Weekly Update & AVEDA

Let me get a quick BOLO out of the way! AVEDA. I love AVEDA - a salon school, salon franchise and environmentally friendly product line. Check out these sold listings (highest price first). When I'm really feeling like pampering myself I will buy the Stress Fix bath salts by AVEDA, and check eBay for an auction every once in awhile for a good deal - but they have a huge range of products and you never know if you might find some at an estate sale or thrift store!

 

Everything went very well with my second eye surgery. I'm still limited in lifting heavy items and doing "inversions" but all in all things are back to normal - but better because I CAN SEE! I have the best vision I've ever had. It's like going from regular TV to High Def. Before my vision was 20/70 WITH glasses because of the cataracts, now it's about 20/25 without glasses. Amazing.

 

Photo Credit - This is a very good example of my before and after.

 

In eBay news:

I had some very cool feedback on this small watercolor which sold the other week:

 

 

 

How cool is that? I love stories like this. Especially because I love genealogy.
I paid $5? and sold for $30

 

Here's another fun feedback I awhile ago:

The buyer sent me several offers on this bag,

which I'd purchased at the GWO for $3 - we finally agreed on $40

 

Now for some sales - the following three sales from the past week were all "free money":

 

Flight Suit 100% Aramid (fire resistant material)

I followed signs to a yard sale a few weeks ago, I didn't buy anything at the sale but their neighbors were throwing this (and many other things) out.

Sold for $25ish

These were some old spice jars of mine.

 I didn't even clean them just made it clear they still contained some spice.

Sold for $9

Vera Bradley bag

Again, found in a box that was waiting for trash pick up

Sold for $20

 

What cool stories have you heard from buyers as to why they purchased your item?

Have you sold any "trash" lately?

Weekly Update 5/25/15

The holiday weekend proved to be just a "regular" weekend on eBay. I had about $160 in sales on Fri/Sat/Sun. I ship next business day, and rarely ship on Saturdays. eBay's business days do not include Saturday. When people see the expected delivery date next day shipping assumes a Friday purchase will ship Monday - with the long weekend that extends til Tuesday. I've never had a complaint about any items that were purchased on the Friday of a long weekend and shipped Tuesday. What about you? What do you do? 

 

I'm happy with that $160, but would always be happier with more. Here are some of those sales:

 

Vintage 1970/80's Oscar De La Renta suit vest sold for $26

Purchased at the GWO, so I paid less than a dollar by weight.

 

I found this card in the pocket of the vest

Idaho Supreme Court 1981/2

What path did this vest make from Idaho

 to Hampton Roads VA and then to the Goodwill Outlet?

 

Entire 3pc Oscar De La Renta men's suits are selling on eBay for $30-$50 so I have to assume it was the vintage which helped the price on my vest. De La Renta is famous for his women's dresses which sell for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. He famously designed Almal Alamuddin's (now Clooney) wedding gown. He died last October. If you need some listing listening here is a short interview with Amal Clooney's mom, Baria Alamuddin from the BBC after his death.

 

Another Life Is Good retired pattern hat

Sold for $35ish on sale. Paid $5ish.

 

Found these two Converse for Target shirts in the trash

Sold on sale for $13

Free Money

 

Got a bunch of remotes at the GWO awhile back.

Probably paid $.10 each by weight

This one sold for $9

 

Lot of 9 pcs of Oneida "Impulse" pattern

sold for a best offer of $25

 

I'm getting my second eye surgery on Wednesday so I will probably not be posting again til next week. I'm dying for a Goodwill Outlet run, but don't know if I'll be able to fit one it. Let me know how your sales and thrifting has been.

 

 

 



Locally Sold

Recently I've fallen into a buying rut -  and only picking up what I know. Sometimes I'll browse eBay for some fresh ideas. On a recent Scavenger Life interview with long time eBay seller Amazing*Taste, she mentions searching the sold listings in her area to see what other sellers are finding. What a good idea! I've researched other flatware sellers in my area, but never thought to see what others are specializing in that I am looking over.

 

The following listings were all SOLD within 10 miles of Virginia Beach in the past 90 days.

 

I wouldn't know these if I saw them, but good on this seller for recognizing a good thing!

$400 dollars for Barbie shoes.

How many lures have I looked over at estate sales?

Thousands. It is the beach after all.

Happing Shining eBay Seller

I remember playing on one of these at my friends house in 1st grade.

I think this is a catalogue of fishing gear. Who'd of thought?

Such a nice fabric find.

 

Follow me on Instagram @beach_thrifter

where I've been saving old recipes before they hit the recycling,

and will be posting some unique finds that do not come home with me.

 

Vision & Weekly Update

It's been an off week for me. Last Wednesday I had cataract surgery on my left eye. They were congenital cataracts that were finally becoming a problem. Everything went well, now it's super annoying having totally lopsided vision. I can't wait til the next eye is done (next week).



I am really motivated to list now though because the surgery meant a pretty hefty bill. There really was no alternative though (well, going blind) . So my goal is to pay off the surgery as quickly as possible using eBay profit.

I went to the most insane Estate Sale I've ever been too last weekend. The lady who's home it was had recently passed away. She lived in a 3,500 sq ft house by herself, and it was packed to the brim with home shopping network goods. The woman who ran the sale said the woman was a "wealthy and compulsive shopper."

I bought two of these Joan Rivers fill in hair powders for $2 each.

One sold in couple days for $25

I sold some Joan rivers nail polish awhile ago, so I look out for this Home Shopping brand now.

 

I also bought this TOVA Beverly Hills fragrance for $6

a little pricey but I had sold one quickly awhile back, so I risked it.

(This is a QVC brand)

Sold for $29.99

 

So you can see I'm branching out my health and beauty category.

Other sellers talk about how well fragrance sells. I'm particularly sensitive to smells and so have avoided it until recently. But I've bought three fragrances and sold all three so I will continue to pick them up now if they're not overwhelmingly stinky.

 

This set of 4 bamboo chargers which you may remember I found in the trash sold for $26

 

How has your week been?

 

 

 

What the Fork? + Garbage Haul

I had steady but low dollar sales this past week. A few highlights are:

 

This cast iron elephant door stop.

Paid $5 at an estate sale, sold for a best offer of $35

And this NASA hat sold for a profit of about $18

 

As I mentioned last week, I've been more and more interested in finding trash to sell

 

Today I got a Coleman cooler for my family to use

 

While cleaning it with the hose and some dish soap I spotted something shiny in the crack between the sidewalk and the house.

The top of a fork!

Why do we keep finding these?



 

I found two garbage bags full of old Marine, and Navy uniforms at a trash pile I drove by this morning. Some are going to the thrift store and some I will sell. None of it belonged in the trash.

From last week's garbage haul this vintage Woolrich zip up lightweight jacket sold for $24.99.

I'm feeling like maybe I should have asked more, but I did find it in the trash.

 

Just today I sold the Cranky Ice Cream Maker (again) for a best offer of $35. It was low, but I took it because it's annoying me to look at. Plus it's already packed (ha, ha). Don't worry there shouldn't be a return because this was the new description:

 

-Listed for Parts or Repair-

 

Vintage Rustic Primitive Decor White Mountain Freezer Ice Cream Maker Hand Crank
6qt
This hand cranked ice cream maker would make a beautiful decor piece in your Rustic/Primitive/Country style kitchen. There is rust and aging throughout - it is a decorative piece not for actual use (could possibly be repaired) missing some parts - comes as pictured

 

What are your thoughts? How was your week?

 

 

Boxes Are Fun

Turns out it's not just kids who like to play with the boxes their toys come in. I get enjoyment out of an eBay item fitting perfectly into a shipping box!

 

Below is the 9.25 x 6.25 x 2" box. It fits perfectly inside of the PFR if you need a little extra support for a small heavy item.

Like a glove.

A corner of my shipping area, which I've shown before.

I keep some smaller boxes open so I can easily see if an item will fit in them.

If only my inventory was this organized.

(Notice I've not included pictures of the shelves with inventory, haha!)

Tissue paper and poly-mailers, perfect for soft items.

I also use poly-mailers for odd shaped items. I will wrap them in bubble wrap and cardboard and put it in a poly-mailer.

Boxes that my landlord brings me, or I pull the out of the recycling dumpster behind the office.

I reuse boxes all the time. I usually just tape over the old tape and have never had a complaint. People would be real jerks if they complained about you recycling.

Packed air - this whole box was free from the dumpster

 

Two of my favorite free USPS boxes.

Regional Flat Rate A, and the 7" cube box

The regional rate boxes really confused me at first. I was making it more confusing than it actually is. eBay makes it easy when you go to print the label you just click the right box and save $. It's that simple - and the box is such a perfect size.

The 7" cube is the perfect size for shipping mugs. I've perfected my mug packing method (not pictured;) and it includes the 7" cube.

What's your best packing tip or trick?

Maternal Mental Health Awareness on Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!!!

If you're interested, please check out postpartumprogress.org for their Mother's Day rally for maternal mental health! Postpartumprogress.org is an non-profit organization that supports all types of mothers with maternal mental health awareness is their primary goal.

Also if you can spare a few extra dollars please support the Virginia Beach Climb Out of the Darkness event and fundraiser. Or start your own Climb Out of the Darkness in your county or city.

If you or someone you know may be experiencing a maternal mental health issue (not limited to postpartum depression, also including: perinatal depression, anxiety, panic, rage, OCD, or psychosis) please get help here and don't let it go untreated.

I am a "Warrior Mama" or survivor of perintal anxiety and panic, and without postpartumprogress.org I would not be where I am today: happy and healthy and truly enjoying my Mother's Day.

A Cranky Case



I recently sold an old wooden ice cream maker for a best offer of $55.

 

In the description I made some mistakes that bit me in the butt when the buyer opened a case as item not as described.

 

My Actual Listing:

 

Vintage Rustic Primitive Decor White Mountain Freezer Ice Cream Maker Hand Crank

6qt

This hand cranked ice cream maker would make a beautiful décor piece in your Rustic/Primitive/Country style kitchen.

It does crank and presumably work, but there is rust and aging throughout - I think it is more of a show piece than for actual use.

 

Here is the case:

 

The buyer requested a return

Comments:

The listing said that it was old, but fully functional. I intended to clean it up and try it out. But this is a mess, mainly because the top of the milk canister is missing...

 

You sent a message

Comments:

Hello, The item description stated that it was a decorative piece. I will gladly accept a return but I will deduct the shipping cost, and a 10% restocking fee. Thank you

 

The buyer sent you a message

Comments:

Look at the Specific part of you description--this states that the product may be used but still is fully functional.. I purchased this freezer knowing that it had rust, but thought it was fully functional and that I could clean it up.... You never said that the lid on the freezer part was missing! Now you expect me to pay to ship it back plus you intend to charge me a 10 percent restocking fee??? This is no way acceptable to me!!!!! I'll probably be contacting E-bay for their decision on this sale.

 

You sent a message

Comments:

My return policy is that buyer pays return shipping. I will waive the normal 10% restocking fee, but feel that the condition of the item was fully disclosed.
No where in the description does it say "fully functional" - only that the crank piece works.

I am also willing to let eBay make the final decision.

Thank you.

 

This is where I went wrong! I'd listed the item as "USED" not "For Parts" - I was thinking it was a used decoration and all decorations have to do to function is sit there. She was thinking it was a used ice cream maker. And according to eBay:

 
Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.

 

Uh oh. Well I did not try to argue with eBay that I really was thinking someone would buy the piece as a decoration because I did say that the crank worked. Oh well.

 

I learned my lesson and hope that by sharing these details some of my readers will too. 

5/5/15 Update - Garbage Haul

I did not list at all this week and my numbers reflected that. No problem though because I just got a bunch of FREE stuff to list today. Yay for free! There was a neighborhood yard sale this past weekend and this morning was trash day. Someone packed their yard sale up into these boxes and left them for the trash - but I got them first. Inside were some Land of Nod baskets, several tablecloths, a bunch of clothes, and some décor items - and some other great stuff pictured below. I threw them in the back of my car and ran some errands. When I got back into the car I smelled something - laundry detergent. These clothes which were left for trash must have been newly laundered for the yard sale!

 

Free stuff

 

Fossil Toiletries Bag

Brass Bamboo Edged Chargers (4)

Ralph Lauren Polo Zip Up Cotton Jacket

 

I am more and more inspired to find items people are throwing away to sell. It's just so amazing to me that someone wouldn't call for a thrift store to come pick up this stuff, they'd rather just throw it out. I will donate the items I don't intend to sell (mostly the kids clothes) to the local thrift store.

 

What is the best sale you've made from a free item?