I decided to give eBay another shot, given the new policy of not charging shipping on your first 50 auctions each month. I had some old out of print movies and video games that we didn't play anymore, so I listed them individually last Monday. I researched current and past prices for each one and used both a set auction price and a Buy it Now price.
In each auction, I explained that I shipped three days after the auction ended. Little did I know (or expect) for things to start selling quickly within the first few days. I sold ten items the first day, five the next and three the following day. Given what I explained in the auction, I had until Thursday or later to ship the items, or so I thought...
By Thursday night, I had irate messages from buyers, demanding to know where their packages were and why they hadn't arrived. Are you kidding me? At $3-4 shipping (the maximum now allowed), I can't even afford to ship Priority Mail anymore. Regular mail rarely arrives within three days and Media Mail never ships that fast. On top of that, I didn't even ship items until Thursday! I explained that in the auction, but buyers completely ignored it.
I actually had one buyer respond, telling me they had never waited so long to get a package. Really? The auction ended on Monday and they expected to have it by Thursday? Even if I had time to make it to the post office on Monday, which would involve packaging and printing shipping labels as soon as the auction ended, it wouldn't be there in three days. I had another buyer send me messages Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, despite me sending a message back that I had shipped the item.
It really makes me wonder if eBay is even worth it anymore...
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thanksgiving Thrifting
The BF and I are hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year. It's the first year in all of my 30 years that my mom isn't making the food, but we volunteered anyway, just to give her a break. I hope the parents look forward to eating off old school hula girl plates because that's our primary set!
We decided to take a break from cleaning, to check out a couple of thrift stores in the area. Remember that MCM industrial chair I mentioned a few posts back? One chair sold, but the other was still there. Not only that, but it had a 25% off tag, making it less than $4. Considering I saw the exact same chair going for $100+ online, I couldn't pass it up.
I found a few pieces of Pyrex, including one I plan on using for dinner this week! It's the big Friendship pattern dish, with the original lid. I also grabbed a lime green pie plate from Pyrex that should work nice for sweet potatoes. I'll post some photos of those finds, plus my completely adorable vintage ice bucket soon!
We decided to take a break from cleaning, to check out a couple of thrift stores in the area. Remember that MCM industrial chair I mentioned a few posts back? One chair sold, but the other was still there. Not only that, but it had a 25% off tag, making it less than $4. Considering I saw the exact same chair going for $100+ online, I couldn't pass it up.
I found a few pieces of Pyrex, including one I plan on using for dinner this week! It's the big Friendship pattern dish, with the original lid. I also grabbed a lime green pie plate from Pyrex that should work nice for sweet potatoes. I'll post some photos of those finds, plus my completely adorable vintage ice bucket soon!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Depressing Mid-Century Sales
Last week we discovered an awesome little thrift store that neither of us had heard about before. It's connected to a local church and it's too far away to make it part of our regular routine. The prices were pretty good and it had its own Christmas room. I'm planning on going back in a few weeks and seeing if they have any cheap decorations.
I snagged a few nice Halloween things and a candle holder I loved. Unfortunately she put the candle holder in a bag on its own, without wrapping any of the six glass candle holders. Cut to me opening the back door of the car and watching in horror as one of the candle holders rolled out and shattered into 5-6 pieces on the ground. Those are the breaks I guess.
I've started using Craigslist, just to see what kind of goodies I can find. Unfortunately, there's not a lot out there in this area, especially not mid-century wise. It's either reproductions, overpriced originals or overpriced reproductions. One seller keeps listing the same six fiberglass chairs and asking $400 for the set. He swears they're originals, but conveniently the "original" tags are missing. Another seller keeps listing this little end table and dropping the price each week, but no one's interested in it.
I'm also hoping to find a vinyl/chrome/formica kitchen/dining room table and chairs. I know what the reproductions are selling for, but I'd prefer an original set. I'm just not interested in paying the high prices found online for one. Someone actually listed a reproduction set (as original), with a $400 price tag. It's very frustrating. Luckily I have a gifted-to-me table, so I'm not worried right now.
I did manage to find a great hutch at a Goodwill in my area. The BF and I stopped by on our way home from the booksale and it was love at first sight for me. I know a lot of people say not to shop at the thrifts on Fridays because they're so picked over, but this piece was just set out that day. It's about three feet wide and just under six-feet tall, with glass shelves on top and storage in the bottom.
It's funny though because I *almost* didn't buy it. The BF started following me around the store, whispering in my ear and saying he was going to be the devil on my shoulder. I finally grabbed the tag and carried it up to the front of the store. The sad thing is that it had to be picked up within 24 hours. We have a friend with a truck, but he never responded to any calls or texts we sent him.
We ended up trying to fit it in the car, thinking we could hang it out and strap it down. Yeah...that didn't work. We had to strap it to the roof, drive it to my parent's house and live it there. It's been sitting there since last weekend, but hopefully we can pick it up soon, so I can post some pictures!
I snagged a few nice Halloween things and a candle holder I loved. Unfortunately she put the candle holder in a bag on its own, without wrapping any of the six glass candle holders. Cut to me opening the back door of the car and watching in horror as one of the candle holders rolled out and shattered into 5-6 pieces on the ground. Those are the breaks I guess.
I've started using Craigslist, just to see what kind of goodies I can find. Unfortunately, there's not a lot out there in this area, especially not mid-century wise. It's either reproductions, overpriced originals or overpriced reproductions. One seller keeps listing the same six fiberglass chairs and asking $400 for the set. He swears they're originals, but conveniently the "original" tags are missing. Another seller keeps listing this little end table and dropping the price each week, but no one's interested in it.
I'm also hoping to find a vinyl/chrome/formica kitchen/dining room table and chairs. I know what the reproductions are selling for, but I'd prefer an original set. I'm just not interested in paying the high prices found online for one. Someone actually listed a reproduction set (as original), with a $400 price tag. It's very frustrating. Luckily I have a gifted-to-me table, so I'm not worried right now.
I did manage to find a great hutch at a Goodwill in my area. The BF and I stopped by on our way home from the booksale and it was love at first sight for me. I know a lot of people say not to shop at the thrifts on Fridays because they're so picked over, but this piece was just set out that day. It's about three feet wide and just under six-feet tall, with glass shelves on top and storage in the bottom.
It's funny though because I *almost* didn't buy it. The BF started following me around the store, whispering in my ear and saying he was going to be the devil on my shoulder. I finally grabbed the tag and carried it up to the front of the store. The sad thing is that it had to be picked up within 24 hours. We have a friend with a truck, but he never responded to any calls or texts we sent him.
We ended up trying to fit it in the car, thinking we could hang it out and strap it down. Yeah...that didn't work. We had to strap it to the roof, drive it to my parent's house and live it there. It's been sitting there since last weekend, but hopefully we can pick it up soon, so I can post some pictures!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Book Sale Time!
The local library was having its annual “Friends of the Library” book sale and I convinced the BF to go up there with me last week. I almost went on Thursday, when it was $5 admission, but decided to wait until Friday morning. Supposedly books were priced at $.50 for hardcovers and $.25 for paperback books, but that wasn’t necessarily true.
The book sale was in a little building that looked fairly disappointing from the outside. I went to one of these sales before and only purchased a few books, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Outside were several signs, saying that teen/young adult/kids books were $4 per bag, so I got a little more excited.
Immediately the BF got distracted by a stack of CDs priced at $.50 each. The sale had two different rooms. The first room was all fiction books and media. The back room was divided into two separate spaces. One space had “special” books that had individual price tags and the other side had non-fiction and kid books.
I filled one bag full of books for my other blog and had the BF pay for those, while I kept looking. One of the women working there had an eagle eye on everyone, making sure no one put the special books in the bags. She told us we could put anything from the back room in one of the bags, except for the special books, despite what the sale signs said.
I filled a second bag full of kid books, a few Peanuts books and a few cookbooks. I had that bag so full that they charged me for a single bag, but then broke it down into two bags! Up front where we paid though, they were sticking to the original signs and asking if you had anything non-kid related in your bags.
We ended up with two (technically three) bags full, four CDs, a few hardback books that didn’t fit into the bags and a few of the special edition books for $12. All told, I think I ended up with close to 100 books, including a ton of teen books. I also found the Esquire cookbook/party book from the 60’s and a book detailing the history of Disney and Mickey Mouse, plus a cookbook just on cooking for lunchboxes. That one deserves a post of its own!
I also grabbed a few books on architecture and historic preservation. I may not use my historic preservation degree anymore, but I love reading/learning about it. All of the books are now sitting in piles around the living room floor until we figure out what to do with them.
The book sale was in a little building that looked fairly disappointing from the outside. I went to one of these sales before and only purchased a few books, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Outside were several signs, saying that teen/young adult/kids books were $4 per bag, so I got a little more excited.
Immediately the BF got distracted by a stack of CDs priced at $.50 each. The sale had two different rooms. The first room was all fiction books and media. The back room was divided into two separate spaces. One space had “special” books that had individual price tags and the other side had non-fiction and kid books.
I filled one bag full of books for my other blog and had the BF pay for those, while I kept looking. One of the women working there had an eagle eye on everyone, making sure no one put the special books in the bags. She told us we could put anything from the back room in one of the bags, except for the special books, despite what the sale signs said.
I filled a second bag full of kid books, a few Peanuts books and a few cookbooks. I had that bag so full that they charged me for a single bag, but then broke it down into two bags! Up front where we paid though, they were sticking to the original signs and asking if you had anything non-kid related in your bags.
We ended up with two (technically three) bags full, four CDs, a few hardback books that didn’t fit into the bags and a few of the special edition books for $12. All told, I think I ended up with close to 100 books, including a ton of teen books. I also found the Esquire cookbook/party book from the 60’s and a book detailing the history of Disney and Mickey Mouse, plus a cookbook just on cooking for lunchboxes. That one deserves a post of its own!
I also grabbed a few books on architecture and historic preservation. I may not use my historic preservation degree anymore, but I love reading/learning about it. All of the books are now sitting in piles around the living room floor until we figure out what to do with them.
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Most Expensive Thrift Store in the World!
Would you pay $25 for a jadeite mixing bow? How about $80 for a fur coat? What about $150 for a fake antique rocking chair? Or $10 for a modern Mickey Mouse poncho for kids? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I have the store for you!
I know most of the blogs I read have a story about an expensive thrift store and I thought I’d share mine. This is actually a community owned/run thrift store and in the past I got some great deals there. Once I found a couple early 80’s Cabbage Patch dolls, with the original clothes and shoes still on. I think I only paid $1 tops for each one and I actually think it was more like 50 cents. Yeah, no big deals found this time.
This is one of those thrift stores where everything is jumbled on shelves, but kind of organized, like housewares in one section, clothing in another, crafts, toys, tools, etc. In the cookware section I found a piece of Pyrex that I didn’t have. It still had the lid and it was taped shut (as in a set), but the lid was one price and the bottom another price. They actually had one of the old tray things too, but that was taped together with some cheap aluminum piece and priced at some insane price. I’m thinking it was $10!
The thing that pissed me off the most is that this “thrift store” has its own antique section! As if the prices on regular things weren’t enough. The BF found a trunk he loved, priced at $150. I found a great mid-century modern hutch/buffet, but the buffet was $250 and the hutch on top was another $250. A fake provincial couch was something like $200 too.
This is a store where anything and everything is thrown on the shelves. Half-empty cans of cleaning products and house paint mingled on shelves, like some bad yard sale. I also think someone is sitting in the back with an outdated price guide because that’s the only explanation I can think of for some of the pricing.
My dad’s been in the flea market business for years and I saw “collectible” glasses that flea markets can’t give away anymore, priced at $3-5. I’ve literally seen dealers marking these glasses down to 50 cents, just to get rid of them! Plus the BF saw a few camo pieces priced higher than the specialty stores sell them!
I did pick up a few kid books, including one featuring a Care Bear that I love (I think I’m obsessed with the one with a moon on his chest!). That’s when I ventured into the antiques section. This is where they take the old crafting/home improvement/decorating magazines that most sell for less than a dollar and price them up. I didn’t see a single one for less than $8. It’s also where the jadeite bowl was, plus a lot of other stuff that made me shake my head.
The thing that put me over the edge was when I saw an old 50’s formica and chrome table and chairs. I’ve wanted a set like this for years now and I think I actually gasped when I saw it. It was a darker color than I’d like and wasn’t in the best shape, but it was still pretty cool. The price tag read $250. Are you kidding me? That’s more than Craigslist sellers and antique stores are asking around here! I dropped the books on the table, found the BF and walked right out of the store.
Oh and on the way out, I noticed the “glass cases” up front. This is where they take old toys and mark the prices up higher than eBay. I saw one board game priced at $40 that another thrift store had for $3.50 a few days later. The odd thing is that this thrift store is close to at least three others, all with much cheaper prices. There were people in there and they were buying, but I just can’t justify spending that kind of money in a thrift store!
I know most of the blogs I read have a story about an expensive thrift store and I thought I’d share mine. This is actually a community owned/run thrift store and in the past I got some great deals there. Once I found a couple early 80’s Cabbage Patch dolls, with the original clothes and shoes still on. I think I only paid $1 tops for each one and I actually think it was more like 50 cents. Yeah, no big deals found this time.
This is one of those thrift stores where everything is jumbled on shelves, but kind of organized, like housewares in one section, clothing in another, crafts, toys, tools, etc. In the cookware section I found a piece of Pyrex that I didn’t have. It still had the lid and it was taped shut (as in a set), but the lid was one price and the bottom another price. They actually had one of the old tray things too, but that was taped together with some cheap aluminum piece and priced at some insane price. I’m thinking it was $10!
The thing that pissed me off the most is that this “thrift store” has its own antique section! As if the prices on regular things weren’t enough. The BF found a trunk he loved, priced at $150. I found a great mid-century modern hutch/buffet, but the buffet was $250 and the hutch on top was another $250. A fake provincial couch was something like $200 too.
This is a store where anything and everything is thrown on the shelves. Half-empty cans of cleaning products and house paint mingled on shelves, like some bad yard sale. I also think someone is sitting in the back with an outdated price guide because that’s the only explanation I can think of for some of the pricing.
My dad’s been in the flea market business for years and I saw “collectible” glasses that flea markets can’t give away anymore, priced at $3-5. I’ve literally seen dealers marking these glasses down to 50 cents, just to get rid of them! Plus the BF saw a few camo pieces priced higher than the specialty stores sell them!
I did pick up a few kid books, including one featuring a Care Bear that I love (I think I’m obsessed with the one with a moon on his chest!). That’s when I ventured into the antiques section. This is where they take the old crafting/home improvement/decorating magazines that most sell for less than a dollar and price them up. I didn’t see a single one for less than $8. It’s also where the jadeite bowl was, plus a lot of other stuff that made me shake my head.
The thing that put me over the edge was when I saw an old 50’s formica and chrome table and chairs. I’ve wanted a set like this for years now and I think I actually gasped when I saw it. It was a darker color than I’d like and wasn’t in the best shape, but it was still pretty cool. The price tag read $250. Are you kidding me? That’s more than Craigslist sellers and antique stores are asking around here! I dropped the books on the table, found the BF and walked right out of the store.
Oh and on the way out, I noticed the “glass cases” up front. This is where they take old toys and mark the prices up higher than eBay. I saw one board game priced at $40 that another thrift store had for $3.50 a few days later. The odd thing is that this thrift store is close to at least three others, all with much cheaper prices. There were people in there and they were buying, but I just can’t justify spending that kind of money in a thrift store!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
*Sigh*
So yesterday the BF and I decided to hit a few thrift stores, just for the fun of it. I know a lot of people say they avoid the shops early in the week because they're so picked over from the weekends. I didn't anticipate finding anything, so I thought it was a safe bet. Little did I know that I'd find too much and have no way to get it home!
We're currently driving my dad's car, as the Explorer bit the big one (really big one, as in costs more to fix it than to replace it!). The gas mileage is great, but it doesn't have a lot of room to store anything or bring anything home. As soon as we get there, the BF immediately goes for the clothes and I immediately head to the housewares. No Pyrex on this trip and no vintage Tupperware either. What's going on here?
Turns out that the Salvation Army completely cleaned out the toys section and replaced it with Halloween goodies. The toys were moved to the kitchen area and all/most of the cookware/dishes/misc. stuff was moved off the floor. Nice. I thought the Halloween stuff was pretty overpriced and a woman there definitely agreed. She was looking at a little pumpkin ceramic box and gasped. "I just bought this same one at Target for $2.99 and it had a lid. They want $2.99 here and it doesn't even have the damn lid!" I had to chuckle.
Since my usual areas were duds, I ventured into the furniture department. The green velvet couch we fell in love with a few weeks ago is sadly gone now, but they've gotten a lot of new donations. I found this awesome drafting desk for $8 that needed some work and a super cute MCM style nightstand/end table for $5 that needed more work than I could probably put into it.
Then I found this gorgeous 1950's light green dresser, made right next to where I used to live in Indiana! It was only $50 and in pretty good shape. Did I mention we don't have a dresser?
Actually we have two dressers (3 if you want to get technical). When we moved into our new place, we didn't have a dresser and with 3 closets, didn't think we needed one. Then I started thinking about where to store/display stuff in the bedroom (like the TV). I have a dresser at my parent's house that was my grandpa's and we always planned on picking it up from there, but then the car died. My dad found one at a yard sale pretty cheap that's similar to the one I have (it's around 6' long), but he has no way to get it to us and I haven't even seen it! I also have one from the 40s/50s that was given to me, but that's another story.
I also discovered three chairs that I immediately wanted to stuff in the back of the car. Two were these industrial style office chairs, with metal bases and green vinyl coverings, pretty similar to ones my dad used. Price tag? $4.99 each! Then there was the wardrobe chair from the 50s, with its own $4.99 tag.
The BF talked some sense into me, by pointing out that we have no room for any more chairs. True, but disappointing. On the way home, I realized that I need a desk chair and the wardrobe chair would have fit perfectly in the closet! I'd love to go back and grab them, but I'm sure they're long gone by now. I'll probably brood over those chairs until I find one at a yard sale lol.
On the way out, I got distracted by some dining room hutches that were a little too pricey for my tastes (over $200), when I heard a gasp. Usually when the BF gasps, it's over something stupid, like a skull tee-shirt or a bulldog statue. This time is was over a piece of furniture. An antique dresser from the 1920s (or even earlier). It still had the original mirror attached and all of the drawers opened easily. The original tag was $250, but it was half-priced. He was so in love with it that he was contemplating calling a friend and asking if we could borrow his truck! Don't get me wrong, it was a nice dresser, but I much preferred my cheaper and cooler version a few feet away.
Stay tuned for my next story! It's of a pricey thrift store that looks, smells and acts like a thrift store on the inside, but prices things like an antique store. Anyone for a $25 jadeite bowl?
We're currently driving my dad's car, as the Explorer bit the big one (really big one, as in costs more to fix it than to replace it!). The gas mileage is great, but it doesn't have a lot of room to store anything or bring anything home. As soon as we get there, the BF immediately goes for the clothes and I immediately head to the housewares. No Pyrex on this trip and no vintage Tupperware either. What's going on here?
Turns out that the Salvation Army completely cleaned out the toys section and replaced it with Halloween goodies. The toys were moved to the kitchen area and all/most of the cookware/dishes/misc. stuff was moved off the floor. Nice. I thought the Halloween stuff was pretty overpriced and a woman there definitely agreed. She was looking at a little pumpkin ceramic box and gasped. "I just bought this same one at Target for $2.99 and it had a lid. They want $2.99 here and it doesn't even have the damn lid!" I had to chuckle.
Since my usual areas were duds, I ventured into the furniture department. The green velvet couch we fell in love with a few weeks ago is sadly gone now, but they've gotten a lot of new donations. I found this awesome drafting desk for $8 that needed some work and a super cute MCM style nightstand/end table for $5 that needed more work than I could probably put into it.
Then I found this gorgeous 1950's light green dresser, made right next to where I used to live in Indiana! It was only $50 and in pretty good shape. Did I mention we don't have a dresser?
Actually we have two dressers (3 if you want to get technical). When we moved into our new place, we didn't have a dresser and with 3 closets, didn't think we needed one. Then I started thinking about where to store/display stuff in the bedroom (like the TV). I have a dresser at my parent's house that was my grandpa's and we always planned on picking it up from there, but then the car died. My dad found one at a yard sale pretty cheap that's similar to the one I have (it's around 6' long), but he has no way to get it to us and I haven't even seen it! I also have one from the 40s/50s that was given to me, but that's another story.
I also discovered three chairs that I immediately wanted to stuff in the back of the car. Two were these industrial style office chairs, with metal bases and green vinyl coverings, pretty similar to ones my dad used. Price tag? $4.99 each! Then there was the wardrobe chair from the 50s, with its own $4.99 tag.
The BF talked some sense into me, by pointing out that we have no room for any more chairs. True, but disappointing. On the way home, I realized that I need a desk chair and the wardrobe chair would have fit perfectly in the closet! I'd love to go back and grab them, but I'm sure they're long gone by now. I'll probably brood over those chairs until I find one at a yard sale lol.
On the way out, I got distracted by some dining room hutches that were a little too pricey for my tastes (over $200), when I heard a gasp. Usually when the BF gasps, it's over something stupid, like a skull tee-shirt or a bulldog statue. This time is was over a piece of furniture. An antique dresser from the 1920s (or even earlier). It still had the original mirror attached and all of the drawers opened easily. The original tag was $250, but it was half-priced. He was so in love with it that he was contemplating calling a friend and asking if we could borrow his truck! Don't get me wrong, it was a nice dresser, but I much preferred my cheaper and cooler version a few feet away.
Stay tuned for my next story! It's of a pricey thrift store that looks, smells and acts like a thrift store on the inside, but prices things like an antique store. Anyone for a $25 jadeite bowl?
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Apartment Picking
Once upon a time, I had a horrible neighbor. I’m not going to go into details, but suffice to say that when she was finally evicted (after something like six months of not paying rent!), we were more than a little excited. She called the landlord a few days after moving out and said the place just needed a quick clean and anything she left behind could be tossed/given away, she didn’t really care.
The landlord decided the best course of action was to let the neighbors go through the apartment and see if there was anything they wanted. Before I go any further, let my clarify by saying that there were only five apartments. We lived up above an old store.
So one day he comes over and unlocks the door. The BF and I went over and Oh. My. God. First of all, imagine a hoarder living in a two bedroom apartment and you’ll have some idea of what this place looked like. Every single room was stacked with piles of stuff: piles of clothes, piles of dishes, piles of beauty products and just random piles. Before moving out, she sold her couch, bedroom set and some other things, so she and her child were sleeping on the floor in carved out little nooks.
Then we had to deal with out neighbors. This was like an estate sale gone wild, but with free junk. Two people (a man and a woman) in particular were grabbing stuff and just throwing it in bags. It didn’t even matter if it was stuff they needed or wanted. The BF is kind of skinny and these two were decidedly…not. They kept grabbing clothes that he liked and throwing it in garbage bags of their own, but only when he commented on something.
I can kind of understand the kids clothes because they take care of a little boy and he could probably use the clothes. But come on, taking a size Medium/Large jacket, when the guy is….nowhere near a size Medium/Large? We decided to leave the bedrooms and just see what else was there.
I saw this really cool DVD rack that had I known she had, I would have offered to buy it from her earlier. I started to grab it and another neighbor popped up. “I already told my ex-girlfriend she could have that.” I reached for something else and then another thing and another…all were hers. Of course she hadn’t actually seen any of this stuff, but she wanted it for some reason.
We then ventured into the kitchen and found a Coleman cooler in really good shape that’s bigger than ours. We go camping fairly frequently in the summer and ours just isn’t big enough. Started to grab that, only to have yet another person turn up and claim it. Turns out that it was a guy who used to live in the building and one of the neighbors told him about the “free sale” so he just randomly showed up and started grabbing things. I explained why we needed it and he claimed that he needed it just as bad. The kicker came later when I found the lid in the dumpster downstairs! Yeah, he never came back and got it.
Once the neighbors left with their junk, we had the chance to do a little digging and find some stuff for ourselves. The BF found a lot of guy’s clothes buried, still with new tags and hats with the tags attached. We grabbed a cute little black wood shelf that needs a LOT of work and a huge plastic bookshelf for the pantry. Plus a shelf for over the toilet (just like one I lost pieces from during my last move) and for some reason, the BF grabbed a set of mismatched plates, even though I have enough for a small army.
The last thing we grabbed was this chippy bookshelf you see below. She had this stuck in her daughter’s room and I kind of liked it. The BF needed to put a nail in the bottom where the side was pulling away, but it’s heavy and in good shape. You can see way too much crap shoved on there right now, mainly because I haven’t set up shelves in any of our other rooms yet.
The funny thing is that we ended up moving into that apartment for almost a year after she moved out. The landlord asked us to move the bookshelf into our apartment because it was taking up too much room. The day after we moved it in, he asked us when we were moving into the other apartment. We ended up moving it into one apartment on one day and then moving it back two days later. Trust me, this one is heavier than it looks!
The landlord decided the best course of action was to let the neighbors go through the apartment and see if there was anything they wanted. Before I go any further, let my clarify by saying that there were only five apartments. We lived up above an old store.
So one day he comes over and unlocks the door. The BF and I went over and Oh. My. God. First of all, imagine a hoarder living in a two bedroom apartment and you’ll have some idea of what this place looked like. Every single room was stacked with piles of stuff: piles of clothes, piles of dishes, piles of beauty products and just random piles. Before moving out, she sold her couch, bedroom set and some other things, so she and her child were sleeping on the floor in carved out little nooks.
Then we had to deal with out neighbors. This was like an estate sale gone wild, but with free junk. Two people (a man and a woman) in particular were grabbing stuff and just throwing it in bags. It didn’t even matter if it was stuff they needed or wanted. The BF is kind of skinny and these two were decidedly…not. They kept grabbing clothes that he liked and throwing it in garbage bags of their own, but only when he commented on something.
I can kind of understand the kids clothes because they take care of a little boy and he could probably use the clothes. But come on, taking a size Medium/Large jacket, when the guy is….nowhere near a size Medium/Large? We decided to leave the bedrooms and just see what else was there.
I saw this really cool DVD rack that had I known she had, I would have offered to buy it from her earlier. I started to grab it and another neighbor popped up. “I already told my ex-girlfriend she could have that.” I reached for something else and then another thing and another…all were hers. Of course she hadn’t actually seen any of this stuff, but she wanted it for some reason.
We then ventured into the kitchen and found a Coleman cooler in really good shape that’s bigger than ours. We go camping fairly frequently in the summer and ours just isn’t big enough. Started to grab that, only to have yet another person turn up and claim it. Turns out that it was a guy who used to live in the building and one of the neighbors told him about the “free sale” so he just randomly showed up and started grabbing things. I explained why we needed it and he claimed that he needed it just as bad. The kicker came later when I found the lid in the dumpster downstairs! Yeah, he never came back and got it.
Once the neighbors left with their junk, we had the chance to do a little digging and find some stuff for ourselves. The BF found a lot of guy’s clothes buried, still with new tags and hats with the tags attached. We grabbed a cute little black wood shelf that needs a LOT of work and a huge plastic bookshelf for the pantry. Plus a shelf for over the toilet (just like one I lost pieces from during my last move) and for some reason, the BF grabbed a set of mismatched plates, even though I have enough for a small army.
The last thing we grabbed was this chippy bookshelf you see below. She had this stuck in her daughter’s room and I kind of liked it. The BF needed to put a nail in the bottom where the side was pulling away, but it’s heavy and in good shape. You can see way too much crap shoved on there right now, mainly because I haven’t set up shelves in any of our other rooms yet.
The funny thing is that we ended up moving into that apartment for almost a year after she moved out. The landlord asked us to move the bookshelf into our apartment because it was taking up too much room. The day after we moved it in, he asked us when we were moving into the other apartment. We ended up moving it into one apartment on one day and then moving it back two days later. Trust me, this one is heavier than it looks!
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