On the first day of Christmas (break)...

I have a love/hate relationship with breaks from school. I have ever since I was a student myself. I start break with a grand list of things I'd like to accomplish and I end the break with that same list mostly untouched. Of course every break I say I will try better.

I really need routine. When I don't have it, I get superbly lazy and also very anxious. Not a good combination. My goal for this current break is to try to keep some sort of routine... I will try to blog about it and see how it goes.

So Friday the 20th was the last day of school for the year! I love making that joke with my students, "See you next year!" Har, har. Saturday and Sunday were spent driving up to visit family. I got to visit with my grandma for several hours, which was actually quite nice. She is a trip. Ninety years old but still sharp as a tack. She is hard of hearing but otherwise still very with it. She still drives, actually, and watches Jeopardy! every day and reads every night. Also for the last twenty plus years she has eaten at Wendy's almost every day! In her own words, she is royalty there. They even get her tray ready for her when they see her in the parking lot and they give her little Three Musketeers bars. Every day she gets the same thing: chicken nuggets, a baked potato, and a junior Frosty. She has kicked cancer two times and has Type 2 Diabetes which she has managed well for a few decades. She is pretty awesome.

Over break I plan to get some work stuff taken care of, but I will do that after Christmas. For now my focus is trying to get the house in some kind of order. I did probably ten loads of laundry today and that's no exaggeration. We have two huge bags to take to Goodwill.

Well, I guess I will check in later. Happy Holidays!!

Antique Mall Update: Month 1

My first full month of having a display case at the antique mall is over. It was mildly profitable which is a good start and I hope to be an omen of the future.

I sold (prices after 10% commission):
Knife 7.20 - .01 cost (auction) = 7.19 profit
Gavel 7.20
Strawberry Shortcake ornament 4.50 -.75 (Goodwill)= 3.75
Xmas Tree teapot 9.00-1.50 (VOA)= 7.50
Australian penny 4.50-.01 (auction)=4.49
Lark Cherished Teddy 3.60-.01 (auction)=3.59
Miniature Taj Mahal 9.00-1.91 (VOA)=7.09
speckled frog 3.60-.90 (Goodwill) =2.70
Santa teapot 9.00-1.46 (VOA)=7.54
Back to the Future Delorean 2.70-.50 (Goodwill) =2.20
Fisher Price Little People bus 18.00 -1.00 (garage sale) = 17.00
owl necklace 4.50-1.00 (Amazon deal)= 3.50
Dukes of Hazard cup 2.70 -.10 (garage sale) =2.60
Fisher Price xylophone 7.20-1.00 (garage sale)= 6.20
hightop shoe trinket box 9.00 -2.99 (Goodwill) = 6.01
Webster's book set 7.20 -.96 (VOA)=6.24
Christmas music box 9.00-.45 (VOA)= 8.55
Snowman plate 1.80 -.45 (VOA) =1.35
bank shaped like a loaf of bread 9.00 -1.99 (Goodwill)= 7.01

Total, after commission and costs= $111.71 - $50 rent = 61.71

Maximum Capacity?

Display Case Update

I've sold 50$ worth of stuff in my display case! After commission it's $45. Good start. It costs $50 a month so I've got a little bit to go to break even, but of course I want to MAKE money. The month's only 1/3 of the way done though, and I'm hoping to bank on the holiday season!

Update

Hello blogosphere!

I have been busy. Working 3x a week until 6 pm, bowling league on Tuesdays (we're in first place! say what!), trivia on Thursdays, and doing some auction work here and there.

Unfortunately, my school had some terrible news on Friday. There was a horrible car accident (maybe you've read about it-- I know it was on USA Today's website) in which a family of 6 was killed. Both parents and four daughters ranging in ages from 2-16. They were hit by a police officer who was responding to a robbery. Well the 12 year old was a seventh grader at my school. Not personally my student, but still. Student of my friends, and a friend of my students. Absolutely heartbreaking. They had come to Iraq for a better life. They were on their way home from visiting with my former students' family... They leave behind 5 sons, three who attend my school. I am not specifically looking forward to tomorrow... but the healing process must begin...

I tried to balance out this tragedy the way I know how-- distracting myself and I do that with deal$. The Dollar General across from my school is going out of business so I've been checking in every few days. I went in today and their toys were 90% off! Yeah!!

Goodies including several Wuggle Pets for $1.00 each, and ketchup... lol... 

I also went today to start stocking my new display case at the antique mall! I am splitting it with my former student's aunt, the one who got me involved in the auction company. I am excited to see how this new venue turns out, especially since I barely have time for eBay during the school year (and not to mention I still loathe shipping!).

Not everything here is mine... I have a total of 10 cents invested so far.. I won 9 penny auctions yesterday plus the 1 cent premium. :)

Just a quick hello!

Yes, I'm still alive. Sorry for my lengthy blogging absence!

Summer is long gone and I have settled back into my work routine. It feels like I never left. Two weeks down (well 3 if you count professional development) already.

I'm working extra, doing the after school program 3 days a week, and I've made some connections with a local auction company. I did some running (getting the items during pick up) and helped write descriptions (it's all online, like eBay) so far, and I am scheduled to run for another auction next week.

After spending a month at my dad's hoarder's nest in the summer, I decided I can't keep buying so much stuff and just letting it sit around for months. So I've taken a step back, and I'm trying to organize and get rid of what I have before I buy more. It's hard though, because it's so fun. I'm doing just one consignment sale this fall and am marking down stuff so it goes. My plan is to purge and then start new. I mean, I'll still make profits, but my mindset is quick nickel not slow dime.

Well, see ya later!

Stuff, and other stuff...

Tis the second week of summer and I am pretty bored! Well on Thursday I head up to my dad's house where I'll be for an indefinite amount of time. He is having surgery on Friday, and being as he lives alone, I will be spending time as his caregiver so-to-speak. Which I hope doesn't really happen, as in, I hope his surgery is very successful and he doesn't need any help. Time will tell.

Anyway these past few weeks have been uneventful. We did the flea market again, saw a few free movies (Gofobo, anyone?) and the dog and I have been taking our daily treks through the neighborhood. Oh, and I found a new amazing show on Amazon Instant Video! It's called Out of Practice. It didn't even last a full season (although the whole first season did make its way online) and it starred Stockard Channing, Henry Winkler, Ty Burrell (better known as Phil Dunphy- dad on Modern Family.) and Christopher Gorham (better known as HOT). It is just hilarious. I highly recommend you check it out if able!

Decided to check some of my older entries. It's funny how the direction of this blog changed. When I first created it, I actually said I had created it as an outlet to express myself. Now it's part reflection, but also part sharing in this incredible thrifter community I've stumbled upon. By the way, in my first entry (dated 2010), I said I wanted to start trying to conceive in 2011! My, how things have changed. At this point, I don't know if I ever want children! (well aside from the assortment of furry ones and the ones I teach, who will forever be a part of me)

Anyway, so we did the flea market again, and here are the results from our second trip out. Like I hinted, I changed the direction to more or less "get it out of my sight, I am so sick of looking at it" items, which trust me, we have enough of. Made $68.50, not including the $10 fee.

$5 dolly step ladder thingie (paid 25 cents for at a gs)
$10 XBox HD DVD player and handful of DVDs (personal property)
$10 box of Power Rangers trading cards (free to me; from Dad)
$5 cat carrier (personal property...was our sweet little kitten's... R.I.P. Monty)
$5 4 comics (free; from Dad) and 2 video games (personal property- junk games from gs)
$2 dog pillow (personal property, which Daisy chewed a hole in, and then proceeded to never sleep on again. Spoiled mutt.)
$2 pocket packs of tissues ($2 at Dollar Tree- originally got for school goodies but never used)
$4 Halloween pillows (probably paid around $10 at Target- was going to use for decor but again, never used. Probably a good decision anyway. They were black pillows. Black + animals=mess.)
.25 single pocket pack of tissues (paid .25 originally at a back to school sale)
.25 microcassette (bought at an estate sale I posted about awhile back)
.50 Avengers jumbo eraser (bought for .20 at GW)
.50 grill stone (.50 TS)
$10 set of records (free; from Dad)
$14 pants (Carlos's)

Lastly, I have listed two of the Hot Wheels I posted about last week. One has a day left in auction. It is currently at $113.50. You can see it here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271222095765?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
That's the biggest profit I've ever made.