Sunday Already?

Apparently I now only blog on Sundays.  Ya'll, I am so ready for spring break it's not even funny, but there have been some amazing things happening in our lives.  First, my son had an evaluation Monday and tested completely within normal ranges on all developmental areas other than articulation.  This is HUGE news.  I hope to share his story soon.  Also, my husband got a REAL job.  A job with salary and benefits and an office.  I am so proud of him.  Also, I got my check from that children's consignment sale I sent stuff to and guess how much it was?  $590 dollars!  So...I have been taking my mirror selfies of my outfits but haven't had time to upload and I have been sourcing things but who has time to blog when you are celebrating the awesome-ness and trying to keep the house in halfway presentable shape?

Anyway...I'll show you some things that sold and then MAYBE I can get caught up with the blog this week. (I know ya'll are dying to see those mirror selfies.)

 I love Loft clothes.  I love them for myself and I love them to sell.  I especially love them when they are new with tags and purchased for $1 during a 10 for $10 sell at Goodwill.  These were my highest profit margin item of the month making me $27.70 after fees.

 This Bucilla kit only brought in $7.51 after shipping and fees but I always pick up any of these vintage craft kits I can find.  They are often cheap and they are super easy to store.  I've had this particular kit for a while but over the last year I've made a good deal of money on crewel kits, ornament kits, etc.  

This was a unique item that my husband spotted last summer.  We paid more than I like to pay for clothes ($5.49) but he was sure this would make us money.  It would have made quite a bit more had it not had a few stains.  Keep a look out for Clothier to the King items.  This was apparently a brand worn by Elvis and Johnny Cash and it has that vintage "Rock-a-billy" look.  After reducing the price on this a few times I finally sold it making a profit of $24.99

What unique items have you sold?

What Sold Sunday?

I know I have been MIA for the last week.  Work has been AWFUL and stressful.  My students have been the only thing to keep me at my current job...that and..well we like to eat.  I've been juggling so many things and getting ready for that consignment sale. Today was the drop off and I took 2 carloads to sell.  I wasn't sad at all when I was sorting, tagging, and loading all of Nick's baby stuff but after I dropped it off, my heart hurt a little.  I wanted it all back.  It's ridiculous though because I don't WANT another baby and the stuff was in the way but it was still incredibly hard to let it go.  Here's hoping I get a big fat check next Sunday.

Ebay sales had been very slow because I wasn't listing.  When you don't list often enough, your listings aren't as prevalent on eBay.  I don't remember why, but I've seen that on other blogs.  I'd barely been sourcing, but my finds had been piling up until I finally got time to do something about it yesterday.  This weekend has been listing-palooza.  AND, wouldn't you know it, I made FIVE sales today.

 Our Fred's is going out of business.  Yesterday, my husband and I decided to go see what was left and we he found these Amibos.  I had never heard of them which is why I love taking him sourcing with me.  We bought the last 3 Ganondorf's at $3.90 a piece.  I listed them all today and they have ALL sold.  I based my price off of previously sold items.  The current listings are a few dollars more than I sold mine for, so I COULD have made a few more bucks BUT there is something pretty amazing about a quick sell.  After fees and shipping I made $56 on all 3.

I picked up this Disney plush several weeks ago for $1.89  Disney plush can be hit or miss.  John Darling was a hit because he is not that popular of a character and he is harder to find.  He sold to someone in the UK.  After taxes and shipping I made $16.05

I am going back to Fred's later this week hoping that they will mark items down more.  Fingers crossed.

What I Wore Wednesday

I have to blog quickly tonight.  Hubby wants the computer and I almost couldn't convince him to let me use it.  I told him that all 19 of the people who look at this blog NEED to see my thrifty fashions but he wasn't impressed.  Anyway, here goes:

 This was what I wore to church on Sunday.  The dress is Old Navy from the fill a bag sale at Uptown Cheapskate.  Technically I already sold something from that bag making the rest free so we are going to say it's a free dress.  The sweater is Maurice's from Goodwill.  I bought it during a 10 for $10 sale so I paid $1. *I don't think I like the sweater with this dress.  Next time I will probably pair it with a longer sweater.*

Sunday afternoon we went to a Mardi Gras parade.  I bought my Mardi Gras shirt from Goodwill for $1.25.  I wore it on Fat Tuesday for Mardi Gras day at school as well. 

 (I don't hide my crazy.  I parade it down the street.) 

This was my outfit today.  The shirt is boutique brand from a yard sale.  I paid $2.  The pants are Ann Taylor Loft curvy skinny jeans (My FAVORITE!) from Goodwill for around $4.50  

Tomorrow is Dr. Seuss's birthday and I will be throwing together a costume from thrifted items.  How will you be celebrating?

Sell it Sunday

Sells have picked up a tiny bit for the month.  For some reason sales always seem to be best at the beginning and the end of each month.  It looks like I may scrape by with a halfway decent month, but barely.  Here's what sold this week:

 I had the above shirts listed in separate listings and a very nice lady emailed me with a best offer and request to combine shipping.  Ya'll, she was so sweet.  I really enjoyed messaging back and forth with her and we were able to make a deal.  So, she bought both shirts and I profited $20.07

So, a few days later the same lady who bought the Under Armour shirts purchased the Polo shirt above.  She told me she would make sure and purchase from my store and she was true to her word.  I can't remember where I got the shirt pictured above.  I am thinking Goodwill but sometimes I mess up and forget to be as thorough as I should with my record keeping.  Assuming I paid full Goodwill price, that would mean that I made $29.98 profit.

 This is a Thomas the Tank wooden track with the Maron Bridge.  I found this at a garage sale last summer.  The lady had a huge box of Thomas stuff for only $2 (and the box was a canvas box that I was able to use for my son's shoes.)  I was able to find a few pieces to keep for my son and then make about 5 or 6 lots from the rest.  This particular lot made me a profit of $14.45

Several months ago I scored 2 boxes of Silicone catheters at Goodwill for $6.56.  They contained 24 catheters which amounts to 28 cents each.  I sell a few each month.  This customer purchased 3 and that profited me $26.75.

Not a horrible end to the month but I am still hoping March will be better.

Fab Finds Friday

Not only have I not been selling much lately, but I've also not been finding much to sell lately either.  I can't wait for yard sales to start up again.  During the school year, it is difficult to find much time to source.  I only have 1 Goodwill in my town and am about 30 miles away from the next closest.  I do most of my sourcing during breaks from work and on Saturday mornings from yard sales.  The following things have been found over the course of a few trips to

 I bought this LulaRoe shirt at the 5 for $10.00 sale and planned to keep it for myself until I looked up the completeds.  LulaRoe has a great resale value and while I like the shirt, I like $20 more.  Plus, I have a bit of a clothes problem as it is and am afraid my closet may collapse *again* from the weight.

 This is a closeup of the Ralph Lauren Polo shirt I found at the same sale.  These "big pony" shirts sell really well and a triple pony is even better.  You have to be careful though.  When I was new to the game I bought a FAKE Ralph Lauren shirt.  Now I know what to look for.  Real Ralph Lauren polos are longer in the back than the front and there are distinguishing things about the way the tags are sewn on as well.  Always research brands before selling.

I thought this was a 90's era Rawlings jersey and got excited.  Vintage jerseys can bring in good money.  After research, I have concluded that this is homemade.  It is made extremely well but an official jersey would have a tag on lower left front and possible a brand embroidered on the sleeve.  I have it listed anyway so we will see how it sells.

Everything is half off at Goodwill tomorrow so hopefully I can find something good.

What I Wore Wednesday

Let's see If I can type through my teary eyes.  Anyone else watch This is Us?  I just watched last night's episode and I'm a little emotional.  I don't know how those writer's do it, but I cry every.single.week.  Anyway, on to what I wore this week.  As I mentioned last week, it was spirit week at school so I had a few odd outfits that I didn't photograph and then we had a MUCH needed 3 day weekend for president's Day during which time I was sick and didn't change out of pajamas except to go to the dentist.  Because of this, I only have 2 outfits to share and neither is phenomenal. Sorry, true life here.

 I always make horrible faces when taking mirror selfies.  Above was my "going to the dentist while sick" outfit.  (It could also be called my "Oh no!  They found a cavity!" outfit.  or my "This President's Day break is no fun at all."  outfit.) The shirt is a Faded Glory (Wal-Mart Brand) shirt from the outlet bins.  I'm not sure what I paid but it was less than $1 for sure.  The jeans are my new favorite.   They are Ann Taylor Loft high waisted skinny jeans.  I got them from Goodwill during a 5 for $9.99 sale so I only paid $2.  I LOVE them.  

Above is my outfit from today.  This week the cheerleaders are sponsoring themed dress days so we are playing dress up for a second week.  Today was "Patriotic Day" so I dug out this Snoopy Shirt I found at Goodwill this summer to wear for the 4th of July.  I paid less than $2.  The jeans are the same jeans I had on in the top picture.  I told you they are my favorite.   That's my son who was probably wondering why I have been taking so many mirror selfies lately.

Tomorrow is Tacky Tourist Day and I think I'll be using a thrifted item or 2 so I'll get a pic for you.  

What Sold Sunday

What sold this week?  A big ole pile of nothing!  Ok..a few things but seriously, this is the slowest month since I started and the things that are selling don't amount to much.  I've been doing this for a year now so I went in and drastically reduced the prices of things that I've had for a year.  A few of those have moved out (at drastically reduced prices) so at least they are gone and I made a small amount.  Other sales have been hugely disappointing.  Oh well.  This business is a gamble.  It's an educated gamble once you learn the ropes - but its still a gamble.  Here are the things I've sold:

I sold 2 sets of Med couture scrubs for $16.50 each.  I paid a combined total of $4 for the scrubs because I got them during a $1 sale at Goodwill.  After fees I made a total profit of $23.08.  I always mail scrub sets and other clothing that is too heavy for First Class in a Flat Rate envelope for $5.77.  The only brands of scrubs I look for are Med Couture and Grey's Anatomy because they seem to sell fairly quickly with an okay profit if I can get them cheap enough.  

 Men's BKE shirts are fairly reliable sells too.  They aren't high dollar but have a good sell through rate.  I bought this at Goodwill for $2.74 and sold for $14.99 which gave me a profit of $10.11.  I TRY to only purchase items that will give me at LEAST a $10 profit.  I have the basic Ebay store which is 250 listings a month which is all I have time for since I work full time and have a toddler.  Because I am limited in time and listings, I need to make sure to focus on quality over quantity.

I've had these Nike running shoes for almost a year.  I know a lot of sellers who look for shoes, but I have not had good luck with them overall.  You have to be really careful and check that the glue is still good, soles aren't cracked, and they have minimal toe indention.  Unless I can score them for super cheap, I don't really deal in shoes.  I got these from a yardsale last year for $1 so they were worth the gamble.  I took a best offer of $20.99 and mailed them in a region a box.  After fees I made a profit of $16.81

Now for a return.  I HATE returns.  My stomach actually drops when I hear the "You have a message" sound from my ebay app.  I haven't had very many problems over the last year but I have learned that if someone wants to return something, you may as well go with it, even if losing money because Ebay does NOT take the seller's side very often and if they get involved, you will get a defect rating.  I've only received one defect over the past year but I do not want another.

I sold these new Med Couture pants in January for $18.99  + shipping.  A few days later the buyer messaged me and said I neglected to mention they were petite and she does not wear petite.  I was a little annoyed because I photographed the inside size label AND the hang tag and listed them as 8705P which is the same way the Med Couture people differentiate between regular and petite BUT she was half right because I did not explicitly state "petite" in description or title. I KNEW ebay would take her side so I went ahead and paid return shipping and issued a full refund.  I'm still salty about it but at least I didn't get a defect AND I learned a lesson.  

I'm going to go ahead and speak in faith that the next week of sales will be much more exciting than this week.

Fab Finds Friday

I woke up with a horrible headache.  Its actually day 2 of battling my head.  I have been popping Advil and rubbing essential oils nonstop.  The Aroma Touch blend usually helps to at least minimize the pain.  Thankfully I have a meeting this morning so I don't have to leave as early and will only spend half of my day with kids - I love them but they don't help the headaches.

I wanted to show you a few things I've found lately.  Last Saturday the hubby and I went to the Goodwill Outlet which is one of my favorite places.  Its dark, dirty, and there are piles of junk EVERYWHERE.  I've seen pictures of Goodwill Outlets in other places but let me assure you - ours is nothing like those organized places with waist level blue bins.  Ours has huge cardboard boxes as tall as I am and people jump into them.  You have to wear gloves because there are shards of glass everywhere. I'll have to post a photo or video next time.  Anyway, it's one of my favorites because it's the perfect place to dig for buried treasure.  Oh, and instead of weighing your cart ours has people who eyeball your items and make up arbitrary prices.  This is sometimes good and sometimes bad.  This time it was good because we scored a whole cart full plus the 2 chairs below for only $13.  Unfortunately, we got there later than usual this last time and things were picked over.  We still managed to score a few good things:

Yes, those are 2 Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chairs.  Guys, these things are super expensive from Pottery Barn.  When I wanted one for my son I was lucky enough to get one from a friend whose child had outgrown it and order a new slipcover.  These things were FILTHY when we found them and the hubby didn't want to touch them.  A little soak in OxyClean for the covers, and they are almost all better.  Like I mentioned, you can order new slipcovers so I'm hoping to sell these at the Children's consignment sale for $20 each.

That is a Pottery Barn Crib Bumper.  Once washed I only noticed a few small stains so hopefully I can get about $20

When we left the Outlet We stopped by our favorite thrift store, Rolling Hills Ministries.  They have the best prices and we usually find awesome stuff. Those are 3 new toner cartridges.  I think we paid about $9 for all 3.  I haven't looked them up to see what we may get yet though.

I guess I better go get ready for this meeting, even though I'd much rather spend my day thrifting.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

What I Wore Wednesday

I have been crazy busy this week.  We have a children's consignment sale coming up in town and I'm trying to sell some of my slow moving product there.  I am also selling my son's items but am having a hard time parting with them.  Anyway, I've forgotten to take a morning picture a few times over the past week. Why are mornings so hectic?  Here are the ones I got:

 Sweater - Actually this is a maternity sweater but unless you read the tag, I don't think its noticeable.  from Goodwill probably paid around $4.  The shirt is also from Goodwill and is a J-Crew Tee.  I paid around $2

 The above sweater is Ann Taylor Loft from Goodwill.  I just picked it up last week during a "10 items for $9.99" sale so I paid $1

It is Homecoming week at my school and Monday was Disney Character day.  Lucky for me I picked up the Peter Pan shirt during the "10 items for $9.99" sale so I paid $1.  (One of my precious 3rd grade boys told me the shirt made him feel uncomfortable)

I hit up Goodwill again today and found myself 2 more items (I have a problem) but after looking up pricing I may sell one.  

Sell it Sunday

Is it just me or are February sales horrible?  My January was amazing.  It was way better than I expected considering Christmas was over.  I guess people got Christmas money and treated themselves but now they are broke again.  I really don't have very much to show for sales this week because its mostly been bread and butter stuff.  Nothing exciting.  Its sad when my biggest sales are just around $20.

 I bought this Nike Dri Fit shirt from Uptown Cheapskate which is an adult consignment store.  They had a really great fill a bag sale where you could purchase a bag for $15 and fill it with specially marked product.  I was able to fit 13 items in my bag.  9 for myself and 4 to sell.   The shirt sold for $17.99 and after fees I made $11.83

This is my 2nd time to sell this shirt.  The first time I had to open an unpaid item case but this time the buyer paid.  I don't spend a lot of time digging through the T-Shirts in thrift store but I try to do a quick flip through the racks for music related shirts and vintage sports shirts. I found this at the local Goodwill probably for $2.49.  I sold it for $20.50 and after fees I made $14.89 profit.

I hope I will have more exciting things to share next week and that my February sales will at least average out.  I went sourcing yesterday and will show you what I got later this week.  

What I Wore Wednesday

Once upon a time I loved going shopping. Outlet stores were my favorites but no matter where I went, I always made a beeline for the clearance rack. When I started my eBay business a year ago, I originally intended to sell items only- no clothes. Then I realized that clothes were where it's at! They are easy to store, easy to ship, and you can find them at super low costs if you know where to look. I started finding things for myself while out sourcing and now the majority of my clothes are thrifted. You know what? I get the BEST compliments on my thrifted outfits.  Each Wednesday I plan to show you my thrifted outfits.

(Top - Merona (Target Brand) - $2.74 from Goodwill. Pants - Matilda Jane - $7.50 from Goodwill)

 (Look at those ruffles!)

 (Kimono - Boutique Brand $10 Facebook Yard Sale, purple Shirt - Mossimo (Target Brand) from Goodwill - $1.25  Pants - several years old)

(Top - Old Navy Linen Blend tunic - $2.74 from Goodwill, pants - Ann Taylor Loft - $7.50 from Goodwill)

Tomorrow I will show you some of my recent thrift shop finds.

First Blog Post

First Blog Post

Hello, Internet world. My name is Stephanie. I'm a wife, momma, and teacher-librarian.  This past year I became an eBay seller as well and am hooked. It's like an awesome hobby that pays me. eBay has been a huge blessing this past year because my husband was a full time student and it helped to supplement our income. I only pocketed a profit of $5,500 last year but I think that was great for my first 11 months.  This blog will focus on thrift hauls, sales updates, and thrift-store fashion.