What Sells On eBay: Dallas lunch trays, Porcelain bowls, Paint by number kit, Ford trucker hat, Technics amp, 3M transparencies

Steve – I totally get taping the dogs from inside the house when it’s snowing outside!!

My first sale of the week was also my highest. One of my mom’s friends gave me a vintage porcelain and brass chandelier, but one of the brass pieces broke in transit. Given that issue combined with the fact that packing it as-is would be tough, I decided to break it down into pieces and throw out the cheap stuff. I wonder if the buyer will use the pieces in different projects or try to recreate a chandelier from what’s there. Anyway, I took a best offer of $100.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/183028970249

I paid $3 for this NY World Trade Center pendant from 1975 and sold it for $29.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182754892928

I paid about $0.50 for these two lamp shades, still in packaging, from Ikea, and they sold for $29. The buyer sent me a nasty message that I charged too much and they were smaller than she thought because she didn’t see the length listed in the title. Anyway, I ignored, and she hasn’t left negative feedback so far.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/183116958826

A few favorite sales of the last year or two.

London Country Buses very thick wool conductor’s coat by Briggs and Gibson. From 70s or 80s. I wonder how and why it made its way to the US. Purchased for $10. Sold in 3 months for $99 and sent on its way to Hong Kong. I wonder what the next stop will be on its around the world tour?
https://imgur.com/a/7zDW5

I think this is the first pair of Birkenstocks I found and sold. Was excited to find a rare “color.” Purchased for around $7 and sold in 4 months for $77.
https://imgur.com/a/gdxScCG

Nike Internationalist sneakers. I don’t usually buy Nike sneakers, b/c I’m not interested in keeping track of which ones are valuable and which aren’t. But these were an interesting color, so I looked them up and they seemed to sell reasonably well. Purchased for $5. Sold in 4 months for $44.
https://imgur.com/a/jakSHjd

Back in 2014 (aka 2 BT), I purchased an Ivanka Trump dress for myself that I never wore. So it was still new with tags when I sold it in 4 months last year for $55. I bought it on sale, so I don’t think I paid more than $40 for it, if that.
https://imgur.com/a/1JFZi

I could NOT pass up this bunch of yarn (10 skeins) that was still in the original shipping packaging with a postmark of 1948! I think I paid $2. Didn’t generate much interest, but eventually sold after 5 months for $33 (I lowered the price from $44).
https://imgur.com/a/5NwiV

So I knew from Jay & Ryan that slouch boots were no longer popular, but I bought these anyway b/c they were LL Bean (good quality) and in like new condition, and there weren’t any others like it online. Paid $5. Sold in 5 months for $44.
https://imgur.com/a/381jgGq

BOLO for good quality mens panama hats. I never thought about them or knew anything about them, when I came upon a crappy yard sale on a super hot day that had a stack of these things – some without hat bands. They seemed good quality to me, but I really had no idea, and there was no cell reception there! And I really like to avoid buying items that won’t get a profit of over $30, b/c i have limited storage space, and no desire to change my storage system which works for the 400 items I have. So, with the help of the heat, I whipped myself up into a state of anxious indecision, finally deciding on getting 3 of the hats. They were $2-3 each. When I got home I kicked myself for not getting more, but oh well. This is the best quality one – sold in 4 months for $70. The other two have not yet sold, but have watchers. I think I need to lower the price a little.
https://imgur.com/a/ZwQd6

This very old wool bucket hat I found at the bottom of one of those crappy bins. I had seen this bin in the thrift store many times, and finally decided to go through it. I thought this hat was cool, and it looked very old, and it turned out it was made by some old luxury brand, Conte de Florence, that I had never heard of. There was nothing else like it online, so I bought it for $2. Sold it in a few months for $50.
https://imgur.com/a/fLEzYof

All this talk about my best sales is really boosting my ego. So to balance things out, I’ll end with a dud again. I sell quite a few embroidery kits and make good money from them most of the time, and sometimes even hook rug kits. So I bought a new in box Nascar hook rug kit for $1 when I was in an area that had no cell service. Isn’t everything Nascar supposed to be super cool? I ended up donating it rather than waiting forever to get $7-10 for it. I don’t have my photos anymore. Here’s the exact same model for sale on ebay right now:
https://tinyurl.com/y9c7egy8

From last week’s soft sales, some highlights:

Picked this vintage lamp up at an estate sale for $6. Spent some time thinking about and researching how to get it’s gold luster back – paint it? – before I realized it was silver in color and just caked with dirt. Wish I had a before photo to show. Took several months to sell, got lots of watchers, and I did go ahead and add it to a recent shop sale to hasten it getting out of the house; sold for $88 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Accent-Lamp-Spot-Light-Silver-Cylinder-Marble-Cube-Base-8-x-6/322938071185

Scored this Patagonia Synchilla fleece pullover for $1 at a very random thrift store I came across when I was in a nearby town for something unrelated. Didn’t take long to see for $80. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Patagonia-Synchilla-Snap-T-Pullover-Fleece-Oatmeal-Mens-Sz-L/323139605961

Despite not having a strong sales channel of shoes overall, these boots caught my eye at a thrift store – specialty river fishing shoes. I paid ~$13 for them, and sold them after many months and low offers for $85 (on sale). https://www.ebay.com/itm/Simms-Freestone-Wading-Boot-w-Vibram-Sole-Sz-M11-EU45-No-Studs/323055713169

Mentioned a while back that I went a little crazy buying closet lots at a local online estate sale. I had to fill my car, take it home to unload, and go back for the rest of my purchases. LOTS of sorting through stuff, and too much of a time suck, despite making decent money off of spending not much at all on everything. Came across some ephemera and photos in what I brought home, including these culled dance photos, 19402-1980s. Perhaps I should have listed them higher, as they sold within a few hours of listing, but I’ve not had great luck with vintage photos yet. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-80-Vintage-Dance-Ballet-Tap-Ballerina-Photographs-Pictures-1940s-1980s/323203277428

I’ve had this kids-sized vintage chenille puppy dog blanket for so long that I can’t remember where or what I paid for it. Really thought it would sell faster and for more. Happy to get it out of my inventory for $22 on sale: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Chenille-Dog-Puppy-Cotton-Baby-Crib-Blanket-41-x-59/322502911193

I spotted this paint by number metal trash can at a church rummage sale, where they were giving it away for free – always a great price. Didn’t take long to sell, despite considerable wear. I wonder if the new owner will use it as-is, or try to touch it up…. Sold for $20: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Paint-By-Number-Metal-Trash-Can-Geisha-Girls-Japanese-Landscape-Rough/323156439185

Lastly, a nice earning on what I find to be a terribly ugly wall plate cover that we inherited with our “new” house. We finally updated the switch, added in a timer for the porch light, etc, and I listed this hammered metal one with eagle for $18. Sold fairly swiftly, and I have at least one more I can add to inventory! https://www.ebay.com/itm/VTG-Black-Hammered-Metal-Steel-Triple-3-Toggle-Light-Switch-Plate-Cover-Eagle/323156404435

Nice sales, Steve. I’m always amazed at the audio equipment that you get your hands on. I had another great week of sales last week. Here are some highlights!

I saved this vintage Buckaroo Big Smith jean jacket out of the Goodwill outlet bins last summer. It looked almost unworn! No stains or holes and barely any wear at all. Paid $1.64. I priced it at $150 and sold it after several months for a best offer of $110. It’s going to Germany!
Vintage Buckaroo Big Smith Jean Jacket

Here’s something that I didn’t think would sell for as much as it did. It’s an old celluloid plastic ring box. It’s kind of fancy with neat designs, but I almost just chucked it in the yard sale pile until I looked up other sold examples. They actually bring a little bit of money. This was out of a box lot so it cost maybe a couple bucks. I sold it for $43.
Celluloid Plastic Ring Box

Ever since I’ve learned about them, I always check the bottoms of these porcelain trinket boxes for Limoges. These can sometimes bring over $100 each for the more fancy ones. This one came from a box lot and it cost me a little over a dollar. I sold it for $54.
Limoges Porcelain Trinket Box

Here’s my big sale of the week. I acquired a box lot of used flatware at an auction for $2.50. Inside were these really nice Towle stainless pieces, enough for 8 place settings with a few extras. I figured I could make more if I sold the 5-piece single settings individually rather than as a whole set. I listed them at $23 each. After a few months of not a lot of interest, I finally got the cha-ching showing someone bought all 8 settings for a total of $184. That was easy!
Towle Stainless Flatware

Steve the dogs, cat and music soundtrack stole the show this week! Those dogs were having a blast! and I just wanted to rescue the cat from the cold! So cute!

Thank you to everyone that has posted their what sold. So helpful, encouraging and enlightening.

Here is a video of some cool sales for the last few weeks: Vintage Mountain Bike mags, Vintage LowRider mags, two Y2K packs of party napkins, vintage beta tapes, old books, booklets….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiwm5-1wFpI

Thanks Steve!

Sigilini, Some great stuff—thanks for sharing!

Thank you MyCottage! Much appreciated.