Busy Days

A third local site I use is a sort of very simplified Etsy, without any restrictions on products. It doesn’t do much for me, but it’s cost free and above all maintenance free. Once listed I can leave the items forever without having to look at them. So I put my unsold handmades on it and forget about them. About twice a year someone finds me. It sounds poor but it’s no work at all. Pictures taken already and I never have to discount anything because the few buyers I get are specifically looking for what I have. Somehow the listings also show up better in Google search results than the auction site, especially in the picture overviews.

So I was pretty pleased Thursday it brought me a buyer for one of my crochet heart key chains. They never did anything on Etsy, I sold a few on handmade markets, but that was that. Curb found yarn, some old beads, ring and clip from free handout cart coins.

If you’re in the Netherlands or Belgium and got curious, the place is called Marktplaza.

Also on Thursday I sold another pair of shoes. These are Golddiggas, found a month ago around the corner.

In the evening this simple shelf was picked up. Found equally in February, on my favourite stretch of curb.

Shelves are good! I found this rack in December and sold it within two days. To the lady who bought the poster frame.

She also took a trash can. IKEA Knodd.

Friday, after over five months I had a buyer for this set of wineglasses. Pretty cool! I’ve had wineglasses on markets and nobody ever looked, so I had low hopes for this set. Brought home by the Man.

If I include the books, in two days I made a 'stunning' EUR 27,65, which puts me right on schedule after a fairly slow start of the month.

Books

The bookselling service I use has not been doing very well since 2011. Before that I made EUR 30-40 a month. Too much competition from professionals especially on bestsellers. Only scientific books and otherwise unusual titles had a chance and I couldn’t get enough of those.

In January they expanded shipping discounts. It also seems the competition is less murdering. I don’t know if it’s the coming out of the crisis or that the site has put up restrictions, but I was finally able to even list some bestsellers at a profit.

Sold two books at once yesterday. One older more interesting listing from 2014 and this one I had picked up with some more Dutch popular books in November. The only way then seemed to list it at the auction site. It was a useless effort too! When I looked again last month I noticed the changes and put up at least twenty titles from recent stock. Some with very little profit, but I like how easy and effortless it works. Just type in number, describe condition and set price. Once ordered that’s that. No hassle with bidders or potential buyers who change their minds. Smart wrapping in all sorts of free paper saves any extra costs.

I still have to go through old stock that I delisted after 2011.

When I’m really lucky the buyer is from town and nearby enough to deliver in person if it’s letterbox deliverable. Then I can keep the shipping money in my pocket!

The last time that happened was September last year. It wasn’t far but it brought me outside my own area. I had noticed some trash bags already and on the way back I kept my eyes wide open. I came home with vintage chrome coffee table legs. Not in great condition, a bit rusty but after a test I knew at leat the paint stains came off with ammonia. Sold quickly in three weeks or so.

I must go back there when temperatures go milder. They don’t have the underground dumpsters yet.

I had a pretty good day yesterday with three more sales, but I have to stop now.

Shoe Sales And Some Cleaning Tips

The Man brought these in December I think. Clog sandals are timeless, unfortunately there were some stain issues. I’ve washed complete suede bags to fresh them up, but stains never go out. Early January I just listed them without any treatment for cheap to see what would happen. Actually I expected they’d have to wait for the next flea market, but they were ordered yesterday. Shipping paid on top, and she thought it was a great deal.

Nikes and other sneakers are easy to clean. I simply bathe them in lukewarm water with a drop of soap, give the sole a good scrub and sponge the top. Leave to soak a bit to fresh up the insides as well and rinse shortly. Drain them upside down on a laundry rack, then leave to dry in the sun or a mild heat source. They always come out looking almost brand new.

Found together with other shoes a couple of streets down next to the glass recycling dumpster. Took only ten days to lose them.

Same treatment for this pair. Came from the October suitcase. They had no laces, but I took them from a broken pair out of the same lot. Sold in three days.

More from the same find: ballerinas for a teenager’s Christmas outfit. Cheap H&M, but almost new.

My best ‘garbage’ shoe find so far. Found in a plastic tote bag placed by the new textile recycling dumpster on my favourite stretch of curb. The receptacle was still locked for the year change, to prevent fireworks getting thrown in. Ok, the owner had intended to donate them, but she just left them there.

They are from a high fashion shop, now bankrupt, in our local high society shopping area. Sold within a week and the bid was according to their origin.

I gave this little girl’s pair brand new shoelaces on top of the washing. A simple trick to make used shoes look more attractive. From the same pile as the pink Nikes.

I’ve found brand new shoelaces in bags of clothing and also in empty shoe boxes. I always look inside, if I don’t take the complete box anyway. They are great for shipping.

The polka dots went together last month with a pair of Pull and Bears from the October suitcase. They were near new and good enough to list as is.

To end, Chuck Taylors that were waiting for me lonely beside the dumpster at the far end of my street. You can even wash these in the machine if they are very mucky, but this pair was ok after the quick rinse.

Shoes make great sales items. With prices varying from EUR 2-20, including the snow boots I made 61,50 since August from the garbage alone. Now if I add those from the free pick-up center… but that’s another story.

Clearing Up

Sold yesterday after less than a week. Found at least a year ago across the street. Brand new. So I wanted to keep it. When last week I finally set about to use it for a cute print I found, I discovered I still had this old IKEA frame the exact same size but in poorer condition, and used that instead. The new frame made me double the amount I could have asked for the old one.

Equally following the rule ‘if you haven’t used it…’ last December I listed this percussion instrument the Man had brought home many years ago. It’s called a rainmaker and if you hadn’t seen one before, it’s filled with grit and imitates the sound of the rain as pegs in the side slow down the falling. We kept it as décor, but it ended up in a corner in his flat. I gave someone a great deal, but I was glad it went.

Oh, that neighbour of mine!

On Monday night my co-picker brought me this piece of plastic kitsch. Right now it’s already packed and waiting to ship. I don’t usually agree to ship big clumsy items that make me less than EUR 10 (the frame doesn’t look huge, but it didn’t fit in any box), but the bid was pretty cool for what it’s worth and I was afraid to have to store it for a long time if I didn’t take it.

Wrapped in six layers of bubble plastic and then just shoved in a trash bag, it was pretty easy after all.

Talk about the weird things my neighbour brings me sometimes:

This is what I found in my porch on Monday morning.

The colossal thing is made of iron and stands over a meter tall. I was half in shock but I took it in and listed it straight away. Now taking up half of my lounge almost! Well if everything goes according to plan it will be picked up coming Sunday.

Last summer he brought me a bulky Times Atlas of the World. Cool, but I wasn’t really sure what to do with it. I can’t remember if I ever took it to a market, if so nobody looked. When I finally did research I found there were a lot offered on the local site, but no one had my English edition. So I gave it a chance and listed it after all in August and it sold quickly after three weeks.

Different Views

Yesterday’s fun sale was this ugly painted over magazine rack. What’s more fun is that I found it next to the dumpster in my co-picker’s street, practically in front of his door. Now he can’t have missed it, because I left it there for one night.

First I had to bring this way more interesting lamp home that was there as well and I didn’t go back for the rack.

A day later the horrible thing was still there, not surprisingly, but I had more or less expected to find it in my porch. Apparently my friend didn’t see what I saw: a practical thing that serves as a side table as an extra, painted over in white it could look nice, and young people like the stuff they’ve seen in their grandparent’s houses. Young lady walked off with a big smile.

Now this is more the style I’ve seen in my grandmother’s house. It could be even early 20^th century, but not a very special thing. Looks kind off the kitsch of the time to me. Even though incomplete it’s cute, it was rewired and working and it sold within a week.

Fashion Makes Things Move

Yesterday’s surprise sale:

Listed in the morning, by 4 pm ordered and paid for. It’s one of the last items of my current fashion clothing stock that I started listing like mad late January.

After the surprising sale of the summer dress in August I was very pleased to find a suitcase full of the coolest stuff across the street in October 2015, and more in bags later on, but I wasn’t looking forward to dressing up the doll and started on the easy things.

I had a few non-serious reactions on the hat, but after a couple of weeks an enthusiastic youngster showed up.

I gave the buyers really great deals on these scarves, but they all flew out within days.

A coat beyond repair went to recycling, but not before cutting the buttons off. Listed on Etsy and sold early February.

This whole batch made a total of only EUR 15, but that doesn’t matter. After a great start of the year, in the third week everything came to a sudden halt. Just nothing, total silence. I know to keep listing is the credo and it was time to dive into those bags. Fashion is good stock to have and work on in slow times and since that lull I sold over 10 clothing items which I will show later.

And then I wasn’t talking about the shoes yet!

Mystery Item: Cast Iron Foot

No new sales to report, but that’s okay, yesterday I did my shift at the thrift shop and had my little compensation for that.

I’ve been wanting to show this for a while:

Brought in by my co-picker, and I couldn’t have dragged it home anyway! It weighs a ton, measures 43 cm / 17 in across and the center hole 5 cm / 2 in. And it has two sort of handles to pull it around. The aluminium strips are put on by someone and can be removed.

I know it's probably early 20th century. Anybody have a clue what it is? Table stand? Garden umbrella stand? My imagination stops right there.

Trash On Etsy: Leather Punky Cuffs

Last night I came home to an Etsy order. Yay! Always excited, even after almost ten years. I guess it’s the fact that it’s a worldwide platform, despite the humongous amount of sellers still exclusive, but mainly most of my sales are international.

Before I even looked I sensed it was this:

Another leather punky cuff, listed two weeks ago that came from the same bag of my co-picker as the door handles.

Because earlier in January I listed these two, from the same lot and they flew out as well.

I priced them USD 5 each, not a lot but according to the average on Etsy. Maybe not so exciting but I keep in mind: I had them at a car boot sale once, nobody looked and I think a EUR 2 or so would have been my most daring price.

The orange cuff went to the US, the other two to separate buyers in the UK.

Selling trash on Etsy, making USD 15 out of nothing, I say YAY!

That Same Colour Blue

Yesterday I sold this little lamp foot. I found it many years ago and intended to keep it, but it has been in and out of use and I never found a really practical spot for it. Finally the shade, a greatly matching separate find, turned ugly with age and last October I threw that in the bin in the street and listed the base.

It’s now a rule for me to list anything I’m not using after all, before dragging too much new stock in. I love these old wooden crates and I really wanted this. Either to display stuff in at the markets or at home. But of course it had to be painted white first. Well after two years it still hadn’t happened. Listed earlier this month and sold within two weeks. Too cheaply, but I wanted it out. I’ll find new cool stuff.

It’s funny but that ugly blue is the exact same as the original colour of my photography table I found years before. That’s now sort of white washed in preparation of a final layer of white, but the thing is in use every day now. At least it looks better already.

Both found across the street, surely the crate and the table came from the same house.

That’s it for now, I still have to pack up the lamp.

Short Post

I’m so busy listing and selling now I haven’t the time anymore for long theme based posts. I think I will go back to doing shorter posts just showing latest finds or sales and a few older ones.

Yesterday this old picture frame went out. At least I listed it just for the frame as the art work was in very bad condition. Didn’t get much but it wasn’t worth more. Brought in by my co-picker.

From a bag full of smaller items he brought me in August these door handles went first. They are very expensive even wholesale, but they didn’t make me a fortune. The guy claimed his bid was according to second hand prices and I wanted the sale so I accepted.

Then a little later I listed this too, from the same bag. I don’t know how you call it in English but you can see it’s the thing that turns the lock on a bathroom door.  They are cheap even retail, but I knew it would go. What did surprise me was the young couple came from out of town for it, but they combined the pick-up with an afternoon out.

Another frame my co-picker delivered to my door was quickly sold in December, to a lady who took three items at once. Later about that. Given the white paint stains I got a decent amount for it.

In all a total of easily earned EUR 40.

Vintage In IKEA Out

I found this little table a week ago across the street. Almost left it due to lack of storage place but I went back for it.

I listed it then changed my mind about that too. Looking at this old IKEA rack or side table that I picked up at the exact same spot two years ago, I decided I wanted the newfound in its place. I'll do something about the bad paint job when Spring comes. 

I can’t really place it in time, but I remember seeing the style in country houses where I played as a kid. No before pictures available, but I guess you can imagine the improvement this is. I hope the IKEA will sell soon!