Fake Fur Coat

Most of my recent sales have been also recent finds and I haven't started on listing old stuff that is clogging my space. However at least I'm preventing adding to the pile and with things moving well now I'm ready to get started downsizing.

I think I found this in 2018. It was tossed in some kind of big plastic box with filthy things on top. But I managed to get the coat home clean. Unfortunately it said no size and it smelled heavily of perfume. Not to list on internet. I planned to bring it to the first market in spring 2019. Then my friend had a hernia so markets were off for the season. And then Covid hit us in 2020. End of markets. I hung the coat as a kind of decoration on the antique doll that my neighbour brought me around the same time and this has been a sort of decoration in my living room ever since. 

I want that space empty now. The decision today was first to get rid of the coat. One shot to document it, then in the bag for recycle shop. The smell is off by now but it could use a dry clean treatment to fresh it up. Out tomorrow hoping it will find a new owner in a goodwill thrift shop.

Now the mannequin is ready to be listed. Though very old and damaged, it has a unique 1910 or so shape for women's clothes that ask for a corset. We'll see.

Heineken Beer Baseball Caps

Just sold. Found in a bag of tossed textiles, this autumn, but because of the photography hassle I explained in my post before yesterday I finally listed them just under two weeks ago. More recently I added two sweaters and a T-shirt that came along. I'm sure they will go as well.

At least for these promotional brand products my pictures were good enough.

Price tag still on one of them I asked €5 each fixed price. Listed as a set, sold as a set.

Michelin Bidendum Mascot

I found this at the free library shelves, but as they are really meant just for books, and the item was kind of unlovingly left in a bag with crappy plastic toys in this case I consider it trashed.

I gave it to the Man as a present first, but he Googled it and said it could be a collector's item. I found a lot of lookalikes but all with a coloured band in blue or yellow and crossed feet. A sitting model not standing like this one.

Finally at an official Citroën site I found the exact same, but new and still boxed. Though from the 1970's or so, it was at around only €30 or a bit over. Not the grand prize so I wasn't in a hurry to get it on line. On top mine had yellowed slightly from age or maybe standing in the sun in a shop window.

Two days ago I finally got it up. Now that with my 'new' camera, an oldie Canon Powershot A720 (bought €5 at the trhift shop, seen over €400 on Etsy, crazy!) I can take fairly good indoor pictures and with a new set of rechargeable old fashioned batteries that I found cheaply I have no empty cell frustration and I find way more time to experiment while it's too cold outside. Though I loved my Powershot A420 bought 2009 or so and it did well outdoors given the proper lighting, this is really a different quality and a big help for me, mainly because of lens size.

Now still something to do about the shadows with an extra lamp. Which I have just need time to make the set-up.

So the thing is I wondered if pictures like this would be good enough to sell. It worked with simple utensils like scale ore pan. Both sold quickly.

Now the mascot. It was gone from the website where I saw it before. But I asked €25. Someone did a public bid for that soon. Then things went mad. So many private messages from people wanting it for the same or less. Why? I replied you can go over but publicly. Still only pms, one did €30 after back and forth messages I but had to ship it then, not interested. Then late at night another finally decided on €40 but still not publicly. And by then I had an appointment. So to bad for me I had to let go at €25. 

But I'm happy with that after all. I think my price was proper. If not many way higher bids would have come. Item was picked up at my door, cash in my hand. No hassle.

Final conclusion: items like this also sell with indoor photo's. More try-outs are now listed and waiting.

Large Michelino Stainless Steel Cooking Pot 10 Liters

Found just a week ago in front of my door, just when stepping out to go upstairs. Without lid, and a hard to replace one because of non-standard Dutch size, and it had a stain of burnt food on the bottom. So I wasn't interested straight away, but pots this size don't come everyday, it had a firm bottom, the stain seemed removable and not every use requies a lid. So I took it straight with me for my Chef to work on. Because he loves cleaning kitchen stuff if it's of good quality.

It took him less then half an hour to make it shine again.

Took photo's right there and listed it. Had someone interested before yesterday, but she was weird about which delivery service I should use. I replied with the options I have, offered cheapest and made payment request. Then she was overbid and I withdrew. Made her angry of course, but I never felt good about her. Then higher bidder never reacted, so I removed that as well. Feeling a bit sour I comforted myself that pans always sell. Especially big ones. Yesterday someone living nearby messaged he wanted to come pick it up. I had just a short while before leaving for work, but he said he could make it. Then didn't, so we set a time for today. He didn't show up then messaged half an hour later he was on his way. And then messaged he couldn't make it again and noted 'forget about it'. I don't know if he meant for now or forever. But a minute later someone used 'pay now', button and did pay for shipment and all. And I accepted.

Later on removing the old messages from my laptop something appeared in a flash that looked like nr 3 had been at my door while I was away, but I had not seen that before. And now it's gone and I can't see it back or send an apology. Confusing and I'm not happy with the reliability of that site messenger. It seems the website on the computer shows more than the cell phone app. This is the Dutch 'Ebay', people abroad, what are your experiences?

Apart from that the whole hassle about this sale was not very pleasant, but one thing made it all up. Final buyer sent this note: 'Hi, I'm starting to brew beer from home and this pan is just what I need. Looking forward to receiving it!'. It feels like I found the right person and despite the trouble of packing I'm glad to be rid of that one big only right size box I had that was clogging my back porch all summer.

Brother Fax Machine

Today I brought the so manieth printer to recycling and made me €0,36. A light weight easy to transport model that I took to the recycle shop on the way to groceries. With it a few days ago I found this at my front door as well.

I can't remember the last time I saw a functional fax machine in office, even over ten years ago when my job there ended they were obsolete. But I just read for security reasons for example in government or healthcare they are still needed. Way advanced models I suppose. But then of course there are still areas in the world where the internet isn't a certainty, and where people still rely on phone lines.

Few people used to have a fax at home. You had to be rich or run an office from home. This one looks like it has been gathering dust for over 20 years. Back then, before the big renovations, there were no rich people in my street, nor would I imagine someone had a home business.

So I'll never figure out how this product, obviously already broken because of the stuck paper tray, landed on my pavement. It will take a bit more trouble to transport but I'll take care of it tomorrow and its precious parts will be used again.

Personal Scales

 

This Krups is my still most loved mechanical scale I ever had. Found probably in front of the door over 10 years ago. Replacing a digital Beurer the Man once ordered as a 'present' for me, but that I payed for after all. I never worked out the extras it offered, and once the battery ran down, I trashed it. Because those flat cells are expensive! It was way before my recycling instincts for such products and I apologize.

He meant well to replace my thrift shop bought Soehnle from even longer ago that broke down I can't remember how. But my eye sight is going down with age and sometimes I can't see the display of my beauty Krups that well anymore.

This Laica scale was placed in front of my door not long ago. Because of the slightly larger display I thought about keeping it. But it turned out to be not very reliable. Almost a kilo of difference with my Krups on my weight. And I just can't part with that bright Seventies orange!

So without hesitance I listed it just two weeks ago, but did mention the somewhat poorer quality. It all depends what someone needs. Today a primary school teacher came to pick it up to use in class for educational ends. On top she found an analogue kitchen scale in further down in my street for the same purpose!

What are your thoughts about digital versus analogue scales? I have both digital and analogue kitchen scales but end up using my Seventies Soehnle nine out of ten times. That device is a thing I took home from the mailroom at work over 35 years ago when they changed to something better.

Fuse Box

Never seen in bulk trash before: the leftovers of a demolished fuse box. I'd think a professional electricien knows the value of the material and would take it back to the company. Photo's after sorting and taking out the non redeemable plastic parts. Picked up two days ago late at night in front of my door, away today. An easy and compact haul that still made me €0,32 cents at the recycle shop.

The stuff was left in the box of the replacement device. Good for a future shipment of I don't know yet what. Though not in short of yet, as I have needed a couple in the past months I have room to store this for a while. Also inside two large sheets of strong paper that are perfect foor book shipping.

For the little effort this took a good find!

PS: garden plants picked up this summer. Doing well and I love them.