Thrift Finds August 24, 2011

I went to a bag sale last Monday where I scored a bag of name brand clothing for $4.00!  It was a small store but packed with stuff.  The prices were VERY reasonable but it was definitely a place where I would need to spend more time in order to go through everything and there is a definite need to look closely at each item since many had stains or holes.  I was lucky to get a full bag of name brand stuff!  I got a Barneys of New York shirt, BCBG sweater, Anne Klein blouse among others.  I'm happy to have found a new friendly thrift store to visit and they even directed me to their competition around the corner!    

In addition to the clothing that I found I got some of my favorites to sell.  I found these two beautiful Georges Briard serving trays.  I researched them on Terapeak and found that there aren't very many of these styles that have sold so I could probably get a bit more for these than I usually do for the Georges Briard that I usually stock!

I love this pink and gold one on the milk glass!  I'm tempted to keep it but know full well that I will never use it.  This one has a bit of wear to the gold but since I haven't seen too many of these, I think that will be OK.

This one is huge!  It is in great condition with no wear.  I haven't seen any in this pattern either.

 Look at this great pattern!  I love it!

I also got this Royal China pie plate.  They come with all sorts of recipes on them and this is the first one with the pumpkin pie recipe that I have gotten.  They don't sell for huge amounts of money but if I purchase them for a good price, I can always make a few dollars.  And since I have sold a bunch of these, the listing is super easy to duplicate in my listing software.  Now that I have this one, when I get another one, all I have to do is raise the inventory level instead of retyping a listing!

I'm not sure if I showed this dinnerware to you yet but I have it listed and ready for the holidays.  It's a 12 piece set of Salem Porcelle which is Corelle or Arcopal like.  It's in excellent condition with no chips, cracks or wear.

I didn't get too much else this week but I am planning on going out to yard sales this week before the hurricane hits.  It's due to hit my area and I am hoping it goes the other way.  I remember Hurricane Gloria in the 80's.  I was about 13 and remember how much of a mess everything was for days afterward.  I'm now an adult and a homeowner and have no desire to deal with that.  I also really don't want to lose power because then I won't be able to use eBay!  I would be so bored.  Let it rain all day but just keep Irene away!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that...

Thift Finds Today August 14, 2011

So I went to the Goodwill this morning hoping to find all the goodies that I had seen during the week but no such luck.  Most of them were gone.  C'est la vie!  If it's not there then it wasn't meant to be.  I have great luck finding so much other stuff and I can't get it all!

I did get a few things that I had seen like this vintage Mr. Steak ashtray which is highly collectable.  It doesn't sell for a huge amount but I will make money.

I also got these two mugs that I wanted at half price.  They are cute and signed.  I looked them up on Terapeak and I will make money on these also.

I looked at all the mugs but things were very sparse today.  There was a lot more shelf than items being sold.  Sometimes this Goodwill is packed with stuff and sometimes it's so empty.

I was also waiting for this little Pyrex England bowl to go half off and I was so happy that it was there!  I don't have any Pyrex England and it is in perfect condition so I got and am keeping it!

I don't know why but Pyrex England doesn't sell as well as the US made stuff.  I find that odd because this pattern is so pretty and most of the England pieces I've seen have such lovely designs.

I found this Lenox candy dish in the holiday pattern.  It's in really good condition and will be a great addition to my Christmas stock.

I looked through the books today and found a few that I thought would do well.  The text book cost me $1 and is already in my Alibris store for $23.  Perfect time for me to find that since college will be starting soon!

And the last two things I snagged were these two shirts.  The blue one is maternity and will be going in my store.  The green one is a simple olive green tee which will be going in my drawer!


After I did all this thrifting I headed over to the National Bartenders School in Fairfield, CT for a wine class.  Boy was that fun and I learned so much!  A very knowledgeable sommelier, Codey Foster, taught the class and had us tasting six different types of wine plus a sparkler.  It was fantastic!

When I left the wine class I headed to the grocery store.  A little secret that I've been keeping fro you is that I'm a couponer.  I usually do my shopping early on Sunday morning but this morning was so rainy and since I was attending the wine course, I figured I go right afterward.  So I went and I got my $103.90 worth of groceries for $30.40!  And not junk food!  I got 3 lbs chicken breast, Italian sausage, lettuce, tomatoes, pasta sauce, Honey Nut Cheerios, 8 Knorr Pasta sides, butter, bread, V8 juice fusion, 4 laundry detergents, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, 2 all purpose spray cleaners and 6 pack of paper towel.  And no I'm not a hoarder or one of those extreme couponers who take up their child's crib for the toothpaste they just scored.  But if I could get a good deal and I need it, then I'll buy it.  Like now that I have 4 laundry detergents, I won't need to buy for quite some time.  I only thing I really won't ever stop buying and stocking up on is coffee.  It's so darn expensive and even though I have four cans, if I can get one for 49 cents, then I'm buying it!  I love coffee and drink enough of it.  Plus if I have too much I tend to bring my parents a few cans!

Tomorrow I have a bag sale that I'm going to check out.  It's a thrift stores summer clearance and they are doing $4 a bag.  I'd love to score a couple bags!  Hope you had a good thrifty weekend!  Cheers!

Thrift Finds Today August 13, 2011

 The tag sales were pretty flat today.  I headed out around 9am and hit a sale where I found this Hungarian embroidery that I envision as a pillow.  Perhaps I will one day make it into one but I would need to center it a bit more.  It could always be used as a dresser decoration which is it's actual purpose.  The embroidery is very well done.  The back looks almost like the front.  Until I decide what I'm going to do with it, it's going into my Hungarian stockpile for my Etsy store.

I also got these four stationary sets from her.  The two in the front are Punch Studio.  I have had luck selling those on eBay.  The other two are ultra cute and if they aren't sellable, then they will be going into the gift bin!

 I moved on and found these DVD's.  I have virtually no experience selling DVD's so I gave these a shot.  Big Fish is brand new and still sealed.  It's selling for between $7-$10 on eBay so I did good on that one.  The three SNL Best of's are going to be sold as a lot and I got What's Eating Gilbert Grape for myself.  It one of my favorite movies.  I never buy any movies for myself but when I see one that I truly will watch over and over, I snag it. 

This was an ultra small sale so I pushed on.

This pretty little dish I got at a sale that I had to drive a bit for.  I didn't mind though because I was going to my mom's for lunch and this sale wasn't too far from her house.  Otherwise, I probably would not have gone.

The dish is Victoria and was made in Czechoslovakia. I looked it up on eBay really quick and didn't find to much about it.  I'll have to do some more research on it.  It's very cute and in wonderful condition.  The flowers are all around the outside as well and it has four feet rather than a flat base.  It was unique and didn't cost that much so I bought it.

And that's all I got today!  I do have plans on going to the Goodwill in the morning though.  I was there earlier in the week and saw some stuff that I wanted to get that will be at half price tomorrow.  I will share those goods with you tomorrow!  Cheers!

Thrift Stores and Outlets

I am itching to go back to the Goodwill Outlet.  The first and only time I was there, I found so many wonderful items and at such a good price!  It was a bit of a shocker realizing that I had to go through bins and bins of things with people crowding around.  However now that I know what I'm up against, I ready for it! 

Everything is sold by the pound here.  You wheel your grocery cart on to a huge scale and they weigh it all.  Be aware though, that different items have different amounts attached to them.  Clothing is different than household goods and books are a set price.  My plans are to go and pick through the household items and stock up on clothes.  The last time I was there I found a vintage signed Royal Doulton Bunnykins porridge bowl, vintage tennis rackets and tons of name brand clothing.  It was tons of fun but exhausting!  You can search for your nearest Goodwill Outlet here.

Another one of my favorite large chain stores is Savers.  It is a new discovery for me but I love it and I know a lot of people who find tons of stuff for resale at Savers all across the country.  Lucky for me I have two Goodwill's and one Savers all within about 5 miles of each other!  Savers is a huge, well organized and clean thrift store.  The Savers that I go to supports, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southwestern Connecticut and each one supports different yet similar organizations.

Savers has a club card that allows members special discounts throughout the year.  I'm constantly getting e-mails with 25% deals for certain days of the week.  I have found tons of Lilly Pulitzer, Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors at great prices.  The margins are phenomenal for an eBay entrepreneur!  You can find your local Savers here.

I'm going to plan my yard sale run for tomorrow and list like crazy for the rest of the day.  I will check back with you and share all my goodies on Sunday.  Have a happy thrifting weekend! 

Thrift Finds Today August 6, 2011

As planned, I went out this morning to yard sales.  I was up bright and early at 6:45am and out the door by 7:50am.  I went to a multi family at a school that ended up having nothing for me.  It discouraged me a tinge because I haven't been out in so long (except to stores).  I went to the next one that was day two of an estate sale.  It was pretty messy but I kept plodding through.  The first floor was pretty well picked over and I heeded to the basement.  It was wall to wall but you couldn't get to anything.  Tools, screws, furniture filled with tools and screws!  You know the scene.  So I headed back up stairs to go to the 2nd floor.  I went in the room on the left and quickly realized that this had been a craft room!  Oh I was thrilled!  I found tons of stuff at a great price.  Here's what I got:

 Craft books!  Some are by the well known Nancy Zieman, there is a Christmas one, nature one, country one and a few more.  These are going in my store.  I may keep one as I always loved making wreaths and may try to do that again.  (Yeah, right, who am I kidding!)

 Two huge pieces of fabric to use as backdrops.  My gray is getting a little old.  The white one (which is actually cream colored) is 6 yards and the blue is a little under 4 yards.  I won't need backdrop for a while!

 Some shipping envelopes.  Always need these!

 Two vintage Popular Science Magazines.  I love the top ones cover story...New "Breakthrough" Electric Car!  What I can't believe is that these are from 1971 and it's now 2011.  If it was a breakthrough 40 years ago then why am I not driving one along with everyone else and why are we all paying over $4.00 a gallon for gas?

And three boxes of dress patterns and a few craft kits sprinkled in.  These are all going in my store!  I paid a whooping $18 for all of it!  The books, the patterns, the magazines, everything!  Woo-hoo!

So I moved on to the next sale which ended up being a multifamily.  One family had a lot of Lilly Pulitzer that I would have snagged if it wasn't so expensive and if it was Fall clothes.  I need Fall clothes for the store right now, not Summer.

At the last family in that sale, I bought some stuff.  I got these patches since I was on a sewing notions kick.

I also got this sachet because I'm a "C" and I thought it was pretty.  I'm keeping it.

I got this mug thinking it will do well during Valentines Day...

I got these fuzzy posters for Christmas gifts this year.  I may sell them though since they are the big ones.

And I got all these blue ball jars!

So pretty.  These will sell well.

I was exhausted when I got home but as promised my mom showed up and we went to the thrift store.  The only thing I found there was this mug.

And I only bought it because of the movie.  Smurfs are hot right now!

After that, we went to lunch and then home and here I am showing you what I got today.  I hope you had a good thrifting day!

Thrift Finds August 5, 2011

As I headed out thrifting this past week, I realized how much I missed the thrill of the hunt!  I stopped by the Goodwill on Tuesday and found absolutely nothing.  Funny thing though.  When I walked through the door, the cashier pounced on me and told me I should have been there yesterday because a set of china sold for $45.  She said a lady bought who sells on eBay like I do.  I laughed and told her she should have called me.  Everybody was staring at us and I found it quite funny because we've become quite good friends.  I let her finish up with her customer and looked around the aisles.  I was a bit disappointed that I didn't find anything but it happens.   I had just been in on Sunday because there was a coffee pot that I knew was going to be marked down to half price.  I was able to snag that and it sold within two days!

It is a Johann Haviland coffee pot and although it's not worth a ton, I knew that I could make money off of it.  Coffee pots are something that I will typical buy if the price is right even if the maker isn't the hottest.  They are much harder to find than plates and bowls.  So I scored some quick cash off of this one.

I've also been fortunate to be a part of a group that has a lot of selling knowledge and I've been learning quite a bit about areas that I am not so familiar with, like Hawaiian shirts. 

Supposedly there is a big market for Hawaiian shirts if you know what you are looking for.  Vintage and certain name brands do quite well.  At this point, I'm still testing the waters but I do now know where I can find a plethora of Hawaiian shirts!

I snagged this one about a week ago and it's going up for auction on Sunday.  I'm not sure how good it will do but it is new with tags and a really nice pattern.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will sell but I'm worried that with summer coming to a close (already!) and back to school in full swing that it won't do as well as I hope.

I had a bit of computer trouble a few weeks ago when my computer died on me.  It was the most nerve racking thing since things still sell while the computer isn't on!  The only saving grace was that I was dog sitting for friends while they were away and was able to use there computer for answering questions and printing labels.  I got a great deal on a computer at Walmart.  I had looked at all the usual places, eBay (of course), BestBuy, etc. but they were more than I wanted to spend and got the same RAM and memory at Walmart for over $100 less.  I was able to get everything transferred over and was back in business.  Being without a computer is like being without a car when you work from home!

Another bit of news I have to report is that I recently took my test to become an Education Specialist trained by eBay!  I am currently offering a Basics of Selling course and am so excited to being teaching.  I love helping others and I think this will be a perfect fit for me.  I plan on adding additional classes in the future but right now I am going to start with this one.  If you are interested in taking the course, Basics of Selling, you can click here. 

I have my road trip planned for tomorrow mornings thrift run.  There is a multi family sale at a school that benefits the Cub Scouts so I'm hitting that first.  I have a full circle mapped out and when I get home, my mom should be arriving...we are going to thrift stores!  :)  Have a great day tomorrow!