4/28/15 Update

Hope your eBay week is going well. I had a decent past seven days. My most notable sale was this needlepoint stocking kit. I paid $3 at Family Thrift.

 

Sold for $100 F/S

 

The buyer is also a seller and consistently sells stocking kits for $275!!! I'm not going to share the store name but you can easily find it through searching. In the past month she's sold 13 stocking kits in the $90-$225 range, and dozens more in the $40 range. I'm totally impressed!! I wonder where she found them all. If you're the owner of that store and by the craziest chance in the world reading this blog I'd love to hear about where you source your items!

 

I continued to run several auctions this week. I'm planning on continuing that through the summer.

 

 This suit sold for $44 on auction.

Tops in uncommon sizes to really well.

 

White Stag Denim Dress

Sold $14.99

pay by the pound at GWO (probably a dollarish)

Not a huge sale but I find denim dresses sell really consistently - and the brand White Stag (a Wal-Mart brand) is also popular on eBay.

 

Let me know how your sales have been going!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/21/15 Update

I'm back with an update! Life always seems especially busy in the Spring. Life reemerges after the cold winter. We come out of hibernation. We naturally want to get things back in order. It is instinctual for us to start losing weight, cleaning house and planning for the summer. We have lots of energy too, and of course an off shoot of all this is yard sale season. There has been too many yard and estate sales in Virginia Beach over the past few weeks to tackle them all. I've tried to hit up the promising or close to home ones.

Last weekend I stopped at two sales in a nearby neighborhood - they were both a bust.. but I "pulled a Martin" as I call it now because of my favorite blog, and stopped at two huge garbage piles right down the road. I pulled out some silver plate flatware, an old in-dash Pioneer tape deck (completeds here) and several military flight suits and a flight jacket made of 100% Aramid (completeds here).  Not going to make me a millionaire but solid finds for sure. Today was trash day in our neighborhood, and I stopped at a promising box and pulled out a Vera Bradley purse. Seriously WTF?

After a SLOWWW few weeks I was getting frustrated and disheartened with eBay. I decided to go "back to basics" and work things like I did last year when I first started eBaying. Yep, auctions! I ran a bunch of .99 auctions on some of my kids old clothes - stuff I wanted out of the house but didn't want to donate. Those sales spurred more sales and I turned out to have the best week I have had since the fall. Yesterday was a huge day for me and I made over $450. This gave me a big eBay boost which I was needing, and also gave me some blog-energy. I will plan on updated monthly or semi monthly with some highlights.

I've been working hard the past two months listing TONS. I had over 700 items for a few days - followed by a bunch of sales, and haven't caught back up yet.

Some fun highlights since I last updated - as always I charged shipping unless otherwise stated:

This wooden serving lotus sold for $179.99

The leaves detach as bowls, and there is a bowl in the middle.

I profited about $140

Purchased at an estate sale in the fall

 

This is a QVC fragrance that I paid $2 for at an estate sale.

It sold on auction for the opening bid of $19.99

This is an example of me going back to basics. I needed the cash flow that the auctions afforded.

Thanks to other bloggers I finally decided to buy some fragrances - so far so good!

 

I can't remember where I got these Fire King restaurant ware bowls.

I do remember paying $2 though.

Sold for $26

 

I paid $1 for this Red Wings poster at an estate sale

I took a best offer of $20

 

Of course it wouldn't be a Beach Thrifter update without me boring you over flatware

This lot of Oneida Tortellini pattern sold for $120 Free Shipping (small flat rate box)

I continue to love selling flatware:)

 

I bought 4 of these at an estate sale. I looked behind a door in a laundry room and there was tons of ziplocs etc. I remembered reading a blog post that vintage types of these would sell on eBay. This is wax paper. The pink box with little mod flowers caught my eye.

I've sold one so far for $9.99

 

I bought a dozen or so Life's Good hats at NWT or NWOT at Second Chance thrift maybe 6 weeks ago. These hats retail for $20. I sold this one for $39.99 Free Shipping

Several others have sold for full price, and some for best offer. I've made at least $15 on each one. This is a great example of charging what you think people will pay - not what the MSRP is. I chose to charge more because these are all discontinued designs.

 

This butter dish is AMAZING. 

It literally still had butter in it when I bought it at an estate sale.

I paid $2, sold for $19.99.

I think the new owner probably gets a lot of joy every time she uses it, it's just so cool.

 

I hope that your spring has been filled with lots of amazing finds and sales. I hope that the pollen isn't as bad where you are as it is in Virginia Beach. Today's count was over 1800! And that you and your families are in good health. Let me know what's been going on with you and your thrifting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blogging Break

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately and while I love eBay, and enjoy reading other blogs, my blog has been feeling like an obligation. I need a blogging break.

Click for Credit

I mentioned yesterday feeling grumpy starting out writing my intro. I felt like it was more than just the weather bothering me, and today I heard these very wise words: "Stop Trying to Do It All"

So, for now the blog is something I'm eliminating from my all.

I've been writing FanFiction for fun, and working on a podcast (This Is 30 Podcast) that will hopefully be available on iTunes soon. My friend Karen and I have just recently started podcasting. It has been a lot of fun, and a HUGE learning curve. If you listen please be aware the sound quality starts off pretty poor - but by the most recent episode (6) I've finally learned/tackled Audacity. (There is some swearing in the podcast if you have little ones around).

Thank you all for your comments and support!!! 

I'll certainly still be around reading and commenting or 

if you need to get in touch comment on this post and I will get an email. 

Sum it Up Sunday CABIN FEVER EDITION 3/1/2015

This is my second attempt and writing an intro for this post. The original started out with a bunch of complaining. Instead of that, this picture sums it all up:

Some decent sales this week. I grossed just under $300. And hey, it's MARCH TODAY! I've officially been eBaying for one year!!!

This mirror sold for $47

It's got silvering and is distressed. Paid $5 at an estate sale.

This with tags Air Force uniform skirt said "1997" in the tag.

Paid $.40, Sold $21

Pyrex buffet chop plate sold best offer $10

Got it at the GWO awhile back. 

Well those were some pretty boring sales huh?

I might being losing TRS next month due to tracking not being uploaded on time (I'm at 87%). I'll probably try to call eBay and fight this one because it is all mother nature's fault. I'm sure the majority of those have been in the past two and a half weeks. 

That's all for today! 

Sum in Up Sumonday 2/23/15

I'm going to complain for a second... This weather has been horrible and I AM SICK OF IT. We were cooped up all week. Serious cabin fever has set in, and I found my normal generalized anxiety through the roof. I was going nuts! I'd love to hear I wasn't the only one so please commiserate with me in the comments:)

Here was the post office this past Wednesday. 

I live at the beach, and there is maybe two plows to be had in a 100 mile radius.

School was closed all week, but my poor postman was here everyday (literally risking life and limb).

I gave him some homemade chocolate chip cookies, which upon re-reading the above sentence seems a little lame.

I only listed once this week. It was Thursday night and I sold a bunch Fri and Sat, proving the more you list the more you sell once again.

Before that was slow. Like didn't sell one thing for two days slow. I grossed about $250. 

On to some sales from the week:

TI Business Analyst paid $2 sold $14.99 in two days.

I'm still selling calculators very regularly. They are on my guaranteed quick sale list now.

Copper Tea Kettle paid $2 or $3 sold $24.00 overnight

Palm Tree Silver plate Candle Sticks

Paid $2 sold on sale for $16.99

From here at the beach to someone in Vermont which I really got a kick out of.

Here is sending WARM weather wishes your way!!! 

If it's hot where you are I'd love to hear about it. Just don't rub it in:)

Sum it Up Sunday 2/15/15

I hope that you're all keeping warm! Today is the coldest day of the year so far here in Virginia Beach, and we're cuddled up inside. It is very sunny and very windy today. The temperature is 20 degrees, and the "Real Feel" is -6! That is COLD for the beach! I really am getting tired of winter. I'm ready to lay in the sand and go swimming.

On the eBay front this was a much lower dollar week than last, I grossed under $300. But that is the ebb and flow of eBay, maybe with the long weekend today and tomorrow will be high dollar days.

These slate trivets (made in Maine) sold for $30 this week. 

I paid either $1/$2 each I can't remember.

This vintage Oregon Ducks hat sold for $35 I paid less than $2

I picked it up the week AFTER they were in the National Championship, I'm sure I could have gotten more. Their coach signed a 17 million dollar deal this week. I joked with my husband that the coach probably bought the hat. 

My dad and step-mom sold this Starbucks mug this week for $40. 

What a lucky find!

Stay warm today, and I'd love to hear about your week and the weather in your area in the comments!

Sum it Up Sunday 2/8/2015

This was a steady week on the eBay front. I made about $550 but I have a $150 unpaid item case open so that brings me down considerably. Cross your fingers that the buyer pays!

Horner Michigan 100% wool Vintage blanket

I shouldn't have bought this blanket, because I bought it online for $40 I thought I would get at least $200 for it, but realized that this brand doesn't bring as much as some

I resold it for $85 and am happy with that.

Picnic Basket shaped locket with ship

paid $1 at a yard sale, sold for $22.50

This Last Supper framed print sold for $28

I paid $6 (I think)

I LOVE the frame on this piece.

Just a quick one today.

How was your week?

December 2014 & January 2015 Money

December Money

# of Sales
74

Amount spent on new inventory
$705
I went on a shopping spree in December when I realized I was only going to profit a few hundred dollars for the year. I bought lots of packing supplies etc, to write off for taxes. I owed no taxes this year.. so yes on paper I made no money. I'm looking forward to paying lots of taxes this year!

Amount of Sales
$1850

Avg Sale Price
$25

Highest sold item
Silver plate flatware set $113

Lowest Sold Item
$5 Iron on t-shirt decal

January Money

# of Sales
79

Amount spent on new inventory
$329

Amount of Sales
$1927

Avg Sale Price
$24

Highest sold item
Car Part $325

Lowest Sold Item
$3.75 Fisher Price Recycling Truck replacement parts
Our toy truck was broken, so I sold some of the accessories

I've finally reached my tipping point after getting the office where I am making money again. This business has never been in the red, but the past two months (Nov & Dec) broke even, January actually had a profit, and my goal is for every month moving forward to be profitable again. The office did set me back for the initial two months I had it, as I suspected, but having it is invaluable because I would not have been able to grow my numbers without the space it affords.

Sum It Up Sunday 2/1/15

Here's a little relief if like me you're going to be stuck watching football all day!

This week was very good and really made up for the slow previous weeks this month. I had a $325 sale, the engine part I mentioned a few weeks ago. That sale really upped my total for the week. Even without that sale it still would have been a good week, because I grossed just over $900. My store was on sale 15% off everything, which seemed to work wonders on my sales. I also took lots of reasonable best offers. I think people are finally feeling flush again after the holidays and ready to spend some money.

Pottery Barn Kids Embroidered Toddler Backpack

Paid $3 sold for $16

Jesus Knocking at the Door Brass/Light up Frame

paid $6 sold for $28

Beaba Baby Food Maker

paid $8 sold for $37

Carhartt Distressed Vest

paid $6 sold for $34

Complete Crewel Winter Scene

paid $5 sold for $30 without the frame

Ivory Lamberton Scammell for Bloomingdale Bros. Inc. 

This plate was one of the very first items I bought to sell on eBay. I paid $.20 for it last March. 

It finally sold this week for $4. This is a wonderful example of how much I have learned over the past eleven months of reselling. My description was terrible, and I had flat $5 shipping on it! Thank goodness it fit in a padded envelope because someone in California bought it and it was going to cost 

$11. I thought I'd mention it as an example of what not to do for anyone just starting out. 

Did you notice an uptick in sales this week? Hope you're staying warm.. I'm not!

How Not to Respond to Negative Feedback

I took a best offer from this buyer/seller. He hasn't paid yet, so I went to check his feedback. Yikes.