Collectible Vase with Lord's Prayer
(This and subsequent images are Hawaiian Odysseus photos.)
The Message's interpretation of Isaiah 54:2 couldn't make it clearer for me...
"Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big!"
I am taking God's promise to heart, humbling myself and adopting a teachable self-image.
In my Hawaiian Odysseus life's journey, I have figuratively come to a place where I must no longer run. Rather, I am taking up roots, stretching out every possible square footage of my tents, and driving my stakes deep into the ground. For God, for family, for self...
It's with this state of spiritual, mental, and physical mettle that I approached yesterday's activities with my wife.
There used to be a time that the most exciting part of my autumn Sunday was to watch and cheer for the Seattle Seahawks. While I was wasting three-plus hours being a couch potato, according to my wife, she would be working hard taking care of the chores and errands she didn't have time for during the busy work week.
But nowadays, intent on making a serious go of building our eBay business, taking it to the next level, what really turns my crank is to find hidden treasures in other people's junk.
So we went to an estate sale in one of the more affluent neighborhoods in Walla Walla.
(The Seahawks' offense sucked yesterday, by the way. They could barely muster three measly points against the Browns in a game where each team was trying its very best to lose. In that ironic sense, the Seahawks came up victorious.)
There was literally only a half hour left, and so we hurriedly went through the various rooms of the large, beautiful home, looking for last minute bargains.
We found a few things. The photographs and captions in this post will show you what I bought and have either listed or am in the process of listing for this week's auctions.
I spent a total of $8.50, and I'm looking forward with breathless anticipation as to how my investment turns out.
Along with the item in the photo above, I picked up the following eBay candidates at this estate sale:
Along with the item in the photo above, I picked up the following eBay candidates at this estate sale:
Krinkles by Patience Brewster
Investment: Freebie
Bridge Set (external view)
Bridge Set (internal view)
Investment: $2.00
Set of 8 Cross Stitch Booklets
Investment: $2.00
Cross Stitch Doll (pair)
Investment: $3.00
I never thought I'd be playing with dolls. But I guess I'm feeling less pressured to save face and be macho the older I get. Besides, the motivation of contributing to the Scholarship Fund gives me a great deal of freedom to explore, shall we say, my softer side.
The time at the estate sale quickly came to an end, and with a bit of excitement, I shared with my wife the auction strategies I'd be attempting later in the evening.
By the way, even on football and World Series weekends, listing on Sunday night is a pretty good idea. A lot of eBayers find that a great time to look for bargains online.
Me? I am so unorthodox. I list any old time I please, and I usually luck out.
Anyway, we had an hour left before the Sonbridge thrift store closed, so we hustled on back to College Place.
Sonbridge Community Center is owned and operated by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. It is located at 1200 SE 12th Street in College Place, WA. (If you're ever in southeast Washington, please check this shop out. It is literally bursting at the seams with treasures! You'll feel like you're Johnny Depp playing Captain Jack Sparrow!)
Some of our best finds have been in this place. Yesterday, for example, my wife picked up two great items. She found a complete VCR player for $2.50. I'm looking forward to doing some minimal mechanical adjustments with it, cleaning it, and selling it on eBay.
The other thing was a back massager, that sort of thing you put on a chair or car seat, lean back into it, and enjoy the good vibrations. My better half got it for $1 because the adapter was missing. No problem. When we got home, she dug through a Tupperware full of cords and thingamajigs and found a compatible adapter. She attached it, plugged the device in, and voila! it worked like a charm. I'm so proud of her. We will most likely keep it, but something like that could sell easily on eBay for $40 or more.
Me? Again, I found myself doing something I'd never done before. I went dumpster-diving outside the store. Well, sorta. They have a special area where a bunch of junk and doodads are kept in sacks, plastic bags, tubs, bins, and shelves. It's right outside the store and has a sign that says: FREE.
I like FREE. It's my favorite four letter word that starts with F.
So the following pictures will show you what I found:
Jackson Brand Woman's Handbag or Clutch Purse
Investment: FREE!
Madame Alexander Dolls--Hansel and Hansel
Investment: FREE!
Madame Alexander Dolls--Three Mad Hatters
Investment: FREE!
Investment: FREE!
Ghirardelli Chocolate Collectible Tin
Investment: FREE!
And so there you have it, faithful readers. I'm having the adventure of a lifetime deep into the autumn of my life...and simply digging every second of it.
Be sure to check out our eBay store and auction offerings. Here's a link below for your convenience in finding us.
Until next post, this is Hawaiian Odysseus highly suggesting that you support your local thrift stores. They're working for a good cause, and you may just end up doing yourself a favor as well!
Vintage Photo
Investment: PRICELESS!
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