Life

eBay Goals, 2017

January 1, 2017 by Kari @ She Thrifts 6 Comments

New year, new goals! I just looked to see what my goals were at the start of 2016, wondering if I had come close to hitting them, but it doesn’t look like I posted any.

I love the new year, the feeling of starting off fresh, all the possibilities. Goals are fun, but of course they aren’t anything more than wishes unless I’m willing to put in the work to make them happen. Here are my current goals for 2017:

List 100 new items/week

This is actually a slightly toned-down goal from the start of the school year. I had HUGE expectations of what I should be able to accomplish with both boys being in school. I thought I would be able to use all of the time they were in school to list. Reality – notsomuch. I spend most of Monday volunteering at their school, and there are some other weekdays that I work at my “real” job, so I get little to no listing done. Also, there is shipping, photographing, and other life things that take up time I would like to be using to list. So, I am starting 2017 with a workable, achievable listing goal, with the knowledge that how many items I am able to list each day will probably change day to day, week to week, depending on how our schedules go. And that will be okay, as long as I am hitting 100 by the end of the week.

Sales average $150/day ~ $1000/week

I was hitting this for awhile, notsomuch lately. It’s totally doable if I am consistent with my listing.

Get organized, stay organized

I need to reorganize my office, it looks like an explosion of packing materials. And I had been letting my inventory creep back into our living areas. No more.

Inventory all totes

This is a long-term goal, because I usually wait for the obscene number of free listings to pop up, and then I go through totes and end listings, tweak listings, add Best Offer, sell similar, or just end them for good.

Keep blogging

I’ve neglected it. I know it. I enjoy blogging, and want to feel like I have the time to dedicate to it. But it requires me getting my listing done first, so I can focus on more fun things guilt-free.

Become a morning person?

I think I’m gonna try it. I used to be a real night owl, but I feel like I am getting very little actually accomplished in the late hours lately. I’ve been moving my bedtime earlier and earlier, and I think when the boys start back to school I will head to be shortly after they do, and get up at 5 a.m. to get some work done before they get up. I am usually most motivated first thing in the morning. (We’ll see how this one goes.)

What are your goals for 2017? I would love to hear about them!

Thrift Fast

November 27, 2016 by Kari @ She Thrifts 7 Comments

I have started a thrifting fast. I am actually already over two weeks in and holding (fairly) strong. I thought about writing this post a couple weeks ago, but the irony of posting about being included in a list of top 10 thrifting blogs, only to turn around a couple days later and say that I am no longer thrifting . . . right? Doh. But it has to happen.

The thrift fast is happening for a couple reasons.

Reason #1: I have too much unlisted inventory!

Actually, maybe it’s happening for just one reason, and that’s it. I have too much unlisted inventory. I knew during the summer that I was buying more at yard sales and thrift stores than I was able to list, but I thought that once school started I would be listing soooo much more, and that I would catch up quickly on all my backlog. Reality: nosomuch.

I thought I would basically be eBaying full time. Reality: notsomuch. On a day that I can completely dedicate to eBay, I have just shy of 6 hours of time to work. The ideal would be to spend 100% of that time listing. The reality is that I usually have to spend part of it shipping sold items, cropping photos, chatting with my mail lady during pickup, eating lunch, washing dishes, starting laundry, etc. So even on my eBay-only days, I’m not getting as much done as I think I should.

Reality check: 6 hours isn’t full time anyway, it’s 3/4 time.

Reality check: I spend most of each Monday volunteering in both of my boys’ classrooms at school. Which is awesome. I know I am lucky I have the option to do it, and my kindergartener especially LOVES it. I usually have less than two hours left to get work done after volunteering, before having to pick the boys up from school. So, that’s certainly not a full day’s work.

Reality check: I’m getting called in to work more and more at my “real” job, and am working pretty much every Wednesday during school hours, and some Thursdays and Fridays too. Nice to have that money, but it equals more days that I am not getting in my full 6 eBay hours.

The result: Of course I’m not getting as much eBay work done as I had planned. I’m not getting my inventory listed as fast. (I’m not making as much money as I had planned.) I’ve let the backlog of inventory creep into our living spaces, which is really not okay. So I’ve cut myself off. No more thrifting in 2016. Honestly, maybe no more thrifting until Spring Break. We’ll see how it goes.

I have unlisted inventory sitting where our Christmas tree will go. Gotta list, gotta list, gotta list!

3.1 miles. It’s a small world after all!

November 2, 2016 by Kari @ She Thrifts 4 Comments

I think I feel the need to report it every time this happens, which is silly. I live in a town of 150K+ people, so two or three times a year I sell something on eBay to someone who lives in the same town as me. Last night I was shipping items and up popped an address in my town. Out of curiosity I looked it up, and it is 3.1 miles from where I live. A tad further away than the Post Office it will be dropped off at, but not by much. Still curious (and at the risk of sounding like a stalker) I put the buyer’s name in FB and, whaddya know, we have a couple FB friends in common. It’s a small, small world.

Who Am I? Bunny Rabbit (?) ID

September 16, 2016 by Kari @ She Thrifts 14 Comments

Anybody recognize this guy? I have had luck in the past selling these character potholders, so I picked him up. I thought he would be easy to ID, but so far no luck. It is dated 1989.

Are my blog friends still out there? Both my boys started back to school last week. They are both in full-day school now, so I am giving myself a year to eBay full time and see how it goes. I’ve been thinking about writing more here, if there is anyone left to read it. I was so busy over the summer I wasn’t reading eBay blogs either, but I would like to get back to it. If you know of any new good ones (or oldies but goodies I may have missed) please let me know!

Update / P.S.

Can anyone tell me what kind (breed) of dog is this? It’s a My Twinn Poseable Pet, absolutely beautiful, and I can’t find another like it.

My trip to a “boot sale”!

August 7, 2016 by Kari @ She Thrifts 2 Comments

And I’m not talking about footwear.

We are currently visiting my brother’s family in the UK. Knowing my love of yard sales, my brother decided to treat me to their version! Basically, sellers all come to the same predetermined field and sell their goods next to their cars. Of course I loved it.

It was an interesting experience. Other than the fact that they were all in the same place (which is awesome), it wasn’t that different than yard saling in the states. An interesting mix of kids items, baby gear, tools, housewares, books, tons of DVDs, etc. I noticed a couple different people selling new in package items, one selling vegetables, but the majority seemed very yard sale-y. Most stuff wasn’t priced, which was kind of frustrating, but the things that were priced seemed super cheap.

If we didn’t have to worry about getting things home on the plane there were more than a few things I would have been interested in buying. (We pack super light, even with the kiddos – carry on only!) But even at that I couldn’t pass up this canvas at only 50 pence. (The seller said she was moving to Egypt, and was practically giving things away.) I can’t wait to hang it on our wall, but getting it home is going to be a pain.

All summer my oldest has been collecting the books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He now owns all but #2 and #10. He asked me to keep an eye out for them. I thought it was a long shot, but whaddya know:

A fun morning spent!

2015 Goals ~ Looking Forward, Looking Back

February 4, 2015 by Kari @ She Thrifts 8 Comments

I know, I’m a month late in the goal setting for 2015. Better late than never?

I took a look back at the goals I set for myself last year, and many are very much the same as what I would like to accomplish this year. 2014 goals are in italics, 2015 goals are in bold. They are:

#1) Keeping up with the boys.

(2014) I am still a busy mama with two young boys (ages 6 and 2), and they will always be my priority. I know how lucky I am that I am able to stay home with them full-time. I am very thankful to have found a way to contribute to the family budget while being with them, but I also know eBay could take over my life if I’d let it. Sometimes I will need to put eBay on the back-burner of life, and just let it simmer. And that’s okay.

(2015) I am definitely still a busy mama (boys now ages 7 and 3), and they are still my priority. But, things have changed in our family (most significantly my husband’s job), and I find myself needing to step up and fill some of the gap. The good thing is that I already had this in place as a way to earn an income. I now need to work on transitioning my thinking from being just a fun hobby to an actual job. The good thing is, keeping up with the boys doesn’t really have to suffer. I have two mornings a week when they are both in school, and usually have at least a couple of other mornings each week when my husband works later in the day so he is able to hang out with our youngest while I list. I try to keep our afternoons listing-free, but will often go back to it after the boys are in bed.

#2) Continue growing my eBay store.

(2014) I know it will be a slow grow. But, I would like to eventually get my store up to 1000 items, and then try to hold steady.

(2015) I can’t remember when I hit 1000 listings, but it was months ago. I have been holding steady, but would like to work up towards 1500.

#3) Continue to branch out, but also list what I love.

(2014) It’s gotten to the point where I feel like I could list pretty much anything, and I do. And while I am always happy to find a hot item that sells for big bucks, I also enjoy some smaller sales too. Some kids clothes or plush may not bring in a lot of money, but if I enjoy buying and selling them – then it’s worth it. I want this “job” to stay fun as well as profitable.

(2015) This attitude worked well when eBay was more of a hobby job. Now that I am transitioning my thinking to a real job I will try to focus less on the smaller sales and more on items that can bring in bigger money. I will be very, very selective on anything new I purchase. Some of my unlisted inventory though will probably fall into the more-fun, less-profitable category.

#4) Tackle Amazon!

(2014) I’ve procrastinated long enough. I’ve sold a few things myself, but still haven’t ventured into FBA territory. This is the year.

(2015) Other than a few MF sales, I didn’t do anything with Amazon last year. For some reason I am feeling less and less motivated to get started with Amazon. Probably just resisting the unknown, maybe afraid of change. I should just send in one box and see how it goes. Maybe I’ll like it. Maybe this is the year?

#5) Continue attending my local eBay sellers Meet-Up group.

(2014) I found it on a fluke, and have been attending regularly for almost a year. Even when the topic of the month isn’t something that I am especially interested in, I am always happy that I showed up. There’s something great about sitting in a room with like-minded people who totally get the eBay/Amazon/Etsy draw to selling online.

(2015) The time and date of the meetings changed at the beginning of 2014, so for quite a few months I wasn’t able to attend. Now, with my husband’s new schedule my ability to attend changes from month to month, but I have made it to the last few meetings, and still enjoy being able to go.

#6) Continue to write this blog.

(2014) I love reading the blogs of other sellers, and I am always happy to be able to pay it forward when I come across a BOLO. I value the connections and friendships this blog has afforded, and for that I thank all of you.

(2015) Ditto. I still enjoy writing this blog, and reading all of yours. I’ve got a bunch of ideas for new posts for both this blog and my new one. Now to find the time to get them all written!

37 Things

January 24, 2015 by Kari @ She Thrifts 19 Comments

I am totally stealing this idea from another blogger I read a couple weeks ago!

37 Things About Me On My 37th Birthday

I remember when 40 sounded SO OLD. Ha.
I’ve been happily married for over 12 years.

I’m a proud mama of two boys, ages seven and three.

I always knew I wanted to be married for five years before having my first baby, and I also wanted to have my first baby before I turned thirty. After a few years of being married I did the math, and realized that only gave me a window of three months!

Our first son was born one month and one day into that three month window.
When I was pregnant my biggest craving was for sour cream and onion Pringles.

My parents lived in Italy for a number of years before I was born, and I grew up hearing stories about their adventures there, many of which revolved around their favorite pizza place.

In 2006 (before kids), my parents, husband and I took a trip to Italy, which included spending a day in the town where they had lived (very near Venice), and we had lunch at their pizza place. My parents were thrilled that it was still there!

Summer 2013 I got to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine, and attended a New Kids on the Block concert. You would think that after a couple decades of anticipation, there is no way it could live up to my expectations, but it did. I had an amazing time.

While in college my love of boy bands was reignited, and I went to many, many concerts. I used my younger cousin as a cover (“I’m taking her to see . . .” *N Sync, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, etc . . .) I confess, I enjoyed them all.

I spent the summer of 2000 working at Walt Disney World in the Animal Kingdom. I hated my job (renting out strollers and working at a couple gift shops near the entrance), and spent way more money that summer than I made, but it was also one of the best summers of my life. I played in the parks for free all summer, had a blast living with 2000 other college students, and met awesome people who are still my friends to this day.

My favorite ride at Disney World is the Tower of Terror.

It rained almost every day that summer, and one of our favorite things to do after a warm rain was go puddle jumping.

I’ve been to Disney World three different years, Tokyo Disneyland two different years, but have never made it to Disneyland in California, even though it’s only a state away.

I am slightly obsessed with musical theater, and have had season tickets for several years to the “Broadway Across America” series.

I saw the Dirty Dancing musical just last week. (And I loved it!)

My favorite place to vacation is NYC, where I cram as many Broadway shows as possible into the days that we are there.

The last time we were in NYC we went to a filming of Jimmy Fallon’s talk show, and when he came out into the audience at the end of the show he gave me high-five.

My husband was visible on TV in the audience shots, but I, sitting right next to him, was out of frame.

I spent several months studying in France while I was in college.

Sometimes I conjugate French verbs in my head, just to see if I still can. I have forgotten sooo much.

While living in France I spent a long weekend in London and saw the Queen of England in person two days in a row. Both were totally accidental. (At a parade and a red carpet movie premiere.)

On our first night in London, the hostel my friends and I were staying at caught on fire. We ended that night by sleeping in the booths at a bar down the street.

I love Chinese food. Love. And am the only person in my family who will even attempt eating with chopsticks.

In 2005, both American Dreams and Joan of Arcadia were canceled after having cliffhanger season finales. Two of my favorite shows ever. I’m still holding a grudge.

I love audiobooks. I listen to them all the time, and average more than a book a week.

One of my favorite books when I was a kid was The Boxcar Children. I’ve been reading it to my oldest this week, and he really likes it, which makes me happy.

I can’t wait until my oldest is old enough to read the Harry Potter series.

I’m a sucker for some reality shows, especially DWTS, the Bachelor and Big Brother. I know! But I can’t help myself.

I love Skip-Bo, and play it with my boys all the time. Even my 3yo is a Skip-Bo-pro.

Most Friday nights when we are all home we get a pizza and have a family movie night.

I caught the eBay bug after reading a guest post by (the now defunct) Yard Sale Mommy on the Money Saving Mom blog.

When looking at houses to buy in 2013, I knew we had found the right one the moment I walked into the big storage room downstairs. I have no idea what the previous owners used it for, but it is perfect for my needs.

I don’t consider myself to be particularly domestic, but during the summer when cukes are in season I make my own pickles. They are delicious.
I love watching gymnastics competitions on TV, and become a bit obsessed during the summer Olympics.
I have a retirement dream of being able to travel each year to the national gymnastics championships to watch them and do some sightseeing wherever they may be.
I very recently started a new blog, about life, money, budgeting (non-eBay) stuff: http://itscleanuptime.com/. I’ve only posted one time so far, but have a bunch more posts in mind . . . if I can ever come up with the password I so cleverly set for myself.

If you’re still reading, you’re amazing! That was a lot to get through. 🙂

A Bloggy Friend Thank You!

November 13, 2014 by Kari @ She Thrifts 9 Comments

A few weeks ago Margaret @ Live Like No One Else posted about how she saved some money by checking prices on both walmart.com and in the store. Which is great advice!

My oldest turns 7 today (!!!). We had a party for him last weekend, and he ended up with some serious birthday money. He and my husband wandered the Wal-Mart Lego aisle, and decided he would use all of his money on one big Star Wars Lego set he’s been wanting that comes with a whopping $90 price tag! I’m w-a-y too cheap to buy a gift like that (even for my own kid), which I guess is why he had to buy it for himself. Anyway, I had this niggling memory of her blog post of finding a cheaper price online vs. the store. I looked up the Lego set on my phone, and whaddya know, the online price was $75! Still a lot, but a decent discount. I found a couple employees talking together, and they both agreed that they couldn’t price match their own website (which I think is kind of crazy, but whatever), so we ended up ordering the SW lego set online, and he was able to get a second smaller superhero Lego set as well for his $90.

Ordering it online was a win/win/win for me. Lower price, delivered to our home, and I get all of the packaging materials to reuse in the future (like my free gift with purchase!) I’m not the only one who can get as excited about the packaging of my orders as I am about the actual items I receive, am I?

Also, as you’re shopping online don’t forget to make your purchases via Swagbucks to earn some additional points. I love getting rewarded for things I would be doing anyway. I got a couple hundred points from the purchase, just one more bonus in this whole scenario.

So, thank you, Margaret, for the tip. It worked out great for us!

Sick, Consignment Sale, and a Disney Par-tay!

October 14, 2014 by Kari @ She Thrifts 6 Comments

Siiiick. That’s been me for the better part of a week. Not terrible sick, just a whopper of a cold that left me feeling tired, cranky, achy, and unmotivated. I haven’t listed anything new in days. And my sales are starting to show it. (AND I am way, way, way, waaaaay behind on my listing goal for the month.)

I started feeling better last night, just in time to get some work done with my consignment inventory. Thank goodness I had already gotten a bunch of it done a couple weeks ago! I finished getting things organized today, and will drop off tomorrow. Pretty much everything I take is non-eBay-worthy-just-wanna-get-rid-of-it. I price it dirt cheap because I don’t want to see it again. I’ll be happy to clear a couple hundred dollars, which I plan to use to pay for my oldest’s birthday party that I just booked for next month.

Yay, Halloween! So many of the sales I have had are Halloween-related. I think I may sell more Halloween related items in September/October than I do Christmas-related in November/December. They’re just flying out the door. Here’s one of my favorites, because of where it’s going:

I just ordered the Disney Rex costume , I just needed to be at my address hopefully by Wednesday October 15 because we are going to Disney world on Friday October 17 for Mickey’s Halloween party!! Sorry for the inconvenience , but if you can mail it as soon as possible I would really appreciate it!!!

The message makes it sound like it was a rush, but it really wasn’t. It should have gotten there with several days to spare.

On a related note, a week or so before I sold this costume I actually noticed that if you have tickets to the Oct 31st “Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party” that you can flip them on eBay. Check out completeds HERE. The tickets for the 31st are sold out, so I can’t tell how much they were originally selling for, but other nights are still available and are selling for around $75 per ticket (+ park admission is my understanding). Not a cheap night for the family, but it sure sounds like tons of fun! And I guess buying directly from Disney is a bargain compared to the eBay prices on tickets for the 31st!

I’ll do a Halloween-related post at the end of the month that includes more of those sales. I love selling costumes! Anybody have a fun Halloween-related sale to share?

August Goals

August 1, 2014 by Kari @ She Thrifts 9 Comments

Oh, summer, how I love you. Yard sales, blueberries, Big Brother. And yet, the days are slipping by in a jumble of park play dates and soccer and swimming lessons, and I am not accomplishing anywhere near what I think I should. Is it just me, or is it just life?

I made my listing goal for July, though! It was a low listing goal, and I made it with only two hours to spare, but I still consider it a win. July was decent to me sales-wise. I had sales every day, and even had one double-digit (just 10, but it counts!) sales day. This month I am going to bump up my goal a bit, but not too far. We’ve got a lot of family fun planned for this month, so I know things are going to be a bit hectic.

My plush sales have rebounded recently, and it is once again my top-selling category. I’ve still been selling a lot of maternity clothing, and even found and sold another Left Behind book lot.