So we've been checking out local furniture, hobby, and book stores lately, to determine how to unload the things that aren't moving (or won't ever get posted) on Amazon and ebay. The furniture store's a good possibility if we're in their "pickup" radius, and if they like the photos we will eventually send them. We've found a train guy, and we might send him some pics this week, and maybe visit him in person again with a bin of stuff if HE expresses more of an interest than he already has (which is to say, sight-unseen, he expressed "interest" but needs to know if there's any "real" value). One more trip to a bookstore, for cash and/or store credit, and then whatever's left in our possession will probably end up at a yard sale or flea market, priced at $.50/paperback and $1.00/hardback. OR, I will cobble together various wine/liquor boxes of various titles and list them on ebay as "grab-box specials" for supah-cheap and see if I get any takers! What the hell, right?
This weekend, I put a bunch of dolls in the ebay store, and had lots of communications with potential buyers, and made some changes in how I had things listed, and then I MOVED four dolls and got bids and watchers on dolls and self-help tapes and comics. I was BUSY this weekend! THREE packages (all porcelain dolls) went out in today's mail, and another Barbie is awaiting payment (I think that buyer's going to snag another Barbie or two and is waiting for a bulk-shipment invoice - I'm hoping he opts for my last three Barbies so I can be DONE with that line).
Tomorrow, Stephen has the day off, and he's found another consignment store that may have an interest in all of the plastic/vinyl dolls we have left - maybe twenty? vintage 50's or 60's dolls with "sleep eyes" and shoulder and hip joints that I'll never be able to research for ebay. I'm almost at the point where every doll I list is going to go up for a ten dollar auction or fifteen dollar "Buy It Now" - I've already got a shitload of teddy bears listed at five apiece OBO... and have sold three, with a watcher on a fourth.
You may not know this, but just as some Facebookers are actually just "lurkers," reading other folks' posts but never liking or commenting or posting on the happenings in their own lives, some ebayers are "watchers" - and I may not ever know WHO is watching my store, but I can track at any given time how many folks are watching a particular item. When I was shopping on ebay, I didn't bother to watch. If I had interest in an item and its auction was appropriate, I'd bid. If it got out of hand, I'd quit. If it didn't get out of hand, I'd win the bid, pay promptly, and receive the item I'd ordered. Ebay is FUN! I doubt Amazon lets you do those things, or track them as a seller, since they're set up more for "Buy It Now." And Stephen manages that store.
But anyway. I'm still applying for work IN LOS ANGELES. We're still following the "transfer his job" path with Stephen and Sam's Club. We're still looking at apartments in the areas we know. We're counting how many earthquakes hit before we get home, and figuring on rent being supah-cheap by the time we get there, since a portion of the population will throw in the towel. We're still downsizing and calculating HOW MUCH STUFF we'll have to ship, and how to get it done effectively and efficiently. We're still going to see his mom for her 70th birthday. We're settled on the transportation of us and the cats - MY CAR - but haven't mapped out our route yet. We've gotten an invitation from a pair of Florida-based friends with whom we'd built our relationship in LA. I wouldn't mind seeing as much family as we can, one "last" time, while we're still on this coast. Just don't know how yet. None of this last paragraph has any bearing on today's post, unless one of the jobs kicks in this week. Still gonna be a big week, though! And for you?
Monday, March 31, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
So, What Happened?
Yesterday, I started my day with a text message from a woman I'd done some bill-paying for back home. I was originally a twice-a-month subcontractor, but toward the end, I'd see her weekly (in trying to "train" the next personal assistant). Her message was out of the blue, to be sure, but it was along the lines of "thinking of you - how are you - miss you" so I replied to let her know we'd be coming home in July. She expressed an urgency (come home sooner) and then let me know how she's been, etc. I told her she was funny and said the only way I could get home sooner was if she could employ me full time. She told me she would probably be "divorcing" her business partner, and I didn't know how to respond, so I left it there.
Then I completed a "Best Offer" on a tall, heavy, FRAGILE (all porcelain) doll and had to ship it out. She'd been listed for over a month, and we'd reduced her auction price and "Buy It Now" price but she'd had no movement; very few views, and no watchers. So when she completed her last auction, I let her sit idle for a few days and then changed her to a "fixed price" item, even though ebay kept telling me "you'll have 50% more views if you list as auction" (ahem, BULL). I included "OBO" in the price. Then we ignored her for a bit and focused on the teddy bears (all of which are listed at $5 OBO) that I'd actually sold but was waiting to ship in case the person who bought them also won the wooden cradle auction. Long story short (I know, too late), the cradle auction wraps up today, but the bears buyer responded when ebay said "PAY FOR YOUR STUFF" and in the meantime, I got an offer on the porcelain doll, which I accepted.
So I had to wrap each of her limbs in bubblewrap and a paper wine bag, separate them further with more bubblewrap and paper and her knit blanket, stuff the original box into an outer box, line those empty spaces with paper, cut down the outer box, tape it all up and ship it. It weighed 8 pounds. Stephen took my car to work, so I'd get to drive the van to the post office, unless I managed to catch my mailman in time. I cannot see my mailboxes from my apartment, so I made quite a few trips outside to where I COULD see, after the first one where I'd left him a "please honk at me if you don't see me" note, and just shy of 11:00, I saw him pull up and open the mailboxes. Back up the stairs to fetch the eight-pounder, but I DID get her in his hands, and collect what little mail (and my note), and come back in ACCOMPLISHED.
Then there was a whole day of a stupid "Breast Cancer Awareness" game on Facebook. I'm not saying that awareness of breast cancer is stupid; the game was stupid. And it caused a stir in its stupidity. And lots of my friends and family were (at least momentarily) "fooled" into thinking that I am pregnant. I am not. If I were, I wouldn't say "Guess it was too good to be true. I’m pregnant. " Because really, how DO you respond to the latent "I'm unhappy with this situation" sentiment that's RIGHT THERE?
Anyway, I left that for a bit and listed two more dolls. Then Stephen got home from work, saw the Facebook status and ASKED me "what does that mean, exactly?" and I was able to protect him from the game by telling him to NOT "like" or "comment." Yay, me, #bestwifeever. Right. Then we went out to dinner in the next town, because one of our friends from HOME was in town on a gig. Weirdest night in my recent history, if not ever. That's because that particular friend's quirks are well known to Stephen but not to me. When we get home, especially if we end up living in his apartment complex, then I'll get to know him better, and last night will be one I'll look back on as a starting-point, probably. It wasn't a NEGATIVE weirdness for me. Just weirdness.
Got home and decided to put an end to the FB game. I was unsuccessful in that attempt. Today I received a congratulatory private message. Damn. But I ALSO received another text from the businesswoman - "Hurry back now. We need you!!" I replied (again) with our timetable, but did I miss something? Did she offer me a JOB? Nah.
Then I completed a "Best Offer" on a tall, heavy, FRAGILE (all porcelain) doll and had to ship it out. She'd been listed for over a month, and we'd reduced her auction price and "Buy It Now" price but she'd had no movement; very few views, and no watchers. So when she completed her last auction, I let her sit idle for a few days and then changed her to a "fixed price" item, even though ebay kept telling me "you'll have 50% more views if you list as auction" (ahem, BULL). I included "OBO" in the price. Then we ignored her for a bit and focused on the teddy bears (all of which are listed at $5 OBO) that I'd actually sold but was waiting to ship in case the person who bought them also won the wooden cradle auction. Long story short (I know, too late), the cradle auction wraps up today, but the bears buyer responded when ebay said "PAY FOR YOUR STUFF" and in the meantime, I got an offer on the porcelain doll, which I accepted.
So I had to wrap each of her limbs in bubblewrap and a paper wine bag, separate them further with more bubblewrap and paper and her knit blanket, stuff the original box into an outer box, line those empty spaces with paper, cut down the outer box, tape it all up and ship it. It weighed 8 pounds. Stephen took my car to work, so I'd get to drive the van to the post office, unless I managed to catch my mailman in time. I cannot see my mailboxes from my apartment, so I made quite a few trips outside to where I COULD see, after the first one where I'd left him a "please honk at me if you don't see me" note, and just shy of 11:00, I saw him pull up and open the mailboxes. Back up the stairs to fetch the eight-pounder, but I DID get her in his hands, and collect what little mail (and my note), and come back in ACCOMPLISHED.
Then there was a whole day of a stupid "Breast Cancer Awareness" game on Facebook. I'm not saying that awareness of breast cancer is stupid; the game was stupid. And it caused a stir in its stupidity. And lots of my friends and family were (at least momentarily) "fooled" into thinking that I am pregnant. I am not. If I were, I wouldn't say "Guess it was too good to be true. I’m pregnant. " Because really, how DO you respond to the latent "I'm unhappy with this situation" sentiment that's RIGHT THERE?
Anyway, I left that for a bit and listed two more dolls. Then Stephen got home from work, saw the Facebook status and ASKED me "what does that mean, exactly?" and I was able to protect him from the game by telling him to NOT "like" or "comment." Yay, me, #bestwifeever. Right. Then we went out to dinner in the next town, because one of our friends from HOME was in town on a gig. Weirdest night in my recent history, if not ever. That's because that particular friend's quirks are well known to Stephen but not to me. When we get home, especially if we end up living in his apartment complex, then I'll get to know him better, and last night will be one I'll look back on as a starting-point, probably. It wasn't a NEGATIVE weirdness for me. Just weirdness.
Got home and decided to put an end to the FB game. I was unsuccessful in that attempt. Today I received a congratulatory private message. Damn. But I ALSO received another text from the businesswoman - "Hurry back now. We need you!!" I replied (again) with our timetable, but did I miss something? Did she offer me a JOB? Nah.
*******
Today, I'm going to sort through all the rest of the dolls and get anything "bunny" listed. It'll be a Bunny Day. There are a TON of "bunny" items listed (on ebay in general, not yet in my store), and most of them are actually moving, because Easter is coming, and a stuffed bunny is a MUCH better gift than a live one. Happy Bunny Day! (And Happy Birthday, Rachel)
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Stuff Happened
All day today, as I was DOING, I kept thinking "I need to blog." But then I'd continue DOING and never got around to it. It's now time to go to bed, and if I sit here to completely blog, I'll be here an hour trying to make sure it's right.
So I'm going to get ready for bed, and then I'm going to go to bed. And sometime tomorrow, either before I get bogged down in DOING, or when I'm in the middle of it and need a break, I'll come back here to catch you all up.
Suffice it to say, today was pretty good. Stuff Happened.
So I'm going to get ready for bed, and then I'm going to go to bed. And sometime tomorrow, either before I get bogged down in DOING, or when I'm in the middle of it and need a break, I'll come back here to catch you all up.
Suffice it to say, today was pretty good. Stuff Happened.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Saturday, March 22, 2014
I sound like a crazy woman.
TODAY's big project is adding more dolls and comics (mostly comics, so far) to the store, as well as taking pictures of FURNITURE and TRAINS.
Well, okay, the dolls and furniture and trains will probably wait until tomorrow or the next day. But in Stephen's time off from his "real job" we've driven to a couple of local places that could BUY things like books and furniture and trains (haven't found nor even sought out a local DOLL shop). We've already taken all the hardbacks and paperbacks (actual BOOKS) into the local "chain" used bookstores for cash/store credit, and we've come home with still too many. We will likely make a trip to a new bookstore, see what we can unload, and then the rest goes back to the first store for store credit, and we'll come home with a handful of Blu-Rays rather than several boxes of books! Win!
The train store was interesting. The guy there only wants NEW stuff, and compared our Post-War train sets to a rotary phone that we might go into a wireless store to sell. Stephen already found a place online that will accept your photos and inventory list, give you a quote, and have you ship 'em out (or maybe they're actually local and come pick 'em up? I don't remember). And they WANT the old stuff. So we'll see about that. If they offer us enough for enough to leave us with one working set, then we'll take one set home with us to establish a new-for-us-but-very-"traditional" tradition of a Christmas tree train and track. We know there's at least one engine that's strong and has a functional smokestack, so that's our latest likelihood. If they want to give us TOO MUCH for the working sets, then we'll keep a short length of track, one landscape "prop" and one non-functional engine, and mount it all in a Shadowbox. Either way, we still have a piece of his Dad to take back to California.
The furniture store was a good fact-finding mission, and when we left there, we were going to wait until about May to follow-up. Take a few pics for local peeps who have expressed interest, see what we can get, possibly lug everything to a yard sale or flea market (the flea market fact-finding trips were not horrible), and THEN try to get someone out to the apartment (rather than lugging it back out to the store) if our photos taken at that time generate any interest at all. As of today, though, Stephen was all "we have GOT to clear out this space! Sooner rather than later! Let's see what's wrong with your dresser and get some pics! Let's get some other photos of any furniture that might sell! Oh, and while you're at it, I want to list these comics, but not individually, so I can't list them on Amazon, so will you take pics of these collections, while you're at it?" etc. etc. (No, he probably did not repeat "while you're at it" but I was expressing his sudden urgency.)
So he started creating listings, and I started taking pictures. And in between postings, I've gone back to email and Facebook, because while "ebaying" is kinda fun, it can also be draining. And then I came here. And now I can do some more ebaying, because I've rested sufficiently, and I think my camera battery is probably fully charged again, and... Wow. I sound like a crazy woman. S'okay. I may very well be.
Well, okay, the dolls and furniture and trains will probably wait until tomorrow or the next day. But in Stephen's time off from his "real job" we've driven to a couple of local places that could BUY things like books and furniture and trains (haven't found nor even sought out a local DOLL shop). We've already taken all the hardbacks and paperbacks (actual BOOKS) into the local "chain" used bookstores for cash/store credit, and we've come home with still too many. We will likely make a trip to a new bookstore, see what we can unload, and then the rest goes back to the first store for store credit, and we'll come home with a handful of Blu-Rays rather than several boxes of books! Win!
The train store was interesting. The guy there only wants NEW stuff, and compared our Post-War train sets to a rotary phone that we might go into a wireless store to sell. Stephen already found a place online that will accept your photos and inventory list, give you a quote, and have you ship 'em out (or maybe they're actually local and come pick 'em up? I don't remember). And they WANT the old stuff. So we'll see about that. If they offer us enough for enough to leave us with one working set, then we'll take one set home with us to establish a new-for-us-but-very-"traditional" tradition of a Christmas tree train and track. We know there's at least one engine that's strong and has a functional smokestack, so that's our latest likelihood. If they want to give us TOO MUCH for the working sets, then we'll keep a short length of track, one landscape "prop" and one non-functional engine, and mount it all in a Shadowbox. Either way, we still have a piece of his Dad to take back to California.
The furniture store was a good fact-finding mission, and when we left there, we were going to wait until about May to follow-up. Take a few pics for local peeps who have expressed interest, see what we can get, possibly lug everything to a yard sale or flea market (the flea market fact-finding trips were not horrible), and THEN try to get someone out to the apartment (rather than lugging it back out to the store) if our photos taken at that time generate any interest at all. As of today, though, Stephen was all "we have GOT to clear out this space! Sooner rather than later! Let's see what's wrong with your dresser and get some pics! Let's get some other photos of any furniture that might sell! Oh, and while you're at it, I want to list these comics, but not individually, so I can't list them on Amazon, so will you take pics of these collections, while you're at it?" etc. etc. (No, he probably did not repeat "while you're at it" but I was expressing his sudden urgency.)
So he started creating listings, and I started taking pictures. And in between postings, I've gone back to email and Facebook, because while "ebaying" is kinda fun, it can also be draining. And then I came here. And now I can do some more ebaying, because I've rested sufficiently, and I think my camera battery is probably fully charged again, and... Wow. I sound like a crazy woman. S'okay. I may very well be.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Welcome, Belgium!
In case you're new to me... and if you're not, then I didn't welcome you when you were, so
WELCOME!
WELCOME!
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