Sales by Trudy

My Animals

2010-09-22T17:47:00.009-04:00

The last two weeks have been an expensive emotional roller coaster with regard to my pets! Actually, it has been longer than that, but I digress... Between aging issues, surgery and allergies, my three dogs and I have had a rough two weeks.

Looking back, I realize that I have only mentioned my animals in a very brief way. My second blog post included pictures of everyone, but no back story and at the beginning of this year I blogged about my barn kitties.

I am a huge animal lover and for years have had multiple dogs in my house. Currently, I have three roommates, Lempe who is 13, Augie who is about 6 and Moses (Mosey) who is 2.

Mosey Augie Lempe - freshly shaved for summer.

But let me go back. I love to reminisce about all of my beloved animals. Just the other day, I had lunch with a few friends and that was all we talked about. Our animals.

Anyway, when I was a kid, we had a couple of standard sized Dachshunds, Rommel and Gretchen. Both were mean, I still have scars from Rommel bites and Gretchen hated neighborhood kids. She was very overweight and always had a dirty stomach and for some reason couldn't run in a straight line, so when she chased kids, she ran diagonally across the yard.

Those were the only dogs we had growing up. Ironically, when I was a kid, I fell in love with Great Danes after seeing the movie "The Ugly Dachshund" with Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette. It was about a Great Dane puppy mixed in with a litter of Dachshund puppies and the hillarious things that happened as he started growing. Anyway, when I was 21 I got my first dane, Waldo. He was a beautiful all black dane with uncropped ears that I got from a pet shop in the 1970's. He was huge and very sweet. He lived almost 12 years, which is very old for a dane!

When I was in my 20's I lived in apartments and moved around a lot for my job. I had two indoor cats, Garp and Frigate, who were with me for years.

When I moved into my first house in Atlanta, I got my second Great Dane, Cosmo. He was a gorgeous brindle with cropped ears. When he was a year old I went back to the breeder and adopted his sister, Sketch. Cosmo was a dark brindle, tall and thin and rather high strung. Sketch, on the other hand, outweighed Cosmo by almost 40 pounds. She wasn't as tall, but she was huge and stocky and a much lighter brindle and soooo sweet and laid back. Here is a scanned picture of Cosmo.

Cosmo

He is very handsome, don't you think? I have pictures of Sketch and Garp, Frigate, Rommel and Gretchen, but I haven't scanned them (this was before digital cameras).

Cosmo and Sketch and the two cats and I moved up to Maryland (from Atlanta) and to the farm in 1995. My sweet Stan joined us on the farm. I talked about him in my blog post from last January. He was a stray who started hanging around the farm. He was just awesome!

Stan

My aunt's dog Skippy also came to live with us on the farm. Skippy was Auntie Marilyn's beloved Jack Russel. He weighed about twice as much as he was supposed to, my aunt used to say that was his conformation. He was so spoiled. An example, once he stepped over from the couch to the coffee table which was full of magazines and stuff and did his little quick-step happy dance, scattering paper everywhere. Auntie Marilyn said "isn't that cute?"... and she meant it! That dog could do no wrong! But in time he crawled under my skin and with his big personality, kept up with the big dogs and was much loved!


Skippy

Sketch had bone cancer and died when she was 5 when we lived on the farm. My two cats, Garp and Frigate died when we lived on the farm, as well. Cosmo who lived to be 10, Stan, Skippy and I moved from the farm in Southern Maryland in 1998 to where I am now on the Eastern Shore.

New Year's Eve 1999 (the big millennium New Years) Lempe came prowling around the perimeter of my yard. I coaxed her into the garage with a bowl of food. The vet estimated her age to be about 2-3 years old at the time. She and Stan were best friends.

Lempe

I let Stan out one day in December of 2000 and he never came home. That was the saddest time. By then, Cosmo was gone and it was just Skippy and Lempe and me. At the end of February 2001, I decided it was time to get another Great Dane. I was still so sad about Stan and thought a new puppy would help us all.

Roscoe was a harlequin/merle dane with cropped ears. I think it was the day after I brought him home that he swelled up with what the vet called "puppy strangles".

Puppy Roscoe

Deke - Roscoe - Lempe

Shortly after I brought Roscoe home, another stray found his way to my house, Deke. What a sweet hound dog!

Deke

When Roscoe got to be about a year old, he became aggressive and attacked Deke. Luckily my sister took Deke and he lived a long and very pampered life with her family. He died last year.

When Roscoe was about 18 months old he was diagnosed with meningitis. That explained his sudden aggression towards Deke. We tried steroids but it became apparent very quickly that he would not be cured and in the meantime he almost fatally attacked Skippy. Roscoe died when he was only 18 months old.

Deke and Roscoe

Shortly after Roscoe died, I adopted my last Great Dane, Leo. A very well bred fawn dane with cropped ears.


Leo

He was the so big and beautiful. He had Addison's disease and wobblers. He died at only 3 years old.

It is now 2010, my sweet Lempe has been my companion and has helped me train and been a great friend to 8 brothers! She is having some serious health issues and we aren't sure how much longer she will be here but we are going to enjoy every minute we have with this very special girl.

Our Lempe

Busy Week!

2010-09-03T17:15:00.001-04:00

Just when I thought I had worked out a pretty good system... This week caught me completely by surprise. That sounds a little dramatic but I was seriously stressed and I felt exhausted from working really hard and accomplishing very little.

The last few weeks were very productive. I was practicing the Dralle Method and successfully working like a little beaver writing up, taking pictures and listing on eBay. I was listing 15 - 20 items at auction every day or so and easily accomplishing my goal of 25 to 50 and more auctions each week.

Last Saturday my family came over for a little pool party. I had the nicest day! When Monday came, I had nothing ready to list. My existing auctions were ending almost every day. On Monday night eBay announced a 10 cent auction listing sale for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Also on Monday, I got a call from TomCat Solutions asking if I would foster a couple of barn kittens for a week or so.

That was a no-brainer for me, I adopted two kittens last year and I am so glad that I did. I was happy to help out!

On Tuesday a cage was set up in my barn and 5 kittens arrived. Unfortunately, one or two of them had the sniffles so they all started on twice a day antibiotics. There is one yellow stripe and 4 gray striped kittens and they all look the same. Luckily my friend who lives down the street, and who is always so helpful, has agreed to help me with the medication that they need for a week. We dose one and transfer it to a holding cage and so on. Each day it is taking almost two hours between feedings and medication dosings.

Meanwhile, I had nothing to list on eBay. I desperately (okay, a little dramatic) wanted to take advantage of the listing sale. Since I hadn't been out yard saling on Saturday, I had nothing new. Oh yes, I have plenty in the containers under Bijou's table but that is the stuff that I am saving for a cold winter day. (it is also the stuff that is hard for me to motivate myself to get into)

So, I thought I would look in my own cabinets. After all, why waste a 10 cent sale on $9.99 items that usually only cost 25 cents to list? Wouldn't a better idea be to find some higher priced items? In those cabinets I found a Waterford biscuit barrel, a Toby jug, an Atlantis crystal decanter, some sterling cork toppers, also some other items from earlier yard sales. Plus ten more lots of postage stamps that I have had since I first started selling on eBay. I ended up with only 33 new auctions but I saved a respectable amount on listing fees.

It took three days to pull together those 33 auctions. I just couldn't seem to find time to work something through from start to finish. It really sounds like a fairly ordinary week but while I was in it, I felt frustrated at all times!

There are only a handful of yard sales for tomorrow. It is the Labor Day weekend so I wasn't expecting many. Tomorrow starts a new week! Let's hope it is a productive one!

Yard sales...

2010-08-20T17:47:00.002-04:00

This has been one hot summer. There were at least two Saturdays that I just could not face the heat and did not go yard saling. It seems a little less humid lately but it is nearing the end of the summer and the yard sales are less plentiful.

On Fridays, I prepare my yard sale list by copying and pasting from the on-line classifieds. Then I use MapQuest to plan out the most efficient route. The last few weeks, the ads were not too exciting and neither were the sales. Maybe everyone else is sick of this heat, too!

I may have mentioned before that I live on the Eastern Shore in Maryland but I have found that the best yard and estate sales are in Annapolis and beyond, which is about 40 miles away and across the Chesapeake Bay. I always look to see what is happening over here, but very rarely do I stay on my side of the bay for yard sales.

Last Saturday morning, I headed out with my uninspiring list (even Annapolis is losing steam). I decided to make a big circle, heading straight to Bowie which is another 20 miles or so past Annapolis then up to Millersville, Glen Burnie, Pasadena, to Arnold, ending in Annapolis and then home. I rarely have good luck in Bowie so it was a risky tactic, but boy did it pay off!

Here is how the Bowie ad read, "HUGE SALE- Antiques, clothing, vintage jewelry, HH items, something for everybody! All goes!". I know, I have seen that a few thousand times, but something about it spoke to me that day.

What a great sale! It was out on a small driveway, just a few tables and some stuff hanging in the garage opening. But on those few tables was a load (and I mean a load) of vintage jewelry! Hanging in the garage were vintage dresses, and there were also boots, shoes, just neat stuff! What a great way to start the day! I bought a 1970's beaded mini dress, a leopard print vinyl skirt, an oriental dress, a neat house dress, a bunch of jewelry, some swizzle sticks, I can't even remember what I bought.

The sale was run by a couple of 20 something year old girls and a woman who looked like their mother. I asked about the items and probably indelicately asked if someone had died. One of the girls said that this was her stuff, she said she was addicted to auctions. Lucky me!

I stopped at about 5 or 6 more sales on the loop heading for an estate sale in Arnold that didn't start until 10AM. I hate the late starting sales, they make it tricky to plan an efficient route. But, with that said, I prefer going later to estate sales because the people running them are a little more likely to negotiate as they tire out from the early crowds.

Estate sales can be pricey, but I have a strategy for that! I quickly scope out the dining rooms and living rooms and all the fancy china and artwork that I would love to buy but usually find a little out of my price range. If there is a basement, all right! A craft room, yes! You get the picture, I look for things that others might walk right by.

The basement at this sale in Arnold was just a regular basement that was used as a pottery studio. Boxes of supplies, but better yet (for me) were old pottery and ceramic magazines! I looove to sell magazines. When all was said and done, I bought between 500 -600 really nice art type magazines for $100. So easy to write up, photograph and ship! I got about 18 lots up at auction this week, a bid on one (that is $10 back on my $100 investment) and watchers on about 10 other lots. Plus I have a ton of magazines left to list! I am going to do very well with these magazines!

So, even though tomorrow's yard sale list is iffy, I have 11 stops on it, I might hit the jackpot again, you never know!

Changes...

2010-08-04T12:10:00.003-04:00

My last post was about the blizzard of 2010. It has been a while, no excuses. Now we are nearing the end of the summer and it has been a hot one!

My helper left in June and I am not planning on hiring anyone else. I was so much more productive when Bijou was here even though she only came on Mondays. I don't think I could find a better person to work with.

I have cleared off my kitchen table, which is a huge development! A lot of the items made their way into my office (on and under Bijou's work table). Everything is organized and in Rubbermade tubs with lids, that way I can move it all out to the garage to be listed this winter when garage sales dry up.

My new plan is to take some pressure off myself. I had become just a tad "burned out". Cleaning out the kitchen was my first step. I have also become much more selective at yard sales so I am not bringing in nearly as much stuff.

I had been trying to have approximately 100 items at auction each week and rarely made that goal. While I think it is very important to always have auctions going on eBay to support your store and encourage traffic, a much more realistic goal for me is 25 - 50 items.

I recently signed up with Encidia.com which enables me to print my international first class shipping postage. The trip to the Post Office almost every single day was a big inconvenience! Now I can arrange for postal pickups and save myself a bunch of time.

Just a few small changes made a world of difference!

Blizzard of 2010

2010-02-11T15:30:00.013-05:00

This is the day after the record setting blizzard of 2010 here on the east coast. Just a few days ago we had another major snow storm that left us with about 2 feet of heavy snow which hadn't been completely dealt with and yesterday's additional 10 - 20 inches certainly didn't help.

I feel like I am living in a winter wonderland! Today the sun is out and everything is shining. It is hard to open your eyes out there but if you can, it is really pretty.

I am hoping that my neighbor with the tractor comes soon to do my lanes. The slog to the barn this morning was difficult, to say the least.

The boys are enjoying themselves!

And I must admit, I am enjoying the solitude.
Stay warm!

Thrift Store Finds!

2010-02-05T12:51:00.004-05:00

The East Coast is expecting a big snow storm starting this afternoon (Friday) and continuing on until tomorrow night. 12 - 24 inches are expected. This has been quite a snowy winter here in Maryland. It might snow once or twice and melt right away but this will be the third snowfall this year and it will be snowing on top of snow that didn't melt from the first two. Not a big deal for most parts of the country but Maryland doesn't do well with snow. I am planning to be housebound until at least Monday.

Yesterday I hit a couple of nearby thrift stores and I am very pleased with my purchases! I bought 4 sets of dishes, a vintage Pyrex juice set, 3 printed needlepoint canvasses and a couple of neat painting pattern books.

I will have plenty to work on this snowy weekend!

Bunches

2010-02-03T10:08:00.009-05:00

It has been a slow winter with respect to garage sales. I think the last one I went to was at the beginning of December. Thrift stores have been some help in filling the gaps with inventory to sell but I am running very low.

So...what I do when I am running low is to go into the box, or to the kitchen table where there are stacks of items that I either didn't want to deal with or on my first look at research showed that they may not be worth much. I tend to buy stacks or bunches of things; magazines, yarn, stamps, old model kits, music rolls, Smurfs, plastic army men, and the list goes on. Buying bunches or lots usually translates to low purchase prices for me, and that is good, but I tend to get blocked by these bunches and over-think how to list them. But with no new inventory coming in, I have had no choice but to tackle the bunches.

The idea is to break up the bunches up into mini lots that will sell for $9.99 each. That is my gauge - how many items should go together to equal $9.99 as a fair selling price.

A great example recently is the Smurfs that I bought at an estate sale a few months ago. I had a hunch that there may be Smurf collectors out there so I bought 4 baggies full for $30.00. Immediately after, I thought I had made a mistake and when I got home and took a peek at how Smurfs were selling on eBay, I was even more sure that I wouldn't make my money back. They sat on the kitchen table for a couple of months until I finally brought the baggies into my office and spent the better part of a Sunday afternoon researching. That research enabled me to name each Smurf and by immersing myself in Smurfland for an afternoon, I felt more confident about listing them. I grouped them into 16 lots, most with 5 Smurfs in each lot and a few with only 1 Smurf.

I didn't know what was going to happen but they were off the kitchen table! I need to be more trusting of my hunches... I sold 5 lots at auction, 4 for $9.99 each and one for $145.00!!! And then when they were relisted in my store, I sold 2 more lots for $9.99 each! That $30 investment turned into $205!

I recently ended 17 auctions of player piano music rolls that had been in a box under the table in my office for over a year. None sold but almost every auction had a watcher so they were immediately relisted into my store and I am still hopeful that some will sell. (if they aren't listed, they won't sell ;0) Even if they don't sell, I have a theory that the wide variety of inventory in my store attracts window shoppers.

I currently have plastic army men, cowboys, etc at auction in 10 separate lots for $9.99 each. Within one hour of listing them, I had bids on 4. How can that possible be true? Again, I had a hunch.

I have been been selling magazines like crazy these past few months. A huge amount of magazines were purchased a few months ago and have been selling consistantly ever since.

Bijou has been working on a basket full of needlepoint yarn that has been on the table and taking up a lot of room. That yarn should be listed at auction later this week.

I have to try to remember that $145 Smurf when I get blocked and let my kitchen table fill with the "hard to list" items.

Research!

2010-01-23T14:25:00.005-05:00

I love to research and learn about new things, it is one of the more enjoyable aspects of selling on eBay. But I have to be careful that I don't get lost in the research because time is money!

This week I was explaining this strategy to a friend who recently opened an eBay store. He had sold an item at auction without researching. Our discussion about this subject gave me the idea for this post.

As far as I am concerned, there are different levels of research.

You should have a bit of knowlege before trying to sell either used books or vintage/collectible/antique books. Buyers need to know about a book's condition and you need to know how to describe it. Someone who specializes in books would do more than obtain "a bit of knowledge" but books are a small part of my inventory so I am speaking only for myself. I try to be very thorough and include pictures of damage or flaws but I do not do any other research. Here is a link to the books in my eBay store.

When it comes to dinnerware, flatware or even some glassware, I typically use a popular used dinnerware website to help identify the pattern name, I check their prices and I always start my auctions for less. I also use "Kovel's Dictionary of Marks" to help date older sets and I have a modest library of research books that I use for glassware. Typically my descriptions only include the pattern name, maker and condition but sometimes I will include a brief description with the color and design as well as the date it was produced (if I am able). Out of curiousity, I may also look to see who else on eBay is selling my pattern but that is the extent of the time spent researching dinnerware. Here is a link to the dinnerware and a link to the flatware I have for sale in my eBay store.

Some may recall my major score with the Cambridge Glass ice bucket or biscuit jar last year. Here is a link to that blog post. That score was a result of finding the pattern name in one of my books on glassware and then checking to see how much it was selling for on that used dinnerware/glassware/flatware website. Had I not taken the time to research it, I would have started it at $9.99 and listed it as a glass candy jar. The Cambridge Glass collectors out there never would have found it and I would have lost out on a $1300 sale!

Collectibles are where I spend the most amount of time with research. A few weeks ago I spent most of a Sunday afternoon perusing web sites about Smurfs. I had purchased several baggies of Smurfs at an estate sale several months ago. I knew that there are Smurf collectors and had no idea whether or not I had any "good ones" in those baggies. My research did little more than help me identify names for each character but by immersing myself in Smurfland I was able to get a feel for what may be important to collectors. I separated the Smurfs into 16 separate lots in a way that made sense to me and a few I listed singly. Four auctions sold, 3 for $9.99 each and 1 for $145.00! The lots that didn't sell are now in my eBay store, here is the link. There may have been a better way to do it, but I think the time I put into Smurf research paid off!

There are a lot of collectible categories. Research can be very random for most and many times your item may be so unique and collectible that there may not be any information. And that item may be just the very thing that a collector is looking for.

A simple "google" search is sometimes all you need to find out whether your item has value or not, an eBay comparison search of "completed listings" will tell you whether anyone is buying your item or what your competition is and replacements.com can help you with descriptions. It doesn't have to take a lot of time, and it shouldn't if you want to expand and grow your business. You may be spending so much time trying to find out about your specific item that you don't get anything listed! If you are not listing, you are not selling, and if you are not selling, you are not making money!

Happy eBaying...

New Kitties!

2010-01-11T14:35:00.020-05:00

The day after Thanksgiving my two new barn kitties were delivered from the Humane Society and their custom crate was built.

The Talbot County Humane Society here in Easton, Md (and probably all over the country) has a barn/feral cat relocation program and since I have a barn, I decided to adopt.

I already have a barn cat who took up residence in my hay loft about two years ago. In the beginning I would see him out of the corner of my eye, maybe crossing the road at night or scooting out of the barn in the mornings when I went out to feed the horses. My barn is only about 100 yards from my house so I also caught sight of him just lurking around the barn. I started leaving out cat food the first time I saw him.

It wasn't long before he got bolder and when I went up in the hay loft I was a little intimidated by him as he sat high up on the stacked bales of hay watching me. I was afraid he was going to pounce! I always talk to my animals and he is no exception. I would say "kitty, kitty" as I climbed the stairs.

When winter came I felt well padded enough to hold out my gloved hand to him, and what do you know? He started purring and rubbing his face on my fingers! We progressed slowly and soon he was following me around the barn as I did my chores. By then, I had no choice but to give him the unfortunate name of "Kitty". He is my barn buddy.

He is not the first stray animal to "adopt" me. When I lived on my horse farm in the mid 1990's, a super friendly black dog used to hang around. I would get so frustrated with my boarders when they brought him treats, I wanted him to go home! Eventually I arranged to foster him until the rescue was able to find him a home. I took him to the vet to be neutered and get whatever shots he might need. He tested positive for heartworm which made him un-adoptable. I had tried so hard to NOT bond with him but he came home with me that day, the heartworm was treated successfully and he became my farm buddy, "Stan", the best dog ever! (no offense to my current kids!)

I moved here to Easton in 1999. On New Year's Eve 2000, my Lempe came. When I was heading back to the house after feeding horses, I noticed movement around the wooded perimeter of my property. I got some dog food and she tentatively approached the bowl and gobbled every morsel. I confined her in the garage overnight and the next morning I brought her into the house, gave her a bath and she is still with me.

About two years later, a big old hound dog that I named Deke decided that my yard smelled good. I adopted him through the Humane Society when his owners relinquished their rights. Deke was with me for almost a year and then went to live with my sister. He passed away a few months ago. According to Janet, he was the best dog ever!

Not to forget my newest, Mosey. When a friend who is an equine dentist came by one day with a puppy, which was not unusual for her to have dogs with her as she rehabilitates and rescues dogs and horses, I said "cute puppy" and she said "do you want him?"... Of course I said "Yes!".

Back to the new kitties. They are currently in their cage in the barn where they should have stayed for only a few weeks. There is a fairly simple process of letting them out in a closed barn to explore during the night, then opening the doors in the morning and hoping that they return for the regular food they have become accustomed to during their confinement. We are having a particularly cold and snowy winter and I am not ready to let them out of their cage, yet.

There are two kittens, both are under a year old so they shouldn't be threatening to Kitty. A fuzzy little black male that I have named "Sweeny" who likes to play and flirt and a shy little tortoise shell female with white paws and face that I named "Junior". The ladies at the Humane Society got a good laugh talking about "Uncle Kitty" and his little nephew "Sweeny" and Sweeny's sister "Junior". They are very cute. Hopefully Kitty has gotten used to them through the cage and won't chase them away when the inevitable warm January week comes and I let them out.

Having an Assistant is Good!

2010-01-05T13:32:00.003-05:00

There is an awesome bonus to having an assistant... a lot of extra stuff gets done! Today I pulled some items out of a box that have been packed up for over a year. Vintage greeting cards, player piano rolls, books of stamps... all items that seemed like a good idea at the time but as soon as I got home and started doing a little research, they were pushed aside. I don't know anything about stamps! How should I put together lots of old greeting cards? Those piano rolls are gross!

Since sales have slowed a bit since Christmas and there hasn't been that much to ship, I handed the piles to Bijou and asked her to deal with them. As she started sorting, she asked a lot of questions. I answered and then changed my mind and changed my mind again and again. I am pretty sure she stopped listening to me. Her list and sort of the player piano rolls helped me get them all written up, 12 lots. While I was working on the piano rolls, Bijou was sorting and writing up the greeting cards into about 16 different auctions! Outstanding! Next week she is going to tackle the stamps! If it's stashed in a box, it's not selling!

I have a bunch of teal green glass insulators that have been on top of the buffet in my kitchen for probably 2 years! Recently I bought a bunch of baggies full of little Smurf figures, little plastic cowboys and indians and army men. I also have a huge stack of sheet music from the 19-teens and 1920's and baggies full of needlepoint yarn. These are all things that will probably sell very nicely but how in the world do I put the lots together? One Smurf or five? Should I group the yarn in lots by color or sell lots of mixed colors? What about all of those cowboys and indians... by the pound?

These are the questions that go through my head and completely block me. Bijou has motivated me to plow through these stumbling blocks and get-stuff-listed! And you know what? I have been selling like crazy! Thank you, Bijou!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-29T16:59:00.002-05:00

Finally, what I hope is a very short respite. My sales have slowed a little bit since the day before Christmas Eve. I have a few sales each day but nothing like the past few months! And that is a good thing! I needed to stop and catch my breath.

It has been quite a while since my last post (one of my New Years resolutions is to do at least one new blog post each week). An exciting developement from the summer... I got an assistant and all of a sudden, I got more productive! My eBay store room was organized and every single item has been accounted for and it's location has been noted. I have also been listing 50+ new auctions each week. My store inventory is up to almost 2400. I have actually been well over 2400 various times this fall but sales have been so great that I keep dipping into the 2300's. That is another good thing!

I have sold quite a bit of flatware recently. I sold an entire large set (individually pieced, of course!) of gold electroplated stainless at auction! That was a nice surprise but I have also sold just lots of various pieces from different patterns. Buyers are probably trying to complete or add to their sets in preparation for holiday dinners. China and stoneware has also been selling well probably for the same reason.

I made a huge purchase of magazines at an estate sale a few months ago. This person had an unbelievable and huge model train collection that I stayed away from, there were buyers who knew what they were looking at and the people running the sale also knew the value of those trains. What I did was look around in the basement for related items and came across a well stored and organized stash of old model train magazines! ("score!" I said to myself very quietly) There were also old Karate magazines and Gun and Ammo magazines. O my gosh, I have been selling these magazines like crazy!

Well, here is my first post after getting back to it! It is also the last post of the year! Happy New Year, everybody! Have fun and be safe!

Weird coincidences....

2009-09-11T16:21:00.006-04:00

I have mentioned before about my weird eBay coincidences (co-inky-dinks). They are not always eBay related. Some are just strange and totally random.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

When I was in Palm Springs last week at Lynn Dralle's Boot Camp, what I think is another arbitrary co-inky-dink happened: I sold some flatware that Lynn gave me at the first Boot Camp I attended in 2007! We were supposed to bring flatware with us to practice researching, describing, photographing and listing. I didn't bring any so she gave me a set. (isn't that nice?!!) I believe I got it posted on eBay at that Boot Camp in '07. It has been in my eBay store ever since... until one week ago while I was back at this year's Boot Camp with Lynn, a few of the forks sold!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Just the other day, I listed a men's porkpie or fedora hat. Lynne's mother found it, again while I was in Palm Springs at Boot Camp. I had mentioned that it was a porkpie hat which she had never heard of before. I learned about them a while ago while researching some other men's hats that I sold. So, when I got it listed, I sent Lynne an email with the info to pass on to her mother in case she was interested.

Right as I was hitting the "send" button for that email, on Turner Movie Classics which I usually have on in my office while I am working, I heard someone say Buster Keaton. That got my attention because I had mentioned him in that email I had just sent Lynn. Anyway, they were interviewing old movie fans and this one happened to be a Buster Keaton fan. The interviewer said "I see you are wearing a porkpie hat". (Buster Keaton was famous for his straw porkpie) Isn't that weird?? How many times have you said the word "porkpie"?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

I really need to always make note of my co-inky-dinks because I for one am so fascinated by them! ;oP

Just a quick note...

2009-09-10T17:40:00.003-04:00

Even though I was only gone for a few days, it feels like I am catching up. I also came home re-invigorated and ready to roll! Unfortunately, the yard sales have been slim this summer so I don't have that much to list.

So, I have been hitting those old boxes that I have been tripping over for about a year or more. Those are the boxes with things I didn't know how to describe or things that I was not sure were worth listing on eBay. I got through a bunch of miscellaneous things this week and feel really good about it! My work table is almost completely cleared off! Yay!!!

Turns out a lot of that "stuff" is really interesting and I enjoyed going through it. I've already sold more than a few of those items and just listed more today. Check out my eBay store. The items at auction this week are varied, some are antique, some are Mid Century (my fave!), books, decanters, shoes, hats, pins, magazines, mugs and more. But no dinner sets!

Mid Century Modern Dinnerware

2009-09-01T18:12:00.023-04:00

Did I happen to mention how much I am drawn to Mid Century Modern collectibles, dinnerware, everything? Well I am. I would love to decorate my house in 1950's kitsch.

Anyway, one Saturday morning not too long ago I found not one, but three dinner sets circa 1950! They aren't large sets, but they are in good condition and they are classics.

*************************************************************************************

Homer Laughlin Skytone Stardust is a really neat discontinued pattern that was made about 1955 or so. Most, if not all the pieces are marked with the date they were made. The Homer Laughlin Skytone line started in the 1940's, the basic pattern was the distinct blue with white handles on the cups, etc. The pattern "Stardust" is from the Skytone line and features a black and white floral center decal with red accents.

Click here to see all the pieces of Homer Laughlin Skytone Stardust that I have in my eBay store.

*************************************************************************************

Another great Mid Century China maker from the U.S.A. is Edwin Knowles. Here is the pattern "Chalet" which features a stylized center floral design with purple, green and turquoise blue flowers on a cream colored background with a platinum rim.

Click here to see all the pieces of Knowles Chalet that I have in my eBay store.

*************************************************************************************

One more Knowles set that I have recently added to my eBay store is Edwin Knowles Vintage. It has the same coupe shape and cream background but with a grape center design.

Click here to see all the pieces of Knowles Vintage that I have in my eBay store.

*************************************************************************************

Another great set of vintage dinnerware that I was unable to find much information on is from Carrollton China. It features a center design of an ornate bird on a tree. It was in a box marked "Aunt Josephine" at an estate sale.

Click here to see all the pieces of this Carrollton China pattern that I have in my eBay store.
*************************************************************************************
These are just a few examples of Mid Century Modern that I have for sale. Check out my store for lots more vintage collectibles and dinnerware and even clothes from the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's.

Back from Boot Camp!

2009-08-31T14:13:00.004-04:00

It was an intense weekend! After an entire day of travel on Thursday flying from Baltimore => Denver => L.A. => Palm Springs, we started bright and early on Friday and didn't stop until Sunday afternoon. Lynn Dralle, The Queen of Auctions, packs a lot of information into 2 1/2 days of her eBay Live Boot Camps.

I decided to fly home Sunday night thinking that I could sleep on the plane and relieve my sister, Janet, early on Monday. She was pet sitting for me at my house while I was gone. It sounded like a good idea when I booked the flights. My itinerary had me flying Palm Springs => Phoenix => L.A. => Baltimore. Unfortunately, due to the late arrival of my connecting flight out of Phoenix, I had to be re-booked adding one more plane change to the itinerary. And don't you know that the gates are never near each other. I must have walked miles last night!

But now I am home. A little ragged but too wired to sleep thanks to a couple of lattes this morning.

I first went to Boot Camp in 2007 when I was a complete novice. Lynn's enthusiasm is infectious so not only did I learn a bunch, I was rarin' to go when I got home. Last year, in 2008, I went to my first eBay Live! in Chicago and came away very motivated. Going back to Boot Camp this year seemed a great place to go where I knew I would get the shot in the arm I needed to get me through this coming buying season.

So I am home and I am ready to make some money this holiday season! But after I get a good night's sleep {:-o yawn... zzzzzzzzzz...

Old Magazines - Why Not?

2009-08-15T10:30:00.012-04:00

A weird eBay coincidence (or co-inky-dink, as I like to say) happened yesterday.

This week's ezine article from the Queen of Auctions was about bulk buying. I always love Lynn's ezines and strangely enough, they almost always relate to something happening in my eBay life. I had just sold a lot of back issues of POPULAR MECHANICS Magazine. I bought almost 30 years worth of the vintage magazine about a year ago and listed them in lots by calendar year. They have been selling slowly but steadily. Anyway, I wrote Lynn yesterday to comment on her article and tell her about my occasional successes with bulk buying and mentioning specifically about how magazines are another great bulk idea.

And then, yesterday evening, what do you know? I sold 3 lots of EQUUS Magazine! And then in the middle of the night, I sold another lot of POPULAR SCIENCE Magazine! Isn't that a strange co-inkydink?

I especially like vintage back issues. The ads are fun, the articles are interesting and I love looking at the old pictures! I recently purchased a stack of 40 movie magazines from the 1950's but I won't be listing them until I have had a chance to read and savor every one! ;o)

I currently have vintage 1970's PLAYBOYS like these (I also have many more) for sale in my store:

and I also have quite a few lots of vintage POPULAR SCIENCE, AMERICAN RIFLEMAN Magazines and more:

Just click on any of the above images to go directly to that eBay listing in my store or go to Sales by Trudy and search using the keyword magazine to see all the great vintage magazine back issues that I have for sale right now!

I hope you are having a great weekend and if you are yard saling, don't walk right by the box of old magazines... stop and take a look!

Cool Vintage Estate Sale Finds...

2009-07-29T15:13:00.016-04:00

Until I started selling on eBay I had absolutely no interest in going to yard or estate sales. I still hate getting out of bed before the sun comes up on Saturday mornings to go to these sales. But I really enjoy finding interesting things to sell!

Estate sales are the most fun! Many times the prices are too high but even those sales have tables with odds and ends that are affordable and end up being the perfect find.

A few weeks ago I went to one of these sales.They had beautiful china and glassware but way too expensive for me. I continued through all the rooms and found these adorable vintage aprons and tablecloth on a table, in a spare bedroom of all places.

They were at auction on eBay last week with lots of watchers. They didn't sell so they are now in my eBay store Sales by Trudy waiting for the right person. Just click on any one of these three items to look at it and the description of it in my store.

A while back, again in a spare bedroom of another house holding an estate sale, were tables with the most awesome vintage ladies hats. Many were very pricey so I chose a selection of a few of the more reasonably priced ones. How fun are these...

Again, just click on either one of these pictures to see my actual store listing and more pictures.

There was also a really cool turban hat that I just sold yesterday.

Isn't that just too mid century chic! And how do you like the "head" that I am using for the picture? It is an old hat form that I was going to sell, until I realized - I need it!

These are just a few examples of the really cool vintage items in my eBay store that I found at estate sales and garage sales, too. Stay tuned, I go out every Saturday morning... and I also have lots of really neat items already in my store from previous excursions that I still want to tell you about. :o)

Live Boot Camp with the Queen!

2009-07-24T10:41:00.008-04:00

This coming September marks the beginning of my 3rd year of seriously selling on eBay. I am celebrating the occasion with a return to "eBay 3-Day LIVE Boot Camp" with The Queen of Auctions - Lynn Dralle. This Boot Camp is a three day seminar in Palm Springs covering everything about selling on eBay, and I mean everything, even including field trips to real garage sales!

I first heard of Lynn "The Queen of Auctions" Dralle in March of 2007. I subscribe to the Kovels Komments weekly email newsletter and they were running a special on one of Lynn's "100 Best Things I've Sold on eBay" books. I was very interested in figuring out how to sell on eBay and bought the book. That was when I became aware of everything Lynn had to offer. I immediately subscribed to her ezine and was blown away by all that I learned from just reading about her experiences. She has a very positive outlook and makes eBay fun!

Then I signed up for her on line course which takes you step-by-step through everything you need to know about starting to sell on eBay. I learned so much!

I began to "dabble", listing things that I found from around my house. Thinking back on that time, I spent a lot of money on eBay fees! My starting prices were usually under $5 and I kept things at auction for weeks, basically until they sold because I didn't have a store... yet.

I was having so much fun but I was also stressed because I wasn't making much money. When I heard about the Boot Camp, it was the next logical step... and I was ready for it! My dabbling had me exposed enough to pretty much know what I needed to learn so I went to Boot Camp ready! My goal was to soak up everything I could and finally open my eBay store - Sales by Trudy.

I feel grateful to have found Lynn. She helped me get started on this journey and has also been there along the way. I am really looking forward to this upcoming eBay 3-Day LIVE Boot Camp to not only learn more but to see Lynn again because I consider her to be a good friend as well as my eBay mentor.

Unexpectedly good day!

2009-07-18T19:12:00.007-04:00

I always prepare for Saturday yard sales on Friday and this week I chose only a few of what looked like the best sales because I wasn't sure how early I would be able to get started. My horses were down to their last bale of hay and delivery was scheduled for this morning. I only get hay about once every 9 months so it is an appointment that I can't miss.

The truck pulled in bright and early and they unloaded pretty fast so I was able to head out by 10 o'clock, leaving me only about 2 hours of shopping. I didn't want to waste time so I drove by some yard sales where I normally would have stopped to look. At about 11:30, way out in the little town of Federalsburg MD, I almost drove right by a little house with a little front yard just full of electronic looking stuff.

When I saw all the old radios, I knew I had to buy them, even if they didn't work! There are lots of collectors out there who either like to display or tinker or need parts, so I chose an assortment. And there were a lot to choose from.

There was also an old Zenith TV front with the curved glass that I couldn't resist.

I don't know how I am going to ship this thing if it sells! ;o) I am excited to start researching. This is the kind of stuff that I love to list.

After starting so late and driving so far, today turned out to be very invigorating! Be sure to check out my eBay store "Sales by Trudy" in the upcoming weeks to see what happens with these fun vintage items.

A very frustrating day...

2009-07-08T13:01:00.007-04:00

This has been a very frustrating day! I only have two packages to ship today. One is going to Poland so I have to take it to the Post Office and the other is just a UPS Ground pickup. I also have a few errands to run so the plan was to do my packing and head into town.

Not going to happen. I first noticed the problem with PayPal. I got in but it timed out when I tried to turn a page. I tried a few times and decided that I should proceed with the UPS label, so I tried to go back to eBay. No luck there either. I kept trying because sometimes the problem can be a "hiccup". It wasn't. I always assume it is my problem so I restarted my computer. Didn't help. I located a few emails that I had received from eBay (I don't have their email address - it is on the website!) so I sent some emails to them to ask about the problem. One was returned. I Googled "eBay support telephone number" and after a very frustrating menu I finally spoke to someone about 1 1/2 hours ago.

I was first told that the problem should be resolved in 24 hours. I asked if that was fair to my buyers since I advised in my listing (per eBay's own mandate) that items will be shipped within 2 business days. I was put on hold for quite some time and then advised that they were working on the problem and it should be resolved within an hour or the phone support person would call me back.

That was over 1 1/2 hours ago. I had a lot to do today and thinking that the problem would go away sooner, I haven't started anything else. I could take pictures but that requires some set up and I was going to take pictures this afternoon after the errands.

Errands are my very least favorite thing to do. In fact, I hate running errands! I had my day fairly well planned and I am really really irritated by this ebay problem!

Just had to get that off my chest... thank you for listening!

To follow up on the above mini rant, eBay was working again as soon as I finished the post. I should have written it earlier! } :o)

What to do? What to do?

2009-06-29T09:42:00.005-04:00

It is going to be a beautiful summer day today! Low humidity, mid 80's, not a cloud in the sky... I think I will eBay tomorrow! This is the beauty of working for myself!

This past Saturday was another frustrating day of yard sales. I must have driven over 75 miles and I only picked up a few books and other odd items and only spent $15.00!

The plan was to hit the thrift stores today. That is an all day excursion for me since the good ones are so far away. And they aren't even that good. It seems like the thrift stores have caught on about eBay and now they are researching and raising their prices. I have seen some nice dinner sets at the Goodwill that have been there since last fall because they are priced so high. I rarely go to the thrift stores any more because of their high prices but since I am not having much luck at the yard sales, I have no choice.

I live on the Eastern Shore in Maryland and my garage saling is wide spread. There are lots of small towns with plenty of farm land in between. I have been to some awesome yard, garage, barn and estate sales in these small towns and out in the country but I have also driven by a ton of yards with just piles of clothes. And like I said before, there is a lot of driving involved.

I am about an hour away from Annapolis which is across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I love going to Annapolis! Once there, the population is so dense that different neighborhoods are not that far apart. I almost always have good Saturday mornings in Annapolis.

The problem with Annapolis is the traffic. The Bay Bridge is the only way to get to the Atlantic Beaches and on Saturday mornings the east bound traffic back-ups (which is the way home for me) can be pretty bad. I don't usually go to Annapolis in the summertime but after my bad luck this past Saturday I will have to. I'll just be sure to make a potty stop before I get into the bridge traffic! ;0)

This may be a slim week of auctions for me. The weather is changing tomorrow and the rest of the week they are calling for scattered showers and higher humidity. I will try the thrift stores later in the week. I am also hoping there is a change for the better with regard to yard sales when I go across the Bay Bridge on Saturday mornings.

My goal is to have 2500 items in my eBay store by the end of the summer when I go to 3-Day Live Boot Camp. I think there is still time to to meet that goal!

* Policy violation - ARGHH!

2009-06-23T17:46:00.004-04:00

I just got an eBay policy violation this afternoon for trademark infringement. Sooooo frustrating!!! It was for a Kate Spade (or so I thought) handbag that I purchased at a yard sale my wealthy neighbor had last weekend.

What do I know about expensive purses? Nothing! What was I thinking? I am sure that my neighbor wasn't trying to deceive me any more than I was trying to pull one over when I listed it for sale. But I know that there are certain companies that watch eBay like a hawk for this type of thing. And they are right to do it. But I am innocent so please don't give me a violation! That high pitched sound you may hear right now is the sound of me whining.

I will never (unless I forget) try to sell or even purchase any name brand clothing or accessory items again!

* I am desperately in need of a dinner set!

2009-06-21T19:03:00.011-04:00

After my May hiatus, I have been trying very hard to have lots of items at auction at all times. June has been pretty good... so far. Every week I have had 100 items at auction.

But now we are three weeks into June and I am getting behind. I really need a dinner set or two to get my auction numbers up. Unfortunately the garage sales that I have been to have not had what I am looking for in dinner sets. I am finding interesting things to sell, but it takes more time to get my numbers up one item at a time.

Dinner sets are so fast and easy to list. I tend to take a lot more time with the single items. I always get bogged down with research and composing the item descriptions.

Today I found a large set of bamboo patterned brass flatware from Thailand. Yeah! I got it written up quickly and when it is photographed, I will have 33 items to list at auction. This flatware plus the "singles" that I spent a good half day writing up, my total for this week will be 78 auctions.

So, it looks like I am not going to make my 100 auctions this week. It is a good goal and if I continue to take it seriously, I should make some progress. The more I list at auction, the bigger my store inventory and that equals more sales and more money!

Gotta just keep plugging away :o) !

* The month of May

2009-05-28T17:21:00.005-04:00

It looks like almost the entire month of May passed by without a post. The truth is that I haven't even had anything up for auction in the last two weeks. Luckily my eBay store is full and during these last two weeks, I have sold almost $600 in "buy it now" store items. I probably would have done even better if I had auctions going.

My shed arrived and I have been busy putting together shelves and slowly moving my eBay store items. It is slow going. I am moving stuff outside in order of when the items were purchased. I am filling the bottom shelves first because I hate to squat and I am not enjoying the process!

Since I am not sure how the heat and cold will effect some of the items, I am not going to put glassware and the better china in the shed. Stoneware, mugs and flatware are going and after that I am deciding one piece at a time.

My living room is so crowded that I need to pick up the pace and get this inventory out. I have over 100 items written up and ready to be photographed but then where do I put it?

Next week is June and that was the month last year that I slacked off and didn't list like I should have. It showed in my sales. This year I have so much in my store that sales didn't fall off too much when I had nothing at auction. That's a good thing but it is time to get busy again. I guess I needed a little break!

* Another great place to source... your own home!

2009-04-29T10:26:00.014-04:00

During this past winter, the garage sales were hard to find and the thrift stores are getting pricey so my pile of items to list and sell on eBay grew very thin. I still have the inherited china in my attic but I am only ready to sell a few of those pieces here and there.

My "formal" living room is now my eBay store and photography studio. Although never used, it was decorated but as eBay started taking over, my furniture left the house, one piece at a time, and the knick-knacks went into cupboards.

One day as I was looking for something in one of those cupboards, I stumbled across a lidded glass jar that I used as a candy dish at one time. I have fond memories of helping myself to Hershey's Kisses from one that my aunt had on one of her end tables. When I was decorating my first house back in 1989, that glass jar was one of the items purchased to decorate my fancy living room. It used to contain Werther's toffee candy.

Anyway, I have been slowly building my research library and had recently purchased a few of the Gene Florence glass reference books. Since I didn't really like the candy jar that much, I took it out of the cupboard and sat down with my new books to see if I could identify the pattern. What do you know? I found it - the Elaine pattern by Cambridge Glass Co. I then looked it up on replacements.com (I use them for pricing strategies) and discovered that they called it an ice bucket (I later found out that it was actually a biscuit jar). Theirs was listed without lid for $219.00!!! Mine had a lid!!!

HAPPY DANCE!!

I started it at $99.00 and immediately got bids. The auction ended at a whopping $1338.19!

Who knew? My little nephew used to go into that candy jar all the time when he came to visit. After the auction was over, I was so afraid that when I took it out to wrap and pack I would find a major flaw. But it was in perfect condition (whew!), the buyer paid right away and was very happy when they received it.

With that kind of score, you would think that I would clean out every closet and cupboard in my house. I haven't done that (even a $1300 score can't motivate me to clean closets ;0) ) but last week I did sell some bedding that I bought a few years ago and never even took out of the package. My own dinner set was built by pieces I picked up each week at the grocery store over 20 years ago. I sold all of the cup and saucer sets last year. That dinner set is Churchill's Blue Willow made in England.

My closets and cupboards still need a good cleaning and spring is here so you never know. Happy hunting...

* A Tale of Two Dinner Sets

2009-04-20T17:55:00.015-04:00

I love to buy and sell dinner sets because they are so easy to list. I break them up and sell the pieces separately. Most buyers looking for dinnerware on eBay are trying to replace broken pieces or to add to existing sets.

Goodwill used to be a great place to pick up nice sets for good prices but they have gotten expensive! You can get dinnerware for really low prices at yard sales but that is not the most consistent source. Last month I found a great set at Goodwill and an elegant set at an estate sale. Two very different sets and two very different purchase prices.

I was lucky to pick up a good sized set, 31 pieces, of Mikasa's Garden Harvest at Goodwill. I knew this was a good pattern because I sold every piece of a set that I had purchased last year. I broke up the set and listed the pieces at auction and in about 3 weeks I have sold 20 pieces... and I still have more to sell.

The elegant set was purchased at an estate sale here in Easton at the beginning of March. It was a large set of Haviland Limoges which was displayed beautifully in the dining room. It was very tempting but the sale price was too high. It is a simple white pattern with gold scalloped edges that I later identified as the Ranson pattern. The set consisted of 40 pieces including a covered casserole, gravy boat, plates, bowls and cups and saucers. They had also included pieces from a few other patterns that were very similar to the Ranson pattern (white with gold trim) but by different makers.

The people holding the sale were taking bids in the event that the set didn't sell. I gave them an offer and was very surprised the next day to get a call telling me that it was accepted. I've sold 17 pieces so far. I still have a ways to go before I make back my investment. And... I haven't sold the serving pieces, yet. Stop by Sales by Trudy to see the remaining pieces.

Two very different dinner sets - one every day and one elegant. One was a great deal and the other was a moderately big investment. I made a nice profit on the Mikasa set and I am still short on the Haviland. But... I have no regrets because more, if not all of the Haviland pieces will eventually sell from my eBay store.

Having a variety of items at a variety of prices is a great way to encourage traffic. That way there is something for everyone. Window shoppers are more than welcome. Someday I may just have the perfect item for them!

* A New Place to Put Stuff!!

2009-04-14T11:28:00.012-04:00

A pretty exciting new development... I am getting a storage shed and I can't wait! When I started garage saling and thrift store shopping and selling on eBay I had no idea how quickly I would become overwhelmed with merchandise! Not to mention the boxes and packing supplies.

So far I have been managing to contain everything in my office, a guest bedroom and the living room...but just barely. The boxes and peanuts are in the garage.

Here is a breakdown of my eBay from purchase to sale:

• Shop
• Stage - When I get home from my shopping excursions, I unload in kitchen.

• Write-Up - Next, I unpack and bring things into my office where I measure, examine for flaws, chips, etc and come up with a title and short description. That information goes on a separate inventory sheet for each item.

• Pictures - Those items and the inventory sheets then move into my living room where I have a table set up to do photography. After taking pictures, I pile the dinner sets, mugs, glassware, collectibles wherever I can find a somewhat clear space (did somebody say space??) still in that living room. The books and smaller items go into the guest bedroom.

• Auction - The inventory sheets come back into my office with me where I edit the pictures and list at auction.
• Sell! (hopefully) - I pack and ship in my office (a story for another time).
• No Sell - The items that do not sell at auction immediately get re-listed into my eBay store.

Sounds like a great system, doesn't it? Sometimes (a lot of times) I don't get everything written-up. Those items get stashed in yet another place in my overcrowded house. Remember the chandelier parts? They sat under a chair in my kitchen for over a year. ;-)

So, the new shed is long overdue! I am hoping to be able to stage in the living room where I take my pictures. I am going to set up a system for locating sold items. It is true, I have no system right now and have been extremely lucky that I haven't lost anything... yet :-o ! Mainly, I am hoping to get my house back!

This is how I want it to look!

* Barn Sale

2009-04-09T15:48:00.008-04:00

Speaking of sourcing product, I went to a barn sale last weekend. The two ladies who hold the sale, or two chicks as they like to call themselves, have a passion for auctions and antiques. A couple of times a year in the loft area of a restored 1940's barn they have a sale.

I always look forward to their sales. The ambiance is very warm and inviting, there is a little table with coffee and cake, and the antiques and furniture are displayed an intimate and tempting way. And there are unique treasures everywhere!

One of my best finds at the first sale I attended back in October of 2007, was in a drawer of an old chest full of crystal chandelier parts. Prisms, bobeches, dishes, arms, lots of pieces. At the time, I knew nothing about the collectability of these parts but it just felt like I should buy them... all! And I did, for a great price, about $35! All the pieces were packed up in newspaper and they came home with me and stayed in that box for well over a year.

I recently unpacked every piece. The idea of how to go about listing them was really scary. What I did was break the whole lot into about 25 separate auctions. I found a really great chandelier parts web site to use for research.

I ended up selling 22 of those 25 auctions for about $390!!

I didn't buy too much at last week's barn sale but I did get another box of lamp parts. It is mostly brass fittings and a few glass shades. I am pretty sure I will make back the $10 that I paid. But then again, you never know and like I previously said, I have a lot to learn! :-)

* I have a lot to learn!

2009-04-07T12:31:00.004-04:00

The truth is that even though I have been selling for over a year and my business has grown nicely, I still have a lot to learn. Increase traffic to my store, learn new ways to source product to sell, and take advantage of opportunities to make and save money are just a few of the many things that I need to become more savvy about.

This blog is one of the ways I am trying to drive traffic to my store. I am also working on creating a web site with the sole purpose of directing people to my store. EBay has something called a store referral credit that Store sellers are eligible to receive when they successfully drive buyers to their eBay Store directly from a location outside of eBay. This allows me to receive a 75% discount off the final value fees I pay eBay for every sale.

I would also like to find another way to source product other than just garage sales and thrift stores. Two years ago I had never been to either a garage sale or a thrift store! Hard to believe, but true. I don't think I have missed more than a few Saturday morning yard sales in the last year and a half! This past winter the sales were few and far between and merchandise to list ran thin at times.

I feel completely blocked when it comes time to step out of my comfort zone to explore new territory for product. There is an auction every Thursday night not too far from where I live. Talk about comfort zones, that place is terrifying! But... there are some great deals and some awesome items!

I would like to talk about new challenges and new discoveries in this blog. My store is always growing. I currently have about 1900 items listed for sale and my goal is to have 2500 by the end of the summer.

Stay tuned...

* A Little Background...

2009-03-31T15:30:00.009-04:00

You may remember from my first post how I started selling on eBay to find a way to maximize the potential of the china and glassware that I had inherited? That is only part of the story.

Way back when I had a career, I did very well! Because of a big companywide downsizing, I lost that job in 1994, after 15 years. I moved to Maryland on my severance and bought a farm. I really didn't know what I was going to do for a living but I had an idea about opening a dog kennel.

Well, that didn't work, this was a horse boarding farm with barns and stalls and pastures and even an indoor riding arena. It was falling apart and needed lots of TLC. In less than 6 months I had the place all cleaned up and every one of the 22 stalls filled with paying boarders. After about 5 years, I realized that this was hard work! I was not getting any younger and the work was not getting any easier so I sold the farm in 1999. I moved to the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland because one of the things I learned to love about farm living was being in the country. I bought a beautiful little property in Easton MD with enough room to build a little barn for two of my old school horses.

My auntie who was in the final months of her fight with lung cancer came to live with me shortly after I moved here. After she died I was at loose ends until my sister and I convinced my father that it was time for him to live near family and to relocate here from Florida. The next few years were spent taking him to the doctor, groceries, lunch, etc. He moved in with me in October of 2003 and died unexpectedly in March of 2004.

Again, I was at loose ends. My sister and I toyed with several business ideas. The timing wasn't right and I don't think either of us was ready for the commitment of a partnership but we brainstormed until we went our separate ways. She is an artist and has quite successfully pursued her craft. Check out her website, janetmatthewsstudio.com.

I am a salesman and in 2007 began my journey with eBay.

my sister and me
(I'm in the red dress)

* "Dancing with the Stars"

2009-03-27T11:33:00.010-04:00

Since the new season of "Dancing with the Stars" has recently started, I thought I would share a garage sale memory.

As I was chit-chatting with a lady who held an "in house" garage sale I went to last year, she told me that the set of Sakura Tango dinnerware that I was purchasing had been a gift to her daughter who was a ballroom dance teacher.

The daughter was there and I commented on how she must be enjoying the show "Dancing with the Stars". She told me that she knew most of the professional dancers on the show! We talked about it for a long time but unfortunately I forgot to see if she had any backstage gossip about those dancers. Darn, maybe next time!

One of the fun things about Saturday morning garage sales is the friendly and interesting people you can meet!

Be sure to visit my eBay store, Sales by Trudy, to see all the great dinnerware patterns I have for sale! I probably have a story for each one!

* Newbies

2009-03-24T14:07:00.014-04:00

There are a lot of eBay sellers who are frustrated by new buyers, "newbies". The message boards are ripe with posts and complaints. And those are the threads with the most activity!

You will also find posts with heartwarming stories. They don't seem to arouse the myriad of responses that the complaining inspire, but they should. Here is one of my recent sales to a "newbie".

I found this little Royal Doulton teapot at a yard sale. Surprisingly, it was in a box with lots of random breakable items. I knew immediately that it was something special, you can "feel" quality, and when I turned it over and saw the Royal Doulton mark, I did a little happy dance in my head! Unfortunately, it was badly beaten up. Chips and cracks, the handle was hanging on by a thread, but... the tag said $1.00!

When I got home, I was able to identify the pattern and age "Dutch A - Harlem" series ware by Royal Doulton, produced from 1904 - 1944.

It sat in my store for only $17.99 (because of the damage) for three months until the other day when I got an email from a brand new buyer in Australia asking for a shipping quote. That buyer purchased the teapot a few days later and after paying, sent me the following email:

Dear salesbytrudy

Hi, I just bought the teapot. The story is, my grandmother who

owned the same teapot, passed away leaving it to me. My aunty

broke the lid about 50 years ago playing "tea parties" and it has

never been replaced. I am going to have the lid of yours repaired

and give it to my aunt as a special gift. Thank you for helping us

get "closure" on a long running saga. We can stop scouring the

antique shops now. Regards, xxx

Doesn't that make you want to sell something? Have a great day! T

http://stores.ebay.com/Sales-by-Trudy?refid=store

* The best (and worst) part of working at home is... being at home!

2009-03-23T15:50:00.014-04:00

I have a bunch of animals, including 2 horses, a barn cat and 3 dogs so it is really nice to be able to be home with my animals every day. It is really nice to not have to get dressed for work... to able to shower in the middle of the afternoon... to be able to watch TV in the middle of the day... and to not have to answer to anyone but myself!

What is not so nice is that I can be very hard on myself... and tripping over all of the stuff, everywhere, can become stressful... and it is sometimes hard to do anything but work, when you work at home!

But really, there is so much I appreciate about being home every day!

Visit my store, Sales by Trudy!

* Welcome!

2009-03-22T18:53:00.009-04:00

Hello, I am Trudy and welcome to my blog! The purpose of this blog is to share my life as an eBay seller, both on eBay and off.

I started selling on eBay about 2 years ago with the intention of selling the large amount of china and glassware that my sister and I inherited. I opened my eBay store (Sales by Trudy) in September of 2007 and have been building my business ever since. I have sold very little of the inheritance, I am having too much fun selling the stuff I find treasure hunting at flea markets, garage sales and thrift stores!

Check out my eBay store Sales by Trudy to see what I have been up to.