She Thrifts

Thrift. Flip. Repeat.

Favorite Flips Friday, 2/16/18

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Here are a few of my favorite flips from the past week.

Clothes will never be my favorite thing to sell, but they definitely help pay the bills.  Whenever I find WHBM I take a second look.  I don’t always buy it, but some of their pieces are really pretty, like this dress.

WHBM dress
Paid: $2 @ VV, Sold on sale: $22.95 (11 days after listed)

I bought this jacket at a yard sale last summer where literally EVERYTHING cost a quarter!

VTG Lakers Men’s Jacket
Paid: $0.25 @ ys, Sold: $45.95 + shipping (listed since August, 2017)

Considering I never even figured out what brand this lovey was, it was a decent flip.


Frog Lovey
Paid: $1.00 @ consignment sale, Sold: $24.95 (listed since May, 2017)

One of the mice had a flaw (torn/repaired foot),
otherwise I would have held out for more.


3 Cinderella Mice Plush
Paid: $2 @ GW, BO Accepted: $23 + shipping (listed since December, 2017)

BIG Purple Granny Squares Quilt
Paid: $4.99 @ GW, BO Accepted: $40 + shipping (listed since July, 2017)

I got this mug out of a free box at a yard sale last summer.

Smokey the Bear Mug
Paid: $0.00 @ ys, Sold on sale: $32.15 (listed since August, 2017)


4 Baby Signs DVD Fun Packs
Paid: $10ish? @ VV, Sold on sale: $36.75 + shipping (listed since November, 2017)


Did you have any fun sales this week?  I’d love to hear about them!

Favorite Flips Friday, 02/09/18

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Below you will find a few of my favorite flips from the last couple weeks.  As always, it’s a mix of clothes, plush, toys and other misc.  Some were quick flips, and others took a long time to sell.

J. Crew is a brand I keep an eye out for, it can often be a good flip for me.


J. Crew Red Wool Skirt
Paid: $2 @ VV, Sold on sale: $26.95 (same month listed)


NWT J. Crew Polka Dot Sequin Shirt
Paid: $2 @ VV, Sold on sale: $31.45 (same month as listed)

Coats are still selling fairly well for me.


London Fog Trench Coat
Paid: $2 @ VV, BO Accepted: $30 (listed since August, 2017)


Boden Coat
Paid: $2 @ VV, Sold: $49.95 (listed since August, 2017)

I couldn’t believe it when I pulled this guy out of a tote of long-ago purchased inventory!  Wheezy is fairly rare, and was a quick flip.


Wheezy Toy Story Disneyland Plush
Paid: ???, Sold on sale: $17.95 (8 days after listed)

I love finding Land Before Time plush!


Littlefoot Plush
Paid: $2.99 @ VV, Sold: $23.95 (5 days after listed)


Dan Dee Jumbo Pink Dog Plush
Paid: $2.79 @ VV, Sold on sale: $26.95 (listed since June, 2016)


Mickey Mouse Oregon Ducks Plush
Paid: $0.50 @ ys, Sold: $34.95 (listed since July, 2017)

And a bunch of other random items too:


Purple Caboodle
Paid: ???, Sold: $39.95 + shipping (listed since July, 2015)


Seuss Book Lot
Paid: ???, Best Offer Accepted: $38 + shipping (listed since August, 2017)

I love finding Thomas Duplo items!


Thomas Duplo Train Tracks
Paid: $2 @ ys, Sold: $24.95 (listed since May, 2017)


Toy Story 3 Action Links
Paid: $2.79 @ VV, Sold on sale: $44.95 + shipping (listed since August, 2017)


3 Star Trek West End Games
Paid: $5.97 @ VV, Sold: $59.95 + shipping (listed since November, 2017)


How are your sales looking in the new year?  Any favorite flips?  Please share!

Do you shop at Value Village?

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Do you shop at Value Village?  (I believe it is also known as Savers in some parts of the country.)  And, do you use Swagbucks?  (If not, why not?!)  The last few weeks Swagbucks have been magically appearing in my account after I have thrifted at Value Village, as shown in the activity log below:

Yes, I actually had three transactions at Value Village last week (long story), and the Swagbucks have already been credited to my account!  Apparently I enrolled in Swagbucks Local at some point, so each time I shop or eat at specific stores or restaurants and pay with a linked card I get Swagbucks back.  Each Swagbuck is essentially one cent, so for my purchases last week I got 704 SB which will equate to approx $7.04.  On a purchase I would have made anyway.  Awesome!

Swagbucks has a bit of a learning curve, and can take some time to build up.  You can earn Swagbucks in dozens of ways, and then cash out the points for gift cards.  I have known people who entirely pay for Christmas this way, use it to pay for vacations, etc.   About a year ago I finally talked my husband into earning SB too.  He usually cashes out SB for Hulu and Regal gift cards, but for the past couple months he has saved them and he just accumulated enough to buy a PS4.  If you look at the screenshot below (top right corner) you can see that I have earned 140,620 SB on this account, which translates loosely to $1406.20.  (It actually equates to even more because gift cards can occasionally go on sale and require fewer SB to purchase).

I would recommend looking into Swagbucks if you don’t already use it, and if you are already signed up and shop at Value Village make sure you are enrolled in Swagbucks Local!!

 

(This post includes a SB referral link.)

BOLO: Super Why

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I’ve mentioned this one before, right?  I thought for sure I had, but I just did a quick search of my blog and am not finding it anywhere.  Super Why is a cartoon shown on PBS.  Both figures below are about 6″ tall, jointed, and show some normal wear from past play (which I of course included in the description).  I found them both at Value Village about a week apart, and both sold separately in less than a day.

Alpha Pig
Paid: $1.49, Sold: $29.95 (in less than a day)
Whyatt
Paid: $2.10, Sold: $29.95 (in less than a day)

Check out other Super Why completeds HERE.

Awful April

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Uggghh.  I try not to complain *too much*, but geez, April was awful.  My worst sales month since January 2013.  I had about 2/3 of the sales that I had last month.  I know eBay can be a bit of a mystery at times, but my listings are at an all-time high, and I listed pretty consistently all month long.  I have a bit of everything in my store, at a range of prices.  Why the crummy sales?  Okay, okay, pity party is over.

It was rainy here last weekend so I didn’t get in any yard saling in, and the weekend before I went to four sales.  All four had a plethora of clothing for 25-50 cents, so I picked up quite a bit, and I’ve been listing it for two weeks now.  I’ve liked branching out into selling clothes, they sell pretty consistently, easy to store, ship, etc, but they really are a grind to list.  Not much fun at all.  Thankfully, a few have sold pretty quickly.

Nike Women’s Athletic Pants
Paid: $0.25 @ ys, Sold: $17.95 (1 day later)
Lynyrd Skynyrd Women’s Shirt
Paid: $0.25, Sold: $19.95 (5 days later)
Columbia Men’s Convertible Pants/Shorts
Paid: $2 @ rummage sale, Sold: $24.95 (7 days later)
Silver Walkstar FitFlops, Size 6
Paid: $2.80 @ VV, Sold: $39.95 + shipping to Canada (4 days later)

I bought another pair of FitFlops at VV at the same time I bought the above pair, got them home, and realized even though they appear identical, they are actually two different sizes.  Darn it.  I’ve heard of people listing shoes as replacements or for amputees, so I went ahead and did that.  No bites yet, though.

And a couple kid-related quick flips:

 

BABW Aladdin Lamp
Paid: $2.10 for bag of accessories @ VV, Sold (just lamp): $9.95 (2 days later)
5 I Spy Hardcover Books
Paid: $1.25 total at rummage sale, Sold: $19.95 (3 days later)

I fell 22 listings short of my listing goal for April.  I really thought I was going to make it, and then last weekend I came down with a miserable although short-lived flu bug.  And then my youngest got it.  Sometimes life just happens, huh?  I am going to shoot for 150 new listings again in May.




In a couple weeks the consignment sale I like best that I usually participate in is happening.  I still haven’t registered.  I keep waffling on whether or not to consign.  It’s kind of a time suck without a big payoff.

And, confession time, although I did quite a bit of Amazon related reading, I didn’t send anything in to FBA.  Fail.  There’s always this month though, right?

BOLO – the Elf on the Shelf

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‘Tis the season.  It seems like the Elf on the Shelf gets more popular every year – or maybe I am just more aware of it now because of my kiddos.  I found this book at Value Village over the summer, and I listed it late last night.  I only had the book, without an elf.  When I woke up this morning it had several watchers, and it sold by lunchtime.  Love those quick sales!


Keep an eye out for all things Elf on the Shelf.  It looks like the sheets from Pottery Barn sell especially well.  Check it out HERE!

Game BOLOs – One Found, One Sold

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 A couple months ago I blogged about a BOLO – the Candy Land Castle Game.  Well, guess what I found yesterday for all of 50¢!  I took a look at it this morning, and it is in really good shape, but seems to be missing 2 pieces.  I am going to double check my car to make sure they didn’t fall out, but if they’re nowhere to be found I may buy a couple replacement pieces on eBay.  Complete games sell for up to $75-$80!


Paid: $2.ish (?) @ Value Village
Sold: $44.95 + shipping to Canada


I found the above game in a baggie at Value Village months ago.  It took me a l-o-n-g time to figure out what it even was.  I think some random Googling finally got me to the actual name of this game, which is S’getti Scatter.  I couldn’t find any others on eBay, so I listed it kind of high at $49.95.  It sold shortly thereafter (when I had my store on a 10% off sale).

Sadly, one piece of green spaghetti was missing.
Happily, that didn’t seem to deter the buyer.

Value Village Bummer

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I made my Monday morning trek to Value Village today, and right away I noticed something was very, very wrong.  The big red sign in the window that I love – declaring that everything storewide is 25% off on Mondays! – was gone.  Noooooooooo.  We walked inside and I looked around hoping to see some of the smaller signs still up, but no, all gone.  

My brain is programmed to calculate 25% off all VV tags.  It was a struggle to see the tags and actually read them at face value.  Which sounds ridiculous, but it’s true.  The gal who is always working there on Monday mornings went out of her way today to come out and find me as I was shopping and make sure that I knew that the Monday 25% off sale wasn’t happening anymore.  She is SO NICE.  It was very kind of her to do that, and spare me the sticker shock embarrassment at the register if I hadn’t already noticed.

I am trying to believe this is a good thing.  Summertime is yard sale time.  I shouldn’t be shopping at VV anyway.   In my area, this time of year, there are way more yard sales than I could ever get to, and the prices can be way lower.  Win/win.

Except I do enjoy VV too.  I’m sure their decision came down to the bottom line.  But, they will be getting a lot less of my money as a result.  And I don’t mean that in a mean or vindictive way, it’s just the truth.  Before I would wake up on Mondays and think – Value Village day!  Gotta get over there and check things out!  Now?  Meh.  No discount, no hurry.  Maybe I’ll stop by some time, but there is no urgency.  Maybe I’ll go tomorrow, or the next day, or maybe next week.  Pretty soon it will be like the Goodwill less than a mile away, where months go by between visits.  Sad.  But true.

The Good, The Bad, And The Birthday Boy

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The Good:

I listed 46 new items in the first five days of April.  46!  For me, that is a lot.

The Bad:


I tried to go thrifting this morning, two boys in tow.  The boys were actually great, even my youngest who has a low tolerance for thrifting.  The problem?  Nothing to buy!  

Our first stop was Bellies, Babies + Beyond, which is a sale that happens twice a year.  It just runs for four hours, and has a lot of small booth-type-areas where people sell their own items.  In the past it has been PACKED, with buyers and sellers.  Hard to navigate a stroller through.  Today?  There was actually a little empty space at the back of the gymnasium where they could have had additional sellers, and there were noticeably less buyers there too.  There was a $2 entrance fee, and then I paid a whopping $2 total for a pair of Toy Story pajamas and a snowsuit.  There have been times in the past in which I’ve left that sale with a full trunk, so this was a bit of a letdown.  We then visited a kids’ consignment store – no finds.  We stopped by Value Village.  The first person I run into is a gal I met at the Meet-Up, and the only other person who sells kids items.  Of course!  She is actually incredibly nice, and she did have a cart full of plush.  I found a bag with a Fred Flintstone plush and a Bugs Bunny plush ($1.99) and my oldest found a bag of Army men ($0.99).  One final stop at a small local thrift, but there was a sign on the door that they were closed for the day.  O-kay.  All in all, a bummer of a thrifting day.


The Birthday Boy:

My youngest is two today!

I bought his birthday boy shirt on eBay, of course.

Favorite (not) Five (not) Friday, 3/2/13

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It’s been several weeks since I did one of these posts.  Here are some of my favorite sales from the end of February.

I picked this up at GW several months ago, and it has been riding around in the trunk of the car my husband drives ever since.  We swapped cars last week, and since it was home I took it out and snapped some photos.  I was just planning to list it on Craigslist, but when I searched for it on eBay I couldn’t find any.  I thought I would try listing it high there too, and it sold in less than a day.

Little People Ride On Firetruck
Paid: $4.99 @ GW
Sold: $49.95 – shipping

I dug out my other tote of PVC toys and have been working on getting them listed.  When I looked this item up on eBay I could only find one other listed for $50 + shipping, but didn’t find any that had actually sold.  I listed it lower, and it sold overnight – maybe I listed it too low!

Sleeping Beauty PVC Toy
Paid: $5 for a tote full at a yard sale last summer
Sold: $19.95 – shipping

I listed this lot around the same time, and it also sold in about a day.

7 Cinderella PVC lot
Paid: $5 for a tote full at a yard sale last summer
Sold: $19.95 – shipping

And this one:


Cinderella PVC Mouse Lot
Paid: $5 for a tote full at a yard sale last summer
Sold: $12.50 – shipping
This was in a bag of Legos I picked up somewhere (VV maybe?)
I pulled this piece out to sell separately.

Lego Conveyor Belt
Paid: ? @ ?
Sold: $16.50 – shipping

This sold in about a day . . . twice.  The first buyer never paid.  The second did – it was my first time shipping to Puerto Rico (no different than shipping to the U.S.)  His head was HUGE!  It was hard to find a box that it would fit in.

Stewie/Family Guy Plush
Paid: $1.49 @ Value Village
Sold: $29.95 – shipping


No idea when/where I picked this up.  It ended up in the eBay pile when I was cleaning out my son’s drawers recently.

Lands’ End Bunting/Snowsuit
Paid: ? @ ?
Sold: $19.95 – shipping

 This guy was big – approx 22″ tall.

Bright Heart Raccoon Care Bear Cousin
Paid $2 at local thrift store.
Sold $34.95 + shipping to Australia

Little People Camping Set.  This was darned cute, and in great condition!
Little People Camping Set
Paid: ? @ yard sale
Sold: $29.95 – shipping


I also ran a sale in my store for the last couple weeks of February.  20% off a bunch of stuff.  I’d guess between 10-15 of those items sold.  Nothing super exciting – just nice to clear out some inventory that’s been hanging on for a long time.