptop is made for people with big hands
  • result: my little hands get tired from reaching across the keyboard, end up resting on the keyboard mousepad thingy
  • weird typos from mouse jumping all over the screen
  • VERY ANNOYING and time consuming
  • does anyone know how to make the mousepad thingy less touchy?
oh, dear cute little red netbook. . .  please come back to me

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Finally . . some sales for the week

After a few weeks of pathetic, and I do mean pathetic sales I finally have some sales to report for the last few days.
Last week I had 3 sales on Ebay . . . . . .  which would have been great had the people who bought them actually paid for them. I had 3 unpaid item cases open in a row and none of them were ever paid for. One was an auction and two were BIN. None were clothing items, so I don't understand why you would buy something and then not pay, especially since it wasn't an auction.


But now on to some better news. I just finally got around to putting the ebay app on my ipad. I've heard people talk about the call of the cha-ching from this app, but it didn't get it until I had it myself.

As I was sitting in my chair listing last night, I heard a little noise. It took me a minute to understand that it was my ipad cha-ching-ing even though it was turned off.  I am offically addicted!

So, here are a few of the things that were cha-chinging:

Elmo loves you plush- son's toy that he never really played with, paid 4.95 originally, sold for 9.95 at auction, not paid yet

Stoneware houses pair, paid 2.99 each at local thiftstore last summer, sold for 24.95 plus shipping



Starbucks mug paid .99 at local thrift store about a month ago, sold for 16.95

Care bear flat sheet set
paid 2.99 sold for 13.95, I probably could have gotten more for it, but needed the cash to pay my ebay fees this month

Wordworld toys I talked about earlier in the week  paid 3.00 sold for 18.00

and
A-a Mystery Book Collection purchased at thriftstore a few months ago, for .25-.49 each
sold for 34.95


I'm happy to have some sales. I still have a lot of auctions closing today, 9 of which have bids, so hopefully I will sell a lot there and make it a good week, and be able to pay my ebay fees this month!

Happy Saturday!





etsy:
paid $0- free box at yard sale, sold for 12.95

decorative hinges paid .50 for both, sold for 6.95



Amazon:
dyson play vaccum- son's toy he didn't play with 34.95
clifford stuffed animal, clearance target toy paid 2.48 sold for 9.95
two books for 4.00 each

Thursday, February 23, 2012

wordworld, who knew?

I've had these sitting in my toys to list pile for a while. I originally purchased them at the dollar tree a few years ago thinking I'd use them for my classroom, but then decided they would lose the pieces or destroy them the first day. They are the WorldWord TV show word animals, made from plastic they go together and spell a word.

I finally got around to listing them yesterday and was shocked when I saw some completeds for WordWorld items.
Check these out!

wordworldcompleteds

I listed my set of 3 for $18.00 with free shipping because they are light (original cost to me $3.00) I awoke a mere 5 hours later to an offer for 10.00, I counteroffered for $15 and while waiting for her to reply they sold for the $18 and then the first buyer still wanted them.

Who knew... I sure didn't and I'm a kindergarten teacher. Find something WorldWord, buy it!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

How many thrift stores in your area?

I might as well fess up. I live in the BOONIES. I used to live in the small town where I work and my mom and I have our brick and mortar store. Then I met my husband, and when we got married I agreed to move out to the country with him. I used to be 2 blocks from both work and the shop. It now takes about 45 minutes to get into the small town where I work (which has 2 gas stations/grocery stores and a population of about 2,000.) Its another 15-20 minutes to one side of our bigger town, and if you want to get to Target, and other favorite shopping spots, it's almost 15-20 minutes more, depending on traffic.
So, its hard for me to get to our big shopping town very often, epecially with the price of gas.
When I go to to town it's for the whole day, including 3-4 stops for couponing deals and groceries and then to the thrift stores if little one cooperates. It can make for a long day of hauling little one and lots of grocery bags back and forth. 

The other day I was driving a different way then I normally do and I rediscovered a little family run thrift store I had forgotten about. It's in a rougher part of town and I'm kind of chicken to take little one there with me. But I started thinking about how many thrift stores there are in my area and how I need to rotate thru them more regularly.  I am lucky to have a lot to choose from fairly close and I need to take advantage of them more often.

I looked in the phone book under thrift stores and discovered in our town we have:
ARC- sometimes a little high priced
Goodwill- sometimes a little high priced and I've discovered an employee or someone connected there writing about me on the internet, telling how much I paid for something and how much I charged on ebay for it, so not so sure I want to go there very often, also pretty limited selection
Salvation Army- very overpriced in my area
a family run thrift store- haven't been there yet
a thrift store run by doctors wives etc that has higher end clothing etc, and has fill a bag for a price days quite often, I haven't been there since I was in college but am thinking I need to brush up on some brand names to buy and get my butt over there
a church run thrift store I've been to once or twice when they first opened, found a few things, need to go back
and then there is a great thrift store across the street from my hubby's chiropractor, where I purchased a set of books for $11.00 and sold them for 125.00.

I usually only go to the arc and the goodwill, but am thinking I need to expand a little. Maybe make a schedule of when I go to places.

My plan is the next time I go  and have a few hours I will go to some I haven't been to in a while, or not at all and see what they have.
How many thrift stores do you have to choose from?
How do you make the rounds? All in one day, once a week, daily?

What day do you think is the best to go thrifting?

Sunday, February 19, 2012

listing, listing, listing . . . what have you been up to?

Here are a few of my new items I've added in the last two days.






I have 316 on ebay and 328 on etsy. My goal for the beginning of March is to have 350 listed on ebay and 400 on etsy. I have the inventory, I just need to get busy and get it done. I have tomorrow off of work and then major dental work on Tuesday, and a day off of work on Wednesday to recover from the dental work, so hopefully I can get more listed than I usually do. How a many items do you usually get listed in day?

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Maybe it's time to say goodbye. . . .

don't worry, its just to the old items in my store. I got the message from ebay about free listing for  5 days and was looking at some of my old listings to see what I might want to put up for auction and try to get rid of.
I was really getting ready to mark things down when I got a chaching in my mailbox. An item I've had listed since the summer sold!  So I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't clear things out so much.

So I'm, wondering all you ebayers out there. . . . how long do you keep an item listed before you give up and garage sale it?

Sunday, February 12, 2012

99 cent sweater day at the thrift store

It's been an interesting week. Lucky for me, my kindergartners decided to share pinkeye with me. I've never had it before and I don't wish to ever have it again. So far little one and hubby have lucked out on getting it, so let's hope it stays that way.
Lasy night we got 6" inches of snow and lots of wind so I didn't venture out with my blurry vision to get the rest of my haul from the thrift store, but here is some of it.
My favorite thrift store had their .99 sweater day. Yeah! I love clothing for less than a $1
For $40 I got these sweaters, plus some more I haven't pictured yet,
 some sweet valley high books,




(I will add photos once I've gotten the label off and photographed it )
 a cool desk organizer ?



and some clothes for my little one, who took over a year to go from 3T to 4T and only 3 weeks to go from 4T to 5T. I'm ready for garage sale season, even half price thrift stores add up quickly!
I also had a coupon for $10 off of $30 or more.

I also got myself a couple of new sweaters for work.

My favorite local thrift store doesn't do sales like this very often, but it's nice when they do!
I signed up with them online to get the coupon.






Friday, February 10, 2012

Reseller's Challenge

Stop by for the reseller's challenge at Apron Thrift Girl


my goals for the month
350 listings in ebay
300 on etsy
and to get my inventory all photographed and put away
also, not to shop for anything new until I have my inventory in order
we'll see how that goes!
What's your goal for the month?


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Even bloggers get the blues. . .

Hello all,
I apologize for not posting much this week. I've been feeling a little down in the dumps.
I'm not sure if it's the freezing cold winter weather, the pressure at my "real" job or just me, but I've had a hard time getting motivated this week, even though my main motivation for selling is to be able to make some changes with my "real" job. Between my 2 part time jobs, selling online and my jobs as wife and mother I have been staying up until 2 or 3 am every night, (sometimes later- or earlier, however you look at it, on the weekends) I am back up at 5:15 to get my little one up so we can be on our way. It's exhausting and makes me wonder if it's worth it. But I do want to be able to make some changes in the next year or two, so I need to just keep plugging along.

I have almost gotten to my goal of 300 items in my ebay store.  I was at 298 last night when I quit for the evening. I was feeling frustrated because I have been listing, listing have not seen any sales from it. Amazon and etsy have also been pretty dead for me this week, I think people are busy buying things for Valentine's day, not vintage items.  I should be happy that it's giving me more time for listing and photographing, but it makes me wonder if I should list the items and spend money when nothing is selling.

However, when I checked my computer this afternoon I saw that I had 2 sales and an item from last week that was unpaid and has now been paid. I can do a little happy dance now, as least I know that m store is out there somewhere in Ebay land, and people can find it if they try really hard!

So, here are my two sales for the week so far:


 


I have sold several lots of these over the last year. I pick them up as I see them here and there and when I have 20 or so list them as a lot.  paid .25 to .49 for each, sold for $24.00.

I also debated about relisting this. I have had it in my unsold section on Ebay since Halloween was over. I've read several places about how you should have them listed all of the time, but I kinda doubted if that was a good idea. This week to try to boost my numbers so I relisted my costumes, Halloween or not, and I guess it worked because this one sold today for $8.99, paid 1.00. I probably could have held out and gotten more for it, but I am happy for the sale, and more space to store new items.

I am getting back to listing now.  . . .



Friday, February 3, 2012

Can anyone tell me more about this? A promise to Hitler pamphlet

I'm busy listing away. . .  I'm going to get to 300 items in my etsy and ebay store if it takes all weekend.
I have 274 on ebay after listing a good share of the day and 244 on etsy.

I was getting ready to list this pamphlet? of a radio broadcast that I found in some old books, but I don't really know anything about it or a possible price to put on it. I can't find anything close to it online. Can anyone give me some more info about it?





Sales for the Week

It's been very slow on all fronts.
I had 3 sales on Amazon this week including a cat clock that meows on every hour

I purchased it this summer at a garage sale for $10.00, brand new in package. I've had it listed on Ebay since July. It was purchased once, but she didn't pay. I was about to give up on it, when I saw it on Amazon. So as a last ditch effort, I listed it there and it sold within three days for $39.95.

I also sold a few texts books, a care bear cd, and a disney doll that I purchased recently at Target for 4.98, sold for $24.95. I have 3 more of these to sell, not a bad profit for a 2 week turn around.


Ebay sales, as I mentioned before have been very slow this week. I have been reading a lot about sellings women's clothing on ebay, so I purchased a few things this week to try out. The measuring thing is what scares me about selling clothing.


I did finally have two sales yesterday and today on Ebay.
a baby picture frame, new in box that a friend on my mom's gave me to sell



and this cool Titanic reproduction mug I found at Goodwill right before new years. I paid .49 and it sold for $29.95.
Hopefully sales will start picking up again!




SNOW DAY!

I woke up this morning to a call from the school where I teach. SNOW DAY!
I have been busy this week preparing for Parent Teacher Conferences at work. I haven't had much time for listing, shopping, Ebay, or really anything else that's fun. Also found out on Wednesday that my mom is having to have surgery today.Due to the storm I am not able to go to the hospital with her.  It's been kind of a yucky week. Yesterday in between work and then going back to work for conferences I had an hour to go by our local Goodwill.
I spent less than I usually do, but still found some good deals, including 1/2 price tag and some blue tag items they had marked down.
I got a great 1980's ski jacket, some red Home plates, (I need to get those listed very soon for Valentine's Day), and some unique women's jackets. I will try to get some photos taken to show you my score.
I also saw a drum carder that was marked down to 99.00, from 149.00. I wasn't sure if it was a good deal or not, and unfortunetly, I can't afford a phone with internet yet. So, I checked this morning and think that I should have gotten it! Most of the drum carders are going for $200 and more. However, due to the storm I'm not going to be able to get back into get it until probably Monday. I didn't get the brand name of the carder, so I thought about calling the store and seeing if they still have it, then I might call Hubby at work and see if he's going to be in town. I really need to figure out how to get some wireless internet when I am out and about.

So, my plan for today, in-between loads of laundry, dishes and vaccumming, is to get some photos taken and lots of items listed. I haven't sold anything all week until last night and today. So I'm motivated to get listing again!

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...