Betting on Clark Griswold - A Taz Mug Find

“Shitter's full!” Say this phrase and many people will know what you are referring to. Show them a glass shaped like a moose head with antlers for the handles and many people will know what you are referring to. Drink out of a Tazmanian Devil mug and many people will…. what? Read on & learn.

A few months ago while perusing The Danni App Facebook page (“Like” the page now! Well, wait until you are done reading this post first!) I came across a BOLO – Be On the Look Out – for a Taz mug. I thought what could be the big deal about this mug since it was just a ceramic face of the Looney Toon character, who never was one of my favorites. The big deal was the winning auction price at a whopping $127! For a Taz mug! I was intrigued and began reading everyone’s comments about the mug.

While I love National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and have watched it many, many times, the scene where Clark Griswold is drinking out of a Taz mug at the office was never one of the main scenes that stuck out in my head. While I may have forgotten about it, others definitely have not. Apparently having this mug is a big deal, a big deal that brings in bring money on EBay.

I stumbled upon my very own Taz mug one day when I was visiting an antique store by my house, one that I have been to many times. I’m sure this Taz mug had been sitting at this certain booth for quite some time, but I just never noticed it with “eBay vision”. It was sitting next to a Miss Piggy mug, which my eyes quickly bypassed as my pupils grew wide with seeing this Tasmanian devil. It felt like I had found the holy grail of Christmas mugs! I turned the little white tag over to find the selling price of $20. $20?!? I couldn’t believe it. This price seemed too steep for my blood, but knowing that they are popular on eBay, I took out my phone and did a quick search while I nonchalantly looked through the rest of the booth. 

There were a few mugs that were up for auction, with bids ranging in the $50-$70 mark. A buy it now option of $149.99 made me chuckle as I switched to looking at the sold listings. Every mug that had been listed had sold.. and not just for mere pennies. Most auctions ended with bids between $90 and $120 and even higher priced buy it now options had been purchased. Obviously this was a no-brainer in regards to purchasing, but I left the store and left the Taz mug behind because I couldn't justify spending $20 on it.

This decision haunted me for the rest of that night and into the next morning, when after looking a little bit more on eBay, I decided that leaving this mug at the store was a bad decision. A profit was pretty much guaranteed and I would more than get my money back. Off to the antique store I went, where the mug was still sitting in its' spot, ready and waiting. Lucky for me, that weekend the store was having a special holiday event with most booths having sales. The mug's price was dropped down to $16 and I left the store eager to get listing!

It was a slow go with the auction, getting plenty of views and watchers, but no bidders. I had an offer of $70 with free shipping, which I immediately passed on. I had started the auction at $49.95, following in the footsteps of other sold mugs, and knew to wait it out. As the days went by and no bids, I began to wonder if maybe my purchase was a mistake. I added the option of a buy it now for around $90 something, lowering it down to $85.95 with two days left in the auction. There were a few other Taz mugs listed at the same time, all with bids. I was sweating!

Finally, within the last day or so, the bidding started. Dollar by dollar, the bids increased until the winning bidder won at $106.67! I ended up walking away with around $75 profit, after fees which isn't too bad for spending $16. Would I do it again? I'm not sure. Knowing that the mug would sell, I knew that spending the $16 wasn't going to be too big of a risk. Making a $75 profit was good, but that profit would have been even better if I would have paid much less for the mug (say around $1 to $5). 

Lesson: One can't be afraid to spend money to make money in the eBay reselling world. However, you need to make sure that whatever money you spend, you can clearly make a profit on, especially if you are spending larger amounts of cash. While spending $16 might not seem like much to some people, if you can only make double that in profit, it really isn't worth your time or effort. Buy low, sell high!

Christmas Sales & Ebay

It's that time of year again when everyone packs up the car and heads out to their favorite shopping mall in order to score the best deals on toys, home goods, clothes, and everything in between. November through January are high volume times on eBay, due to people searching for the perfect gift and then after the holidays buying what they really wanted. Due to this, my eBay sales should have been soaring through the roof. Everything that I listed should have sold. I should be feeling like Santa, delivering gifts all over the country. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I've hit a slump - a major one. For whatever reason the reselling gods see fit, my sales this month have been zilch. Yes, I know it is still early in the month but that doesn't account for having listed almost twenty items for the end of November and not having one of them sell. Bah humbug. 

So what is the problem? I've gone the Christmas route and have listed vintage/retro Christmas items... I've offered free shipping... I've lowered my prices and yet nothing. When times like these happen, I always tell myself that I've had enough and that it is time to hang up the eBay hat for awhile. Maybe I've lost my touch, maybe my "eye" for things has grown cold, or maybe there is just a dry spell at my local thrift stores and estate sales. I still consider myself a newbie at this reselling business, so I am constantly learning. Having dry spells is one of the processes of learning, albeit an unhappy one.

So what can us resellers do when the sales run dry? First, take a look at your inventory. What are you buying and how much are you paying for it? Spending money to make money is always a risky business. For me, spending $5 on one item is a huge bargain but to others this $5 could be chump change. I always think of it as "If I buy one item for $5, how much profit can I expect to make? Is this profit more than if I bought five items for $1 a piece?"

Second, don't buy everything in sight. It is super tempting to load up a shopping basket or cart at Goodwill in the hopes of flipping for a profit. There is that adrenaline rush when you think of all of the bids that could start over an item. Do your research by taking your items to a non busy part of the store and look up each piece as best as you can. You must remember though that mobile eBay does not show all of the solds/completeds. This needs to be kept in mind when you are searching for something and nothing is coming up... chances are that if you bring up the same search on a desktop, you will get some hits. Again, compare the asking price to what your selling price will be.

Third, have a good attitude. This one I am constantly reminding myself of. If you don't a great item in one store, who knows what could be waiting for you at the next thrift shop you walk into. There is good stuff out there, sometimes sitting on the shelves for months and other times it is that item that has just been put on display that morning. Positivity goes a long way - think that you are going to find that $100 profit item and you just might!

Who Gives a Hoot ~ Reselling Retro Owl Patio Lights

There are many different sources to gain stock from when looking to resell on eBay or Etsy. Some choose only garage sales while others are thrift store junkies. I like to visit and shop from all sources, whether it be a thrift store, estate sale, or flea market.

A few minutes drive from my job is a fairly new "junkers" store. It is kind of a mish mosh of an estate sale, thrift store, and flea market. The owner gathers all of his stock from a plethora of sources. He does estate clean outs, store clean outs, and even advertises for people to dump off their unsold yard sale items at his store for free. How convenient that he wants to take stuff off of their hands!

Pricing is pretty simple with a color coded system. Colored dots represent a specific cost, ranging from 75 cents up to $10, and then some prices are as marked. The store carries a wide variety of items from actual antiques to shelves full of cereal and kitchen cleaners. Some of the stuff that is posted for sale is actual junk - broken and severely chipped items, damaged goods, etc. There are other items that are fairly nice but priced high and thus not good for someone looking to resell. I know that the owner sells on eBay because I have heard him discuss with his fellow employees about items that he has placed on eBay and how much cash he is bringing in.

Keeping this fact in mind, when I shop at this "junkers outlet" in the hopes of finding items to resell, I try to look for things that he perhaps overlooked. Owning a store and doing clean outs takes up a considerable amount of time, so I get into the mind frame of finding the smaller, inconspicuous items that could have been overlooked but could still make a profit.

A few weeks after Halloween I stopped in before work to see if there was anything new on the shelves and if Christmas stock was being put out yet. I ventured to the holiday section and to my surprise, found an overlooked treasure. In a plastic container sitting amongst the Halloween items was a set of seven blow mold owl lights, the kind that were/are popular for patios and RVs. The container also had a set of seven packaged light bulbs and the electric cord that held the lights. I thought for sure that these were going to be priced over $10, considering that the store owner is an eBay seller. I was sticker shocked when the colored dot on the owls corresponded with the $3 dot. A quick look on eBay left me with little to consider - the owl lights were now going home with me.

There were plenty of sold owl lights on eBay, along with auctions and Buy It Now options that were currently running. Most of the owl sets were the red, greens, and darker blues while the set I had were of a pastel color. Taking a look at the ending bids for those that had sold in the past month, I decided to start mine at a price that seemed comparable with the starting bids of others: $28.50. Within a day, I already had a bidder and it was nothing but up from there!

During the bidding war, I actually had 4 buyers that set up automatic bidding (you can only view this after the sale is complete). I was happy with getting the starting bid but even more thrilled when the auction ended with the winning bidder paying $53!! After fees were deducted, I ended up banking a profit of $41.92. Not bad at all for a $3 investment!



I felt a little tinge of satisfaction that I was able to flip this item that Mr. Junker didn't see the value in. This goes to show you that people in the reselling business - including myself - cannot know everything about everything. These owls were an easy flip and Mr. Junker could easily have listed them on eBay and made more than the $3 that I purchased them for. However, his loss was my gain and that's how it is in the reselling business.

We all have a niche and have been able to fine tune our eyes to spot the treasure amidst the trash. However,  we all pass by objects sitting on shelves that are just glowing with dollar signs and profits to be made because we don't know - or haven't yet learned - certain maker's marks, specific rare toys, and silverware patterns. That is one of the best parts about this reselling business: We can learn! We can research, study, and get to know what can make us a profit so that we aren't glancing over valuable objects as we peruse the thrift store shelves.

~ Flea Fact ~

Give a hoot & research! Dedicate a few hours a week to searching on eBay for hot selling items, learn about a specific glass company, research a toy manufacturer. Learn a little about a lot and watch your profits come flying in!

80s on Ebay - Vintage Care Bear Figures

I am a child of the 80s, born in 1982 and loved every minute of growing up during that time. Better music, better cartoons, and kids could be kids. When I see the cartoons of today, I miss such classics as the Muppet Babies, Punky Brewster, My Little Ponies, and the list continues.

Selling 80s nostalgia on eBay can bring in big bucks, especially in regards to toys. I fortunately still have almost all of my toys from the 80s... well, some readers might not see that as a fortunate thing, but I see it is a time capsule. I am slowly but surely going through my childhood toys, selling them here & there. I love sifting through eBay and see toys that I had or still have bringing in money.

Why do the 80s sell on eBay? I believe, and the same could be said for other times, that people want for what they no longer have. Girls that are my age that are having children want the original version of their toys that have long been tossed out by their parents or lost in the move from home to their own place. Why have the new, cheap versions when the originals are out there and ready for the bidding?

Being a child of the 80s, you get to know what could and will be considered collector or money makers on eBay. In the male realm, GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Star Wars are hot items. For females, My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, and Care Bears are big largely because the newer versions do not hold a handle to the originals.

So, I am always on the lookout for any original character toys, clothes, or other items from the 80s. At one of my usual thrift store haunts, I walked to the back of the store and decided to take a look at the toy section. Often times I skip the toys at this particular thrift store, if only because they usually aren't in the best condition and I rarely find anything of good quality. Skimming the bottom rack, my eyes fell upon a bag of... could it be... yes, it was! A bag of vintage 1980s Care Bear figures!

I picked up the bag and recognized them as the early 1980s poseable Care Bear figures. I had these as a child and still have a couple of which my little cousin now call her own. Looking through the bag, I counted around 20 or so, all in good condition with only needing a little wash to clean up some smudges of dirt. Finding a bag of vintage Care Bears was lucky and my luck continued as the colored sticker on the bag was today's color for 40% off. I ended up paying a little over $7 for the entire bag.

 

I headed home with my find and started the search on eBay. I had to decide whether I wanted to sell all 20some of them in a lot or if piecing them out would make more profits. Searching through current and sold listings, it became obvious that the Care Bear Cousins needed to be sold separately. Care Bear Cousins were an extension of the Care Bears, including animals that were not strictly bears. 

Lotsa Heart Elephant was listed as an individual listing. Others had sold in the range of $15 to $25, so I knew I could get a decent amount by selling him separately. The winning bid for this little elephant? $18.50 with free shipping. Cozy Heart Penguin was also listed individually. She brought in $15.66, also with free shipping. With the selling of just two of the figures, I had already gotten back the $7 that I spent.

I had listed Swift Heart Rabbit individually as well, but had no bids. So, I decided to list the last three of the Care Bear cousins together. Gentle Heart Lamb, Bright Heart Raccoon, and Swift Heart Rabbit were sold as a lot. The winning bid brought in $20.50.

  After selling the 5 Care Bear Cousins, I had 20 Care Bear figures left. I went back to eBay to begin searching to get an estimation of what I could sell the remaining bears for. Could I have pieced them out and sold them in lots of 3 and 4? Most likely, but I didn't feel like going through the extent of taking pictures and doing multiple listings. So, I found current auctions that were asking for over $200 and other auctions in the $70 range. I chose $100 and free shipping, thinking that this was never going to get any bidders. Wrong. On the last day of the sale, pretty much in the last 30minutes of the sale, someone bought the bears for $100 with free shipping. I was so excited!

In the end, after taking out fees and shipping, I made around $100 on a $7 investment. At times I question as to how much more money I could have gotten if I listed all 25 together... maybe I could have sold them $200... or what if I had waited until Christmas to sell? Maybe I could have brought in even more money. But, you can't second guess everything that you sell on eBay. I made a great profit on a nice item and I was happy.

80s are great eBay money makers. Something as simple as Care Bear figures are wanted items and when they are in good condition, make great sales. So, be on the look out for those nostalgic pieces, do your research, and enjoy bringing back memories! Care Bear Stare!

Fire King Mugs - A Nabisco Tale

I am always on the look out for interesting coffee mugs, whether it be at a thrift store, garage sale, or antique shop. Often times, church/non-profit thrift & charity shops have a plethora of mugs and so price them at the low cost of anywhere from 25cents to $1. 

One of the most prized mugs for reselling is anything that is Fire King / Anchor Hocking, particularly the coveted Snoopy mug and Jadeite mugs. Fire King mugs have a following among collectors and so when scouring the racks, it's always important to be on the lookout for these types of mugs. I have sold one Anchor Hocking mug previously, a white milk glass with red roses. Paying only 10cents for the mug, I figured that I would start the bidding low in the hopes that it would sky rocket. 

Wrong. I ended up selling the mug for a sad price of $5.95. What was worse is that I underestimated the shipping costs and ended up having to pay more out of pocket to ship the item. I ended up making a whopping 92cents on the mug and learned a valuable lesson. Like anything that sells on eBay, once has to know what is hot and what isn't. Fire King is a picky collectible, with some mugs bringing in the big bucks and others not having any value at all. Research, research, research - and always have your eyes open and looking.

I did just this when I ventured to a new antique store in south Jersey. This store, well, it is actually a barn, is now my new favorite place to find scores. I scored with a Fire King mug purchase a few weeks ago and hopefully will have many more scores in the future.

Going to this barn for the first time, it is a bit overwhelming making sure that you look at everything. So many nooks and crannies in not only the main building, but in the outside buildings/trailers as well. I love shops like this because often the abundance of nooks and crannies means there are overlooked items just waiting to be purchased and flipped for profit. Looking at one booth in the main barn, this was one of the overstocked booths - filled to the brim with everything and anything. Glasses, knick-knacks, books, textiles - anything you could name. As I was perusing the shelves, my eye was drawn to a milk glass mug. It had only one word printed on the outside - Nabisco. I picked up the glass, took a look at the outside and inside of it, and then flipped the glass over to find a maker's mark. Sure enough, it was marked Fire King. The little sticker price tag was marked with the low price of $3.

Not one to make it obvious when I bring up eBay on my phone, I ventured to the next booth over, walking and entering a few key phrases in an eBay search. Searching for Nabisco Fire King mug brought up only 2 auctions, one which occurred two months prior and another one month prior. Both had sold in the $60 range and both had a good number of views. Pulling up current listings, there was nothing. This was a sure bet. So I nonchalantly made my way back to the booth and picked up the Nabisco mug. This beauty was going home with me. 

The mug was in nice condition with no chips or cracks and the graphic still had good color. I decided that I would start the auction off at $25.95, with free shipping. It wasn't super low and high enough that if I received only one bid I would still make a profit. Within one day, I already had a bid at my starting price. The number of watchers and the number of views climbed steadily each day. I never had an item that had received so many views before and it was exciting! On the last day of the auction, as I expected, the bids grew. The bid hopped up to $48.50, then another bidder entered with $49.50, followed by a bid of $63.00, and then ending with the winning bid at $64.00.

I was more than happy with this purchase! I bought the mug for $3 and after my costs plus shipping, I walked away with $46.29 profit. Sure, I probably could have charged for shipping & came away with a $50ish profit, but I was satisfied with the profit I had made. Going back into eBay to check out the bids, the first bidder had set up automatic bidding from his/her first bid - the high bid of $64 had been chosen from Day 2 of the auction.

When this buyer had placed the first bid, I took a look at their feedback score and that is when I noticed that many, if not all, of their previous purchases were Nabisco related items. This put me at ease, knowing that 1. This buyer was going to pay and 2. This buyer was going to fight to the end to get this mug. Perhaps this was what they needed to complete their collection or cross off of their "must have" list. Whatever it was, they were willing to bid and that is nothing but good news for me.

~ Flea Fact ~

Fire King mugs are eBay worthy. Not all will bring in a big profit, but don't let an odd graphic or an unknown name deter you from doing a little research and consider buying the item to resell. You never know if you don't look!

The 80s on eBay ~ Selling Strawberry Shortcake

As a child of the 1980s, I loved and still love all of the great cartoons and movies of the 80s. I loved the music and still love the music. The 80s fashion on the other hand... eh, it can stay in the 80s.
Being a little girl during this time, I was partial to such greatness as Punky Brewster, Strawberry
Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, Cabbage Patch Kids, the Gummi Bears (I have the cartoon on dvd - love it!), and the list could go on.

The 80s are a great eBay seller for various reasons. One of the most common is that people want what they had but no longer possess. Kids move, parents throw toys out, or being 7 years old we don't realize that breaking off Barbie's left leg will not make her more valuable years to come.

Strawberry Shortcake has become increasingly popular in the past few years. She has been remade into a new style of little girl, complete with updated friends and an updated place to live. Due to this, the mothers that are in their late 20s and early 30s are looking to have their daughters grow up with the original Strawberry Shortcake, not the new version.They want their daughters to experience the Strawberry Shortcake and friends of their childhood, not a new version that holds no memories.


While I faintly remember watching the Strawberry Shortcake cartoon growing up, I remember more about the toys and accessories that covered my bedroom floor. You name it, I had it: sheet set, curtains, sleeping bag, pillow, dolls, figures, pajamas, sweaters, lamp, and the vanity set complete with dresser and toy box. I have not been able to part with some of these items just yet, such as the lamp and the vanity set. While I'm not saving them for future offspring, at the moment I am just saving them because 1. The lamp is actually still used in a spare room in my childhood house and 2. The vanity set is stored in the rafters in a garage, waiting to be uncovered and loved again.

Since I am not ready to part with my own personal childhood collection of Strawberry Shortcake items just yet, I am a-okay with selling Strawberry Shortcake finds. Just like anything on eBay, you have to research what sells and what lags for months. Items that are hard to find, complete sets, and delicate items that have survived the years can bring in better prices and higher bidders. Always do your research!

A few Saturdays ago, I was looking through one of my usual thrift store stops when I came upon a set of four vintage Strawberry Shortcake juice glasses. They were marked at $3.93 and unfortunately, were not included in the sticker sale that day. I did a little looking on eBay and discovered that Strawberry Shortcake juice glasses did fairly well. I found an identical set to what was at the thrift store, and after reading the description, discovered that these glasses had been made by Anchor Hocking in 1981. Sets had sold for between $30 and $40, so I figured with a $4 investment, why not.

I brought the glasses home, cleaned them up, and took some photos. The glasses looked good to me for being 32 years old - no chips, no cracks, and the colors were all similar. I listed the glasses starting at $32.50 with free shipping, with the winning bid ending at $33.50. I packaged the glasses up, shipped them out, and ended up making around $17. Not a huge profit, but a profit nonetheless.

A few days went by and I received an email from the buyer. She stated that the glasses were all faded and it looked as if they had been put through the dishwasher. Apparently she had a similar set of glasses and the colors on her glasses were much brighter and vivid. She was angered because apparently I hadn't provided enough of a description of the coloring in my listing and she always likes to know exactly what she is buying before placing a bid.

I was speechless. I wasn't sure what to say to her. Obviously, if you have a set that has been stored away in a box for years, colors are going to be different versus glasses that had been used. (Of which I stated that these were a used item, not in the original box). I hadn't seen anything wrong with the colors. All four glasses had uniform coloring - it wasn't as if one glass was more brighter than the others. For being 32 years old, the colors looked nice to me.

I emailed the buyer back that I was sorry she was unhappy with the purchase and that I would gladly refund the full purchase price if she would send the items back, with her paying for return shipping. I made sure to include that I had a 100% feedback rating and always try to describe the items to the best of my ability. My listing wasn't misleading - the colors were nice and the glasses were a used item, not in original box.

It took the buyer a few days to respond, all the while I of course was dreading having to refund her money. She replied yet again that she had glasses whose colors were much brighter and that coloring on the glasses that I sold her was faded. She kept the glasses and I kept my money.

So, what was the lesson that was learned? I always try to describe my items as best as possible, including even the width/length of chips and cracks if any are present. I knew that I wasn't in the wrong because I never stated anything like "Bright colors! Almost brand new!" I stated what the colors were - nice and still nice graphics for 32 year old items. I couldn't help that the buyer decided to not return the items. I would have gladly refunded her money and re-listed the glasses. But, she kept the glasses, "faded" and all.

If you are buying on eBay and are unhappy with your purchase and the option to return for a refund is there - with you paying the return shipping fees - you have a few choices:
1. Return the item and pay shipping fees. There is no sense in keeping something that you are unhappy with and are going to complain about in email after email. Get your money back and move on.
2. Keep the item and carry on. If you are going to complain but yet do not return the item, obviously you cannot be that unhappy with it. There is no sense in going on & on to the seller about how you expected this or how you thought it looked like that when you aren't going to pack it up and ship it out. If you keep it, keep your comments to yourself. The seller has offered you the option of returning what you are unhappy with, so take it.

And remember most of all.... Have a Berry Good Day!

The Avon Monkey & A Returned Memory

Being as I still have almost all of my toys from the 1980s and early 1990s, finding some of these items going for a good amount of money on EBay leaves me to believe I have hundreds of dollars in my childhood toy collections. Now, as with many people, we pick and choose what toys/mementos from our childhood we wish to keep and wish to dispose of, whether through donating to thrift stores, giving to younger family members, EBay, or even the trash.

I was never one to "ruin" my toys, though the occasional Barbie did receive a haircut or a limb went missing. Hey, at times there required an evil twin when you had two of the same Barbie... and obviously the evil twin needed the shorter hair. As for missing limbs, that is what happens when Ken tries to do a split.

Anyway, searching through EBay I came upon a stuffed monkey that Avon had put out in 1988. He was a cute plush, of the beanbag variety. His body was littered with numbers and stars. The packaging for Count on Andy stated the following: "Andy loves numbers, he's got 'em galore. Better count them again - there may still be more!" He measured around 20inches in length and for a blue monkey, was pretty cute.

There were a few sold listings for Andy, ranging in price from the $30s to $60s. I remembered that I had this plush and thought that I actually remembered where it was located in my childhood home. You must understand that my old bedroom at home has not really changed in the past 20 years. There are still toys, still drawers filled with my old clothes from when I was 10. The good thing about this is that the room is a treasure trove of toys for my youngest cousin, as well as a version of a time machine. Open the door and you are back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I love being able to sift through my old toys, but completely understand that some things have got to go. My mother would love to keep this room of memories as is, but I no longer need all of the stuff I had growing up, including the Avon monkey.

Andy was where I thought I had seen him last - on a shelf filled with other assorted plush. He was still in good condition, no rips or tears. His cute face was easy to recognize and I vaguely remembered playing with him when I was younger. This is what makes it easy to decide on what stays and what goes when it comes to childhood toys - if you don't have strong memories of an item, let it go.

I listed Andy for around $40 with free shipping. Nothing. A few watchers, but no bids. I knew that he would sell and wasn't deterred. I dropped the price down to $30 with free shipping. There was no sense in keeping a higher price, considering if it didn't sell it would just continue to sit around and collect dust. Sure enough, Andy received one bid. The only bid. I was a little disappointed that he didn't bring in a few more dollars, but happy that I had sold him.

Andy was packaged up, given a final farewell, and sent out to the post office. A week or so later, I received feedback from the buyer. I figured it would be the common phrases of  "Great Ebayer. Fast shipping. A+". Instead of the usual, I sat with my tea mug in hand, laptop positioned on my lap, and teary eyed as I read the feedback.

"Thank you. My daughter that passed away in 1993 had one she played with."

A simple sentence that moved me to tears. I immediately contacted the buyer and wrote that I was sorry for her loss, but glad that I could reconnect her with this item. I understood the feeling that she must have felt by finally being able to secure this tangible memory. In my last blog entry, I wrote about finally finding a puzzle that I had played with as a child at my grandmother's house. It was something that I thought would have been lost forever. But thanks to EBay, it was found again.

I was glad that I could bring Andy back into this person's life. I was thankful that they had been the only bidder and could now have some peace that they had secured a memory from their daughter's life. Sometimes, EBay isn't always about the money. Personal stories like this one bring us back to realize that people are always searching - whether it be for something to complete us, bring back a memory, or make us feel prized in the eyes of another. Reselling items is a way to make money, but it is also a way to return what has been lost, a treasure hunt of sorts. 

The more that I search, scavenge, and find, the more I realize that this one of the things that I love most: finding what was lost and making it found. Returned treasures.

Finding the Sifo Frog Puzzle...

EBay is great for a variety of reasons. People make money, spend money, and waste hours of their day searching for that “perfect” item. Some people that are anti reselling believe that buying items cheap from thrift stores & then selling them on EBay for obviously a higher cost is ripping off people. I guess what they don’t realize is the ability that EBay has to reconnect people with certain pieces and allowing people to find that “perfect” item. Read on...

When I was little, and even when I grew to be a teenager and adult, I spent many hours at my grandparents’ house. They lived in a small town, with a railroad track across the street. As a kid, you could walk around the town without having to worry about being stolen or running into strangers. Everyone was friendly and those that weren’t, you were warned to stay away from. Golden Girls and Love Connection were favorites of my grandparents, and as a kid you watched the show with them or amused yourself with the endless supply of paper that my grandfather got from the mill or the pile of boardgames hidden behind the couch in the front room.

As a child, I always played with a wooden puzzle that was kept underneath the living room couch. This puzzle had nothing exciting about it. It was a wooden puzzle with less than fifteen pieces. The figure on the puzzle was a frog sitting on a lily pad. Now, not just any frog, but one with a hat, bowtie, and yellow suit. I loved this puzzle and once I entered my grandparents’ home for a visit, took my shoes off in the front room, I would reach my little arm underneath the living couch to feel for the puzzle. It was always there waiting for me, like a good friend.

Over the years, the frog's left hand disappeared, but I still put the pieces together nonetheless. As I grew into my teenage years, I would still look under the couch to make sure that the puzzle was there. It was a constant at my grandparents’ home, something that I felt “belonged” to me at their house. I don’t know the story of how I first came across the puzzle. I’m sure it wasn’t anything dramatic, most likely being a 5 year old sifting through the games and coloring books in the laundry room on the back porch and finding this puzzle. But, whatever the story was behind it, I loved it and loved the memory of sitting on my grandparents’ living room floor, the light brown rug that was and still is older than I am, and putting the puzzle together.

As I went off to college and graduate school, I occasionally would ask my gram if she had stumbled across the puzzle in any of her cleaning bouts. It had disappeared from its’ place under the couch, and as much as I tried I could not locate it. In my 20s, I would continue to look under the couch, thinking that magically it would appear. I checked under the furniture in the front room that we were never allowed to sit in, but to no avail. The laundry room and junk room proved futile. The frog had upped and left.

After my grandmother passed away, her home and its’ contents were left to be sifted through. There were a few things that I knew that I wanted, such as the sea captain statue, the rocking horse whose left ear had been broken off numerous times, and my favorite mug that I always used at her house. The thing that I wanted the most was that frog puzzle. I needed it. It had to be found.

Boxes of stuff had been piled in the front room for the grandchildren to look through, picking and choosing what we wanted. My eyes were on the lookout for an orange wooden board, a frog with a missing left hand. The puzzle was not found in the boxes, it was not found in the junk room, and it wasn’t found in the basement. All of the furniture had been moved and I no longer had to reach under and swipe my hand across the carpet to find that reassuring piece of wooden board. It was gone.

I was saddened. Out of all of the items, all of my grandparents’ belongings, this simple puzzle was the one thing that I associated most with. It held a time span of memories and I so wanted to be able to find it once again and bring it home.

A year after my grandmother’s death, the puzzle had not surfaced. I gave up hoping that somehow it would miraculously appear. It was gone, most likely thrown out either during the clean up or years prior. Someone probably saw this puzzle, worn over time, a frog with a missing hand, and figured it for trash. I didn’t stop thinking about it though… I thought maybe it would be one of those “it was meant to find me” finds at a flea market. I’d be walking along and look down at a $1 table and there would be the frog, sitting pretty with his tie waiting for me to take him home. Nope.

I had ventured to EBay other times looking for the puzzle. I’d use the words “frog puzzle” and “wooden frog” to try and find the exact item, but nothing close ever came up. Last week, I tried yet again to see if the puzzle would surface on EBay. I didn’t enter different search words, sticking with the frog puzzle and wooden frog puzzle phrases. Two listings appeared on the screen. There it was, my beloved frog puzzle.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. EBay had pulled through! I clicked on the listing to find that this was an auction with a Buy It Now option. The listing was for not only my frog puzzle, but another wooden puzzle of a goose. The starting auction price was $9.99 and the Buy It Now option was $15.99. The listing still was active for another five days and already had 4 watchers. With shipping, the total cost to buy the item without waiting around for auction was $23. I didn’t think twice.

This is where my re-selling skills came into play. I knew that with already four watchers and five days left in the auction that these puzzles weren’t going to be around for the full auction time span. There was no sense putting in a bid, only to be outbid, put in another bid, and then be outbid again. Bidding could end up costing me more than the Buy It Now option,

Was I overpaying? Perhaps. The auction was for two puzzles and I only wanted one. But, by doing some research, I learned that my chances of reselling the 2nd puzzle were good. This puzzle brand, Sifo, was popular. Looking into the Ebayer who listed the frog puzzle, most of their previous sales consisted of all Sifo puzzles. Apparently, these were wanted items and people were willing to pay. So, with this in mind, I knew that: 1. I had to buy this auction, and not wait to bid. 2. I could make some of my money back by reselling the 2nd puzzle. 3. I wanted to look more into this Sifo company.

I purchased the puzzles and waited anxiously for the package to arrive. When my EBay find came in the mail, I immediately opened up the box and there it was – a memory of my childhood finally returned to me. Sure, it wasn’t *the* puzzle that I had tucked away underneath my grandparents’ couch, but it was that same frog with the bow tie and yellow suit finally looking back at me. I had regained something that was lost, a returned treasure.

* My Returned Treasure *

And that is the magic of EBay. My frog puzzle story is the same for millions of other people; you just have to swap out the frog for another other item. There are a million different reasons why people buy on EBay and one of the most prominent is to regain something that was lost. Why do you think that vintage toys go for ridiculous prices? You can put a price on nostalgia and people will pay it. Sure, it may seem trivial and some may view it as a waste of money, but to others regaining a piece of their history is worth the price.

That is why I think that those that view reselling as taking advantage of people/ripping people off need to look at it through a different perspective. Resellers are offering a service to the world at large – the ability to reconnect and/or find that “perfect” item. The person that I bought the puzzle from could have purchased a shed full of Sifo puzzles for a low cost. They clean, photograph, and list the puzzles. Do I know how much each puzzle roughly cost them? No idea, but I’m sure it was much, much less than what I paid. Do I not buy the puzzle because I don’t want to pay $15 for something that cost them $1? Nope. I want the puzzle, I want the memory back, and so I pay the price.

Could I have waited to see if perhaps another frog puzzle would be listed on EBay? Sure. But, one might never be listed again and I would still be on the search for a memory. Thanks to this Ebayer, I now do not have to think of the idea of having this puzzle lost. I don’t have to rely on just the memory of it. I have the item & I have the story of finding it again. That is why people collect and why people scavage: to bring back what was lost, to shake off the dust and be made new.

Finding the NYC Subway at an Estate Sale.

Estate sales are a genre all of their own. I remember the weirdness that I felt going to my first estate sale, feeling a little awkward going through the bedroom dresser of some old woman that I knew was dead. After going to a few more estate sales, I got over that weird feeling and instead began to enjoy the opportunity to rummage through a complete stranger’s home. When else can you open kitchen cupboards and sift through dusty shelves in a basement of a stranger? Seeing what people collect is just one of the many unique aspects of estate sales. While I know that most people buy to flip at these types of sales, I always hope that those who eventually end up with the items cherish them as much as the original owner did.

I live in northwest Jersey, where I’m conveniently located to attend both sales in my corner of Jersey as well as Pennsylvania. I spend most weekends in south Jersey, where it seems like there is an endless amount of estate sales every Saturday. Due to schedules/activities, I can’t attend that many. I was able to go to one during the Memorial Day weekend and this turned out to be one of the biggest money makers in my start of buying & reselling.

I had gotten to the sale about 45minutes late. I had experienced getting to a sale super early once before and it wasn’t for me. The big ticket items I’m not in a position to buy anyway, so I was wasting my time standing in line and getting stepped on by those in a rush to grab the coveted collections. Even arriving almost an hour late, there was still a line outside, but at least a small one. I waited as did everyone else, hearing the usual complaints of “5 people came out, let 5 of us in!” This house was pretty small, so they were only letting a small number of people at a time, which is the usual practice.

After I leave a sale, I always wish I would have spent more time and not rushed, allowing myself to open every drawer and look in every nook and cranny. I’m still working on this, but this time managed to take some more time to just slow down and look. There was a good size mud room when you first walked into the home and a few bookcases and a desk. I looked at the book spines, seeing if any titled popped out at me. I then walked over to another bookcase where a paperweight thing stood on top a stack of books. It was definitely interesting and a little odd. I figured it for either a paperweight or some type of weird sculpture and thought that I could easily resell this thing on Etsy.

1960s Lucite Sculpture

I continued to the living room which was super small and crowded. There was a table with jewelry and other odds and ends that looked expensive. Old records, a record player, ornate small statues that I had no idea what they were, and some other items that I passed over. Out through the kitchen which didn’t have much to offer to the garage area that I could have and should have spent a good deal of time going through. Old cabinets with drawers filled with yes, junk, but I assume amidst the junk was a treasure.

I made my way into one of the bedrooms, again filled with people. The closet doors had been opened and I peeked inside. Clothes, shoes, and jackets were stored away. There was a single shelf in the closet, up high enough that I had to stand on my tip-toes to get a glimpse. A few old games, which I knew nothing about and so passed up – note to self, do more research! I then found a pile of assorted paper items. Looking back now, I should have picked up all of the papers that were there. The price of paper ephemera can be more than you would think nowadays. Scrapbookers are looking for interesting pieces to use and history buffs/family researchers are always looking for paper items that they have a connection to/family history of.


Among the pile of papers in the closet was a 1948 NYC Subway and Mass Transit map. I glanced over the folded brochure and opened it up to reveal a great looking map of the subway. The colors were amazing and condition was good too, having only one slit in the paper where it had been folded. I didn’t see the 1948 date right away, but when I did notice it, I decided this map was coming home with me.


In total, I picked up six items from this estate sale and paid a whopping $7 for everything. The “cashier” didn’t look through each of my items individually. I came to her with the items in a pile together; she glanced at the pile, and quoted the price.

So far, I’ve only sold two of the six items. No disappointment here, thanks to the subway map. Returning from the sale, I started doing research on the map. The 1948 NYC map was a special kind because of the uniqueness of it displaying the turns of the subway line. This map showed the actual curves of the traveling line, versus later maps that featured only straight lines. The map also highlighted parks and other areas of interest. Finding this item on EBay was interesting because all I could find were reproductions of the map, not original full brochure and map like I had. The reproduction pieces were going for over $40 and I even found a listing from a few months prior for a repro piece that sold for $100.

I listed on EBay and waited for the bids to come rolling in. No such luck. I had listed the starting price at $45 and couldn’t get anyone to bid. It was an interesting item and needed a specific buyer/market to entice. I was bummed that a reproduction piece could have more buying power than the actual item, but thought I would take my chances with Etsy. Selling vintage items on this site has seen much backlash from those that make their own items to sell. In my view, many vintage items can be re-purposed by those making new items, so the vintage sellers can help out the DIY sellers. But, tell that to the crafters.

Anyway, I decided to list the map on this site. I dropped my price a little and put the item up at $40. It was a neat map and the price wasn’t out of the ballpark. If anything, the price should have been more considering repros were going for that much and it had historical value to it. Well, like I thought it would, the map sold for $40. The buyer? A New Yorker, naturally.

So, after the listing fee, selling fee, and PayPal fee, I ended up having about a $37 profit from the map. Not bad for a $1.17 investment. Along with the map, I also sold the funky paperweight thing. That piece netted me a profit of around $10. So, I’m up $47 and thereby have paid off the initial $7 for all of the items. When the remaining five items sell, more profit!

The lesson in this is to slow down and look. The people that are in line first thing in the morning for an estate sale have looked at the pictures and have a few items in mind that they must have. More than not, the rest of the stuff in the house they could care less about. These are the men & women that own brick & mortar antique stores, those that vend at flea markets on a regular basis, and those that pick for a full-time job. They have the money to shell out $150 on a painting and have the contacts to flip it for $500. Sure, I could purchase the exact same painting, but I wouldn’t have any idea where to start in order to resell and gain a profit.

So, let those that are in to buy the “high end” items go first. Take your time opening drawers and digging through dirty boxes in the garage. I made over $30 on a $1 item just by taking a peek at what was on a closet shelf. As I stated before, I should have grabbed all of the paper items because who knows what else could have brought in a great return.

~ Flea Fact ~

        Go out of your way at estate sales to look where others won’t – you’ll find treasure for sure.

Meet the Author.

I'm going to be changing this blog around a little bit... dipping into different topics, incorporating more history, and having fun talking about the adventures of flea markets and thrifting. So, to kick off this "new" blog, here's a little more about the author, yours truly.

I'm a Jersey girl. (Insert jokes about Jersey here). Like every state, Jersey has its' good and bad parts. I believe that most people think of Jersey's bad aspects thanks to the proliferation of negativity driven by those wonderful Jersey reality shows. However, those that are born and raised Jersey know the difference between reality tv and true life.

Jersey has so much to offer, including a great history. I live in the northwestern part of Jersey, an area that my ancestors planted roots in and remained. I am about an hour away from both NYC and Philly and beaches are just a drive away on the infamous Garden State Parkway. My county is situated on the border of NJ & PA, along the Delaware River. It has a mixture of rural and urban, but is dotted with wonderful farmland. People passing through will find that there really isn't a whole lot of things to do... there's the bowling alley that hasn't changed in at least 20 years, our mall that is slowly becoming a ghost town, and the one thing that brings my town together: high school football.

This area has a rich history of railroads, mining, and the canal. Being close to the Lehigh Valley, it is easy to travel to such places as Bethlehem and the Poconos. Warren & Hunterdon Counties have small museums, stories of coal miners, and great antique shops and a few flea markets. I'm often reminded of how much I enjoy living in this area during back road drives... great scenery and small towns with main streets that still remind you of yesteryears. Of course, I wouldn't mind living down south where the beach is just a five minute drive away.

I grew up with a love of history and "old stuff." My dream job, which since has changed throughout the years, was to be a high school history teacher. This altered a bit in college, when I decided I wanted to aim higher and be a history professor. More altering occurred when after securing a Masters in Holocaust and Genocide Studies (yup, that happened), I was not accepted into a PhD program. I was crushed at the time because there went my "dream." I grew up wanting to teach history, specifically on WWII & the Holocaust, which I fervently read about since the 6th grade.

I still love learning and reading about WWII & the Holocaust, but do not wish to pursue a career of teaching on the subjects. It's just not in me anymore to want to stand in front of a group of 20year olds and try to get them excited about history. Perhaps if I would have been accepted into the PhD program, this would be different but alas, no PhD for me.

So what is my dream job? Give me an endless pot of tea, a computer, and a topic and/or genealogy question to research and I'm good for the day. I love doing historical research. LOVE IT. I don't think I can stress enough how much I enjoy sifting through library books, census, records on Ancestry.com, old newspapers on Google, and so on. I would love to get a paycheck for helping solve family tree mysteries and writing on historical topics. Pair being a historical researcher with re-selling vintage items on Ebay & Etsy, and I would be set.

All of the historical research that I do is either volunteer work for historic sites in NJ or for my own collection of "books that I want to write" topics. I have 2 books in the making and when I say "in the making", I mean it will be years before they are even close to being published. If I played the lottery and won, I would be able to have all the time in the world to research and write. One can dream...

So, instead of a published book, I have this blog. It works for now and who knows, perhaps it could help land a "dream job." I'll be changing things up a little bit and mixing in some historical research on local topics as well as Jersey history, plus incorporating my vintage finds and re-selling adventures. Stories of thrift stores, estate sales, and flea markets will dot the web pages providing helpful tips and tricks for those on the hunt for vintage treasures and finds.

The Tuppeware Sale

My Tupperware adventure began like every other weekend, starting with looking through the classifieds, local community newspaper, and Craigslist for yard sales and estate sales. I found a few that looked promising, wrote down the addresses, and mapped out my route. Later that night, I decided to check Craigslist one more time just in case I had missed anything. Sifting through the ads, I came across one that had a few photos of the items that would be for sale. One photo had a table that was filled with Tupperware – jackpot!

Over the past few weeks when I do my EBay research, I have been focusing on Tupperware. Reading up on the history of Tupperware and checking out EBay, it is easy to see that this brand of plastic kitchenware is still collected and heavily used. Some Tupperware items can bring in a good amount of cash and it is almost a surefire easy sell. I knew that I had to make it to this yard sale and the earlier the better, so I could beat out anyone else on the Tupperware hunt.

8am Saturday morning, I made my way to a local church rummage sale. Rummage sales are a great way to pick up items super, super cheap. I bought a few things and then made my way to another yard sale a few blocks from the church. In the back of my mind I was still thinking about the Tupperware, so I hurried along, didn’t find any worthwhile items, and headed out for my 15minute drive to the Craigslist sale.

Pulling up to the house, I noticed immediately that all of the Tupperware pictured in the ad was still there. I said hello to the homeowner and began to sift through the items, all the while containing my excitement over the “free money” that was sitting in front of me. For once, thanks to the research that I had been doing, I didn’t have to question if I should purchase the items in fear of not being able to re-sell them. I knew they could be resold. It was an easy decision.

I asked the homeowner the price on the Tupperware and he said that he could do a bundle deal. Music to my ears! I first started with the bowls, knowing that a set similar to the ones in front of me just sold on EBay for $25.00.

Unfortunately, out of the 5 bowls at the sale, only 3 had usable lids. The other lids were cracked right down the middle and held no hope for resale. I then picked out a condiment bottle, stackable mugs, flour sifter, tumblers, and pie slice keepers. I added a few other odds & ends to the box and the seller quoted me the price of $5. Sold!

I figured since the homeowner gave me such a good deal on one box, I might as well try for another. I began boxing up more tumblers, coasters, a piece of Tuppercraft (an offshoot of the Tupperware brand), and a rather large mustard yellow picnic carrier that had a matching cooler. The price? $5. I checked out the seller’s other items and he had a great mix of old and new, with super reasonable prices. I found a vintage 1982 Care Bears candy & lollipop mold set with the original box and added accessories. The sticker price was $0.25. I put it up on EBay the following day and by auction's end, it went for around $10. It was an easy sell – original box & contents, plus Care Bears are popular again.

I took my finds back to my car and was getting ready to leave when I decided to go back one more time and see about purchasing the rest of the Tupperware. The homeowner joked with me and said “Back already?” I checked out a large Tupperware container full of more tumblers and spare Tupperware lids (buy these if you ever see them – people are always looking for replacement lids!). I popped another $5 into his hands and the items were mine. The seller asked if I would be interested in buying lid holders. Tupperware made plastic holders for the lids of the kitchenware, which could be mounted on a wall or in a cupboard providing an easy and convenient way to store lids. There were about 8 holders on the table, ranging in size to match with the different size lids of the kitchenware.

I asked how much and the homeowner replied that he had to ask his wife. I thought my lucky streak had ended. The wife had not been present when I purchased the bundled boxes before and I was glad of that. I figured that either the wife had purchased the Tupperware herself years ago or they had been given to her by a family relative. I thought for sure that she would know the value of them and quote a high price for the holders. She was sitting on the steps inside of the garage and when asked how much, said $1 for all. I had hit a “Tupperware honey hole.”

I left the yard sale having paid $16 for around 40 pieces of Tupperware, which equals to paying roughly 40cents per piece. I felt accomplished knowing that my research had paid off. I didn’t have to wonder if purchasing this vintage kitchenware would bring in any money. I didn’t make myself only buy two or three items for fear that I wouldn’t be able to re-sell them. This is why I can’t state it enough: research, research, research.

At home, I began looking on EBay to find selling prices of the items that I had purchased. Looking at the completed and sold listings, I was able to gain an idea of what the items went for and what prices were too high to ask. Buying a piece for 40cents allows me plenty of margin to make a decent profit without asking for an insane price that no one will pop on. I also discovered the pieces that were included in the bundle that might not do so well – flour sifters, celery crisper without the insert tray, and a few other little items.

There are thousands of listings for Tupperware on EBay. If you want to sell this type of kitchenware, you must make sure that your listing is clear, concise, good pictures, and a good price. Describe the item thoroughly. Though Tupperware is collectible, people still use what they collect. “Scuff marks” are common on Tupperware and these wear marks actually do not deter people from buying them. List the item as in good condition but with normal wear marks. Obviously, if there is a crack or a missing/not original lid, be sure to state that as well. Take good pictures and make sure to get the front, back, top, and bottom of the item. Take a photo of the Tupperware ID number and also list it in the description.

For pricing, search around for similar items and see what they sold for. It also helps to search for active listings to see the competition. Often people will value an item way out of its’ price range, like $25 plus $15 shipping and handling for a Tupperware melon baller. This item will never sell because the price is ridiculous. Just be aware of what prices are out there and set your item at a price that will attract buyers but also at a price where you can make some profit.

Sit back and wait. I’m pretty anxious to see what sells the first round and what I will have to list a second time. With summertime approaching and people going to picnics, Tupperware is in heavy use. Potato salads, deviled eggs, and pickles all need a carrying case and Tupperware is up for the job.

~ Flea Fact ~

Always check last minute yard sale listings. Double check the papers, Craigslist, and yard sale websites before you head out for the day. Research a little the night before going to yard sales as a refresher on what to look for - you don't want to miss a moneymaker!