Books

BOLO ~ Dean Koontz Pseudonym Books

May 14, 2017 by Kari @ She Thrifts Leave a Comment

Here’s another BOLO I picked up from working the Reference Desk. A patron was asking about Dean Koontz books. THIS is my favorite website for getting lists of authors’ books, it’s especially great for figuring out the order of a series. When I pulled up the Dean Koontz page I noticed that there was an entire section of pseudonyms that Dean Koontz has written under. News to me. Noticing a woman’s name, I was curious and looked it up on Amazon. Impressed by the listed prices of the books, I then switched to eBay to see if any of the books were actually selling for high prices. Here are links to solds to some of Dean Koontz’s pseudonyms:

Of course I was curious both about why Dean Koontz had so many pseudonyms I had never heard of, and why the books published under those names were so valuable. I did a little research. It turns out when he first started writing he wrote in several different genres (sci fi, horror, etc) and at the advice of his editors he published his books of different genres under different names. Once his books started to become bestsellers he started to write under his own name consistently.

And the reason why the older books are worth so much? For many of them, Koontz bought back the rights so that they cannot be republished. Interesting, no?

Something fun to keep an eye out for at yard sales this summer.

Happy hunting!

BOLO ~ Julia (Sesame Street)

April 30, 2017 by Kari @ She Thrifts 5 Comments

Sesame Street has a new character. Her name is Julia, and she has autism. A very limited number of Julia books and plush have been released. My understanding is that they have all been given out as gifts/prizes, and have not been sold. If you’re lucky enough to find one now, snap it up! Check out completeds HERE.

***In the future I am sure there will be a mainstream store release of Julia items, at which time the value will go down dramatically. I would always recommend looking up “BOLOs” before purchasing, to determine the current value.***

Happy hunting!

Favorite 5+ Friday, 2/17/17

February 17, 2017 by Kari @ She Thrifts Leave a Comment

Here are some of my favorite sales of the past week.

I feel like I have to include clothing in this list because it is something I sell regularly, although it’s not my *favorite* thing to sell. I thought this jacket was really cute though, great for spring or Easter.

Ann Taylor LOFT jacket
Paid: $2 @ VV, Sold: $24.95 (listed since Dec)

Build a Bear can still be one of my weaknesses. I love picking up the outfits, but they’re often not worth the amount of time I put into listing them. This is probably my best BABW sale recently.

Build-A-Bear Merida (Brave) Outfit
Paid: $3 @ ys, Sold: $24.95 (listed since June)

I was super excited about these when I picked them up! I couldn’t believe someone was selling their P&P collection, obviously some effort was spent in collecting them and all the books looked/felt new. I knew it wouldn’t be a super fast flip, but I hope the person who receives them loves them!

Pride & Prejudice PBK Book Lot
Paid: $3 total @ ys, Sold: $34.95 (listed since June)

Costumes sell all year long!

Suicide Squad Katana Teen Costume
Paid: $2.49 @ Walmart, Sold: $29.95 (listed since Dec)

This sale is most notable because someone from Germany purchased it. I shipped it directly to him, not via GSP, but shipping was still pretty spendy.

NWT Puma Plush
Paid: $3.99 @ GW, Sold: $34.95 + international shipping (listed since Dec)

The last two items I listed two days ago, and both sold within hours!

Folkmanis Llama Puppet
Paid: $3.59 @ VV, Sold: $34.95 (less than 2 hours later)

And the frog below currently has a 100% sell-through rate, which is kinda crazy. I listed it Wed night, it had sold by Thurs morning. Check out completeds here.

Natural Wonders Big Frog Plush
Paid: $2.69 @ VV, Sold: $39.95 (morning after listed)

I’d love to hear about your favorite sale(s) of the week!

What I’ve sold via GSP.

February 10, 2017 by Kari @ She Thrifts 9 Comments

I am always curious to hear what others have sold via GSP. What do international buyers want so much that they are willing to paying for an item + the costly shipping charges? Here are the items that I have sold via GSP recently:

I have actually sold multiple Ikea plush internationally in the last couple years. I like to buy Ikea plush, but they can be really hit and miss. I’ve come across some that are selling for less than $10. On the other hand, I’ve sold some for $60-$75. In my experience the more realistic-looking plush animals have the potential to be worth more, the more character-y looking plush aren’t usually worth picking up. But there are always exceptions, so I look up every Ikea plush I come across.

Ikea Bear
Paid: $2.99 @ VV, Sold: $34.95

I went to a yard sale last summer that was the remnants of a used bookstore. They probably had thousands of paperback books in boxes, all for a quarter each. It was kinda overwhelming. Most weren’t in great shape. This was the only book I picked up there.

Doc Hollywood Paperback Book
Paid: $0.25 @ ys, Sold: $13.75 (on sale)

I paid full retail for this votive holder at a PartyLite party a friend hosted years ago, because of course I felt like I had to buy something. It’s pretty, but years later it was still sitting unused in the box it came in.

PartyLite Tealite Holder
Paid: (retail price) @ PartyLite Party, Sold: $19.95

I SUPER DUPER loved this show! Still feel a bit resentful that it was canceled when/how it was. And that they have only ever released the first season on DVD. Again I paid retail for this because I bought it as a gift for someone, then decided to give something else instead. I lost money on this one in the whole scheme of things, since it wasn’t originally purchased with the intent to resell.

American Dreams, Season 1
Paid: ($20ish/full retail), Sold $14.95

Build A Bear Brown Bunny
Paid: $1.39 @ VV, Sold: $24.95

Assassin’s Creed Teen Costume
Paid: $2.49 @ Walmart, Sold: $44.95

Plush Creations Turtle
Paid: $0.25 @ ys, Sold: $14.95

Kellytoy Plush Cow
Paid: $0.99 @ VV, Sold: $14.20 (on sale)

Do you sell via GSP? If so, what kinds of things actually sell for you?

January Reads

February 10, 2016 by Kari @ She Thrifts 4 Comments

One of my favorite things about my “eBay job” is that I can listen to audiobooks while I work. Depending on the length of the books and how much I am enjoying them, I can get through a book or two a week. Below are the books I “read” in January.

My True Love Gave To Me ~ Twelve Holiday Stories

I enjoy YA books, and this includes 12 short stories by current popular YA authors. I enjoyed some more than others, but overall it was a fun read.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

This was my bookclub’s choice for January. We picked it because it was supposed to be uplifting. So, I was surprised when reading it to discover that it is about a man who is depressed after the death of his wife and loss of his job and he decides to commit suicide. But darn it anyway, his intrusive new neighbors keep interrupting his many attempts. Sad in parts, but also heartwarming. I think my entire book club enjoyed it (and it’s rare for us all to agree).

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

This one was a bit of a dud for me. I’ve watched the first season or two of Girls and liked it alright. I was interested in reading about how she became a writer/director/producer at such a young age, but she doesn’t talk about that at all. But if you want to hear about her privileged upbringing with artsy parents, summer camp adventures, a bunch of random sexual encounters and casual drug use, or what she eats when she is on a diet, then she’s got you covered.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz

Book number four in the Lisbeth Salander/Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. It has been several years since I read the first three so if there was a big difference in the style of writing with the new author I didn’t notice it. Enjoyable enough, nice to revisit familiar characters.

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf

A short, rather lovely story about a lonely widow and widower who are neighbors forming a friendship and spending their nights together talking and finding companionship. I think knowing that the author was not in good health (and has since passed away) while writing the book makes its themes all the more impactful.

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

A book about how the internet and online dating has changed how people now date and find their partners. Interesting and sporadically funny, but also made me glad to have mostly missed out on all the newfangled dating options in the digital age.

Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham

I loved John Grisham in high school and college, but it’s probably been close to a decade since I’ve read one of his books. A not altogether likeable main character (lawyer) involved in a bunch of (I fear, ripped-from-the headlines, based on actual awful/horrifying events) law cases. It bounces around quite a bit among the different cases which took me awhile to get used to, but overall an enjoyable read.

Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

I love NPH! Loved HIMYM (you know, except for that awful finale), love love love musical theater and enjoyed reading about all of the plays he has done and all of his hosting gigs. Enjoyed reading about his husband and kids. A fun book.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Or have you read anything else good lately? Do tell! I am always up for a book recommendation.

BOLO – Gremlins book by Roald Dahl

November 17, 2015 by Kari @ She Thrifts 3 Comments

My second grader is going through a huge Roald Dahl phase right now (reading a bunch of Dahl’s books and several biographies on Dahl), and this morning at breakfast he was trying to list as many Roald Dahl books as he could remember off the top of his head. He mentioned Gremlins, and asked if it was one I had read as a kid. Uhhhh, Gremlins? I’ve heard of the movie of course, but never a Roald Dahl book with that title. So, I looked it up, and whaddyaknow, he knew exactly what he was talking about. Not only is there a Roald Dahl book with that title, it can be worth quite a bit of money! The selling amount of course varies depending on edition. Check out eBay completeds and current listings on Amazon. Definitely going on my BOLO list!

BOLO ~ Value Tales Books

April 19, 2015 by Kari @ She Thrifts 3 Comments

Another BOLO to pass on, this one comes from a comment left by Diana. (Diana, if you have a blog please let me know in the comments, I’d love to link to it.)

**photo borrowed from completed eBay listing**

Value Tales books! A series I had never even heard of before.
They are no joke – check out completeds HERE.

I hope everyone finds these BOLOs helpful. I’ve been trying to share at least one a week, sometimes more depending what I stumble across in my research. I’ve learned so much by reading blogs over the past couple years that I am always happy for the opportunity to pay it forward. AND I’m hoping that by blogging about some of these finds that they’ll stick in my brain a little better if and when I come across one.

Thanks again Diana for the tip!

Possible BOLOs ~ Great Illustrated Classics & Little House On The Prairie

April 14, 2015 by Kari @ She Thrifts 2 Comments

**photo borrowed from completed eBay listing**

My oldest is in first grade, and I’ve volunteered to catalog all of the books in his classroom library. It’s a big project, and I’ve been working on it off and on for a couple months. Today I came across a nice set of hardcover Great Illustrated Classics. They looked brand new and pretty all lined up next to each other. Of course my brain made the jump to eBay, and I had to look and see if they were worth anything if I was to find some in the wild. It looks like if you find a bunch at a decent price and they are in good condition, they could be worth picking up! See completeds HERE.

Also worth mentioning are Little House on the Prairie book lots. If you find the whole set at a low price they can be a good flip. See completeds HERE.

Do you have a book series you’re always on the lookout for or have had good luck flipping? Please share!

BOLO ~ Charlie Sifford Autobiography “Just Let Me Play”

February 15, 2015 by Kari @ She Thrifts 2 Comments

(photo borrowed from Amazon listing)

Here’s a BOLO for all the book sellers out there. Charlie Sifford was the first African-American to play on the PGA Tour. He passed away this month at the age of 92. He wrote a book about this life called Just Let Me Play: The Story of Charlie Sifford. As I type this the lowest price on his book on Amazon is $500, and on eBay they have gone as high as $250. One to keep an eye out for!

Question: What have you sold on Bonanza?

October 21, 2014 by Kari @ She Thrifts 12 Comments

I took the Bonanza plunge a little over a month ago. It didn’t take long to set up my account, and I allowed the account to pull all of my listing info from eBay. (I currently have over 1000 active listings on eBay.) I have a basic, non-subscription Bonanza account. I haven’t done any Bonanza-site-specific listing, nor do I plan to. My understanding is that Bonanza syncs its info with what I have listed on eBay once every day or two, new listings being added to Bonanza, expired/sold listings being removed. I’m not worried about double selling an item. I’ve sold five items on Bonanza so far, and I’ve been quick to remove each listing from eBay, but I don’t worry about removing eBay sales from Bonanza. If by chance I were to double sell an item I would ship it to the eBay buyer, and figure out how to cancel the transaction on Bonanza.

Below you will find the five items I’ve sold on Bonanza so far. My prices were close to but not exactly what is listed below. Bonanza encourages (forces?) sellers to offer at least a small discount off eBay prices, as a trade-off for their lower fees.

Pumpkin Carving Book
Paid: $0.25 @ post-Halloween clearance last year, Sold: $10

NWT Disney Finding Nemo Turtle Plush
Paid: $0.25 @ ys, Sold: $10

NWT Little Miss Scary Suction Cup Plush
Paid: $1 @ rummage sale, Sold: $20

NWT Finnegan King of the Leprechauns plush
Paid: $4 @ consignment store, Sold: $30

Historic San Francisco Monopoly
Paid: $3 @ ys, Sold: $50

If you also sell on Bonanza, I’d love to know how long you’ve been selling there, approx. how many items you may have sold, and what kinds of items the sales have been. Inquiring minds want to know!