Disappointing

I was looking forward to going to Goodwill this week and ended up being disappointed. I found one thing in the entire store. One lousy thing. Sure, I had picked up some other stuff but didn't feel like they were good sellers, so I put them back. I noticed another buyer checking out items on his phone and thought "Wow could you be more obvious?" I was also a teensy bit jealous because I have no phone to see if something will sell or not. I have to follow my gut or find the things I have sold in the past. Here is the item I purchased.

They look like brass but how do I know for certain? The biggest key is 7 inches and the smallest is 3. One of the Ebay groups I belong to (Ebay Underground) is having a contest where you list one item at auction for a starting bid of $7. The three listings with the highest bids, win the contest. First prize is $77, second gets $50 and third is $25 I don't expect to win anything with these keys, but I think they will be my entry. Even if they only sell for my opening bid, I will still make a $5 profit. (not counting the fees)

Unpaid Item

I haven't had to open an unpaid item case in awhile so I guess I was due. I thought for sure the buyer would pay after it opened, most people do to avoid the strike, but nope, the case closed yesterday.

I have had this Mickey Mouse Note Pad Holder since last September. I picked it up at St Matthew's treasure sale thinking it would sell quickly. It's Mickey for pete's sake. When I got an offer of $14, I accepted right away to be rid of it. No such luck. I relisted it and if it does not sell this month, off to Goodwill it goes.

The e-check for the owl string lights cleared. Remember those sold for $49.99 When I went to weigh the box for shipping, it was more than my calculation of 1-2 pounds. I was glad this was a domestic sale where I lost less than a couple bucks instead of an international sale where I would have lost more. I went in and fixed the shipping on the other strand I have left.

Bonanza Sale & Making A Box

I have been neglecting my Bonanza booth for quite some time. Today, I was surprised to see I sold an item there. I have had this picture listed since February. I bought it last October. It was originally stained a darker color but I painted it white to lighten it up. It is titled "Little Henry and His Dad". I sold it for $15 plus shipping.

Of course, I never think about shipping when I list something. This item was no exception. I had to make a box. Veronica from Saving in Salinas had commented on an earlier blog about making boxes. Here is how I made this one. I forgot to take pictures until after the box was done so bear with me.

First, I had to find two of the same boxes. I have a bunch of these that my sister got me from her job.

I took them apart and cut the side open to make two flat pieces of cardboard. I cut off the top flaps from both boxes and trimmed the bottom flaps to 1 1/2". I then tapped both pieces to get one large piece of cardboard. I taped them one on top of the other and the bottom flap on one box becomes the top flap of the combined box. (Sorry about not having pictures) I wrapped the cardboard around the picture and taped it shut in the middle. I then taped the top and bottom flaps closed. Here is what the box looked like when I finished it.

This is the back of the box. You can see it taped horizontal (to put the two pieces together) and taped vertically to close it shut.

This is the front side. On this side, the box is only taped horizontal to hold the two pieces together.

The bottom and top flaps are taped together. Since it was made to fit the picture, I didn't have any empty space as I would with a normal box.

The box ended up being 25 inches long, 18 inches wide and 2 inches deep. With the picture, it weighs 5 pounds. I'm hoping the post office doesn't manage to break it since it is made of wood but I added insurance to be safe.

Goodwill Finds

Just a few things I found at Goodwill this week

a huge bag of Polly Pockets I've had good luck with Polly Pocket in the past and the price was right. At the check out another lady saw the bag and said "You are going to make someone very happy" and I thought yeah I will be happy if I can flip this for a good profit. She also asked me how much I paid if I didn't mind telling her. I told her the price and she said "Oh I wish I had been a little faster." Earlier, she was entering the toy aisle as I was exiting. I stopped her to tell her the bag of Fisher Price toys she was holding, was missing pieces. It was the ABC zoo and only had 18 animals. I know because I was going to buy it but put it back.

Some yoga cards I thought were interesting

A tiki vase or mug I know nothing about tiki but one of the blogs I follow Love of the Hunt collects tiki so I thought there should be a market for it. It would be great for holding pens or pencils.

I have never seen a Care Bear full body puppet before.

This puppy by Carter's still had his tags attached. I looked on the Carter's website and it appears you can not buy him anymore. Used ones on Ebay were listed around $25 so I am hoping to get a little more than that.

A singing Tyrone from the Backyardigans He is dressed as a Mountie.

and the bunny rabbits from Guess How Much I love You. If this doesn't sell on it's own, I may add the book. I think I have it here somewhere.

Quick Flip

On Monday, I went over to the consignment shop to check out a playhouse I saw through the window on Sunday. There was no price sticker, so I went to the counter and asked if it was already sold. The owner said not really. A woman called that morning and asked to come look at it. She also told me the price $119 Ummm I wasn't expecting  that kind of price tag. Anyways I went to see what other toys they might have and I spotted a Fisher Price Super Star musical stage for $7.

It was missing the microphone but that was ok as I had found one Friday when I went garage saleing with Sarah. I listed it on Ebay for $39.99 with free shipping. It sold the next day. Shipping cost me $9.79 Not a big profit but definitely a fast return.

They See Me Rollin

Last Friday, in addition to hitting the Goodwill, Sarah and I managed to shop some garage sales. The first couple of sales were ok but nothing to write about. The last sale we hit had some bikes and Little Tyke vehicles in the driveway. I was expecting them to be priced high and when I saw $5 on the pick up truck, I knew I had to get it for Ryker. These trucks retail for $129

Thrift Wish List Item Found

I have wanted a set of owl patio string lights and on Friday, I found two sets at Goodwill. This is the Goodwill in Weston that I don't get to go to much and it was by chance we went. My niece had skipped out of morning classes, so my sister had to drive back home and take her to her afternoon classes. She asked if I wanted to go along and we could stop by the Weston GW since we would be in the area.

They were all tangled up on the shelf but I knew what they were when I spotted them.

It took me 10 minutes to untangle them and another 5 minutes to clean them. There are two strands with 7 blow molds.

Do you see the .25 cent garage sale sticker? I wish I could have found them at that garage sale. And I wish GW would remove those price stickers. I don't want to see what I could have paid for it.

What did I pay for them? See the yellow Goodwill tag? Normally, I would not spend that much on one item but I knew these could sell for $75 + and with summer coming up, there is a good chance of a higher profit.

What 5 Dollars Bought

Yesterday, we went to Goodwill to see if this vintage stainless steel canister set was still there. It consisted of 4 containers: tea, coffee, sugar and flour. They were priced separately for $4.99 each. This week they were set to go half off. Unfortunately, when we got there, they were already gone. So, what did I find?

A Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Play House for $5

I sold one last year with two other toys on craigslist for $60.  I have this listed on Facebook and craigslist. I might try selling it on Ebay but I'm not sure about shipping it. I could take it apart but that seems like a lot of work. If it doesn't sell within a month or so I might just have to. These sell brand new for $90

What Part Of Do Not Contact Me Is so Hard To Understand???

Yesterday, I got an offer on the Rolodex for $21

Before I could respond, I received two messages. The first one:

"I withdraw my offer. I found a new one for $35 and free shipping. I hate to withdraw my offer but you are just asking way too much."

Second message:

"you are asking what it might cost for a new file but yours is used. your shipping costs are outrageous. I should not have offered this much due to the shipping costs and it being used."

I responded to her first message:

Good for you!!!

I responded to her second message:

"Mine is new but I had to put used as it is missing the A. You are incredibly rude. All you had to do was ask me to decline without being rude about it. If you think it is too much, you make an offer, not be a jerk about it."

Today, I get a response although I had blocked her.

"missing an a only? you describe it as having wear signs plus the a missing. you were asking more for a used one with wear and missing part more than a brand new one. in fact you were asking more than anyone on ebay. now who should you be mad at?"

First off, I have a best offer on this and when I checked other listings, mine was around the same price. This Rolodex brand new is $60. I am asking $35 OBO and as for the shipping, I use calculated shipping and it is what the post office charges. 

I know I should not engage with this person but I couldn't help myself. I wrote the following:

"obviously you have nothing better to do with your time. I have seen all the negative feedback you have left on toolhaus.org I am surpised you are even allowed to buy on Ebay. If you actually read my description, it does not say anywhere that there is signs of wear. Stop contacting me or I will report you to Ebay for harassment and judging by your history, they will agree with me."

I didn't wait for her to reply and I called Ebay. The rep was really nice and looked at her history and said they would contact her. I can only imagine how many other sellers she has harassed to get her way. 

You can see her feedback by clicking here

She sent me another message a few minutes ago:

"report me then. I am not trying to hide anything i have written. just some sellers still on ebay are once again trying to rip off people. you better believe i will say something when i see it."

The rep I talked with told me not to respond to any of her messages. I want to so bad but I am just going to ignore it. I think some people just thrive on this type of confrontation and I am not going to engage her.

Luckily, the good buyers outweigh these nut cases.

Her id is charlsyeh. Block her. Block her now!!! 

Riding In Our Big Red Car

I sold this basket today on facebook for $15

and I bought this for Ryker:

The Wiggles Big Red Car cost me $12 so I also bought all this:

and had .50 cents left over. The giraffe is a sit on "Plush Pal" toy for toddlers. It is designed with a steel frame for sturdiness and supports up to 140 pounds. It is super soft and cuddly despite the frame. It is no longer available. His name is George. Walmart sold three other characters: Ella the Elephant, Leo the Lion and Penny the Pony. These were special buys back in 2008. I have not found any on Ebay so I will have to do more research. One could also use this as a foot stool.

Isn't he cute? We went to McDonalds and he was sitting in the back seat. The cashier made a comment about what a cute giraffe we had and Bill tried to give it to her. She said, "I don't think your wife would be too happy with that." No, I certainly would not.

Cowabunga, Dude!

I found this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle yesterday at Goodwill. I almost didn't buy him because I thought he has a little pricey at $2.99 (I am getting real cheap in my old age) He isn't your normal TMNT figure. He transforms and is 11 inches tall.

Here he is as a turtle:

Raphael's large legs become the turtles front feet. It looks odd but works since his rear feet wrap around his thighs.

All the turtle parts hide in the shell which includes the rotating head swap and the leg/arms replacement.

Right now he is residing on my computer shelf next to my Kenny bank. It is going to be hard to let him go. I really like him because he has a "R" on his belt and my name (Rebecca) starts with a r. Ryker likes to play with him but gets frustrated because he doesn't stay together very well and William wants him. I told William if he didn't sell at auction, he could have him. (maybe) I started him out high and have 2 watchers but no bids.

Oh My God, They Donated Kenny!

Poor Kenny. He's been to Hell, Heaven, Mexico and the Goodwill. That is where I found him on Friday. At the Goodwill. I brought him home and Ryker has been attached to him ever since. He is a 7 inch plastic coin bank and is currently sitting on the shelf above my computer. I really like him, so I priced him high in my Ebay store.

Here are some more finds from that trip.

Those puzzle pieces in front make an alphabet giraffe. I sold a similar one last year and hope to get the same price for this one. This one is in better condition and on the back side has number 1-26

I never find any Wilton cake pans and when I found the Pink Panther one, I was pretty stoked. Then I checked completes and wasn't stoked anymore.

I would have never picked up the Rolodex but there was a Bolo topic on it over on proboards. The metal ones go for the most money.

My sister picked up this Polly Pocket carry case. She was going to buy it for her kids, but then changed her mind. I know Polly Pocket sells well, so I bought it. I only found one other like this but it was in a lot. If it doesn't sell by itself, I will wait until I get a bunch of Polly stuff. I made a good profit last summer and Mattel sent me a check for $35 for sending in the recalled ones.

The other puzzle pieces are magnetic and you can mix the pieces up to make new animals.

The race track and two cars, I'm keeping for Ryker. It was .99 cents

Love Those Lamps

Two weeks ago I blogged about how I was addicted to buying lamps. My husband shares my addiction.  He brought home 7 lamps yesterday from yard sales. He paid between $.50 - $1.50 a piece. I only took pictures of 5 of them because I was too lazy to bring the other two in from the garage.

Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil Monkey Lamp

Drunk Hanging to Lamp Post

Hurricane Hobnail

I love the shade on this one and I have no  idea what to call this lamp. I have not listed it yet on Ebay.

This last one, I'm not sure if it was made to be a night light or it someone just turned it into one. When researching it, it only comes up as a figurine. There is a hole in the bottom and a groove to run the cord through that does look factory made. The bulb is burned out, so I'm not sure how much light this figurine emits.

linking to Her Library Adventures

Item Not As Described

How can 4 little words leave such a pit in your stomach? I hate opening up these messages from my buyers and yesterday, I received 2 such messages. Although the first one was kind enough to use other as the subject and not item not as described.

The first item was broken in transit. I had mailed two owl music boxes to Australia to two separate buyers last month. The first one arrived safely. The second one did not. The owls were broken from their stand. I wrapped it identical to the first so I don't understand what happened. Why can't the post office be more careful?

Luckily, I had it insured through Shipsavers and am working with my buyer to fill out the claim. She seems to be a little confused by the process but that would be my fault. I thought I was being helpful by filling out some of the form. Hopefully, she can figure it out and we can get this done.

The second item, I thought I insured. I'm usually good about insuring breakables but somehow this one was forgotten. It was $18.99 which I have already refunded. I assumed it broke in transit but when I looked at my listing, I could see the ear of the small owl was missing. I'm not sure how I missed that.

I hope I don't see any more of these messages this week.

I Am The Owl Queen

Yesterday, Lorraine from We are clamco left this comment on my blog: "I agree! You are the owl queen Becky!" Cindylou commented "I guess your eyes are trained to seek them out since you love them!" How right she is. Today, I found 6 owl items at Goodwill. I left behind a Dad and Little Henry picture (already have) and an owl toilet seat. (that would be too weird) Here is what I got:

A 3D art plaque with an owl in the tree

An owl candle holder

And a large figurine marked Japan on the bottom

I spotted this cute baby quilt.

and if you look closely, there is an owl square.

I bought the puzzle for Ryker and I found this Baby Einstein Rocking Caterpillar. Ryker is too big for it. When I went to pay, the cashier said it was cute and I told her I bought it for my granddaughter. (totally not true. I'm selling it on Ebay. It is discontinued and very hard to find) Anyways, the cashier said I looked too young to be a grandma :-)