I sell damaged things.

Vintage magazine advertisement - love those togas :)

Over the past two years of my very short reselling career, I have received some pretty nasty messages from strangers. In the beginning, I may have cried, and now I find them comical. I have the power, I remind myself, the power to block.

I sell damaged things because I am not an expert in everything, but I am a finder of cool things. I like to be a conduit to other thrift-lovers, those who lose to upcycle and rehabilitate. I like being somewhere in the middle of the pack. I occasionally fix things, sew up little holes, but for the most part, I list things as they are.

The Salvation Army stores in my city sell mattresses. They take donations of old mattresses and strip out all of the schtuff away from the skeleton of the mattress, then refill it with new schtuff (foam? fluffiness?) and sell them for low thrift store prices in like-new condition. Another store in town just takes the mattresses apart, but they don't sell the mattresses, so I figure they like being middle-people too, like me, just a cog in the larger wheel of thrift.

Where do you fall in the thrift spectrum? Are you primarily a donater? Shopper? EBayer? How do you find your identity in the pretty-freakin'-large recycling world?

Recycled bubble wrap :)

A reselling blogger sells these all the time - I have been less successful

So a part of being "The Recycling Ethic" is in trying to use recycled materials as much as possible. I'm pretty picky about what I buy for shipping, because I'm constantly using shipping materials, and so this is the area I have the most potential for creating waste (or lack thereof). So I buy recycled labels and envelopes. I use all kraft tape, no plastic tape. Blah, blah, blah. I'm so awesome.

For a while, I've been buying bubble wrap from someone across the country who recycles large bubble wrap. I don't know where the product originates, but it comes taped together with masking tape, so it even looks recycled. But recently, I found a new recycled bubble wrap seller on eBay, and it's only a few hours away from me (a couple hundred miles), so I don't have to wait as long for it to arrive. Somehow the seller saves this pristine bubble wrap from a large-scale furniture company, and resells it (at what appears to be a zero profit margin) to continue the waste-reduction cycle.

Anyhow, we're kindred spirits, this bubble wrap recycler and I. And though we are small, insignificant eBay sellers who sell trash on the internets, I believe that our awesomeness will somehow surreptitiously seep into our packages, and influence our customers, who will then continue the cycle, and on and on.

I've been wanting to buy this stamp for ages, but it seems too decadent. It does need to be said, however, since I'm expecting that my customers are kindred spirits. I shouldn't assume though. I should make it clear that in addition to the recycled product you are purchasing, I also want to invite you to participate by reusing the packaging.

All for now :)

Thrift Share Monday :)

Maroc Cologne Spray

It's been a while since I've bought (and sold) perfume. Sometimes I have to guess, and sometimes I take a chance. For example, this purple bottle is not labeled in any way, but I bought it. If anyone has any guesses, I'll take them. Under the "Pi", the bottle reads "1.2 oz".

Unknown Fragrance - I think the initials are "Pi"

I'm going to yoga now. Yoga has saved me over the past month and a half, as I've struggled to become this professional person who always does the right thing, and says the right thing, and never makes anyone mad.

Well, that person doesn't exist, and yoga, for whatever reason, helps me to forgive myself. I'm not perfect. I certainly don't forgive myself as often as I'd like, but it probably helps me stay calmer in general. I've decided to stop freaking out in general. I don't know if it's possible, but I'm gonna try. I'm kinda neurotic.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

Terracycle.

Over the summer, I found a company called Terracycle, and at first I thought, "this is a sham - after all, I did click on an ad from Facebook to get here". But the more I looked at it, the more I realized that, underneath the kitschy products that look like they were made for tweens (e.g. purses made of Fritos bags), there was a real campaign to eliminate waste.

At my school, in the copy room/mail room/supply room, there are easy-to-see boxes that collect receipts for a local grocery store that donates to the school, then there is a bag that holds those (what are they called?) Box Tops for Education. They're easy to use, and that makes me remember to use them.

Blah, blah, blah. The point I'm working towards (very poorly), is that our schools are places where kids are. And kids need things to do and be excited about. In my city, trash is a pretty big industry, and this program provides a way to both recycle things that would otherwise just sit in landfills, and helps to create and sustain a culture of recycling.

Milk Cartons

Vintage "Compu-Mug". I've found others, and they all have fun sayings :)

Cartons are recyclable, like juice boxes and milk cartons, but not all cities offer carton recycling. You can find out if your community offers carton recycling by going to The Carton Council's website. I'm considering starting a petition to my city (I don't know who I'd petition, the city council, perhaps?) to ask them to begin providing carton recycling. I don't know how much it would cost to add that kind of technology, but cities do make money off of their recycling programs.

The school where I work doesn't have milk cartons. They have milk bags. It's really amazing how school cafeterias work. If you're going to change the world, I think you have to start in a school cafeteria, because that's where you'll find the most people.

Anyhow, check the website and see if your city recycles cartons, and if they do, then recycle them!

Thrift Share :)

Valentino of Italy

This summer, I have been the happy recipient of some thrifty gifts, given specifically for my store. Perhaps people are beginning to worry about my poverty, or maybe God is good and providing for me, and all that jazz. Whatever. I'm not a big fan of the Almighty right now. I think I had some expectations about what my life would be like after I graduated from seminary, and those don't seem to have panned out, so I'm pouting, in perpetuity.

Sybil Connolly of Dublin

So these patterns came in a box that my friend found while she was moving out of her house, which had previously been owned and lived in by her grandmother. She called me up and asked me if I wanted a box of old patterns. Ever the shrewd thrifter, the first thing out of my mouth was, "How old are they?" She said some things that I don't remember. All I heard was "Vogue" and I said "Yes!"

Bill Blass of New York, I suppose?

There was a period of time in my thrifting where I found a bunch of Vogue patterns, but these are probably the nicest I've ever had.

Non sequitor alert! I just did yoga on my own for an extended period of time. I feel super good about it. Usually I get bored and antsy and don't do much, but I felt like I really got into it, and was able to get some work done. It may have something to do with my new car, or maybe the fact that I went to my chiropractor today, and she massaged my back with what appeared to be an electric sander. Sometimes I wish I could give her a lot of money, because she is so good to me. But alas, the poverty.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

Insta-sale baby :)

Vintage Patch-worked Quilt Top

So I listed this puppy (puppy, baby, whatever - it's a quilt) after having it in storage for ages, not wanting to photograph it. Then it sold in 19 minutes! I got an offer in five minutes, and thought, "If it's this hot, I bet someone will buy it at my asking price". So I waited, and sure 'nuf, it sold. I always love it when that happens.

Dumpster diving

Do you ship stuff? Do you dumpster dive for cardboard boxes? If you don't, I think you should. I get mine from an elementary school cafeteria. They're constantly throwing out boxes because of the amount of food they go through, and then I only take the ones that work for me. Oftentimes, there are produce boxes, and those don't work so well because of all of the holes. When there are small ones, I take them all. I don't take any that are gross, because that would be, well, gross.

In doing this, and combining that thrown-away cardboard with my all-recycled paper tape, somehow I am reducing my carbon footprint with my shop. Maybe no one notices, or even cares, but it matters to me. It matters that what I'm calling "recycling" is in fact, recycling, and that what I use is biodegradable and/or recyclable. When I'm at the post office, I take the Priority Mail boxes that other people have tried to use, but have thrown away. I really need to get a stamp to put on all of my boxes and packages that reminds people to recycle or reuse the packaging (I really want to buy this one).

Share your unique ideas for recycling shipping supplies :)

Looking for a lot...

 

...of envelopes.

So I think that someone, out in the world somewhere, should stockpile used shipping supplies, and then sell them in lots on eBay. I would buy something like that. I don't have enough stuff coming in to be able to do that myself, and I don't have room to store much, so if it's not getting used, it gets gone.

There are of course, the 100% recycled options, and I am totally okay with purchasing stuff like that. I just don't want to spend money on new stuff if I can spend it on trash. You know what I mean?

In the meantime, I am working with what I've got during the Christmas shipping rush. I'm pretty close to making a functional shipping package out of a clear food container, but it hasn't yet come to that.

These vintage Holly Hobbie ornaments were found in a bag (9 total) for a dollar :) I took a trip out of town late last week when my favorite store was closed, and I still needed to feed the monster.

Linked up with Apron Thrift Girl at Thrift Share Monday.

First days of work are so hard

 

Fellow shopper (to nearby employee/volunteer/parolee): "What is the sale today?"

Employee: "I dunno. There probably isn't one."

Shopper: "Well, there is a daily sale, so something is on sale. I'd like to know what it is."

Employee: "Yeah, I don't know about any 'sales'. Since I don't know about it, it probably doesn't exist."

Shopper #2 (me) to Shopper #1: "Ma'am, there is a sale on two-piece clothing items. That's all I remember from the sign."

Employee: "Well, it's my first day. So I don't know what's going on."

Shopper #2: "Oh. Well, that's okay. It's not my first day, so I've got you covered."

Employee: "Oh, do you work here?"

Shopper #2: "Um, no."

A day in the life...

I am doing my daily thrifting, and see a man walking around with a wad of chewing tobacco in his lip, spitting on the floor of the store. I am filled with disgust, and it's all over my face, but I am trying to not walk around with an ugly face, so I open my eyes wide and lift my forehead (I can look really mad really easily).

Two young men, late teens or early twenties, walk in the front door, and say (very loudly) to the woman behind the counter, "Hey, do you have any ugly Christmas sweaters?" The woman points to the sweater section, turns to me and tells me that she's never been to a Halloween or Christmas party, then stares at me, awaiting a response. What do I say to that? "That's bizarre" was what I thought of saying, but what came out was an audible "Hm".

If you have ever been a person who has gone to a thrift store and asked for the "ugly sweater" section, you are probably not reading this blog.

Who wants a Rabbit?

 

How does this sound for a Craigslist ad?

"How would you like to live the biodiesel dream in your very own vintage 1979 VW Diesel Rabbit? She needs someone who will treat her right, with the amount of respect and adoration she deserves. She's rough around the edges: rust around the windows, front dash that looks like it exploded, and a speedometer, that well, is nonexistent.

What does it have, you ask? Two doors, rockin three-year-old shifting levers, a new front axle, a sealed transmission, four working seat-belts, working hand brake, and an engine that has never once gone out on me. It's got some guts for the biodiesel (switch panel and gauges), but needs a few odds and ends to get it back to its once french-frying self (The tank got taken out to spare the children in the back seat, and it's been running on straight diesel for the past five years).

Fine print-You are not interested in this vehicle if you are not willing to do the maintenance yourself, or pay big bucks to have it serviced (and never at a good time for you, of course). I will be as honest with you as I can, with whatever information I have from my own experience and what I have from one of the previous owners.

As there are only 5 digits on the odometer, the mileage on the vehicle could be anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 miles.

Oh yeah, it gets 45 miles to the gallon. Always has."

Thoughts?

Where do you get your toilet paper?

I get my 100% recycled toilet paper at our local Fresh & Easy. I like to purchase 100% recycled paper products as often as possible. I get my mailing supplies from thrift stores, or reuse stores, and I use recycled materials from the recycling and trash bins for the stuffing. I know it sounds weird, but it's simple and clean (unless I make the unfortunate mistake of sending send old bread bags to a person with a wicked wheat allergy-that might cause me more problems than I'm willing to deal with).

Seriously, you're all amazing.

Caitlin, of "To Make Love Stay", wrote this post recently. I read it, and was inspired.

I've been really feverish today, and feeling like all the kinds of my worst self. For some strange reason, I keep thinking about sharing space with another person, and how impossible that seems in this moment. My crap is everywhere. I have one sink, in the bathroom. It is my only water source. I do the dishes in the bathroom sink. There. I said it. Be disgusted by me.

I keep thinking, "Why would another person want to live with me?" I don't know why this suddenly seems important, but there's something so amazing to me about committed relationships. You don't just put up with the other person; you expose yourself to that other person, every friggin day. You can't hide anything: your weird smells, your whining, your moods, your weird smells, all of the bizarre things you feed yourself, how often you stare at your own pores in the mirror, how often you return through the front door in the morning because you forgot something, how much stuff you actually buy at thrift stores, how many doctors appointments you actually have, and on, and on, and on...Who would subject him or herself to this?

So yes, sometimes, I marvel at the human tendency to commune with itself. Even in all of our disgustingness, we continue to befriend, love, procreate, teach, help, and endure with one another. We take care of our children. Some of us even go so far as to adore our children, tend to them, cuddle with them, and let them throw up all over us. We are all one big mess, together.

It never ceases to amaze me.

Tis the season for catalogues!

So, this morning at the post office was great. There were four catalogs in the trash. I only used one, and got packaging material for two medium-sized boxes out of that one catalog. Yay Christmas season! I hesitated to throw the three I didn't use back into the trash, but that's where they came from, and I can't bring someone else's trash into my apartment, because that would just solidify my craziness.

Then, later in the day, a friend emailed me to ask about the best thrift store options in the city to donate large items ( I especially love when people call or email to ask me thrifting questions). I suggested the Catholic Charity downtown, because they're small and cheap, and they offer cheap goods to a neighborhood in need. I've been frequenting there so much more often over the past year. There's so much going on in the building; I'm not sure what's specific to the thrift store, but it's a busy place. Sometimes there are people who seem like employees, and sometimes they seem more like volunteers. There are always a lot of people shopping, and lots of clothing for children.

I've become more and more disturbed over the last year by the changes in thrift stores that have coincided with the changes in the economy. Instead of becoming beacons of hope for their communities, many stores have upped their prices. They've changed their market entirely, trying to make thrift attractive to groups that aren't already big thrifters. I don't like that. It cuts off those in need from their needs. I don't know if I'm saying this very eloquently. It's very systemic, and complicated to explain, because ideally, I'd have charts and graphs to show how prices have changed over time.

Shredded paper is amazing!

So, I love shredding paper, and I got it into my head that I would make a manual shredder at some point, but since I'm not that kind of girl (even though that would be super cool), I never did. But then [insert drum roll here...], I went to a rummage sale, and found a mini manual shredder. It was in the exact same spot I found my super-long stapler (which was equally exciting). Both times, I looked around for someone who would be as excited as I was, but I was alone, so I had a solo celebration.

Shredded paper can be used for a number of things, the least of which is getting rid of things you don't want anyone else to see ("You mean like love letters to my ex boyfriend that I still write even though we haven't been together for years?" Yup, just like those). You could save all of that shredded paper and put it all in a bag and use it for packaging material. You could get a pet hamster, and use it for the hamster's bed. You could put it in your compost pile, or your worm bin. You could make a mattress with it, or a butt pillow. You would spray it with glue and make a funky hat, or use it for confetti at your next party. The possibilities are endless, really.

Goin' on a bender

I've been on a bit of a candle bender lately. It's so nice to have them burning at night, and my day job is so draining that I need little extra bits of warmth and light at the end of the day to replenish. So I've been thrifting used candles, but have come to a bit of a problem. They burn to a certain spot, and then they're done. So I'm putting up this video to show people how to renew and reuse old candles that they either already have at home, or find whilst thrifting.

You can find plenty more instructions online, so I won't bore you with the details. I was able to find a lot of wick options. It seems like a fun thing to do with kids maybe. Just wrap 'em up in sweats and tape potholders to their hands, and you could probably leave them in the kitchen unattended.

11. Thrift Blogs

So I haven't been around the thrift blog block for too long. I think I started really paying attention to what people were doing this past summer (i.e. I had more "me" time). I was pretty quickly hooked. ATG's weekly round-up of weekend thrifting fun can keep me busy for hours. I wanted in, but I waited until I had something to say and the time to say it. I committed (to myself, at least) that I would post every day, no matter what, and lately that has been challenged, and I've learned to be kind to myself, and not expect my readers (all five of them) to tire of my day-to-day philosophizing.

On my list of favorite things a couple months ago is the wonder of thrift blogs. I do them all a disservice by not digging deep into every one of them as I write this at 9pm, so I'll have to figure out a way to honor them and still get a good night's sleep. Here goes...nothing.

1. Apron Thrift Girl-I occasionally send Selena strange emails, some of which she responds to. I recognize that in the blogging world, we are all strangers with a common love, and I can come across extra-crazy if I don't watch myself. Working on it. Selena is awesome, vulnerable without being creepy. Open without being too open. Sharing endlessly without hoarding her expertise. A gift, that woman.

2. Thrift Core-Vanessa is amazing. She's the first person who started to really make me think about thrift-as-career and expanding beyond the online market. She's also a freelancer, which warms my heart, because if I asked her, I'd bet we'd have a lot to talk about (crazy writing gigs-oh my!).

3. The Recycle-ista-Seriously changed the way I'd been selling. I looked at what she's sold on eBay and it was all green, meaning she sold things before they expired! I wanted that. I wanted movement. So because of that, I've been way more willing to part with items for less than my asking price. That is what I have "Best Offer" for after all!

4. Parsimonia (Secondhand With Style)-I could look at her photographs all day long. I don't know what it is. I just love them. She does this thing sometimes where she takes a theme and expands on it in different ways, like How to Celebrate National Elephant Day complete with photos of all of the different elephant things she's found and loved. Always lovely.

5. Thrift Shopper for Peace-My kindred spirit in Canada loves MCC and thrift and on top of that, blogs about it! She recently went to Scotland, where there happen to be a ton of great thrift stores. I need to tell her that I met someone last week who lives in Germany and hates their thrift stores, but happens to know that the ones in Scotland are fab. How funny is that?

Reseller's Challenge Update #3

 

1. Women's Old Navy boot-cut jeans
2. CIR-KIT Large Dollhouse Lighting/Wiring Kit
3. Linda Allard/Ellen Tracy cream wool skirt
4. Vintage Erica Wilson 1971 Finished Embroidered Animal Piece
5. Vintage Erica Wilson Crewel Embroidery Kit
6. Vintage Snoopy Skiing Peanuts Needlepoint Kit
7. Vintage Uncut Vogue Paris Original Sewing Pattern-Yves Saint Laurent
8. BYO 15" Polk-dotted Laptop Sleeve
9. Homedics Sleep Machine-Soothing Sounds-AM/FM Radio-Alarm Clock
10. Born Women's Black Leather Boots
11. Ann Taylor Red Wool Skirt
12. Unknown Designer Men's Black Italian Shoes
13. Oneida Community Butter Knife Master and 8 Spreaders
14. Nine West Women's Burgundy Button-up Sweater
15. Sofu Teshigahara Ikebana Book

Total so far for October: $674.41

"She's a winner!"

So it hit me today, as I was driving home from the Urgent Care of my choosing, that I am not a healthy person. And unfortunately, the man of my choosing thinks that this is somehow important, at least he did a couple months ago when there was far more promise to our relationship [Insert tantrum here].

It matters. Health matters. Yes, I can do anything a normal person can do. I just get hurt more easily. Or I get an amoeba. Or I get intercostal chondritis, as the current case may be. How did I get it? Well, let's put aside the "continued strain on fight-or-flight mechanism in the hippothalamus", which is what the internet told me, and focus on the more real possibility of the hack job I did in the backyard several days ago. I don't want to start the list of things I cannot do because of my body, but let's just say that the list involves living in a humid place (or the jungle, as it were). So there go my missionary dreams.

And it would seem that it also limits my choice of mate, which is really ridiculous, because who wouldn't want to procreate with someone of my stature and aesthetic? Also, as long as we treat the children well, there's little chance of them developing anything heinous. We're strong farming stock, we Slovenians: peaceful, hearty, compost-loving. The only health problems in my family are caused by too much stress on bodily systems: immune, brain, nervous system, gastrointestinal, muscular. We're a sensitive folk. We weren't built for modern times (or high elevations, or again, the jungle).

So if that's not a motivation for you to set me up with your friend/brother/cousin, I don't know what more I can tell you.

I also have no dowry.