Holiday Weekend

Hope you all had a Happy Fourth of July!  

We realized late in the game that we didn't have plans so we quickly invited some friends over to BBQ, play games and light fireworks.  

The party got a little out of control when the kids started going upstairs and walking around the roof but I'm sure that will be an awesome memory for them later on.

But never again since they've been banned from the roof except to hang Christmas lights!!! YIKES!!  That stressed me out.

I had a few sales this week!  

I've been working like crazy to add listings and finally things are selling!  

Woot Woot!

Here is what I sold:

Finally!  

This Eddie Bauer shirt has been taking up space here for over a year.  I bought it for $3.00 and it sold for $29.99 and I am SO glad it's off to a better place.  

 White House Black Market Navy Lace Dress

Bought for $9.00 and sold for $69.99

 ASOS Maternity Midi Dress 

Bought for $7.00 and sold the same day listed for $39.99

I am so happy sales have picked up!  

Welcome 2016!

Happy New Year!  

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are full swing into the New Year!  

I am one who loves New Years Resolutions, setting new goals and I think New Years is the perfect time to do that.  

Weirdo I know! Ha!

All three of my kids are in school all day and I have started thinking sometimes that maybe I should get another job somewhere.  Then I think of how much I love being home at the "crossroads" with them, there at all of their comings and goings.  I realized that ebay is a perfect job for me at this time.  I can be home to take care of my family, which for me, there is no more important job.  

I realize what a luxury this is to some and I am so grateful that this is something I can choose to do.  This money goes to pay for extras like birthday parties and a new couch for our basement! 

I hadn't been shopping in a long while but decided to pick up a few things last week to see if I could get sales from my ebay store to pick up.  So far that hasn't worked but hopefully it will soon.  

Sales are still coming in here and there enough to cover my basic goals so at least I have that!

Here are some of my new finds....

 Ralph Lauren Paisley Career Sheath Dress Size 8 $39.99

 Betsey Johnson Pink Evening Strapless Prom Cocktail Dress Size 6 $59.99

 Jewels by Julie Knapp Maroon Leather A-Line Skirt XS 0 2 $49.99

 Banana Republic Women's Heritage Wool Black Plaid Jacket Small  $89.99

 Disney Parks Mickey Mouse Hoodie Small Argyle Zip Up Jacket  $37.99

 Anthropologie Maple Clockwork Black Ivory Green Kimono Dress Small  $69.99

 

Soft Surroundings Long Purple White Floral Dress Medium $69.99

How is everyone doing with their sales?  Has the postage change affected you very much?

Did I Miss the Memo?

Did the summer slump start early this year?  I've hit a new record - 470 items in my store, one return on the way and ZERO sales in FOUR days!

Dear Sales,



Please come back.  
I have sno cones and sandals to buy.
This is so depressing.  

Taxes - No Bueno

Have you done your business taxes yet?

I always put it off until March, too much going on in February around our house. 

 

It's never as bad as I make it out to be in my mind but STILL...this year the results made me MAD.

WHY AM I DOING THIS?

 Extra cash flow?  Yes. 

Do I love doing it?  Mostly.

Do I think I am decent at it? Yes. 

Does it enable me to stay at home? Yes.

Do I HATE the inventory in my basement?  YES!

I've read that for a small business it's a good goal to have your profit be at least 20-25% of your totals.  

Mine is at 34%, so I guess I'm not failing completely.  

Have you done your taxes?  How are you faring with your totals?  Does it make you want to work harder or just give up?

I just gave up for 24 hours. 

Now I am back at it.

Ebay, I just can't quit you.

;)

Call Me Nordstrom

FOUR returns in the last two weeks.

FOUR!!!

Whhhhaaaaaattttt is going on? 

Do they think my store with 430 items is Nordstrom?  

 Seriously.  

If it didn't fit, maybe you didn't read or check the measurements that I waste my time putting on each listing? 

 

We just had to pay $800 for car repairs yesterday and I've got a bill coming any day now for x-rays from Lauren fracturing her foot on New Years Day.  

Poor little thing had to wear a boot that weighed more than she did!

I'm still going through inventory and listing items that had fallen off.  

There were A LOT.  

???? 

A sale or two would be great right about now.  I keep reminding myself that we are only half way through the month.  It will be fine.  Right?  

Evil thoughts of getting a real J.O.B. have been going through my mind. 

How is January for everyone else so far?  

New Year Inventory Clean Out

I have let my inventory go all willy nilly on me.  

It's everywhere!  

I usually am super organized - mostly to avoid that dreaded "it just sold, now let me spend 2 hours tearing everything apart looking for it!" headache. (We've all been there, right?!)

J. Crew 00 Floral Mini Skirt 

I just did all my denim jackets (six were not even listed!) and now I am moving on to two bins of skirts.  

TWENTY TWO of which are not listed.  

What?  

Who runs this place?

They are just wasting space and not making me any money!  Somehow these items fell off my listings, I didn't re-list...who knows.  

I do know that I am not shopping this week or the next, I am just going through bin by bin.  Getting my inventory organized and EVERYTHING listed!!

My Fickle Love

Oh the highs and lows of selling online!  Last week I was about to scream and throw all my inventory out into the garbage - sales were SO SO bad!

This week?  I have been doing a happy dance all week! 

Weekly sales before fees have topped out at $974.00

Dressers paid for and delivered.  Nightstands are on backorder - should be here by end of December.    

To top off the great sales, my local thrift store had a 50% off all clothing for Veteran's Day.  I was able to stock up and get quite a few new great items to list at great prices.

 Brooks Brothers Pink Cardigan - Extra Small

 MOTH Anthropologie Sweater Shrug - Medium

 Eddie Bauer Collectibles Sweater - Large

Harley Davidson Tyler Boots Size 8.5

I've changed my listings up by revamping titles and lowering prices a tad - perhaps I was being a bit too greedy.  Whatever it is, it's working!  How are your November sales going?

This is Pathetic

$28 in sales this week.

478 items listed. 
I'm listing at least 1-3 daily.
Great pictures, great listings, nothing has changed.

Except there are NO BUYERS.   This is honestly, the worst week of sales I have had since I started doing this as a job and was excited to make $100 my first week. 

I'm so frustrated with eBay right now.  I would call but I don't want to be on hold for 55 minutes like last time. 

Counting (spending) Chickens...

Before they hatch!

Guilty...and now I am stressing about money.  Gah.

I just booked our family trip to Disneyland in December! 

 I always use Get Away Today - they are simply hands down the easiest company to work with when booking a trip to Disneyland.  (And no, they don't pay me a dime to say that, but they should, I tell everyone I know!) 

I have always paid for our Disney trips in cash from my ebay store earnings.  It's a great feeling knowing that the trip is paid for before you go, down to the spending money, etc.  

So I need some money for that.  Just a little.  ;)

And I bought this on Friday:

Two dressers, a mirror and two nightstands.  We've been using cardboard boxes around here since our remodel and I'm ready for furniture!  We have been married 13 years and have never bought a bedroom set - before we used my set from Ethan Allen that I got when I was 12.  TWELVE.

It's in my daughter's room now.  

I got a great deal on the set at 45% off 

(otherwise it would have never had been in my price range) 

and paid for half of it in cash upfront.  Which means I need the other half of that money in four to six weeks.  

Uhhhhhh....shoot.

I currently have 503 items listed and not a lot of money to buy inventory.  So I am going through a lot of stuff lying around the house and trying to list those things first.  I'm also listing a lot of things on local yard sale sites on Facebook.  We have some pretty good ones here - I made $40 yesterday just selling some soccer cleats and a fish tank.  Small change sounds like just that until it starts adding up!

I have a few high priced items in my store right now - it would be REALLY great if some of those would sell and quick!  

I did get my check from the JBF sale - I made $664.00 this time!  LOVE that sale!

My Favorite Sound!

cha-CHING!!

Nothing motivates me more to list than hearing that sound!  I was so happy to wake up to five sales and then have two more this morning.  

Still not super enthusiastic about doing the JBF consignment sale coming up - I don't know if I like having all this stuff  hanging around here all summer.  I hope it pays off when the sale comes and I can cash a nice sized check. Any sort of check? 

This is what I'm hoping will sell this weekend...

 J. Crew XXS shorts - ADORABLE!!

 I have over 20 watchers and yet these won't sell!  

Buy some cute shorts people!

 Quacker Factory Butterfly Shirt - Large.  I love this brand!  I always pick this up when I find it.

Vera Bradley Caffe Latte Purse

We have a family event to go to in the morning.  Not sure I'll be able to go to any sales.  Forcing me to finish for the sale and list some things I already have.  

Shopping is always the fun part, isn't it? 

Have a great weekend!

Patience Pays Off!

Remember this Paul and Shark shirt I grabbed for $5.00? 

After several low ball offers thrown at me, I accepted an offer for $130.00 on it.  I was hoping for a tad more but my windshield broke and the cash will come in handy to replace it this month. 

I also sold the blue Garnet Hill dress for $55.00...another one I'm glad I held out a little longer for a higher price.  

Still pleased with flips like that!  I wish they all were this great!

Now if I could only get this Roberto Cavalli dress to find a home, I would be tickled pink! 

What? Where Have I Been?

        How have so many months gone by since I've blogged?  

Yikes. 

 I'm still here, listing my little heart out and listening to the crickets sing in my store while my listing numbers get higher and higher.  Isn't summer miserable that way for eBay?  I love hitting all the yard sales but MAN, my house is overflowing with inventory!  

I used to have a wedding flower business, but stopped when we had our daughter.  Now I just do weddings for friends, family and by word of mouth.  I did these last month for a couple who got married up in the canyon...they smelled AMAZING!  

Love those David Austin garden roses!  

 

I have managed to go to a few yard sales and you can bet my wallet is fat with ones ready fore the morning!  

I picked up this lot three weeks ago:

 Dance leotards (already sold one for $20) 2 NWT Justice bathing suits.  The big pile in the bag was brand new clothes I got for my 11 year old.  It's rare for me to find things his size! And oh yeah, 

Practically BRAND NEW COLE HAAN dress shoes for $1!  

 I have a store full of lookie loos right now...over 12 watchers on each of these items.  Just waiting for someone to jump and buy! 

 J. Crew XXS Shorts

 Anthro Lithe Skirt Size 12

 Lucky Brand Cashmere Cardigan Medium

Garnet Hill Blue Cotton Gauze Sundress

 I've had 2 offers already on this dress, it retails for $98 but is on sale for $48 right now.  However, Garnet Hill is no longer offering this color.  I am holding out at $60 with f/s for at least another week with so many watchers so fast.  

Can't wait to go out tomorrow morning! 

Hoping the summer slump passes quickly, is it just as slow for you? 
Linking up to Ivy And Elephants
 

 

Shopping the House

I hope everyone had a very happy Easter Sunday! 

The Easter Bunny found my three and they had so much fun finding eggs.  We went to church and dinner at my mom and dad's afterward.  Now that we are all sugared out, I need to get back to work

The kids have been off track from school (we are year round here) so they go back tomorrow.  

It's a lot of fun having them home but I'll admit I didn't get much done.  They did help me out at a yard sale with some friends on Saturday morning.  

I made a whopping $40.25.  

FORTY DOLLARS! 

That is the WORST I have ever done selling at a yard sale.  It was fun hanging out with friends but I was a tad disappointed I didn't get at least $50! Booooo.

Since my kids absolutely hate going to thrift stores with me, I have been trying to shop the house to see what I can come up with.

 I bought this David Warren faux wrap dress years ago at TJ Maxx for $15 and never wore it.  I finally listed it and it sold a few days later for $54.00.  Not a bad return for cleaning out my closet! 
(I spoke too soon, a return has been started on the dress, grrr.)

I picked this GK Leotard for Lauren to wear to tumbling class at a yard sale last summer for 50 cents. She wore it once and it said it bothered her.  I've got it listed now and have 5 watchers on it so far. 

I have a church activity next Saturday morning that is going to keep me from going out to yard sales, so I'm going to have to look around a little harder for things to list.

How is the shopping going for you?  Yard sales are just popping up and I can't wait until 2 weeks from now when I can really hit some hard!

Taxes

 I REALLY hate doing my taxes.  

(who doesn't, right?)

I usually do my business side of them and then my husband does the rest.  But this year we are both procrastinating and I really just need to buckle down and get them out of my hair.  

Let's face it, shopping and having the phone go "Cha-CHING!" are the favorite parts about this business!

Things have been a tad slow around here, but I've still managed to have a few good finds and get some listings up. 

Anthropologie MOULINETTE SOEURS Arribada Turtle Dress Size 2

ANN TAYLOR LOFT Dress Navy Blue Aqua Floral Small

ANN TAYLOR LOFT Dress Green Black Wrap Career 4 Small

The best sale was my husbands old projector that stopped working last year. I listed it as is and for parts only...it sold 2 weeks later for $220 including shipping.  Not bad for something that was just taking up space!  

Back to taxes....grrrrrr!

Garage Sale Stories- Snooooze

What a train wreck I had this weekend.  The older boys were going to a Boy Scout Merit Badge Pow Wow so I was looking forward to spending the morning out with Greg and Lauren.  

Not so fast...her tummy hurt.  

I told her we would stay close to home and we drove by one place to only see tools and hunting gear.  Not my thing. 

Her tummy hurt more.  

Bleh...grandma to the rescue.  I dropped Lauren off so she could snuggle and watch cartoons with grandma and grandpa.  Then I felt super rushed because you just can't leave your sick baby girl with your parents for hours on end.  

Greg and I hit 3 more sales, he found some BeyBlades and I stumbled across a fundraiser sale where I sped shopped while Greg played his DS in the car.

 

This is about half my pile that I picked up for $35.  I ended up with 50 items, so it came to .70 cents a piece.  I have several winter coats, dresses, costumes, sweaters.  Most all of it is Old Navy, Gymbo and Carters. 

Last summer I would have left everything there, since there was nothing at that sale in my kids size.  

But this last month I went to the JBF Consignment sale and was baffled at all the so-so clothes people were grabbing up.  

They were loading their carts FULL of clothes I wouldn't dream of dressing my kids in.  

(I'm a little snobby though, so that needs to be considered.)

I realized that I come across awesome kids clothing all the time and just leave it since it's not in my kids size.  So I am jumping into the consignment sale arena and stocking up on items to sell at the next big sale here in August. 

 I think I have a good eye for it so we will see how I do!