Somebody Stop Me!!

 I am getting much better at sourcing. My eye is getting better at recognizing what will sell and what will languish and linger away in the bottom of my listings.

But, there is so much to source from! Ever since SSTC closed its doors and I have had to rely on Hays and Harriett, not to mention Wardlow, for my items. Hays was on a HiBid web site and oh daddy! did it ever open a door for me to find other on line auctions in the area.

Today I went to two places in southern Indiana to pick up lots I had won in two auctions that ended yesterday. One was a tray of rhinestone jewelry that I was in a bidding war and finally emerged the vistor at 30$. OMG, there was a beautiful with all stones intact Weiss bracelet. What had caught my eye in the offering was a pin/brooch that said BOP and a musical note. I was so surprised to find the Weiss and a Pell marked piece. There are some very nice pieces unmarked, but cool.

And then the place out in the country side. Geez, I bid on a 2.50 lot and won it and it was a gold mine. A pair of mud/muck boots size 7, that are Northerners retail for 129$, a sophisticated travel bag, very well made and will not fall apart after two or three plane trips, a Go Bag for  Joe.. Brand new, never used with straps inside the bag. An United States Air Force Academy  bag! His name is engraved in gold, but it is so cool. It is slightly used and just beautiful! Inside the Go Bag were three   acrylic boxes. I have been looking searching for those for weeks!. I have not even opened the box of vintage ornaments yet. I spent way too much n those, but I am certain to recoup my investment with the boots.

Yesterday I went to an estate sale, also an online auction, and picked up 15 carousel horses and a box of what I thought were Fiesta wear, (not), but inside the box were 10 vintage tupperware tumblers in colors.

I am going to try and get a box of GooseNeck cook books (100 of them!!) and that is it.

Ha ha ha.   

Auctions, On-Line bidding, and Mix-ups! oh My!!

Hump day and it is hard to believe its only Wednesday. What a week. First there was the auction at Hays, then the on-line auctions (hays & Harritt & a new one in Downtown Jeff)) and then the pick ups. All week I have been shipping. All week!! It's only Wednesday. It will probably end today because the shipping situation is so screwy.

I won 11 Barbie's for 156. $14 per, Might be too high but it includes a Marilyn and one other that is high priced, so I should make my money back. Going to get everything lined up and then begin posting again after the holidays. I say that, but I know I can't stop.

I went to pick up the Cabbage Patch Kid I won at the Hays on-line auction and got the wrong one! He mixed them up and I got a girl with brown hair and brown eyes instead of the Preemie. 

Yesterday at the live auction (oh how I love them!!) I got a G.I. Joe doll for 50$. He came with a lot of items like a foot locker and clothes and something else like a fort.

I got a how wheels track I didn't really want! Geez. But, you get what you get. Then I got vintage Christmas ornaments, a Motor City mannequin head, leather knife sheaths, a Haeger black panther planter which is gorgeous, and a Yamaha guitar for Joe. And the added crap that they include at times. 

Last weeks auction has paid for itself in a few days. The train set sold for 80$ plus shipping, which Steve paid for with a discount so I got actually about 110$ The Troll dolls I obviously undervalued and sold for 25$ in less than an hour. Bad research on my part, The usually go individually for around 16$ each. I still have about 5 left to sell so I'll do even better. 

I gave away the Civil Air Patrol Shirt to a museum in New Albany. I had sold two items from the lot and was in tidy profit territory. Yesterday I sold the canteen to a lady in Alabama that is giving Xmas to a young boy who lost his Dad in the military. I took the packed item to the UPS store in NA because I was there and just wanted them out. He over charged me! The slime. I will stay true to my store in Jeff from this moment forward. I'm out $8 for the shipping. Damn him.

So all in all not bad for Xmas season. I have a necklace to go out today and waiting on being paid for a 1959 board game (lord I hope I can find it). I spend way too much time trying to find things in the garage. First it was hours looking for the red jersey, then got no response from the person asking dimensions. Again,  many hours yesterday trying to lay my hands on that dern canteen. Need more organization and less inventory that does not move.

Going to list the animals (stuffed, plush) in lots and see if I can move them. Give them 2 weeks then off to the Abused Women and Families house.

I mean it!

In The Beginning there was Shop Goodwill

I'm thinking back on how I have ended up with a million dollars worth of jewelry. Jewelry is everywhere. Costume jewelry and good jewelry. Designer jewelry and crap jewelry. It all began when I realized that Joe was probably going to be transferred again and that I needed something that would transfer easily. Something that I could do, earn an income, and it would go with me. So I got all caught up in Stella and Dot for about a month. But it was not for me. I am not much of a socializer. I do not want a million women and girls coming into my home for a party. Yikes. I'd have to clean up my house! And I don't like asking people to sponsor a party at their house as a hostess so I can demonstrate how the multi level marketing operation works.

It did not take me long to realize that the jewelry was crap. And expensive!! But I was hooked with the jewelry bug.

And then I found Shop Goodwill. A monster was born. I may still have my first purchase, a type of metal cross with purple stones. It was big! And it broke in half several years later.

But I bid on lots of jewelry and each time I won and the box was delivered it was like a treasure hunt. I can not tell you how many times I found good jewelry. 18 K gold tuff, designer stuff.

But that was then, this is now. The whole operation is different now. The shipping and handling can be more than the item! It's ridiculous! But sometimes you can still find some great stuff. This past summer I won a box of Southwest costume jewelry and in it was a silver cross designed by a very renown silversmith. It was missing a stone, so I sent it to place in Arizona to have the stone replace and it definitely increased it's value. I was thrilled. I'm keeping it.

The last and final box (maybe...?) I won the auction of 25 pounds of jewelry for about 100 bucks. After shipping and handling it was close to 150. And it was a box of CRAP. Only one Degrazi in it on a rawhide string. The Flower boy in yellow sombrero. I have another one, so I knew what it was. They are hand painted so it's cool. But not worth 150$

10 years of collection. I have been piece mealing it out now. Today i shipped my first box of a "lot" of southwest inspired costume jewelry for repurpose, ready weart, and whatever. I inadvertently make is free shipping and then made a ridiculous offer to someone who like it! Double yikes, it sold and I had to ship to Nevada (naturally! I'm surprised it wasn't Cali)   so I made less than 13. 

I dragged out the box this afternoon. I slid it under the bed because I was so discouraged by its lack of the good stuff. I'll match up some more and sell again. No 1 pound, no free ship!

Learning the curve is up up up.

Pit Falls of reselling

 Of course there are the usual set backs of not having enough postage on your pre paid label. There is the disgruntled buyer who does not like the item once it's delivered and returns it, not in a box, but the item with a return label slapped on the side. Certainly it is a problem with the USPO right now not delivering the Priority Mail in a timely manner.  Happens quite often! I have one item sitting somewhere with no movement since Nov 20th. Obviously lost. I got paid, but am I going to have to return the money? How do I request a return of my money if this happens? It is no fault of mine if the item is "lost", misplaced. I suspect it will be either delivered sometime or returned to me. I can only hope.

Then there is the damaged item. I learned the hard way twice that its all in the packing! If you are going to offer and sell breakables, you must be willing to spend the time to ensure that item arrives intact. that means extreme caution when packing. Lots of bubble wrap, insulate the hollow areas, double box. The pool noodles are not in season and the only place I can find them is at Lowes. They are not marked down, so a long fat pool noodle is approximately 4$

Twice I have screwed up the address when I buy from Pirate Ship. the first time I got very anal about checking and double checking the address. I slacked off and this week sent off a 65$ 23$ shipping 19$ investment to an incorrect address. I put Station instead of Sullivan as the last name of the road. Like Frank Station Rd instead of Frank Sullivan Rd. Gosh, I hope the PO in Franklin is excellent and the Mail Route knows the name and matches it up to the correct address. Just maybe. I'll find out.

The there is the disgruntled buyer who did not read the description and says that they expected real turquoise!! for 12? I think not. I have learned to emphasize FAUX a lot. And to emphasize PREOWNED. And to make certain that I take a picture of something to show scale. Like a coke can, or a quarter, or a campbell's soup can.  Measurements are important. Is something relaxed, regular fit, skinny, boot cut etc. etc. etc.

There is th fiasco of the library being closed! First in the beginning of the pandemic and now due to lack of sufficient staff. I print my labels at the library because my computer is so old its difficult to find a printer compatible with a 2011 desk top. I am too old to try and master blue tooth technology or something similar. Hell, I bought a new lap top several months ago and could not figure out how to use it. Well, I did mess it up somehow....returned it and stiff upper lipped it with this this dinosaur. 

But after all of that, the most insidious of them all is checking FB MKT place and inadvertently turning of a video mode that last 37 minutes of you driving around Louisville.

I'm humiliated and ever since I was alerted that I had this video on FB.  I have played over and over in my mind what Joe and I talked about and the conversation, the radio, the singing, observations, statements, and other absurd stuff you do in your car when you think no one is watching or in this case, listening.

Oh Boy. This morning I remember tuning in a station that was playing "your a mean one Mr. Grinch" and singing along. I can not sing.

Another blip is that Joe wants to go with me now. Why is this a blip? He is a distraction. Ergo, the 37  minute video recording of doing nothing yesterday.

Raylan Givens Says it All

 It had been 2 weeks since I had been at the Bins. So I decided to go and see if it is my lucky day. And right off the bat I have a confrontation with a pushy broad.

I arrived while the rotation was occurring so I stationed myself over by the hardgoods, since that is what I primarily find the good stuff. So, it's OFF! I go to the back of the first bin and begin to look and this pushy broad comes up and hogs her way in front of me and blocks me from moving on to the next bin and is in my space. So I ask her to move her cart so I can move on and she gives me some smart ass answer and I reply with some school yard banter "Well, I was here first!" and she bluntly tells me, "No you were not" Idiot. 

But, as always after these things, usually moments after, I burn with humiliation and regret. This time I just moved on and thought to myself "Why do I always run into assholes at the Bins" And I remembered Raylan's wisdom, "You run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. You run into assholes all day, you're the asshole".

Oh my goodness, am I the Asshole?

But, this is what I found in the bins.

There may have been a 2nd one but when I checked comps and saw it was a good piece (some at 100$) when I went back to search for it, someone else had grabbed it up.

I was calm the rest of the time and tried to stay out of everyone's way. I tried to channel my Mom who probably would have just gone around that pushy broad and said a quick prayer to calm her boiling nerves. 

I also found 4 Cooli shirts (size 3X)  I think they may have all belonged to this guy. Also I am cornering the market on jeans. Ha! I have a lot of them now and have not sold a one. Gracious! I found a pair of maroon converse, two wind up lullaby toys (need cleaning but work) a gorgeous understated little black dress by The White/Black place. A cool WIndSurf  sweat shirt or long sleeved shirt. 

I love the bins. A lady stopped me and asked if I preferred the Bins to a regular store. I told her the Bins were a treasure hunt and that I had found a Raquel Welch wig and A gucci scarf. I should have included that it depends on what your expectations are for coming. To resell, its a paradise. To buy stuff you need, not so much because nothing is sorted.

List I tell Ya!! List! List!List!

I listed 8 items yesterday. Some old stuff I had lingering on one of my SD cards, the jewelry bag of stuff that cannot sell individually but as a repurposed bag, like they sell on BlueBox, it may find a buyer. I'm

pricing it the same as BlueBox, only instead of 29.95 + 5$ I'm at 25 + 10$ or 9.99$ Lets see how it goes. I have at least 2 grand in junk and costume and collectible jewelry. I need to thin it down! I hope this works.

I've listed several pairs of blue jeans in the past couple of days. The Lawman, the Lucky brand, and a Lexi's 569. I went crazy and bought many pairs at GW Floyds Knob Sunday. 8 pairs at 3.50 + tax. I have the box of 13 pieces from Blue Box that I have not listed one yet. So all in all, I have about 30 pairs of jeans to move.

I got lucky at GW. I had my frequent shopper card which gave you a Black Friday discount of 50%. I used it Saturday and again on Sunday. I don't think I should have gotten it twice. But I did! Hurray.

I am bidding on collectors toys at the HiBid web site where my Hays (new go to Auction House) has a huge selection of Star Trek pieces, Cabbage Patch dolls (a few) and several playboy Fashion Dolls!! Who knew? They go for 60$ on Ebay, so I'm bidding. 

My other go to, Wardlow, is having several good auctions. One is laden with santa cups, which I am bidding on. Maybe next year if not this year they will sell. And some other things that quite frankly, are evading my memory right now. A Nutcracker. 

Harritt is dead right now. As is Switzer. 

Sold two Audrey Hepburn dolls for mailing today. Yay. Both from the Harritt lot in Oct (maybe early Nov) (early Nov because of the beets at farmers market...lol) That means I purchased them for 72$ for the three, sold Capt. Hook for 55$, Breakfast at Tiffany's for 50$, and my Fair Lady for 25$ after fees, I didn't double my money, but  a good profit anyway.

I ordered some gray vinyl material for back drop in my "studio". Hopefully that will improve my picture quality. It's been a constant worry for me. 

Here We Go Again

 My sales dried up the past couple of days. Could be because I am not posting much, just relisting on Mercari and adding the occasional item to Ebay. Facebook marketplace remains a mystery to me. Totally hit or miss for me. I did sell the Left handed holster. I dropped the price to 55$ and sure enough, someone from Florida needed it for a play or a movie. I'm not certain, I should go back and reread the exchange. But I was able to get it to UPS and it was  delivered yesterday! Yay.

I did have two packages to mail yesterday. The libraries are closed (again) and so I had to return home and copy labels to a thumb drive, head to Staples and print there. A pain, but I like to get my stuff out ASAP and not let it accumulate all week end just to take those "ha ha this is what I sold, how about you/" slap in the face pictures.

Driving all over hells half acre because I did purchase for myself a Guy Coheleach siberian tiger picture from a lady who lived way off the beaten path in Louisville in Meadowlark area off Brownsboro Rd. Money. So I was well on my way to the honey hole GW in Prospect when I ran into a jammed I-71. 

I went to GW in Floyds Knob and SCORE they were having a 50% off sale if you purchased at lease 40$ I found a few things both for me and the bidness. 

I decided to try out the other GW in C-ville and that is where I ran into a Trumpster with a mask half hanging off her face. welol, she was actually wearing it under her nose. We talked a little about the 50% off then it zigged into Covid and no 50% off anymore, (she is a regular obviously and knows the ins and outs of this particular store). This is where it gets heated. I feel my blood begin to rise and I should just channel my Mom and step away with a polite and curt nod of my head. But no, I am empowered to tell people they are WRONG. I was never this way before trump. He definitely has brought out the monster in me.

She was saying ridiculous things, repeating Fox news misinformation. She said her sister or Aunt or someone was a nurse and said it was not as bad as was being reported. She said that the masks were useless because if it were airbourne it would go right through the mask.

I walked away then and threw one last remark back at her "You are the Problem".

It ruined my day. Mainly because I am so mean and so intolerant to people.

  

Another Day at the Auction

930 Am found me clutching my #266 and standing with a lot of masked people milling about, searching the merchandise spread out before us like a colorful boxed up feast. We were waiting for the auction to begin and our money hot and burning in our pockets, waiting to snag that perfect price for the best deals. I saw many masked faces from the prior auctions. The braided woman of color, the old guy on the cane, the young couple who demand my wonderment. I can't figure out why they intrigue me. Maybe because his hair is long and dishwater blonde, he's skinny and seems slightly pigeon toes. She is a little hefty but toned enough to wear skin tight jeans and trendy boots. They leaned against the showcase and he bid on this really terrific table with large fat ornate legs with an additional table underneath it. I'm not familiar enough with furniture to knbow what they call those things. He paid 450$ for it I believe. They bought a large china serving set that sat in the back of the room, or the front depending on where the bidding was going on. He also bought some gorgeous prism laden candle holder maybe? I can't explain my fascination with them except they are by far the youngest there by 20 years (excluding maybe the "servants" for Marty). I think maybe they remind me of myself and JK from all those years ago. His mask fell down around his chin and he is not as handsome as I thought. 

Throw Mama from the train was not there. All the black guys who carry stuff out to your car for you were there. about 6 of them this time.  Marty is like the king of buying stuff. He let me (that is how I view it) have that Barbie doll 2 weeks ago for 7.50 that I was able to flip last week for 75$ Letting me have it is the way I feel about him. He must own a flea market booth somewhere of quite possible a store. He buys everything.

This time I was not interested in multiples. Maybe the next time when I have more confidence in the crew taking stuff to my car. And how that works. Do they have a key to your car? Do you leave it unlocked?

Joe and I went Monday to look at all the stuff for the viewing so I would have some idea what I wanted to bid on and set my limits. I knew I wanted some of the costume jewelry, some Nutcrackers, some rt. 66, a Michael Kors car coat, and some watches.

So much was sold in lots! A box of Barbie Dolls, unboxed but a lot of them went in a lot so I passed and Marty got it. Some exquisite mexican pottery and  some southwest trivets which were wonderful went in lots and the bidding was too high for me.

I lost the Paul Sawyier to a gallery guy. He got it for 50$. he gave me his card and said he over paid and should have let me have it for 40$ If I want to sell my PS's give him a call. I voiced my opinion that without the COA on the back, I thought they were worth less. He corrected me and said they all sell.

I also learned that people do not like you to touch their stuff after they win the auction. I must keep my rovong paws to myself the next time.

Braided haired woman got both the flats of costume jewelry I was wanting. She may have really overpaid for them if there is nothing of value in them. I tried to look them over (this is where I learned not to do this!!) to see if anything was marked. I should have taken a look Monday afternoon. I'm learning. 

I was bidding for some junk jewelry and stopped and let this long tall drink of water black guy who at first I thought might be a little crazy because he was bidding so high for a lot of the behind the counter stuff. Derby pins etc.

But after he won for 12.50$ he came over and have me half. Stunned and so unexpected!

Can't wait for the next one. 

The Blue Box

 After thinking I had scored one of the jewelry boxes in GW Blue Box (49.99 for a mystery box!!) I took a plunge and ordered a box of blue jeans for 19.99 plus 5 dollar shipping.

I have recently watched a You-Tube video about the 50 top selling jeans, naturally beginning with Levis. Most went for 25.00 and upwards telling you not to spend over a couple of bucks per pair. The box has 10-12 jeans and so I thought why not.

Then I watched another you Tube about an influencer who was asked by GW to accept a box and give an honest review. She got a great box with very good merchandise. Could have been a not so random box. 

Mine came today. Not so great! One pair of Lee jeans (not on the list) one pair of Gloria Vanderbilt (definitely not on the list, but I may keep those for myself, long shorts!) and other brands I had heard of and some no. One pair of Joe 10's which was the score. Perhaps. Sold at Norstrums and Macys in the 100$ range.

This is what I got;

Ellen Tracy plum color missing size, guessing an 8 or 10

Gloria Vanderbilt size 12 Bermuda All around slimming effect

Joe's 10 long slim (the score!)

V.I.P. Jeans  size 15/16 distressed Tapered ankle with slit (very cool)

AQ Jeans shorts in grey and off white size 22

Active USA 1XL stretch material Designed in Los Angeles

Union Bay NWT very short size 1

Lee jeans  Regular fit 40x32

Style & Co slim leg black  size 4 petit

Forever 21 (mall brand!) bib overall style dress size 5

Hollywood the jean people elastic waist  no size cut off cuffs  (or not sewed)

Crown & Ivy size 4 sleeveless ruffled dress

Old Navy Boyfriend Skinny size 4  

Lucky 13! that's 24.99/13= 1.92/pair.  All in all, not bad!

BRAIN FROG

 I could not say I was suffering from brain fog today. I kept saying "brain frog". That's how bad it is. I sat at the computer and edited pictures for about an hour and then the SD card "crashed" on me! Holy smokes. Suddenly it could not be read because it needed to be formatted and to be formatted it would losing all the data already on it.  Bummer. I have screwed up my command window and did not feel like taking the time to figure out how to pull it up to see if I could by pass the formatting demand. I just resigned myself to taking more pics...later.

But I pulled up myself up by the boots straps and headed to Shelbyville to pick up my auction winnings and took Joe with me. 

The belt buckle ended up being a good purchase for 6$ Should be able to sell for 15-25 range. Not another like it on E-bay or other sites that I could find. Similar but not the same. In other words, the same but not.

Then Goodwill down the street where Joe scored several items of clothing. It's hard to source with him because I know he is bored and wants to go after about 15 minutes. I was able to go through most of the jeans but found none of any value according to the You-Tube top 50. One Calvin Klein, but I did not want to spend 6$ and have to list it at 19.99 with free shipping which is the norm on E-bay, so I passed. Levi's, Gloria Vanderbilt galore, lot of the usual stuff you always see. Nothing spectacular. I believe the Mexicans on the other side of the jeans were sourcing too because we were in the women's and they were thoroughly going through all the small sizes. They were two guys. Unless they we3re shopping for their women.

But in the hard goods I came across this!

Is that brown or gold? I need to inspect better. I believe its gold. Belleek. 1.99$

Then these....

 3 for 59 cents each. Highball glasses!! 

So for the day I spent less than 10 and should easily tripe or more my expense. I know some people don't like to mess around with penny ante stuff, but a sale and making money will add up.  In time.

The Week-End

 I had a fairly good week-end. My usual packages of 7 are going out. And I am always shocked when I realize I put free shipping on some! 

I sold the Kelly Doll from Hays.

Sold the Bear from Hays.

Sold Princess Di from Hays

Sold the Cowboy boots from SSTC

Sold the guitar frog - I think from SGW

Frozen ornament from the Bins

Jordon Marsh Gloves from SSTC

Pretty profitable and I believe this may cover the 332$ I spent at Hays for the Dolls. 

And I am in a brain fog. Have been since last Monday. I believe I have a touch of the virus. No fever just congestion, cough and this brain fog. I have forgotten to bring in my phone so I can buy my Ebay labels for shipping. I was planning on splitting the parcels between the 2 post offices anyway, so I will just go print them out down town.

This week has been awful in a sense. With this virus/cold covering everything the rest was just a kick in the butt. B and S got pulled over after leaving the PO box and S was arrested. B was hysterical and I was so thankful that she was not arrested also. So I went and bailed him out. Then B has the nerve to ask me to pay their cable bill because she is tired of watching football. The nerve. I just did not respond.

Then I was served papers for the Credit thing. I'm going thru a company and I have a feeling I am fucked on this one. I will get around to calling them in a few minutes.

I bought a box of blue jeans from Blue Box Good will to see if I can flip me some denim. $24.99 for 10 pieces I believe. 

Won an auction and need to head to Shellbyville to pick up a silver belt buckle. I just hope its sterling silver. The auction company is not too good on details.

I won a lot of military vintage stuff, canteens, a holster, ammunition packs, a shirt, a beret....some guy sent me a text asking if a certain gun would fit in the shoulder holster. ?????

Took Baxter to the vet and managed to slip away to the auction house. I wanted to bid on some jewelry but it would take them forever to get around to it. So I bought some Japanese glassware, a Barbie doll, and some sport cards. 

The End.

Overlooked at the Bins

 

So I went to the Bins and spent 55$ when I spoke sharply to myself about NO MORE SOURCING. I went in thinking I would choose judiciously. But in a matter of moments that notion went out the door. I found such fabulous stuff that was overlooked by the other sellers and flippers. 

These skates are a BOLO. More or less, kids are skating more and at the skating rink. I picked up two pairs that the African delegation did not want. They were there in force and the bins must have just been changed out when I arrived. They were attacking the shoe bins like I've never seen before. They were filling baskets and totes with shoes then taking the shoes to their "stations" and ruching back for more. I am done with shoes. I am able to move them, but it's slow.

They left behind the skates. Practically brand new and sell preowned on Ebay in the 80$ range.

Then this beauty

 This is the back. Its an Apache coat. They are on Ebay for over $100 preowned.

I picked up vintage sheets still in their packaging circa mid 1960's.

A cool cowboy hat.

A ton of polybags! I couldn't believe no one grabbed them! I mail so many things in a polybag!! 

And the list goes on, expensive coctail dress, a vintage carry on luggage piece for cosmetics and jewelry!, stuffed horse plush with tag still attached. I have not had much luck with plushes but I still pick them up!, an embordered shit, and a Santa Fe t-shirt that has a hippie VW on the front (super cool).

This is why I can not resist the bins.

I Got Them Old Election Blues

 This morning is the first time in a very long time I am not glued to the TV watching the morning shows on MSNBC and CNN. I can not express my relief that we are moving forward with a new President that will heal this country and try to bring us together. I could not have endured another 4 years of the chaos, the lies, the disrespect for the American presidency. Thank God it is almost behind us.

But, sales have screeched to a halt in the meantime. Not that I have stopped sourcing! I'm worse than ever spending 103$at Wardlow, 71.50$ at Harritt, etc. etc. etc. I have to sell what I have on hand and then rid myself of all the dead stuff. Children's clothes, plush animals, and after the winter, the shoes.

I'm going to concentrate on dolls and jewelry and then the good profit margin stuff. I'm going to improve at checking comps and choosing what I sell judicially.

 This is one of the pieces I picked up at Wardlow. An antique Mason's Ironstone Cheese house with bottom from England.  They sell for 200 upwards on E-bay but this beautiful piece shows its age. I am going to purchase some denture cleaning materials and see if I can remove the stains on the tray.

This Audrey Hepburn Doll as Eliza I got in the lot of 3 dolls from Harritt for 71.50. She sells fairly well, but the creme de la creme was the Holly Golighty doll from Breakfast at Tiffney's which I can not upload because it is sideways and I can't correct it. Damn technology.

My big ale from this weekend was this from Hay's auction...

Sad but true. Not making a lot of money yet. I believe my profit is around 200$ so far. Long way to go to reach where I want to be.

First Live Auction in a Long Time!

I have so been looking forward to this auction! For over a week once I discovered it was happening. I first headed over there Thursday where you could look the stuff over and decide what you wanted to bid on. Not to mention looking up comps and specs.

The last auction I went to was with my Mom. When? I'm going to guess 25 or so years ago. I remember the Auctioneer looking at her to see if she wanted to continue bidding and how cool as a cucumber she was nodding yes or no. It was good training for me.

I barely got there before the auction commenced. I took my seat and then realized I needed to be closer to the action so I sat in row three in front of the auctioneer, sort of. Close enough to see and hear. Except they had the microphones going out at least 3 times. There were three auctioneers and the "Senior" one who was last was very old school. With the singing nonsense in-between bids. He also went a little too fast and missed some bids. The other two were younger and the last one, or the one who finished up had my number. He actually had my number and no longer needed me to hold it up when I won.

It was exhilarating.   

So many people there. Despite the covid virus code red in Louisville. Maybe 30 of us. One serious bidder, I called her Throw Mama from the Train becuase under her mask she resembled the character exactly. She even walked like her. And had greyish hair in the Throw Mama style. That woman bid and  bid and bought and bought everything! The doll heads above I dearly wanted because I love doll heads and doll parts. They are a pretty easy sell. I call them a macabre oddity when I post them on Mercari and Ebay. But old Throw Mama scooped them up as a bundle and paid about $40. I wanted to nab them for closer to $10.  But I did get the Kentucky Derby Barbie and she is sold already!!

I got every thing I went for and then some, two lots for $1 and I got excited and picked up another lot for about $60 that included a Queen of Elizabeth Barbie but it was a lot also and included a few other things that I should be able to flip..I missed on the Princess Di and Prince Charles dolls. 

I went in thinking I went in thinking I would spend 300$ and I ended up only 30 something over . Which is a relief. It could have been much worse.

Thanks Mom. I miss you.

Honey Hole

 I've heard a lot of people refer to their go to sourcing place as their Honey Hole. The place where they find over looked or under priced treasures.

I think I found mine yesterday. Which tells me I need to widen my range. The GW's and the SA in this area are rather picked over, though I did luck out and find this last week! An Icelandic Design Vintage sweater that was waiting for me as I walked in. Just sitting with the Men's Tee shirts. About a month or so ago someone had written about finding one so I knew I had hit gold. $5.99 I believe. I have it listed at 85$ and just offered it to someone for 65$. Some on Ebay are as high as 129$.

 Be that as it may....I had won several things in an auction. I had to travel to another county and found myself in the million dollar home area. Even the air smells better out there. The house was huge! Sitting close to Harrods Creek. I collected and paid for my stuff, 4 Nunn Bush shoe stretchers/keepers, and an assortment of jewelry from India. a 40$ investment I hope to triple my money. turn 40 into $120. Is that double my money? You would think I, as a business major, would know. It was a long time ago and I , the wizard of calculus, can barley figure out ROI. 

Knowing I was in money territory, where all the rich escape from Louisville crime, taxes and surly neighbors, I googled the nearest Thrift Store.

I went down windy roads that took my breath away in their beauty and in their on coming traffic. Until I arrived at my destination. I was surprised at how small the place was but it was crammed with goodies from top to bottom. Since I do not sell a lot of clothes, I naturally went there first and looked for cashmere sweaters and off brand stuff that I (tried) sneakily to comp on my phone. I thought the red was the 50% 0ff and scored two jackets, one a sweater jacker, the other an expensive brand going for the 20-35 dollar range on Poshmark. Two for $6.29 was a good enough gamble for me, but alas I was wrong, yellow was half off so I returned them.

I found a Barbie out of the box and without shoes, otherwise in very good condition for 1,99$. It was from the Barbies' of the World collection and represented India. (India a reoccurring theme this day!). I scored a Bratz Doll and a dog cup (that was for me. A red one to match my purple one). Then I found in a shopping cart, poised to be shelved or just in the aisle to be picked from, 10 unopened packages of sexy thigh high stockings! OMG! 59 cents a piece. The comps (I did not even check in the store knowing these were pure gold) for the Calvin Klein are 19 bucks. Plus shipping!!

This particular thrift store has not received the memo to stop putting money merchandise in the display cases. And I was drawn to a jar of jewelry like a moth to the flame. I asked to look at it and rolled it around and it seemed like pretty junk, but the pearl necklace on top spoke to me so I indulged and shelled out 35$

When I got home, hoping that someone had overlooked a Miriam Haskell or some Coro jewelry or possible a turquoise bracelet I was not lucky. Only two things marked. One a Chico's necklace and the other a Tiffany and Co .925 silver bangle.

I have to get it authenticated. I will not let myself get too excited. But, man oh man! My honey Hole!

Good bye my go to Auction House

 It's a sad day for me this week when the on line auction house that I use most closes it doors after pick up tomorrow. In November of 2018 I found this jewel on line and have never looked back. I think there might be three or four weeks when I have not picked up something I won at the auction.

My biggest scores were the pearl necklace, or rather what I spent the most money on, with papers of authentication and a large Paul Sawyier that I just went crazy on and won for 250 bucks.

They always had the best stuff. I bid on a group of pearl necklaces about three weeks ago and won for about 18 bucks. Included and not mentioned in the description was a Miriam Haskell that is vintage perfect and listed on line in the 250 range.

I like to keep my MH.

I have been selling on line for about 10 months and I have had tremendous luck flipping their stuff. My first flip with them was a Rt. 66 Zippo lighter that I won for around 12$ that I flipped for over 30$

i was hooked. And I made some mistakes, like listing the items I won before being able to pick them up. A few sold immediately, like the Joan Rivers bracelets and the Michael Kors shoes. They lost a bag I had sold in advance but my buyer was patient. Once I scored a pristine Disney Castle, Beauty and the Beast, and it was dropped and broken. Nuts. I twice bought name brand (or so they said) purses, one a Dooney and Bourke, the other a Gucci, that were fakes. Hence my run in with the wicked garage sale lady.

I received a lot of good jewelry. A lot of jewelry. The commission was okay with  me as it was usually less that shipping and handling from Shopgoodwill.

My other go to for jewelry.

Good bye Sher and Lynn. I loved it. Best time ever, 

Authenticate. It's so impoirtant

 I went to a yard sale this morning. I passed it yesterday and it looked big and a lot of cars were parked all around. I planned on heading back there. Instead, since I was right by the GW, I went to the GW instead.

I found some treasure in the GW, but more about that at another time.

So, I went to the Yard Sale today. I was greeted by a really nice guy who asked if I needed help finding anything and I asked about Barbie Dolls or old T-shirts. He said no and we began a quick conversation about him collecting and flipping coins. He knows his coins etc. etc. etc. We agreed it was the thrill of the pursuit and the art of the deal. That's the part I'm not great at, I replied. I love to source, but to negotiate and post I'm not so eager.

We parted ways and I did a quick look around, some interesting things but nothing I would like to purchase and flip.

This old woman (lol, probably only a few years older than me. Who can tell anymore, everyone with grey hair looks 100 to me) had a Coach bag sitting in front of her and two Dooney and Bourke bags on a shelf of bags. I looked the D&B over. One was 10$ the bigger one (about the size of a carry on) was $20. The Coach bag in front of her was priced at $10.

I stuck up a conversation about authenticating bags. She replied or retorted that she only seeks out and buys her bags from reputable places. Or something like that (I would make a terrible witness on the stand remembering a conversation). I told a big fish story about selling an authentic bag that the person on the receiving end challenged the authenticity and kept the bag and I lost my money.

I suppose she took offense that I would suggest she had a knock off. I am not an authority, but she probably is or thinks she is, or buys bags all the time. I continued to poke the bear, not realizing I was doing so, just talking too much (in retrospect)  talking to her like she was a flipper also.

I do remember what I said, If you don't buy them at a Coach store you never know what your getting because the counterfeits are so good. I did not read her well.

I offered her 20$ for the Coach and the Dooney and Bourke. She barked, "No". so I was leaving and noticed that the smaller D&B was only 10$ making my offer exactly what they were asking. I pointed it out, "Oh, it's marked 10! It's what your asking!" then why did you offer me $20? She barked at me! I misread the label and thought it was 20$ will you take 15$

Fat chance.

I will never make that type of rookie mistake again.  

The Goodwill Haul on Senior Day

 There are some really good perks to getting older. One of them is the Senior Discount, which at my Goodwill (the closest one) is 30% on Wednesday. I was in the mood to do some sourcing (aka shopping addict and potential hoarder). My last experience at the Bins left me feeling ashamed of myself for calling that guy an A**hole (which he was, but my Mom would have been so disappointed in me) so I decided to drop in to the GW for a few minutes.

Now I am becoming a little more experienced in sourcing. I go through the sweater/shirts for women and look for unusual brands I am not familiar with and skip over the Old Navy, Dana Buchman, Carol Little Liz Claibourne, etc. I am on the look out for cashmere too, but did not find any yesterday. Only a very pretty shirt by Kathy Chu which I looked up on Ebay right there! They are selling for $12 less, or more. So at my Senior discount, I could turn a tidy profit spending $3 on it.

In the hard goods aisle I found a Jim Beam Black stainless steel Flask for 99 cents, less my discount so about 69 cents and I can sell it for around $12.

Moving on I found a two pack of Johnson and Johnson baby soap 1999. 99 cents, (less discount)  so I picked that up also thinking somewhere along the line I could couple it with something.

I found 6 gently used Betty Boop Shower Gel for 6$ less my discount so about 4.20. I noticed that there is not anything on Ebay or Mercari that resembles the bottles, so I may turn a profit on those also. Maybe the 6 mostly full (lol...maybe a quarter used from each) for $16.

The creme de la creme was a Wonder Woman Secret Wishes Rubie's Costume for $2.99 less my discount, so about 2$. It is an XS (size 9-2) so it might take the perfect person to buy it, someone skinny and into sexy costumes or adult dress up. I swear, that is what it said on the package. Offered it on both Ebay and Mercari for $27.

UPDATE: SOLD FOR FULL ASKING PRICE $27!! 10/16

So for my 11.50$ I hope to sell the whole lot, and I realize it may take time and some may never sell, for 75. less my fees, which lets just estimate at 13% would be 53.75.

Not setting the world on fire, but all I have to do is sell that Wonder Woman sex outfit and I'm in the gravy.

Work Station The Great Outdoors!

So this is where I spent a good portion of the late morning and early afternoon today. These are a small example of the shoes I have collected from The Bins to resale. The profit is good, but the preparation is long and hit or miss.

For example, the only shoes in this batch I did not get at the bins I picked up from FB Marketplace earlier in the summer. I took the shoes without examining them  closely. I was just stoked to score some Birks to resell. They were repulsive. I ordered a Birk cleaning kit from Amazon because the home remedy's I had  read about on my Ebay sites just were not getting the job done. I scrubbed with baking soda and wiped down with alcohol. They were still filthy and still had a very strong odor. I gave up on them. Until today, when I once again scrubbed them with baking soda and Dawn dish washing soap.

The Vans I am soaking in a solution of some hair salon gunk which is  lightening agent that really works. I have just been dragging my heels about getting all this done because, lets face it, feet are icky.

And I got myself put in Ebay jail for three days because of Trashed stinky Vans. 

Now they will just be some refurbed preowned with lots of life left.

The Birks I am going to group together, two Birks and one knock off and see if I can get 50 for the lot.

I would be very happy. 
 

This Weeks Best Flips

 

My best flips this week. This Mattel James Dean I picked up at the 2nd estate sale I have  attended. The first one was pretty bad. Everything smelled like intense cigarette smoke so I left after a few minutes. But this sale was much better. The first day I picked up a couple of Around the World Santa's and a few other items. The next day I went back in anticipation of the 50% off sale and found three Mattel dolls hidden in a cupboard in the Doll Room. I missed them the day before because two other women where in that area and I was blocked out. I got him for 7.50$ no tax (yay!) and flipped him this week for 45$ plus shipping of 14.90 shipping. I grossed 57.74 less my discounted shipping cost of 11.19 making a tidy profit of 39.05. That's a ROI of 520%

I'm going to start using ROI and profit to gage my success (or failure).

2nd good flip was this...

 also picked up at the estate sale. She was 5$ sold her for $34.47 gross less my shipping cost of 8.12$ leaving me a net profit of $21.35 and a ROI of  427%.

I sold a Victoria Secret Bra I got at the bins. That's about 1.29/LB by 4 oz. lol. Sold it for 24.99 plus shipping of 4.65 making it 29.64 less my discounted shipping cost of 3.23 making a net profit of 26.41.. My initial investment of 35 cents leaves me with an ROI of  7545%

I may not be doing it right, but that sounds good to me. 

Etiquette at the Bins and Maybe You're the Asshole

 I can not gush enough about how much I love the bins! Most the time I have a great time sorting, sifting, and digging through every thing to find the hidden treasure. On the most part everyone is very cool. Helping each other find matches to shoes, or if someone is collecting a certain set of items from the bin most people are courteous enough if they run across the item they will hand it over to the person. For example, one guy was grabbing all these medical items his father. I knew there was a box of things in the next bin over so I handed it to him.

If two of us are reaching for the same item it is not unusual for both of us to step back and say "go ahead". During the covid pandemic the Bins were closed for several months. I thought I was going to DIE because I was jonesing so much to dig. I missed it so much. When it reopened in mid May (maybe) they had very strick rules about wearing masks and social distancing. The bins were cut in half to avoid too much crowding around each other. The carts were sanitized. They may have limited the amount of people allowed inside but I do not remember that  being an issue.

Now fast forward. We're still wearing masks but the bins are all in place and people are swarming the bins again. 

I have found myself being really bitchy about it. I like social distancing. I like not having someone reaching over me to grab something that is my area of scoping out. People do it all the time, some nicer than others.

I HATE people being overly aggressive. I HATE people tossing the things that do ot interest them to get at something that does. They toss indiscriminately with little regard to those around them or the items they are destroying in their destructive path. There are several of them, and they are an irritant to me like non other. And as I grow older and more bold and don't give a SHIT what othrs think about me I have found myself calling them out. Yesterday one big guy was very aggressive and leaned over me and bgrabbed two belt buckles that were right in front of me that I would have picked up if given the chance.

"Hey social distance!!" I chided him

"You're wearing a mask, you're safe enough"

"The other part is to not crowd into each others space!"

"You must be a Democrat" he sneered

"you must be an asshole" I shot back.

"Yes, I am" he said and retreated else where.

I have never been like this before. I have given people a piece of my mind several times now. I have muttered "Social distance" a lot of times. I almost threw a shoe at someone once. I worry that i am racist as I have had two incidents with the immigrants at the shoe bin. They ignore me. 

I don't like the person I am when I feel my space, my area I am digging through is being infringed upon by some thoughtless bin digger. I pray to give me patience and not make me the asshole.

What was it Raylan said, "if you run into an asshole then you have run into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, maybe you're the asshole".

Wise Words.

Where Do I Source? Learning Curve Experience.

 I have joined several reselling groups on Facebook. They have proven to be an enormous source of information from everything not to sell (TY toys, Lulamon, etc) (and I have a few to add, like Funko toys! you really have to know your stuff to move that crap).

What is most helpful is how to source, what to source, and how to package it so it arrives unbroken. Shipping is difficult at first and takes some time to educate yourself on how to do it without getting burnt.

I have begun to order boxes from ebay and the post office has some free stuff for priority mailing but you must be careful to not inadvertently use a flat rate box. YIKES. They are a good thing at times, but not all the time.

These groups always have someone asking "What should I sell" and the people in the group are brutal. Sell what you know!! Find out on your own. Don't ask us to do all the work and then hand it over to you. Another question asked constantly is    "what do you sell" when someone is boasting about 15 grand in sales in a 90 day period. The answer is always very cagey and usually is "A little bit of everything".

Recently someone asked, "where do you source?" and she received all sorts of snarky answers, some people can be very rude and condescending. I know a lot of them go dumpster diving and road side trolling. There is a great blog about things I find in the garbage. That guy has a guardian angel named Lucky. 

It made me think about where I source from. Definitely not from my closet, though I do have a pair of Frye boots circa 1970 that I acquired from Ebay in the 'naughts for $10. I bet I can flip them now for a lot more!

I score from SSTC and that stuff usually is very good. Some of it may take a while to sell, like the porcelain dolls, b ut I did move 3 for $20 and made my money back and have a slew more to go which will be all profit once I do. I source from two other auction companies and I generally go after the jewelry because I can get a lot for 60$ to 120$  and piece meal it off and make my money back quick and easy.

The bins! God I love the bins but I always buy way too much and my death pile is enormous. I have too many clothes and never have them posted. Boo hoo. But when I do, I can usually sell them. I look for vintage and unusual things in the bins.

I can flip shoes.

I like FB Marketplace to source. I have found Birks that are a stinky mess that I have not flipped yet. I scored another pair and after reading up (from one of the FB groups) how to clean them, I will offer them together and try to turn a profit. I found a lot of Concert Band t-shirts that I have sold most of, given one to Bridget and can't find another and have two left over. Any one like Asking Alexandria?

And I have had no luck at garage sales. Maybe because I'm not comfortable at them. I need Joe to go with me. Estate sales have been not so good, but I did score three Mattel dolls.

Learning Curve.

BTW two packages heading out in a few minutes. Elvis and mismatched vintage earrings.

  

Take a Chance and Surprise!

 

This is a vintage pair of Beau Jewels Clip on Earrings.  Found in a box of "junk" jewelry that I picked up at an estate sale this week. The box cost me 61$. In it I found a couple of great things including this pair of gorgeous clipons. As I was leaving the auction company guy says good bye with this "Hope you find something in there!" and I did. Besides this there is a deer antler turquoise bolo or a pendant of some sort. I have not seen anything like it and if I have I don't recognize what  the purpose is. But, it will sell as I have already sold two pieces of this type of oddity.

But my big score came from SSTC with a bag of Vintage and modern pearls.

A Miriam Haskell from circa 1940's with rhinestone spaces and signed on the clasp with an eight point flower signature.

Bingo! Holy crap. For 7$ (plus the 22% for seller premium and tax) that one piece can be sold for any where from 125$ to 250$

The Estate Sale

 The first "estate sale" I went to was in Louisville about 2 months ago. It was in a condominium and the guy obviously smoked. The place reeked. I spent maybe a courtesy 15 minutes in there before leaving. No way was I buying any of that stuff. And there was nothing I wanted.

Last Friday, while I was in here printing my labels I noticed an Estate Sale sign. the street was just across from the library so I swung around and headed in. 

What a difference. Every room was packed to the roof. I wondered how they lived in this house with all this stuff!! I noted that there was a doll room with a lot of porcelain dolls and lots of interesting related things. There was a lot  of M.A. Hadley and Louisville Stoneware in the back bedroom. i was interested in that. I knew from reading my reselling FB groups that you go to the estate sales at the last day and the prices are lowered. So when I left I asked something and they replied that at noon on Saturday the prices would be 50% off.

I was there at the stroke of noon! In the doll room I found 3 Barbies, well 2 of them and a Jamesw Dean. Got all three for 17.50$ I found one M.A. Hadley that I thought would go well with my improving collection that I hope to offer on FB Marketplace in the future when I have a nice amount.

And I found four Santa's of the world and some other Xmas ornaments.

I went back on Sunday hoping everything would be 75% off but no, still 50. But she discounted the Dennis the Menace doll head and clothes, no body, four TY toys for 10$ No Xmas ornaments left. I was hoping to find 2 more to go with the first 4 Santa's of the world.

In in all spent around 46$ and the barbie dolls should reap back my money if I ever get them posted!

Like the estate sale and glad I gave it another shot. Not all houses stink like cigarette smoke.

What's Happening?

 After a smoking last week things have came to a halt. I had four orders over the week end and only one order since. 

I have not spent much time taking pictures or posting listings. I have not sourced either, which is good because it will take me a long time to get what I already have up. I did win, by accident, a stylist professional utensil holder with three outlets. Super cool and I'm certain I can sell it, but for the life of me I don't know how I bid on it!! I really wanted the Royal Hager vase and three mannequin heads with hair for styling, so I must have just bid on the wrong thing.

Those heads would have been super cool. Two auctions going on, one at Wardlow and one at Harritt. I thing SSTC is over, I pray one more, but maybe not. Will find out tomorrow.

Other stories on the agenda, G. was in town and we had a wonderful time together Monday afternoon, I didn't want to go and kind of dreaded it. It upsets my routine (what routine???) but once I got there I enjoyed myself.

I experienced the same thing with Mom. Once I was in the thick of it I enjoyed myself.

I'm jonseing to go to the Bins, but will not go.

Got the Blues for You

 Don't know why that song lyric came into my head. Sometimes I struggle to find a title for a post when I am writing the same old same old.

Been a very good week. I'm over 400 in sales already and have 2 weeks to go. 12 days. So maybe it will stay hopping. I'm back on Ebay and some one named Osmond in Utah bought a Robert Heinlein book from me. I want to ask if he is related to Donnie and Marie. I believe there are many brothers and sisters so you never know.

I took a bunch of pictures outdoors yesterday but have not posted them yet. Joe and I went to the library PO and UPS then Walmart. Got smashed afterwards and called G. who is in Louisville. We're going to spend an entire day together Monday. Girl stuff. Ha. 

That's all the news that fits.

Pot of Gold

 Did you miss me? I haven't written in a week! I had sales every day, usually two sales a day, like today. But on Monday somehow E-bay decided to restrict me because of the damn converse shoes I posted long ago and put up as trashed. I will never ever put up the word trashed again. People have an odd fetish with these shoes. Not that I am trying to reach that sick pack, but I guess I am unknowingly doing just that. I've been suspended for three days. Bummer, because my sales were picking up in E-bay. Nothing earth shattering, but a lot more than before.

Rico was texting me Saturday morning about a lot of stuff. Introducing me to a poet who wrote this crazy poem about if you're going try something, give it your all and never give up. To throw everything you hold dear in your life to the side to laser focus on that one goal. Sleep on a park bench if you have too but never stop. It changed his life, he told me. Maybe an excuse to wreck your life, telling yourself you are going it for a goal. He seems lonely. I fear his girl friend broke up with  him.

Anyway, the other off thing that has happened on this adventure is meeting the nut case in the post office. He was wearing a duct tape mask and singing  song about moving to China to join the other mask wearing people. We had a lively discussion about what the mask is doing and another lady in line joined in the conversation letting him know that our fearless and brainless leader knew a long time ago the Covid-19 was airborne and we should have been wearing masks all along, but he did not want to cause a panic so he did as little as possible to not rock the stock market world.

Nothing else much happened except that I sold the Cabbage patch doll to two people at the same time! Yikes. I tried to stop the auction on E-bay but they ...... my bad, I didn't want the bad hit. Got it anyway. I got 10$ more on Mercari anyway. Yay. I agreed to Mercari first so that was that.

Another Shipping Day

 Hard to believe I sold three things yesterday. A Barbie Doll, the breast pump kit on Ebay, and the gauntlet motorcycle gloves on FB Marketplace. That's great. One on each platform and I suppose I am going to experience the Marketplace shipping phenomenon. No fees! All mine!

I went to the bins yesterday and spent way too much, as always, on shitty junk that I like and I hope someone else will like and buy. I did score two small lamps with marble bottoms and crystals hanging. I found them both. The second one did not have all the crystals so I will have to replace them.I will have to get to Louisville Salvage and Architecture I have to make an appt. So, I better make certain they work first.

So far this month I have sold a little more than I have sourced. If I just slow down and concentrate on getting a good share of the Miriam Haskell jewelry that is on auction then I will be happy!

Today I have promised myself to take a zillion pictures and post on all three platforms. The SD card reader I bought is a miracle in the amount of time it is taking me to post. I had no idea it was the hardware and not the software slowing me down.

Had a dream about JK last night. First one in along time. I like to think that he is dreaming about me too. 

I am re-reading Eat Pray Love for the 3rd time. But, I imagine it has been at least 10 years since I read it last. It's interesting because it has ignited in me the desire to write again. About myself. My experiences and how I wound up here, in Jeff married to Joe in the autumn of my life with the winter snows and grey skies only a heart beat away.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong

 First of all, happy birthday to my Mom in heaven or the afterlife, which I hope is heaven. Her and Aunt Pat share a birthday one year apart to the day. I hope they are dancing the Irish jig  behind the pearly gates.

And this computer is acting shady. Somedays it works other days not so much. When I put up Mercari it will not let me post. The screen comes up but it never takes hold and just shakes and shakes. So aggregating and frustrating. So I went out and bought a lap top. Guess what? I couldn't get it to work. The only thing I could get to come up was my Gmail. No Mercari, it would not allow me to sign in. I'd hit "Sign in" a hundred times and nothing. It would not down load Google/Chrome. So I took it back. It could have been me, it could have been the operating system.

Then we have had Danielle in the house for about 7 dyas maybe it was 6. It was good in many ways. I did not feel entirely guilty when I would go off by myself to do the things I need to do when I mail out some items. Library, the PO, tWalmart, the Bins.

Yesterday I met a young lady in the extreme South end of town, Fairdale. I didn't even know where Fairdale is, now I do. She had listed a group of jewelry .925 for 15$. I jumped on it and arranged a meeting at the Walmart in Fairdale. I have been there before and as I exited off the Gene Snyder and headed down Taylor Blvd I passed a lot of landmarks that rushed back to me. I think I bought the Fish from the recommended alternative place to the Suburban  Fish Fry. It was not as good, if Suburban is a 10, it was a 5. I went past the Iroquis High School where Cathy went to school. I went by the funeral home where her Dad had his wake. I went by Iroquois Park where I ran the 10 miler not once but 2x and it was a killer both times (maybe it was three) the hills will do you in. But I made it. The last time I ran it (2006) my toe nails could not say the same thing.

So I knew which way I was heading. I made it there on time, at the designated time she asked me to give her, 1020am. She arrived about 11am. And I think she was a meth addict. Her teeth were extremely bad. She was dressed in camouflage head to toe. Even a cap, aka David Copperfield, may I have more gruel please sir. She handed over the small packet and I asked if it were all .925 she said yes and rode off. I took out my loupe and was surprised that most of it is .925 Only some shitty silver tone and turquoise set ring, one earring and necklace were paste.

Then I wondered it if were stolen goods.  I hope not

Missy's Birthday

 Every Sept 4th, for some reason I can't put my finger on, I remember it's Missy/Susan's birthday. Mayve because it is exactly six months after mine. We went to grammar school together for 8 years in my little old home town of Versailles. The parted ways as we went to different highschools. I, to the dreaded Catholic school in Lex where I knew only ONE person, and she to public high school where everyone I grew up with, went to the swimming pool with, went to church with, they all went to WCHS.

Happy B-day Missy.

This has been a good month so far. I have sold and mailed at least one thing every day! I was shocked by my E-bay bill, but will give it one more month and see what happens. They took 25% of my sales in fees and shipping charges. I truly con't understand. I had one return, which still has not arrived, and they killed that TRASHED listing I had, so maybe I'm being fined over that.

So here I am, printing out shipping labels. I made a rookie mistake and did not weigh my "bundle" package and totally underestimated the cost of shipping. I'm eating another $5 of profit mailing it myself. Bummer. But I bought three of the four things at the BINS, so that is about $5 of cost and the ring, I can't remember. My profit will be 72 less 10, approximately, so 60ish. Good to me.

I have my eyes on a Miriam Haskell lot that is coming for sale in the near future. I will refrain from purchasing any more until then.

I did break down and go to the BINS yesterday. Spent 26$ Can't think of anything special I got except two pieces of M.A. Bradley pottery which I will add to my lot for Facebook Marketplace. A three tiered cat hat box. A pair of converse shoes, a tote, two blankets, one brand new with tags, a pair of cool jeweled jeans but upon closer inspection, it is missing the front button, a beaded shirt I have a stubborn stain I can't get out (boo hoo), and other odds and ends I can't recall.

Rookie mistake, but I am becoming judicious in my sourcing and looking for items that will net me 30$ to 40$.

Oh oh oh! They have made changes at the BINS. No longer are the Shoe People allowed to congregate and park their carts at that end of the store. They are not allowing people to abandon their carts to shop. I love it. They said more changes to come. I'm happy I complained. It was the Wild West last week.

Nickle and Dime Store

 Im going to have to do something and do it soon. The garage is a nightmare. This is the 3rd time in a short period that I can not find something. The Asking Alexandria tee finally were found in an box not with all the other t's. The piggie salty and pepper were hidden in a box in the room, not anywhere near stuff I'm selling. And today I had to tear apart the garage again (AGAIN!!) to find the dog leash I sold.

For $5. The entire time that i combed thru the garage looking for the AA t's I asked myself "is this worth it for 10$"

So what to do? I'm going to have to dedicate a couple of hours everyday listing stuff. If they don't sell I'm going to do mystery boxes and see how that goes. Or sell boxes on Marketplace.

I'm frustrated by my lack of profit this month. I've bought as much as I've sold. It's like hitting a brick wall. I've had two ebay purchases that the buyers did not pay. I reported the last one. She is a seller with about 1000 reviews. How can she screw me like that? It was not a big amount! 10 dollars for the cute Japan/Holland salt and pepper shakers that sell when they are displayed. The pictures are crap, they did not photograph well, but they are cute.

Just a bad month, next month will be better. I've got to develop a business model that works better for me. Someone was saying they sill spend 10$ to make 40$ I've read elsewhere they will spend 50$ to make 100$ i suppose they know their market and their product more throughly than I do mine.

Nickle and dime. That should be the name of my storefront.

Fetish my Foot

 I had one of my posts on Ebay taken down because they said I did not adhere to their used clothes policy. That I was intentionally seeking out people with a fetish for dirty socks and this case the Trashed Vans. WTF? I had no intention of seeking them out, they sought me out and asked about the shoes, wanting to see the insoles and asking if they were worn with out socks. I said I didn't know but they did not smell. The second time I just said, yes they appeared to be worn without socks but there was no smell. I also told this guy that I was going to clean them up and sell them for a higher price if he was still interested in the Trashed Vans.

Now I have crossed some line. I don't know if it was detected in my messaging or in the post itself. Either way, I am on probation and if it happens again I get a 3 day suspension.

Well I never. I looked up other offerings on Ebay and I'm not sure how I was exposed or fingered. Maybe it was the messaging. I  guess I will never know.

What I do know is no more Trashed shoes for Alphawoman!    

E-Bay! E-Bay! E-bay!

 Three sales in one night! Wow. Didn't make much, but it is good to sell. I am not going to consider the loss I incurred on the Barbie Doll. I messed up. The other day someone offered me a low price and I countered and they bought. I shouldn't be afraid to lose a sale. Especially if I am losing money.

So, I will take pictures once I get home. I received my Mannequin head and have a slew of ball caps to get up. I also need to concentrate on moving that jewelry. Jeez, it's every where. On top of the frig in the garage even. I thought "what's this?" and it was a box of jewelry.

I did read something interesting on one of the FB groups regarding marketing. It's not what you sell, it's who you sell to. You're target market. So, if I concentrate on my vintage jewelry, I need to research who buys that stuff and find out the keywords and SEO (search engine something...lol) and apply those. 

Research research research.

I am addicted to the bins and have a hankering to go but I need to apply myself to posting my stuff. My sales are about the same as last month, but not nearly as profitable. 

 

Is it Wednesday?

 A week ago I won a BIG lot of jewelry at the "other' auction and as of yet I have not posted one single item. I think. maybe that Karu Arke brooch was from the first lot. But, I did have three coro pieces in there. It's just hard to post on my computer. And that means...

I'm headed to Walmart after I mail this one measly package and purchase a brand spanking new lap top. I went in yesterday all  bummed out about something and this kid came up and asked if I needed help. I told him, probably being curt, that I was just looking and comparing prices. He said I had come to the right person because he was the computer GURU. Then he complimented me on my shirt. It was the Love Thy Neighbor tee.

So he steered me to the right laptop and told me that the program running the computer was the best and that it had a place on the side for the adapter fro my SD card.

Today I am getting 400$ out of my Mercari account and bite the bullet and get it. I also am covering it with the cash reserve in my Edwards account. A win win.

 

Back in the Day

 I started blogging in 2003. On AOL-Journals. I had read a book called Pammy.com or something like that, and was introduced to the on-line concept. The concept of having followers and being an influencer. I started Alphawoman's Blog and lamented that I was at the half way point in my life, that is if I live to be 100. My Mom and Dad were still alive. As A matter of fact, my Dad was in the hospital and Joe and I were thinking of getting married that week-end and postponed it. Why I remember obscure details like that 17 years later is odd. 

Do I have 17 more years left? I laid in bed last night, up at 305 am. How old would I be? 84? When I wake up at 7am because the alarm went off, I don't feel so hot. I ask myself what I ate. Oh yeah, I had four bourbon and cokes watching a marathon Cary Grant marathon on TCM. Missing Mom, because my love for TCM came from her. Watching them every night. Being introduced to such classic as "I remember Mama" "The Bishop's Wife"  "The Gold Diggers".

When I started AB it was easy. I was filled with stories triggered by my day to day shenanigans, my job, my many hours on the road driving from town to town, place to place, meeting an array of interesting people, having virtually no supervision, thinking all the time. Made for some good blogging. Then Face book came along in 2008 and the AOL-J's got axed. I have no idea where Ab is right now. I published o platforms, here and there. JAHG suvives, but I am no longer able to publish on it. Because I'm a Boomer, I can't figure it out. 

I have a huge inventory of analog journals, but this year have all but abandoned it. Just jot a note now and then. Life, as I knew it, is gone. This COVID 19 has changed the world and I have changed with it. 

I have a black market Xanax in my purse and I think I am going to swallow it. I have thought I have lost it several times. Last week I thought maybe I had given it to a grifter on 9th Street whoes sign read, attacked by midgets, need money for shin guards. 

I'm rambling. Debby told me I live an interesting life and never a dull moment. Maybe she is right. I have been told that I am oblivious to myself. Among other observations. 

Just another day at the Bins

 The other day while at the bins just as they called for the rotation cycle and or everyone to line up away from the bins, I noticed a big guy tossing stuff around like he didn't care if he broke anything or not, that his life depended on it, to get to the bottom of the bin before he was ordered off the floor. As luck would have it he stood next to me and I struck up a conversation making note of his frantic last moments in the bin. 

He was so nice. Ends up he has made 19 grand on Ebay in 90 days and sells pallets. He is not from this area and was unfamiliar about Eastern Blvd or Street I can never remember because they the same street in Louisville. So back to the bins and I see him again and ask his name, it's Rico.

Fast forward to yesterday I find him on an Ebay group and make contact again. Now we are friends of a sort, I sent him the link to the Pallet place and he says it looks like money. I asked if he had a truck and he does so Woo-Hoo! he said we could be partners,

He's cool and I think this might be the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

Dream Theater

 The night could not end fast enough last night. Dream after dream of anxious hand wringing drama. First one I remember is being in the airport getting ready to board a plane with two other people.  They were girls...women. I reached into my bag for my ticket and everything was gone! I had to go to the airline counter and explain my predicament! They were able to issue me a ticket, but asked a multitude of questions and then some very stern looking woman decided I was working with Russia! I was calm and unflappable about the whole thing. I was seated and pondering how I was ever going to get home because they took so much time I missed my flight. Not to worry, you can catch the next one. To Atlanta where I would transfer only there were no planes leaving for "home" once I arrived and I would have to spend the night in the terminal because I had no money for a hotel room.

Then I was surfing! Really surfing. I was balancing and doing everything like they so on the real thing! Ned was there and was unimpressed. Something about me being a fuck up and I had my chance and no surfing could change things. I was so hurt.

Then I was late for work. I looked at the clock and it said 8:45, i was to be at work at 9. I wasn't dressed or prepared so I ended up in a car, with Joe, and trying to call directory assistance for the phone number to EPI (why is it either EPI or Coke in my dreams?) but they could not find it. It was in my phone, but I had lost it along with  my airline ticket etc. at the airport. Maybe they would understand when I showed up late. I let Joe drive and screamed when I thought he made a left turn into one way traffic. He pulled up on the curb and said "WHAT!" I just laughed it off, because it was not a one way.

The last one was that Joe was mad at me. He was going to go somewhere (that's the way dreams are) adn I was puttering around in the yard, because it was (and it is) full of weeks. I saw two cars in the driveway and thought that was odd, Joe should be in one. As I came around the cars I saw Joe laying in the neighbors front yard (though it was not Matt and Sam's it was somewhere else with a gorgeous lawn) in his white long johns. I wondered how long he had been there, knowing it was a long time and also wondering why no one alerted me. I was able to wake him up and get him into the house, into a bed room that was an absolute wreck.

So, that was my Dream Theater last night.

I'm at the library getting ready to ship out two Barbie dolls. I also sold the Asking Alexander t's but can not find them. I have a few days to hunt them down. I'm sure Bridget took them but she says she has never seen them.

I'm not allowing her into my garage anymore. She thinks its free day at Macy's.

Japan is a Foreign Country

 I had a buyer ask if I would ship internationally. So I weighed my options, my hesitations, I watched You Tube tutorials and decided it was not that hard. So I did it. It did take a little bit of time to figure out but I finally got the label printer out and in a few weeks Ebay will take the 21$ to ship out of my account.

It was the Gold Lame Elvis Funko Bobble head. There are Zero on the Internet. I began at $100 and sometimes higher. I was offered 40$ once last year. THis time I got 45. 45 of nothing. He got a deal.

Bridget i s asking me to pay for her Suboxon doctor and B is asking me for pizza. B is asking me for her birthday money in advance...so I ask for some nerve pills in return. The other day I was in an agitated state, don't know why. I get tired of yelling at people in my car. I'm one of those crazy Boomers who yell at cashiers who will not take my expired coupons. Ha. No I am not there yet. But, I like to feel calm and kind of like I'm floating about the sidewalk. I took half of a Valium, and had one more left in the bag. It was originally in my change section of my purse. I came up on the homeless guy who is usually set up at the end of the 3rd street ramp at River road. My route to effectively avoid the 2.15$ toll on I-65 bridge. As it is my habit, I give this guy money. No....heavens this was somewhere else, maybe Saturday on the way to the Fish Club. He had a sign that said, Attacked by midgets, need money for shin guards. I thought this guy is absolutely nuts! So I rolled down my window, grabbed a handful of change and handed it over to him and asded about the ;Midget beating. He said, I just like to make people smile.

Oh no, I think I gave him my last Xanax in the handful of change! What a great surprise for him! But, I was wrong, it was safe and sound where I had hidden it in the .....no not gonna tell  you.

I am getting ready to head to the Bins as soon as I drop off this pair of CT Converse which I under cut shipping costs.  This is not the first time I have made an error. I was highly anxious the first several times I did it, but so far they have just gone on through. I hate to do it. I feel responsible for the demise of the USPS. Just doing my part to bring it down.

Well, I'm buzzed again. Nothing so absurd and pitiful than a 67 year old druggie. Bad Habits never die.

What A Difference A Day Makes

 I was so HIGH Monday morning with my 7 sales and then it was 8. I had finally made the algorithm work for me. Then I went and began to pack up the items and I dropped the Pumpkin plate and  broke it. I was devastated. I had tried to carry all my packing materials into the living room. Packing a plate for new for me and I had a plate protector, bubble wrap, a box and goodness knows what else. I put one box on the counter and proceeded to drop the plate juggling everything else in my arms.

I was inconsolable. It was and still is my best weekend so far. But I had ruined it. I did not receive another bid or offer until yesterday. Now maybe its because of the uncertainly regarding the economy, but I feel it was because I broke that plate, cancelled the transaction and ignited a hiccup in my algorithm

After the post office trip, Joe and I went to the new pallet liquidation place in -ville. I was so tempted to buy a 550$ pallet that I am surprised I did't,. Well,for one I do not have a truck to bring the pallet to the storage shed. There was a ton of hardgoods in the pallet box. A bike, a coffee maker and other goodies.

This key board is a bitch so I am signing off.

What a Week-End!!

I made 7 sales this week-end! I can't believe it. I didn't make much They were items I have had around for awhile. The Quicksilver T-shirt and the Pumpkin Williams Somona plate have been on my site for months! I also sold 3 pieces of jewelry. The abalone bracelet has been on for awhile. The cowboy earrings have been on for awhile. And what was I thinking offering the Rhinestone pin for free shipping!

Anyway, I'm happy. 

I have been rearranging the garage and I am finding stuff I did not even realize I had. I feel like a hoarder. I need to get my ass in gear and just post everything. I bought a five head lamp at Target yesterday. Why are people so un-customer friendly. Everyone seemed put out to be of assistance. Why is customer service at Target not marked as such? It's identified as Returns and Registry. Do they not want to provide Customer service?The girl could not find what I was asking about. Their web site is kind of unfriendly. When I was directed to a guy (Jerry?) who was to meet me in aisle D-27 he acted like he could care less if I was a happy customer. I almost felt compelled to not thank him.

Maybe I give off a vibe behind my mask. Maybe I am pissed off all the time because I don't like Target all that much. But they did have my item and it is set up in the garage waiting for me.

Steve and Bridget found a pallet distirbution place in Clarksville that takes bids on pallets and then they are yours! I am so interested that I am going to take Joe this afternoon and check it out. But!!!!!!I have like a million items already at home to post.

I may stay away from clothes. I don't know what my niche is yet. I love my jewelry but don't know much about it. Just what I like and what that is is Southwest stuff. And glittery stuff. Shiny objects.

That seems to be what I sell the most of anyway.