Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Life

has not been going that good for me lately.  It's my own fault, I guess, for being too happy when Kev graduated. For some reason, I'm not allowed to be happy. I don't know why, and I really don't think it's very fair. I'm not a really bad person. I don't believe in helping those that won't help themselves, but that shouldn't be such a terrible offense to Karma, I shouldn't think. I would help someone to help their self.

Anyway, nothing to do but keep plugging along, so I just keep plugging along.

Yesterday/today I made some amazing progress on clearing out a lot of my books from around here. If there was/is anything I was a full out Hoarder of, it was books. If a book ever reached my hands, the only way it was leaving was if someone pried it out of my cold, dead fingers. It was pretty ridiculous, to be honest.

Long story short, I took 155 books (merely a dent in the overall collection) to a UBS and got $61.00 cash for them. Better than I was hoping for!

While we were there - the County/Town North of here - we visited some thrift/antique/flea market shops.

I don't know if I've just been out of the thrift-shopping loop, but it seems there's a new kind of shop these days. The thrift shops I'm used to bill themselves as non-profit and take donated items and use the money they make to fund their Charity.
But now I'm seeing - three in one week - where thrift stores are running their business the same way as antique/craft malls, where they rent out space to people (like me) to bring my stuff and set up to sell. But it doesn't have to be antique or crafts, it can be whatever I have: books, toys, clothes, 80's home decor, etc. Yard sale stuff.

I'm just trying to figure out if I can sell enough to pay for the space. I can't be going in the hole every month. I wish I could find one that sells by consignment and takes part of my money if I sell something, or none if I don't. There's plenty of stores that sells clothes on consignment, but I have more stuff than clothes.

One store we visited was having a 50% off sale and I found a Queen size fitted bedsheet I paid 54¢ for.
I've not been happy with my bed sheets for a long time, even the 1000 count Egyptian cotton ones I paid out the nose for. I wanted sheets like my Grannie used to have, Percale. I had actually passed over some sheets previously because they didn't have the set, but then eventually it dawned on me that I didn't know why I thought I had to have a matching set. At night, when it's dark, and my eyes are closed, I don't even see what color or how decorative or if the sheets match. I just feel them. Maybe I'll get lucky and happen across a pink or orange or blue solid Percale flat sheet.


Stopped in the new Goodwill store and found Kev a couple of pair of gym shorts, his favorite summer wardrobe. They were about $4 each including tax.

At the Salvation Army store I found a bag of foam letters stamps for 69¢. I didn't need them for anything particular right now, but I figured as soon as I passed them over, I'd end up coming home and seeing an idea on Pinterest then be mad at myself for not getting them.

At the Habitat for Humanity ReStore I found the juicer. I just needed (wanted) a juicer, I didn't read the name or think it was vintage or anything, but according to Etsy it was a pretty good find at $1.00.


5 comments:

Unknown said...

Hopefully these finds will help you perk up a bit. I love thrift stores.

374's Wife said...

Thrift store shopping always makes me feel better. You've got some good deals!! :)

I need to go check our our Habitat Restore. I've been meaning to go for a while, but never have the time to stop in.

Melissa said...

It's not that I needed perking up or help feeling better....I was as happy as all get out. Tickled pink.

For some reason, anytime things seems to be going good or I am happy, Life slaps me down.
It - whatever It is - ain't happy unless I'm miserable.
I don't get it!

I do enjoy thrift store shopping, and my progress on my home projects, and summer, but I'm afraid to even so much as think about being happy, for fear of even more things going wrong/bad around here.

Amber said...

The best thrifting lately has been out of families garage/attics!

We inherited two adarondack chairs, a bookcase, all the pieces needed to build the kids a kid size table + plus two kid sized chairs, a whale hook rail, many picture frames, as well as the plywood and foam necessary for the upholstered headboard I want to make.

Pinterest is calling me...can you tell. Only downer is we don't even have enough spare cash for the $20 or so in spray paint/ adhesive, hooks I need to complete some of these projects! Always something isn't it!

Melissa said...

Nice haul!

Too bad we don't live closer, I have a bunch of cans of spray paint J got free from a friend.

Did you ever join your local Freecycle.org group? It couldn't hurt to post on there that you're looking for some unwanted cans of spray paint, adhesive, hooks, or whatever. A lot of people have this kind of stuff laying around not using it and would probably give it to you if you asked.

Craigslist also has a free/wanted section.

Couldn't hurt to ask.
I've received a couple of things I was looking for, like that cell phone not too long ago.

Post a Comment