A White Out and Shout Outs!

With spring just around the corner, I thought we should have a white out! Whites; anything white is selling really well, the problem is finding a used white that’s white enough to resale. Believe it or not, they’re out there (like a good man, you just have to look really hard). Funny thing is, I can’t keep my own whites as white as some of the whites I find used (it’s no secret laundry is not my forte).

Occasionally, I do find a small stain on something white I’ve purchased. I’ll dab a smudge of Soft Scrub on the clothing and use a tooth brush to work it into shape. That’s my favorite and only laundry secret.

You’ve heard the old adage about whites? No whites after Labor Day, but defiantly after Memorial Day. Since Memorial Day is coming up, ladies and gents around the country are gearing up for their summer whites.

These darling Venezia plus size skorts sold for $8.99. They are in perfect condition.

I love this Ralph Lauren Shirt. It sold for $14.99.

These Woman's Ralph Lauren Plus Size 18 Cropped White Pants sold for $9.99.

And this Gap Denim Skirt sold for $13.26.

If you find white and linen then you’ve hit the jackpot. Linen is the perfect summer fabric and oh, so trendy. You know my love affair with Eileen Fisher. Wow, what a beautiful shirt.

I’ve received the nicest shout-outs from friends of My Dear Trash.

These ladies have figured out trash is something to make a profit off of.

Lisa writes:

“I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading your “My Dear Trash” blog. I discovered it about a month ago and check it faithfully every day. I am always amazed by the bargains you find and how well you are able to turn a profit on your finds.

I was wondering if you had a post or ebook or something about your system – how you recognize a good potential resale, how you decide what to pay for an item initially, how you manage to organize and photograph and ship it all, your tips for getting the most exposure on ebay, how much time that all takes, etc. I would love to do something similar around here because I love to go garage selling, but I really don’t need any more stuff or clothes. Just this past weekend, I passed up the cutest antique dresser for $15 at a garage sale because I didn’t have room for it – and the antique office chair I did buy thinking I would resell it on craigslist is still sitting in my garage, un-photographed and unlisted.”

Lisa, thank you so much for writing. I try not to spend more then $1.00 for clothing items. As far as organization, I have none, but I do have passion. I enjoy working on EBay, but most importantly I love to shop. If you don’t enjoy shopping, looking for trash will feel too much like a chore. Shopping for me is a treasure hunt. Also, I like the convenience of working from home. It sounds like selling trash will work for you, just get started. You’ll be amazed at how much you learn once you get going.

Lara and Lisa wrote in with this question:

“I love your blog and read it daily. My friend and I have started selling things on ebay. We are trying to figure out the most cost effective ways to ship. Can you tell me how you calculate shipping? Do you use a flat rate box or envelope? Any help would be greatly appreciated! We are having so much fun selling on Ebay and so far so good. We just put on a Ralph Lauren boys size 7 denim shirt for $3.99 and it has gotten 8 bids and sold for $11.50. We were excited about that! Thank you for your blog and all the help we have gotten from you.”

Ladies, I'm so glad you contacted me. Isn't it such fun. I love selling on EBay too and the best shipping I've found is the flat rate envelopes that ship up to 4 pounds for $4.90. You
wouldn't believe what I can fit in there. Jeans, overalls, blazers; I'll probably get arthritis in my old age, but I do save a lot of money by cramming things into those envelopes. Let me know how it goes.

And Dee Dee, my sweet emailing friend writes about hoping for the best with EBay and looking for trash on garbage day on the streets of New York. She writes:

I recently discovered your blog and am attempting to do the ebay thing you've been so successful with. (Love the blog by the way.) My aim is to pay off these evil credit cards that we used following some necessary medical expenses and some unnecessary retail therapy. Lesson learned. This ebay venture -- which you inspired me to attempt -- could be the answer I've been praying for.

I looked at your ebay store for inspiration this week. I determined that one of the things I was doing wrong was having too few key words in the description and not enough information -- such as garment measurements -- in the description. I added some of those details and reposted some items. I have already seen a jump in the number of views and watchers so I'm optimistic. I'm still at a loss on starting prices but have been sticking to 99 cents for now, since I can list those for free.

I did want to share a bit of exciting news. I just sold my first item on Craig's List. It was a Step 2 toy box shaped like a giant pink pig. I actually found it curbside in my neighborhood, dragged it home with the help of my 22 year old and applied a little old-fashioned elbow grease. I sold it for $25. Whoo-hoo!

I live in a middle class neighborhood of mostly young families. Not much space or time, I suppose, so they tend to throw out broken or outgrown stuff and just buy brand new. My oldest child and I have been making the rounds on garbage night to see what we can find. That's how we came across the toy box. We also have a couple of pieces of furniture that need repair and a new paint job. We'll post those on Craig's List.

Thank you for writing in, Dee Dee. You’re going to do great on Craig’s List, plus you’re keeping the landfills from filling up and spending some quality "trash-hunting" time with your kiddo. You’ll pay down that credit card debt before you know it.

Keep those stories coming. The trash is out there. Now go get it!