Hello From Naples.....

I spent the first half of Spring Break in Naples with Daniella. We went to the beach, museum and pool. Her first time away from home without her parents was a success. I'm spending the second half of Spring Break to thrift shop. I'm down to 130 listed items and needed some inventory. Luckily, I'm in thrifting heaven. Take a look: 

This cart full of stuff only cost me $50! I've found some AMAZING items and tomorrow is 50% off day at Goodwill. So far, I've spent $143.29 and my potential profit is: $1819.00 (before shipping). I'd say a $1500 or so profit to point. So of my favorite finds so far: 

Balenciaga women's 80's silk blouse: paid $4.29/ list price $124.99 

Cavalli Floral Jeans: 

Paid $4.99/ list price $75

Levi's Big E Reversible Vest from 60's/70's. My first Levi's Big E find! 

Paid $3.00/ list price $75 

Helly Hansen Vintage Snow Suit

Paid $8.00/ list price $74.99 

Woolrich Vintage Thick Jacket 

Paid $4.00/ List price $119.99

Love this Navy jacket I bought for $2.00. It's very cool! 

Of course I had to buy Drake's Hotline Bling sweatshirt too!!! Could never pass that up! 

I also found the usual brands: Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, Pendleton, Nike, NYDJ, Hickey Freeman, Jhane Barnes, Calvin Klein, Jamie Sadock and Baracuta. Tomorrow should be EPIC! 

Apparently, I'm the only who really buys and sells jeans. Positive: at least I didn't have to send anybody a great pair of jeans. Negative: I'm not sure how much I'm helping people with my posts, when so many items I sell are jeans. 

I've only sold 8 things this week and most have been jeans. If you aren't selling them....still be on the lookout for great brands. I find them everywhere! Here are a few items I sold: 

        Lacoste Men's Jeans Size 36 

          Cost: $5.00          Sold: $21.99 

     7 For All Mankind Men's Austyn Jeans

          Cost: $6.00          Sold: $39.99

  Lucky Brand Boyfriend Women's Jeans

       Cost: $2.99          Sold: $29.99 

   Adriano Goldschmied The Stevie Jeans

       Cost: $4.99          Sold: $19.00

       Lilly Pulitzer Womens Golf Pants 

       Cost: $4.00          Sold: $13.00

March Madness

Sorry I haven't posted! It's NCAA Tournament time and I get a LITTLE distracted with all the passion. There is nothing I have more (other than my family) than basketball. Plus, I had a first birthday to attend: 

   My brother, niece and I at her first birthday party ❤️❤️

As it pertains to ebay, I've sold a few things. Down to only 136 items listed. I can't wait to thrift shop down here in SWFL. Bad news: I went 6 months without anything being returned, now I've had 3 returns this week. None of them my fault....people either don't read descriptions or don't know their measurements. Still, I HATE the returns. I'm very detailed in my descriptions; in order to avoid returns. Oh well. 

Here a few items I sold the last couple days: 

 

     7 For All Mankind Austyn Men's Jeans

          Cost: $6.00          Sold: $49.99

        Madewell women's skinny jeans

          Cost: $4.49          Sold: $27.99

        Jamie Sadock Women's Jacket 

          Cost: $10.00          Sold: $24.99

Apparently, $10 was too much to pay for this jacket. You live, you learn. 

     White Mountain Lunchbox Puzzle

          Cost: $0.00          Sold: $17.99

We are a little bit obsessed with puzzles. We've completed 17 Thomas Kinkade DISNEY puzzles since Christmas. See an example: 

I was given the lunchbox puzzle as a gift but am not feeling the White Mountain puzzles. So, I decided to sell it. Not too bad of a sale for an item that cost me nothing. 

     Lucky Brand Men's Western Shirt 

          Cost: $4.49          Sold: $24.99 

Western shirts with Pearl snaps are almost always a great buy. Snatch them up...if you find them! 

        NYDJ Women's Jeans Size 6 

          Cost: $2.00          Sold: $14.99

I didn't make a huge profit on these jeans but couldn't resist NYDJ jeans for $2.00. 

How is March treating you? 

So Ready!

I'm so ready for Spring Break next week! Why you may ask? 

I only have 144 items listed on eBay. It would be understandable if I had inventory waiting to be listed, but I don't. I only have a couple items that need steamed and listed. 

So, Spring Break I'm taking Daniella to Naples for the week. I will finally be able to do some thrift shopping. In Naples, I usually find 15-30 items per store. In Gainesville lately: 2-3 items for store. It feels like my paypal account is stagnant, but only because I don't have anything to list. Does anybody else ever encounter this issue? 

Here are a few things I did sell in the last 2 days: 

     LL Bean Sherpa lined Women's Vest 

          Cost: $6.00          Sold: $34.99 

I try to look for Sherpa lined jackets and vests; they sell very well. 

       Michael Kors Men's Jeans size 42

          Cost: $0.00          Sold: $27.00 

These were another Goodwill of Southwest Florida loyalty purchase. Those little cards save me so much money! 

         Joe's Jeans Mini Skirt Size 27 

           Cost: $4.49          Sold: $11.99

I thought this skirt would sell for more. I generally don't buy and sell skirts, so it's a lesson learned. 

          Miss Me Capri Jeans Size 31 

          Cost: $6.00          Sold: $49.99 

Daniella and I went to Goodwill on Friday. She has become quite the thrift shopper, when I push her in a wheelchair and basically hold her captive! We only found 2 quality items in the whole store. I listed the two pairs of jeans I found today. I got an offer on one pair and this pair sold within hours of listing it. Just shows people will buy quality items. Problem is: finding them. 

Take a Stand

Interesting question: are there any brands or items you refuse to buy or sell? I don't mean because of the horrible profit margin or bad quality but for moral or ethical reasons. Or does it not matter as long as you can make a buck? 

Currently, I have three items/brands I will not buy or sell. They are: 

               Abercrombie & Fitch 

I refuse to buy anything made by Abercrombie and Fitch. I didn't appreciate their CEO's elitist attitude or ignorant comments. He only wants a certain type of person buying and selling the company's clothing and I decided I'm not that type of person. 

My stand was put to the test when I found the above jacket 👆. The men's jacket was new with tags and I could've made a nice profit; but I didn't need the money that bad. 

               University of Michigan 

I don't buy anything from the University of Michigan. Why? O-H-I-O! My fandom is not for sale 😃😃😃! 

                    Donald Trump 

Ok (sigh). I'm not starting a political debate. If you want to debate me politically, friend me on Facebook. Anna Robey. We can debate all day. I'm just using this as my example. If your on the other side and don't want to buy or sell anything with Barack Obama on it...great. I refuse to buy or sell anything from Donald Trump. I find his ties or dress shirts in the men's section about once a week. Even if I could make $50 a shirt, I wouldn't buy or sell them. That's just my personal choice. 

Are there items or brands you refuse to buy or sell? 

Here are a few items I sold today: 

  R. Lauren Authentic Dry Goods Jacket  

           Cost: $5.99          Sold: $21.99 

     Steven by Steve Madden Flats 6M 

          Cost: $0          Sold: $21.00 

You'll find Steve Madden shoes everywhere. I only buy: Steven by Steve Madden shoes in great condition. I got these for free with my SWFL Goodwill loyalty card. 

        Gieves & Hawkes Men's Jacket

          Cost: $3.00          Sold: $24.00 

You won't find Gieves & Hawkes jackets very often; they are fairly rare on ebay. So when you do find one....buy it!  The profit may not be huge but it will sell. 

P.S.: Sorry to my Republican readers for including Trump on my list. I just had to be honest on the items I refuse to buy 👍. 

Oh Thrift Stores Crack Me Up Sometimes

I saw this picture and thought it was perfect. Love it! 

So, thrift stores can be a funny place. The things you find and people you meet can be halarious! Here are some funny things I found along the way: 

WHAT? Who would buy this painting? Who exactly is that in the painting? I was laughing pretty hard when I saw it. 

I know Habitat for Humanity stores sell toilets; yet I found the toilet in a Hospice store. It was randomly sitting by clothes and mugs. I should've gotten a wider photo shot. 

Hey, at least the company is honest! This was the brand tag on a men's shirt. Haha! 

I guess someone was hungry and too lazy to throw away the pizza crust! 

I bought this mug. Couldn't resist. 

What funny items or people have you seen along the way? 

March has gone fairly well. I'm sick again so I haven't been able to do much shopping. Here are a few items I've sold recently: 

         Hugo Boss Linen Jacket 44L 

          Cost: $3.00          Sold: $39.99

       Ralph Lauren Men's Argyle Vest 

          Cost: $2.50          Sold: $23.99

     Polo Sport Bear Rugby Men's Shirt 

        Cost: $4.50          Sold: $45.99

       Joe's Jeans Skinny Jeans Size 30

          Cost: $4.99          Sold: $15.99

         Mother Women's Jeans Size 25 

        Cost: $6.00          Sold: $45.00

Rescue

Today marks one year since we adopted Buckeye and Gator Bait. They were going to be euthanized the next day if not adopted and it broke my heart. 

Thousands of healthy dogs are killed every year due to a lack of space in shelters. So, I'm just taking this moment to ask: rescue a dog if you have the opportunity or ability. It will positively change your life forever. 

So how does this pertain to selling on eBay? As an ebay seller and disabled woman, I spend a lot of time at home. In August 2014, my best friend DISNEY passed away from Cancer. Here is DISNEY: 

We were extraordinarily close due to all my health issues and our life experiences. Initially after she died, I went into ebay overdrive. I bought, bought, bought and listed, listed, listed. I threw myself into learning everything I could about clothing brands and fashion trends. It was all a distraction from the pain of losing my best friend. When the shock wore off and I felt alone for the first time in my life; the distraction wasn't helpful anymore and my ebay work fell off a cliff. Last January and February were my worst months ever selling on eBay. I was hurting and didn't have it in me to buy or sell. 

On March 6, 2015, a friend I coached basketball with in Tampa shared a post on Facebook about a dog in the shelter there. Here is the picture: 

If she wasn't adopted the next day, she was going to be euthanized. It broke my heart! Her eyes looked so sad. I sobbed so loud that Courtney woke up and thought I had something wrong with me. Courtney said: we will save her tomorrow. Then, we looked at other pictures of the dogs who were being euthanized the day....I know it sounds like torture! One dog reminded me of DISNEY. They don't look that much alike but I just had a feeling. I'm not a religious person, still I feel like DISNEY sent them to me. Here is the other picture we saw: 

In our neighborhood we are only allowed one dog but we wanted to save both dogs. We didn't know if we could keep them both; yet we were going to save them both. Luckily (I guess), Courtney and I both have serious medical issues and we registered the dogs as service dogs; thus allowing us to keep them both. 

The point is: my ebay sales climbed to new heights after adopting Buckeye and Gator Bait. They made me happy and I wanted to work again. I wanted to better their lives and my life. Just keep in mind: your ebay success depends on more than just prices, finds and descriptions. Your happiness and overall attitude are huge factors. Find your happiness and your sales can soar. Thank you for reading this long post. 

Here are a few items I sold this weekend: 

   J. Brand Bootcut Black Jeans Size 27

        Cost: $4.80          Sold: $25.99

                    Fendi Silk Tie 

         

        Cost: 80 cents          Sold: $8.99

I thought this tie would sell for more. I didn't take the greatest pictures. At least I made a profit and got to cross an expensive brand off my list. 

         Scottvest Travel Jacket/Vest 

          Cost: $8.00          Sold: $26.00

This jacket would've sold for around $60 if it didn't have a huge rip in the back. Courtney sewed it up but it was still obvious. I didn't notice the rip when I paid $8.00 for it. It was in an odd spot. Not sure if I would've bought it but probably not. This is the only Scottvest travel jacket, I've found. If you find one: BUY IT! 

      Chris Bosh YM Miami Heat Jersey

          Cost: $1.00          Sold: $9.99 

I found this jersey at an estate sale. Definitely need to start visiting more estate sales. This wasn't a huge sale but was worth the $1 risk. 

Small Rant

So, I'm going to start with something sweet. My niece turns 1 on St. Patrick's Day. Isn't she the cutest? 

My small rant: 

1. Does anyone else live in a city with garbage thrift stores? Does it not make this job SO much more difficult? If I still lived in SW Florida....my job would be easy. Today I went in one of the three decent thrift stores in Gainesville and found a tie. Yes, that's it. A stinkin tie! Everything in the store was 50% off and cheap; yet all I found was a tie! 

2. 

I was so ready to brag about no returns since October then I got this jacket in the mail. I sold it for $65 last week. How do I go 5 months without any returns? Details! I provide every detail about an item so they know exactly what they are buying. I provided every measurement in my listing; yet it was returned because:"I believe it's a boys jacket...not a men's jacket." No! It's a men's jacket and you were given the measurements. Oh well, I'll start a new no returns streak! 

As for the jeans competition: I have 30 points. I bought 3 pairs of 7 For All Mankind jeans this week. Anybody else buy any jeans on the list? 

March has started kind of slow. Think I've sold 9 items. Nothing spectacular. Here are a few: 

    Hart Schaffner Marx Cashmere Jacket 

        Cost: $6.00          Sold: $49.99

I bought this jacket on Tuesday. I admit I almost didn't buy it. Luckily, I did and it sold the next day. This jacket is a prime example of my buy it...list it philosophy. As soon as I buy items I list them. Clean them then list them. Items can sell quickly; if you list the items. 

       Burberry Men's Long Sleeve Shirt 

         Cost: $3.99          Sold: $25.99

          Rolling Stones Tie 

    Cost: $1.00          Sold: $11.99

     Miller High Life Men's Board Shorts

        Cost: $1.07          Sold: $16.00 

I love how people up north keep buying board shorts. Those of us down south would never buy them when it's below 70 degrees. Ha! If you see them cheap, buy them. Spring Break is coming! 

         Jamie Sadock Women's Shirt 

        Cost: $3.99          Sold: $12.50