Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Thrift Store Finds

We walked over to my favorite thrift store yesterday. I'm trying to find some outdoor toys as now Ryker really likes going outside and screams and hollers if you don't let him. Of course we have nothing for him to play with and I have to drag out some of his inside toys. I didn't find any outside toys, there were a few bikes but were in bad shape, but found some great items to resell on Ebay. Here is what I got:


Robbie is keeping the two toys on the left along with the phone. When I first saw him with the cell phone, I thought he may have taken it from a worker. Right when I was asking Brian about this, Ryker grabbed a vase off a table. I tried to grab it from him and at that moment, he threw it, breaking it into a hundred pieces. Uggghhhh.  The plush animals I am selling on Ebay. Most of them are up for auction except the blue elephant.


When I first saw the elephant, I didn't think it was anything special. In fact I was going to auction it at $4.99 But before I listed it, I checked Terapeak. This is a good tool to determine what to sell your item at. I have the free version so I can only go back 14 days. One used elephant sold for $29 This elephant is from the John Lennon Collection and plays the song Imagine. I put him in my store for $32 or Best Offer.


The brown bear plays pat a cake. I added this video to the listing in the hopes that I get some bidders. I think I started the auction at $9.99



I am adding the books to my lots.


Happy thrifting!

linking up to Coastal Charm

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Goodwill Finds and A Coffee Table That Isn't

I had to go to Goodwill today to return the pants I bought last Sunday. Apparently, Robert grew 2 inches this summer and they were way to short. The Goodwill here gives you store credit so I looked around to see what I could get. Most everything was to high priced to resell and there wasn't anything I liked. I did find a Blue's Clues banner new in the package, Little Golden Book Go Fish Card game and some Dr Seuss mini-note books.


I also came across what I thought was a coffee table. It was priced at only $9.99 It had a lock for storage but no key. It was locked. I really liked it and knew Bill could get it unlocked but I left it there. Later in the day, I told Bill about it and how I thought it would make a cool coffee table. I joked with him and said he should buy it for me. He left to go do something and I took the two younger boys for a walk. When I got home I saw this in the livingroom:


Suprise! But it isn't a coffee table with storage. It's a gun safe. Remember it was locked in the store so there was no way to tell what was inside.  If you look closely at the inspection paper, (click on picture to enlarge) it has my name on it. It was meant to be mine. (thrift store fate?)


yup I am going to end up on Hoarders.



linking up to Apron Thrift Girl

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Thursdays Thrift Store Finds

I was watching That 70's Show the other day and noticed the sugar container in the background of Donna's kitchen. It looked really familiar. I saw the exact same one on Monday at the thrift store except hers was a yellow color and the one at the t.s. was orange. I noticed it was part of a set. Unfortunately the t.s. only had the sugar container.


I also found some more books: I sold a Llama Llama book a few months ago at auction for $8 so I might sell that book on its own. I found some more Berenstain Bears for my collection. Once I get about 10, I will sell them in a lot.


I thought this was the bear posted on Plush Memories but I was wrong. It is a Gund bear from 1985


Here are some toys I found for Ryker and Robbie. Robbie also got a toy computer and a camera but he took those before I could take a picture. Robbie collects view masters (I don't know why) and he was happy to find this one along with the reels.


Linking up to The Thrifty Groove


The Thrifty Groove

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Thrift Store Finds

I walked over to the thrift store with the hopes of finding Ryker and Robbie some clothes. I never did get around to looking at the clothes. They had bags upon bags of plush and I didn't want to miss out on anything. Here are my finds:


The ducks are for Ryker. He needed some more bath toys but didn't want to bring his new ducks into the tub. The bag of stuffing is for Sarah. We used to have one of those cow creamers growing up. I told Sarah about the find and she asked me if I was going to sell it. I told her I could get $5 for it on Ebay and asked her if she wanted it. She said she did so hopefully that is one sale. The LeapFrog toys I am selling together. If I don't get a buyer in the month, I will keep the puppy for Ryker. You can connect him to your computer and personalize him for your child. I sold a Lamb Chop plush awhile back and this one is a puppet. I was hoping she was a good seller but by completeds, it does not look like it. She's a cute puppet but I really need to start selling stuff before I end up on an episode of Hoarders. (She uses her online store as an excuse to shop but she never sells anything)

Roll n Rhyme Melody Block and My Pal Scout

Puppet Ribbon says "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings"

candy jar

Happy Thrifting!

Linking up to Coastal Charm




Sunday, August 21, 2011

Goodwill Finds Sunday

I wanted to go to Goodwill today to take advantage of the half off color tag prices. Each Sunday they change the colors and this weeks color was blue. I found a few items but most I paid full price. Here is what I got:


I was excited to find the Build A Bear Buzz Lightyear Costume. It is missing the hood and boots but I think I can still get $7- $9 for it.


I found two sets of sheets: a vintage Strawberry Shortcake Twin Flat and a twin set of Finding Nemo.  There was another full size Strawberry Shortcake sheet there but the pattern was so big I do not think anyone could use it for crafts and trying to sell a sheet to use as a sheet takes awhile. I try to look for either complete sets (these sell well) or sheets with small patterns that would make good dresses or grocery totes.



The pants I bought for Robbie. Unfortunately, he must have grown some this summer as they are too short. I also found 2 AC/DC band tshirts. I thought the first one was vintage but after purchasing it I saw the tag read 2007. I hope to get at least $10 each for these.



The puzzles I will sell in a lot. They are the stiff cardboard type and I really hope they are not the ones from the dollar store as I am hoping to make more than $1 a piece for them.


Happy thrifting

Thursday, August 18, 2011

And Bingo Was His Name-O

This guy has been bothering me all week. I have debated back and forth about getting him. Today, I decided I was just going to buy him. You never know, someone may want him even though he does not talk.


When I got to the toy section of the thrift store, everything was a mess. I looked in the last place I saw Bingo and darn he wasn't there. They had put out some new bags and boxes of toys so I decided to see what treasures I could find. I found some Barneys and a BJ in one bag but decided against getting them because I am not sure they would sell. Also the one bag of plush smelled real musty like it was out in the rain. Everything was dry but had that rain smell to it. So I passed on the plush in that. I did find the following:


These guys are huge. 28" Almost as tall as Ryker. I must have looked like a crazy person bringing them home though. And of course our neighbor was out in his yard waving at me. If he did not think I was strange before, he does now.

Taking Big Bird and Cookie Monster for a walk

I made my way back to the last place Bingo was seen and started to dig through the plush. Then I saw it. The familiar gray color. I pulled him out from the rubble. I have never been so happy to find something as I was him. You have to admit he is a good looking bear. Here is the rest of my loot from today.

cost $5

Happy thrifting!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Should I Buy or Not? That is the Question

Yesterday I blogged about how I needed to go back to the thrift store to buy Ryker another stroller. I had managed to break the handle on the one I had. I also mentioned getting a vintage plush. I got the stroller.


but I left the plush there. Now I am doubting myself once again. Here is someone else's listing for the plush I am debating about. Click here It is a 1986 Hasbro Bingo the Bear. He is suppose to talk and you can put your hand in his head and use him as a puppet. The problem with the one at the thrift store is the back part of the battery compartment is missing. Unfortunately, you need this part to make the batteries work. This would be listed as a non working bear. One sold for $20 something that was not working. And the above listing is missing his voice box. My question to you is "Should I buy the bear?" I think I can get him for less than $2. What are your thoughts? Thanks

Monday, August 15, 2011

Not Much For Resale

Even though my back was hurting, I took the 2 terrors younger children to the thrift store. Robbie usually picks out some things for himself. Today, he found a broken electronic game, a telescope and a NIP Blossom viewmaster disks. I tried to talk him out of the disks, but he loves his viewmasters and wouldn't put them back. He usually gets what he picks out for free, so I don't mind letting him get what he wants.


Of course, the microwave turntable is not the right one for my microwave but I managed to make it work. Not much here for resale. I was going to sell the brown bear with the book but on closer inspection, the book is in terrible shape. I thought I had a better one here at home but it too is not in great shape, so the bear will go on its own.  There is also a Barbie ornament I will sell and a Harry Potter puzzle. I haven't counted the pieces to the puzzle yet but the box was taped shut so hopefully all the pieces are there. The completeds are horrible but maybe closer to Christmas, this will sell.

Creepy guy was doing the check out today. In case you missed my creepy guy blog, click here. He actually overcharged me! But the nice lady there gave Ryker a free bottle of water so I guess that made up for it. Oh and I have to go back tomorrow. I managed to break the handle of Ryker's stroller from possibly leaning on it too much. Piece of crap. There is also a vintage plush I should have bought. If it is still there, I will show you a picture tomorrow.

Happy Thrifting.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Thrifty Finds and a Blog Give Away

Went Friday with my sister to the thrift store and this is what I found:


The camera is for Robbie, the car is for Ryker and the dog treats jar is for Garret. The treats jar was nasty. Why do people donate dirty things? It even had some moldy dog treats inside. It took me over an hour to clean it and it smelled bad. When you open it's head, it plays Who let the Dogs Out and Nothing But a Hound Dog.

The litho sketches are by Arthur Vines. I wasn't sure what to price them at and I have no idea what year they were made. They are beautiful sketches and hopefully they will sell for my asking price.


A worker (Tim) at the thrift store tried to talk me out of buying the My First Sony Cassette-Corder. In fact, he even grabbed it out of my hands! Here's what happened. The day before, I saw the toy sitting on a table. I asked another worker if it was for sale. He said yes but they had to check to see if it was working. I waited around but no one seemed to be doing any work at the table so I left. I figured if it was meant to be mine, it will be there the next day. Sure enough, it was sitting on another table with a $1 price tag. Except now there wasn't any cassette tape in it to test it. I pushed all the buttons and they seemed to be working but I wanted to be sure. This is where Tim comes into the picture. I asked him if it worked and he said no. The sound was really garbled. He added "I would hate for you to waste your money on this" and then he grabbed it out of my hands. I must have looked dissapointed, sad or upset because he then asked me what I was going to do with it. I thought to myself "I am going to sell it on Ebay. I should get at least $30 for it." Of course I did not say that and he asked if I was going to give it to my baby (Ryker) I said no I was actually going to let Robbie have it. He then said "well if it was up to me I would give it to you for free. How about I mark it a quarter?" He put a new price sticker on it and gave it back.




I then went over to the cassettes and found one to test the player. Sure enough, the first tape I played was all garbled and then, opps, the player ate the tape. I pulled the tape out making sure all the ribbon was out of it. I tried another tape. It played perfectly and wasn't garbled. I have since cleaned the player up and have not had a problem with it.

Ok now for the GIVEAWAY!!!!! Once I hit 50 followers, I will do a blog giveaway. I'm not sure what the lucky winner will get but follow me for your chance to win. Tell your friends too. I only need 20 more followers to reach my goal.

Thanks for stopping by.

linking to Yard Sale Mommy

Friday, August 12, 2011

Great Goodwill Finds

Here is what I found yesterday at the Goodwill.


I took a gamble on the crib set. Normally I do not spend quite this much ($15) on one item but I was hoping to at least double my money. When I got home and looked it up, they were selling for $124 new and that was for just a 4 piece set. I have a 7 piece set but it is used. It is in very nice condition though. I usually list my items half off the new price but since there was 3 more items I listed it at $75.


I love the nursery lamp and thought about keeping it but Ryker has a habit of breaking lamps (4 so far) so I am better off selling it.


If you are interested in any of the items, they are listed in my store.

Happy Thrifting

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

What would you call this?

I found this chair at the thrift store today for $3. I felt a little bad because my sister wanted it as well. There was another one there that I tried to convince her was better because dad had one of these when we were little. She decided her hubby could fix that one up and I could have the yellow one. She calls it a step stool chair. I tend to agree with that. My husband calls it a boot chair because his dad used to sit in it to put his boots on or use the steps to take them off. William calls it the most uncomfortable chair in the kitchen. He also thought it could be a barber chair. I just call it mine!

What would you call it?

Monday, August 8, 2011

No Sales but Great Finds

I haven't had a sale since August 2. One item I sold on that day, the buyer never paid and I had to open an Unpaid Item case. I am waiting for it to close, so I can relist it. Even with a week with no sales, I still went to the thrift store. Here are my finds:


Robbie wanted the mouse in the right corner and the Monster Inc game in the bottom corner. The cashier usually gives Robbie the toys for free and today was no exception. The t.s. would have a lot of crap if it wasn't for Robbie.

I know nothing about musical instruments, but I took a chance with the recorder. It is in great shape. I will have to do some research. (Update: Do not buy used recorders. They are only $5 bucks brand new) The picture frame is new in the box and so are the picture coasters. The bell is from the Holly Hobbie Freedom Series.


Here is the group of books I got. Again I will be selling the Little Golden Books in lots and the Kangaroo book I will sell with the kangaroo plush I found last week.


Happy thrifting!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Money in Recalls

Back in June, Money in the Garage wrote a blog on product recalls and how buying a recalled item isn't necessary a bad thing. Alot of companies, like Mattel, will send you a product voucher for your recalled item. All you need to do is return the product to them. They will even pay for shipping. Around that time, I had purchased this lot of Polly Pockets from the thrift store. I only paid $1


Not everything in the picture was recalled, just the sets that had magnets in them. You can read about their recall here. I sent the recalled sets in and sold the rest of the Polly's on Ebay. Yesterday, I received my voucher in the mail. It was for $36. I had returned 3 sets: Dress n Drive Lounge (big set on right) School Time Fun (locker next to Dress n Drive) and Lunch Box cafe (pink box on left)

So what did I get with the voucher? I wanted to buy Ryker some more Little People Play Sets, but our Walmart did not have much of a selection. I ended up purchasing this:

Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Learning Kitchen

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Wednesday finds

This is what I got today for 2 bucks!


The musical pretend cd player Robbie is keeping. It is quite annoying and I now realize why it was donated. (It is so loud!) He had picked it up last time we went and I made him put it back. I let him have it today. William had asked me to pick up a pie pan and I actually found one. Most of the books I am keeping either for Ryker or selling when I get a lot.

I am selling the kangaroo and Sully plush in my Ebay store. I sold a similiar kangaroo last week for $19.99 - shipping on Addoway so I was happy to find another one. At first, the baby was missing and I had to dig around to find him. If I had not found him, I would have left the kangaroo there as I do not think she will sell without her baby.


I found four of these napkins. I think they are vintage as they look old to me. Either way, they are really cool and in great shape. These are also being sold in my Ebay store.


These are all the books I found. I have been wanting to get Ryker a coloring book and this Halloween one was never used. There were some more coloring books but they had some pages colored in. Why do people donate used, colored in coloring books? The Wall E book I am adding to my lot of Little Golden Books and when I have about 25, I will sell them all on Ebay. I am also starting a lot of Care Bear Books and The Berenstain Bears books.



linked to Her Library Adventures

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Yard Sale Finds

I didn't get to go but my husband and son went to some yard sales this weekend and this is what they found.

My son paid only $5 for this table. The people were moving to CA and were trying to get rid of most of their things. It's kind of cool and is up in his bedroom.


He also found this lantern. If it had been older, I would have stolen it from him. Or begged him to give it to me.


He also found two Marilynn Monroe pictures. He already put them up on his wall so my pictures are not the greatest.



My husband found some stuffed animals for me to sell on Ebay. I'm not sure if they will sell, but I listed them anyways.

click pic to buy

click to buy

He also found this Build A Bear teddy. I usually do not have any luck selling BAB but he is cute!

click to buy

He also found these two ballerina plush. I got a question about them the first day I posted but I haven't heard back from the prospective buyer.

click to buy