Road Trip Goodies, Batch #3

I've had a super-busy week this week, and I am really tired, but I forced myself to get another box of goodies ready to list this week. Here's what we've got:

My Little Sandbox Play Set (Big Builder)

 When I bought this, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to sell it or keep it for my 4 year old. And then I pictured him playing with sand in his bedroom and decided to sell it. The sand and rocks are still sealed in the original bags. One of the rocks had a hole broken in it, so I'll have to sell it as New (Other) if that is an option in this category. Doesn't look like I'll get much for it, but I can hopefully double my investment. I paid $4.90 and will try for $14.99.

Beach Party Funshine Care Bear

 This was actually a Facebook purchase, not a road trip purchase. It looked bigger in the photo, but it's just one of the little 7-8" ones. The only other Beach Party Care Bear that is currently listed or in completeds is a Bedtime Bear.  It is also not showing up on Terapeak. I just googled it and found it on Amazon for $49.99! So I just quickly listed mine on Amazon, but I will also list it on eBay this week - probably higher than that with Best Offer.

Big Screen Poker

One of the stores I went to had several baskets full of handheld electronic games. I pulled a bunch that looked interesting and looked them all up. This one is a good seller! Hopefully it's also a fast seller. I'll probably be listing it for $69.99OBO.

Camping Journal

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this. This was given to me as a gift. We enjoy camping, but we don't get to go nearly often enough to warrant an entire journal about it. I'll have to research it, but I'll probably aim for around $10.

Littlest Pet Shop Igloo

I wouldn't have bothered buying this, but it was half-off, and I remembered that Becky recently sold one for decent money. I only paid $2.25 for it. If it ends up not selling, my 5 year old likes LPS stuff, so I'll just give it to her. I don't think those are the animals that originally came with the set, but that doesn't really seem to matter. I'll try for $15-20.

Clairol Kindness 24 Hot Rollers

As you may know, I am a big fan of selling hot rollers. I have sold several different styles of Clairol Kindness rollers. These are old and in a cool case, so I got them. Actually, I recently sold this same set for my hairdresser. I combined it with another similar set and sold both as a lot, because she only had one power cord between the two of them. I'm hoping for $50ish, but that might be optimistic.

Little People Noah's Ark

I recently sold a LP Noah's Ark set that belonged to my kids. It only went for $9.99 + shipping, but I was okay with that because it was just laying around the house. It sold pretty quickly, so I suspect I could have gotten more for it. I wouldn't have bothered picking this one up, but I noticed that it had all different animals than the other one I sold. AND the animals have cool hair. So for $1.90, I took a chance. I'll be aiming higher on this one though. Will probably price it somewhere around $35-40.

Vintage Lincoln Logs

I'm never sure about these. I sold an incomplete set once before for $17.50 + shipping. They also went quickly. I guess I will price these a little higher - maybe $20.

Mauve Chuck Taylor Converse High-Tops - men's size 13

Okay. Seriously. It takes a very confident man to wear these. No idea how I'm going to price them. I think they are hideous, which COULD make them go pretty high. I'll have to sleep on this one...

Kids' size 12 Converse

I actually bought 2 pairs of these at a thrift store (donated by twins, I guess?). One pair has loose eyelets and mis-matched laces. I'll price them at just $15. The other pair I'll do $20.

Bloch jazz tap shoes

I haven't found any tap shoes for awhile. Now that summer is winding down, all these extra-curricular activities are probably starting to pick back up again. I'll put $25 on these for awhile and see how they do. They are size 8, which is a pretty common size, so they should sell fairly quickly.

Sunflower Sun Tea Jar

This wasn't a road trip find. This was in the back of my cupboard. We had a yard sale this weekend, so I pulled this out to sell for $3. But then I vaguely recalled some discussion on these on eBay Underground, so I looked it up. Geez Louise, I'm glad I did. I scraped my $3 price sticker off of it and put it in my eBay room. Have you looked these things up?? I fully intend to get $35 + shipping on this.

Totally Exhausted!

Wow - I feel like I have been barely able to keep my head above water this past week. And it's not going to be any different this coming week.

A brief rundown:


Re: my building ... It's coming along slowly but surely. I'm getting a little discouraged. I honestly had no idea there was so much work to go into it before I could move in. The electricity is all hooked up and tested. It's fully insulated. The drywall is almost done. The drywall is on the ceiling and almost all the walls. It will still need taped, mudded, and painted before I can move in. I had really hoped to have all of that done by last weekend so that I could get moved last week, and then get my daughter's room (my current eBay room) painted and move her in before she starts school Tuesday. We got close. But my husband is back to day shift tomorrow, and then evening classes starting tomorrow evening for 4 nights a week. Which leaves him a grand total of 2 days to be home each week. I'm disappointed that it didn't happen on my timeline, but I do greatly appreciate how hard my husband has been working on it. My brother-in-law used to do drywall for a living, so I'm contemplating just hiring him to finish it off this week. I dunno ...

We had a yard sale the last 2 days. Those are always exhausting. And I don't know if it's too late in the summer for people to be out yard saling, or what was going on. But it was the most disappointing yard sale I've ever had. I made significantly more on eBay during those 2 days than I did at the sale. With eBay being as slow as it has been lately, that's really saying a lot.

Although that last sentence isn't very fair. My eBay sales are back up to about 80% of where they were last year, after such a hugely significant drop over the last several months. My bills have increased over the summer too, so even with increased sales, I STILL feel like I am spinning my wheels and getting nowhere. But it's encouraging to see lots of packages going out the door every morning.


I sold some "new" ink cartridges for my mother-in-law last week. I got a message overnight last night saying that they weren't new, and that they were defective and printed mostly magenta. Unfortunately, I already paid my mother-in-law for the sale, so I'll be losing out big time on those. Lesson learned. :(

Remember when I mentioned that microwave turntables sell in bunches for me? Yesterday, I got an offer on one (I countered and never heard back), PLUS I sold two others. All in one day. That used up almost all of my packing peanuts, so hopefully I don't sell anymore until I can get some more packing peanuts.

I had one buyer buy 3 different lots of school books the other day. She bought a lot of 16 Newbery books, a lot of 5 PA K12 cyber school textbooks, and the history curriculum that I used with my 4th grader last year. Our 2 younger kids will be using a different curriculum throughout their school years, so we didn't need those history books anymore, as much as I loved them. She paid $75 + shipping for all of them and paid immediately. That was a very encouraging sale during an otherwise BAD day. :)

Other than that, none of my other sales really stand out. They have been nice and steady, ranging from $10-$50. Lots of variety, but nothing with an interesting story behind it.

I have an enormous mess in my house, so I need to go into yard-sale-recovery mode for the rest of the afternoon. We also have a church picnic this evening that I need to make a dessert for. My daughter is at my parents' house for a sleepover, so I'll have to stop out and pick her up this afternoon. I'm playing the piano at church tomorrow, so I need to find a song for prelude. My to-do list is very long for today. Guess I'd better sign off...

Road Trip Goodies, Batch #2

Before I show you batch #2 ... an update from batch #1 already!  I sold my Nightmare III game! When I actually sat down to list it, I decided to aim high with a best offer and see what would happen. I was stunned when it sold for my full asking price a mere 26 minutes after I listed it! So add this one to your BOLO list:

Now, on to today's goodies...

NEW Wilton Comfort Grip Tulip Cookie Cutter

I saw this on the shelf at Goodwill and walked right by it, but a few steps later, a memory triggered. I vaguely remembered someone somewhere saying that some of these do well, so I looked it up. And then I snatched it up and threw it in my cart. This particular cutter recently sold (USED) for $30 + shipping. This one is new, so I'm going to aim high. I paid 97 cents for it :-D

12" Talking Buzz LightYear

I haven't researched this one lately, but I remember looking it up once before and seeing that it does pretty well. I will add a video to my listing, showing that it does work. I hope that doesn't end up backfiring, once the buyer realizes how annoying this toy is and decides not to buy it after all.

Balderdash board game

This is my mom's. She asked me to list it last month, and if it didn't sell, she was going to put it in our yard sale this weekend. I completely forgot. Here it is yard sale week and I forgot to list it, but I'm going to anyway. It's not a high-dollar seller, but I'm confident I can get more on eBay than she would get for it at a yard sale.

Leap Frog Alphabet Go Fish and Math Rummy

I still haven't decided whether I'm going to sell this or keep it for my preschoolers. I haven't researched it yet, so that will be when I decide.

NEW Pixos Ocean Set

I don't know anything about Pixos. I don't know what they are or what you do with them. But Rachel from The Selling Sisters has mentioned them a couple times, so I texted her from the store to see if I should buy these. She said to go for it, but that they might sit until closer to Christmas. I'm okay with that.

TI-83 Graphing Calculator

I couldn't believe my luck with this one. It was in my favorite huge dirty, unorganized thrift store that doesn't price their stuff. I asked how much it was. He said, "That's the TI-83. That's a really expensive one new, so ... how about $2?"  Um. Yeah, okay! There's no cover or manual, but I should still be able to get a minimum of $60, and probably fairly quickly, since it's back-to-school time right now.

Horse etched roly poly glasses

I took a chance on these. They have silver bands around the center. There are equestrian scenes etched on the silver. I wasn't able to find this exact set listed currently or in completeds. I will have to do more research before I list them, but I'm hoping for at least $20-25 for the set.

Towle silver mother-of-pearl chips/veggies and dip tray

I overspent on this. I couldn't find this exact tray listed, but there was a divided vegetable serving dish with the same mother-of-pearl design that recently sold for nearly $90, so I decided to take a chance on it. I paid $12 for it, which is more than I usually spend on something I know nothing about. But I knew I could at least double my money, but I'm hoping for closer to $50.

8 quart Revere Ware stockpot

I always have pretty good luck with Revere Ware. I only paid $3.97 for this one. It does show some wear, but I am still hoping for around $40-50.

16 quart Revere Ware stockpot

This one, on the other hand, should fetch me a pretty penny. I've never seen a Revere Ware stockpot this large. And it is in excellent shiny condition. It is absolutely gorgeous, and if it wasn't such a good reseller, I would be tempted to keep it for myself. But I need the cash more than I need an extra-large stockpot that I would use twice a year. Hoping for closer to $100 on this one.

And as usual, I found a bunch of denim skirts. The brown one in the top center is a name I've never heard of, but it had a high retail price tag on it and was only $2, so I bought it. The bottom left is a Ralph Lauren golf skirt. Its retail tag said $98, so I'll hope for $40-50 on it. I only paid $3 for it.

This should be plenty to keep me busy tonight :)

Road Trip Goodies, Batch #1

Ok, I've got all of my stuff unpacked and stashed in bins and baskets so that it is all out of the middle of the living room. I will just fill a box each day or so and get them listed. As I get the photos ready to go, I will blog here about what was in that day's pile.

Here is what I'm listing tonight:

New in shrink wrap Nightmare III VHS game

I don't know anything at all about this game, but I looked it up because it was new in the wrapper. I paid $3 for it. There was a "very good condition" one that recently sold for $29.99. Because mine is still in the wrapper, I'll aim for $39.99

Full set of 10 Roswell books + trivia book

Something else I know nothing about, but the full set was on the shelf altogether, so I looked them up. The set of 10 recently sold for $59.95 + shipping. Because I have the extra trivia book, I'll probably price at $69.99 + shipping and see what happens. If it doesn't sell after a month, I'll add a Best Offer option.

Vintage Peter Pan Colorforms set - complete

Colorforms are hit or miss. I recently picked up a whole stack of them at a yard sale for 50 cents each. They've done ok. Not through the roof sales, but $14.99 on a 50 cent purchase isn't too bad. I bought this without looking it up. One set recently sold for $18.49 + shipping. There is currently only one other set listed. It is at auction with several bids. I will get this listed tonight so that the underbidder on that auction will be able to buy it as soon as that auction ends, if they want it.

Lot of 10 Cam Jansen books

I've been working on this set for a couple months. I buy them for around 25 cents apiece. I don't find them too often. I finally got 10 and have decided to go ahead and list them. Not sure how they'll do, but I'd like to aim for a minimum of $1 per book to quadruple my investment.

Lot of 8 vintage wooden puzzles

I read somewhere that these do well, so when I found a huge stack of them yesterday, I went through them and pulled all the half-price ones. I paid $1 each for these and hope to sell them in a lot for about $4 per puzzle, so $32ish for the lot.

25th Anniversary Love-a-Lot Care Bear

This wasn't from my road trip, but it somehow ended up in tonight's box. I got it off my Facebook group for $4. I'll try to get $20-25 for it, but I'm not holding my breath.

Golden Book - Old Friends, New Friends

There is a gal on my Facebook group who recently bought a few Golden books from me. She says she wants to collect the whole set (??) for her son, so if I find anymore, to let her know. I kept that in the back of my mind during my trip. The ones she bought from me last week, she paid 50 cents each for, so I didn't want to spend more than a quarter each. Most of the stores had them priced at LEAST 50 cents, many had them for $1 each. This store had a whole shelf of them priced at 50 cents apiece, so I went through and pulled all the half-price ones. I paid a quarter each for them, intending to sell them to her for 50 cents each. Quick double. But I decided to look them all up individually first. I was surprised to see that this one recently sold for $39.95. I think it was a fluke, so I'll just list it for a month and see what happens.

Golden Book - The Three Bears

This was another surprise. This one recently sold for $19.88 + shipping, for a copy in much worse condition than mine. I'll try for $20 on mine.

Set of 19 Joy Berry Survival Series for Kids

This set was altogether on the shelf, and it was the half-price sticker, so I decided to look them up. A set of 27 recently sold for $50 + shipping. I will probably price mine at $59.99 or best offer.

Set of 24 flower shower curtain rods

It wasn't until about an hour ago that I realized these are Walmart. But nice pictures (and no mention of Walmart) should help me get a decent price for these. 23 of them match. There's an oddball to the far right. I decided to leave it in. I'll probably aim for $20-25 on these.

LeapPad lot

I've had the unit laying around for quite some time now, but I haven't had any books/cartridges. Any time I find any, they are priced too high for resale. I couldn't believe my eyes when I found 13 books and cartridges in a bag at Goodwill for only $2.97!! I scarfed them up after quickly flipping through them. At first glance, it looked like all the cartridges and books matched, and for only $2.97, I decided it was worth the risk. There did end up being one double, which I will hang on to until I luck into another lot like this. I have sold 2 similar-sized lots in the past, one for around $60, the other for around $100. The $100 one had a case to go with it. I'll probably go for $80 on these. Might even price at $99.99 or best offer.


So there you have it. Box #1.  I won't be able to do a full box each night, but as I get pics ready, I'll post about them here.

Whew!!

I have just finished up a 3 day thrifting shopping spree. We will be headed home in an hour or so. I've got every nook and cranny packed full in my van. My head is spinning. I have gotten so many amazing goodies this week. I don't even remember it all.

When I get home, I have to get groceries and get the house ready for a birthday slumber party tonight. What was I thinking with that scheduling?? Tomorrow is my nephew's first birthday party. Sunday is church. I hope to squeeze in some time with my new playthings over the weekend, but I won't get any real time for photos or research or listing until next week :(

I will post my finds as I am able. There is so much that I will probably break it down into several posts over the next week.

Looks like we'll be traveling home in rain. I pray we don't wreck, because I'd hate to hear what the emergency responders would say about me later. "Dude, you should have seen this call I went out on this morning. Pretty sure the lady was a hoarder. She had crap stuffed in every possible corner of her van. She had kids in there too but I could hardly see them past all the stuff. This lady must have a disease of some sort."

Lol. I'll drive carefully :)

Road Trip!!!

Heading east for my twice-yearly thrifting road trip tomorrow! Usually I do 3 days, but I've extended it to 4 days! Woot! That gives me plenty of time to find lots of goodies. Of course, I will report back with my treasures when I get home :)

Wave if you see me - I'll be wearing my finest pj's :)

**this is NOT me, but I hope this is
what my cart will look like at every store I find!

Things Are Picking Up!

My sales are finally picking up! My June sales were about 80-85% of what they were before this big long dry spell. Woo hoo!

I sell a lot of the same types of items over and over again, so my sales posts get a little monotonous. I apologize for that. I only wish I could find the fun and exciting stuff more often :)

My sister-in-law brought me these Pikolinos to sell. It was a brand I had never heard of, but after researching them, I expected them to do well. I'm a little disappointed, but hey - I still more than tripled my investment, so I can't complain :)

• Acquired On: 11/26/11 (sister-in-law)
• Listed On: 12/13/11
• Sold On: 7/31/12
• Paid: $5.90
• Sold For: $22.50 + shipping

 More Converse! I don't care whether they are made in USA or Vietnam or China. If I see great condition Converse for $5 or less, I am buying them. They sell very consistently for me.

• Acquired On: 6/6/12 (Facebook group)
• Listed On: 6/14/12
• Sold On: 7/30/12
• Paid: $5
• Sold For: $25 + shipping

I've sold this particular design twice now. I absolutely love it, but I do not like the shape of the classic Miche bag, so I won't keep it for myself.

• Acquired On: 6/28/12 (yard sale)
• Listed On: 6/30/12
• Sold On: 8/1/12
• Paid: $2
• Sold For: $34.99 + shipping

I have sold this exact style of SAS sandals twice now. SAS is something else I will always buy in great condition. Some people can squeeze $50-60 out of SAS shoes, but I aim for $40 to get the quick sale, especially when I get them at Goodwill for $2.99.

• Acquired On: 7/7/12 (Indiana Goodwill)
• Listed On: 7/22/12
• Sold On: 7/31/12
• Paid: $3.94
• Sold For: $40 + shipping

I am making a killing on that huge Miche lot I bought in June. To recap, I bought 5 bags, an organizer, and 29 shells for $97. To date, I have sold all 5 bags, the organizer, and 17 shells for a total of $489! I still have 12 shells left, and I sell them for $30-35 each, so that's another $300+ once they sell. Woot!

I spent all day yesterday and the day before testing, cleaning, and listing hot rollers. I had 10 sets that had piled up. I just finished listing them a few minutes ago. That is easily the most detestable part of this job. I love almost every aspect of this job, but not cleaning hot rollers. I wish I could just learn to leave them behind, but the profit margin is so good on them that I just can't stop myself.

Big exciting news!! Several of us are getting together to go to eBay on Location in September! I don't recall it ever being anywhere near me in the time that I've been selling on eBay, so I was excited that it's in Philadelphia this time! I'll be sure to post pictures and my thoughts on the conference when it's over :)