Updated for 2013: Rachel’s Complete List of Thrift Store Items to Look For

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This list just keeps getting longer and longer

I don’t put anything on my list that I haven’t had experience with selling myself.

Plush:

Carebears (for details click here)
Wiggles Dolls, cars, guitars, featherswords, plush characters
Build a bear outfits
Unique Build a Bear animals (not bears and puppies, I buy Penguins, Frogs, Hello Kitty etc.)
Starbucks Bearista bears and other Starbucks Plush
Talking Little Bear
Curious George
Alf
Veggie Tales
Nemo characters (Dory is an especially good seller)
Wells fargo ponies
Puppets
Backyardigans (especially Pablo)
Oswald
GIANT Fievel dolls (American Tail)
Seattle Mariner moose items
Green Bay Packer plush
Dallas Cowboys plush
Jo Jo the clown
Noddy
2001 & 2002 Ralph Lauren bears
Lamb Chop
My Buddy Dolls (vintage)
American Girl Dolls & Accessories (Including Bitty Baby)
Hello Kitty
Caillou
Rosie (Caillou’s sister)
Madeline
Plush Unicorns
Angelina Ballerina
7 Dwarfs (from Snow White)
Big Comfy Couch Clown Dolls
Thomas the Tank Engine
Original Green GlowWorm
Plush PEEPS (Bunny or Chick)
Clucking Cadburry Bunnies (small or large size)
Bozo the Clown
Steve dolls (from Blues Clues)
Steve Urkel dolls
Melissa & Doug giant animals
Giant ponies, unicorns
Lamb Chop or Shari Lewis characters (Including puppets)
Plush Pebbles & Bam Bam
Jelly Cat plush toys
Plush Alvin & The Chipmunks
Plush talking ET
Plush Bobby Jack Monkey
Pixos
The Snowman plush toys
Playmobil
Language Littles (LL) dolls
Manhattan Toy Company
Junie B. Jones Dolls
Frosty the Snowman
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Shoes:

Born
Merrell
Hanna Andersson
Ugg
Teva
Keen
Saltwater Sandals
Clarks
Dansko
White House Black Market
Tap Shoes
earth
Bass
Frye Boots
MBT
TOMS
UMI
SAS Comfort Shoes
Converse made in the USA
Mephisto
Salvatore Ferragamo

Clothes:

Hanna Andersson
White House Black Market
CAbi (Carol Anderson)
Diesel
7 For All Mankind
True Religion
Joe’s Jeans
BKE Denim
Paige Premium Denim
Not Your Daughter’s Jeans NYDJ
J. Crew
100% Cashmere Sweaters
Long, cute jean skirts
Athleta
Puma
Michael Stars
Cache
Live A Little
Lululemon
Long Corduroy Skirts (especially Eddie Bauer and Ralph Lauren)
Sweet Pea
The North Face
Under Armour
Pendleton
Green Bay Packers Jerseys (I sold several Brett Favre Jerseys at Christmas)
Pink Green Bay Packers Jerseys
Quacker Factory
Boden
Mini Boden
Peruvian Connection
Pumpkin Patch
Tribal
Eileen Fisher
Blue’s Clues Steve shirts for kids
Castelli
Joseph A.
One World
Nordic style sweaters
Ibex
Icelandic Design
Garnet Hill
Cycling Tops
A Pea in the Pod (Maternity)
Anthropologie
Harley Davidson
Juicy Couture
Chicos

Mugs:

Starbucks
Mary Kay
Mary Englebreit
Fire King
7 UP, Dr. Pepper, etc.
Sports Teams (Specifically, Mariners, Yankees, Cowboys, Packers)
Old Mugs with advertising
Debbie Mumm

Textbooks:

Saxon
A Beka Books
Bob Jones Publishing
ACE PACE’s
Piano method, theory books (unused)

Hair Rollers:

Remington Tight Curls tops my list, but almost any kind of  hot rollers sell well.  Even if they don’t have the clips, they can still be good sellers.

Misc:

Creative Memories Items
Vintage Caboodles Organizers
Pottery Barn Kids items (throw pillows, etc.)
Nancy Drew Mysteries (the yellow, glossy “flashlight series.”  I’m trying to collect the whole set.)
Costumes
Character Backpacks
Jansport Backpacks
Puzz 3-D Puzzles
Green Bay Packers Item
TalkGirl and TalkBoy
Miche Bag shells and accessories
Western Chief Raincoats/rain boots
Unused Floppy Disks
Unused Cassette Tapes

What’s on your list?

Items That Flew Out the Door: March 2013

For some reason, my list is smaller in March than it was in January and February.

I still did a lot of listing in March, but overall my sales were lower than the beginning months of the year.

The count for this month is 14:

Women’s SAS Loafers

Curious George Plush

Women’s Bowling Shoes

Girl’s Gymboree Dress

Junie B. Jones Doll

Starbucks Mugs (x2)

Girls Speedo Swimming Suit

Harley Davidson Logo Bling t-shirt

Violet & Claire Girl’s Spring Dress

Plush Leprechaun

Anthropologie Top

American Girl Doll Shoes

Women’s Teva Ballet Flats Shoes

Do You Sell Digital Files Online?

I have a cookbook e-book that I sell on Etsy and just saw this great article.

Etsy is making selling digital items easier–check it out.

What type of digital files could you sell?

*Patterns

*Printables

*Photos (I go back and forth on this. I do sell photos but prefer to sell the actual print.)

*E-book

*Graphics

If you need some ideas of digital products that may be sellable check out this search on Etsy.

**OBVIOUSLY if you’re going to sell digital files, it needs to be your own work. **

Thrift Store Shopping

A few weeks ago, Lizzie and I went to a new thrift store outlet that opened in our area.  I had been to similar thrift store outlets in the Seattle area and I didn’t really like my experience there, so I was skeptical.  The outlet I had been to previously was very dirty and a huge jumble.  It was very frustrating.  I spent about 15 minutes there and had to leave.  I felt grimy, the place was crowded and everything was a huge mess.

I walked into this outlet and really enjoyed my experience there.  It’s a new outlet, so the building is clean and didn’t have a smell.  Things were semi-organized, so the bins of books were all books, they weren’t mixed with other items.  There were bins of toys, bins of glassware, bins of shoes, bins of clothes, bins of bedspreads, curtains, etc.  So even though there was a lot of sorting through things, it was a lot more organized than the outlet I had been to previously.

I walked out of there with three very large bags of items, most of it was for listing on eBay, and my total was $10.91.  I was pleased.

This week during Spring Break, we went back and I felt like I found a lot more to resell this time.  I know that it’s really hit and miss depending on what they have when you go, but based on my last two visits, I’m positive I’ll be back.

It took me about an hour and a half to get through all of the bins, I didn’t look at every single thing, but I felt like I found enough that I was happy leaving with what I found.

Post From The Past~Academic Regalia

I discovered the market for Masters and Doctorate gowns quite by accident. I had a couple for sale on the costume rack in my children’s consignment store.

They didn’t sell, so I listed them on eBay…wow! They each sold in the vicinity of $50.

A friend of mine is a university professor and she said that professors often look for used academic regalia because they have to wear it every graduation. I never thought of that but I’m glad I found out.

Now, every time I see a Masters or Doctorate gown, I grab them. I don’t find them all the time, but I do on occasion. I usually find them in the costumes but sometimes they are in the uniform section.

I typically pay $3 or less, although I would probably be willing to pay more for a doctorate gown.

They may or may not come with a mortar board, but they will sell without one.

Here’s a completed search of Master’s gowns

And a completed search of Doctorate gowns

How to tell which is which:

Doctorate gowns are easy. They have velvet bars on the sleeves. This photo on Wikipedia shows a group of doctoral graduates. The black gowns on the right side are the only ones I’ve seen. I think if you found any color doctorate gown it would be a good buy.

(Doctorate gown–my husband’s being a good sport and modeling for me)

Masters gowns are also easy to spot. They have long sleeves that extend far below the hand. It’s squared off and extends forward.

(Master’s Sleeves)

This page on academic regalia provides some good information. This site sells gowns--check out their photos to learn what to look for.

Considerations:

1. Check both the uniform and costume section.

2. Don’t invest in high school graduation gowns.

3. Look for velvet on the sleeves or long sleeves. It’s usually obvious when you look at the rack which gowns are Masters gowns by the long sleeves.

4. Typically, you will find black academic regalia, so skip over all the bright colored gowns and check the black gowns.

5. Timing is important. The selling price is typically higher in the early spring awhile before graduations begin.

6. They often have a label inside telling the company and size. If they don’t just measure the chest (from armpit to armpit and then double) and measure from the shoulder to the hem. Use this information in the keywords and description.

Key Words:

Master, Masters, Master’s, academic regalia, gown, Doctorate, graduation,

You’ll hear “Pomp & Circumstance” every time you sell one!

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