Scavenger Life Episode 372: Trying New Things

By hitting mostly auctions I find 10x is not that difficult to reach on a regular basis (I have gone to auctions since I was a kid but I have only been doing this to generate income for the last few months).

Hitting 10x with thrift stores and yard sales just isn’t in my wheelhouse, as I do not know much about the value of clothing and the more modern items I find there. My background knowledge and interests fall in line with the weird and old stuff I find at an estate auction.

I do not anticipate my sell thru rate to drop beyond what is expected with a growing inventory as it will inevitably skew toward long tail items as we grow. (Bookmarked and studied the discussion you and others had on the forum about this a while back)

MMVI: Sounds great. Do you track your STR now to get an idea of what it is?

I’m seeing a theory (that I would love to prove out) that 10X return is usually a 4%-8% monthly STR (at scale), and that 4X-5X return is (or should be) a 13%-20% STR. Just a theory, but when I scroll around numbers, I seem to see this rough pattern.

I may have to see if I can start getting some data sets on this and see how things trend.

Let me know if you have any questions, and you can hit me up on my direct email.

I appreciate that! That is an interesting theory on STR. I would be interested in seeing a data set on this, I have a tendency to get in the weeds and succumb to data paralysis (If I don’t watch myself I will spend more time analyzing and researching than getting work done that moves the needle) but I am allowing myself to track core numbers, and STR is one of them. I would have to pull up my spreadsheet but for the summer I’ve ranged in 12-20%/month range. Hard to extrapolate much being so new to the business but I haven’t been surprised by the numbers at least.

I’ll have to do a “fun with numbers” project on this with data from the forums. Would be an interesting experiment.

I know of 2 solid posters to start with, possibly 3.

Stay tuned…

+1 Sharyn! My past too, as well as Veronica’s…

I have NO idea why that popped in my head when writing it…it just flew in there!

🙂

OK.. since you are on a I remember kick.. here is another one for you, but NOT a John Wayne.

” You feeling lucky? So, do ‘ya punk!”.. the clincher, that phrase was followed by ..”Go ahead, make my day!”

Ah this is too easy for a pro like you T-Satt

Mike

Mike: Paraphrase the front. (I ain’t that good)

“I know what your thinking. Did he shoot 6 times or only 5. In all this excitement I forgot myself.
But since this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and can take your head clean off…you gotta ask yourself one question…

Do I feel lucky?

Well…do ya punk?”

Clint Eastwood…Dirty Harry Callahan

No you are better than you give yourself credit for. That is “just” about what he said. The “feelin lucky” did refer to how many bullits were left.

My brother in law has 2 Colt .44 Magnums, chromed silver and white grips [don’t know the material]. But just like in the movie, when we have gone to our local range a few times, indoors those puppies are extremely loud, louder, loudest of any hand gun I have ever heard. He has never let me shoot either of them.
I believe they could take your head off or not much remaining.

The auction house we go to sells a lot of guns, rifles, shot guns, and hand guns. Never bought any and way too much issues to try to ever sell, but some do.

Mike at MDCG

Went to an indoor shooting range with my dad once. Funniest looks ever when he fired his .44 the first time….

Everyone else had that WTF!!! look on their face.

Yeah…it ain’t no 9mm…

😂😂😂

Mike: And I thought I was OCD on getting data!

Are you now seeing the SKU on offers on the mobile phone? We don’t always get those. We seemed to for a while, then it stopped.

I hate not getting that data on a regular basis when looking up items on the mobile phone. Good info!

Absolutely we get that sku.. but we get it because we make sure we get it and don’t rely just on Ebay. The last data field in our Item Specifics is z-mdc galleries sku: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and WL also populates automatically the Ebay SKU field from it’s SKU field and it is always there in the IS unless I overlook to copy and paste it in that field.

Also by doing this then even if I don’t or can’t see the Ebay SKU field I can see it by clicking on “See MOre” on the listing and there it is in the bottom and worst case, I just click on the link back to the listing in our store I see it there.

Yes it is a public field and shows in the IS area and can be seen but with that is why we use so many numbers as well as those fake camouflage numbers mixed in, it is very, very difficult for a buyer to figure out what all those numbers mean.

mike at MDCG

I dont know the answers, but here’s my hunch.

At auctions, there can definitely be $1000 items selling for cheap because the particular crowd in attendance is unknowledgeable. I see the Asian men who sit for hours waiting for just a handful of Asian ceramics go up for bid. They must know something we dont.

So this means:
–you have to go to a lot of auctions to increase your chance of finding these undervalued items + ignorant audience
–really build up knowledge of a broad range of different items (art, carpets, antiques, furniture)

Yeah, ceramics from China can be worth big $$$. I wonder if they’re selling on Ebay directly here or selling them onto an expert in China, or consigning to auction houses there, etc,. They probably have really deep pockets for items like that, especially if they have potential buyers already lined up. I would love to hear a podcast of you buying items like that and competing against those bidders, haha.

I haven’t looked in years for items like that, but when I did it, it was online in a veeeerrry specific niche. The key was to buy off 1 venue cheaply and flip it on another with a price for 4x the amount. I’m sure this could be done buying off ebay to resell on ebay as well.

I’m sure that even now you can do that with items you have a deep knowledge of that other people might not. I don’t know if you will have the same spread of 200-1k, but I’m sure there are items on Ebay now that most flippers will not dare buy on auction or even potentially fixed price for 100+ to potentially make 500+. Just have to have knowledge, money and time to look.

We have rock solid knowledge for items under $300. I’m like a little baby when it comes to items worth $1000+. But I imagine selling $1000 items is the same as anything once you get your head around it.

When we first started a decade ago, I never dreamed we’d regularly be selling items for $100. I didnt even dream that people would be dumping stuff worth that much.

I think it just takes time and finding the places where the higher dollar items end up.

The under $300 items are also easier to source out in the wild, even at thrift stores or estate sales. I find there is a larger audience for them online, as well. You might have to pay up sometimes for them, but if you know what you’re doing, $100-300 items are pretty easy to pick up and list.

The $1k listings require real intense research prior to purchasing them and listing them in order to explain why it is worth so much, if it’s not some obvious vintage electronic item or other obvious very expensive high-end item. Or, just dumb luck.

I DID source a book earlier this year that I listed on ebay for $1.5k. This was a dumb luck scenario book, actually. I paid $2 for it in a thrift store, barely looked at it until I got home, then once I got home realized it was very special. No other copies for sale online I believe EVER, a completely forgotten book overall that due to its provenance was an “oh, wow, this exists?!” sort of item. With research and knowledge, I created the market and price for this particular item. There was nothing to compare it to. I just knew that if I found it special, someone else would as well.

I think I could have gotten 800-1.2k for it if I waited, but someone offered $450 for it within a few months, so I took it. Maybe THEY can get over 1k for it. Or, maybe they just wanted it for their own collection. I don’t know. I think a lot of it is venue. Having the right buyers that look to you to provide specialty items. Ebay is not really conducive for such items sometimes. Maybe people will look for items like that more at an antiquarian book fair, or at an auction house. If I had more time, I would have done the same. Alas, I was happy to see it go, and for a high amount for a completely ?? item.

almasty: “Ebay is not really conducive for such items sometimes. Maybe people will look for items like that more at an antiquarian book fair, or at an auction house.”

I think you are 100% right. I remember a great interview that Jay and Ryanne had WAAAY back in the day with a guy that BOUGHT high-end art on eBay to SELL at the auction house.

Great interview.

Jay: “What is eBay good for?”

Bringing buyers to our items. That’s really all I want them to do at this point. While I REALLY appreciate the work that they have done by making everything possible in just the platform for a new seller (especially shipping and payments), I would rather see them partner with other software providers to handle those areas for them so they can focus on helping keep the platform itself stable.

They are strengthening their partnership with ShipRush. I want them to outsource the whole damn thing. Get it off their plate. Let ShipRush handle it, as they are better. Similar to having Adyen do the payments.

Focus on maintaining the database of listings, keeping it simple, and driving buyers to the site. I like the front end things like using a photo to find it on eBay. Great. But keep the core business stable while doing it!

Let us use other tools to handle the listing, inventory management, shipping, etc. Keep the core of what they do, providing a platform for buyers and sellers to meet, stable and engaging.

This is an interesting take. eBay focus on the platform and let other companies handle the mechanics.

Here’s my issue:
–We pay eBay a lot of money. Subscription fees + final value fees.
–Using third party apps is also expensive. (I dont know how Shiprush makes any money)

If we continue to pay $300/month for an anchor store subscription, eBay needs to provide all the tools we need to do business.

If eBay wants to wave that $300, then I’d be willing to pay these other services to provide tools to run our business.

It cannot be both.

I’m sure eBay is paying ShipRush. Free for us, but they pay the bill.

And that is what I’m talking about. Make the ShipRush experience the EBAY platform, free of charge. You outsouce that side and pay good money for them to do it right. Same with Adyen for payments. Outsource it, manage it, but don’t BUILD AND HAVE TO OWN IT.

The ONE thing. Great book. Focus on the ONE thing.

Ebay is to provide a solid marketplace. Outsource the heavy blocking and tackling of other items to companies that can manage it better. Ebay doesn’t have to do it all…just PROVIDE it all…

This makes sense. So we pay eBay, eBay pays the 3rd party, and we use all their tools for free. Sign me up.

What I don’t want is to pay:
–$300 for an eBay subscription to list.
–$70 Sixbit to manage listings.
–$10 Godaddy to manage accounting
–$12 Terrapeak to do research
–????

If you plan to build a big business, I guess these are minor costs. But it adds up if you are running a tight ship.

Jay: So, similar to the conversation with Mike…

Each of those costs are worth it IF it either saves you time (and money) or covers a risk. That is why we pay for SixBit. Speeds us up, controls our data (photos included), lots of history, etc. Money that we get back overall.

For example, we are about to get a housekeeper soon. Why? Because we will net more money to work during those hours than we will be paying for the cleaning. Net win, plus, we will be less stressed about getting it done. Same goes for our lawn maintenance. I don’t worry, it gets done, and we net more in net revenue by working during that time. Remember “Hire out what you hate”?

Not all money spent on business is wasted. A lot can be, but some things are an investment…

Wink, Smile, Thumbs up, Amen!

There is an old saying, “Penny Wise Pound Foolish”.

Yep. Got it. We’re not shy about hiring out what we hate. We’re way ahead of you on house cleaning and lawn care. I havent mowed a lawn in six years.

Paying for third party apps is still a learning process for us. Glad that you and Mike like the heft of six bit and wonder lister. So we see:
–extra costs
–changing from mac to PC
–changing our whole eBay process to fit their system

I know you guys love the benefits. eBay itself isnt painful enough yet for us to make that leap.

“I haven’t mowed a lawn in six years”.

Ok, you are my hero!

No worries big man. I get it. For your setup, the conversion to SixBit or WonderLister is more complex and is more of a commitment. I was just using it as an example that not all costs are money thrown away.

I can’t abide a monthly cost for GoDaddy or other software. I’m ticked that Quicken went to an online service. So for me, that is my line.

Just saying that sometimes the “cost” is worth the investment, and everybody needs to look at spending through the right lens.

Great post MDC, just a quick addition: 6 Sigma for Quality Assurance can be used towards ISO 9001:2000, and not ISO 2000.

ISO/IEC 2000 is more recent, dates back to 2005 and still pending for standards of IT Services Management. More or less the ISO version of ITIL.

At a corporate level, we would use 6 Sigma to implement a “Kaizen culture” in generic terms.

Bingo and you get my Drift. Kaizen or the methodology of Apllying “Continual Improvement”.. is the process by which anything and everything that can be a vaidated improvement can be applied then discussed in Quality Circles and a process of implementation worked out.

The approach of not needing 3rd party APP is not discussable until all of the ‘range of motion”, employee involvement, is discovered and documented. Then once identified, qualified by motion studies and time studies of everything from coughing-sneezing to running across the room for a roll of tape in a cabinet or trying to find a screw driver in a maintenance shop. Once quantified and documented in those time and motion studies, comes the application of the unit cost factor. everything from wiritng or generating a Purchase Order, phone conversations, ordering,, accepting, unpacking, walking to throw out the empty box and trash, recording the incoming data, assigning sku tags, carrying the object to it’s work cell / group if a JIT part, staging in the assembly line, or longer term storage if required. The pulling, packing, pushing, mobilization, etc., etc., etc. Then once a units “TRUE COST” [all total and complete, does the next step take place and that is the Cprative / alternate results. this area is a little bit more elusive because of usually not having a model or test equipment set up for comparison. It is usually taking the Mfg. specs and working out a comparative analysis to reach a go no go decision to buy, hire, fire, replace, upgrade. The whole executive decision making process is a process methodoligy. Once it is shown to be proven that to any one of those things will lead to an impovemnt in process, lower the cost and improve the quality or least not degrade it.. then the decision is made and action taken to implement.

The use of 3rd party APPs for use it Total Inventory Management process, even within a small two man shop or Ebay business can sqeeze out prfits many times over. A break even chart is created [the two converging lines representing the intial cost up fron [i.e. buying the software, buying a PC, training time is all charted out and then as soon as those two lines intersect then it is just like Troy says, nothing but ROI [Return of that Investment} for the life time of the process as long as it is in place and doesn’t wear out or obsolute out, which does happen. But that’s also another story of of MBA approach and also of Operations Management.

Once these process are understood, a proficiency in Excel spread sheeting acquired, then these types of tests and comparisons can be done in very short order. Then the benefits of being a “small business” is you can implement on a quick time frame as well if things don’t work out, back out quickly.
But like Jay has said before, turning a large ship takes a lot of room and is a slow process. That is what we are seeing within Ebay and other companies. Some with tons of manpower though like Ebay and Amazon, can and do apply these processes fairly quickly considering there over all size.

So do any of the members here really need a 3rd party, Enterprise System, I would guess it would be hard for most to figure out a true answer to that question. Which now brings us all back to your statement of you don’t know what you don’t know, and if you know that you don’t know, etc., etc, your total quote.

Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art.

Hi Mike,
Enjoy your posts on eBay operational improvements! 5 years ago (feels like a former lifetime before I quit my 9 to 5 – I worked for GE) – I was able to earn my green belt in six sigma – (you are probably a master black belt, I am guessing?!?) Anyway, that was a terrific experience… so I know a small bit about KAIZEN!! I apply that mindset everyday when building my eBay business.. how can I maximize my time? Streamline things? Avoid defects? Maximize profits? It is fun like a game of chess.. 🙂
Cheers!

Yes, writing all this took me back decades ago.

Si glad to hear that you know and understood the drill. Like preaching to the choir.

The thing we can all agree on I believe though when we are all asked by the newer members, “Can I make a lving or a full time income on Ebay”, the short answers is sure, absolutely. But many of us also follow that up with “If you run it and treat it like a Business”. But alsa so many don’t have the business acumen or thorough enough knowledge to run it a fine tuned business level. is it absolutely ncecessary.. no, but boy it sure helps and short cuts what is a large learning curve. How many times i hear people talking and they don’t understand the difference between GROSS and NET. To the average quick new seller, they live in the World of GROSS the MBA / Business people live in the world of NET.

As troy and I talked a time back..Many company’s would give their left arm to NET in the double digits [10% or More].
That span bewteen the two “worlds” is what seprartes the men from the boys. A through understanding of your expenses, Jay talks about this hundreds of times is vital. But not only your personal expenses, but your OE / Operational Expenses. And those need to be fined tuned down to how many running inches of tape you put on a box. $.06 worth or $1.11 worth? I am serious. That is what us OPerational guys do. We “measure everything” Time. Space, Materials, Payroll.

One plant I monitored had a payroll of $140,000 a week for productionlabor [no officer-executive salaries incl.] that’s $560,000 per month. After I completed a 90 out on the floor study, even hiding in the balconies and spying, i discovered a big leak, comprised of small drips. [My job to find].
The bottom line was a lost production rate of $1,680,000 [yep a million and half dollars] The total time added up to three months. When i presented the owners with the amount I put it this way, You are paying wages for 12 months of work and only getting 9 months of work from the staff. You are paying them for 3 months to do nothing. In other words you might as well ahev all the employees show up for work but stay in the parking lot, then have them start walking around the building for 8 days then get in there cars and go home. Then have them come back the next day and do again and have them do this over and over for the whole month of June, July and august. Then on sept. the first you can let them go back in and start producing for you. those owners were flabergasted.

The first question was what is that kind of non-productivity coming from. i then proceed with some of my final reports and it was comprised of hundreds of pages of small things, extended breaks, extended lunches, walking too far for tools, walking to ask a question of a supervisior, the supervisors office to far away, packing tables not on wheels, nothing modular, nothing mobile, taking 3 or more people to lift a heavy tabel instead of one to unlock the wheels and rool it. Buying small rolls or conatiners of needed things so having to go get more too often. etc., etc. ad nauseum. Yep One and half million dollars or wating time, walking and o course doing their jobs ineffeciently which I had to retrain everyone. They would cluster together so they could talk during the day.
So I bought a lot more tools and secured then at every place they were needed. Moved supervisors out on the floor into cubicles, bought larger containers or longer rolls of eveything, Took the cigareete machine out, created a no smoking policy on company grounds, etc., etc.

My bonus that year was some odd number over $300,000. The company got cut down from about 250 employees to about 185 if I remember, we produced more product, faster, and made MORE NET PROFIT which I created a Bonus Sharing Plan for every employee and every person got a bonus after we finished the end of year audit.

Now just do this on a very tiny scale and apply to your store. Also be applying KAIZEN, always be improving, if you can’t list something, then tweak your listings, if you don’t do that then move your shipping supplies closer, reach less for knives, tape, magic markers, paper towels. Get a Costco card, buy bulk, create over head storag in your garage, considering buying a storage shed, buy the house next door and move your offices over there, shop on line… IN OTHER WORDS LIVE UP TO THE TRUE MANIFESTO OF J AND R SCAVENGERLIFE.. AND always be Continually improving.

Ok I have to go and make another contribution the J and R Tip Jar. I have ceratinly used way over my fair share of their bandwidth and have created as Jay calls it “wall of Text”, but hopefully some of this is of use in some of the members thought processes of Can I Make a Living on Ebay or online anywhere … YES but you “have to know your expenses” and Discover your TRU COSTS [not just what u paid for an item] get your NET NUMBERS THEN AND ONLY THEN SEE IF YOU CAN LIVE ON WHAT YOU SEE.

An example.. you may GROSS $20,000 but if you could root all all TRUE COSTS you may find you only NET OUT $10,000 or even LESS. Now listen to Jay.. Can you live on that???

Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art

Mike: I loved all of those posts! But…

..You had me at KAIZEN… 🙂

That is the mindset. Once you see this as a business, everything needs to be efficient. I HATE inefficiency. Small things add up. Even Veronica has made this switch. She is definitely more the right brain side, and definitely the Softer Side of T-Satt, but she digs it. We worked her office so be efficient. She LOVES SixBit and won’t move away from it because it is faster. She is moving to more inventory locations in the SKU as now she hates the searching…all of it.

Part of your texts made me remember the ORIGINAL McDonald’s owners revamping their store layout to be efficient in “The Founder” (great movie). All KAIZEN…

Now…about that Makers Mark… (and Makers 46 if you have it!)

MDC, my favorite happens quite often, when people change gross for net and vice versa.
It hurts but it’s funny.
My second favorite is when a person (my wife’s friend is a great example). She buys custom gold jewelry, let’s, $50 in average and sells for $60.
She does the sales events with endless Champaign, out of this world hors d’oeuvres, a fortune.

Than per week she makes the accounting bought 10 for $500 and sold all for $6509 My profit was $150. Even her husband lost it

PH

Speaking for myself, knowing that I never have to walk into another factory and spend 8+ hours a day for 6-8 days a week is all the motivation I need to stay on track. The one true benefit of the 15 years I spent working in manufacturing facilities is that I’m well ahead of the curve when it comes to process and efficiency.

Inglewood, 5 months of severance pay would be amazing! I don’t blame you for sticking it out for that.
We sort of downsized and upsized at the same time. Bought a house in June, but the mortgage ended up being less than rent was! Win-Win. Now to start cutting costs in other areas…

Yep, know your expenses is the key. Whats the amount you need each month to keep things working. We then knew that we need to build a business to cover that.

Also, knowing your expenses (this means writing it all down) showed us where we could slim down.

Jay: Amen brother. Knowing your numbers (both business and personal) is crucial. And in knowing those numbers, be realistic. You can go rice and beans for 1.5 to 2 years, but after that, you hate your life.

As Lazarus Long said: Budget the luxuries first!

Meaning, have SOME pleasures in what you budget for. Enjoy life too!

Doubly: Yes, that $500/month covers the whole family.

Glad you are getting the nest egg for living. Try to save a separate bucket for your business capital to purchase inventory.

If you want some help forecasting out what your numbers would look like, hit me up.

Jay.. Would love to hear you talk with a Ghost…

“So, tell me, What are your numbers, where do you store all of your inventory, what is your best sourcing secret, how do you clean silver-plate, how do you ship a hat? AND BY THE WAY.. Tell me, How do you know you really exist??” LOL HaHa 🙂

Mike at MDCG

Mike: I think you won the forum today! I almost shot coffee out when I read that!

Would love to see that. Both nostrils, huh! But really, can’t you just hear Jay, in that calm, tranquil voice, soothingly saying.. “Ok, so, let’s talk about this!”. I heard it in my ears… Didn’t you 🙂

No matter where you go, there you are!

MC @ MDCG

Hahahah!!

“Do you have a lot of space out in the spirit world to hold all your belongings? Or do they only give you the equivalent of a studio apartment? Do they have thrift stores like they do here? So, tell me, what are the estate sales like when ghosts move on, or move elsewhere? Does your ghost spouse help you in the business, or are you doing it alone? Do you have any other duties you have to do as a ghost, or is it like being retired?”

The ghosts I have seen have been whole, no injuries. My very good friend who was a quadriplegic and lost one of his legs and all of his fingers was completely whole and standing and wiggling his fingers at me at his own funeral (his little 2 year old niece pointed at him and laughed like she could see him too, but nobody else could see him). People that died with severe illness like cancer look super healthy.

They look like they are here, solid but not quite the same, not sure how to describe it. As if behind a sheet of plastic I guess, colors slightly faded. But if you saw them and didn’t know they had passed, you would think they were just a person standing there.

Now the spirits or whatever they are around the ouija board, those were reallllly gross and ugly.

Understood. Appreciate your sharing. Sounds like a really incredible experience to see.

I suppose I am a psychic medium. I had these things all my life, runs in my mom’s family I later found out. I got the look from my mother not to say things many times as it wasn’t kosher being raised Catholic to be psychic or cavorting with spirits. When high school friends looked at me weird when I said to answer the phone (and I would say thing before the phone rang, didn’t realize it wasn’t yet), its so-and-so and he wants this, I just cut it off. You know how teenagers are, too susceptible to others’ approval.

It all started back again in my 40’s when as a joke, I set up a reading for me and my boyfriend with a psychic I saw on a TV talk show. Her name is Char. I haven’t seen her around for awhile, but she was popular at the time.

So it was a phone reading, we call a phone number at a certain time and talk to her. She had no idea who we were other than first names. My boyfriend went first and as they started talking, he said, wait a minute I want to look at this picture while we talk. It was a picture I had just given him for our first Christmas together, done by Bev Doolittle of a native american on a horse wearing a bear skin, the front legs of the horse are in the water, but the reflection in the water is of a big grizzly bear. Char said oh that’s your spirit guide, water bear, described the picture IN DETAIL and said that’s why Beverly bought it for you, cuz she’s psychic. OMG I got chills. And when it got to my reading, she said the same thing and set me up with a few phone consultations with the lady that taught her, who also agreed I had some ability, but I never followed up on it past a few phone calls and “psychic exercises”.

It’s not something that most can just do now and then, it’s like any muscle or mental skill, it must be practiced. I was working a more than full time job of a computer programmer / project lead and didn’t have the mental or time capacity to do more with it. Also I do not know how to handle that deep emotional part.

You must be aware of and be able to handle the negative things out there, as we discussed with the Ouija board, and learn how to protect yourself. I saw a really dark something coming down the hall at me one night I was alone, and it scared the heck out of me, said my prayers really loud and ordered it to leave and the black smoke finally disappeared. It’s not all fun and games.

It also can be quite depressing as the disaster premonitions can make me feel absolutely sick before, but I can’t pinpoint them enough to do anything about them. Like 9-11 I paced around for 2 weeks saying something awful is going to happen, felt something evil being thought about and planned, just felt the despair of all the people that would be affected. The night before I had nightmares all night as if I was in it. Walking into work happy and then in smoke and fire, standing on the edge of the building holding my best friend co-workers hand as he and I jumped, and more I don’t even want to think about. Same for the big tsunami, woke up thinking I was drowning. Of course these are not nearly as bad as the what these people suffered, but I felt a lot of emotion and it doesn’t go away for a long time if ever.

So I asked God to just give me things I can handle and premonitions I can do something about. My other good friend was going to Israel back just before when the coast towns were getting hit. I begged him not to go but it was a big trip for his wife as her family is all there, he said it would be safe. So I told him not to go near the big fountain I saw in my mind being blown up. He later told me they did pass by a big fountain in the center of the little town daily but one day he remembered what I told him and steered his family around it to get to where they were staying. 5 minutes later that fountain was totally wiped out by a missile. They ended up being stranded there for 2 more weeks until they could get out in the middle of the night and gradually make it to an airport to get home.

I used to dream some amazing solutions to my programming problems, techniques or coding I didn’t even know before. Since I’ve been laid off a few years and doing ebay, it works its way in sometimes, like I said earlier at estate sales. I’ve also stopped people at times and given them little messages if it’s really loud and clear and I can be precise about who it is from. But I don’t practice enough to be quite like Long Island Medium.

By the way, OJ did it, saw Nicole up there during the trial and she said so. I did not predict who would win the President this time until the night before and I didn’t believe it myself. I cannot predict my own future very well, which is typical of many psychics. My boyfriend knows not to ever lie to me ;o)

And I do believe everybody has some psychic ability. It’s when you get a hunch and act on it, it reinforces that and you get more hunches, and it grows. Try it with what’s coming in the mail today or the next time the phone rings. Keep doing it until you learn the difference on how it feels between a guess and a real “woo woo” thing.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Beverly - Far Out and Fabulous.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Beverly - Far Out and Fabulous.

So it would definitely take a toll on you emotionally. I’ve heard John Edward say the same thing. I was also raised Catholic but I’m an agnostic/atheist these days (and I’m a programmer too). I think organized religion, with their man-made rules and regulations, have completely corrupted spiritual thinking. I wonder if there is a way to separate spirituality (your experiences) from religiosity (man-made BS) and where exactly the dividing line is.

“We love to incorporate things that are proven to work.”

Who doesn’t? It’s certainly a perfectly fine way to go. I’ll call it the late adopter approach. But there were many people getting benefits from meditation, acupuncture, etc, long before they were officially proven to work (call them early adopters), and that’s great, too. Unfortunately, many of them were subject to ridicule for doing so, and my only point here is that I have a beef with that. I wish people were more open-minded about how much we just don’t understand about our world, and stop punishing the early adopters.

“I have no beef for what anyone believes as long as they’re willing to discuss it. If things are real, then there are facts to its existence that we should be able to explore.”

Just because someone doesn’t want to discuss something doesn’t mean that what they believe is not real. And sometimes the only fact that they have or need is “It works for me.” Other facts exist, but may not be currently known. I guess it’s you’re right to have a beef with someone like, but it seems overly harsh to me.

You’re right. I’m wrong. I phrased that harshly. I dont have a beef with anyone.

My point is that it’s proven to be healthier when we pull things into the sunlight and discuss. But if people dont want to discuss their beliefs, that’s fine too.

I like hearing about talking to ghosts. I wish I could do it. I’m mainly talking to demons but its no where near as interesting as what Beverly described (just ask my therapist).

“My point is that it’s proven to be healthier when we pull things into the sunlight and discuss. ”

Agreed!

Jay – I’m here to say that Homeopathy definitely works. But! You have to have a practitioner who can guide you to the right remedies. My homeopath saved me from 3 surgeries, but she’s expensive! Now that I know those remedies (for swollen thyroid, diverticulitis, gallstones) if they ever rear their ugly heads again I have the remedies at home and they are very affordable.

A friend of mine has a son with Down’s Syndrome. He was completely non-verbal and was covered with horrible acne scars. Homeopathy was able to turn those things around. He still had DS but he began to speak in full sentences. The acne cleared up and even the scars filled it. Unheard of!

Please don’t discount homepathy. Look at the extensive use they make of it in India. That’s because it works, but again, you need a really good homeopath to choose your remedies.

Yes, it seems like there is a lot of anecdotal evidence and positive claims like the stories you’ve shared.

Unfortunately Homeopathy has never stood up to scientific testing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy

So it’s cool that people practice it. Just not something that’s repeatable. Kind of woo woo.

We knew a man (friend of Mikey and Wendy) became a follower of Jasmuheen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasmuheen). She was a breatharianism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inedia) and said you could survive without food or water. He actually didn’t eat for almost a month, became psychotic and had to be put into a hospital. Quite a story. If something is true, it should be repeatable.

If not, it’s a belief or faith. That’s a different thing.

@Jay – Again I must point to India. They use it because it works, the results are repeatable. However, choosing the right remedy is part art and part science. Poorly trained homeopath doesn’t always choose correctly. You know that Wikipedia is not to be trusted absolutely. There are some placebo controlled, double blind studies being done on Homeopathic remedies. Here’s just one: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118440&utm_source=April2015ebook&utm_campaign=2015April-ebook&utm_medium=email

Science can’t explain everything YET, but they are beginning to understand how water can hold onto energy almost like a memory. Once they understand how this works I think that will explain why homeopathy works. Anyone who wants to read more about this just google Banerji protocols. And my homeopath is Joette Calabrese. She does a lot of teaching online and has a great library of articles & podcasts. It’s not all woo woo and patchouli incense. Just practical advice.

I second pythonesk’s comments.

Re: needing scientific proof, I’ll just say that it was science in the 80s and 90s that told people that eating fats was really really bad for you. Being told I was eating the wrong things when I ate half an avocado all at once, and never gave up on egg yolks or butter was frankly pretty annoying. And if you asked me to discuss the details of why I kept eating those things, I wouldn’t have had any super convincing scientific facts for you, b/c I was not any sort of expert. I just had a general sense that eating natural foods should be fine, and that it worked for me. And margarine tasted disgusting to me.

So science is an awesome tool, but scientists don’t always get things right the first few (hundred) times.

Yep, there’s definitely bad science, or corrupted science:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/13/493739074/50-years-ago-sugar-industry-quietly-paid-scientists-to-point-blame-at-fat

This just means that everything must be questioned and tested. Just like we do with eBay. If there’s an issue, we find evidence and adjust our business to it.

Re science: Nutritional science, because of ethics, is one of the hardest disciplines for scientists to get good, accurate data–and without good data, it is more challenging for the scientists to develop good hypotheses. The good thing about science, though, is more and more data gets collected and the whole point of science is to challenge previously held hypotheses with new data, to keep getting improved hypotheses.

There are very strict regulations-which is a good thing!–around conducting experiments on people, so most nutritional studies start with animals. From a data standpoint, the good thing is that diet can be controlled, but the bad thing from a data standpoint is that results in animal models sometimes aren’t good predictions for how people will respond.

And when human nutritional studies are done, there are often major challenges/problems with the data. Scientists can’t lock people in a room and control their diet and exercise, so there is reliance on self-reporting and trusting that people will follow a diet & lifestyle. But there is a lot of evidence that people either don’t remember or lie when they self-report their diet. And also, unfortunately, people don’t always follow a controlled diet that they’ve been assigned to even if they report that they are.

And for finding nutritional links to long term disease requires following people in a study for decades–which is expensive and time consuming and again–there is no ethical way to confirm absolutely that the people in the study are really eating what they say they are over a decades long study.

Often, the media will report on attention-grabbing results of an animal study or of a short-term, small, poorly controlled human study. Then when more data and evidence comes out that contradicts the original early media report, understandably the public gets angry with science/scientists. But please remember when you see nutritional media reports, that all studies are not created equal. Long term, well controlled studies, double-blind, with a placebo variable are often not the ones reported on.

With regard to the butter and saturated fat issue–this actually is a whole other can of worms. There was a lot of human sins of greed and ego that helped drive this–not just data. There’s an interesting laymans’s article in the New York Times on How the Sugar Industry Shifted the Blame to Fat and also an even better article that give the history is in the Guardian titled The Sugar Conspiracy which really goes into depth on the career climbing personalities & egos of the people who bull-headed this hypothesis through. Data is neutral but people are not always. Interestingly, even in the 80’s and 90’s there was still contradictory data that was even given its own name–The French Paradox, since the French diet was very high in saturated fat with low disease. Again, data is neutral but relies on people to correctly analyze it and media to report it in proper context–which doesn’t always happen

very well said, ctebay.

AS it stands today Homeopathy is a placebo.
Some might be good vitamin complement tops.
Heal, grow arms, “cure” a child with Trisomie of the 23rd (Dawn) is like removing one gene from each cell of the person. Nah

Paul, I never said he was cured of Down’s Syndrome. I specifically said he still had it. I apologize if I misled you somehow.

@pythonesk I am the one to apologize. I tried to be sarcastic but it went bad, sorry indeed.

I had in mind things like Missy Juice (she claimed could even regrowth limbs …) and a miracle pill launched as cure for any type of cancer (today sold on natural pharmacies or GNC as supplement), but the irresponsibility of the scientist who bypassed the process is unforgivable.

Please accept my apologies.

I am not sure how far I go on this beautiful thread. Don’t mean to look neither arrogant not disrespectful.
Like Troy (T-Satt) mentioned a couple of times, he is an Accountant by profession, by Grad and by practice.
The same with me with STEM sciences. My under, grad, post grad are all in Sciences with one Master in Business.

“The only thing I have captured on film is when I visited Bodie ghost town in California while returning on a motorcycle ride to the Grand Canyon. I happened to already be pointing my camera at an old buggy in a falling down building. Nobody around me as it was early morning and no other tourists, it was like we were there by ourselves, and then whoosh a form flit across the view in my camera and I caught it in my picture. I’ll have to dig that picture out.”

The thing is, to have one picture by itself does not mean anything, this is why I would lay out a long list of questions

“I don’t know why everybody does not see them or why it is so hard to prove. But it doesn’t mean it’s not really there. Many things we now accept as scientifically proven were once this way.”

Not sure if it is as generic as this. It’s been quite the opposite. Flat Earth (even though some brainless individuals created a strong movement to make Earth flat back), Solar System, Galaxy (1910 Universe = Via Lactea). Science has repeatedly proved the common popular belief to be wrong.

“As a hippie high school math teacher impressed upon me… as the circle of our knowledge expands, we become more aware of what we don’t know, things we were not even aware that we didn’t know, but now we realize more of what we don’t know, but there is still way more we don’t know that we still don’t even realize we don’t know it. It goes on forever. Mind blowing.”

This is perfect. Let’s say of all the things we can know in the whole Cosmos we know 5% (just randomly). The moment that 5% growth, it also growth our ignorance because we learn there is a much larger pie and what we know we don’t know is much larger.
So the more we know the more ignorant we become, in terms of not knowing what is there, possible to be discovered. Interesting many people cannot rest with this thought. It seems like certain people must find a purpose and a response for everything, filling gaps with the inexplicable.

Things without reliable, repeatable evidence I do not accept. But generally, with a few exceptions, I am open to its existence. Other things (like Unicorns or Equus equus with the horn and Flying Horses or Equus equus with the wings) I am certain do not exist. I do not need the falsifiable evidence, or, I cannot prove it does not exist, but I do not need to.

This is how the machine in my head works.

Paulo: Great points. As a wise man said though…”It all depends on your point of view”…

For me, if I can see it, measure it, touch it…I believe it. That just makes sense. Or, if I can see the evidence that it exists (I can’t see gravity, but I am believing it!).

What gets tricky are the things that we can’t see or prove. As the great Palmer Joss said: “Did you love your father? Prove it.” That has always stuck with me. Just because I can’t prove it, doesn’t make it not true.

And science has so many things that we don’t understand and can’t prove. After reading “The Future of Humanity” by Machio Kaku, it just blew me away the things I never new existed (like rogue planets that DON’T orbit a star). And it made me think even more that just because we don’t know it, can’t prove it, or don’t understand it…doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

So I always feel like making sure I stay open to things I can’t prove. It may be a whole different way of thinking that helps us make the next leap…

It is not for Ebay so much as WonderLister auto sends our listings to our Shopify Store and Shopify Stores are highly driven by organic traffic and google searches and so is some of the Etsy cross listings. we thought we would just be better off doing it the right way from the beginning. That is why we started using long enclusive custom SKU numbers from the get go, along with a BIN Storage retrieval process and naming all our photos and incl, our part of our custom SKU in those photo renames. Even though Ebay changes the photo names on their own site, the fact our photos are named and are stored in the cloud server, the photos when attached and sent to Shopify show in Google. Many times we are looking for an object on google and use the by Images filter most of our inventory shows up there.

Once WL gets the InstaGram and Pinterest interface finished, all of our inventory will be auto posted there as well and they will all have the first 5 digits of our SKU and the short name we renamed them and all 1,012 listings are searchable by Google and all of this will be outside of Ebay and Etsy.

Tips we got from those who were successful in developing their own stores and eventually pulling their stores out of the Ebay arena.

mike