I'm Famous

Now don't be asking for any autographs. More on that later.

So my adventure into Amazon is going well. I have sold almost everything I had listed. But the fees are way more then eBay. I didn't pay a lot for what I listed so I'm still making a good profit. And I love
the convenience. I shipped everything to FBA and when something sells I get an email telling me it has been shipped.

On the eBay front things are slow. Including my listing. But life is so complicate lately. I did sell the Hanna Anderson jacket I listed.

Now on to my brush with fame. Apparently I'm a horrible person. Yep you might want to deny knowing me. Baby's daddy was on TV last week saying how his daughter was ripped from their arms for no reason and he's worried about her safely. That their are constantly bruises and bites on baby and she is always dirty. Luckily he doesn't know my name so I wasn't actually named in the newscast. Needless to say with all of this happening I haven't had time to think of a wedding. But are hoping for January 12, 2013.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful season and are selling like crazy.

What Did The Bird Say ...

... When it flew over Kmart? Cheap, cheap, cheap.

OK that’s an old joke from my youth. But the bird would also say the same thing while flying over me. I will admit that 90% of our family’s clothing comes from yard sales. I just can’t spend a ton of money on clothing that is going to get ripped, or torn, or stained, or spit up on within a few (sometimes one) times being worn. That doesn’t mean that my babies don’t look adorable.

Ella’s dress was $1.00. It is officially her holiday dress.

Andi’s outfit was $3.00 including the backpack, pants and top.

This one was $2.00.

But just because I don’t like to spend money on my daughters clothes doesn’t mean that other people don’t. It always amazes me how much parents will spend on brand name clothing.

Today I’m listing this Hanna Andersson jacket. I paid a dollar for it. Unfortunately it didn’t fit my daughters. But Hanna Andersson sells really well on eBay. Moms love this brand. I can always spot it when I’m out because they have such bright, floral prints. Before I list anything Hanna Andersson I always try to find the style name first. My favorite site id is http://megancrown.com/hannafannas.com/index.html . I can’t always find what I’m looking for but 9 out of 10 times it’s there. And it helps. I once listed a dress for 2 months with little interest. I looked up the style and included it in my title and listing and it sold within a week for $5.00 more then I originally had it listed for.

Another brand that has sold well for me is Lilly Pulitzer. Very cute and adorable prints but I never find anything in my daughters size. I’ve had good luck finding style id’s for this brand at http://home.comcast.net/~sweet36/site/ .

Of course my favorite brand is Matilda Jane. I think their clothing is absolutely adorable and sells incredibly well but I have only found it twice in over a year that I’ve been looking.

Does anyone else sell children’s clothing? What brand sell well for you?

Update

My life is has been hectic lately. I actually cried one day last week because I felt so overwhelmed. But I picked myself up and kept on going.

On the eBay front things are not so good. I will admit it has been over 3 weeks since I listed. And no listings means little to no sales. Don’t you hate how that works? By the time I get home for the day I am exhausted and eBay is the last thing on my mind. And the time change isn’t helping any. When we get home my daughter thinks it’s bedtime because it’s dark outside already. I did get a few listed yesterday and my goal is to do 5 today. I need money quickly (more on that later) so any free time I get I will be listing from now on. Unfortunately all the free time I have isn’t very much.

The girls are doing great. Baby Ella is growing (really growing) and doing wonderfully. No effects from the drugs are showing. She is a happy baby. But she has so many appointments lately besides the twice weekly visits with parents. Being a single mom is hard! Andi is blossoming. Sometimes I’m amazed of the things she says or does. I still see her as my little baby. I did decide to take her out of ballet and only leave her in gymnastics. I have too much on my plate right now. This week alone I have two appoints today for the girls (McStart and Parents as Teachers), tomorrow I have PTA and my monthly concurrent parents class, Thurs I have parent teacher meeting and gymnastics. Friday I have a vet appointment. Every week has been like this lately. Next week I’m  scheduling an official burn out. Wish me luck!

On a personal note, I’m running off and getting married next month. I am engaged. I guess I won’t be a single mom for long. His name is Jason and he is great with the girls which is a major plus. I don’t have the money or energy to have a huge wedding and don’t want to plan over a year in advance so we are going to have a very small wedding next month in a chapel in Monterey followed by a lunch at a local restaurant for everyone who attends. A toast and cake and it will be done. Just what I need right now, nothing complicated. But this is the reason I need money! I don’t want to charge anything if possible. So hopefully I can get some extra money from eBay and pay everything cash.

I hope everyone is doing well and is ready for the holidays. I know there are so many people on the east coast affected by weather and as much as I stress I also feel grateful for everything I have. They have all been in my prayers.

Happy Halloween

Actually we are on our way to Disney on Ice. My princess outfit was $2.00 and little nuggets was $1.00 at a garage sale. Love to save.

Baptism

My Princess' big day. And in a true saving fashion the dress was $2.00 from a garage sale. Sshh don't tell! And the rosary was from wonderful Lorraine. Unfortunately it's sprinkling and cold outside after having 90 degree days all week so party has been moved inside. But we just roll with the punches.

Hope everyone else has a wonderful weekend too!

HoHoHo Merry Christmas

OK I know it's still October. And I am far from ready for Christmas. But today I sold my first ugly Christmas sweater. I bought it for 50¢ several months ago. And it sold really quickly, only had it listed 2 days. This weekend I finally got around to cleaning and organizing the garage so I was finally able to get it listed. I still have around 6 more sweaters to list hopefully before Santa has come and gone.

New Adventures

Here is my first package to Amazon FBA. I finally took the plunge. I actually have another box to send. If they all sell I will make about $250.00 on all the stuff. Love the fact that you can send it to them and don't need to store everything yourself. I will let you know how it goes.

It Really Is A Small World

Most of the wonderful treasures I sell eBay never stay close to home. Very few even stay in California. Which I kinda enjoy. I love looking up where my packages are going (time permitting of course). I'm even more excited when it goes out of the country. It feels good to know that my little item is going to be traveling to exotic places that I will probably never get to visit. It's almost like a little part of my will be there.

Last Friday though my sister showed up at work with a package. She handed it to me and said "I emailed the buyer. He will be by to pick up this package at 9 am." Of course I looked at her like she was crazy. But she was out the door too fast for me to protest. We actually get a lot of walk in customers so someone coming in wasn't a big deal. And everyone at work knows I eBay (I'm not shy about it). But I felt a little like I was performing an illegal transaction. "You got the stuff?" "Yeah. You got the money?" Ok so it didn't go down like that. He was a very nice gentleman. He was very thankful I let him (he thought I was the seller) pick up the pants. He wanted to wear them that night to a concert. And I was happy I was able to help him out (or guess I should say help my sister out).

Selling on eBay I think I sometimes forget that not all buyers are so far away. People in my little town do buy and sell. And I have seen sellers in the past. The other day I saw a guy at the post office with about 10 packages. I'm pretty sure those weren't all to his relatives. But the closest item I have ever sold was to San Jose, CA. About an hour drive away.

Anyone else have something stay locally?



(That's me right there. The red dot.)

First Step is Admitting You Have a Problem

Hello my name is Veronica and I'm a hoarder. It might be time to call the television crew in.

This weekend I painted and re-arranged my living room. I spent 2 days on it and was sore by the time I was done (well mostly done). Luckily mom and sister took turns watching my Princess and little Nugget as the wonderful blogger at The Butter Ninja (I can't believe I don't know her name) referred to the baby. She wrote a post recently about being a craft hoarder and the funny thing is that I read it right after I had finished with my living room and had a discussion with Mom.

I was happy and feeling accomplished at the living room until Mom came up to me and said "Nice job. Is the garage (a.k.a the eBay room) next?" My response was "I'm getting to that." To which to proceeded to drag me into the garage and tell me "Watch out don't trip over that hundred dollar bill there. Or that one over there." No I do not have money all over my garage. At least not literally. But figuratively yes I do. Her point was each stack of treasures I have waiting to list on eBay is at least a hundred worth of merchandise if it was sold. And it won't get sold unless it gets listed. I tried to ignore her and sat down on my couch to catch up on blogs and I read The Butter Ninja's post. It was almost like she was yelling at me too (ok maybe that was just my guilt creeping up).

Of course I have a million excuses. I have a 3 year old and a baby. I work full time. I am busy. Last night I didn't get home until almost 8 pm. After work I took my girls to an appointment. Got home long enough to get my Princess dressed for gymnastics (a make up class). Then off to Target we went for more formula. Today is Parents as Teachers for my Princess. Tomorrow is PTA and ballet. Thursday it's more gymnastics. Friday I have a meeting with one of the social workers. I barely have time to breathe.

So my goal this week is to tackle my eBay room. To get it organized. Purge stuff that isn't selling, List as much as I can. Make it look presentable. Even if I only do 15 minutes here and there when I get a chance it's something and will add up. And if I don't start then I will never finish.

I'm curious how other people get motivated and keep up with it all. Everyone is so busy. Am I the only lazy one?

(I was going to include a picture of the garage but I was afraid it would give people nightmares).

Making New ...Friends

My Princess is finally being baptized later this month. My niece keeps teasing they are going to tell us we are in the wrong service. That the first communion service is the following week. At 3 years old my Princess will definitely be the oldest one there.

This weekend I went looking for all of the "props" needed for the baptism: a candle, rosary, children's bible. etc. I walked into a local store and was surrounded by religious articles and the first thing I thought of was Lorraine from We Are CLAMCO. No she isn't some crazy religious lady. She just sells religious stuff on eBay. Like this Agnus Dei she wrote about here. She ended up selling it for a pretty penny.

I grew up in a Hispanic Catholic family. My mom has had a candle lit for the Virgin Mary every day for as long as I can remember. You need a miracle? There is some Saint you can pray to. Mom knows them all. But there have been so many things Lorraine has sold that I didn't know existed. A personal holy water container? You never want go be caught without some handy.

It's funny because I follow so many blogs and I feel like I know the people who write them. Like they are new friends. You are happy for their success (even if you are a little bit jealous sometimes), learn new things from them all the time, and keep in touch through the blogs. So it was only a little weird when I turned to my niece and said "Oh Lorraine sold a vintage one of these on eBay". To which she responded "Who is Loraine?"

Who's Bright Idea Was This?!?!

I'm a single mom with a three year old and a one month old. If you look up insanity in the dictionary I think that is the definition. And it was my choice.

I will admit Ella is a perfect baby. She had none of the symptoms you would expect with a baby born addicted to drugs. If she cries its usually because she's hungry, wet or wants attention. And with my family people are usually fighting over her so she gets lots of attention. I know being in the hospital being detoxed slowly over the course of a month helped. And so did the great staff at the NICU.

There was a reason for my insanity. I knew when they called me about Ella I was probably the third or fourth call they had made to place her because I wasn't signed up for a new born. And I just couldn't say no. But now I'm questioning my decision. Not because of the baby. But because of the family.

As I have mentioned before I am a concurrent foster home. I took in Ella as a foster child with the possibility of adopting if it should to that far. The same thing happened with my Princess. We had a happy ending and she is now my legal daughter. But in the process we had a lot of ups and downs. You get attached no matter what.

I realized when I met Ella's parents on Monday a few things. 1) the dad is a jerk. He was practically interrogating me. 2) mom had bruises all along her chin area. Hmm... 3) but most importantly is that they will fight for her. Whether they will do everything the court mandates we will have to wait and see. This is her 4th child and his 5 or 6 and they aren't raising any. If I saw this was a good home I know if she left it would hurt a bit less. But with them I have my doubts.

But like I always say, I'm just a full time babysitter. I need to take care of the baby and keep my mouth shut. And anyone that knows me knows I'm not very good at keeping my mouth shut.

Say Cheese

When I was growing up my family had a Polaroid camera and I loved it. We used to fight over who got to shake it. Being the baby in the family I usually won. I was not ashamed to take advantage of my status. We didn't get to use it very often because film was so expensive. But it got pulled out of the closet a few times a year. And if you flip through our family photo album you will probably see a pic or two where I'm sporting some bell bottoms.

I still enjoy Polaroid cameras but for totally different reasons. Now I buy them to sell on eBay. I can usually pick them up for a dollar or two and sell them for more then $20. I'm happy with that kind of profit. I always make sure I put in the listing that I don't have the film to test the camera and pictures of everything. I haven't had a problem yet. But a warning that these usually sit for over a month or two.

What's even better and more profitable then selling Polaroid cameras? The film of course. I always pick this up when I see it. I usually pay about a quarter each package. I have even seen it in the free pile. In the day of digital everything most people think this is useless junk. The film usually sells within a week for me. They don't make it anymore so just a warning that most you will find will be expired. But that doesn't seem to bother buyers. I always include the expiration date in the listing and they still buy it. Sometimes I'm truly amazed at what people will buy. And grateful. Isn't eBay amazing?

Just remember useless electronics aren't always as useless as people think.

I was going to include a pic of my latest Polaroid find but instead I'm putting a pic of my Princess saying cheese. Much better.

Meet Ella

She's adorable! And sweet.

It's a Girl - Part 2

I got a phone call from Vicki the placement social worker. She has a baby girl that's 3 weeks old. She is still in the hospital detoxing (was born positive to a couple drugs). She asked if I was interested in taking her. How can I say no to a baby? But can I handle 2. And a baby is a lot more work. I've never had a baby. My Princess was almost 2 when I got her.

I haven't made a decision yet. I have to get back to her. I just had to tell someone.

Keeping up with the Joneses

Apparently it's true. I'm a horrible mother. Or at least that's how I was made to feel last night while I was sitting with a couple other moms at my daughters gymnastics class. Why am I so horrible? Because I only have my daughter in one gymnastics class per week instead of two or three like the rest of them.

Ok before you condemn me too let me plead my case. I'm a single mom. Just a secretary. I dont earn a lot. I have a mortgage and car payment along with all my other bills to pay. And those classes are not cheap! Plus she does take ballet one time per week also. I don't want to burn her out. She's only 3.

Ok I know I'm not a horrible mom. But talking to these moms made me realize how much parents pore themselves into their children's lives. They go overboard with everything. Their child has to be the best, wear the best. Every little girl in her class wears a different outfit each week. My baby has two and one of those does double duty as a ballet outfit.

While I was sitting their trying to tune out the two moms trying to one up each other I looked up gymnastics leotards on eBay from my phone. Wow! These things aren't cheap even used. I don't know about anyone else buy I see these all the time at yard sales. Kids either grow out of them or get bored with the sport and off to the yard sale in they go. I have always passed them up in the past but not anymore. Certain brands sell better so I'm going to have to do some research. But they are usually about $1 when I see them at a yard sale so I will pick up even the lesser brands. I can always put them in a lot.

As for my daughter she is a happy loved and well rounded little girl. Far cry from a year and half ago. And I think I'm a great mom. And she is the most awesome Princess ever.

New BOLO

As I wrote about here I sell a lot of Hawaiian men’s shirts. I am far from an expert on what sells. But like I always say ugly, oops I mean unique sells. The shirt I listed on that same post was very unique. It was 100% silk but not in the normal Tommy Bahama 100% silk fabric. This one was really thin. I looked the brand, Avanti,  up my eBay app and noticed that the brand had a good sell through rate. But the amount it sold for ranged greatly. So I listed my shirt for $25.00. I had a feeling I was under pricing it but I had never heard or sold this brand before and I need money for my Disney trip at the end of the month. It sold right away. I made sure to make a note of this brand to keep my eyes open for it. And last Friday I found two more shirts.

Aren’t they unique? I listed them for $35.00 and they both sold to the same person the very next day. I finally looked them up and these shirts are selling between $60-90.00 new online. Not the most expensive Hawaiian shirts on the market but they are cool looking. I will continue to look for these on my shopping expediations. And if you happen to see any on your shopping trip I would recommend picking them up.

Happy Labor Day

I hope your weekend was as great as ours.

Now What Will I Sell

I live in beautiful sunny California. I have my whole life. But as I look out the window this is what I see:

Nothing interesting about this picture. My point isn't what's in the picture. It's what not . And that would be SUN. I live in California and there is no sun! And it's not even fall yet!

And how does this effect me? Lately about half of my eBay sales are for Hawaiian shirts. Do you know what some men will pay for really ugly Hawaiian shirts even if they are used? A lot. I can always make good money on them. I usually pick them up for a dollar or two and sell for upwards of $20.00. That's a great profit. And they sell consistently for me.

I sold this Hawaiian shirt this week. Paid $1.00 and it sold for $25.00. I must have underpriced it because it sold really quickly but I'm happy with at $24.00 profit. And the seller thank me for the shirt. Love that. I'm happy, he's happy. The hula girls on the shirt look happy. What else can I ask for?

Unfortunately today being our first gloomy day reminded me that the warm weather will soon be leaving us and with it my sales of Hawaiian shirts. I'm sure I will still be able to continue sell some but not in the numbers I have been selling them lately. So now what will I sell?

I never find owls like Becky at Treasures in Thrifting Land . She seems to do so well on them. The also does well with her local facebook group but there isn't a very good one in my area. I could try religious items like Lorraine at Clamco but I don't run into very many of those either. Plus I have a feeling my mom would try to keep most of them. Scott from Barry's Books and Other Neat Stuff does well with books, movies, cd's, even old computer programs. But I know nothing about any of this and I don't know if I have time to learn.

So since I can't steal any one else's idea I guess I will have to come up with my own. At least until next spring. It will give me time to collect more shirts. And maybe find a new niche I enjoy.

First Day Of School

I cried a little. It seems like just yesterday I brought her home and she wouldn't say a word. And now a year and a half later she is in preschool. Now if only I didn't work full time this would be a perfect time to list.

Yard Sale Tricks

Well I think the trickiest part of yard saling is getting out of bed. There are some mornings that I’m not sure if I will make it. But then my Princess shows up and asks me “Mommy awake?” which means no more being lazy for me.

Most of my eBay “stock” comes from yard sales. I get the more bang for my buck there. Thrift stores around me are outrageously priced. Jeans are $6-10. Mens dress shirts $6-8. The local Salvation Army stopped their $1.00 Saturday special and the Goodwill only offers a 25% discount on certain color items each week instead of the 50% they used to offer. Unfortunately that only gives me one scouting day per week, Saturday. I work Fridays and sometimes I try to fit a couple sales in on my lunch time but that’s going to end next week when my Princess starts preschool. I will be taking her to school during my lunch every day. Sundays have actually been pretty successful yard sales trips for me in the past but dating a guy that lives 2 hours away makes it difficult for me. Sunday morning I am heading out to visit him (or he’s coming out to see me in which case I sneak in a few before he gets into town). So I have to use anything I can to make sure I get the most out of my Saturday sales.

When I first starting selling on eBay I would take the kids yard saling with me one of them would always shout from across the lawn “Hey Auntie do you want this for eBay?” or something along those lines. So I had to quickly come up with a code. Now instead of yelling about eBay they yell “Auntie do you think Grandma will like this?”. Grandma of course being code for eBay. This has worked out really well for us. But I do get some strange looks sometimes from people wondering why Grandma would want a box of action figures.

I am far from the expert on what sells well on eBay so when I’m not sure if “grandma” would like something I say out loud ‘Oh I’m not sure let me text her”. This is my way of pulling out my phone and looking the item up on eBay without being too obvious. I hear all the time “Do you know what this is going for on eBay” and I don’t want people giving me a higher price if they think I’m going to be selling their stuff there. (By the way don’t get me started on people that over price things because they are selling for a certain amount on eBay. If you want to get eBay prices then go sell them on there not a yard sale).

Recently I’ve been using a new “trick”. I take my 3 year old Princess with me yard saling. She of course always finds the toy stack at every sale. When I see something I think might sell well I ask her “Baby do you like this?”. Of course her answer is always yes (she likes everything for about 10 seconds and then moves on). So I send her to the sellers to ask “How much please?”. Who can over charge a sweet little Princess who also happens to be polite? About a quarter of the time they end up giving it to her for free. When they do charge they usually give it to her for much less then I would have gotten it for. I know this is sneaky but I go with what works. I just need to teach my baby to haggle a price and she will really be my secret weapon.

Now if anyone has any tricks that work for them please share! I need all the help I can get.

You Need To Spend Money To Make Money

Unfortunately the saying is true. Most of my inventory comes from yard sales and I will admit I’m cheap. I rarely spend more then $1.00 on an item. I don’t have a lot of knowledge on what to buy and what sells so I would rather not pay out a lot of money and risk having to donate it again. But as I look over at a sea of knick knacks and items I always wonder how many treasures I am leaving behind.

This weekend I was yard saling with my honey (his choice I didn’t drag him with me) and he asked an owner “How much is that fishing pole rack?”. It was only $3.00. He paid the nice lady and off he went with his newly purchased rack. I walked past that rack at least 3 times and didn’t have a clue what it was. Even if I did I don’t know if I would have paid $3.00 for it. But I looked on eBay and found one just like it here that sold for $64.50 plus shipping. Not a bad return on $3.00. He of course is keeping his because he decided we (I don’t know how I got included in this we) need to get outdoors more.

I could say that I can go with my gut feeling on what to buy but my gut isn’t very knowledgeable either. But when it does have a feeling it is usually a good one. A few weeks ago I went to the Salvation Army and they were selling small totes full of toys. They had Barbie furniture, clothing, accessories, dolls, and lots of other items inside. But each tote was $7.50. I must have put them in my cart and taken them out again about half a dozen times. Did I want to spend $30.00 on four totes? No. But my gut was telling me “Do it” so I did. And my gut didn’t let me down. To date I have sold $170.00 worth of items. I still have items listed that haven’t sold yet and other items yet to list. I am expecting to sell all my items for at least $300.00.

This weekend I had the same dilemma. I went to a yard sale where they were selling new in box toys. I got a stack together of about 10 toys. I asked the owner how much for the stack and she told me $40.00. Logically I knew that I could make that back by selling just one or two of the toys which would make all the rest profit. But I didn’t want to have to give her most of my yard sale budget for the day (yes I was pouting a little). And she wouldn’t go any lower in price. I did finally hand over the money. I am actually thinking of trying my hand with Amazon with these toys. I am a little scared to try something new but I might just jump in. Wish me luck.

So I am going to admit that the past couple weeks I haven’t listed. I’m not going to make excuses. I’ve just been lazy. And my sales have reflected this. But I have a cruise to finish paying and I need money so I am setting a goal of listing 5 items per day this week. I listed 5 yesterday so I am starting the week off right.

eBay Sales

My sales are horrible right now. But I haven’t listed in almost two weeks. Since I knew that would be gone for 3 days in Vegas I didn’t really want anything to sell. I have three day shipping time on my listings (I can’t commit to one day shipping) but I still like to get my stuff out right away. I did have 5 things to mail when I got back. Four are on their way to their new owners. One I can’t find. That is so frustrating. I’m going to have to tear up my house tonight to find it.

I sold the Little Einsteins Pat Pat Rocket for $75.00 plus shipping this week. I was able to mail it right before I left for my trip so it should have arrived already. These are such a good, quick seller.

My only other good sale this past week was for two vintage Barbie dolls. I purchased them at the same time as the vintage Ken’s friend doll I mentioned here. These dolls were in bad condition. The Barbie was missing most of its hair and the Skipper doll had her bangs cut. I put them on auction for $15.00 and thought I would be lucky to get a bid. Final bid was for $57.56 plus shipping. It amazes me what people will pay for old toys. I always look for vintage Barbies when I’m out shopping. Unfortunately this is only the second time I have found them.

Now that I’m back from vacation it’s time to get to work. My vacation was great. Vegas was so hot! It was nice to be able to do adult things since my Princess stayed with Grandma. Drinking, dancing and gambling. But I missed my baby so much I called home every hour. Everyone who went on the trip are eBay sellers and our sales paid for our trip. Even when in Vegas if one of us picked up the tab for dinner or anything else we each Paypal that person our part of the bill. It is so easy. And it feels like you are spending “real” money since it doesn’t come from your bank account.

Since I haven’t listed and barely sold lately I am setting a goal for myself this week. I have Disneyland trip in two weeks I need to pay for. So my goal is to list 40 items this week and sell $150.00. Wish me luck!

I Lost My IPhone

I'm mourning the loss. I asked if I could take bereavement leave but it was denied. This morning I made a quick run to Big Lots. I was checking a text as I was walking down the aisle and left the phone sitting at the very top of my purse. Someone must have walked by and grabbed it when I wasn't looking. It wouldn't have been hard to do. It was very visible sitting right on top. I can't believe there are people out there who would do something like this. Worst part is that there are no available upgrades on the family account. So I called Jason and as I nicely begged for the upgrade he has on his account. Being the sweet boyfriend that he is he offered to drive almost 2 hours in traffic to take me to the AT&T store to get it. He ended up ordering it online next day air for me. I can't wait. I'm going through withdrawals!!

Growing up we never had cell phones. I had to beg and plead for almost a year for a walkman when I was young. I remember that the only girl in our class who's family had a home computer came from a family that owned a McDonalds franchise. We thought she was so lucky. These days you see everyone walking around with an "I" something. All my nieces and nephews have an IPod. Half have an IPhone. Even my 3 year old steals my phone and walks around with it playing games, taking pictures, watching cartoons. She figured out how to do Tango the other night and video messaged my niece. But this is normal for most people these days.

The worst part is that I use my phone for eBay. It tells me when I have a sale, a message, a bid, everything. I even use it to list when I'm not near a computer and have spare time. So today I have to remind myself to check eBay every hour. The depressing part is no sales.

I just keep reminding myself that in 3 days I will be in Vegas relaxing. I can't wait.

Remember next time your out shopping if you leave you purse sitting in the cart make sure it is zipped up all the way. I would hate for this to happen to someone else.

Yard Sale Finds

I went to so many yard sales this morning I lost count. There was a community sale that one of my co-workers called me about this morning (everyone knows I love yard sales and I sell on eBay. I'm not shy about it). I packed everyone in the car (mom, nephew and Princess) and off we went. There must have been about 15-20 in this one neighborhood. But we must have gotten there too late because pickings were slim. I was able to purchase about a dozen character plush for a quarter each. Even if I only make a few dollars on them I don't mind. They were cheap and plush is so easy to list and mail. My only other purchase were 4 vintage dolls.

Here is one of them. He is a Barbie MOD Talking Brad Doll. He doesn't talk, he wasn't in great condition and he didn't have his original clothes. The same doll with original clothes sold recently for $35 so I figured I would list him for $20. Apparently that was a great price because he sold in less then a minute. You read that right. Less then a minute. He's on his way to Oregon now. Bye Brad. I still have to research the other dolls I bought. Hopefully they will be a fast turn around too.

After the neighborhood yard sales we stopped to get a bite to eat before heading to another part of town. My phone rang and I knew I should have ignored it. It was work. They needed me to come in. I hate when responsibility interrupts my play time. So after finishing our food we head home. On the way there we stopped at one more garage sale. And boy am I happy we did. Look what I found:

Little Einsteins Pat Pat Rocket complete with all 4 figures. I've only found one before. It sold for $55 but it only had one figure. I'm hoping this one sells quickly for a good amount. I have my fingers crossed.

I hope everyone else had a successful shopping weekend.

Personal Best

I listed 20 items today! Usually I'm lucky if I list 20 in one week. I challenged myself and it felt so good to do it. My sales have been nonexistent this week and I'm leaving to Vegas one week from Friday so I'm hoping the new listings will generate sales. One thing I listed this morning has already sold. Barbie furniture. I love selling Barbie furniture. Great selling rate. And it's so cute. Look at these ottomans. They are adorable.

Taking It Back To The Old School

It seems like everything makes a comeback. Especially the ‘80’s. I will admit that I am a child of the 80’s. Madonna, neon, big hair, and acid washed. That was all my era. Wow I feel old. Several weeks ago my mom (who I love but sometimes she leaves me speechless) came home with two pairs of jeans. She was all excited because they were new with tags and only cost a dollar for both. One was hideously ugly and no one would want it. The other though… well was also hideously ugly but this had some selling potential.

A brand new with tags (from Emporium which no longer exists) pair of Georges Marciano for Guess black acid wash jeans. They had the high waist AND the zipper ankle. I dreamed of a pair of these jeans when I was younger. My parents couldn’t afford it so I only got a knock off. And here it was almost 30 years later in my hands. I almost cried. See eventually dreams do come true! But once I snapped out of the flashbacks I realized that I might be able to sell these. So on eBay they went. I had just finished listing them for $20.00 plus shipping when I get a text from my niece “I WANT THOSE!! DON’T SELL THEM!!” But it was too late. They had already been sold. Hmm maybe I under priced them. According to my niece these jeans are making a comeback. Well there is always next time.

I always make sure when I’m out “shopping” if I see something that makes me reminisce about my past I look up it’s value. I’m not the only child of the ‘80’s and a lot of people want to relive their youth. Or like me they never got that one special piece of clothing, or doll, or accessory, or whatever “it” might be and they turn to eBay to finally own it. One of my first purchases on eBay was an original Gloworm. I slept with one every night for as long as I can remember when I was a child. I was talking to Mom about it one day and I jumped on the computer and bought a replacement. It was worth every penny I spent. So don’t pass over all that old stuff. I try not to. Like the floppy disks I wrote about here. They sold for $22.00 plus shipping. Not bad for a 10 cent investment.

It's a Girl

No I'm not pregnant. But tomorrow I will officially be a mom to my beautiful Princess. It's been a long rocky road but I wouldn't change anything because I getting the best prize ever. My Andi. I have court at 11 am tomorrow to finalize the adoption. I'm actually nervous. But excited too. It's a a dream come true.

I hope everyone else is having a great month like I am.

Here's a pic of when I first met her over a year ago. My baby.

Happy 4th of July

May you and your family have a great festive day!

Happy Days Are Here Again

I've been listing like crazy this week. Today alone I listed 20 items which is a record for me. And two of those items already sold! I'm so glad I'm finally selling. Las Vegas is only 20 days away and I need money!!!! This week I've already sold $200.00 and there is still one day left.

I hope everyone else is having a great weekend! I'm being watched so I'm going to go play with my babies.

Sick As A ...Dog

I spent all last week sick as a “dog”. I can’t figure out who I caught my illness from. No one around me was sick except for my doggies. I kept looking at the accusingly but I’m pretty sure I didn’t get it from them.

To make matters worse not only was I sick but I was crazy busy. So eBay got put on the back burner and I only listed 3 items all week. My sales definitely reflected this. $82.00 for the whole entire week. But sometimes life happens. Like Monday I went to see my Uncle in the hospital, Tues I listed my only 3 items, Weds I had my concurrent parents cluster group, Thurs my illness kept me in bed most of the day (I only got up long enough to have the Parents As Teachers meeting), Friday we took the kids to the movies, Saturday I had a date, and Sunday I was too burnt out to think. I’m ok with a slow week because to be honest I didn’t even have much energy to mail things. And with eBay’s new one day shipping requirements I would have been in hot water. I am actually looking at this slow week as a good thing.

I did manage to squeeze in some yard saling. I didn’t find anything too exciting. I bought a bunch more plush. Nothing that’s going to make me a huge profit but I only paid a quarter or two per item so that’s ok. Plush are becoming my favorite things to sell because I can pick them up so cheap and are easy to list and mail. I also picked up some men’s shirts, a couple of long jean skirts I keep hearing are good sellers, a couple pairs of jeans, and this:

Remember these old floppy disks. I’m still not sure why I bought them except for the fact that there were ten cents for a case of 38 and I had a gut feeling. I looked them up and found these that sold for $50.00 but they were new sealed in box and had all 40. I listed mine for much less and I’m crossing my fingers that they sell. Just to prove that my gut can still pick things out on its own without an eBay app. Wish me luck!

Raising Another Generation of Thrifters

Yesterday I played hooky (sshh don’t tell) and took the kids to the $1.00 movies. After the movies my nieces turns to me and says “Auntie are we going to yard sales now?” I told her that no we weren’t because today was Thursday not Friday.I usually take every 3^rd Friday off and we go to garage sales so to her the fact I was home meant yard sales. That’s just a part of life.

How addicted to thrifting and eBay am I? I have a code word for my niece and nephews when they go shopping with me. We certainly don’t want people to know I’m reselling their merchandise so when they spot something they think might be a good sale they ask “Do you think Grandma will like this?” Grandma being code for eBay. I often wonder if people think it’s weird that "Grandma" plays with so many kids toys.

At least once a week one of my nieces or nephews will come with me with an object and ask “Do you think this will sell on eBay?” So we look it up on my app and they decide whether they want to part with it. They never actually want to part with their items but at least they are thinking about it. 

I would like to be able to say that I was frugal and resourceful at their age. But not even close. I was the youngest of 4 children and spoiled rotten by my dad. At that point in our lives he was making a really good living so I got everything my heart desired. I got a huge quinceañera (a Mexican version of a sweet 16 but at age 15), a brand new Honda Accord for my 16^th birthday, senior trips, designer purses, clothes. You name it, I got it. As much as I loved it I realize that I never want my Princess to grow up like that. I want her to appreciate everything what she has in her life. That you have to work for things. A budget is your friend. That life it’s about what you don’t have but what you do. Like a great family, your health, a roof over head, and a little something extra every once in a while.

I am very proud to be part of raising the next generation of thrifters!

Oh almost forget. Goal update:

Goal: Sell $250.00. So far I’ve sold $140. I’ve already surpassed last week. List 30 items. I’ve listed 18 so far.

I'm In a Rut

I started selling again on eBay almost a year ago. At first it was exciting. Everything I listed was auction. When I got a bid I would almost jump up and down for join. I have certainly lost that loving feeling.

I began selling the way I think most people do. I went around my house and got rid of things. I had a goal in mind (a new Iphone) so I was highly motivated. Once I reached that goal (much quicker then I was expecting) I had a new goal. I need to get my doggies fixed. That is one of my doggies on my profile picture wearing the cone of shame. The goals continued and so did the selling. I started looking for items to sell at yard sales and thrift stores and often got lucky.

I remember coming home from Savers with a bag of little toy figures. I had no idea what they were but for a couple bucks I was excited to find out. I opened the bag and after some research found out they were called Battle Beasts and they sold for $36.00. Not one of my biggest sales but certainly one of my favorites.

Since I began selling I have gone from selling mostly kids clothing, to toys, to jeans, to woman's clothing, to plush and now I'm selling mostly men's clothing. There is no guess work in it men's clothing. I know what brands to look for. I know about what they will sell for. No excitement.

How do you keep going every day? Do you ever get bored? Feel like quiting?

She's the reason I won't quit. I don't want her to ever need for anything. So off to measure some jeans and list more products I go.

Oh on a very positive note, the adoption papers have been sent! Hopefully my Princess will really be mine before the year comes to a close.

Maybe I Should Have Bought More

I’m sure we have all done this in the past. You see something and aren’t sure how well it will sell. Do you buy it or not? I usually do as long as the price is right. A few weeks ago I went to a garage sale. All clothing was 50 cents. Great price but none of it was name brand so I grabbed only two tops. I figured for a $1.00 investment I should be able to make something on them. I was planning on putting them in a lot but realized once I got home that the shirts were not the same size. So I listed them each for $12.00 and thought “these will never sell”. Well sell the both did and within a week of listing. I should have bought more. I didn’t make a lot of money but they were a quick sale. And that’s what I need right now. Here is the top that sold. It is really cheap material but a big size so I think that helped.

This past week has been the slowest I have had since I started a store on eBay. I only sold $77.00. It makes me so sad I could almost cry. Don’t buyers know that I have a vacation to pay for? Hmm maybe I can put that on my listings. "Please buy my items. I'm going to go party in Vegas in a month and need gambling money". Probably won’t help though.

So I am setting another goal this week. That always seems to help. Like somehow envisioning my goal makes it somehow happen. So here it is:

Sell $250.00 (need to make up for last week)

List 30 items

After the disappointing week I’m not very motivated but I have to keep trying. So far I have already sold $15.00 and listed 5 items. And it’s only Monday.

Free Listings ...

If you don't have a store. Here is the announcement from eBay. If you don't own a store it's a great opportunity to take advantage. Three days of free auction listings with BIN option.

Weekly Sales

I survived my birthday! It was touch and go there for a while. And I’m now over my pouting. I do have a great life and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

This past week I sold 7 items for a total of $163.00. And it’s all going towards my Vegas in July trip. I can feel my fingers itching to get to those slot machines!

My favorite sale of the week was definitely this Dragon Tales play set. I bought it at a garage sale in January for $1.00. It finally sold this weekend for $40.00. I didn’t have the complete set which probably had something to do with it sitting for so long. I was so happy to see it go.

This wonderfully fun John Severson collection by Kahala shirt is on it’s way to Japan. I’ve never heard of the brand but I liked the look. It has a cool Tiki drink look going for it. It’s sold for $29.00 within a week.

The only other interesting sale of the week were these Kidrobot Kozik figures. I sold them in a lot of 11.They are random household items that are smoking. I am not in any way promoting smoking. I am promoting eBay sales. I picked them up at a garage sale about a month ago for $3.00. They sold for $30.00.

My trip is in a little over a month so I better get listing. I need more sales.

It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To

My goal this week? SURVIVE!!

That might be easier said then done. I will be 30 something this weekend and I’m having a really hard time with it this year. Birthdays are never fun for me. I hate getting older. And this year I keep thinking about where I thought my life would be at this point and where it really is. And they don’t match. I know I have a good life. I’m healthy, I have a job, a roof over my head, I have the worlds greatest daughter, a family that loves and supports me, etc. But even though I know that I'm still feeling really, really, really down.

And to make matters worse eBay buyers and sellers have been annoying me. Sorry sir that the shirt that was labeled an extra large didn’t fit. I did include measurements but I’m sure it’s somehow my fault you won’t go on a diet. Sorry annoying seller who emailed me that I copied her title and that was against eBay policy. I know it’s hard to believe we all use the same key words on listings and no I didn’t copy your title but I will change it just because I’m not in the mood for a fight. I’m sure the reason you haven’t sold your outrageously over priced toy is because my listing had the same words as yours not because yours is 3 times more then mine. But I added more and better key words to the title so there!

I hope you all have a wonderful week. I’m going to go sit in my corner and pout some more.

Goal Update

I always have great intentions. Follow thru not so much.

Goal:
List 40 items. Actual listings were 7. Oops
Sell $250 to put into my Vegas fund. Actual sales were $225!!! Can you believe it? I can't. Imagine if I would have listed.

Now on to the excuses. I usually list the most on weekends. I went to an A's game on Friday. Yesterday was a family friends birthday. Today we went to the mushroom festival. I have tons more excuses. But I have a out. This is technically a long weekend so if I list tons tomorrow I will still be ok. So if anyone needs me tomorrow I will be in my garage/eBay room.

Happy Memorial Day to all.

Maybe I Should Have Listed It For More

Recently I read a blog (I can't remember which one I read so many) about My Twinn dolls. They are bigger then American Girl dolls and just as expensive. You can customize them to look like your child. Today at lunch I ran into Savers and what did I see? A My Twinn doll. They had her priced at $6.00 and her hair was a tangled mess. I hesitated to buy her. But I confirmed with the cashier that I could return her for store credit within 7 days so I thought I would take a chance.

When I got home I looked up the care instructions for these dolls and they recommended washing her hair with baby shampoo. Her hair was so baf that didn't help much. So I spent the next 30 minutes brushing out tangles. When I was done her hair looked like my Princess' hair when we give her a bath at night. Not a pretty sight.

I debated about listing her but in the end I figured I would give it a week and hope for the best. I took lots of pictures and disclosed all conditions. Because of this I listed her BIN at $40. To my huge surprise she sold in less then 30 minutes. My first thought? "Maybe I should have listed her for more money" I'm sure that has happened to all of us when something sells so quickly. But I am happy with my $30 profit. I will definitely be on the look out for these dolls. And maybe next time I will do more research before I list.

Weekly goal:

List 40 items- so far I have only listed 6 items. 34 more to go.

Sell $250 - I have only sold the My Twinn doll so far so $210 more to go.

Weekly Sales and New Goal

This past weekend was a beautiful weekend in my little California town. Saturday morning I woke up to a warm day and garage sale signs on just about every corner. It would have been the perfect weekend except I had to work Saturday. I almost called in sick because I was feeling sick to my stomach passing up all of the possibilities. But then I remembered that there was no one at work to call in to so I kept on driving. Sob sob.

I didn’t get as much listed as I was hoping this past week. I know I’m bad. But even though I didn’t list I still sold $177.00. I was shocked. These are my favorite sales:

I found this costume at a garage sale several months ago. I saw it mixed in with a pile of children's clothing. I didn’t recognize the character at all but the tag was from Disney so I figured for $2.00 I would take the risk. I got home and asked the kids “who is this?” “Zurg from Toy Story” was the answer I received. I quickly looked him up on my phone. He had sold at a really good price but since it wasn’t the season for costumes I listed it for $60.00 and hoped it would sell. But it didn’t. It sat in my store for almost 3 months. I was getting tired of looking at it so on Friday I lowered the price to $50.00 and it sold the next day. I know I could have gotten more if I had waited but it is bulky and I am more then happy selling him for $50.00. Now I have a date with my nephew David. I told him if he would model it for me I would take him to Panda Express if it sold.

I will admit I am one of those people who always talks about losing weight. I have good intentions. But I have horrible follow through. This is one of those examples. I bought this DVD set for $1.00 at a garage sale so long ago I can’t even remember when. And it sat and sat and sat. Poor thing never got used. I decided to list it a couple weeks ago and it sold for $14.00. I’m happy to have it gone so it won’t sit there looking at me accusingly and yelling “you promised to use me”.

I also sold a Littlest Pet shop hamster set from the 80’s. It was missing one of the hamsters but it still sold for $10. It was part of the huge lot of stuff I bought a garage sale a few weeks ago. I paid $15.00 for everything including the Pocahontas set and Lion King set I sold recently.

I know the only reason I sold $177.00 was because I sold the costume for $50.00 and the ugly sweater previously mentioned for $50.00. Otherwise my sales would have been dismal. I have to get off my butt and start listing. So my goal this week is to list 40 items and sell $250.00 to put into my Vegas in July fund. Can I do it? I think I can. Wish me luck!