Author Archives: Kate

Day 30 of Money Challenge #2: Everyday Listing/Selling for 31 days

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I’m not quite sure where I dropped the ball and lost all motivation for this challenge. Goodness knows I have more than enough stuff lying around to try to sell. It just gets time consuming to find the item, take the photos, upload them to the computer, take measurements of the item, draft the listing, edit the listing and SELL!

I certainly underestimated how much this challenge would wipe me out.  I’m grateful that tomorrow’s the last day so I can move on.

I haven’t sold much at all. But I some guy  in Brazil decided to buy my Cabela’s socks:

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I’d bought them at Goodwill for $2 and sold them on ebay for $6 since they retail for about $20. My only downfall with this sale was in the shipping costs. I estimated international shipping at around $12. Apparently it’s more like $17. So I lost out on any kind of profit from this sale.

I basically just donated nice socks to some Brazilian dude.

Day 30

Listed thus far: Sarah Coventry brooch, vintage candelabra, Springer spaniel belt buckle, Cabela’s socks, Avon necklace, vintage ice cube tray, viking like candelabra, and vintage Looney Tunes DEKA plastic mug, vintage knitting supplies, Vera scarf, The Bon-Ton vintage gloves, vintage leather cloak, 

Total sold: $89.49

Day 20 of Everyday Listing/Selling – Suddenly profit!

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Alright, so I’ve been notably unmotivated regarding this challenge. HOWEVER, I finally sold this ridiculous cape for $79!

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Not bad, not bad at all.

Day 20

Listed thus far: Sarah Coventry brooch, vintage candelabra, Springer spaniel belt buckle, Cabela’s socks, Avon necklace, vintage ice cube tray, viking like candelabra, and vintage Looney Tunes DEKA plastic mug, vintage knitting supplies, Vera scarf, The Bon-Ton vintage gloves, vintage leather cloak, 

Total sold: $89.49

Day 13 of Money Challenge #2: Everyday Listing/Selling for 31 days

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Okay…I’m not giving up BUT I am going to my grandma’s house in the west Texas desert for the next few days. I won’t be back until Day 19 of the challenge. Hopefully, that will give me enough of a break to muster up my motivation again!

That’s my logic anyway.

See you all on Day 19!

Day 12 of Money Challenge #2: Everyday Listing/Selling for 31 days – I’m this close to giving up

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I know, I know, it’s just pathetic. Only 12 days in and already I’m considering throwing in the towel? I’ll give you my reasons:

I’m tired of listing stuff online. It’s annoying and time consuming and not bringing me any money.

I’m not getting rid of stuff. I’m just getting rid of stuff that I think will sell. And that’s very different.

Also, I’ve only made $10. And it’s been almost two weeks.

I don’t have anything to list today. We’ll see what I come up with in the next few days.  Gggrrrrr…..

Day 9 of Money Challenge #2: Everyday Listing/Selling for 31 days – Lazy LARP cloak day

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Ya, that’s right. I’m a little lazy today. After mowing the lawn, taking out the glass recycling, scheduling a hair appointment, taking a 3 hour nap, and eating a local burger, I’m exhausted in the wonderful way that late 20 somethings get exhausted.

To make my life even easier than it already is, I’ve decided to relist something on ebay that didn’t sell during my last money challenge.

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It’s a LARP cloak. A vintage, tri-color leather Flinstone-esque LARP cloak. And I’m the kid trying to sell it. So I’ve put it back up on ebay and lowered the auction starting price by $20 because I’m desperate. DESPERATE, I tell you.

And I sold something else in this challenge! That weird vintage Springer spaniel belt buckle sold for 4 bones. It’s no fortune, but I’ll take it.

Day 9

Listed thus far: Sarah Coventry brooch, vintage candelabra, Springer spaniel belt buckle, Cabela’s socks, Avon necklace, vintage ice cube tray, viking like candelabra, and vintage Looney Tunes DEKA plastic mug, vintage knitting supplies, Vera scarf, The Bon-Ton vintage gloves, vintage leather cloak, 

Total sold: $7.49

Day 8 of Money Challenge #2: Everyday Listing/Selling for 31 days – The Bon-Ton

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It’s only been a week since I began this challenge and already I am sick of ebay! The process for listing items online can be so time consuming when you have to take photos, measure all sides and then draft a listing that markets the item. Oh, it’s exhausting on nights like tonight when I just want to curl up on the couch and drink beer and eat mac n’ cheese.

But alas! I listed something:

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Two pairs of vintage buttery soft leather gloves from The Bon-Ton in York, PA. The Bon-Ton has a pretty rich American history so I’m hoping it will attract a buyer pretty effortlessly.

In other news, I sold my first item today! The Sarah Coventry brooch I listed on Day 1 sold for $3.49. Not bad, chap, not bad at all.

Day 8

Listed thus far: Sarah Coventry brooch, vintage candelabra, Springer spaniel belt buckle, Cabela’s socks, Avon necklace, vintage ice cube tray, viking like candelabra, and vintage Looney Tunes DEKA plastic mug, vintage knitting supplies, Vera scarf, The Bon-Ton vintage gloves, 

Total sold: $3.49

Day 7 of Money Challenge #2: Everyday Listing/Selling for 31 days – Scarf it down

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Summer 2006 was the summer of yard sales. My college roommate Megan and I went to dozens of yard sales that summer. Every Saturday was a new adventure to find the ever elusive items that we could sell on ebay to make a few extra bucks.

In talking with some old ladies running a church rummage sale in some small dusty town in Kansas, I learned about Vera Neumann scarves. Collector scarves from post World War II era America, usually in beautiful bold colors and signed “Vera” with her signature ladybugs present somewhere in the pattern. The old gals convinced me to pay $1 for one of their Vera scarves and I’ve hung onto it ever since.

Until today, when I listed it on ebay:

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It doesn’t have Vera’s signature ladybugs, but I’m hoping to get a few bucks for it. We shall see…

Day 7

Listed thus far: Sarah Coventry brooch, vintage candelabra, Springer spaniel belt buckle, Cabela’s socks, Avon necklace, vintage ice cube tray, viking like candelabra, and vintage Looney Tunes DEKA plastic mug, vintage knitting supplies, Vera scarf

Total sold: $0

Day 6 of Money Challenge #2: Everyday Listing/Selling for 31 days – The Eye of the Needle

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My college boyfriend taught me how to knit. His mom had taught him as a kid and he was quite good. While he was knitting complicated patterns for cabled neck sweaters and intarsia hats, I was still knitting scarves and wash cloths.

In fact, I never graduated from the scarves phase of knitting. The only thing that progressed in my knitting hobby was my super human power to accumulate knitting gear. Knitters know how addicting buying yarn can be. I even bought sets of needles in various colors and sizes, including vintage knitting schwag:

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That’s right! Vintage 1950s Made in America knitting gear by Marcia Lynn – and still in original packaging.

Unfortunately, they don’t sell as well as I’d hoped. So I’ve combined them into one listing to increase their odds of selling. Starting bid is only 5.99.

So far I’ve put 9 listing on ebay and only one thing has a bid (the Avon locket necklace) and even that’s only going for $2.99!

I keep telling myself that at least the stuff is listed and not just wasting closet space. *sigh*

Day 6

Listed thus far: Sarah Coventry brooch, vintage candelabra, Springer spaniel belt buckle, Cabela’s socks, Avon necklace, vintage ice cube tray, viking like candelabra, and vintage Looney Tunes DEKA plastic mug, vintage knitting supplies

Total sold: $0

Day 5 of Money Challenge #2: Everyday Listing/Selling for 31 days – DEKA

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Surely you’ve seen cutesy plastic mugs around ebay and etsy such as this one that I listed today:

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They were widely massed produced in the late 70s and throughout the 80s with popular trademarked themes of the day that are now super nostalgic, such as Looney Tunes, Strawberry Shortcake, He-Man, Pac Man, Smurfs, etc.

And they were all produced by DEKA Plastics in the USA. The company was known for high quality plastic goods and their nostalgic mugs have stood the test of time, making them a great collector’s item and fairly easy to sell. You can find DEKA mugs in most thrift stores, buy them for 30 cents and resell them for $6 on ebay. Not a bad profit.

So I’ve listed my 1983 Looney Tunes DEKA plastic mug on ebay for $5.99.

It’s cute, right?

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I grew up with a Sylvester doll from which I was inseparable. These nostalgic items speak to our Generation X or Generation Y childhood experiences. Maybe that’s why they’re pretty reliant best sellers.

Day 5

Listed thus far: Sarah Coventry brooch, vintage candelabra, Springer spaniel belt buckle, Cabela’s socks, Avon necklace, vintage ice cube tray, viking like candelabra, and vintage Looney Tunes DEKA plastic mug.

Total sold: $0

Day 4 of Money Challenge #2: Everyday Listing/Selling for 31 days – It’s storming outside

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That’s right, it’s storming outside. A classic Spring Midwestern storm that’s kept me mostly inside. But I did muster up the energy to visit a nearby thrift store just for fun and found these:

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Cabela’s Men’s socks. They retail for $12.99 and I got them for much much less than that. A friend at work recently made a profit off some Cabela’s clothing by listing it on ebay, so I decided to go ahead and take the chance. Plus, if they don’t sell at least The Beard can wear them.

Then I felt guilty for buying something to list when I have stuff at home that I should be listing. And since it’s a stormy day, I made the most of it by listing three additional items:

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A costume jewelry necklace, a weird kind of viking candelabra, and an old ice cube maker. I’ve listed them all.

So far the most views one of my items has gotten is nine. NINE! That’s it! I don’t know why I have a bad luck streak with ebay going but I hope it ends soon.

Day 4

Listed thus far: Sarah Coventry brooch, vintage candelabra, Springer spaniel belt buckle, Cabela’s socks, Avon necklace, vintage ice cube tray, and viking like candelabra.

Total sold: $0