Happy New Year

Happy New Year from my family to yours. 

It's Christmas Time

I love selling Christmas decorations. It amazes me how much people will pay. Not me. I went to Dollar Tree to be non-breakable decorations this year because of the baby. Less then $20.00 and I decorated the entire tree, got paper, ribbon and tags. 

Best sale this week was selling my creepy Christmas caroler. Only one sold but it sold for ... $86.00! Can you believe that? Sandra Hasson Caroling Kids. Keep an eye out for them. And today I sold a lot of two Gail Laura 4" Christmas figures. Nothing special about them but they sold for $31.00. Another find from the same garage sale I bought the caroling kids from. 

The best thing is that these Christmas decorations will help make my Christmas a bit more special too. More money for me!!! 

Speaking of Christmas, we went and saw santa this week. My princess was so excited! 

Oh Peanuts!

That is my Princess’ new favorite saying. Whenever something goes wrong or doesn’t go as planned you can hear her exclaim “Oh Peanuts”! I’m not sure where it came from but I find it adorable. But then again I find just about everything my daughter does adorable. I had a woman in swimming tap me on the shoulder earlier this week and tell me how her husband and her always comment to each other about what a pretty daughter I have. It was very unexpected and nice comment. I wish I could take credit but I can’t. I think she’s perfect and I’m the luckiest person in the world to have her.

 

No, my post isn’t about my daughter. I had an OH Peanuts moment recently. When I first looked up and listed the previously mentioned creepy holiday decorations there were several that had sold recently for $60-80.00 but none currently listed. I felt confident mine would sell for a good price. The next day after listing mine another seller listed two in a lot for less then mine and their listing isn’t closing until after mine. I already have a bid for $40.00 on one of my listings but none on the other. Now I don’t think they will do as well. Even if I only sell them for $40.00 I am happy with that profit but I was hoping for more. If only that other seller would have waited a few more days to list theirs. But I guess such is the life of eBay sales and friendly competition.

 

 

Kinda Creepy

This weekend we went out as a family for our 3rd annual cut our own Christmas tree outing. This is one of those things I want to make a family tradition for as long as possible. I think traditions are important. I don't have too many with my family but the ones I have are very special.

When we got home J got out some boxes marked Christmas. We have his and hers decorations and very few ours so we weren't sure what we would find. One of the storage boxes contained some decorations I picked up early this year at a yard sale. The yard sale was held in the back yard of this home and the yard was filled with tons and tons of treasures. I bought a mountain of stuff (literally a mountain) and only paid about $30 for all of it. Have already sold about $200 worth throughout the year of things I purchased that day. The Christmas items I purchased got put away and forgotten. As I pulled out the items out of one of the boxes J exclaimed "that's kinda creepy". I have to admit it was but in quaint old fashion Christmas kind of way.

As I have been known to do with everything that comes in this house I looked up the item before deciding to use or sell. These creepy cute decorations have sold for $60. Off to the for sell pile they went. 

I have two old fashion carolers listed separately for $40 and I already have a bid on one. One persons creepy is another's christmas decoration. 

An update on my great find. The stress control thingy sold for $275 plus shipping. My second highest sale to date on eBay. I wish I could turn $2 into $275 every week. 

Great Find

Since I work full time and always have a bunch of errands to run at lunch I don't usually go to yard sales on Friday. Today I got J to run my errand for me so at lunch I decided to go by the only sale in the area I found. And am I glad I did. 

J actually met me there (we are a yard saling couple) which was good because I hate shopping on my own. There was a box on the table that I had never seen before. I read the cover of the box and turned to J and said "this is perfect for you!" It was a box for Alpha-Stim SCS stress control system. I put it back down on the table and proceeded to look around to see what else they were selling. But something kept nagging me about that box so I decided to look it up on eBay. I almost knocked down an old lady and two kids in my race to get back to the table to get the box. I casually asked the owner how much and she answered $2.00. I quickly paid her and almost did cartwheels on the way back to my car. 

Here are some currently listed:

Woohoo!!!

Shopping Trip

Today at lunch I decided to hit a couple of the local thrift stores. With only an hour I had to do some quick shopping. I only ended up buying three things and two I'm keeping for Christmas. 

The first item that I'm going to list is a new Carter's Teething ring. I didn't bother looking it up but for a dollar I know I can at least triple my money. 

For my princess I bought this Lego Disney Planes set. New in box (box is slightly beat up) for $2.00. This is going to get wrapped up and is going under the tree. 

My favorite find was a Leapfrog Laugh and Learn table new in box for the baby for only ... $5.00!!! I opened the box to make sure nothing was broken and put batteries in it and it is ADORABLE! 

Am I the only cheap ... Oops I mean frugal mom that gives gifts they find at thrift stores and yard sales?

New BOLO

I am a member if several Facebook groups. Recently I saw a post (I don’t remember in which group) about a Bape (Bathing Ape) jacket wondering if it was real. Two things struck me with this post. One, what kind of clothing does someone named Bathing Ape make? And if they were wondering if the jacket was real then it has to be worth good money. I pretty sure people don’t do knockoffs of inexpensive items. What would be the point. So I looked up the brand on eBay and was shocked how expensive this brand is. I looked at their online shop and t-shirts start at $90 and can go as high as $230.00. FOR A T-SHIRT!?!?! Jackets can run over $1000.00.

 

Bathing Ape is a Japanese clothing company which seems to sell mostly street wear clothing. Stuff young people who don’t know the value of a dollar like. They have collaborated with popular characters to make special designs like Spongebob and Hello Kitty so they are hitting two niches. Some of their stuff is adorable but way out of my price range. Luckily that usually means that it’s out of a lot of other peoples price range too. And where do people look when they want something cheaper? EBAY!

 

If you happen to find a Bape clothing item on your travels and are wondering if it is real here are a couple of guides to help out. The last thing any eBay seller wants is to get caught selling a fake anything on eBay even if it was unintentional.

 

http://www.authenticbape.com/spot-fake-bape-aka-fape.html

http://www.bapeinfo.com/fake-bape/

http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-spot-fake-bape-bathing-ape-Part-1-/10000000001249147/g.html

 

(anyone else think their logo guy looks like a character from Plant of the Apes)

 

Halloween and a Jinxed Listing

Doc McStuffins and Lambie!

Maybe it's something about the time of year but I have had the worst luck on a listing for a Ralph Lauren men's shirt. I have stopped buying every RL shirt I find because the market is saturated. But this one had a big logo and decals so I knew it would sell well. Also BOLO for really large sizes because they sell quickly and for good money. 

This particular shirt I listed on auction first. It sold for $37.99 plus shipping. I paid $2.00 so I was happy with that. But the buyer never paid. Listed of BIN for the same price the second time and it sold within 2 days. Again buyer never paid. Thirds times a charm right? I listed it again and it sold within 3 days. I actually had someone in town email me if they could buy it and pick it up but someone else bought it before I could respond. This time when I opened an UPI after waiting a week for payment the buyer paid. Unfortunately when a buyer doesn't pay and you open an UPI case it takes time before you can relist. You would think this listing would have a happy ending since I finally got payment. But no. Since its been a while since I originally listed it and I expected to mail it out quickly I didn't store it where I usually would and now I can't find. So tonight I have to tear apart my eBay room to find it. With my luck I will find it, mail it, and it will get lost in the mail. I feel like this shirt is that jinxed. 

Anyone else ever have a bad listing? 

Flip A Coin

I have been going through all my “to be listed” piles and feel like I haven’t made a dent. I didn’t realize how much I had. Several items I felt weren’t going to get enough profit and would probably sit a while so off to Goodwill they went. It’s sad when I start adding up all the money I have spent on these items but it’s teaching me that I have to be more choosey with the items I buy. I don’t have the time or the space for an item that will sell for $10-15 after several months even if it only cost a quarter to buy.

Most items I didn’t even have to bother to look up. I either remembered them from when I originally bought them and looked them up or from past experiences I knew what they would sell for. Even though I probably shouldn’t be going by past experiences since things can change as Treasure Hunting Mommy mentioned here.The fun part has been discovering items I didn’t even remember buying and researching them. I’ve already sold several of them for a great profit.

This little guy is a Kliban plush fat cat. I’ve seen him before on coffee mugs. I’ve even purchased said mugs to sell. But I hate selling breakables so they still sit in the cabinet. That will be my last sell or purge pile. My daughter must have picked this plush up at a yard sale and brought him home because I don’t remember buying him. I looked him up on eBay and only found this one for $99.99 BIN. Sounds good to me! But this one has tags and mine doesn’t. And I want things to move quickly. Who knows how long this seller has had theirs sitting.

As I fellow seller I feel bad undercutting the other seller. But if mine does sell his will be the only other one listed. So do I start high and hope I at least get one bid or start low and hope for a lot of bids (remember I’m only doing auctions on these new listings)? Decisions, decisions. Maybe my indecisive nature is why it’s taking me so long to get through all my stuff. Maybe I should just flip a coin. What would you do?

Cha Cha Cha Changes

October is going to be the month for changes for me. I woke up this weekend and decided I wasn’t happy with the way my life was going. There isn’t really anything wrong with my life. There are just certain things that I don’t like. And why should I continue living with that. I’m an adult capable of making changes for the better and sticking to them.

I read a while ago that it takes 21-30 days to break a bad habit or to form a new one. That might very well be an old wives tale but I like the idea of giving myself a month to start and make changes. At the end of the month I can evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and how to proceed. Having a smaller goal also helps me see that I am accomplishing something. So instead of wanting to lose 60 lbs overall I can say 3-5 lbs in one month. That goal is much more doable. So here is my top list of things I want to change this month:

1. Stop eating out so much. I signed up for Mint.com several months and have the app on my phone. It is constantly yelling (not literally cuz that would be weird) that I am spending way past my limit on eating out. If I was to look at how many times I eat out in one week … I think I would faint so I will just say it’s way too much. Unfortunately eating out is so convenient. With working full time and running around after work for gymnastics, swimming, and soccer (yes I became that mom) and countless other appointments the last thing I want to think about is coming home and cooking a full dinner. So I’m going to pull out my crock pot. For those days I have something happening I will put something on and have it ready to go when we get home. Piece of cake. My second biggest offense is breakfast. There are several fast food places within a block from work. In the morning I’m usually running late so stopping at one of these place is so easy. But I found something on Pinterest the other day which should really help me. Did you know you can freeze breakfast burritos? This weekend I cooked up 3 different types of burritos. They are ready to go each morning and I can pop them in the microwave when I get to work.

2. Lose weight. I'm fat. First step is admitting you have a problem. Hopefully #1 will help with this. Eating out doesn’t help maintain good weight. I am so unhappy with the way I look I never take pictures. I don’t have any with the baby except a few candid shots people have taken and I only have a few head shots with Princess. I want to get married in March (I know I was suppose to get married earlier this year but there is a long story as to why I haven’t) and I have my dream dress already. Unfortunately it’s too small for me. So I want to lose 3-5 lbs this month. I know I can do it. I’ve done it before. I just need to stick to it.

3. Organize my home. I think purging all of the unnecessary things in my life will help me feel “free”. In order to help my accomplish this I am doing a couple things. First, I am NOT going to buy anything new for the month except the essentials. Shopping freeze! Second, I need to purge eBay items. So for this month I’m going to run a lot of auctions starting at a low start price. If I’ve had something for a while I want it sold or gone. I will relist each item  twice. If it doesn’t sell it will be donated. I buy most things for a dollar or two so I will still be making a good profit on the items. What I have left over will be organized in the garage. If I showed you a picture of my garage now you would scream and call Hoarders. I want to look like Kari from She Thrifts.  Her storage is so organized.

4. Save money. I think #1 will help with this also. Eating out costs a lot. And I still have a dream of being a slum lord (but a nice one). I can’t buy property if I don’t have any money. But also Christmas is right around the corner and I have a wedding to pay for soon. My goal is to put $250 into savings. 

The main change this month is out of my control. We have court this month for baby on October  23^rd. They are suppose to move to terminate services on both parents. I am praying it happens finally. This month the baby will be 14 months and she will be with us 13 months. I just want something finalized. Living in limbo is so hard. I don’t think court will go easy. I know Dad will contest. And even if he doesn’t he has 2 months to appeal. But very rarely are the decisions made the department over turned. So at least it will be a step in the right direction. The mom has said that she has come to terms with losing the baby and is happy that she will be in a good home. She can see how much we love her and care for her.

I have learned from past experiences that sharing your goals with people helps you be accountable so I am sharing with you. And this is something that I have never done, but I am posting a full length picture of myself. I hope by March (wedding) my weight loss will be noticeable. Now don’t laugh.

Childhood Memories

We all had our favorite toys growing up. Those ones that we couldn't lived without. I had 3. One was a glow worm, the second was a dolly, and the third was a Fisher Price Happy Apple. I don't know if anyone remembers the Happy Apple. It's exactly what the name implies, a happy smiling apple. I would hold it from the brown stem and swing it around all the time until the stem broke. I loved that apple. Somewhere in one of our moves it went missing. Sob.

This weekend I was at a local flea market and what did I see from a distance? A Happy Apple. I ran to it. It was all in slow motion like you see in the movies. I thought I wouldn't be able to reach it in time. But I did. It was like coming home when I scoped it up.

I showed it to mom and she remembered it right away. I paid my dollar and was once again the proud owner of a Happy Apple. And this one had its stem fully attached. I took out a wipe and cleaned it up. Then I called Princess over and told her what I had  found. She was really happy to have the same toy Mommy once had. It touched my heart to see her play with it. I know it won't become her favorite toy but both girls can get some enjoyment out of it for a while.

It's funny how It never occurred to me to try and replace the apple from eBay. There are plenty for sale.  When I saw the Apple and how happy It made me I wish I had bought it sooner. It made me realize and experience the reason people look on eBay for replacement toys both old and new. A favorite toy isn't just an object. It's a feeling you get and memories you cherish that surround that toy that you can't put into words. Selling toys I have sold several replacement toys to parents that emailed me how happy they were to have found the toy for their child because they had lost it and they were so upset. It always made me feel good from a sellers point of view to be able to provide the toy for them (and make a profit). But now I appreciate it even more. 

Anyone else have a favorite toy they replaced from childhood? Or am I the only weird one? 

What's In A Name ...

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. 

I had to memorize Act 2, scene 1 (the famous balcony scene) from Romeo and Juliet in high school. I still remember most of it. Even as a ground up I still don't know why I had to learn it. What educational value was there in memorize lines? 

What is in a name? The name you give your child could make a huge difference in their life. Will they be teased for life? Will it fit them. Be too old for then as a child or too young for them as an adult. It's a lot of pressure coming up with a name. My Princess was named after my Mom. That was a no brainier. But with baby I don't have a clue. I don't want to keep her name. I did plan on Sofia the first time I thought she might be mine. But now it seems kinda tainted after what we have been through. So what would I name her if I was able to adopt her? Social services are recommending a termination of services and have a contested hearing in one week. But things are looking good for us to adopt. 

These are some ideas so far:

Emma

Samantha (would be called Sammi)

Any suggestions on a name?   

Craigslist

I’ve read and heard about people selling things on Craigslist but I was afraid to take the plunge. I have bought plenty but the thought of having to actually drive to meet someone to sell something and possibly wasting my time didn’t appeal to me. Selling on eBay is done from home and you don’t have to pull the item out again until it sells (and it’s paid for).

 

One thing that I’ve learned about babies is that they require a lot of “stuff”. And all this “stuff” is not cheap. Most things I have been able to pick up at yard sales for a fraction of the price of new. And as baby out grew her “stuff” it just got pushed in a corner to be dealt with at a later time. Well that time finally came. J told me I either sold the “stuff” or he was taking it all to Salvation Army. Is he crazy?! Give away things when I can make money on them?!?! Heck no!

 

Listing on Craigslist was so easy. I was actually able to do it from my phone. Took some pictures, put up a description, listed the item for more then I was hoping to make since I know everyone always haggles with the price, and just waited for a taker. First items I listed were an activity saucer thingy she sat in and a small rocking chair. They both sold within a couple days to the same person. The best part was that I was unavailable when she wanted to meet so J had to go for me. Now I just have to tackle the rest of the pile.

 

This past weekend Mom and I went to yard sales and found one that several baby items for sale for a great price. They were all too small for my daughter to use so I just passed over them. Mom on the other hand had different ideas. She bought walker thingy (yes that’s my go to word when I don’t know the exact name) for $2.00. It’s adorable in the shape of a car and in great shape. But it’s not small. My daughter (who refuses to walk) has one at home and we don’t need another. So once we got all settled in the car I turned to mom and asked “Who’s that for?”  Her response was “Mija it was only $2.00. I’m sure you can sell it on Craigslist for at least $10-`15.00.” What?! I just got rid of two bulky things. And here I was bringing a new one home. I guess I need to get to listing. I did make mom promise she wouldn’t pick up anything else to sell until I cleared out the corner.

Too Much TV

I have been sick for a week. J says it’s just a cold and I’m being a baby. I think it’s a life threatening flu. OK maybe not life threatening but I felt horrible. During the time I was off work I spent most of the time asleep but when I was awake I watched lots of TV. Lots of mindless TV. I now know that Tia and Tamera are identical twins. The Duggars have a third grandson. I need to go drink from their faucet because that water makes them really fertile. The Little Couple adopted an Asian little boy. He is so sweet. And lots of other didn’t need to know info. But one of my favorite networks to watch was HGTV and DIY.

 

Here’s the problem with me and watching TV. I get crazy ideas from all these shows. Not only do I want to add to my house, and fix the bathroom and kitchen, but I’ve decided I want to become a slumlord. No that isn’t the latest Show on HGTV. But they do have a show that is called Income Property. After about 4 hours straight of that I decide that’s what my calling in life is. So the second J got home I sprung the news on him, “Honey we are going to become slumlords. Except the nice kind.” He walked out of the room. In the feverish haze I was in I figured it all out. We would buy a property in Iowa near where his family lived. Property is much cheaper there. We would hire a property management company. It would be our excuse for going to visit more often. I even found the property. All J had to do with agree. But reminded me that we can’t afford a second property.

 

A few days later we were out thrift store shopping and I got a sign that this is what I should be doing. Does anyone remember those radio commercials (they might have been on TV also but I only remember the radio ones) telling you how you can get rich quick by coming to a seminar (and buying tons of additional stuff) for Rich Dad Poor Dad. I sold a Rich Dad board game a few months ago for $40.00 plus shipping. It was used but looked like it was only used once. This time they had Rich Dad Real Estate. I scoped it up and was so happy when I showed it to J. “It’s a sign” I said. He shook his head and walked away again.

 

I don’t think my dream of becoming a real estate mogul are going to come true any time soon. And I would much rather sell the Rich Dad then keep it. I think there are plenty of other people out there that have the same dream of becoming rich quick that will scoop this up. What I find funny is that this get rich quick guru filed for bankruptcy a year or so ago if my memory is correct. He might not be the person I want to model myself after.

 

My Baby

I wrote about the situation with the baby here. I went through a depression stage right after. I was going through the motions of life but not really living or enjoying life. I can't really explain exactly how I felt. But after about a month I realized I had to do something about it and got some medication. It took a while but I can feel the difference. 

The situation with the baby is ... Still up in the air. Mom dropped out of rehab after about 6 weeks. Rumor has it that dad asked her to quit because he didn't want to be alone anymore. But she denies it and there is no proof. Dad supposedly has followed his case plan. But he has medical issues and wouldn't be able to care for baby on his own. So according to social worker (the 5th one I've had since I got baby) it could go either way.

In the meantime life goes on. I fall more in love with baby every day. She turned 1 last month. 

We had a Fairy from Happily Ever After perform. She was great. 

She is such a happy, smart, wonderful child. So far there have been no issues from the drug addiction. I am so blessed that she is the perfect baby. I can honestly say she is the prettiest baby I have ever seen since I wasn't around to see my Princess as a baby so I'm not being a bad mom. 

I don't know what will happen next month at the court hearing. I won't know until right before the social worker turns in her court report with her recommendation. But for now I will love and enjoy every moment I have with her even if these moments will be ending soon. I will try to give her so much love it will last her a lifetime. 

Will I do this again? I keep getting asked that question. I don't know. I ultimately do it for the children. I would save them all if I could. If I get a bigger house or if baby gets returned to her birth parents maybe I will. A 3 year old would be good. That's a good age. But only God knows what my future will hold. 

Some Call Me Stubborn

Maybe I am just a little stubborn. A few months ago I found a Grateful Dead button down short sleeve shirt for $4.00. It had a cool skull design on the front so i figured I would pick it up. Who doesn't like skulls? I looked it up eBay and couldn't find another like it. I randomly picked a number and decided to list it.  J looked at me and said "No one is going to pay $70.00 for that". My response was "we will see".

In the few months I had it listed I had a lot of offers on (I didn't put Best offer on this listing) but I was stubborn and decided to wait it out. Some of the offers were questionable. $15.00 offer on a $70.00 listed is crazy. J kept telling me I had it listed for too much. He said thats why my offers were for 20-40 dollars. I gave him the same response "we will see".

Maybe I am stubborn and I had no reason to believe that my shirt was worth $70.00 but I refused to give up. Well guess what. Last night it sold to a nice gentleman in London for the first asking price. He even paid $15.00 in shipping. Sometimes being stubborn pays off.

Maybe I should have listed it for more.

My House

When I first bought my little house I was single. No fiancé, no kids, no dogs. Just me. I had already started the adoption process and was just waiting to close on my house to fill out the last bit of paperwork and get licensed. I had very few requirements when I was looking.

1. At least two bedroom. One for me and one for my future child.
2. A yard for my future child and dog.
3. Close to my sisters house because of babysitting.

I didn't think about local school ratings (which mine local ones are bad), about neighborhood kids (there is only one and she is 3 years older then my princess), the fact that I might get more then one child, or eventually meet and fall in love with J. I was just so anxious to get a child and excited to be able to buy my own home.

I will be honest, I had my doubts I would be able to qualify for a house. My previous boyfriend really screwed up my credit. But I had been trying to fix it since our breakup. I was so surprised I qualified I  wasn't too picky on the house. I did end up with a cute two bedroom, one bath with a huge yard and 10 minutes walking distance from my sisters house.

Fast forward three years and I have two girls, 3 dogs, a bird, fish, and a fiancé. And to make matters worse my parents stay here most nights in the back finished room in our yard. We are bursting at the seams.

Last week I was at my concurrent foster parents monthly group and the adoption unit supervisor that runs our meeting mentioned she had a sibling group of 4 who's parents parental rights had just been terminated. Each of them were in a non-concurrent foster home (concurrent means that they are foster parents that would adopt that child if the parental rights were terminated) so they were going to have to be moved to another home. She didn't think any of the siblings were going to be able to be adopted together. It broke my heart. These children had been removed from the only parents they knew, separated from each other and placed in strangers homes, and now a year later they were going to have to be moved and placed in new strangers homes. And they don't even have each other to lean on. I came home and told J "lets take them". He of course looked at me like I had lost my mind. I know I can't take them but it got me really thinking of my home situation. Somethings got to change. So I'm going to get some bids on adding to my house and weigh that against the cost and trouble of selling my house and buying a new one.

It's funny how in life so often we look at the here and now and never think that our situation might change.

(Yes I still have the baby for now. That's a story for another day).

Too Much Info

I think I've mentioned it before but for those of you that aren't aware I am an office manager at a pest control company. I hate bugs. A lot. Luckily we don't have any in the office. And if any guy brings one in I make sure the office is treated that very night. Don't want anything alive that shouldn't be.

Last weekend I was working, lucky me. I only have to do it once every 8 weeks. It's over time so I don't mind too much. But last weekend I really wish I wouldn't have. See I have this fear of bed bugs. We have had lots of training on them and they seem to be everywhere. They make my skin crawl just thinking about them. I know how difficult and expensive they can be to get rid of and I've heard some really bad horror stories. I think I've actually had nightmares about them. And I have also been warned continuously by more then one fellow employ to watch out. See people that have bedbugs often try to give rid of their infested items either through garage sales or thrift stores. They think it's a quick and easy fix. And guess where I get most of my merchandise to sell. Yep, garage sales and thrift stores.

Well last weekend I got an I told you so from a fellow employee. We received a call from someone thinking they might have bed bugs. I sent my tech out to do an inspection. Turned out she did have some. And the item that was infested was bought at ... A local thrift store. I can't say which one but it is one that I frequent. So now I'm staying as far away from thrift stores as I can. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

People Will Buy Anything

I have a chubby baby. I admit it. But I refer to her as slightly not skinny (that only works with babies not adults). She eats a lot. Her doctor told me she would eat more because of the drug exposure and she sure does. Might be why she won't crawl.

Most of my recycling every week comes from her baby food containers. As I was throwing another away this morning I thought to myself "there must be something I can do with these". I have admitted in the past that I have no creative bones in my body. So I turned to Pinterest.  I was shocked at how much you can do with them. But then I thought "I wonder if people would buy these?" Turns out they  would buy them both the glass and plastic containers.

Hmm wonder what else people buy.

Branches: willow, birch. Tumbleweed. Empty wine bottles (any lushes out there?). Empty tequila bottles (this is more up my alley). Hotel shampoo bottles (if you travel for business might be worth saving).

If you ever get bored look up random things on eBay. You would be amazed what people will buy.

The really weird stuff are the fetish items. Used socks. Pictures of feet. I think I will stick to normal clothing and toys.

Rule I Live By

I tell people all the time but for some reason no one ever listens to me. I don’t know why. Any one that knows me knows I’m not soft spoken. I know they can hear me so they choose to ignore me. But all I can say is “your loss”.

One of the rules I live by is “it doesn’t hurt to ask”. Prime example came up a couple weeks ago. A fellow employee from another office told me her father in law passed away. He lived in Mississippi (we are in California just in case you didn’t know) and her husband had a couple days to get down there for the funeral. They didn’t have enough money to fly him out so he was going to take the bus. Yes you heard that right. The bus! The trip was going to take two days. He was going to have to get off the bus and practically go straight to the funeral. So I told her my rule to live by “it doesn’t hurt to ask”. We have a General Manager at our old corporate office (we were recently bought out by a bigger company so they aren’t actually our corporate office anymore) that is really nice and he flies a lot for business. Several years ago he gave me a free round trip ticket when I needed one (all I had to do was ask). My coworker and this manager were on friendly terms, they had actually just had lunch the week before so I told her to call and ask him if he was will to sell her a ticket (which was free to him) after she explained the situation. I knew he would never charge her since it didn’t cost him anything but that way she didn’t feel bad asking. She was a bit embarrassed to approach him but after some pushing on my part she emailed him. The next morning I received a phone call from her bright and early. The manager said yes, she could have it for free. The ticket was already bought and her husband would be on his way the next morning to attend the funeral. Everyone was happy. And all it took was for her to ask.

I have received so many free or discounted things in my life just by asking. I can tell you I probably hear no about 75% of the time but I figure I’m no worse off then I was before I asked so what does it hurt. It’s just second nature for me now to ask and it comes out with little thought. Unfortunately this happened a couple of weekends ago. I asked with little thought. A friend had a very cute (and big) green M&M candy display. I asked her “can I have it?” and the next day she called to tell me it was in her driveway. I could go by and pick it up at any time. Now what am I going to do with a huge green M&M. She sells well on eBay but I can’t even imagine shipping it. I might just keep it until Halloween and use it to hold our candy on the front porch. Either that or I will stick her on Craigslist and hope someone bites.

Princess Camp

I'm beginning to think I had a very deprived childhood. I didn't get to do any of the things my daughter gets to do. Gymnastics, dance, recitals, soccer, and last week was Princess Camp. Yes there is such a thing as Princess Camp. I couldn't make something like that up even if I tried.

The Friday before camp started I received a call from the coordinator. She gave me some basic info I should know and also informed me that most girls come in a Princess costume. Oh great. I had just sold the last Princess dress I had listed on eBay. I did have a Tinkerbell outfit (luckily the first day was Fairy Princess day) and the old standby Snow White costume. This is the one I bought on eBay my Princess' first Halloween. She has worn it at least a half a dozen times. But the camp lasted three days so I was one outfit short. I was tempted to buy one from eBay but 1)I'm cheap and 2)I wasn't sure I would receive it on time. I called my niece and sister hoping one of them had one listed I could use. My sister came through with a Barbie Princess dress that she hadn't gotten around to listing yet.

First day of class all the little girls where in every Disney Princess costumes you could imagine. Some had dresses fancier then the one I wore to prom so long ago. Looking around I realized a few things. First, soon these dress would be selling at a fraction of the original price at yard sales. Second, parents will spend outrageously amounts of money on their children. Last, this is the reason costumes sell all year long on eBay. There is always some day camp, party, sleep over, or play date that requires that special costume a child must have.

It doesn't matter what time of year it is. I always look for costumes a yard sales (thrift stores around me don't put them out until September) and list them right away. I've actually found that you have a lot less competition when it's not Halloween season.

This week my daughter has Super Hero camp. Luckily I was able to find a costume this weekend for her. I must learn to plan ahead.

Lunch Date

I have a lunch date tomorrow with my DM. It's not a typical work lunch. He is bringing his wife along because he wants me to give him some pointers on selling on eBay. When will I learn to say no? At least I'm getting a free lunch out of it. So I've been thinking on what advice I can give her and I'm at a loss no feel like the blind leading the blind. I wrote down a few tips this weekend but my mind is going blank. But how do you say no to your boss. 

I'm going to look at this in a positive way. It's always good to have someone who can fire you on your side. And if I can help someone else get started making some extra money I'm sure their is some good karma in there somewhere. 

Hopefully it doesn't come back and bite me in the behind. 

Dance Recital

It's next weekend but today is picture day. I never had any of this growing up. 

I Need Some Me Time

I want to be alone so I can sit in my room and be sad. Jason took Princess and Mom has baby. And I'm in bed surrounded by my doggies and trying not to think the worst and cry. Chin up and all. 

Today I met with Social Worker for baby. She was so happy because parents are on the right track. I know I should be happy for them as human beings. But I'm not. I know anything can change in the next 5 months. And it's wrong for me to pray for bad stuff but in my heart I hope for the worst because I know that would be best for the baby and my family. 

 

Today I hate social services and I question my sanity in wanting to do this again. I had one go right.  Why role the dice with another. 

Tomorrow I will put a smile on my face and pretend everything is ok. I will remind myself that I am doing good in a child's life even if its for a moment or a lifetime. But I don't think I will ever do this again. Because my heart breaks just thinking about losing her. 

Pay Attention

It seems like I'm always repeating myself with my Princess. "Nice hands!" "Sit still!" "Pay attention!" Rules to live by but we sometimes forget as adults. 

Life is so fast. Go go go! We forget to stop and pay attention. And in the world of sellers it really pays to pay attention. How do we know what people want unless we pay attention? What shows are popular on TV? What are kids into these days? I will sometimes sit and spend time with my nieces and nephews and just listen to what their interests are. And sometimes it pays off. 

This morning we went to a garage sales. I looked in a shoe box they had on the table and inside were a bunch of Skylanders. I turned to Jason and commented on them. The seller told me "your the first person who knew what they were". I asked her how much they were and she asked her son. $2.00 each or $10.00 for all of them. I paid him the $10.00 and grabbed my box. 

I had heard my nephews mention Skylanders before. They are figures you place on a portal and they connect to your game console. I'm sure I'm not explaining this right. I had no idea what they sold for but I knew I could at least make double my investment. Once I looked them up on eBay I was really surprised what some go for. I split my find into three listings. If they all sell I will make $150 from my $10 investment. And I already sold one lot for $80.00. So sometimes it really does pay to pay attention. And it pays to look for Skylanders. 

These are about 2" tall and the easiest ways to spot them is their fluorescent green bottom. 

They come with a sticker, card and code but even if they don't have them they sell well. 

And I highly recommend taking the time to look them each up. Some sell for much more. The guy on the left above sold for $35.00 on its own. The one on the right sells for about $7-10. LOOK THEM UP! 

Goodwill Shopping

My oldest niece graduated from college today. I'm so proud of her. Since I wasn't able to go to garage sales this morning mom and I decided to hit Goodwill to get our "fix" for the day. It always makes me sad when people donate frames that still have their family pictures in them. It makes me want to take them home so they aren't all lonely on a thrift store shelf or wall.

Please before you donate remove your pictures from frames. You don't want to end up like this nice couple.

She Just Called Me Fat

I have worked in customer service for ... ever. The customer is always right (mostly). I work for a pest control company and people can be really, well lets say not smart. As much as I would love to say "listen lady can't you read? You signed the paperwork and initialed the instructions that were printed in bold letters across half the page" instead I play nice and try to defuse the situation. I think as a seller with a customer basis whether it be eBay, amazon, or yard sales its always good not to insult your customer.

A few weeks ago I went to a yard sale and the seller looks at me and says "I don't have any clothes that will fit you." I could understand if she was a size 2 but she wasn't small. I looked at my mom and she snickered and whispered "she's calling you fat". Not nice! I just smiled and continued looking at her clothing.

It's hard to remember sometimes but customer service doesn't stop when you leave work. As an eBay buyer recently I started thinking about my customer service skills as a seller. I had some great sellers who responded right away and were so nice and helpful and some not so nice sellers. I only do eBay part time but it is still my "business" and I have to carry my "customer is always right" attitude home with me.

And I think as a general rule we should always remember to treat people the way we would like to be treated. So that is my new goal as a seller. Have the best customer service ever!

Four Years Ago

Four years ago today my baby was born. I wasn't around to witness the miracle but I'm pretty sure she was the most beautiful baby ever. Her birth grandma once told me she was born a bald baby. Most Hispanics are born with tons of hair. But I'm sure even being folically challenged she was still perfect.

January 2011 God (and social services) brought her into my life. She was so small and quiet. I fell in love at first sight. Her first birthday with us she had a Spongebob party. She freaked out when the kids started hitting the piñata. I'm saving up money for future counseling. She had only been with me a few months and amazed at everything we had for her special day.

Fast forward two years and her old small shy self no longer remains. She takes such joy in everything. She is still the perfect baby (or big girl like she keeps telling me). And I thank God every day he brought us together.

I Love You Andi. Happy 4th Birthday!

Happy Mothers Day

To my mom and all the other moms out there.

It's All In The Details

This is the third birthday party I'm planning for my sweet (mostly) baby girl. The first party was a Spongebob party. Everything was store bought. Second party was Dora party and again everything was store bought. This year my princess told me months before she wanted the BEST Mickey Mouse party ever. And I will admit I was tempted to do everything store bought again. But this is the first year she had a request and the first year she really cares about the details. So instead it will be a 50% DIY and 50% store bought. Thats a big deal for someone who has no talent or creativity. Plus I'm a mother of two and work full time.

I have been searching and searching Pinterest for the cutest ideas they had for months. These two I stole and made my own.

This is the sign that is going to great the guests as the enter.

This is the first attempt at the favor bag. I think I'm going to change it if I have time.

I would like to say thank you to eBay for putting my store on hold so I can work on the party and not having to worrying about mailing packages. I haven't sold a single thing this week.

Invites

I found a new addiction. I knew it would be an addiction so I tried to stay away for as long as possible. But I finally gave in. Pinterest where have you been all my life?

When I first started planning my Princess' birthday I was going to order her invites like I always do. But I found so many cute ideas on Pinterest I decided to do the DIY invite this year. I can't say my project was a success but if you don't look too closely they are cute.



Front. Round part pulls out for invite info

Back

I will admit I have no creative bones in my body so I didn't have any art making supplies. After my trip to Michaels I have decided that craft supplies are definitely going to be on my BOLO list. Those things are EXPENSIVE! Even if I don't sell them I'm sure I will have the need for them again.

I haven't explored everything Pinterest has to offer yet but I know several people have had success promoting their eBay items on Pinterest. I haven't gotten that far yet. I'm a newbie and afraid of change.

Birthday Week

My Princess will be 4 soon (sob sob) and she decided she wanted a Mickey Mouse party. Not Minnie Mouse. It had to be Mickey. So this weekend I went over to the Hispanic side of town for an almost as big as her piñata. So Mickey looks a little off but you can tell who he is. And of course eBay is on the back burner until after the big day.

BO

No this isn't a post about smelly people. I could go on and on about smelly people who don't bother to wash their clothes before trying to sell them at a yard sale. But this post is actually about eBay Best Offer.

I had been really resistant to using BO (best offer) on my listings. 99.9% of my listings are BIN so I knew the option was there. But I kept thinking it would be too much work. Did I really want to be reviewing my offers at random hours when they came in? And what about the low ball offers that are a total waste of time? I had so many excuses I had formed in my head. But about a month ago I decided it to give it a try. And am I glad I did.

eBay gives you the option to automatically accept or decline an offer above or below an amount you set. I have my listings set to automatically accept anything above a certain amount. Most items I sell I only pay about a dollar or two for so I'm going to make a profit no matter what. I set my original price at what I would love to get. Then I set the "accept anything above" the price I would be happy to get. I decided not to automatically decline anything at this point for a few reasons. One reason is that it might only be a dollar or two below my happy price so depending on how long it's been listed or my mood I might decide to accept. I also like having the option to decline and counter offer. I have had a handful of lowball offers (less then half my original listing price). If I get too many of these I do more research to see if maybe I've overprice my item. More often then I expected a buyer will just pay my price and not bother to make an offer at all.

I feel like I'm selling so much more this way. Last week was one of my better weeks. I sold $400 (my average for the month is usually $700) and half of those sales were from BO. Now I just wonder why I waited so long. Was I the only one now aware of how easy and effective it was?

Court

Today is my foster daughters 6 month court review. I received a phone call from her (then) social worker a couple weeks ago and she gave me some great news. They were going to terminate parental rights. She warned me it was going to be a fight because the parents would contest the decision. But at least things were moving forward. I was on cloud nine. I even started thinking of new names. Emma and Sophia topped the list.

Then last Monday my bubble burst. I felt like Ed McMahon came back from the dead, handed me a big billion dollar check, then came back a week later and told me "Sorry we made a mistake. We need that check back. You actually owe us". The reunification supervisor left me a voicemail to call her back right away. I knew it couldn't be good news. And it wasn't. One of the first social workers had dropped the ball. Part of the case plan was therapy for the parents. When the supervisor contacted Behavioral Health to get information for the court report she was told that they were never signed up. They could be put on the waiting list and when a therapist become available they could be offered services.

Even though the parents have not completed any of the other parts of the case plan the social worker can not terminate parental rights unless they have at least been offered all the services.

The way the court system works is there is a decision making court date every 6 months. So even if the parents were offered therapy tomorrow and they declined the services nothing could be done about it for 6 months.

To say I'm frustrated is an understatement. She turned 8 months yesterday. I have had her for 7 months in my home. By the time the next court date comes around she will have already celebrated her first birthday, she would have probably taken her first steps, probably saying momma, probably... There are just so many. And her permanency will still be up in the air.

So for now Emma or Sophia or whoever she will be is in limbo with the rest of my family. But when I hold her and she smiles at me I realize I wouldn't give up a single moment with her. I love her so much

Accidental BOLO

Tory Burch. I might be the only person who has never heard of this brand until recently. But it’s definitely one I will be looking for from now on. I went to a Church sale a few weekends ago that was very disorganized, everything thrown in piles on blankets on the front lawn. And that day happened to be a VERY VERY hot day so I only made it through one pile. I was just about to pay for the few items I found when I noticed a womans top sitting on top of a different pile. There wasn’t anything that made it stand out except for the buttons. They were gold, had a design and looked to be very good quality. I stuck it in my pile, paid, and made my way back to my air conditioned car as quickly as I could.

When I got home I pulled the shirt out and looked up the brand. I was shocked how well Tory Burch sells and for how much. I listed the top for $40 plus shipping and I had an offer for $32.00 within an hour. I only paid 50 cents for it so I quickly accepted the offer. Of course then I wondered how many other quality brands I left behind.

I am not about name brands. If it fits and it’s cute I will wear it. This sale made me think it was time to actually start doing some research on name brands. As a part time eBay seller it’s better to sell quality (for higher prices) then quantity (for lower price). I was at my sisters house this past weekend and my niece was wearing an ugly (to me) sweater. I made a comment to my sister and she told me that it’s an expensive brand. I grabbed my phone and sure enough it was. It was Wildfox white label brand. The sweater suddenly didn’t look so ugly anymore.

So this week I’m trying something new. I’m going to pick a category every two weeks and research it on eBay. This week is mens jeans. I’m going to check sold listings when I have some free time (I don’t have a lot of that which is why I’m only doing one category every two weeks) and make a list of brands that sell. I will pick my “dream finds” which is something that sells for hundreds or even thousands of dollars and ordinary finds that sell for a good profit. I feel I’m doing myself an injustice by not putting more effort in learning what sells. I will be sure to share any magical finds since I’m not very good at keeping secrets.

Yard Sale Season

With yard sale season starting again (not that it ever really stops in California) I find myself complaining every weekend. Not because the lack of quality resale items or the cost. It’s all the little things sellers do wrong! Not that I’m an expert at yard sales but I do have some tips.

Craigslist Ads

1. If you post it on Craiglist please make sure you actually have a yard sale. If you decide to not have one, DELETE the ad. It’s so frustrating to drive to a yard sale listed only find that the sellers decided to stay in bed. This happens a lot more on Fridays and Sundays then Saturdays.

2. If you say the yard sale starts at 10 am please have it ready to go at this time. If I show up at 10:30 I don’t want to see you still pulling out boxes. I don’t have time to wait or return later.

3. If you go through the trouble of advertising a yard sale and actually want people to show PUT YOUR ADDRESS. There is nothing more frustrating then having the seller put on “on the corner of main and first” and you have to drive up and down to find it. Or putting “on main st”. I don’t want to start on one end of main and drive to the other end trying to find out. PUT YOUR ADDRESS!!!

Sellers

1. Invest in a bright color paper and a black marker. Or better yet print the sign. Do not use a ball point pen. The most prominent thing on the sign should be the arrow pointing me in the right direction. I hate it when the arrow is so light you have to be right in front of it to find out which direction to go. And I’m always in the wrong lane. A sign should read Yard Sale, A BIG ARROW, date, and address. The last two don’t have to be as big. Just help me find you.

2. If you put a sign up, REMOVE IT! I hate driving around for ten minutes trying to find a yard sale only to drive back to the sign and read that it was last weekend. Or last month.
3. Put price tags on your items or a sign letting me know how much items cost. I don’t want to spend 10 minutes digging through a huge pile of clothes only to find out that you are charging $5.00 for a t-shirt.
4. Please don’t tell me how much something costs new or on ebay. I’m shopping at a yard sale. Just tell me how much you are going to charge me.
5. If something is broken, ripped, stained or missing pieces don’t try to sell it. Throw it away or put it in the free bin. Last weekend I went to a yard sale and they had a wooden puzzle. I asked where the other pieces were for it and they said they could only find two. Hmm maybe someone crafty could do something with this but I want a complete puzzle.
6. Expect people to haggle on prices no matter the price. Even if you price something a dime expect them to offer you a nickel. Price things accordingly. A few weeks ago a seller was very rude to my mother because she asked for a lower price. He told her to put his stuff down and leave if she wasn’t willing to pay his prices. Not a good way to sell your items.

OK I know I sound like a big complainer. And even if none of these things ever change I will still continue going to yard sales whenever possible. I just had to vent a little. Or a lot.

Happy Easter

From my family to yours.

Bad Dreams

The decision to take in a new foster child, especially a baby, was not an easy one to make. Things turned out wonderfully with my Princess but it was a long and bumpy road to get here. There were days and weeks when I thought she would be returned to her mom. While I knew this would mean that her bio-mom as doing better and that was a good thing I selfishly didn't want that. From that first moment I saw Andi staring out from behind Maria's legs (first foster mom) I fell in love. But like I always say, as a foster parent I'm just a glorified baby sitter and have no say in the child's placement or future. I can only make sure that the time they are with me are a healthy, happy and loving time.

When I got the call for the baby I was first of all surprised because I wasn't signed up for a baby (as a foster parent you can get as specific as you want about the child you want placed including age, race, sex, etc.). All I specified was age 1 1/2-3. So I knew I couldn't have been the first call they made. She was born drug addicted and still in the hospital getting it out of her system. Not something a lot of people want to sign up for. So I spoke to my family and Jason, and prayed about it, and decided to bring her home.

Things have been far from easy from that moment on. She has had no issues with the drugs so far. She is a perfect happy baby. But the parents have been a nightmare. Speaking of nightmares, I have been sick for 3 days. When I'm sick I tend to have bad, vivid dreams. Last nights dream was about the baby and her parents. Next month is the 6 month court date. She will actually of been with me 7 months by then but the first court date wasn't scheduled right away and they go 6 months for that date. Because she is an infant a decision should be made at this court date regarding a permanent placement whether that be she gets returned to her parents or stays with me. Of course in my dream she was returned to her parents which is why it was a bad dream.

I don't know what's going to happen next month. The last I spoke to the social worker they were leaning toward terminating parental rights. But like I said things change often. This dream has me thinking about my future as a foster parent. If I do get to adopt the baby I can't take in anymore foster children. I have a two bedroom house so I'm only approved for 2 children. But if she is returned will I be able to go through this again? I don't know.

It's a Fake!

This weekend I went to a garage sale that had lots of designer clothing. Most of it was woman's clothing but there were two men's shirts hiding out in the middle of the mountain of clothing. I grabbed them both and stuck them in my quickly growing stack of items I was buying.

Lately I've been trying to list as soon as I get home so being a good girl I pulled out the big bag of clothing I bought and separated the selling from the keeping items. Unfortunately most of it was keeping. The seller was my size and she had really nice spring and summer items.

The first item I pulled out to list was a men's Tommy Bahama shirt. I buttoned it up to examine it and right away noticed it was a fake. I have sold dozens of these shirts since I started selling again on eBay. That certainly doesn't make me an expert but I know one of the obvious things to look for is that when buttoned the pattern continues across the shirt. Of course like any rule there is an exception. Really old shirts (by old I mean early 90's when they first started making them) don't follow this rule. But this isn't an old shirt unfortunately. It's just a fake. Now it will be donated to SA minus the tags so no one else tries to pass off a fake for a real one.

I've included a pic of the fake shirt and a real shirt so you can see how in the grey shirt the pattern doesn't continue and on the orange shirt it does. It looks like one piece of material.