Weird Stuff you can Sell on eBay – also, the bad neighbor saga continues…

Hi Lovelies,

It’s about 2 AM as I write this, what can I say? I’m a night owl. I know I should be sleeping but sometimes I just can’t manage to stop overthinking everything. However, that really isn’t my problem tonight. My neighbors are at it again, at least for about an hour now. Slamming and banging on doors for no apparent reason, tossing things out the window, blasting music, and yelling indiscernible (I had to spell check that one!) phrases into the night. I’ve stopped questioning it, I guess. Writing about the noise and nonsense makes me feel as if I’m “too old”. But why does the need for a peaceful night of rest have to come with a label? It’s Sunday night, well – it’s actually Monday. Whatever.

The inspiration for this post came earlier tonight. You see, I adopted a “feral” cat not too long ago. “Feral” is in quotes because she’s really a neighborhood stray. I can only assume that someone didn’t want her anymore and in a sense “threw her away”. It took quite a bit of time and effort to get to this point. In the beginning, petting her wasn’t an option and she would have NEVER trusted me enough to venture inside the house – now, she’s totally spoiled and loves sleeping on the couch. It’s been a rough life – I’ve seen her get hit by a car (the neighbors, of course, are you surprised?), hide from the bitter cold, and she still has battle scars on her ears from fighting with other stray cats. Though she’s adjusted well to inside life, she still prefers going outside over using a litter box (which is totally fine with me!).  As she sat in front of the door waiting to be let out tonight, little did we know we were in for an experience –

I dream a lot about moving to the country, finding a farm, and leaving my neighborhood behind. I don’t know if it will ever happen, but if it does I don’t know if I’ll know how to handle it. I grew up in the city, and I always have. When I go camping, the silence can feel scary. I don’t like being alone.  It’s not what I know. I know commotion and chaos. I take a lot of experiences for granted.  I wasn’t surprised to see police cars tonight, and I never am. When I heard the police helicopter coming, I went to the window and watched as the spotlight lit up my entire neighborhood. The night was turned to day, and the bare tree branches cast eerie shadows onto the snow.  Sure, I noticed the police on foot searching the area with flashlights and german shepherds. I noticed the man walking down the street and being patted down by the officer. But, sometimes life just seems like a movie – as if glancing out my window was the same as going to see whatever action movie had just been released and hoping that all of the characters make it through safe and with a happy ending. I can’t imagine I’d ever experience this on a farm, In many ways, I’ve learned to appreciate my experiences. Without a frame of reference, how can you truly set out to find where you belong in the world?

Now onto the post – I’m so sorry for that backstory. Last year, to earn flower growing money, I sold LOTS of things on eBay. If I didn’t wear it, I sold it. If it was superfluous, I sold it. Here is my list of some weird things that I sold eBay that did surprisingly well.

Used Candles and Jars: Got some old candles that you don’t want anymore? I did. Over the years I’d managed to collect way too manycandles from an unnamed smell-good stuff store in the mall. Instead of throwing them away, melt the wax and pour it into molds from the jars. When the wax sets, pop it out of the molds and list it. Many people recycle candle wax for various projects. Depending upon the scents that you have, some may be popular with folks that use the wax in wax warmers in their house. I wouldn’t ever suggest this because I’m not sure if it’s safe (I don’t know anything about that, honestly). Once empty, clean out your candle jars and list them a

s vases. This listing was popular with people who were planning weddings and needed vases for centerpieces. Selling things in groups (“lots”) was the easiest and most effective option. Another popular item (that doesn’t really fit into this category) was used home fragrance oil used in oil warmers. While some people may think “used” means “gross”, there are many people out there who love getting a “lot” of used scents.  Some people online sell used beauty products  as well – but I don’t recommend that. There’s a line there, and I don’t think it should be crossed. If you’re going to sell “used”, let’s just stay away from actual beauty products like make-up, perfume, empty lipstick tubes, etc.

 

School Supplies: Okay, so just to clarify – when I say “school supplies” I don’t mean like paper and pencils and all that kind of stuff. Remember back in ele

mentary school when you used to make those snowman ornaments with paper towel rolls? Well, folks – paper towel rolls, magazines, and even “box tops for education” are all things that sell on eBay. Like candle jars, these items are best sold in “lots”. Your pile of old magazines could help little kids somewhere find pictures to cut out for a collage AND make you a few bucks.

Old Clothes/Shoes/Jewelry: This one is pretty obvious. Most people have clothes that are too big or too small – or maybe your kid is growing wayyyy too fast. The key to remember here is not to sell anything that’s not in like new condition. Maybe you’ve got a dress that you only wore once or twice to a sp

ecial event. Selling clothes is really efficient, as well. For example, one big item for me was a “lot” of denim jeans that hadn’t fit me in almost 6 years. They were all the same size, and were just sitting in a bag in the closet taking up space. Not only was the buyer getting a bargain, but they were also getting options (and a better deal on shipping).

Homemade: Do you have a special talent or skill? Are you really good at quilting? Can you make scarves? Make some stuff and sell it on eBay. Just make sure that you aren’t violating any guidelines and that you’ve followed requirements for whatever you’re selling.

Thrift Stores, Yard Sales, and Craigslist: Just because you’re out of weird stuff to sell doesn’t mean that you’re out of things to sell. I made it a habit of visiting thrift stores and going over posts on Craigslist. There are tons of hidden treasures to be found. When using these methods, remember to always be safe and to also be aware of possible scams. A few bucks is never worth interaction with some not-so-savory characters. Safety first!

As with everything in life, there are never any guarantees as to what will do well and won’t. The only way to know for certain is to try. In addition to this, there will always be dishonest people who will try to cheat the system. I feel lucky that my experience wasn’t too terribly bad, with the exception of one customer who decided to wear a dress (and not wash it – DISGUSTING) before claiming it was ripped and returning it. Not only did I lose money, but when I opened the return package I was met with a smell so horrid that I angrily threw the entire dress into the dumpster outside. If you’re going to be a seller on eBay, strive for a 100% rating and honesty. Please DO NOT be one of those people who sell scam RAINBOW ROSE SEEDS. Look for a rant about that coming very soon! That just burns my biscuits.

I’m sure there are quite a few more that I’m missing right now, but alas, it’s getting pretty late. Have you ever sold anything online in an attempt to follow your dream? Let me know about it in the comments! Much love!