FREE GROCERIES...SORTA

On the way to the post office yesterday we passed a house that was recently sold and the new neighbors had moved in over the weekend. Apparently they unpacked everything and got all  the packing materials to the curb for trash day.

I sweet talked SweetiePie into stopping and letting me pick up the largest plastic bag I have ever seen...and it was half full of packing peanuts. I filled 2 1/2 garbage bags full to make them easier to store.

Score!!! I love free.


I recently listed a whole bunch of patterns. Some were Vogue Couturier which are high dollar if they are the right ones. I am still learning which are the right ones. I found several of the  patterns that the previous owner had removed from the original envelope and wrapped the pattern in the original sheet from the pattern catalog. I didn't know how that would affect price but I just pretended it didn't matter because most of the couturier patterns were very desirable and none were on ebay. As I was taking pictures I found something even more interesting with this pattern.There were two complete, uncut patterns wrapped up with the photo. Size 10 and 12. Double score. I boogied on down to Staples and got a color copy of the original catalog page and <POW> I had two couturier patterns. Sold one today for $50.  So I'm trying to decide now if I sold the free one or the one that cost me a quarter.;)

I wish I had this problem more often.

FRIDAY YARD SALE---OH SHEET

Haven't been yard sale-ing too much in the past month or so. Too hot. As in hot as blazes.

We have a little church nearby that has beautiful stained glass windows. It is an old church from possibly the 20's or 30's. They are raising money to put protective glass over the stained glass windows. To do this they have been holding lots of yard sales with donated stuff. You never know what you will find because it keeps changing.

Normally they are held on Saturday. But this week I happened to go by and they were set up on Friday. Of course I had to stop. Well, actually it was SweetiePie who suggested we stop. I only had $1 cash and he had a few bucks to spare.

I loaded up on sheets. 

No litter box required.

Charlie Brown and the Gang

Sesame Street and the Gang.....before Elmo

Disney Dalmatians

Holly Hobbie

I'm the favorite, I have a pillow!!

I think I did pretty good on the sheets. The kitty is a fun thing. When you stroke its back it purrs and when you rub its head it meows and then it goes back to sleep.The other cats seem unimpressed by the whole thing.

I researched the sheets and it looks like close to $100 for the batch of four twin sets. Oh, Sheet I like that kind of return!!

THINGS I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT .... BUT WILL SELL ANYWAY

I told SweetiePie the other day that I really enjoy learning new things. Well, I guess he had already figured that out a long time ago. Before kids, I would devour books weekly. A trait that was passed along to our two girls. They both love to read.

Why did I tell him that particular day that I loved learning new things? This is the reason
I went to my favorite thrift store on Wednesday. Because that is the day they do a BIG purge of the racks and the cheap-o bins are full of new stuff.
I found this in the ladies lingerie section, not in the bins. Now, at first glance it may look like a girdle or body shaper of some kind. But no it isn't.

Research. It has a brand name. It lists for $129 on that brand name web site. Care to guess?

It is a Hincapie bib cycling shorts thingy. Dare I say outfit? And, it is new.  Yeah!!! And another added bonus is that ladies clothing was 50% off on Wednesday. Double Yeah!!!

Yes, I had never heard of that brand before either. I have purchased cycling apparel before but never this brand. You can bet that it will be on my radar from now on.
Yes indeed.

It would be so nice to sell this before vacation. I hope to get it listed for Friday or Saturday.

RANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT STUFF.....MESSIN' WITH YO' STUFF

What have I been doing? Where have I been?

For those of us who sell stuff online the job is never ending.
Go shopping
Buy good stuff, not junk
Clean good stuff
Start pile of junk stuff to go back to thrift store
Put stuff in box
Take pictures of stuff
List stuff
Put stuff in box
Wait for stuff to sell
Put stuff in another box and take to Post Office
Lather, rinse, repeat

That's a lot of stuff

In July and August sales are typically slow and it's time to get your store inventory pumped up to get ready for the selling season from October to December. That takes a lot of time messin' with yo' stuff...

Some stuff you pay too much for. Like the vintage dresses I purchased last year from an estate sale for $7 each. I have sold exactly ONE. And what to do with the other 6? I hate to donate them but I can't afford to list them forever. (Note to self: admit you goofed and move on)

Some stuff you feel guilty buying because the price is so good. Like the vintage dressing gown I bought with tags still on it for 74 cents and flipped for $125. Or the Baby Gund Cow Lovey that I picked out of the free box that was NWOT and flipped for $45.

Awwwwh, she's so cute

I may have felt guilty, but I accepted the money. Some stuff you shouldn't sweat.

I have been trying to get my stuff in a row to go on vacation Labor Day week.

I have been trying to get stuff ready to list automatically every day so that I can get ahead and not have to do that particular "fun" stuff while on vacation. As most sellers know you have to list stuff to keep selling stuff.

And because stuff keeps on happening I am busy day and night.

Stuff like laundry, cooking and cleaning need to be done. Stuff that you have to do is not as much fun as stuff that you want to do.

And so, like the old saying.....Stuff Happens.

I'll try to keep you abreast of the stuff that is happening more often

NEW CAT TOY

We have been doing a little sprucing up inside the castle recently. Anything inside is fair game as long as you don't have to go out in 100+ heat.

So SweetiePie finished installing the new sink and cabinet in the hall bathroom. Looks nice and much better than the old pedestal sink. There was no place in that bathroom to put the toilet cleaner, extra TP or anything else that you didn't want sitting out for all to see.

Now, let me warn you that we have some not so bright cats living in the castle. My daughter, SmartA**, has three cats of varying intelligence. Simon, his first name should be Simple, Fearless, who hides under the sofa during thunderstorms and Firefly who we fondly call Psycho Twitch. This morning I was in the bathroom and before I could close the door Fearless and Firefly came running in. They both jumped up on the newly installed sink and proceeded to "wait" for me to turn the water on. Here is what happened when I did.

Fearless, a Norwegian Forest Cat (big cat), and Firefly, the runt of the litter, (they are sisters)were fighting over the running water. Fearless was a hog and Firefly took the opportunity to drink off the top of Fearless' head.

If you close the drain they will sit there, letting the water collect, not aware of it on their feet.


Their other favorite activity, before the new sink, was hopping in the tub and waiting for a drink.

They may not be genius cats but they make life interesting.

And you are never lonely in the bathroom.

HOW SMART DO YOU NEED TO BE?

When my grandson was visiting last month, of course we went thrifting. The idea was to find him some jeans. But we only found a couple of shirts. Which he has probably outgrown since then because he is growing so fast. But he found some skateboarding shoes. Chad Muska Supra shoes. Now the only way I know that is because he told me. But they were too small. Hey, he's a growing boy.

As it turned out it was a pretty good find. They go for up to $120 new and we thought that $35 was a good price to list them at. I told him since he found them that we would split the profit. Good deal. I learned about the shoes and hopefully he learned something.

Back to the shoes.These shoes


They had been listed for three weeks and had lots of hits, almost 300, but no takers. Had two offers of $30 but I had decided to hold out for the full price. The second offer of $30 just wouldn't go away. "He" emailed several times and finally said, "shoot me a paypal invoice for $30 and I'll take the shoes" Duh!! I don't think so. First, you are asking me to sell off of ebay and second I'm not paying $10 shipping out of the $30 you so generously offered.

But  that is not the stupid thing. He made all of the offers and all communication was thru ebay messages.
Hey genius, don't email me on ebay and ask me to "shoot (you) a paypal invioce".

My response? I wasn't about to lose my ebay store so HE could save $10 in shipping. I started to block his sorry a** but didn't get around to it before he purchased the shoes on ebay.

I am holding my breath until I know he has them and leaves feedback. And of course he a feedback of 3.

Lord, I hate seriously dislike newbies......

I HAVE LOST MY MIND......

I got up earlier than usual today so I could have my item packed and ready to ship when SweetiePie got up because we were doing errands today. I had one item that sold last night just as I was getting ready for bed and I didn't take time to pull and pack. 

It won't take but a few minutes......HA.HA.HA.

I spent TWO hours looking for it this morning and another hour when we got home. I was looking for this
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160830885393

I have been moving stuff from downstairs back upstairs and I have tried to keep things where they belong. Apparently I moved some kitchen stuff from the boxes and forgot about where I put them. They were hiding in the closet. I have 3 kitchen totes and I emptied them twice and tried to convince myself that I had overlooked them. Just hit me over the head and put me out of my misery. But I finally found them and they are on their way.

Then I sold this:

I just love the x-ray fish...

and had to go find a box to ship it in. The ABC store (how appropriate) no luck. No luck at two dollar stores that usually give up boxes readily so I finally gave up and went to Goodwill. They had a box!! and they gave it to me!! So of course I had to buy something, just to be nice you know.

I hope your day was better than mine.
I think I'll go to bed early and try to have a better day tomorrow.