thrift finds

I Found Anne Of Green Gables

Jeremy and I went by a Goodwill close to us tonight. We stopped by to pick up 2 $6.99 particle board shelves that we bought yesterday. Of course, we went in the store before we picked them up. One of my potential scores for the day was this Anne Of Green Gables doll. I bet a lot of people have no idea what that is. Before there was sex and violence in movies, there was Anne of Green Gables. I remember it as being a funny, sweet, and romantic series of movies. In case your memory needs a jog into the 90’s, here you go:

Anyway, the doll was made after her character, Anne of Green Gables. Surprisingly, Anne still had the tags attached to her hand. She also did not look cheaply made. You can definitely tell when an item has been well cared for. Normally, I steer FAR clear from dolls. Unless you know what you are doing, you can lose a lot of money. Because this show was a favorite of my Aunts, I remember her character growing up, and she has freckles, I had too for $4.99. Fingers crossed it was a good decision.

Another item that caught my eye was this cute pink wheelchair for $1.99. When I was little, I was always caring for my stuffed animals. I’m sure that I would have been beside myself had I been given this wheelchair. Calling all dolls with broken legs, I have a pink wheelchair going up in my Poshmark and Mercari closet tomorrow! Look me up at @farmnsunflowers .

An item I debated on was this black cat candle votive holder. It’s hard to tell but there is a fish (fake of course) in the cat’s cup. I’m not really interested in buying holiday items anymore. Some people have a lot of success with them. I just don’t think I am one of those people that wants to see Christmas items all year long. However, I can handle Halloween things better apparently. I got major Halloween vibes from this black cat. Though it is not breakable, it is dam cute. I just need to dust it off something fierce. I’m not actually sure what I paid. This item did not have a sticker price & I forgot to ask the cashier. Since he came home, apparently we paid something.

We were literally the next to be checked out in line when I spotted this bell at the bottom of a shelf next to me. Impulse buys, usually, are a bad idea. However, there was just something about this bell. It was ceramic, signed (later I realized by 3 people), and detailed. I’m absolutely no bell expert but I feel assured that this was not made in China. We paid $4.99 which felt like a lot in the moment. Hoping to find out some more information on the bell. That is another piece of advice…never sell something unless you know what you have. I’m pro pricing UP because people will make offers. But if you just throw a price on something, you may get a lot less than you could have.

I’ve been working hard on listing new items in my Poshmark closet, farmnsunflowers. I’m trying out just using a white background now. I’ve avoided it for 2 main reasons. 1. I didn’t know how too. 2. It looks a bit generic. However, it also makes the items colors pop in the picture. I’m doing my background the cheap way by using some white cardboard. But hey, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than trying to order a white hanging background. It’s hard to know if this strategy has helped my sales yet or not. The fact that I’m listing more I’m sure has definitely attracted more attention to my closet.

Before I close I did want to write that for the first time, I took my chihuahua on a walk around our neighborhood alone. My husband was working and I just decided to do it. For those who are confused as to why it is so hard, I have major memory & directional problems. I can literally get lost in a circle. I stand by saying “the hardest step is the first step” because it is. Hopefully now I will feel more confident about going out and walking alone.

Can You Make Money On Poshmark ? & 16 Place Matts Later

I’m currently listening to GraceV to help me relax on Youtube. For those that suffer from anxiety, check out her ASMR channel. I’m coming down from a workout that I managed to push through at 10:45 PM. I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes while listening to loud Taylor Swift Songs on my headphones. If you are struggling with exercise, I highly recommend music. Whether it is the radio, record, Alexa, phone, etc, it really helps. I wanted to write about today, because I have another one of those thrifting stories ….

I went to my favorite Goodwill today to do a little sourcing (cough…$80+ worth). With the way I scour the shelves at the thrift store, people must think I am checking for dust. I can’t tell you how many times I find things underneath, between, or behind items. The other day, I found a Pink TI84 Silver Calculator for $2.99 that I sold in 24 hours for $46 on Ebay. If I could just sell calculators, I totally would. I’ve only ever found one though so that is kind of an issue. Anyway, back to my story. While I was on my shelf scouring mission, a woman came up to me holding a glass object and asked me what I thought it was. I told her it could be a small planter. She then replied, well I was thinking of putting a candle in it. I told her I could see that. This intro conversation lead into a long conversation about her Christmas decorations & reselling. I know better than to tell people I am a reseller. Yet, today, clearly I forgot. As soon as I mentioned I resell on Poshmark I got the very common response of “I was thinking of trying that!” You mine as well sign away the next 30 minutes of your life. Brace yourself, an avalanche of how to get rich quick questions are going to be shot at you.

I gave her some tips and told her some items I personally choose to resell. She looked at the items in my buggy like she was not that impressed. I was just getting that vibe. Anyway, it lead into the very awkward question that inspired this blog: “Can you actually make a living at reselling?” That is such an inappropriate question to ask someone that has just told you they resell full time. Like, do you actually think I am going to tell you what I make? Who even are you? Please tell me your profession so that I can broach the subject of your income in the middle of the store. Ok I had my vent…. moving on… I told her that YES it is possible to make an income on Poshmark. You can make an income selling rocks (the pet rock was a thing in past). It all just depends on the items you have to sell, time you dedicate to it, etc. She seemed to want to make money but not so much put the work into selling the items. Again, I was just getting that vibe. Don’t get me wrong, she was nice. But the kind of nice that I do not trust. Ever talk to someone that asks you so many questions you almost tell them your blood type? And yet, looking back, you know that stranger would not make time to buy you coffee. Yeah, it was that kind of thing. Don’t come for me (as Stephanie Harlow says), I’m just being real with you.

Moving past my thrift store trilogy for today, I want to explain to you my level of insanity when I become exhausted. True Story. The FIRST trip in Goodwill I loaded up my cart with a good amount of breakable items. This is never a good situation when you plan to pack your buggy full. After what I think was a few hours, and a line of about 10 customers that were ready to kill me at checkout, I escaped with $58 ish dollars less on my debit card. I methodically loaded everything into the car, tied the bags, and let the ceramics ride copilot. They did not exactly “ride” for a while though. Upon taking the buggy back inside, I went to look for a SECOND TIME quickly (right…) at the linens. This is a section that up until recently, I have not taken a lot of interest in. I’ve discovered though that you can find some really nice baby blankets, lace, pillowcases, etc, over there. However, placemats my friends, is what occurred tonight. 16 of them that is. I kid you not, I just typed pillowcases. Then I sat here thinking, did I really get 16 pillowcases. That can’t be right. Oh Lord.

The reason I got the PLACE MATS is because they looked vintage & were elegant looking. To me anyway. Tomorrow, I may have a totally different outlook. I tried to decide if I wanted just 4, 8, or all of them. I was going to leave them to walk around but I know better than to do that. People swipe things faster than you can blink off shelves around here. Even if you are the only one in the store, take your item while you ponder it. I’m never alone. I think I am and I turn around and it’s literally like a swarm of bees (shoppers) throughout the store. I told my husband I got 16 placemats. He was like SIXTEEN? WHY? I told him I didn’t know. I was tired & my car was stuffed with bags. He relaxed when I told them that they were 42 cents each. My insanity cost us about $8. We then joked about the different combinations that could happen with the placemats. Like, we could keep 4 and sell 12. (I just typed 8 – Reasons I did not go into accounting). Or we could keep 8, have backups, and sell the other 8. I swear that I am going to look back and really laugh at the craziness of the lack of judgement in these buying decisions one day. It’s a good non fiction story though right ?

If anyone needs placemats, I’m your girl. For everything else, please ask someone else (just for tonight). If I can’t math, am buying mass linens, and worked out too close to midnight, my brain is fried. My chihuahuas current state is that she is snoring in her bear pillow basket. If you need a basket for your dog or cat, look at the thrift store. I found her a nice wicker one that she loves for I believe under $2. My cat, Snuggs, has taken up residence in my lap while I am trying to work. Therefore, I of course had to get him another basket. BOTH of them are snoozing in their baskets right now. They are rotten.

Poshmark: 8 Orders 1 NIGHT

Tonight, I feel like I should have had several cups of coffee. I’m trying to limit my caffeine intake so I survived off a few bottles of water. Fun times. I packaged up 8 Poshmark, Mercari, And Ebay Orders tonight. Currently, my Ikea bag is full to the brim with boxes & polymailers. Don’t ask me what I packaged, I’m too tired to remember. It’s a tough thing when I vent about reselling because, on the one hand, I am thankful to HAVE orders. I’ve had those days where I literally was waiting for any sign of one. Literally wanting to yell “Is anyone alive out there?” If you are a reseller, I am sure you can relate. Recently, I changed up my pricing strategy. Basically, I gave the hell up on my last strategy to profit a good amount off each item. By a good amount, I mean at least $10. Let me tell you, you could hear crickets in my closet when I tried that plan out.

I’m coming to a place where I am realizing that people want simplicity. Customers enjoy an easy to browse closet that contains a variety of items. Since Poshmark decided to hike up their prices (higher than the high rise jeans girls wear today) customers are now looking to pay bottom dollar for items. This means basically that I am screwed. Seriously. As a reseller, it cost so much money to acquire inventory when you are selling clothes. It does depend on where you live, but from what I can tell the prices are sky rocketing at all goodwills all over the country. I’m backing off from selling clothes. It’s too dam expensive to pay $4-$5 for one item that I have to hope will sell soon after. I’m now looking more into selling plush, throw pillows, home decor, coffee mugs, art, and basically anything of quality that I can get for under $3. Goodwill, I hope you are not reading this…. so help me if throw pillows go to $10 a pop.

For a while, I had categories in my closet because I thought it looked nice to split up items. I now think though that this may distract and confuse the customer because unfortunately, my category thumbnails are not always where they are supposed to be. When you share things on Poshmark, everything goes to the top. Somehow I always manage to miss a few items though, causing my closet to be a scramble of things. Tonight, the categories were deleted. I also changed my prices to nicer looking numbers. Maybe you are laughing. There are people out there though that like to see numbers like $10, $15, $20 and so on. As opposed to $6, $17, $89. The majority of items in my closet are priced between $15-$50. There are a few pieces of art that do jump higher but overall, that is the range. So far, two people have bundled a lot of items that they did not purchase. One person stated under my add that my item was from the Dollar Tree. Don’t you just love how customers love to help you advertise? -_- (That comment will go away because I flagged it.) One person on Poshmark purchased a vintage ceramic cat from me for $20. Another bought a Haagar jacket for $13 that I would never purchase again. On Mercari, my Disney Maui Plush sold for $9. His tattoos are cute but not enough for me to buy him again. I’ve had a Poshmark potential customer ask for measurements of an item. I swear, whenever that happens, people never purchase. I often wonder how people have the time to know their exact measurements. That is just me being tired and judgemental. Anyway, so far, that is what is happening. Success or no? I’m not exactly sure.

Tonight, while laying horizontally, I will make a thumbnail for this blog post. It was not a priority tonight though. Getting on the treadmill however was. In January I was SO motivated to exercise, go to the gym, and drink lots of water. What happens to people in February ? It is like I have multiple personalities when it comes to working out. This month has been very difficult and I’ve been off track daily. I’m still drinking bottled water but not as much. I need to put more energy into that because I can see how it makes me stay full. Last night I also got on the treadmill & thought I was on a roll. Tonight, a sloth looks energized compared to me. It’s 11 PM & I just don’t think walking for 30 minutes is going to happen. I will have to make sure it gets done tomorrow. I love being organized but have realized that I struggle greatly with it. When my depression gets bad, I lose track of tracking bills and keeping the office in a manageable state. My car and pocket book also start looking like I am a hoarder. I’m in a gray area right now because for a minute, I ran out of my medications. It is crazy how we can feel regular but in reality are plummeting downhill. Since getting my refill, I’m realizing that I definitely was doing that. My nightstand is stacked with unread books too. I tend to start buying lots of books when I’m feeling incredibly alone. Thankfully, the thrift store sells them cheap & will take them back as donations when I come to my senses that they are not getting read.

On that note, I am out -_- literally.

Goodwill Story: Can I Be Rude?

Today, my husband and I went to Goodwill after church. I used to enjoy this particular thrift store a lot more. It is now over run with resellers that are quite aggressive. A crowd of people literally follow the bin of new items out and grab the items off the shelves as soon as the touch it. It’s definitely intense. We still go though because, clearly, I continue find things. The majority of the items in this buggy I ended up leaving the store with. When I first got there, I found this “Home Sweet Home” sign rather quickly. It was laying on the shelf with all of the frames stacked on top of each other. Though I did not know at the time, this farmhouse crochet sign was going to become a prime topic of my blog at 1:30 AM.

Long after this sign had been added to my buggy, a random customer came up to me. Her exact words were “Can I be totally rude?” How in the world am I supposed to answer a question like that? What kind of question even is that? I thought for a moment she was going to correct or criticize me in some way. The awkward thing is that competitive people are often so polite so it throws your expectations of what is about to occur off. The customer continued with this question: “Are you buying that home sweet home sign?” Once again, how do I answer this? This item is in my buggy. I didn’t put it there to give it a stroll. I told her I was considering it but that if I didn’t, I could let her know. She explained that she was leaving soon but could she take a look at the sign. I wanted to say “I have no idea who you are, you are trying to buy by items, and now you want to hold them.” I let her take a look at it though because I am not good at being mean to polite people on a mission. She continued to educate me on the kind of crochet that it was and complimented the frames that I had picked out to go with it. I told her the type of style that I was going for and she agreed it would work well. Before she left she told me that I should definitely get the sign. Looking back, I am trying to figure out if I was in fact in the twilight zone, not Goodwill. This is one of the reasons I made this blog though. I’m going to look back and have a good laugh one day.

If you are interested in the other items in my buggy, as long as you don’t want to take them, I will tell you what I purchased. (Just Kidding). The light pink shabby chic vase I picked up. It has nice weight to it and the color was appealing to me. I paid $3.99 for the vase which I think was fair. The Green Bubble Glass Murano Style Ruffled Bowl/Vase I found in the vase section as well, for $2.99. I got it originally to sell, however, the more I look at it the more I want to keep it. I’m going through a phase where I really like glass, which has not happened since I was young & collecting tiny glass animals. The white shabby chic votive candle holder I found on an end cap. I’ve found that candles bring me peace and like books, I tend to collect them. I could see this piece in our new house, so I decided to add it to my growing collection of items. Art is a category which I have no business buying right now because I already have so much of it. It’s in our attic & storage unit. However, today I felt the strong urge to get another large piece. I loved the scene of the woman and little girl with dog. The colors were beautiful and I was just drawn to it. For $2.99 I had to bring it home. If I have a little girl, I can see it going in her nursery. Just like I can see the elephant canvas and world map that is stored also going in there. The struggle with art is real.

I almost forgot to mention that I bought a barn while I was there for $2.99. Yes, you heard that right. I am now the new owner of a barn. It is actually a barn display shelf that is great need of a face lift. It was sturdy though and inspired me. I can see repainting it, adding floral, and displaying some of my breakable items on it. When there is potential, it is worth it to give it a shot. If I am being realistic, when am I going to have the chance to purchase a barn again? Especially for $2.99!

My husband found some good items too. He got a pair of jeans, collector Donkey Kong Jenga Game, and fun long sleeve top. My husband is actually incredibly patient as I look around at the thrift store. He looks for a chair & plays his phone game. I greatly appreciate him for this and for guarding the buggy when I leave it next to his chair to shop more. Nerf guns and hats are his favorite things to find. He’s very particular though about the type of hats he likes. They need to have 5 panels or are no good. I ordered him one with hot dogs for Valentine’s Day off of Poshmark that he personally picked out.

While I have been writing this entire blog, my gray cat named Snuggs has been sitting posted on one of my legs. He always wants to be next to me or on me so that he does not miss out. I’m sure he is wondering what in the heck I am typing about. He is also trying to levitate my cereal bowl over to his face. Snuggs is incredibly loyal and invested in Poshmark. He takes his percentage of the business in soft cat treats.

Unicorn Plush Haul

Today is Valentine’s Day. I should be feeling more romantic than ever considering the amount of conversation hearts I stuffed in my mouth last night. I was having killer cramps & trying to find some form of sugar in our house at 1 AM. I’m sure my PMS greatly affected my mental stability when it came to thrifting items yesterday. I clearly had sweets on the mind when I went to Goodwill because the largest plush I found was a Peeps Candy Bunny. My friends, had he been marshmallow filled, he would have been eaten before I got to the register.

I’m assuming that the previous Peep bunny owner also donated the other plushes I found. Each stuffed animal I plopped into my buggy was unusually soft, sparkly, and multicolored. If you ever find something you like, always look for a second. I can’t tell you how often I find matching items if I take the time to look. This is what happened when I discovered both of the mini llamas. I knew immediately I wanted to sell them together, as they were basically twins. Unicorns also still seem quite desirable. I’ve learned that animals, other than horses, can be unicorns too. I found a sparkly owl and pig in this category. It’s confusing but I have learned not to try to make sense of anything in life. Sweet purple Easter egg looking hippo also had to come along with us. Just because, how often exactly do you see a pastel hippo plush?

The last two items in the buggy are Chocolate Lab Pillows. The ladies that worked at Goodwill joked with me as I considered those pillows. There was a Poo Poo pillow that one of the ladies recommended going along with the two puppies. I definitely knew that was going to be a nope. I have never understood the trend with fecal matter. Who decides what becomes popular and plastered all over every retail item possible? I mean really. The puppy pillows are very sweet though. I am selling them separately but am hoping they will be sold together. I’ve definitely sold throw pillows on Poshmark. If you take a quick trip over to Marshalls you will realize how insanely priced one single pillow is. I bought a Christmas dog pillow there last year and still cannot believe I paid what I did for it. This is why everything I own is from a thrift store. It keeps me from having a life threatening anxiety attack when I go to the register.

Goodwill Thrift Haul

I have acquired a few more cute items to add to my Poshmark Closet. I must admit that it is hard to sell some of these items because they are so adorable. My goal is not to hoard so, alas, I must sell. The Easter bunny seesaw above is a vintage piece. Rarely, I find items that come in their original boxes, but this one was an exception. This rabbit playground figurine looks festive & whimsical. This would be beautiful sitting on an Easter coffee bar.

I may be jumping to conclusions but I would say that this narwhal is an artsy extravert. His wardrobe is not only colorful but creative. I found this long guy when I went to shuffle through the plush animals. A child was originally holding him but he ultimately got thrown back in. Immediately, I knew he needed to come home with me. I know that someone needs a cuddly, soft, and sweet looking narwhal in their life.

These fun cactus pillowcases have been sold from my Poshmark Closet. However, I definitely wanted to include them because they were an unusual find. This was my first time seeing smiling succulents that were dressed for a New Orleans Mardi Gras. These pillowcases are definitely going to cheer up the new owner’s bedroom. My advice to picking up bedding is to keep your eye out for really unique patterns. I’m interested to find some llama pillowcases, considering llamas are on everything from coffee mugs to landscape. These pillowcases were a lot of fun to sell.

Lately, I’ve been keeping my eye out for farmhouse items. From what I have observed, there is definitely a market for this category. I saw this galvanized metal letter holder for $2.99 on the bottom of a shelf. This is one of those pieces that I did not look up the price on. Sometimes, it makes sense to sell things that are just my style. I enjoy seeing animals and home decoration in my Poshmark Closet. This item was easy to photograph and added some rustic charm.

Goodwill Thrift Finds To Resell

Today, my husband and I went thrift shopping after going out to eat at my favorite restaurant (IHOP). Fancy Right? I love breakfast. This particular Goodwill is always extremely crowded. The shelves are pretty much picked clean. It’s a weird situation because I want to complain and yet, I know, resellers just like myself are responsible for the tsunami that washes the items out the front door. Thankfully, I was able to rescue a few items, pictured above.

When I became a reseller a few years ago, I was very focused on clothing. I quickly began being pulled by the tide in a different direction now. Fast fashion has consumed America. The quality of what is available today is disgusting. I love things with beautiful fabrics, colors, and beading. Not stringy, see through, teensy tiny items that are about to rip in half. Prices of clothing at thrift stores have gone up, making it hard to not only find any items but make a profit off of them. Therefore, I have learned to start educating myself on vintage items, ceramic art, and glass pieces. I also have become drawn to original canvas paintings.

The seal candle I found sitting on the electronic shelf at the back of the store. Makes total sense right? I’m surprised he did not melt on his wax ice. His big saucer eyes staring through my soul may have also been a reason he quickly landed in my buggy. I love things that I have never seen before. I’m absolutely positive that he was a new experience for me. Despite how I feel about the miserable weather here in SC, he expressed to me his delight of the melted ice falling from the sky today.

The white bird house with the wrap around porch my husband found. He really has a good eye for things. The house reminded me of the one from the movie, “The Notebook.” Can’t you just see Noah walking out of that house as Ally runs to him? I can also envision Ally painting a canvas on that porch. Maybe I am hallucinating from exhaustion. It’s entirely possible today. It is missing the back flap but thankfully, unlike Ally & Noah, birds don’t need privacy for romance.

The white ceramic angel playing the violin was just one of those beautiful yet delicate pieces that called to me. I’ve seen angel figurines before but never ones playing instruments. This angel looked as if she would bring peace to someone that was in pain. I know someone out there needs her as a remembrance that the storm will pass & healing will follow. For such a big mission she came with a small price tag of $1.99.

The Victorian bear with the pearl earrings, I must admit, was a bit of an impulse buy. I saw this lacy, dainty, uppity bear standing literally UP. She had a doll stand attached to her and I could tell she had been well cared for. I like pieces that people have respected, gently handled, and left a feeling of love with. How often do you see a stuffed bear holding a mini stuffed bear? And if you missed it, she is wearing a rose hat. I would be on point if I looked this coordinated going to church. If you are looking for a high class teddy bear, she is in my closet now.

The stuffed watermelon is a bit of a head scratcher. Though I love watermelons, I can’t say I have ever in my entire life seen a stuffed one. Not to mention one that has arms & legs. I’ve learned from reselling videos online to always check the tag or sticker on items for information. Such a basic thing that I did not know to do when I started. This watermelon is from Hallmark from the 80’s. The name on his tag is “Wally” the Watermelon. If you are lonely and need a Wally in your life, stop on by my closet.

The bike wine holder I actually got yesterday. It was one of those items that I thought a lot about. At one point at Goodwill I took it out of my buggy and replaced it with a massive picnic basket. Momentarily, I lost my dam mind and thought that it was a better idea to ship a basket my chihuahua could fit in. Thankfully, I came to my senses and tossed the picnic basket back up on the top shelf. I re-discovered the bike wine rack close to where I left it. I appreciated that the wheels actually turned & that it could hold 3 bottles of wine. If you find your bike wine holder missing from the kitchen, don’t come for me. I feel assured that a mouse literally biked all three bottles out in one ride across the counter.

That is it for tonight~! I enjoy writing about the things I find, why I choose to buy them, and funny stories that may go along with their discovery. If you are a reseller, I hope that you can relate to my writing. There are many more things out there to find and therefore, lots more to write about. Until next time, goodnight to all.

Life Of A Reseller

A few year ago I discovered some Youtube videos about how to resell on Poshmark. I watched and listened as people explained how you can make a profit by selling items from thrift stores. Since I loved thrifting, I decided to create my new business immediately. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit that often acts before having any dam idea what I am doing. I started going to the Goodwill bins, where they weigh the clothing per pound, and loading up with plus size items. My knowledge of brands, style, or really anything involving clothes was pretty much nothing. I had a plan though and if other people did it, so could I. Fast forward over two very broke years……

Today, I am still a reseller. I sell on Poshmark, Mercari, Ebay, and when I am feeling adventurous I add on Etsy too. Learning to resell, price, list, organize, thrift, ship, etc, has been an absolutely roller coaster for me. Nothing has come naturally or worked as I planned. Reselling is not easy, as the unbelievably annoying commercial for reseller apps make it sound. There is such BALANCE involved that no one talks about. One must learn to balance their life with their business. You may have to choose between listing items and spending time with your significant other. There is a lot about reselling that has no easy answer.

Stop doing what everyone is doing. Right now. STOP. Spend some time thinking about colors, photographs, lighting, business names, etc, that you are in love with. Let me tell you, you need to be in love to put up with seeing these things every day. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box of your “competition.” It is only a competition if you are competing. I witnessed two women bicker over a couple of metal lawn mosquito ornaments the other day. One woman was going for them but another beat her to the punch. You better believe she let everyone near her in Goodwill know that a set of mosquitos was unfairly taken from her. Don’t be that woman.