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Wednesday, May 20, 2020

The Thrift Shop Gods Heard My "Reopen" Plea

Reselling rounds stopped short at Round 12, just like a prize fight. I had been eyeing my vintage sewing patterns to list but they are saved for now. Three out of four of my beloved thrift shops have now reopened. The first, as I was driving to the grocery store spied the thrift shop door open and nearly slammed on my brakes to make it over to the other side of the road. 

The lead-off image is the piece de resistance find of the recent visits, a needlepoint project on frame with thread ($5)! I will not be parting with this one. 

As predicted, I didn't do my usual method of careful shopping. Luckily, all of the CDs were in their cases, I didn't even check them. 13 cassettes, 12 CDs and 1 game. Squealed like a lil girl when I found the Chris Gaines (Garth Brooks as a rocker) CD in the bottom of the CD rack. 
Included in my nearly $40 total was an 8 DVD Woody Allen movie collection. Again, if you are not flipping media, you are missing out. Quick sales, minimal storage. These babies are going to fund my tech/gadget purchases and bucket list trips around the world. 

A splurge for me was a $3 bag of 10 spools of thread, all seemingly high quality. I also snagged three cookbooks, a 1971 red plaid cover BHG cookbook, a 1975 Joy of Cooking and 1980 Elizabeth David Classics (Mediterranean Food, French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking). Meant for resell, I decided to keep all three. Doh! It happens. 

A frequent find and normally quick mover on the listings was this embroidery kit, also part of that day's finds.

I have been selling off the quilt blocks and needlework kits earmarked for me. Believe me, there are more than enough projects in the queue to last through the next quarantine. (see newly-purchased needlepoint above)!

The other two sourcing splurges were $12 at one and $7 at the other. 
$12 one consisted of MLP cards, CDs, cassette, craft patterns, a Build A Bear outfit for camo bear and a men's racing tie.
$2.00 for a packet of Girl Scout badges!
$7 stop included the $5 needlepoint project above along with a couple of media items. In fact, I saw the needlepoint in the back room, not yet set out for purchase, so I asked about it. They just needed to confirm the price and it was mine. 

Now I get it! After almost a year of active reselling, I figured it out. You list possibly everything and then hold it in stock until it sells, just like a retailer would. After listening to some reseller's videos, they revealed they had some product listed for years. I had pulled quite a few of my listings because they didn't move. I have since relisted them. 

I follow The Thrifting Board and Jason T. Smith for many of my reselling tips and he posed the question:

Surfers, what is the ONE item that you have for sale online that you are tired of looking at? Do you have an item listed so long it has spanned 2 presidencies? Well maybe, just maybe, a fellow surfer here in the Thrifting Board just might need it.


I don't have one of those listed-forever items, this one will sell. Gorgeous when completed.

2 comments:

  1. A few of my favorite thrift shops have re-opened. Luckily I'm not a reseller so it's just been a sad inconvenience and not a loss of income. That needlepoint kit is AMAZING! Is it by Charles Wysocki?

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  2. It is a Charles Wysocki!!! White House Inn (1980). I was so excited when I saw it. I will complete it eventually. It will be downright stunning.

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