Everything is better…with a little formalness!

 

I few month ago I got a package of invites in a bag of stuff purchased at the thrift store. I tried to sell them but they aren’t quite the latest in invite fashions. So I held on to them waiting for an inspirational idea to hit me!

Then, while patching the knee of a pair of Jeans (while they were still on me!) I thought of it! What if I get friends together for a sewing party? Actually it will be more of a patch party! So that is what I did. I called it “Sew Sweet plus Handkerchief Gal” Since most of my friends are very sweet and well, then there is me. I’m blessed. I know!

 

 

The set came with 20 invites, bows, sleeves, envelopes and online templates to print it all. Including the front and back of the envelopes!

I figured the rather “formal” wording and invitations might make it a tad more fun! I will do some baking for it and have some tea as well. I’ll try to take pictures if it all turns out!

Round up!

 

I know I talked about the grab bags I’ve been getting. Well, they are paying for themselves! Now, I haven’t discovered any $100 items but at least I can support my habit! LOL!

I sold these Roll around balls, 6 of them for .99 cents plus shipping.

Canon photo paper 50 sheets Glossy 4x6= .99

 

 Bought in a grab bag for .45 cents with a whole but of other things

Sold for .99 plus shipping

Sold this rabbit for $1.75 after a bidding war of 3 bids. Shipping was $1. Not bad for getting it in a grab bag for .45 cents!

I also got this Yoshi  which I sold for .99 to someone in Sweden willing to pay $17 shipping! Maybe he is hard to find in Sweden?

  

These curlers I got for 45 cents and they not only got the opening bid of $6.99 but sold for $8.01 with $7 shipping! They don’t have the metal pins that hold the hair on the curlers But they worked great and I made a tidy sum on these! Oh, by the way my son found these in the store. He is three. Yep, that makes up for more than the toys I’ve purchased for him on “special” day trips to the thrift store!

My husband got this free vikings hat when he ran the warrior dash a few weeks ago. I realized most people pay $10 on the Warrior dash website for these silly things and with the most dressed up holiday around the corner I figured it wouldn’t hurt to sell this. And sell it did. Someone paid $7 for this thing. And now I don’t have it in my house. Win win!

Someone paid $11 for these John Deere boots. I got them for free so it was a great deal on both sides!

My “Full Price” experiment.

I recently tried an experiment on buying clothing. I found a wrap dress, very popular this summer, that wasn’t on sell

 

BANANA REPUBLIC WRAP DRESS SIZE 4 COTTON DRESS BROWN PAISLEY Sold for 10.48 + $6.95=$17.43

Not bad but when I took the $6.98 I paid for the dress out and shipping and fees my total was only $5.29.

Buying at the lowest price seems like it would have worked better in this case.

However I will take the 5 bucks I made!

Here is an item I paid $.99 for. I know it isn’t the same article of clothing by any stretch but bare with me.

Lija size Med Pink golf skirt with ruffle in back. Tennis skirt.

Sold for $12.59 plus $4.75 shipping. Made me $14.09 after cost were taken out!

Ahhh, that’s better!

 

Surprise high bid items!

 

You can sell anything on Ebay. Anything. We all know this. But with the recent 150 free items to list I put this theory to the test!

Here is what happened:

 

This is a “super cloth” I picked up at a garage sale for less than $1. I really don’t remember. I sold it today for a total of $11. Yay me!

I purchased a few Monopoly games for $.45 each and this is the money from one of them. A guy in Canada paid $6.50 for this little pile!

These train set pieces also came in a $.45 cent bag. I’ve made my money back about 50 times with that bag! Sold for: $5.26.

Now, I know this doesn’t mean I’m making hundred’s of dollars worth of stuff sold but each little item gets shipped out my door it means two things.

• I just made some money
• I just got rid of something

Both are a huge success. If I sold it than that usually means I did a good job buying it! Or at least made my money back!

 

 

When buying just doesn’t go well…

 

I should stick with buying what I know. I have learned this over and over and over again. Today was one of those “agains”!

I purchase another grab bag purchase. Yes, and once again I paid for the whole bag just to get one water bottle.

Hey, I live in the Midwest. It’s over 100 every day. Got to have me some nice water bottles!

Ok, but maybe not a whole grab bag with 11 of them!

 

 

And that is why I was soo excited about this blue Camelbak. I’ve been wanting one of these, though not this one, which runs about $8 at REI, which we really need here in Tulsa, Oklahoma! Just sayin….

Anyway, notice anything special? Ya. Its the mouth piece. The thing that makes Camelbak’s so stinkin popular! Its, um…well, its just, lets see…. PLUMB NOT THERE!

“No Problem!” I thought. “I will just get one online…the big thing is having most of the bottle in tacked right?”

WRONG!

(By the way, this is a new bottle, not sure if ever got used!)

Ok, back to my unsound judgment story. Just had to through that in here.

Apparently these mouth piece cost… and I kid you not….$8-12 on EBAY. Got to love it.

Ok, so I don’t.

It' is ridiculous.

Ok, so it is also ridiculous that I got all those bottles and a Camelbak for 45 cents. But hey! I’m looking for stuff next to nothing…not for replacement parts that cost as much as a stinkin’ new bottle!

So I found someone who had one listed, and not sold, with a few other water bottle parts I didn’t want and asked her to just sell me that one mouthpiece for $1.50 plus $.50 shipping. Or maybe it was a him…the name was Chris. I have no idea

She/he wrote back and said:

Hey, I have lots of this Camelbak stuff, more than I want to bother selling. Send me your address, I'll send you one, you can pay me something for it if you choose to after you get it. Best --Chris--

Ok seriously. The world is right again…I mean who does that!? And to top that he/she lived in California which is the most expensive in State place to ship for me. Oh yea. This kid was raised right. I have a friend. Ok. Not really.

Anyway. Moral of the story is there are Chris’ out there on eBay to make all the jerks look like extra jerks and them look like angels. Thank you Chris’ of eBay!

He/she ended up sending it to me for free and told me not to worry about the price. How awesome is that!!???

So that is that story. Here are the other bottles I salvaged from that bag.

  

I’m hoping the rest can be recycled. Want them to be a bench I sit on someday! Lol!

 

I got some American Eagle shorts for my hubby to work in. He likes this brand but I rarely find it in his size. These were $5. I know, big spender on my Manly Man!

UPDATE: They don’t fit him. Apparently the size on the tag is not the size of the shorts. STINK! Going to try to sell them to get my $5 back! (I hope)

 

And now the newsboy hat…oh that hat.

   

Very nice isn’t it? Perfect condition. And what can beat leather?

NON-LEATHER. That’s what.

Yep. Didn’t read the tag. I am far to trusting of a person. This is actually made out of…get this.

Vinyl.

Yep. Vinyl.

Isn’t that what siding is made out of? Well lucky us. We can now wear it on our heads.

Great.

Ok ok, only 45 cents as well, but it doesn’t even fit me! Maybe I’ll give it to my brother as a Christmas present…hey, not a bad idea! Of course I’m listing it first….=)

 

Alright, on to the next disappointment of my life… er…day.

This really cool AND only 45 cent toy! Leapfrog…ya can’t go wrong now can you?

You sure can. At least if you are Handkerchief Gal! What can I say? I’ve got a rare talent. Hang out a while, maybe it will rub off.

Ok. Or run away screaming. That works too…

Because the above pictures, my dear friends, is a leapfrog baby toy that needs a TV, a hook up and a dvd to be functional. Oh, and it’s heavy. And I’m not sure if it even works cuz I do not have any of the before mentioned items. Completely not sure what to do with it. Sell it as is? No, they don’t sell on eBay. Sell it for parts? Maybe. But did I mention it is heavy? However, it was only 45 cents. At least I’m not making expensive mistakes. Yay me.

Blah.

 

 

Now check out my stylish new pocketbook.

Ok, not stylish, but I believe it is new. Maybe not worth much but…well, did I mention it was 45 cent sell day yet? Yep. 45 cents. Aren’t ya all jealous. Um-hmmm.

Actually I needed one half this size but I found this one and figured it was time to retire the one I already have.

I’m not sold on it yet. Cuz I empted my old one into it then tucked the “retired” one into a drawer. Yea. Not sure I like this one yet.

Thrift store purchases…mainly for me =)

 

Well, today was a thrift store day, but sadly the clothing wasn’t on sale so I started to look at the other items.

Like these bags of stuff…and I mean stuff. Most of these pictured were on sale for 99 cents a bag.

A great deal if something of value is in them!

Any one know what these tracks go to?

I did find this barely used candle that had a $14.99 tag on it for 99 cents. I used to think that buying candles pre-burnt was gross.

I 

But now I’m not sure why I thought that. I mean, you aren’t going to take it home and lick it! You are going to light it on fire…not much more you can do to sanitize something! 

That said, some candles are still pretty gross and dusty. ‘Nough said.

This head protector and encasement is very similar to one I was looking at for my newborn. I had given up on buying one because the one I found on Craigslist was $5 with at least a $5 drive and a lady who didn’t really want to make it easy to meet. No thank you!

This one isn’t kiddopotumas like what I was looking at but it is almost the same. (there was a kiddopotumas one there but it was pink…and I had a boy!)

It came in 2 parts and though I don’t need the bottom part I got it so the whole thing was $2.

 

A book for my son. Any one else read these growing up? It was only $1! Starting to collect!

 

 

Now for these shoes I paid the marked down (but not sale price) of $3.98. Since White House/Black Market is a limited, albeit popular store, people on eBay look for their product. I posted these for $9.99 and might have to hold them for next summer if they don’t sell. Winter is coming and these aren’t quite winter shoes!

    

Back to buying stuff for us! This was for my super all-about-States son. It was taped and so I just hoped it had all the pieces. Lucky me! It did! All of 99 cents and we’ve already got that much enjoyment out of it! Whoop!

 

 

So I went for it. Invested in one of the bags. What for, you ask?

Well, after I pulled it all out I wasn’t sure myself. Do you see junk? I see junk. But not junk like I am trying to purge my house of…more like I’m-cleaning-out-an-old-person’s-garage type of junk! This is more like the junk I never WANT to pile up in my house!

Well, I purchased this for the black water bottle on the right. It is similar to the way the Camelbak makes their bottles and I’ve been wanting one of those but not about to pay $20 for one!

I also ended up keeping the two matching orange bottles so I can freeze them and send them to work with the hubby.

I loved the water bottle! It is missing the straw and already is dented a bit but it works great as long as you tilt it. (I can do that) And holds enough that I get something even after the kids drink out of “mommy’s really cool cup!”

Oh, and when it is closed it is spill proof. Also very important!

And guess what?

It is worth over $20 new. Go figure…

Glad the grab bag worked out for me. This is only the 2nd time I’ve done it!

When selfishness pays!

 

The other day was 45 cent day for miscellaneous items at my friendly thrift store here in Tulsa Oklahoma so I decided to stop by to see what they had.

I found some awesome stuff…but none of it on sale for 45 cents! You see, they tag every item when it comes in, everything has a color and a price. And when they have a sale like this they always have 2 of the 5 tag colors that aren’t for sell. And lucky me I kept finding everything that was one of the 2 non-45 cent tags! Grrr…

I did find this game in a metal box for 45 cents.

I looked it up when I got home and it is worth a whole…get this… 1 penny. Yea, it doesn’t sell too well…bummer, cuz everything else I got was to keep. But hey, I’m sure I can do something with the metal box if I paint it!

I got this 1 liter cravat to keep. I’ve taken to putting my milk in one of these after I buy it because it takes up less room in my fridge, but I needed 2 of them! My fridge has more space for long skinny things then tall fat ones! And I do it cuz I’m a bit odd…if you haven’t figured that out by now!

I also debated and finally bought a bag. Bags can be full of junk or awesomeness. ‘Specially if you can get them for 45 cents!

Unfortunately and fortunately this one was full of cups and bottles. I don’t need any bottles. But I saw two of these cups that were still in their wrapper and two that looked new but not in their wrapper and one non-straw one.

So I thought, “hmmmm, what if I bought this and sold the two new sippy cups for the price of the bag?”

So I got it and after cleaning them my kids LOVE the two cups that weren’t in wrapper! I put the other ones on ebay for $3.95, which is what I paid for the lot.

Unfortunately they didn’t sell, though I did get an email from Europe about them! My kids loved the ones they used so much I sort of wanted to keep them so I was happy with no bids! DON’T PUT THINGS ON LINE THAT YOU MIGHT REGRET SELLING. Rule #1 of reselling. LOL!

I also put this lot, from the bag, on eBay for $3.95. It got a bid with 20 hrs left to go! Yay! Made money, Recycled what wouldn’t sell, and got to keep 4 cups. Whoop!

Also in the bag was a couple of parent choice bottles. I walked in on this today!

Yes, we do have clothing for those baby doll, it apparently is just more fun to take the clothing off than put it back on!

Yay! Made my money back, Recycled what wouldn’t sell, and got to keep 4 cups. Whoop!

Oh, and our church has a deal with a guy who turns plastic recycled things into  benches and is willing to do some for the woods behind our church if we provide plastic. Yay! Look at me! Suddenly a plastic recycler!

Colored Capri's: Hot item!

 

One thing I have found to keep my eye open for is brightly colored Capri's. They sell very well! Here are a few of my sells.

I just listed this one and already have watchers on it.

Women's New York & Co Teal size 8 Capri's.= $6.99

 Chico's Orange Slack Capri's size 1 (Small) =$4.99

 

People went crazy over these next one’s the original bidder wrote asking for more pictures. I was concerned about getting the write color to show up and she was super thrilled with the extra pictures. She ended up winning it and was so excited she left me feedback before I even had a chance to ship it (Later that day!) She was a great buyer!

Women's Jones New York Signature size 14 Capri's = $10.01

These are not a bright color but they still did alright. Capri's are definitely in right now and cheap to ship!

Chico's pale yellow cropped pants. Size 3 (Large)= $7.50