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Midge!
Happy Birthday, Jay!
RE the sink return: I also don’t see an ethical issue. Sellers were happy to unload it for $20 (when they could have returned it for a full refund themselves), and you were bright enough to think of a return, in lieu of a resale. It’s a slight variation on the scavenging we do, and a practical, insightful one. I’ve also got a lot of home reno work going on, so there’s also that bias…
J&R, I’m still having trouble this week with the Thumbs Up icon – not working at all for me. Anyone else?
I’m joining efforts with the summer slowdown via ongoing travel, yard work, and various house projects. Not listing much right now as a full-timer. And feeling like I need to cull my inventory to stay within my store limit, and push my sales to where I’d rather they be in general (higher dollar items). The red velvet granny pants I have up for sale are no MCM painting that’s going to yield real $$ in 4 yrs time…
05/27/18 – 06/02/18
Total Items In Store: 939
Items Sold: 19
Total Sales: $828 (~half of which is single item commission sale; I rec’d 30%)
Cost of Items Sold: $39.20
Highest Price Sold: $400 Meyer Sound CP-10 CP10 Two Channel 5 Band Parametric Equalizer (commission sale); $140 Set of 2 MCM lamps
Average Price Sold: $22.52 (not including commission sale)
Returns/Refunds: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $32
Number of Items listed this week: ~20Scavenge of the week: Possibly some barkcloth curtains from an estate sale. We’ll see how the patterns appeals to Buyers. Planning to hit up some thrift stores while out of town, and see what new places bring.
T-Satt (and Retro): Ditto. I’ve been feeling antsy and pulled vaguely towards doing other things, but know I need to list. I’ll tell myself, just list 3 things and you’ve accomplished something. I’ll often find that snowballs into a few more listings, or at least a few more drafts that I can quickly do photos for later.
Love that Hot Damn hat; I’d have a hard time letting that one go. 🙂 Thanks for the heads up on new things to BOLO for…Vietri, Johnny Was.
Here are some highlights from last week:
Vintage J Crew leather jacket in great condition. Think I paid $10 (but might have been more) at an estate sale; sold for $80. Would liked to have listed it for more, but comps weren’t supporting it (and I can’t shake my current theme of trying to sell more, rather than store it). Went GSP: https://www.ebay.com/itm/EUC-Vintage-J-Crew-Black-Thick-Leather-Jacket-Coat-Bomber-Motorcycle-Med/323163016216
I’m feeling a lot of self-doubt these days on the china and dishware pieces I’ve picked up, as they seem to just sit and sit and sit on the shelf. I think it’s just that my inventory isn’t composed of “hot” items, but rather the occasional sales sought out by collectors. Case in point: this Hull brown drip veggie bowl, picked up for a few bucks at an estate sale, sold for $50:https://www.ebay.com/itm/MINT-Hull-Pottery-Brown-Drip-10-Salad-Serving-Bowl-SB10/323014594788
I pick up fiberglass shades anywhere I see them. This was an especially inexpensive find, part of a lot of lamp shades, fixtures, etc I got in an online auction for cheap. Might have paid $1 for this shade; sold for $50: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Mid-Century-Fiberglass-Lamp-Shade-Natural-Textured-Black-Lacing-7-25/323212862648
This weathered and beat up cast iron horse hitching post came with our house, and is part of the ongoing liquidation of its former decor. Went GSP for $40: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Cast-Iron-Horse-Head-Hitching-Post-Top-Finial/322938104515
Poorly photographed and slightly damaged still sells! Got this tridacna clam shell in a buyout of the contents of a house’s kitchen cabinets a year ago (for like $11 dollars? and likely a day of my time+). Have had a few good sales come from it, such as this, for $30: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tridacna-Gigas-Clam-Shell-8-5-x-5-5-x-2-Deep-Flattened-Base/323144785704
These cowboy boots were one of my first purchases beyond selling my own items, nearly 3 years ago or so, sigh. Really thought they’d sell much faster, and for more. They’re in great shape, though lack a brand name. Paid $10. Finally sold for $30 – good riddance, great boots! https://www.ebay.com/itm/EUC-Vintage-Womens-Brown-Leather-Western-Cowboy-Amazonas-Boot-Sz-8-5/323165944033
Lampshades take up a lot of storage space (but can be nested) and typically don’t sell in a rush, but you can get good money for them. Try buying high quality ones at full retail, ouch! Picked this up at a thrift store for ~$3, and sold it for $25.
Enjoy your weekends!
I’ve often found that the Large FRB is a size I need for shipping a non-Priority item. I’ve made excuses to myself for using them before when the box has already been used once or twice, but regardless of condition I always wrap the box in brown paper to hide all markings.
Jay, I no longer work for Airbnb. Dealing with unhappy or angry people (when else do you call customer service? and think of all the people who are less reasonable than yourself…) wasn’t something I could stomach day in and day out – but I would also recommend that everybody work in such a vein at some point in their lives. Gives great perspective, and trains you to be more calm, polite, and thoughtful when you yourself call customer support. All “AirCrew” at that time (2010) worked remotely from the HQ in San Francisco, at home on our laptops, but in an online group setting where you could easily connect with other staff with questions, etc. We did email and phone calls, and it was easy for anyone to reach us if they hit a glitch. Not sure if they still offer and easy direct line or email. They hired folks from all around the globe to cover the different time zones. They trained you at HQ for a week in small-ish groups before sending you back out on your own, using a great balance of training and team-building/fun – it made for a really great time with a diverse group of people. For me, it set a bar that I can’t understand other large companies can’t attain.
Enjoyed the podcast. Love those incidental encounters that a scavenger can take advantage of! I’ve enjoyed the many freebies I’ve gotten here and there from older family members downsizing, and have to be glad about the limited # of items given at a time, considering my space limits here…
Listened to the podcast while ironing a huge death pile, so ready for some steady listing this week (before taking another week off….out of town wedding).
Earnings are soft right now, but at least steadily so for me (for now; this is definitely not a static earnings game). I am readily accepting offers/negotiating to keep sales up, and am going to run a sale on boots and coats for a few weeks to see if I can shake some of those out of inventory.
05/20/18 – 05/26/18
Total Items In Store: 920
Items Sold: 27
Total Sales: $619.06
Cost of Items Sold: $60.19
Highest Price Sold: $80 – Vintage J Crew Leather Jacket: https://www.ebay.com/itm/EUC-Vintage-J-Crew-Black-Thick-Leather-Jacket-Coat-Bomber-Motorcycle-Med/323163016216
Average Price Sold: $22.93
Returns/Refunds: 2 – gloves for fit, and a partial refund to cover costs of a bag strap that needed repair
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $139.52
Number of Items listed this week: ~18Scavenge of the week: Good condition vintage German Erzgebirge Candle Carousel; $12 at an estate sale.
Oh, for anyone that cares, and was following my lonnnngg return request case on a lot of 11 Corning Vision Ware cookware pieces….After a few too many broken record, scripted emails from eBay, it was resolved with me providing a partial refund to the buyer for the 2 broken pots (as much as I wanted to consider the return label paid for and provided as the partial refund…ugh), and then providing proof of that payment to eBay. It was painfully impersonal, and full of errors on eBay’s part in the facts of the case. So disappointing that a company that large that’s been around that long hasn’t ironed out an awesome and responsive customer service route. I worked for Airbnb for a while doing customer support, and we were trained well and allowed to have personality and humanity…you would think any modern company would have the same, but perhaps therein lies the issue!
Gah! Thanks for the heads up, Mike. I arrived home from vacation and promptly fell sick, so some things slid… Fixed now!
Ditto on the Marilyn Monroe calendar sale – I figured it went for a lot, but wanted to double check that I heard $250 correctly. 🙂 Do you remember where you found that?
@DoublyThumbs – nice spoon sale! Love those little things.Managed to do decent sales, if not high money, while on vacation last week. We’ll see if the trend holds for this week, which has largely been a sick week, ugh.
Some highlights from last week – many long-held items:
I scooped up 3 of these napkin holders at an interesting estate sale many months ago. Google Swedish napkin doll, or some such, and you can see pictures of what they look like decked out with a skirt of napkins. Took me a while to get them up and listed, but one just sold for $20 (paid $2 each): https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Swedish-Wooden-Napkin-Holder-Doll-Traditional-Dress-Smaland-10-25/323250766992
I’ve sold a lot of vintage Fownes gloves in the last two years, generally picking them up for $2 a pair at estate sales. The nicest I sold were rabbit fur lined, some have been cashmere, and this week sold another pair lined in acrylic. These are unlined, driving gloves, perforated. They belonged to my great aunt, and I really wish they had fit my hands – so stylin’! Alas, sold to someone for $25 who is surely going to enjoy them: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fownes-Brown-Deerskin-Leather-Womens-Perforated-Driving-Gloves-Size-5-6/323156655129
From the estate sale/auction where I purchased entire closets of clothing for super cheap (and proceeded to get overwhelmed), I finally sold a lot of vintage 80s wide elastic belts, not even the jazziest ones I have, for $30: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-5-Vintage-1980s-New-Wave-Chunky-Wide-Fashion-High-Waisted-Stretch-Belts-03/323088715260
Took a best offer of $47 for this awesome vintage Austrian hat, just trying to unload a few things and eke out a few more sales. Had a few watchers since I first listed it, as well as some inquiries with lower offers. I think I paid $7 for it at a thrift store last year. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-P-C-Habig-Wien-Loden-Felt-Tyrolean-Fedora-Hat-Austria-Sz-7-3-8/323012205327
Fingers crossed that these arrive undamaged, and are not returned to me! Finally sold a set of 3 lovely Haviland Limoges platters that I’ve had listed for about a year. They’ve had lots of watchers, but I was afraid I was looking for too much for them, or had their Schleiger # wrong or something. I gave them lots of extra packaging and sent them on their way in a huge box. Paid $30 at a church thrift store. https://www.ebay.com/itm/S-3-Theodore-Haviland-Limoges-France-Platters-Trays-Princess-Schleiger-57-Star/322834265248
Like Simon, I also do a daily tracking spreadsheet of any expenditures, which I categorize then tally monthly. Good to see where the $ goes, and where I might need to tighten up or re-prioritize. Thanks for the reminder on car insurance expenses, and how to cut them…might be time to review that one, with my ’08 going over 151K miles now.
Another soft week:
05/13/18 – 05/19/18
Total Items In Store: 921
Items Sold: 15
Total Sales: $427.46
Cost of Items Sold: $48.25
Highest Price Sold: $120 – Set of 3 Theodore Haviland Limoges France Platters Trays:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/S-3-Theodore-Haviland-Limoges-France-Platters-Trays-Princess-Schleiger-57-Star/322834265248
Average Price Sold: $28.50
Returns/Refunds: 0, though numerous cancellations right after purchases were made – annoying!
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $30.49
Number of Items listed this week: 2Scavenge of the week: mint pair of Bed|Stu women’s ankle boots for $8 – hit up a Goodwill while on vacation.
Think I’ll follow suit as noted above on offering some steeper sales on items that I’ve had for too long. See if they move, or prove to be not worth storing any longer.
Traveling this week for some vacay, though not of the very restful sort: Seattle –> Olympic National Park –> Oregon coast –> Portland. Drinking in lots of great views, enjoying fresh air, and looking forward to seeing old friends in Portland (starting tomorrow). Have had the shop on 10 day handling, and can’t quite tell if this has deterred some sales, or if the light sales/slowdown is just continuing to come on…
Reflected a few weeks back on where to take my shop, now that I’m approaching my limit of 1K items – and considering the larger conversation on diversification. Etsy is really the only other place I’d consider at this point (I already sell some items, or try to, on Craigslist and NextDoor). But, I’m going to continue to lean hard into eBay. I don’t have goals of being a large shop/continued growth in size, so far haven’t found interest enough in attaining TRS and sweating out (relatively speaking) the changes eBay rolls out to enhance their own goals. I feel like I’m still a bit of an experimental full-timer, and realize this is both because I can afford to be (no kids, low cost of living/lifestyle) and because I’m trying to eke out more on the “living” side, rather than the “making a” side of that equation. I’ll be interested to see how this changes or doesn’t over time. In this vein, I’m appreciating the conversations here, big and small, regarding different practices, goals, and lifestyles. Scavenger diversity! 🙂
My soft and light numbers:
05/06/18 – 05/12/18
Total Items In Store: 927
Items Sold: 18
Total Sales: $611.43
Cost of Items Sold: $61
Highest Price Sold: $140 Wolfman Luggage Motorcycle Tank Bag (commission sale) – https://www.ebay.com/itm/MINT-Wolfman-Luggage-Tank-Bag-w-2-Extra-Side-Pockets-Map-Pocket-Strap/322939899548
Average Price Sold: $33.97
Returns/Refunds: 0 (though the Visions glass cookware saga continues….I’m hating eBay on this one right now)
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $15
Number of Items listed this week: 10 (traveling)I’ve just culled through a lot of stuff in ye olde eBay room, passing items along to a charitable yard sale for an organization I may become a board member for…Anyhoo, filing under Get It Out Of The House, and likely some bad purchases. I’ve also re-listed a few items at 30 Day rather than GTC, thinking those particular items might benefit from the boost. Everything else I gave a good talking to about finding their new homes… 🙂
Slow week last, but a few things to share.
Like Jay & Ryanne, I find myself with the odd Ikea part that could be of use to someone else. Had 2 unopened packages of Ivar brackets, and sold them both within a week or two of listing for $15 each: https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Set-of-6-Ikea-Ivar-Replacement-Parts-Bracket-Shelf-Pin-Support-103886/323225485358
There’s a few items/brands of clothing I know sell well even if my attire generally suggests obliviousness. I’ve picked up 2-3 pairs of Chaco sandals in the past month or two, and two have sold rather quickly; this is the second pair. I paid $5 or less. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chaco-Z2-Unaweep-Blue-Green-Toe-Loop-Ankle-Strap-Sport-Sandals-WmSz-10-9/323155660150
Slow sell, these pretty iridescent glasses – but all at once, too, so that was nice. I picked up a huge glasses lot via an online auction almost a year ago (“everything in the cupboard”), and it included a few sets of these marigold/amber iridescent glasses – iced tea glasses, snifters, wine glasses, etc. Wine glasses were the first to sell. This gal bought everything else I had, to match some she already owner for a bridal party she was putting on for her daughter. She asked and I gave her a deal, but I kinda regret it, due to the amount of packaging required, and b/c I lost money on needing to ship in multiple boxes. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Listing-for-jmswilson-Set-of-12-Iridescent-Marigold-Iced-Tea-Glass/322796702626
I’m slowly (because I live with a resistant to change person) updating the new-to-us house from its 1980s Colonial glory, including replacing entry doors with keyless locks and modern handlesets. Sold our front door brass handleset for $80, after fielding some inquiries and requests for a deal. Had some red paint and grime on it, but should I have priced higher? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Brass-Handleset-w-Dexter-Deadbolt-Entry-Door-Knob-Handle-Complete-Key/323217781884
Happy weekends, all!
@T-Satt: it’s borrowed from someone else on here! 🙂 Always aiming for the latter, and start to feel discouraged when I look around my office and feel its the former….oy.
Can’t wait to become a senior in the sleep sense, not just the fact that I like nights in, comfortable shoes, and cottage cheese with applesauce, lol. 🙂 I need about 9 hours. Any less and a nap is definitely in my afternoon plans…
I do try to get up early and hit the ground running, hopefully after an evening of creating some drafts – I’ll start with photos to get some good and easy listing momentum, and keep going from there. I tend to slow down around 2p or so, and take a change of scenery with a podcast, cleaning, etc. Then back to it, unless something else takes precedence.
@KatieScott, feel better! You’ll get your cheer back. I was thinking the other day of how you’re killing it with clothes, despite wanting to branch out. Go ahead and go with what’s easy to you, and branch out with some good and obvious sourcing when it presents itself. And enjoy the easy shipping! I can’t do clothes to save myself, unless they are of that “good and obvious” sort; they’re just not my natural skillset, I’m learning (though obvious when I look at how I dress myself). I feel like, for clothes (and shoes, more often than not), I’m in the business of storing rather than selling, so wondering how to flip that equation… 🙂
