Books

I love to read! I am one of those people who would like their own library so that my kids can go in and fall into another world for awhile. Our world can be a bit tedious, if you ask me.

We have seveal big bookshelves full of books (mine is 2 deep LOL). I have lots of books I have never read but will eventually because they look good ad I'm always reading. I always buy books at Goodwill. In fact I think they have spoiled me at their 99 cent price. I'll never buy another full price book again. I just look for it till I find it. And I usually only buy new looking books. I'm kind of a snob that way I guess. I want a fab price for something brand new. I know it's second hand, I just don't want it to look that way. LOL.

Another thing, I love books in series. When I was pregnant with my first child (and after I'd seen probably the first 3 movies) I read the Harry Potter series. I'd come home from work, get into the bathtub and settle in to read Harry Potter. One time my husband came in and I said can you bring me to bring my book because I'd left it in the bedroom. I hadn't realized I'd said it, my husband looked at me quizzically and said "Hairy Potty? LOL. We've called it that ever since. When I was pregnant with my second child I read the Work & the Glory series. I was talked into this series while in a bookstore and they were preselling the movie that was coming out. It looked good to me but I'd never read the book and declined until the saleslady said "You get the first book free". FREE?! That is the magic word for me. I pre-ordered and took my free book home. The next day I came back and bought the entire series which I can tell you was not cheap (that was before my serious thrifting days). I knew that I was going to be on maternity leave and (thought) I would have lots of time to read. I read them quickly and mostly before I had the baby. And while pregnant with my 3rd baby I read lots of random books but also a lot of the Left Behind series. I really liked this one and it kept me wanting to continue. All 3 of these series were like that. One series I have not completely embraced is Lemony Snickett's Series of Unfortunate Events. I'm not sure why, but I just don't like them. Maybe it's because I don't like hearing "You really aren't going to like what happens next, but I'm going to tell you anyway because...". I find that annoying ad from what I've read, its non-stop a lot of that. Anyhow, that doesn't stop me from selling them though. And that leads me into the point of this post.

I sell series books on ebay!

 As I come across them I pick them up, because there is always someone reading a series who needs those next books.
It started with the Left Behind books. I was reading/waiting for  library copies and  kept seeing them at Goodwill, so I started collecting them for myself. But I would forget which copies I had and would end up with duplicates. So I decided to post them on ebay in groups, like 3-5 or 6-8 and found that they always sold! I don't make a huge profit off these, but I like the idea of getting the books people want into their hands, for cheap. If they are not current books people have a hard time finding them. I've consistently sold these series: Left Behind; Lemony Snickett's Series of Unfortunate Events; Magic Tree house. So, currently I have a sale book shelf in addition to all of my other bookshelves.

And go ahead call me crazy.....but I also consider it an alternate form of fuel storage, in case we were ever say quarantined and needed to make a fire. Is that terrible?

Above all, I just love to read!  And I know I'm not alone!

My little Vintage Kodak find

Last week, while browsing the toy section in Deseret Thrift Store (a thrift store I don't usually frequent because it's not close to where I live), I happened across these little beauties. They looked interesting to me because I'm from the generation that film came in plastic canisters, and these were metal and painted. I wasn't sure if they were collector's items; came with professional film; or were vintage. There was no price so I was unsure at first, but I gathered up the 7 of them from the toy bin and took them to the register. I asked a manager how much, prepared to offer $1, and was pleasantly surprised when she offered me a price of 50 cents for the lot.

Fast forward to that afternoon when I looked  on eBay for a similar item and found a couple auctions for similar items. There were some auctions selling by the item, and some selling in lots. Interestingly enough, these type of film canisters were from the 50's and 60's and by the looks of it mine were in pretty great condition, almost mint. I was pleasantly surprised for the second time that day to see that  there was a similar set ending with a price tag of $78 for a lot of 13. Boy was I excited! My set looked a lot new compared to the other set and I had different color lids which the other only had 1 color set. I hoped all week my set would go for a hefty price like those had.

All week the number of viewers went up until someone finally bid on my opening price of $9.99. The bids went up on about the 5th day but not quite as rapidly as I'd hoped, and in the end they sold for $20.50. I hate it when there are lots of people watching and then you don't know if they missed logging in and placing a bid "at the end" because they were at the grocery store, taking a nap or flying on a plane. Of course the other option is they could be other seller watching to see how much my set goes for. There were 4 unique bidders on my set, and in the end I was happy making a $20 profit on an item. It was a good day!! 

Disney's TANGLED Giveaway at Two of a Kind

There is a giveaway that I have share with you! If you haven't seen Disney's newest movie Tangled, you are going to love it. Two of a Kind working on a full house is giving away a Blu Ray combo pack so you've gpot to get over to their site! Here's the giveaway link. Good luck!!

Some First Fruits

Since Goodwill started doing 99 cent tag day I have gone shopping only on Mondays. Its enough for me to get my Goodwill fix, and get a lot for a little. My auction posting has not nearly caught up though. I really have a ton I need to list on eBay. I really need to kick it into high gear, and I know I will see my return kick in high gear. So far this week I've done pretty well on the 99 cent purchases that I have sold. Here are a few examples:

Mens XXL Russell Simmons ArgyleCulture Shirt cost me only 99 cents and sold for $15.99

Ashley Stewart sz 20 multi color plaid skirt cost me only 99 cents and sold for $14.99 after buyer requested a buy it now (she told me she wanted it bad, and after she received it left feedback about how thrilled she was and it was just what she wanted - I love buyers like that!)

Chicos sz 2 Dark Aqua/Teal Blouse Silk & Linen blend cost me only 99 cents and sold for $6.99



Sigrid Olsen sz 10 Spring Floral skirt cost me only 99 cents and sold for $9.99 (another extremely happy buyer who wrote and told me she was so excited to wear it to the Cherry Blossom festival)



Motherhood Maternity skirt sz S Black with Red & White dots cost me only 99 cents and sold for $6.99



Alfred Dunner sz 12 Lightweight Reversable Blazer cost me $2.50 sold for $7.99

Banana Republic sz 12 Silk Spring floral skirt cost me  $2.50 sold for $9.99

Do & Be St Pattys Day clover Cami cost me only $1.50 sold for $6.99

Do you see why I love it??

and why I will continue doing it??

New take on the Growth Chart

Although all of my children have always lived in the same house, I have never started one of those door jam growth charts. Well, not kept one going anyway.
A few years back in a family home evening lesson with a couple other families, we made one on a 2x4 but we don't record the measurements very timely. Its become a little obsolete. But I love this idea from Real Simple. It gives life to the growth charts and spurs memories long forgotten. I think it will be great to make one for each of my children and maybe even find a way to incorporate pictures of them wearing the shoes. Though really I'm not sold on that. I just love the shoes.

Hideous Thrift Store Pieces

Though it would probably be redundant, I considered calling this post Really Hideous because in my opinion that is what I am about to expose you to. One day I was at a local Goodwill store browsing the clothing when I saw this piece of work that stopped me in my tracks:

I looked at it for way too much time considering "who would wear this?" and "what was this designer thinking?" and lastly "what purchaser thought this would bring in a sale?" I decided there were quite a few people responsible/to blame for bringing this item to production. I had to snap a picture, if only to show it to my husband, who would laugh instead of being bowled over like I was. Anyone think I'm being overly dramatic here?
Well soon after, down another aisle, I was accosted by several other such masterpieces and I thought I'd share them with you. Some are just ugly, some hideous, and others just plain weird. People probably thought I was weird taking pictures in the aisle while they were trying to shop. Oh well, it was fun.
So....Tell me which one you hate the most.

This one has a tag inside that says "An Original Made By Nikki" mmmm, mmmm, mmm

This cami was entirely crocheted (or knitted - sometimes I can't tell the difference). Unfortunately other than being u.g.l.y. in my book, it would need something underneath to be appropriate.

The rhinestones and cut out shoulders + the hideous fabric = Yikes

I think there were good intentions with this one, but it just didn't look right to me. It had long elf like sleeves so it could have been part of a costume.

Okay, this is Vegas...it is pretty u.g.l.y but could've easily been someones uniform. Poor soul.

This one looked well, strange. There was just too much going on. Different kinds of lace, appliques, beads, plus the whole thing was sheer. It was just too much of not a good thing. It had new tags from Stein Mart, a brand called Passion Concept. The original retail price $98 (right). There are others listed on ebay for $39.99 but I have my doubts they'll ever sell.

Put a smile on it

Sometimes I blog really well, like every day. Other times as my mood would dictate, I do not. I wonder during those times why I bother at all. Afterall, my personal family blog is a couple months behind because I'm too lazy to upload the pictures. Also, I can't help bu wonder if anyone really likes reading my rambling thoughts. However thanks to the little Feeddjit tool on the sidebar I know that people do read my blog and I love to see where they are from. Feedjit really is an ingenious little tool.

The truth is, I really like to write. Sometimes I have lots of time, and others I do not. It's as simple as that. I try not to beat myself up about it. And instead of the original frowny face I was going to put (for not blogging all week), I love this smiley and so I'm sharing it with all of you today!

I just love it!

Last year I flew on an airplane for the first time since 9-11 (and the last 7 years really). This video just cracks me up. What fun this guy has with his job! We all have talents, but I wish I were this creative!!

$9 for Two Movie Tickets at Fandango.com

oh so sad! SOLD OUT!! I blogged about it and didn't buy them yet cuz I thought I still had time left! They reached 1,000,000 sold  and quit. ;(

Check out this deal on LivingSocial! Get two movie tickets for only $9 ($15 value per ticket). We like to go to our local $1 theater because its clean enough, has good food, and is only $1.50/ticket and $1 on Tuesdays, but every once in awhile we really want to see a new release! You can't beat this deal! This deal is only available for the next day and half!

Dear Connie

Yep! You got a whole post dedicated to your question. I started to reply to your comment and maybe its because I'm long winded, or maybe because I just get so excited about all of this, but I ran out of space in the comment field.

Connie asked,

"Do you have a secret technique for picking out such wonderful items?

All the ones you listed were adorable."

When it comes to technique I am still a bit of a newbie at this game. I learn new things all the time. But I think the longer you do it, you get an "eye", you get the experience of what works and know what to avoid.
A couple of things to keep in mind while shopping and that I have learned a long the way:
1) It's all in the Details - I love clothes! I love shopping! (However, this only goes for re-selling. I hate trying on clothes myself and almost never go shopping for myself. Haha. So I suppose I'm a bit of a window shopper). I love beautiful clothing. I search out the items that have unique designs, prints, embellishments, and stitching and then I can't wait to get them into the hands of someone who will love to wear them. It's kind of like playing dolls. While not all the clothing I choose to purchase are my taste, they are someone's, I look for items that are feminine and trendy or classic. Silk & cotton both sell pretty well.
2) Don't waste your time - I've been very lucky with our Goodwill stores here in NV, they have a lot of name brand clothing and I find lots of jewels. I've been building a mental list of what sells, and what doesn't and that helps.  For the most part I try and stick with dept. store & high end name brands (so far my favs are anything from Anthropologie, Talbots, Chicos and Banana Republic). I also look for plus sizes from Avenue and Torrid because those can be hard to get in smaller towns. I usually don't buy brands that anyone can get at walmart or Target or even Kohls because they are lower quality and less expensive and so it doesn't usually pay back - to me, it's a waste of my valuable time. The Liberty of London top I listed (Best Day post) was from Target and took months to sell even though it was a very cute top. I learned my lesson on that one.
3) Like New - If it were me, I would want any previously-owned item I purchased on eBay to be Like New - whether its clothing, toys, books, whatever. SO I don't buy anything with tears, stains, or wear of any kind. Occasionally I get something home and find some kind of flaw and that's disappointing. If I choose to list it anyway, I make sure that it is clearly mentioned in my posting details so no one gets an item with a surprise. Most of the time I re-donate those items though. That's just a personal choice.
4) Don't Over Buy - This is the kind of advice you usually get and ignore. I did. What I mean in Over-buying is 2 things - Paying too much for an item so that you have to list it at a somewhat unreasonable price to make a profit; and buying too many items that you paid too much for. I have learned that the hard way. In the beginning I would go into Goodwill like a tornado, trying to get my hands on every possible money-maker. I found that certain items didn't resell well (part of the process) and I still have a lot of items from when I first started. Lots of Jeans, and items that I just plain paid too much for. I'm way more cautious now. Occasionally I do sell one of those original items that I overbought but I probably only make the money back I paid for them after fees & s&h. There are certain items that are worth paying a little more for, but you will learn which ones, the longer you do it. Take it easy, Tiger.

Hope these ideas help anyone who wants to give re-selling a chance.

FREE Sample of Kirkland Household Surface Wipes

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(Thanks Hip2Save!)