Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Three weeks in bed.........

I've spent 3 weeks in bed. The combination of Mono and a serious stomach virus knocked me down! It was torture. Luckily, I'm starting to feel a little better and get to return to my part time job tomorrow (cross your fingers). 
My summer illness proves why selling on eBay is such a good job. I might have missed the income from my normal part time job the last 3 weeks, but ebay was still there for me. Here are some of our sales from the week: 



     Citizens of Humanity men's jeans 

               Purchase Price: $0.00
                       (Loyalty card) 
                       Sold: $28.00



     Vintage 60's purse. We sold the purse for an elderly friend. A theatre festival costume shop purchased the purse, which we thought was sweet. 

                    Sold: $19.99 




             UF Nike dri-fit polo shirt 

               Purchase Price: $4.49
                    Sold: $21.99 




     1980 preschool game to teach colors. We also sold this game for an elderly friend (we keep a portion of the profit and she gets a clean house). The game was purchased by a public library, which also was pretty sweet. 

                    Sold: $14.99 




     Harley Davidson button down shirt 

               Purchase Price: $4.49 
                    Sold: $79.99 




     Nick & Nora poodle pajama pants 

               Purchase price: $1.14 
                    Sold: $19.99 


How was your week? How have your summer sales been? 

Monday, June 29, 2015

How to Discover the Best Brands to Sell

A year ago we were selling old WWE shirts for $8.00. Now, we are selling jackets for $140.00 and shirts for $80.00. How? We learned the most valuable brands to sell. Actually we took it a step further; we learned the valuable brands to sell that thrift store workers wouldn't know. Yes, we've found and sold Versace, Gucci and Armani; but most thrift stores know those brands and price them accordingly. We had to discover brands that thrift store workers wouldn't know to price high (at least where we shop). We discovered these brands by: 

1. Reading Blogs! 

We constantly read other blogs to research the brands other flippers have sold. What is successful for one is generally successful for another. 


Example: We had never heard of Ermenegildo Zegna before reading another blog. We purchased this shirt for $4.00 and sold it for $29.99. 


2. Window shop online! 
We window shop expensive online stores such as Barney's, Neiman Marcus and Saks 5th Avenue. If someone will pay $300 for a new pair of jeans, they will pay you good money for those jeans used. This is the best way to find premium brands that thrift shop staff might not know. 



We purchased this Dries Van Noten jacket for $6.00 and sold it for $139.99. We discovered the brand online window shopping. 


3. Take pictures! 
While out thrift shopping, we take pictures of brands we don't know and research them later. It's the simplest way to discover new brands. 



Crazy to imagine but once upon a time, 7 For All Mankind jeans were a mystery to us. We discovered them by taking pictures and researching later. We purchased this pair for $6.00 and sold them for $74.99! 


4. Feel for Quality! 
Sometimes, just the quality of an item can tell you if an item is valuable. 


We had never heard of the brand Marni but the quality of this shirt and the others with found with it, felt very high quality. We purchased the shirt for $3.37 and are selling it for $74.99. 


You don't have to be a fashion expert to know which brands are valuable. You do need to be a sponge. Soak up as much information as possible and love to learn! 

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Book Idea

Anyone want to become an author with me? I've searched and have never found a book detailing the best thrift shops around the country. I know I'd love to read a book detailing the best shops plus comparing prices and selection. Thrift shops in Birmingham, Alabama aren't the same as thrift shops in Baltimore, Maryland. Prices are different. Selection is VERY different. 
Is anyone out there interested in helping me? If we got thrift flippers from around the country to work together, we could all profit and benefit from the project. If you are interested let me know! Let's do this! 

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Sick + Sales

Life is a balancing act. If you are disabled, this balancing act is magnified times a thousand. The last week of May and first week of June, I worked 90 hours. For a normal person 90 hours isn't too bad but for someone with a disability it can knock you off your feet. I've been in bed for 10 days now. Summer flu + exhaustion got the best of me. Luckily, we've made some sales and listed some items. Hopefully, I can get back to normal soon. My Netflix list is getting awfully small! Here are some of our sales for the week and items we listed: 



     MEK New OAXACA women's jeans 

               Purchase Price: $8.00 
                    Sold: $59.99 



     Joe's Jeans Honey women's jeans

               Purchase Price: $4.49
                    Sold: $39.99 




       Citron Oriental Women's Cardigan

               Purchase Price: $2.15 
                    Sold: $34.99 




     Harley-Davidson women's shirt 

               Purchase Price: $3.99 
                    Sold: $29.99 




          MEK OXACA women's jeans

               Purchase Price: $1.14 
                    Sold: $17.99 




        Harley-Davidson 1990 T-Shirt 

               Purchase Price: 5 cents 
               Asking Price: $34.99 




          Harley-Davidson 1992 T-Shirt 

               Purchase Price: 5 cents 
               Asking Price: $29.99 




     Smurfs 1983 Baby Receiving Blanket

               Purchase Price: 50 cents 
               Asking Price: $14.99 




   The North Face Men's Pearl snapshirt
               Purchase Price: 50 cents 
               Asking Price: $17.99




        Nick & Nora Pajama Pants XXL 

               Purchase Price: $1.14 
                    Sold: $19.99 




         7 For All Mankind skinny jeans 

               Purchase Price: $4.49 
                    Sold: $24.99 




   Banana Republic vintage safari jacket

               Purchase Price: $3.37 
                     Sold: $24.99 


How was your week? Any good finds? 
    

Finders Keepers

We all LOVE finding a valuable item to sell online. We are constantly on the hunt for that next treasure. From time to time though, we find something for ourselves. Something we cannot afford to buy new or maybe a vintage item no longer sold. Being disabled we cannot afford to buy new luxury items anymore, thrift shopping provides us opportunities to make a profit and shop for our needs. 

We don't keep very many items but the items we do keep are mostly shoes, T-Shirts (my personal weakness in life!) and jackets. Here are some of the items we've kept over the years: 



     Tracy McGrady game worn collection framed, limited edition large piece of jersey. These were given to loyal season ticket holders on the Orlando Magic's 15th anniversary. I've never been able to find out any other information about the item, so I have no clue how much it's worth. I purchased it for $2.00 back in 2008. I consider it one of, if not my greatest find/deal. It's hanging up in my workout room and won't be sold. 



     Vintage Satin Ohio St. Starter jacket
I'm from Columbus, Ohio and am a HUGE Buckeye fan. I just named my new dog Buckeye! Growing up in SW Florida and living in NC Florida, we don't find much Buckeye apparel at thrift stores. On a trip to Ohio in December, my one thrifting goal was to find a vintage Ohio St. Starter jacket for myself. I can't explain how happy I was when I found this jacket in my size. The $20 price tag was more than we'd pay in Florida, but it was worth it. Now I've got to figure out when to wear this heavy jacket in Florida! 



     New Under Armour Hoodie: USA
Think I bought this for $3-$4 at Goodwill. Usually I remember exactly where I buy things, but I'm not totally sure. 




     We LOVE Gremlins! It's one of our favorite movies. So when I found this snow globe from 1984 at the Hospice Thrift Store for $4.00 I had to buy it. Courtney loved it when I brought it home for her :) 





              Jordan 3 retros: I think 
I bought these in Tallahassee for $8.00. They are in amazing condition. I haven't taken the time to research them yet. Love the colors and design, so I'll keep them regardless. 



       Under Armour work out shoes
These shoes were like new and are perfect for working out or wearing to thrift. Plus they match my Ohio St clothing....always a bonus! At $5.00 they were a steal. 



     Jordan Boots: black, gold and silver
I thought these boots were fake when I purchased them at a Goodwill outside Orlando. Turns out they are real. I wanted to keep them anyway and love these boots. My big toe nails are still bruises 3 months after wearing these walking around Washington DC, so they are a little small but $90 boots for $8 was too good to pass up. 



     Dr. Martens leather women's shoes
I just found these a few weeks ago and haven't worn them yet. I found a men's pair in Gainesville and a women's pair in Naples. If they feel good, I'll keep them. If not, I'll sell them. 


What have you kept over the years? What catches your attention? 

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Summer, Summertime....it's Summertime!

To this day we love Will Smith's classic "Summertime!" Summer time is definitely upon us in Florida. Whew it's hot! I've been slowed down by dental surgery and being sick, but still made some great finds this week; plus some sales! Here our some of our sales for the week: 



         Dries Van Noten cardigan/shawl

               Purchase Price: $3.37 
                    Sold: $74.99 



       Diesel men's Louvely jeans: NWOT

               Purchase Price: $5.99
                    Sold: $49.99



     Jurassic Park PC game from 1998
     Perfect find since the movie just came 
     Out. 

               Purchase Price: 12 cents 
                    Sold: $19.99



       Armani Exhange women's jeans

               Purchase Price: $2.49 
                    Sold: $17.99 


We went to the Goodwill Outlet in Ocala on Thursday, which is always an adventure! There is also a thrift shop that sells clothing for 5 cents so we love to shop there. You can't beat 5 cents! Here are some of our finds of the week. We still need to clean them up but it will wait until I'm out of bed and feeling better. 



    Tracy McGrady Adidas True School        Authentics high school stitched jersey. 3XL. NWOT. 

               Purchase Price: $4.49 
               Asking Price: $49.99 



       Silver Tuesday 20" women's jeans

               Purchase Price: $4.49
               Asking Price: $29.99 



        Vigoss embroidered floral jeans

               Purchase Price: $4.49 
                    Sold: $21.99



 FSU Nike 3XL Fear The Spear Shirt NWT

               Purchase Price: $2.49 
                    Sold: $19.99 



     Grey's Anatomy Scrubs 2XL. They might not sell for big profit, but they always sell quickly and can be found for cheap. 

               Purchasing Price: $1.14 
                Asking Price: $14.99 




     Ralph Lauren Black Label 100% linen  women's shirt size 8. 

               Purchase Price: $4.49 
                    Sold: $19.99


We found a few bags at the Goodwill Outlet that we have not cleaned or priced yet: 



         Gucci Dust Cover bag: $1.14 



     We found this Coach purse as soon as we walked in the door. It's not in perfect condition but for 72 cents, we couldn't pass it up! 



     We always buy vintage leather bottom Jansport backpacks when we find them. This one definitely needs cleaned up but we sold a dirty one for $25 a few months ago, so we feel good about it. At 93 cents it's worth the risk! 


How was your week? How is your summer going? 


Friday, June 5, 2015

Summer is EXHAUSTING!

I don't know about where you live but in Florida summer is exhausting. The heat and humidity wipes you out so quickly. This week I started watching Daniella full time for the summer and working on my ebay stuff. Being disabled, I haven't worked this much in almost 10 years. I'm worn out already and it's only the first week! Once again, we didn't sell too much but I had some great finds. Let's all hope June is better than May! 



     Daniella is ready for a fun summer! 


                         SALES: 



     Harley-Davidson men's XL shirt

               Purchase Price: $4.49
                    Sold: $49.99 



     Shaquille O'Neal champion jersey 

               Purchase Price: $3.99 
                    Sold: $30.00 



          Silver Tuesday 22" jeans 

               Purchase price: $1.25 
                    Sold: $18.00 


                         FINDS: 


     J Press Handwoven Tweed Blazer 

               Purchase price: $3.00 
               Asking price: $99.99 



       Chicago Blackhawks Hoodie XL 

               Purchase Price: $6.00 
                    Sold: $32.00 



       Lanvin suede jacket women's 50 

               Purchase Price: $4.49 
               Asking Price: $74.99 



   7 For All Mankind Skinny Boyfriend     jeans. NWOT. I wish these were my size. Love them! 

               Purchase Price: $5.99 
                    Sold: $74.99 



          Diesel Men's jeans NWOT

               Purchase Price: $5.99 
                     Sold: $49.99 



     And our most interesting find......I have no clue if they are authentic but thought it's worth the risk. 

           Gucci men's jeans size 36 

               Purchase Price: $5.99 
               FAKE! 😡 Donated 


How were your sales and finds?