Frank Stanley Beveridge - "The Stanley Man"

Searching on the internet for Frank Stanley Beveridge can be conducted several ways. There is a simple Google search or one could see what Ancestry.com has to offer. In my search to know more about this man, I stumbled upon a wonderful newspaper article that offers so many intricate details about Mr. Beveridge, that I decided that it would be best not to summarize, but to offer the article in whole. Read on to discover more about the Stanley Man...

The Madison County Times of Chittenango 

Madison County, NY Article Published in the Column of "My Daze" by Laddie Milmoe

August 27, 1964

"Most everyone in the Oneida and Northern Madison County area has heard of Stanley Home Products and numerous housewives have attended Stanley parties at one time or another when the hundreds of Stanley items are purchased direct from the company with no middlemen involved to increase the selling costs... But few people realize that Frank Stanley Beveridge, founder of the company, a native of Novia Scotia, lived in Oneida 56 years ago, in fact, began his business career here by selling Fuller Brush products while a student at Colgate University... The story of Frank Stanley Beveridge, millionaire industrialist, who gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars for education is well known by a life long friend, Miss Edith Lawrence, now a resident of the Old Ladies Home in Oneida.

Frank Stanley Beveridge, who is thought to be the originator of the idea of having home parties to sell cosmetics, home products, and household utilities, came to the boarding house of Mrs. Alice Gilbert on Almond Street to spend the summer while a student at Colgate University about 1908. Before registering into Colgate as an undergraduate, Frank had been through Mt. Hermon Preparatory School at Mt. Hermon, Mass., probably under the guidance of the famed Educator-Theologian of that day, Dwight L. Moody, and perhaps it was Dr. Moody who sent Frank to Colgate. At any rate during his summers, just like college students of today, Frank sought summer work to enhance this income and he picked Oneida as a starting out place to peddle Fuller Brushes from door to door. In the same boarding house in Oneida where he met Miss Lawrence, Frank met his future wife, Miss Theresa Burdick of Port Byron, who survives him and still lives in Westfield.

The Misses Burdick and Lawrence were young ladies engaged in making burial robes in the local casket company when they stayed at the Almond Street boarding house of Mrs. Gilbert. Miss Lawrence recently recalled that Miss Burdick had a sister, Mrs. Harry Cole in Durhamville who learned and practiced the cigar making trade and lived in this area until her death 7 yeas ago... Speaking of Mr. Beveridge, she said that he only spent a year at Colgate University but did spend his first 7 or 8 years of house to house selling in the Oneida area, making his headquarters here. Though he spent several years of selling and eventually became an executive of the Fuller Brush Company, Frank never entirely approved of their methods and finally decided that he could improve upon it so went in business for himself. His wife, a devout Christian, discouraged him from using the name of the Beveridge Products Company, so it was decided to use his middle name of Stanley and call the firm the Stanley Home Products Co.

First home of the company was a little tobacco house in Westfield, Mass., which served as general headquarters for the firm which then sold brushes, mops and several other household products. Little did Westfield, Mass. realize at the time how this business was going to expand and boom the economy of the quiet but attractive little residential town. Frank had all kinds of selling experience, having handled Stereoscopes as well as Fuller brushes in his earlier years and had also operated concessions at carnivals, county fairs and just about everything and anything wherever a crowd had gathered. He possessed a persuasive manner and the rapid expansion in which the Stanley products boomed seemed perfectly natural to all who knew Frank. He liked everyone he met, and everyone seemed to like him too.

He got off an O. and W. train over at Kenwood one morning coming down the line from the other end of the county and though it was only 7am made his first sales call that morning on the late Oneida Limited Boar Chairman Col. P.B. Noyes when he was just a rising young executive of the Oneida Silversmiths. Colonel and Mrs. Noyes invited him not only for coffee but also to stay on for a hearty breakfast and as you may have guessed by now he sold the Noyes couple some Fuller brushes, because this was before he had launched his own company... A friendship then developed between him and the Colonel, which led later to the Stanley Company buying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of silver from Oneida Limited, to be used as premiums for the Stanley products. 

Living alongside of the Stanley Park in Westfield, Mass., a beautiful public gathering place covering many acres in the home city of Frank Beveridge is Mrs. Laura Campbell, widow of the late Madison County Judge, Albert E. Campbell who really put us next to the fact that Frank Beveridge spent some of his early life in our home town. Mrs. Campbell's home overlooks the park which is one of the finest man made beauties of all New England, replete with flowers, shrubs, trees and other features, many of which have been contributed not by the company itself which built the Park, but by the dealers themselves or area managers.

One of the nearby semi-retired dealers is Mrs. Maurice Deeley of Durhamville, who has had many trips to Westfield meetings, picnics, outings and gala parties financed by the company for which she about 15 years. She hasn't been too active over the past 5 years selling Stanley products... The amazing fact least known about Frank Stanley Beveridge, the one time Madison County boy who made good in the big outside world is that he has quietly passed along hundreds of thousands of dollars to private schools and colleges and our own nearby Colgate which he attended for one year over 50 years ago is one of the beneficiaries... Before his death a few years ago Mr. Beveridge was awarded an honorary degree by Colgate."

This account provides a wonderful glimpse into Frank Stanley Beveridge. The telling of the history of this man, his company, and the thousands that he employed has only begun....

a history of Stanley Home Products.

I came across this suitcase at the last auction I attended in 2015. This suitcase, as well as a second one, was filled to the brim with vintage Stanley Home Products, or Stanhome as it was frequently referred to. Catalogs, order forms, pencils, hair brushes, and even lipstick samples spilled out.

I can only imagine the lady of the household receiving this suitcase filled with samples and a promise to have her own "business." While I would not be going door to door selling any products, there was no way that I was leaving the auction without my own Stanhome start up suitcases. To my surprise and happiness, not one single person bid against me. Perhaps it was my "auction face" or quite possibly who would want fifty year old hair brushes? Of course I would, naturally.

Google-ing the history of Stanley Home Products leaves much to be desired for. There are dribs and drabs, but no history of the company that suited my needs. When that happens, we know what happens: research. The best place to start was in the suitcases and looking through the glorious ephemera of vintage catalogs.

Stanley Home Products Hostess-Customer Catalog Product Premium 8/65, number 5706 provides a brief introduction to the history of Stanhome. The following is taken from page five of the catalog:

"From its humble tobacco shed beginnings in 1931, Stanley Home Products, Inc., has grown to a multi-dollar corporation with subsidiaries in several different countries. Millions of women have found Stanley products the answer to their house-cleaning tasks and they enjoy the party plan way of selling. 'Stanley' products are designed with today's homemaker in mind, to help her save time, effort, and money. Not only does Stanley develop cleaning helpers for every household task, but also a complete line of cosmetics and good grooming aids for daily use by every member of the family."

Hostess-Customer Catalog Product Premium 1/66, number 5707 provides a similar history lesson but with a few different details:

"Thirty-five years ago, in a tobacco shed in Westfield, Massachusetts, Stanley Home Products was founded by Frank Stanley Beveridge and Miss Catherine O'Brien. It was their idea and ideal to build a company that would be a benefit and a blessing to all who worked for it, or purchased its products. During their first full year of business they sold $72,000 worth of household chemicals and brushes. Today the idea and ideal of Stanley's co-founders has grown into a multi-million dollar corporation with subsidiaries in several foreign countries - Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, Italy, Australia, Puerto Rico, - as well as branch offices in all 50 states. Stanley's 18 strategically-located distributing stations in the continental United States alone assure dealers and customers alike that their orders will be processed quickly and accurately."

So who was this Mr. Frank Stanley Beveridge and what path led him from a tobacco shed to the household industry? A little research is necessary...

be intentional.

Be intentional. That is the mantra that I tell myself on those select Sunday mornings when I step out of my car and onto the grass field of my favorite flea markets. I’ve come to realize that I’ve spent far too many flea market days rushing around, from table to table, in order not to “miss” anything, when in fact I have been missing everything. I carried lists of sought-after items and had a one-tract mind in hopes of finding *the* item that I had been searching for, all the while missing out on all of the treasures that were before me. 

Be intentional. Take that box of junk and sift through it. Touch every single item and let your eyes run over it. Watch for the details. Tedious and time consuming, but the “What ifs?” are many. Turn the photograph and wooden frame over. Search for the maker’s mark. Open the scrapbook and let the writing tell its’ story. 

Be intentional.

I haven’t written in this blog for over a year, allowing for the changes in life to grow over me like a wandering vine. I’ve ignored things that should have been in the forefront and succumbed to letting my passions and merry-making tasks take a backseat to a mindless routine. I have neglected this little blog and the hopes and desires I had for it to “become something.” So, with this post, this post that speaks a mantra, I must listen and finally put pen to paper. 

Be intentional. May this Corner Cupboard be once again filled with tales of treasure and forgotten histories.

Free Finds on Craigslist

It’s been too long. Too, too long since I have written. I’ve started to write many times and then the energy to continue just disappeared or I realized it was past my bedtime. (I’m only 31, but if I should happen to stay up past 10:30 on a weekday, I’m beat. I have become old!) Working 40 hours a week plus trying to squeeze in eBay/etsy when I can has become a tiresome routine. I get so caught up in researching items to find comparable pricing/good titles that before I know it, I’ve spent an hour just on one item. Of course, often times while researching I find something else that peeks my interest and then have to research that… if only there were more hours in a day!

I have so many blog topics running through my head, from my love/hate relationships with yard sales to the best estate sale that I have ever been to, that I just need to make the time to sit & write. And so, with that, here I am at work using one of my 15 minutes breaks to start the writing process.

I am obsessed with the Free section on Craigslist. Well, maybe obsessed is too strong of a word…. Nah, it’s the right word. I look at the free items on a daily basis and even look on listings nowhere near my area – as in, I’d have to take a road trip or a plane to scoop up the items. It is unbelievable what people will put out for free on Craigslist. From normal items like household appliances to rotting meat, which is geared towards hunters… I hope! Some people list one itty bitty item while others list sidewalk length’s full of miscellanea. 

I’ve only actually picked up one free item on Craigslist – my first mannequin torso which you can read about  here. This lack of actually getting free items doesn’t deter me from my daily perusal of listings. For the most part, my local area isn’t overflowing, or even nearing the brim, of items that I would want: vintage Christmas, vintage holiday decorations, and pretty much anything vintage. While I wouldn’t be partial to driving 20 minutes or so out, it’s always the thought of “Well what if it’s gone by the time I get there?” But, that is followed with the thought of “What if it’s still there?”

So, while I wait to score more free stuff on Craigslist, I figured that I would share the free finds that I would have loved to pick up, albeit distance and bad timing.

Christmas blow molds, how I love thee! Here we have some free Christmas coupled with a weed whacker, sand filter system for a pool, and in the lower right corner either a badminton racket or one of those badminton bug zappers. Put those items aside and cast your eyes on the blow molds! People either love them or hate them and I love them, especially the older kinds. The full bodied Santa looks like he would be more suitable for indoor use, while his Santa friend on the right seems to have lost something important. How Santa misplaces his lower half is beyond me, but I'm sure I still could have found a great use for him. The Noel candle is a classic & fortunately I'm lucky to have two Noel candles that are my mom's. But, it would never hurt to have a third!

Another wonderful blow mold that found its' way to the Free pile. How could anyone not want this beauty is beyond me. It may not light up, but there is still plenty of potential. Give Santa and his trusty train a fresh coat of paint and he would be as good as new.

In the mood for some cooking? Stop on by and load this retro wonder into your truck for free! I have no idea what the condition was of the inside of the stove or if all of the burners were still there, but does that matter? This piece is wonderful on eye appeal alone and with a little cleaning and fixing of that right shelf, the possibilities are endless. A beauty like this would be great in a kitchen for storage and display. Have an antique shop or rent a space in an antique store? A stove like this would be a great eye catcher to draw more people in your booth as well as "setting the scene" for selling vintage kitchen items.


I don't think that I have to explain why this is a great find. A vintage typewriter can be used for so many things, from a simple decoration to a prop, to even reselling the keys for crafters. While this model does not hold a large monetary worth, it still is a great vintage find for free.

If you have never checked out the Free section of Craigslist, do yourself a favor and head on over & see all that awaits you. When looking, think of all of the possibilities! Items, such as the stove & typewriter, can be great finds used for scene setting in antique shops or even for those engaged in theater. Think outside the box when scavenging. Often times we think of only what we ourselves can use the item for or for reselling, but there are many more possibilities out there for these tossed away treasures!

Christmas at the Auction

I love auctions and everything about them. Well, maybe except for when I am outbid but that’s just a minor detail. Box lots are my go-to at auctions. There could be a whole box filled with amazing finds or maybe one or two treasures and the rest is throw-away, but like Forrest Gump said “You never know what you’re going to get.” 

I constantly have to remind myself to look – really look – at box lots. I also have to constantly remind myself to follow my own reminder, but I’m making progress little by little. Many people, not all, take a brief glance at what is on the top of a box lot and never dig into the bottom of the box. This happens especially with large boxes and boxes that are positioned underneath tables. That is why I am trying to remind myself to remember to look with care and diligence, because  you never know what you are going to find.

Like this:

I had walked by a box of what seemed to be somewhat new boxes of Christmas ornaments. They were just regular gold balls, still in their box, and obviously not vintage. This was a big box so curiosity finally got the better of me as I decided to take a closer look at what was underneath the new ornaments. Well, thank goodness for curiosity! Underneath the newer ornaments was a medium sized wad of paper towels, obviously wrapped around an object. I unraveled the paper towels and was greeted by two vintage Christmas elves. That was that. I wrapped the elves back up in their paper towels and returned to my seat, waiting for this box to come up.

I didn’t even bother sifting through the rest of the box because I wanted these elves. Sure, I should have continued to dig through the box, but no sense in causing some type of ruckus and have people wonder what I was looking for. (I’ve learned my lesson with that! Spend too much time checking out a box lot and you are bound to have more noses pop into the box). The Christmas box came up to the block. The auctioneer didn’t bother to reach further down into the box (thank goodness!) but only sold the box as a mixed lot of Christmas items for wait….wait…. $1. Up goes my bid number & over walked the runner with the box. Merry Christmas to me!

 

Though the box was filled with mostly newer Christmas ornaments, there were still a few beauties like vintage teardrop ornaments, elves, Santa & his little friend (make that a naughty Santa) and what appears to be a reindeer hiding from hunting season amongst holiday flora.  

 

The green toolbox was not a part of the box lot, but a separate bid for $4. It was old, cute, and just the right size to store all of my box lot treasures. 

So as a friendly public service announcement, please remember to sift through those boxes! Dig down under amidst what looks like is trash and you might find some real treasure. Unless of course you are at the auction I attend, then you can leave the digging to me!

Saturday Yard Sale Sabotage

This past Saturday, I awoke at 6am with high hopes and a dream. Yes, it was super early for me on a Saturday morning and would require a nice cup of Dunkin Donuts tea to wake me up, but it was going to be worth it because I was going to hit what I thought would be one of those yard sales that a person talks about for years to come. Why was I so excited?

 Because of this:

 

 and this: 

These yard sale picture previews include some vintage holiday goodness. Valentine’s Day knickknacks, Gurley Thanksgiving candles, and the infamous light up ceramic Christmas trees. The best part about these items besides their outpouring of vintage looks? The price. I squinted and I cropped photos, I zoomed and I looked with one eye and came to the conclusion that the Gurley candles were selling at the whopping cost of 50cents per pair. The Valentine’s Day décor was just as cheap and though the price tag was hidden from view on the Christmas trees, I’m sure they were only a couple of dollars. Has this seller gone mad?? 

As I stated, I awoke bright and early with the hopes of coming home with all of these treasures. The yard sale started at 7am and I arrived a few minutes after the opening time. Seeing that the street was already filled with cars, my heart started pumping with that "must-move-quickly-before-all-gone" mode. Walking into the garage, my eyes darted back and forth from table to table. Candles? Little Valentine ladies? Christmas Trees? Oh the horror. Gone. All gone. 

I kindly and calmly asked the woman holding the sale if she had opened earlier, since the sale was already crowded. I also nonchalantly mentioned the Gurley candles to which she informed me that a man contacted her the night before in regards to the vintage holiday items. (Say it isn’t so!) He swooped in on the sale Friday night and bought all of the vintage décor including the candles, ceramic trees, the little heart ladies, and I’m sure anything else that was not featured in the ad pictures. 

I walked away from the sale with a few items and a reminder that the early bird gets the worm. I love when people include pictures in their Craigslist yard sale ads, but just never thought to contact the person prior to the sale in regards to buying items before the garage doors opened in the early hours of a spring weekend morning.Will I remember this in the future? You bet it. When you can score pairs of Gurley Thanksgiving pilgrim candles for 50cents a pair, it's unlikely that's something that can be forgotten. Will I contact a seller prior to a sale in regards to buying items before that 7am opening time? I'm not sure. Part of the thrill of going yard saling and attending flea markets is that early morning and the lure of what might be sitting on those tables in a musty old garage. Contacting a seller before a sale starts feels a bit like cheating to me, and what fun is there in cheating?

I like to find treasures fair and square, so give me a cup of hot tea to go, my list of sales, and I'll take an early Saturday morning over a Friday night "pre-sale" anytime.

Mr. Sharpie's Appearance

I hope that the first yard sales of the season aren’t an indication of sales to come. About three weeks ago, it was a sunny Saturday morning and the smell of spring had finally made its’ way into northwest Jersey. I mapped out my route the night before and was all ready to enjoy the first yard- saling of the year.

Mr. Marker makes his mark

Waking up a few hours early, I went to the gym first and then stopped at the first sale of the day – an estate sale. The house was an older home with an amazing vintage kitchen – double porcelain sink with the built-in drain, cupboards in assorted sizes running from floor to ceiling, and amazing woodwork throughout the house. What was not so amazing were the prices and the price labeling system. A few stickers, maybe an affixed price tag here or there, but mostly… prepare to cringe… prices written in black marker directly on the item. Not written on a sticker, not written on a piece of paper, but written directly on the item. Regardless of the material, be it glass, brass, chalkware – yes, vintage chalkware!, fabric, or porcelain, the marker spared nothing. Magic erasers work wonders, but I wasn’t too sure that Mr. Arm&Hammer could save some of these pieces from the wrath of the sharpie.

The house was filled with ornate furniture and lots of saints. Religious statues filled the fireplace mantle, dining room table, and were decorating the upstairs bedrooms. I haven’t had luck with reselling religious chalkware, so I passed both on the high prices and determining whether or not Mr. Marker would come off. I had mainly come to look at the vintage Christmas decorations, which I found in the basement.

It was like Christmas 1962 had thrown up in the basement and I loved it! Boxes of electrified red Christmas bells, plastic gaudy garland, Shiny Brites, and window candles with the red and yellow tipped light bulbs. Prices were high, both for reselling and for personal want. And again, perfectly good pristine Shiny Brite boxes were ruined by Mr. Sharpie’s appearance… and we know there isn’t a way to remove permanent marker from cardboard.

I left the sale spending $2 on a trio of vintage Christmas candles, complete with the flame bulbs. My plans were to include them with other vintage Christmas items to resell, but decided that, like with most vintage Christmas I come across, they would be keepers.

I hoped that the first yard sales of the season would be more promising, but I was left wanting more. For this coming weekend, I already have two sales lined up. One is an estate sale that is promising a house filled with vintage kitsch, so of course I'm going. The other is a yard sale which looks like it might be the kind of sale that one dreams off... vintage Pyrex, retro holiday decorations, and what I hope will be my first purchase of Gurley candles to add to my vintage decor. 

Expect some pictures from my purchases this weekend and look for future posts this week to include my unexpected find of vintage knee hugger elves and a surprise Santa & his lady friend!

Time for a Change.

It’s been some time since my last post. I’ve been writing, editing, deleting, and re-writing posts. I’ve been complaining how my full time job is getting in the way of my true calling of doing historical research, writing, thrifting and flipping. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. I could sleep less and work more, but in the long run that would leave me in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, underneath a blanket on a couch, napping away for hours.

I’ve been attending a weekly & bi-weekly auction and finally yard sale & flea market season is upon us here in the northwest part of Jersey. I’ve been reading lots of thrifting and vintage blogs, which always inspires me to want to write more as well as do a major overhaul on my blog. I made a goal in the beginning of the year to blog at least once a week & somewhere between New Year’s Day and now that goal has gotten swept under the rug. But, if I want to be like the blogs that I can read for hours, then I must write, I must photograph, and I must be diligent.

I love seeing all of the vintage finds that people stumble upon when going to yard sales. I am envious of those that still live in areas where towns do annual clean-ups and it’s a picker’s heaven on front lawns and driveways. I want to be proud of my blog & not only write here and there. I want readers to check in weekly or even daily to see into the world of The Corner Cupboard.

So, time to dust off that New Year’s Resolution and start making it a reality! 

A Hoosier Cabinet History

One piece of vintage furniture that I love and one day hope to have - when living space allows it - is the great Hoosier cabinet. These pieces are not only storage savers, but are just amazing vintage pieces of kitchen history. They can commonly be found in antique malls, used furniture warehouses, and Craigslist (which I highly recommend to check out due to seller's low prices).

The Hoosier cabinet has a great history behind it: practical, functional, and appealing to the everyday woman. Hoosiers were popular between the 1900s through the 1930s. The Hoosier Manufacturing Company was founded in 1899 in New Castle, Indiana and produced what is commonly known of today as the "Hoosier." The company coined the piece of furniture as a "kitchen filing cabinet" and no wonder this phrase worked: if offered a place for all of the kitchen necessities and more. Sold throughout the country, the Hoosier company advertised in popular magazines such as Ladies Home Journal and Better Homes and Gardens, appealing to the stay at home moms. The basic models were large enough to hold both food and kitchen utensils while more elaborate models were complete with flour sifters and revolving condiment jar racks. 

 Basically, the Hoosier served as the kitchen cabinet before built-in cabinets became popular in the late 1930s and 1940s. It was seen as a piece of kitchen equipment that would save time and revolutionize kitchen design, carrying the following motto: "Steps saved in the kitchen give women strength and energy for other things." The company even devised Hoosier test kitchens in order to promote the efficiency and necessity of their cabinets, giving the approval of the Test Kitchen in order to entice more buyers. Housewives were seen as the big buyers of the cabinets, or at least the people to market to in the event that the man of the house did the actual buying. Being a housewife during this time was the norm and so Hoosier played on that.

As the look of the kitchen changed and morphed into more of what we know today with all of the built-ins, the need for a Hoosier declined. To some, specifically kitchen designers who wanted to revolutionize the look of the kitchen, it was a cumbersome piece of furniture that wasn't that helpful in the kitchen. It was toted as a storage space for all of your kitchen needs and provided a working area via the porcelain shelf. However, the tabletop/shelf space was not adequate enough for some when it came to having enough room for baking. The area also wasn't large enough for other members of the family to help out in the baking process. A mother could very well have all of her baking supplies at her fingertips with the Hoosier, but when it came to having little Johnny & Susie assist in forming the dough & cutting out cookie shapes, the Hoosier shelf just didn't provide enough room for all of the work.

 Like everything, the Hoosier went out of style but now is back in style, at least with the collecting and antique population. Hoosiers are finding their way back into the kitchens and homes of Americans, with many taking on restoration projects to restore run down pieces. Some use it as kitchen storage while others use it as a way to display their collections. If you are interested in finding a Hoosier, it is easier than you might think. Craigslist has infinite possibilities, ranging from the pristine to the total fixer-upper. Search in both the antique and furniture section, using the correct spelling of Hoosier as well as misspelled variations such as Hooser, Hoosir. Prices vary depending on condition as well as the urgency of the lister to sell. Read the listing carefully, being sure to take note of the condition description, item location, and of course the price. If the price isn't right for you, be sure to search for the current listing title in Craigslist or scroll through the older ads. If the piece has been listed more than once over a period of time, you might be able to negotiate a lower price.

 If you are willing to travel, there is always eBay. This might be a little awkward for some, but many people sell Hoosiers on eBay by offering local pick up only. If you find one that catches your eye and the price is right, a few hours drive could be worth it. Be sure to come prepared with a big enough vehicle, blankets for covering the item, and able bodies to help move the piece. Sometimes sellers may assist in moving the item, but it never hurts to be prepared. Be sure to ask such questions as where the item is located. Is it on a 1st floor, garage loft, basement? Verify the condition of the piece and don't be afraid to ask for additional pictures or more information. It is bad enough when an item is shipped to you and the seller forgot to mention something totally obvious, but imagine driving a considerable length of time only to find out the piece is not what is pictured online.

Restoring a Hoosier can take time and money, but can be well worth it for a beautiful, vintage piece. A simple restoration with a new coat of paint doesn't break the bank, but those wishing to restore a Hoosier with period-correct flour sifters, shelving, knob fixtures, etc. can accumulate a high price tag. eBay is a great source to find the odds and ends to complete your Hoosier... and also a great place to sell spare parts if you should happen to come across any. These pieces are a great part of the history of the American kitchen and fortunately are still around today to enjoy!

eBay & Beyond for 2014

I started my EBay listing adventure in May of 2013. I don’t remember exactly what made the light bulb turn on that I could buy items strictly to resell, but once I sold that first item and made a profit, I was hooked. The first couple of months, buying to resell was something that I did nonchalantly. If I was at a flea market or a thrift store and I saw an item that I thought I could flip, I would purchase it. I have been going to flea markets since I was little, so the picking aspect wasn’t anything new to me.

It wasn’t until I had multiple sales that I decided that with more knowledge and time, I could turn this buying to resell into a part-part-part time job. Gradually month after month, I would spend more time looking at sales on ebay, reading blogs, and joining reselling and ebay Facebook groups to increase my knowledge and train my eye on what items to buy. At the end of 2013, I walked away with $1,067 in pure profit. To some resellers, they make that much in one day. For me, this was an accomplishment and an acknowledgement that if I put in more time and more research, I could bring in even more money.

Having the extra cash is something that helped me out this past year. Whether it was for unexpected car maintenance or even helping with Christmas gifts, my wallet didn’t feel the pinch as much when my PayPal funds provided some cushioning. I envy those that are able to be full time ebay sellers and not have to work in the corporate world. There is money to be made from thrifting and that’s my goal in 2014.

So what will it take? Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions? Most will commit to healthier eating, spending more time at the gym, less gossip, and more real interaction. All of these are attainable if one puts in a solid effort. However, I haven’t made resolutions as much as I have made goals.

My main goal is to at least double my profits from 2013. $2,000 is a drop in the bucket for most, but for me to sell that much would be great. If I can triple my 2013 profit, that would be even better – but, let’s start small and work our way up!

How will I do this? I’ve already taken two steps in order to make my EBay “business” easier. I have purchased a photo studio light box. I’ve gotten tired of dragging items outside to set them up on my deck. I don’t want to have to deal with shadows or pictures that need excessive touch ups. With the light box, I have different backdrops to choose from and now I don’t have to worry about making sure that the picture background is okay. The second step is I have finally ordered a scale to weigh items. Finally! Though I have gotten pretty good at estimating the cost of a package shipped out priority, I have lost money by underestimating the cost to ship. I also am looking forward to printing out postage at home and scheduling pick ups of the items I sell. While there are a few local post offices in the area, it will definitely be a real time saver to just put the boxes on my porch and have the mailman take them away.

The third thing that I did was join The Appsters. This is a private group run by Danni Ackerman of The Danni App. If you are new to reselling, you must check out The Danni App! There are old podcasts on Itunes but also check out her website and join her Facebook group. The amount of information that is posted on a daily basis on the Facebook page is unbelievable. A whole new world of reselling is opened and you won’t believe what can sell on EBay! I started listening to the podcasts over the summer and really enjoyed hearing about the “Score of the Week” and the adventures of going to yard sales.

On the Facebook group, I kept hearing about the Appsters and having access to webinars and all sorts of other information not available in the regular Facebook group. This is a pay subscription group, with the cost of either paying by the month or paying for a year. The price per month is $29.95 and the year subscription gives you twelve months for the price of eleven. I thought about joining for a few days, tossing the idea around in my mind. For someone just starting out in reselling, I thought that the money that I paid per month could be used instead for buying merchandise or even for other necessary things like gas and groceries. For me, that $30 could be used in so many other ways. But, then I thought of it in reselling terms: I had to sell one item – just one item – at $30 a month to cover the cost.

I said yes to signing up to the Appsters. I took a leap because I want to double, triple, quadruple my EBay sales and gain more information about the world of reselling. If I would just stay stagnant, sure my sales might increase a little but I want to be even more profitable and more knowledgeable about the world of thrifting and reselling.

 Good luck with all of your goals and resolutions - make it happen!

Here's to 2014 - eBay & Beyond!

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!