Dancing in the Rain

RosaBernicia

I second Brizzled - it's really easy to add photos from your phone, and you can do the rest of the listing on the computer if you want.

I list things on 7 day auction to finish on a Sunday night, as I think more people are looking over the weekend and if people pay straight away I can put stuff in the post first thing on Monday morning. I take photos of front, back, close up (for any pattern or buttons), any faults, size and brand label, and care label (plus fabric composition label if separate). Photos are done either on a wooden hanger or laid out on my bed, and in as good light as I can get. I give short descriptions - now in a more chatty style as that seems to work better than totally factual - and offer to answer any further questions. I don't normally give exact measurements as it's a PITA to do and people can ask if they want them. Pricing is a totally unscientific process of 'if offered cash to my face, how much would it take for me to hand this over' and 'can I be bothered to walk to the Post Office at lunchtime for that much' (if the answer to the latter is no, it goes in the charity bag instead). Ebay will give you outline suggested prices, but I think they are quite low, and pretty much everything I've listed has sold when listed at higher than their suggestions. I don't think starting too low is necessarily helpful as if only a few people are interested it may not go up by much.

I send stuff in Wilko's padded envelopes as they're tough and cheap and easy to pick up at short notice, although if they haven't got the size I need I've also used the (more expensive) Post Office plastic envelopes. If I have any tissue paper to hand I've usually folded clothes in that as well, but I've stopped buying it just for that.

I have usually only sent standard and got proof of posting, as the amounts are fairly small and it's not a direct loss if I have to refund, but it would be sensible to get tracking for more expensive items. I have only had one issue with someone unhappy with their item, and that wasn't really difficult to resolve. (She was complaining it was smaller than the sizing suggested, which I'd made clear in both the title and listing details, so I pointed this out and offered to refer it to Ebay for consideration - never heard anything further.)

It's a really easy way to get something back for the stuff you want rid of, and sometimes brings in more than you expect. I sold an LKB dress last week for more than twice what I paid for it, despite it having a small fault, and my sales for the month will probably be in the region of £40-50 which isn't bad for about 2 hours work.

I hope that's useful... MMSam is another person to ask, she's an expert!


Rosa xx

doingitanyway

Thanks Rosa for such a comprehensive response. :A

It all links up as I wanted to download Uber taxis but you need a paypal account for it to operate unless you want to use your bank account and I don’t.

So over the next few days I will set up a paypal account and photograph 10 items

I plan to take the following steps to make it as stress free as possible

Ebay using post office where I have my chill day on a Monday
Use the recycled padded envelopes of all sizes piled up in our post room to keep costs down (Do packaging on Saturday when office quiet
Listings to end on Sunday
Heavy items to collect from work (instead of home) as we have a concierge on ground floor
Download app to make life easier
List 10 items at a time to start with
Use proof of posting up to £10 and signed for above that amount
For my vintage china I’ll do ‘buy it now’ and collect

Well those are my eBay plans

Today I will offload all the CS items and use my Ner0 free coffee to finish a book:)

Today I will clean junk off my dining table and declutter a basket of paperwork:o

Today I will make cauliflower rice in food processor and keep some raw prepped in fridge.:)

Trying to lessen meat this week. Ideally I’d like to eat it once a week but because it’s been a tight week I’ve used what I have in the freezer and there isn’t any fish left. I miss fish…

Next shopping order I can get tons of frozen mackerel (the Ocad0 one is superb):)

I feel heavy and tired on carbs so I want to cut them lower this week too.

My main meal today will be chilli and cauliflower rice with tomato salsa

New eating plan is to centre on one protein

eggs
red beans
lentils
fish (tinned)
chicken
fish (fresh or frozen)
red meat

I haven’t got as far as menu planning yet…

Happy Sunday MSE folk
DIA x

beanielou

Happy Sunday to you too

doingitanyway

Fell at first hurdle trying to set up paypal account.

They didn't accept my mother's maiden name :mad: This is why I hate anything techno based. Maybe I'll try gumtree again

Anyway off to CS where transactions are so much more straightforward.

I wish I had more money and could just forget selling stuff and give it away instead

brizzledfw

Fib? it doesn't have to be accurate, its about security that only you will know?

Pick yourself up and try again. The vintage china should sell for sure and as Rose says the clothes should as well.

Happy Sunday

milasavesmoney

Perhaps put in your maternal grandmother's maiden name, something you will remember.

doingitanyway

Thanks Milasaves and Brizzled. The problem I have is I had an account years ago where I might have fibbed for the security questions and now they've locked me out

A good day as I stuffed my 29p red peppers and grilled them and made cauliflower rice
I decluttered papers and reclaimed a huge basket where al the papers where stored (thrown in). I can now use the basket for blankets in my bedroom. Much more pleasing:)

Did a hotspot today and that was my dining room table. It is now a pleasure to sit at

So enjoying decluttering. I know you know but I'm shocked how much easier it is to clean and tidy where there is less stuff.

Loving all the space in my living room since I removed a chest.

Now, if only I could find a way to successfully sell

Hope your Sunday went well
DIA x

doingitanyway

I have the top of an Edwardian coat stand ready for painting in my spare room waiting to be painted and put in a room also awaiting renovation. I’ve had it for 10 years. I woke up this morning with my Kondo head on and could see the thing that gives me joy about the item is the bevelled mirror so I took it apart with a hammer and screwdriver and carefully removed the glass.

The big, dark furniture item is now waiting to be collected for bulk rubbish.

I have just finished cleaning the mirror. It’s lovely now and on my shelf. I can use it now and I have more space.

I cut my own hair this morning. It looks good, saves time and money and I shall be doing it again

I am off to do my eyebrows myself now

I’ve washed up X2 too

I’m out tonight with a friend. A concert too

Payday in 5 days too

I’ll be back tomorrow

I hope your week gets off to a flying start, mine has
x

brizzledfw

What a flying start indeed..well done DIA..

Here's to a brilliant rest of the week

doingitanyway

NSD
My 10th NSD in July. Pleased with that. So hot I’m not tempted to go out of the door and I have no money anyway so easy peasy today.

Home Organisation
3 lots of washing done and out on the line

2 lots of washing-up

Lid1 frying pan in bin. Totally useless, joyless, money waster

I made a chilli at 6am before it got too hot to cook. A salad would have been preferable, but I am using what I have until payday and chilli ingredients are what I have

Blind in kitchen that I took down now washed and put back together again. Cleaned window and ledge of upstairs hallway window and repurposed kitchen blind at the top of the stairs. I was tempted to bin the blind so I am proud of this repurposing

I aired my living room at 5.00am and then closed the curtains so the room should stay cool.

Looking through linen chest to see what I could declutter as it will not easily close. Nothing to declutter but I rolled all the towels the Kondo way and now the drawer opens and closes smoothly

This and that
I did not eat last night as I was out. I did have a gin and tonic at a bar but my friend paid. I couldn’t help but notice the 2 drinks came to £12.50! I went to bed hungry and woke up starving so I had an omelette and beans. I have a migraine hovering in the background. I invited it really, with sporadic eating, not enough sleep and a gin and tonic at the wrong time in my cycle. I’ll see if lots of water and a nap at lunchtime send it running…

Thinking about the extra income later this month… There are so may things I have not purchased that I need.

I called a beauty training college to book a facial and a manicure. I haven’t done either for years and a beauty treatment at a training college once a month is something I want to start.

I will renew my passport (I’ve felt so uncomfortable not knowing I could jump on a plane if needs be)

New sandals/shoes

Plumber for upstairs water pipe.

Train ticket for Cornwall

3 good things

traffic chaos out there, glad I’m WFH
crazy heat, again, thankful to be WFH
burning lime and rosemary essential oils together today

Hoping you all survived this very hot day

DIA x