In an attempt to be more aware of my goals:
Sold over the weekend: 2 books, 1 ornament, 1 pottery utensil holder
Current listings total: 666
Hmmm. Hope that isn’t a portent.
Category Archives: Business
I Didn’t Buy a Franchise Today
I didn’t buy a franchise today. Let me be very clear about that.
But I was sorely tempted to investigate it and consider it and even weigh it against the financial goals that I’ve got.
It was an estate sale business and it includes mailing lists. And websites. And employees. It’s a well-established name and it has the functionality for bidding that means it will thrive even in the current COVID climate.
I’ve been to their sales and I’m on their mailing list. I’ve run downsizing sales and resale is one of the things I love. (Seriously, ask anyone and they’ll tell you that I love turning a profit on small things and not so small things. That early in 2021 I was trying to make a go of this exact type of thing.)
And yet, I walked away without even asking for more information. I walked away because if I didn’t, I would have put myself into a frenzy trying to figure out how to afford it. Or be willing to pull the trigger without really thinking about it rationally. I deleted the email that offered it because if I had responded and asked for more information, I wouldn’t have thought too much about why to get it and not enough about why I should walk away.
And I should walk away. I have enough to do in my life. I don’t need one more thing to divide my attention. I’ve been working diligently to sell things on, to clean things up, to make room, to prepare for the inevitable downsizing, and to work off my debts.
I recently turned 45. That means I’ve got thirty to forty years left. I have books to write and short stories to pass on. I have non-fiction catalogs and a biography I haven’t even started to touch. I have a death pile for eBay that’s the size of a small (large) storage unit and a half dis-assembled piano to use for art prints and strange sounds to make. I have dollhouses to renovate and miniatures to assemble. And forty years is not enough.
I have to safe-gaurd my future.
And to do that, I had to not buy a franchise today.
Filed under Business, Life in Random
eBay Experiment Update
Well, it’s been awhile hasn’t it? But it’s been a pretty good sales month, all considered:
- 4 Executive Protection Handbooks
- 2 Set of Napkin Rings
- 7 Patterns
- 3 Dolls
- 1 set of DVDs
- Dolls Stands
- Star Wars Keychain
- Tetris Stickers
- Paper Dolls
- Knight Figure
Filed under eBay
The Great Ebay Experiment
And that’s it for this year! Not a bad deal actually.
Sold:
- Return to Oz Storybook — Got this from Savers and it looked brand new to me. Hope it made a collector happy.
- Metal Enamel Napkin Rings — Picked these up in a lot with a bunch of other napkin rings. I’ve already paid off the lot. This is just gravy now, which makes me very happy.
- Book of Polish Poems — Picked this up from Savers. It’s beautiful. I wish I could read it.
- Sandman Book — I love Neil G. I really do. I hope this is going to another fan.
- KitchenAid Mixer cover — This was my Mom’s but she used it once and decided it wasn’t worth it.
- The Dovekeepers book — This is actually a part of a fundraising group of books which is for specifically a Super Secret Project.
- Sherlock Holmes Puzzles book — Also part of a fundraising group of books.
- Values to Action book — Also one of those darned fundraising books.
- Twas the Night Before Christmas — Another part of my Savers pile. 🙂
- Precious Moments Figure — Selling these for a friend. Pretty sure I’m down to three left.
- Calvin & Hobbes book — Got the slipcased collection, so I’ve been selling my regular books. I’m always happy that someone else will get a smile out of them.
- Vintage birdhouse ornament — one of the oldest items in my shop. Pretty sure I’ve taken a loss on it, but at least it’s sold.
Filed under Business
The Great Ebay Experiment
And we’re ramping up for the season!
Sold:
- Gummi Bears Book — picked this up at Savers. It was missing its tape, but in good shape.
- Borderlands Game Pad — From Lootcrate. I still have a few things left to list from Lootcrate, but I think it’s mostly left the building at this point.
- Journal of Colonial Williamsburg Spring — You never know when someone is going to need an article in an historical magazine/journal.
- “A Work of Heart” Teddy Bear Pattern — This was from a plan to make teddy bears to sell which never got off the ground.
The Great Ebay Experiment 8-7-16
Seven months in and still drowning in stuff!
We’ll start with what’s sold:
- Vintage Scootles Doll
A bit of slow month. Only sold one doll. That might have something to do with my not listing enough. As in, not listing anything this month. Time to get down to work.
Filed under Business
The Great Ebay Experiment 07-03-16
Six months in and still drowning in stuff!
We’ll start with what’s sold:
- Graphic Novel
- Vintage Gerber Baby (rough shape)
- Sewing Pattern
- Cookbook
- Sewing Pattern #2
- 1 PM Figurine
Graphic Novel… I think. It was from Dark Horse and I know I read it and liked it well enough, but not enough that I wanted to keep it to re-read.
Vintage Gerber Baby — oh, this poor baby doll was in sad shape. He had major degradation of the rubber on his left side. (right if you’re looking at him.) But in the right clothes he’ll still be cute and I picked him up in a huge box-lot, which has already paid for itself, so anything that sells now is a bonus. My awesome buyer sent me extra money when she noticed how expensive the shipping turned out to be.
Sewing Pattern — Plus sized, brand new, and highly customizable.
Cookbook — Diabetes cookbook with a very odd address that meant I had to reach out to the customer and go “huh?”
Sewing Pattern #2 — Plus sized, brand new, easy-sew pattern
1 Precious Moments — A little angel ornament. Almost done with these and I cannot wait.
So, the problem with selling stuff, is that now I have to LIST stuff. OY!
Until next month! Happy selling and buying!
Filed under Business
The Great Ebay Experiment 6-3-16
Five months in and still drowning in stuff!
We’ll start with what’s sold:
- Marvel Ice Tray
- Hexbug
- Game of Thrones Magnets
- Pr. of Baker’s shoes
- Butterick Pattern
Marvel Ice Tray — This was a Lootcrate piece.
Hexbug — Also a Lootcrate piece, but the purchaser got it to torment their cat.
GoT Magnets — You guessed it. Lootcrate.
Pair of Baker’s Shoes — These were high heeled ankle boots that my mother loved, but can’t wear. I sold them for her.
Butterick Pattern — Plus sized formal dress pattern. Mom and I bought it, but never used it and we’ve decided it’s not our style, so onto the sale pile!
Until next month! Happy selling and buying!
The Great Ebay Experiment 5-3-16
Four months in and still drowning in stuff!
We’ll start with what’s sold:
- The Wheel of Time Starter Forsaken Deck
Wheel of Time Starter Deck — This was brand new and sealed. I got it as part of a Lord of the Rings lot. I only wanted the Minas Tirith box from the DVDs, so I’m selling off the rest of the lot.
Until next month! Happy selling and buying!
Filed under Business
Ebay Experiment Update 04-03-16
Four months in and still drowning in stuff!
We’ll start with what’s sold:
- Lootcrate Hydra Pin
- Precious Moments Angel Ornament
- Batman Multitool
- Lootcrate Terminator skull and chip
- Precious Moments Oh, How I Love Jesus
- Precious Moments Mouse with Cheese Ornament
- 1 Cookbook on half.com
Hydra pin – Took an offer on this one, but it was close to asking, so I’m fine with that. (Or I wouldn’t have taken it!) I like seeing things run out the door, but I won’t take offers that are below value. It’s just silly!
PM Ornament – Second time around for this one. This was returned once. Hopefully, this customer read *all* of the description and will be happy with him. (These are being sold for a friend.)
Batman Multitool – Another Lootcrate piece off to a happy home. Not a high-value item, but every little bit helps.
Lootcrate Terminator skull and chip – This sold on Bonanza, which is cool. It’s only the second item I’ve sold through that site.
PM Figurine – I am conflicted about this one. It could be just considered cute, or it could be considered seriously racially offensive. It’s a little kid dressed up as a Native American. Therefore, the title makes me twitch. But I will let actual tribe-members make the call as to whether it’s offensive or not.
PM Mouse – I am sort of sad to see this one go. I *love* rats and mice and I was considering keeping this one. He’s adorable, but he’s heading to a good home.
Sold a vintage kid’s cookbook on half.com.
One refund for an item not received. The tracking says it was delivered to a package locker, but the buyer states that they don’t have one. I have to believe the buyer, so I sent the refund. Still sucks.
Until next month! Happy selling and buying!
BitterSuites 