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[Habnab]

Just popping in to share a quick update (if anyone even remembers me! Ha!) My responsibilities at work (I took a part-time job in our local school district last September) have really changed; last year, I worked from 7:30 to 1:45 and wasn’t responsible for much at work — so I still had a ton of time in my week to source, list, and sell items on eBay. This year, I’ve been made responsible for *way* more at the school (without any corresponding raise in pay or expansion of hours (which would mean benefits)) and my ability to source/list has been heavily curtailed (my schedule has shifted slightly, so I no longer have time to thrift before the kids get home) and the upshot is — I haven’t sourced anything good in a while and I haven’t sold anything in several weeks.

The good news is that I continue to find my work at the school really rewarding. Going back to school for more certifications is a possibility. But I really miss the excitement and flexibility of eBay.

[Habnab]

There are multiple hats for sale with the brand name “Faruviq” on a few different platforms.

[Habnab]

I believe, back in the day, we called this “ragg wool,” or “cotton ragg,” depending.

[Habnab]

If it was a really good painting, I wouldn’t leave it behind just because the signature wasn’t legible.

[Habnab]

Rather than just a “cleric,” I think it’s St. Benedict depicted in the woodcut.
I think the signature is in Greek; you might have some luck trying to re-create it on a Greek keyboard and Googling from there.

[Habnab]

Total sidenote — Arkansas’s Nilaok pottery (most commonly seen in the “mission swirl” style) gets its name from “Kaolin” spelled backwards.

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryid=586

[Habnab]

I’m late to the conversation here again, so perhaps the point is moot — but I think the slot machine analogy itself isn’t terrible — eBay can definitely provide that kind of ‘intermittent reward’ stimulation the OP talks about. You never know (and can never be in control of) when you’ll have a sale, or what will sell, or how many things will sell in a day. So in that sense, it is a little like the random payouts of a slot machine and probably does light up some similar parts of the brain. Cha-ching!

That said, I don’t think the payout of their intermittent reward system is something specifically set up by eBay to keep you hooked and listing and running on their hamster wheel. It’s not eBay but rather life itself that is the “essentially unpredictable endeavor.” You can’t control (or even control FOR) everything, everywhere, on eBay or in life.

I’m a HUGE overthinker. “Analysis Paralysis” is my middle name, which makes writing checks a big pain because the signature lines are so small. But, OP, sometimes you have to just jump in. Will a plate get chipped in storage? Maybe. Will a painting, badly stored, pick up an off smell? Perhaps. Will you drop something when you’re about to wrap it and have it shatter into a million pieces? It’s happened. Will the mail truck drive over and crush your outgoing packages when arriving to pick them up? One hopes not. Will eBay throttle our sales with rolling blackouts and payout algorithms? Don’t know.

Consistently sourcing and listing interesting items — making mistakes every day along the way — is the best way I’ve found to make money on eBay. And, fortunately, those are two things I do actually have some control over. As for the rest of it… well, there are a lot of good quotes about worrying out there.

It’s like a rocking chair — it gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere.
It’s like praying for what you don’t want.
It’s like paying a debt you don’t owe.
It’s like walking around with an umbrella, waiting for it to rain.

Good luck!

[Habnab]

I’m in Lyme Disease central — geranium oil has been found to be a pretty effective deterrent. I think if you Google around you can find out what types/mixtures work best.

[Habnab]

I had the same thought. That’s a lot of carving!

[Habnab]

So, we spent about 4 hours there today. Made a small dent.

There are thousands of books. Hundreds of paintings and maps. A handful of smalls (really not that many). Paths through the piles of things. A lot of accumulated mail and newspapers (2 pickup truck loads of paper went to the dump today, and that was just in 1.5 rooms.) And there’s dust like you can’t believe. Actual garbage — only one or two bags. Not really that bad, so far, on the garbage front.

I pulled out a few paintings/maps to research and list for him. The books, we’re going to go through, check for signatures, and group by topic. We’ve got a squad to dig out the high value books and get them listed, and then we’ll do a yard sale at maybe $1 or $2 a book and probably make a few hundred more that way. His financial situation is dire, so we want to try squeezing money out for him where we can.

The whole place was an object lesson in buying but not listing, and in deferring decisions/action. Lots for me to learn.

[Habnab]

Such a great find. Well done.

[Habnab]

I googled it and got a handful of hits, including this one:
http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1992/03/09/76155/index.htm

It’s a real place in Sioux Falls, SD.

I don’t think I’d put any kind of LGBTQ keyword in the title.

[Habnab]

This page might give you some ideas…

http://spaceharrogate.co.uk/1960%27s-Annie-Laurie-Decoupage-Woven-Bag-Handbag-Caro-Nan

[Habnab]

Thanks so much for the help, everyone!

I visited my friend today (he’s in a rehabilitation facility after heart surgery.) He absolutely recognizes that he’s got a problem, that his house is a problem, and that the stuff needs to go so that he can live downstairs. There are a few things he’d like to hang on to, but for the most part, he’s ready to let go. He will not be part of the cleanout process. I think, in all honesty, he’s not a true hoarder in the sense that he can’t let go of anything, but he’s created a hoarder-like space for himself through buying and buying and buying and rarely selling and then trying to live around the clutter.

A few of us went over there today. The dust is incredible. There’s some trash and newspapers, but it’s mostly STUFF (thousands of books, hundreds of paintings) rather than GARBAGE (bottles of urine, etc.); but yes, you’re right — the dust is outrageous. I usually don’t have a problem with dust but we’ll definitely be needing masks and gloves.

The water issue was also a great question. Apparently, various things were leaking (kitchen sink, bathroom cold water) so he just cut the pipes and capped them off. The good news is that some other friends of his hooked up with a plumber and an electrician and are dealing with that side of it, because we’re not equipped for that.

We’re putting together a game plan and will be attacking things over the next few days. I’ll post about the process if anyone’s interested…!

Thank you all again.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Habnab.

[Habnab]

Our local Salvation Army closed about a year ago after decades in business. I don’t know, though, if the decisions are made locally or at the central office.

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