Apparently I run a dollar store

at least that's how I felt today looking at my listings.
Little one is with Grandma for the day (doesn't happen often, whole other story. . .)

I needed something to occupy my mind. I keep feeling very overwhelmed by the mess that is my shop right now. So, I decided to take a look at my ebay and etsy store and see what would be the best type of item for me to add right now.

That's when I realized that most of the items (over 100 on ebay) I have both places are under $20.

In my ebay store I only have 16  items that are $50

And only  2  items that $100 or over

Most of my items are in the 24.00 range.

My etsy store is even worse.


I've been getting a lot of low ball offers lately, and I'm wondering if it's because the price of items I'm selling.
So I decided to be my most productive with my day I would get photos of my big stuff, get it put safely away (as a lot of it is glass and breakable, great for stacking precariously in my shop, right?) and listed to put some big ticket items in my store.

I still love all of the small stuff, but I have realized that I spend a lot of time dealing with the small stuff to get to a big payout. My new goal is to only buy things that I can sell for a profit of $10 or higher.

Speaking of which, I recently decided that anything I sell on Amazon I will only buy if it makes a profit of $15 or higher. A few months ago it was $10, and when I first started out 2 years ago, I was happy with any price over what it cost me. (although alot of times I ended up paying someone to take it, you live, you learn!)
I think I might be getting the hang of this finally.

So, here are my 2 questions for you today:

1. What profit margin do you look for in items to resell. Do they vary for different selling venues?

2. How much do you spend on new inventory? Do you go by items or amount? Do you have a budget each week, each month, base on it sales?  We've been doing Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace seminar since I found it at a garage sale last summer. Now that I'm getting so much inventory, I feel like I need to decide on a budget or goal for what I put away and what I spend.

Here are some of the "big" ticket items I listed today. I'll let you know how it goes.

Vintage Double Gooseneck Lamp

listed at 59.99

Mid Century Modern Lamp

not listed yet, but will be listed at 100.00

Sitka Picture

still need to do some more research on this one, it's signed and numbered, just not finding any other sold by the same artist.

Mid Century Modern Display Shelf

listed at 69.95

Wire 2 tier basket

I think I listed this one at 69.95

Are you interested in purchasing any of my items ?contact me, tell me you saw it at granny's hoard and I'll give you 20% off the listed price.

Organizing Plush

Having to store all of my plush and other fabric items in my shop this summer has proved to be a little bit difficult. There are two garage doors that let the wind blow sand in under them. I also have to have a door open so I can get my wireless internet. (still working on fixing that one for this winter)

I have to keep the plush clean, and can't afford to buy a whole bunch of totes. Besides, I hate unstacking them all to get to the tote I need  (some how the one I need is always at the bottom)

And then the other day I was shopping at my local dollar store and found this:

Problem solved.

Huge clear bags with handles that I can hang from a clothing rod in my shop.
Keeps the plush dry, safe, clean, and easy to find.

I love the dollar store, don't you?

It's currently pouring rain outside so I will get a picture of the plush hanging on my closet pole tomorrow.

What do you use to organize all of your different items?

Sales for the week of July 14th

Here's what I've sold this week.

Just like everyone else things have been very slow for me on all fronts. I'm taking advantage of the 29! days I have left before returning to work and listing and organizing as much as I can.

I've spent the past 2 weeks listing only things that I already had pictures of and that I had a lot of very similar items to list. Less typing for one handed me and no having to take pictures. Which means that I've listed all of the men's shirts I have, which is over 100!  But, the proof that listing anything helps you sell more is true. I've been selling a lot more since listing everyday. 

I've getting to really like selling men's shirts, easy to store, easy to list, easy to pack, and I find at least 10 that are good sellers pretty every time I go thrifting. Got to love that! 

Ebay sales:
Ralph Lauren new with tags at gdub, 6.99, sold for $54.95

Ralph Lauren Plaid shirt

listed at 24.95 about a week ago, sold last night for BO of 18.00 (sorry its sideways, too complicated to fix one handed)

Purchased for 4.99, sold for 19.95, has been listed since last winter, happy to be rid of it

Coldwater Creek Sunflower Jacket I later learned that coldwater creek travel clothing is what sells well, not just plain coldwater creek.

Pendeleton
puchased for 5.99, sold for $39.95, this lady emailed me to double check on the size, as she purchased another one that said size 18, but didn't fit. I don't think she understands that vintage sizing is different than modern day sizing. I have a feeling I might be getting this one returned, we'll see.

Women's plus size safari look dress paid 3.00, sold for $34.95, listed for about 3 months probably would have sold faster if my picture was better. Always look for plus size women's items that are in good shape. They might take a while to sell, but they're worth it.



Vintage wooden sewing basket. This one cracks me up, because someone from my hometown, who actually works at the same school I do bought this on ebay.  She totally didn't know who I was, and I can't believe what a small world it is.  She paid thru paypal and then picked it up from our local pizza place.  paid .50, sold for $24.95

Strawberry dress on clearance from Target paid 2.50, sold for $8.00

Tommy Bahama Shirt, paid 3.99, sold at auction for 19.95 minus shipping costs


Ralph Lauren yellow and blue check shirt paid 3.99, sold for $19.95

ralph lauren shirt


Etsy:
two father's day frames 18.95, so fun to make using only one hand!
a vintage sheer skirt  pd. 1.00, sold for 8.00


How have your sales been this week?

the answer is. . .I don't know

The question I have been getting from everyone for the last two weeks, when they have seen my with my right arm in a sling has been this:
What happened to your arm?

To which I have to reply:  I don't know exactly, my doctor thinks I sneezed too hard and seperated the cartlidge in my collarbone. He says I need to not use it for a few weeks. 


I assure you Granny's Hoard readers, this is a true story.


I've discovered there are lots of things I am not good at doing with my left hand.

•  picking up my 3 year old 
•  pushing a shopping cart, without groceries, let alone with
• cutting things on a paper cutter, or with scissors
• feeding myself
• listing items to sell online
•  garage saling
• typing blog posts (this one took me almost an hour)
• taking photos for said blog with digital camera (therefore no pathetic photos of me with my sling and superman fleece neck saver)
• pulling up my own pants. . . thankfully little one was potty trained in March and now is able to help me go to the bathroom- really people does it get any more embarrasing than this?

I'm so over it!

Next week I can start trying to use it again.

I CANNOT wait.

Thanks for letting me vent-
Melissa

P.S.  Three years ago I also did this to my left arm. It took almost 3 years for it to stop hurting. It would be fine for a while, then all of a sudden act up again- for another 2-3 weeks in a sling.


 My advice to you- sneeze very carefully!

What happened to my productive summer?

Umm... yeah so the summer is really flying by much too quicky. I'm not sure that I am going to be able to reach my goal of having 800 items listed by the end of the summer. June disappeared in a haze of doctor visits, swimming lessons, shopping and trying to keep my head above water on the housework. Didn't work out so well on that last one.

I am still trying to list everyday and get a little bit of organization in my shop, so when it stars to be crazy time I won't have a mental breakdown trying to find everything.  I'm not looking forward to going back to work full time either. It's helped that my boss "resigned" and we now have a new and hopefully better principal. But I still wish I could stay at home. I'll keep working on it.

This week has not been so good on the billfold. Two days ago I discovered that the load of clothes in the dryer that I had been drying for over 2 hours still wasn't dry. Hubby pulled it out to discover that the heating element was shot. We wanted to get the stackable washer and dryer when we needed to replace them, to give us more room and a place to store the vaccum, besides in the middle of the living room. So, we dropped almost $1900.00 at the store, but luckily got it on the Fourth of July sale, and they were delivered and hooked up free of charge, Love that! I'm in the middle of prewashing the washing machine (really?) and then I will give it a whir and see how the new one works.

But, the new washer and dryer means that the budget will be tight for a few more months until I get my full time pay check in September. We can do it, right!?!

I'll give you an update tomorrow to let you know why I've been such a bad blogger and not posting more. I'll give you a hint.

until tomorrow. . . .