eBay Seller Chat with Stephanie in Texas: Semi-Retired Empty Nester Specializes in Vintage Linens & Craft Supplies 🧶

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Transcript

Suzanne Wells: 0:17

Suzanne. Hi, eBay friends. This is Suzanne, your hostess, and we are on episode number 215 of eBay the right way. Today's date is April 30. 2025 My guest today is Stephanie in Texas. Announcements, a quick announcement and correction on last week's podcast, and this was totally my error. I let it slip through when editing, Rachel mentioned selling magazines and shipping them media mail, she did not know that was not allowed magazines contain advertising so they cannot be shipped media mail. We did talk about this later, once the error was discovered, and Rachel simply just did not know this. Thank you to everyone who gave me a heads up about my error. I do appreciate it. After all, my whole platform is about eBay the right way. Okay, now on to the chat with Stephanie. Hello listeners, and welcome back. I have Stephanie with us today. And how are you doing this morning? I'm doing good, good. And where are you located?

Unknown: 1:45

I'm in New Braunfels, Texas. It's between Austin and San Antonio.

Suzanne Wells: 1:50

Yes, I know exactly where it is. I've got a couple friends there. Oh, wow, I've never been but I know where it is.

Unknown: 1:56

Yeah.

Suzanne Wells: 1:58

Okay, so another Texan, I hear the sourcing for eBay is outstanding. There never a problem finding things. So we'll talk about that. Well, tell us your eBay story, how you got involved in eBay, and you know how long you've been doing it, and a little bit about what you what your business

Unknown: 2:24

is. Well, I joined eBay to buy stuff in 2003 and I don't even remember. The only thing I remember buying was a expensive sewing machine. And I was so scared. But it was great. It worked great. And some friends were like, Oh no, you can get your money back if you don't like it, if it doesn't work, whatever. So anyway, that was, that was my purchasing experience. And then in 20 after COVID, I was, I work seasonal. I mean, I'm kind of retired, not really, but kind of, but my background was commercial real estate in Houston. I grew up in the Houston area and worked there, and so anyway, moving here, there wasn't a lot of square footage to manage in the hill country, right? So anyway, I kind of just did some odds and end jobs, and this the last one my son was getting ready to graduate. I started working at a seasonal job, a water park. And so fun, so fun, but things kind of and I went. I was there for like six years, but things kind of progressed after COVID, and they got rid of cash and things like that. So then I ended up outside, which I don't do outside 105 degrees, I can't

Suzanne Wells: 3:43

even at a water park. You can't get in the water. It's not

Unknown: 3:47

no and my husband was like, if you get sick, that's not going to be a benefit to our family. Okay? So anyway, and some friends were like, well, we sold on eBay, so I started doing it then, and I was also going through empty nest with my only child, graduating from college and joining the Air Force, and that was really difficult time for me. And but anyway, I started doing the eBay and I love it. I I've always loved thrifting. I've loved garage selling. I've loved finding deals. I would dumpster dive if I wasn't afraid I couldn't get out of the dumpster or, you know, would get arrested or whatever. But anyway, I haven't done that really, but I would if I could get away with it, but, and so I just started really slowly, and I feel like I'm still kind of going slowly. I don't, I don't get all super excited and get gung ho about anything, I kind of go slow. But let's see. So I started, like in 2022 I guess. And because I was home for a few months in the summer, because I'd stopped working at the job outside, you know, I was like, Okay. I can't do this. I want to stay. I love it here, but I can't do it so and my manager was like, yeah, it's too hot. It's too hot for you. So I started just listing on eBay and started trying to find places. Of course, I have stuff of my own that I listed, nothing that I that really stands out to me, that sold for a lot, but the first thing that really that I remember selling was I went to a little rummage sale for an animal shelter thing. And I found this plate because I love dishes, I love sewing, I love crafting. I love, you know, homemaking and all that stuff. And I saw this plate of vintage 1915 calendar plate, which nobody, you know, I never have wanted one of those. But anyway, it was a pioneer flour mills for this flour mill that was in San Antonio. And of course, it's gone now. And I bought it for $2 and it sold for like $123 Oh, I know, I was like, and so my husband's kind of going, wow. And so anyway, I just that kind of got me hooked, and I started looking for things. And I love going to the bins. That's fun to me. We went there, and my husband goes with me. He's, you know, he's, he has a full time job now. He also has a welding business, so he's very busy and and he's, we don't do, like, I'm not a welder, and I don't help him with that, and maybe the paperwork a little bit. But, and then he's a hunter. He doesn't want to sew, so our craft, I'm not a deer. I'm just not going to do that so, but this eBay thing, we go thrifting together, and it's so much fun. And he's, you know, he got he he uses his knowledge of things that he has been interested in, and finds things like gun cases or things a strap for a gun or and so that he gets excited about that as well. But we went to the goodwill bands, and he's kind of like, what is this and

Suzanne Wells: 7:08

place you brought me to?

Unknown: 7:11

And so I picked up this Jeep grill. I mean, it's huge, and we have a jeep. And so I know people love Jeeps parts, you know, and the J, E, P stands for just empty every pot, every pocket. That's what I pray about the jeep. So I saw that grill, and I'm like, Oh, I could sell this, I bet. And I pick it up. And my husband is a poker player. Face, he does not show emotion. And he was when I picked that grill up and he saw me, he had the funniest look on his face, like, what? And I said, we can sell this. And it sold for, like, $140 and it was a it was fiberglass, and it was in really good shape, you know, one cracked or anything, and we wrapped it with pool noodles. Mm hmm, ship it. And so anyway, that was, and I, I'm getting ahead of myself, but I have learned so much from you and I joined your university. What is it called? I

Suzanne Wells: 8:16

forget it's the premium library on teachable Yes, yes. Library,

Unknown: 8:20

and I've gone through a lot of it, not all of it. There's a lot, and I don't know how to save it. I'm bad. Technology is challenged for me, but my husband said, just keep using that, because you can ask her questions, and she's supportive and, you know, so I'm like, okay, and he said, and it's a tax write off. So and

Suzanne Wells: 8:39

of course, of course. Now just if you want to a little lesson on how to download the lessons, it's there's a little download button right under the video, and so that'll just go to your computer downloads folder. So you know, everything is downloadable, and that's on purpose. I want people to have that information. And, you know, the key is, I'm always adding new stuff as I learn it. So, yeah, you know, it's kind of like Netflix, like, you know, there's stuff there that you can go back and look through, but there's always new stuff coming, because I'm always learning and it's, Oh, I feel compelled to put that out there for other people, because I can't find everything, and I don't know everything, and I learn a lot from, you know, the eBay community, on Facebook and everything. But so yeah, I appreciate your membership. And yes, you're right. I'm your your help desk, and it, it's me. I don't outsource it to anybody. You know, you're always talking to me so

Unknown: 9:46

and I'm so thankful that's so comforting and so reassuring. You know, because I really don't like shipping was horrifying to me. But when I shipped that Jeep girl, I'm like, I can do

Suzanne Wells: 9:56

any I was going to say, was that intimidating? It

Unknown: 9:59

was. Was at first, but I've seen you and other people just talking about the different ways, and I thought the pool noodles, it won't break with those pool noodles, all right, back around it. And it was at first. But not like dishes are very intimidating for me, and I don't want to sell if I sell dishes, which I have some, but if I sell them, I'm going to sell them one at a time, I think because I'm terrified to pack a bunch of China in one box. I mean, that's right.

Suzanne Wells: 10:26

Scare you when you have multiple pieces, it is a little bit more tricky. Yeah, yeah. So just one more thing on the premium library, though, as far as answering questions and and the help desk, is people are like, Why don't you, you know, outsource that to somebody, and because I like doing it, I like it, when I get a question, it's like, Oh, I've got the answer for you, right? You know, it doesn't take me a second, and I usually have a video or something I can link to. Because, trust me, if, if one person asks it, someone else is going to ask it, right? That? Yeah, I just like doing that. I like being the the solution, the problem solver. Because, yeah, when you start something new that has a lot of moving parts, like eBay does, it's very overwhelming. And you know, that's what I wish I had back in the day, was somebody just to ask, how do you what would you do here? And how do you do this? And so I just like doing that part of it. And because, you know, everybody's an expert in something, and you're like, Oh, I know the answer very quickly. I don't have to look it up. I just know what to tell you. Sure that part's actually fun for me. It's like, oh, what questions am I going to get today?

Unknown: 11:46

And that's, that's why you're so good at it, because you have a passion for it, and you're, you're excited and interested. And it is crazy how much you learn. I mean, it's like, you're never, you never stop learning with this business, no and new

Suzanne Wells: 12:02

things keep coming up, like how people are upcycling different products, and what, you know, these Instagram influencers or Tiktok, or whatever they're on. I don't have time to look at all that stuff. I just hear about it. You know, this person on Tiktok is doing this, and that's why, what was it a couple years ago? Was the Lennox spice jars. Oh, yeah, the little white ceramic, the collection of them, yeah, somebody on some influencer started that, you know, had it in their kitchen, and then other people got on the bandwagon, and they're still that set still sells for around $400 Wow, and it's, and it's, there's nothing special about it's pretty ceramic containers, but it's those influencers that just pick a random thing and then it just blows up and becomes popular.

Unknown: 12:56

Yeah, exactly. Or, like, I've, I've learned from from you that people see stuff on a TV show, right? They're like, Oh, I gotta have that. Or, you know, it becomes real popular. And so that's fascinating, too,

Suzanne Wells: 13:12

yeah, and I'm forever looking in the background of things just to see what on these shows that are set in different decades. There's, you know, productions, what? What did I get into? It's called why women kill. Oh, book, and it's on Paramount plus now. And one of the stories is set in the 60s, and I'm in the the wardrobe, the clothes are just fabulous. And, oh yeah, I'm looking at all the the Bakelite jewelry and the cars, but, you know, I'm really paying attention to the kitchen and the mid century modern decor, yeah, batik clocks, the starburst clocks, and all that kind of stuff. And, you know, they had to get that stuff somewhere. Oh yeah, you know, they didn't make it from scratch. So, you know, these shows and movies that are set back in different decades have to get their props from somewhere. But I'm I really study that. I'm paying more attention to that than the storyline. I gotta rewind and be like, wait a minute, what did they say? What's happening here. I was too busy looking at the beautiful etched bar where, you know, when she's pouring her husband his martini or whatever it is, you know,

Unknown: 14:30

right? Yeah, you're always

Suzanne Wells: 14:32

learning just by paying attention to environment.

Unknown: 14:36

Yeah. And another thing I stumbled upon. I mean, I feel like all of this is I've stumbled upon it. I've always had a knack for finding things really inexpensively. I don't know why, but and I found these Fiesta medals. So Fiesta is a celebration of the Alamo honoring the Bucha. Okay? And the the culture, the diversity of San Antonio, and so they have every business, lots of businesses do a metal and, like, the the and they, you buy them, or they give them as gifts, and it's just a, like a military looking metal, but it's and they sell. So, like, there was a Tim Duncan one. So I found this. I found a whole bunch of this garage sale, and I paid $1 for them, and then I sold them for like, between 15 and $25 but, like, the water department has a metal, the Light Company has a metal, the AGB, have you heard of heb the grocery store? Yes. So that's, you know, that's our God, you know. And, no, that's awful. But anyway, so just things like that, and it's really, they're, you know, they're not, I don't have any affinity for them, but I saw them, and I bought them, and they, you know, they sell. And I think, like, texanna stuff sells too, maybe locally, because that's what that plate was, that calendar plate. And how many of those have you seen that you're like, Oh, don't want that.

Suzanne Wells: 16:14

Yeah. It's hard to tell if something is really unique, or if it's, you know, those companies, what is it that make the commemorative stuff that's worthless? Brad Bradford exchange those kind of things, like, yeah, maybe there's a few that are worth something, but for the most part, anything like that that was mass produced is really not going to be worth that much. But if you've got these local companies that did 100 anniversary plates or mugs or whatever, and yeah, and then somebody pops up, oh, my dad worked there for 30 years, and it's, it's has nostalgia, yeah, as there's an emotional connection to it, yeah, don't pass by those kinds of things just because it could be a small local company, yeah? How many people worked there over the life of the company? And want to collect those kind of things? I hear stories all the time, yeah, whether it's a coffee mug or a flower sack or whatever it is, it just has some advertising on it for a a small town company, those people, those people want those things,

Unknown: 17:28

right? Yeah, that's true.

Suzanne Wells: 17:31

Um, what

Unknown: 17:33

else see? Oh, another thing I love. I love like I have an I have an addiction to a few things. Fabric is one sheets. I love crisp, crunchy sheets that are cool I cannot stand. And um, so those are those Ralph Lauren sheets they sell and bedding, you know, like Laura Ashley, and which is what I love. I love that kind of stuff. I mean, I know not everybody does, but just that feminine,

Suzanne Wells: 18:07

yeah, and I see the the Ralph Lauren bedding selling for a lot, and I just don't know what the draw is like. Why do people want that? Is it because they had it back in the 90s and they want it again? Or is it made better? Or is it just a trend right now? Like some of those things sell for $300

Unknown: 18:30

Oh, I've sold a couple of pottery bond duvet covers for$300 and one I had for several years, and used it. And then I thought, Oh, I could sell that. And it was, you know, I switch off my stuff sometimes. And then another thing that sold really well were these oatmeal linen colored panels, curtain panels. And I got them at a thrift store for, like, I was thinking of them for the fabric. I'm like, that's a ton of fabric. I could make a lot of stuff out of that. Make stuff out of it, but I, I still have it, and I so I listed those and they, I paid like $3 a panel, and they sold for like 130 pretty quickly. So that was fun. That also, you know, just those things just make you, oh, God, this is, this can work.

Suzanne Wells: 19:24

And that took that project off your plate, because, you know, I was a crafter. You're a crafter. And there is the crafters black hole of I'm going to make this. We don't leave, leave things behind. Did you take advantage of the Joanne crafts going out of business?

Unknown: 19:46

Is it over? I have not. I don't know,

Suzanne Wells: 19:48

but I did see some conversations about it that it's really not worth it to buy anything for resale. Oh, you know, everybody and their brother is going to be out there buying up that stuff. It's like 90% off. But if you're a crafter, you could get some stuff very cheap.

Unknown: 20:07

And so, yeah, I've got a whole room, like I have a three bedroom house, and I took one of the rooms and turned it into I took a bed out of it, my mom would be like, Oh my God, and I moved the bed out, and it's just a craft room. And since um, it's just us two here now. And why not? Yeah, exactly, and so, but I have too much stuff, and it's to the point where I want to go in there, and crafting is like therapy for me. So you can go in there, you just veg out. But I can't even start something because there's too much in there. So I'm getting rid of that stuff too. I'm getting like, I had this fabric that I bought years ago at a garage sale, and it was beautiful. It's called Scala mondre. That's an Italian

Suzanne Wells: 20:52

Have you heard of it? No that. That just sounds very exotic and fancy. It

Unknown: 20:56

was, well, very expensive to buy it. I bought it at a garage sale for nothing, and it was a big box. I gave a bunch of it away to my family, and they made pillows and stuff, and then I still had a ton left, and I've had it for a long time. It was made in Italy. It was showroom samples, and the sample alone was like $270 just for the sample of the fabric. So I just recently said I'm getting rid of that. I'm not going to make anything else out of it. And I I've been selling that for like 100 or like $75 and it's just like a 20 by 20 square of and it's going to Italy people. And because it's originated in Italy. I think it's still, you know, it's home decor fabric, okay, and so silk and that kind of stuff, but, and the only reason I know about that is because I have a friend, my high school friend, is a designer and works in real high end houses, and I wouldn't know about a $200 a yard piece of fabric if it weren't for her well.

Suzanne Wells: 22:08

And back to your craft room. Many of the listeners are going to be very envious of that, that you have one. But I think here's what happens with crafters, and because I've been buying more and more from estate sales. And it's like you get, you know, the person passes away or downsizes, or goes to assisted living or whatever, and they've got all this craft materials. And so somebody like you comes along and, you know, buys a whole bunch of it, because you know what it is, and you have good intentions, and then maybe it sits in your house for 10 years and it's passed on to somebody else. It just keeps running, passed around. But that's where those wonderful cross stitch kits and bucilla sequin kits pop up, you know, still new in the package because, but he had good intentions. They were going to make that. It just happened, right?

Unknown: 23:08

Yeah, right. And, yeah, I think about I go to the estate sales, and I think this is going to be us, if I don't get rid of this stuff. One child, and he it's a guy. He's married. They're minimalist. Of course, he has 1000 books in the closet that are my his, but and we're storing them, and he's not paying storage, which my husband's like, we're not charging him storage, but anyway, but he can say he's a minimalist, because all the crap is here. Bring it with him, right? And he moves in the Air Force. So I understand that he's

Suzanne Wells: 23:48

a selective minimalist. That's right, just on certain things.

Unknown: 23:55

No, he's not going to want all this stuff. No, he's not going to want China. He's not going to want any of that. And I don't think his wife will either. I mean, you know, so that's

Suzanne Wells: 24:05

the dilemma, because are you a baby boomer?

Unknown: 24:09

I'm 63 I turned six.

Suzanne Wells: 24:11

Okay, so you're, you're in the baby boomer group, yeah, I don't know if you've seen that cartoon where it's like an old man and he's raised the garage door, and it's just filled to the top with junk. And his son is standing there, and he says, One day, this will be all yours. Like, you can tell I look on his face, like I don't want any of it. You know, that's the dilemma is, yeah, so much stuff. And I'm not picking on Baby Boomers, but that was a booming time where, you know, people became more materialistic, and they consumerism, you know, and they had stuff, and I feel like it's our job or maybe obligation. To get those things into the hands of people that want them, right? And, you know, just, we see so many things at estate sales. They don't get bought, they're over. And what, what's happening? Are they going to the donated to the thrift store? Are they going to the landfill? And, yeah, it's, it just turns my stomach to think of how much stuff went to landfills that, like some collector would just love, right? And looking for that one thing for 10 years, you know, whatever it might be, and I feel very compelled to be that person that re homes things, and because the collectors, when they find what they're looking for, they are so happy,

Unknown: 25:48

yeah, oh, yeah. And I agree with you. I feel the same about that. It's a it is a service, and it is, it is helping with the landfill and getting people things they really, really want, because they do want them when they buy them on eBay, you know, they're that's what they're looking for, yeah, so that's really cool. Um, let's see, I try to buy things really inexpensively, because I'm kind of a cheapskate type person, I guess. I don't know, but, like, the one thing I bought that was really expensive, my sister in law has a store. It's a warehouse store, and they buy damaged pallets of stuff and sell it at that store. Well, they had these toothbrushes that were, oh, what's the brand? Some brand. They were smart toothbrush so you could control it with your phone. And which I'm like, Oh my gosh, and they were $70 so I bought, I paid up and bought that, which that's the most I think I've ever paid for anything with my eBay business. And but it sold for like, $220 me $20 so really okay, but I won't do it again because I didn't like it. It scared me, like I can't I don't want to lose that much money. But,

Suzanne Wells: 27:15

yeah, I mean, there is an element of risk when you buy things, but you can always do something with it, you know, sell it on Facebook, marketplace, you know, for what you paid for it or and

Unknown: 27:29

it was new and packaged. So I thought I could give it to somebody for Christmas, like my son, his wife, but, but then it sold, so they didn't get

Suzanne Wells: 27:38

it. Oh, wait, that too bad. So sad.

Unknown: 27:43

Yeah, well, what are some

Suzanne Wells: 27:45

other things that you've sold? I do see you posting on the group,

Unknown: 27:49

the skull and Mondrian fabric, which was fun. I still have a little bit of that left. The found a few little gun cases my husband did, which are just these molded plastic cases, and you carry your a pistol in it, or whatever it's like for competition or something. Those we sold. We bought four of those, and they sold for $30 pretty fast, okay, let's see. The strangest are the most. I guess shocking, whatever thing for me, or the biggest surprise for me, was recently, I was at the bins, probably around Christmas time, and I was walking, I was by myself. Nobody went with me, and I was just looking around, and I I saw this laundry basket, gross laundry basket. And I was like, and it was full of stuff. And I thought, Oh, that's gross. I walked past it. Then I thought, well, just see what's in it. So I went back and I looked at it, and it was all this yarn. I don't know anything about nothing, and so I know about fabric a little bit, but not yarn. And so I looked at it and it was all new in the package, all these unopened roles, and it was and so then I start looking it up on eBay, and it said that it sold for $20 a skein. And I thought, I'm over. I sometimes get over excited about things, and then I make mistakes, especially when it comes to math. I'm creative, and I'm like, Ah, overreacted on that. And I kept walking. And then I went back, and I looked again on eBay. You know, I was checked myself, like, three or four times to make sure I wasn't just excited and not looking it up, right? And then so I kept seeing it, kept coming up that it would sell for 20 $25 just came. So I just thought, Well, I'm gonna get it. And it was, I bought $30 worth of stuff that day at the store. It was other things too. I got, I didn't get the basket, I just got all the stuff out of it. And then I had a few other things, I don't even know what. And my total purchase was 30 bucks. Six. Well, I had 45 rolls of that, skeins of that yarn, and it sold so quickly for 25$20 2022, to $25 a skein.

Suzanne Wells: 30:14

I was like, whoa. And what was the brand? Or was it mixed brands? There were a couple of different brands.

Unknown: 30:20

One was hedgehog. Okay, I think that's made in England or Ireland. And then the rest were of May, May, hand dyed in Texas sock yarn. So it's merino wool, hand dyed. It's a light, light, small thread, you know, and grams, or whatever they call it. And it was hand dyed, and had the name of the color on there. And again, it was merino wool, so it was 100% wool. And what else? Hedgehog, Blue Moon and Madeline toss are the three brands that just have. I still have a few, but I probably made like, 800 or $700 around Christmas on that. And I was like, yay.

Suzanne Wells: 31:16

But that was, I know that's, it's crazy what people will pay but, and I don't know, I'm sure it's a mixture of reasons, like, they don't make that color anymore, and somebody's got a project that's half done, and they Yeah for that, or they just love that brand because it's durable and feels good to work with, and they don't make it anymore. Or it's a very specific product, because it's very tactile experience, knitting, crocheting, and sometimes, if things just don't feel good to you, you don't want to use them. You know, oh, that just felt terrible. Like clothing, it's like, Oh, that feels terrible. I don't want to wear that material. That'll drive me crazy. I don't want to wear that.

Unknown: 32:03

Or maybe hot that's, that's like a breeze cotton,

Suzanne Wells: 32:06

I'm like a cotton and wool, like natural fabric type person, and synthetic fabrics just, they just make my skin crawl. I just don't like them. Mm, hmm, yeah, right. And we have to wear clothes. So, you know, we can be picky,

Unknown: 32:25

right, right? And we find good deals at the thrift store. So I know

Suzanne Wells: 32:29

I haven't been thrifting in a while, um, it's kind of a record. I i bought some things online, and kind of overbought, and I'm a little bit overwhelmed with how much I have, and I'm like, No, you don't need to go and get more stuff, but I need to get some stuff for me, because that's where I buy my clothes, right? Yeah, I've been

Unknown: 32:51

buying these where I work. I stand, I love it. I love it. The reality is, if I quit, I would save money, because it's a jewelry

Suzanne Wells: 32:58

store. Oh, that's right, you did say that. And

Unknown: 33:02

my husband's like, are you to bring any money home this month? And I'm like, Nope, I need some money to go to work because it's a discount, so it's on sale. It's a good deal.

Suzanne Wells: 33:11

Yeah, that would be tough being around that beautiful stuff, and, oh, having your eye on some things for yourself all

Unknown: 33:19

the time you're looking at it. You know, it's not like you come in once a month or once every two or three months. It's like every day you're looking at it. But I've spent so much on shoes that are comfortable to stand in all day. I have between that and buying the jewelry I haven't, I haven't made any money. So

Suzanne Wells: 33:38

do you have a specific foot problem? Or it's just being on your feet. My

Unknown: 33:42

feet are over pronated, you know where they and the arches are flat. And so I've been buying these, really the kind of say the name on the

Suzanne Wells: 33:54

oh yeah I was gonna say, because that's how we learn about specialty products. Is your own experience. And you know, I, where I was going with that is, are these really expensive shoes, and what's the brand? Okay,

Unknown: 34:06

yeah, so they're, they're like, for me, they're$130 and that's expensive to me, of course, huh? You know, and, but I buy them because I can stand all day and I can stand seven hours and not hurt. And so it's like, and they're, they're not very pretty. You know, they're kind of grandma, but I don't care. I have to stand what's

Suzanne Wells: 34:26

the brand Algeria? Oh, is it? Yeah, I know what those are. I thought of pronounced alegria.

Unknown: 34:35

Maybe I'm wrong with the

Suzanne Wells: 34:37

butterfly, yes, yes. And they make clogs and sandals and their their comfort shoes, and they have the suede foot bed and, yeah, yeah, those, I've sold those for years because they're very expensive, new but and they are comfort shoes, and they have the the insert that slips out, so if you have your own orthotic. You can put those, yeah, but they make all kinds of cool colors and metallic. And, you know, they can, I thought you were going to say they're like SAS, which aren't those made in San Antonio. And now those can be pretty grandma, yeah, yeah.

Unknown: 35:19

And, I mean, you know, I wore high heels so much, that's probably why my feet are messed up. And so I always love the high heels. And so, so to me, these are kind of like, but they're so comfortable.

Suzanne Wells: 35:32

Yeah, they that they're not bad. You can, you can find all kind of pretty ones. And then there's um, propette, which is, I'm not sure if those are a diabetic shoe or but they're, they're totally, they're totally grandma. They, you know, they're comfort only, they they're not stylish. Oh yeah, I, I have sold some of those, but I do hesitate now to sell any of those shoes that seniors might wear, because the bottoms can be very worn down and slick. Oh, and I just don't want somebody to get injured wearing something I sold. And a lot of times the person's in a wheelchair, so the bottoms of the shoe don't matter, because they're not walking sure, you know, they just want their size that's comfortable, but that's what I find on on shoes for seniors a lot, is the bottoms are very slick. And crocs as well, the bottoms can be completely worn down and slick. And I'm like, Yeah, that's if they walk through water or anything, they're going to slip and, yeah, I don't want that happening, but, right? So another one that is I look for, of course, is Merrill. Yeah, those can be very comfortable too. So,

Unknown: 36:55

and I used to buy bionics, yes, they're comfortable, but the best I've had to stand in for so long is, and I've not ever been a retail worker, ever, really, you know. So this is my first experience at retail, which, it's hilarious, it's fun. Everybody's nice. It's a great environment. But the the standing, you know, I just stand the whole time,

Suzanne Wells: 37:23

and that's Yeah, and that's tough. That is tough, but

Unknown: 37:26

I feel like it's good for me. And because I'm, you know, I am standing the whole time so and I'm not in pain when I wear those correct shoes, that's good, yeah, oh yeah, I wouldn't do it if I was in pain. If it's not fun, or if I'm in pain, I don't do it

Suzanne Wells: 37:43

right. That's where we are in life right now. That's our chapter of life. I told my kids, it's like, I'm going through a selfish phase. I'm saying no to a lot of things now because, like, I just want to do that. Yeah, I just don't want to go to that thing. And a lot of it requires me traveling to Atlanta, so I went through all this with my dad was sick, and a lot of trips back and forth, and I feel like I was there when it was needed. I went, I went for the right things, and, and, but now I'm kind of over the whole taking a trip, right? Like, yeah, I'm going, it's the season of no for me. Like, no. I don't do that, I

Unknown: 38:28

know. And my son, I just have the most incredible, or I've always had such an incredible relationship with him. We were so close, so close, best friend. And if he told me jump off a 50 story building, I'd be like, okay, because he's smart and he's stable and reasonable and and all this. And so when we went out to Monterey to visit for the last who Ryan Monterey, they said, why don't we go on a whale watching trip? And I'm like, okay, definitely. And I am. I'm very scared of sharks, and I'm horrified of them, and I follow them on my app on my phone, and it's an obsession, and but I went out on that boat with them, and they were like, Yeah, we went out for my birthday, and it was wonderful, and we saw 13 different species. And I'm like, Okay, and so I get on the boat, and we're going out, and it's just really and I'm trying to be a cool, not a panicky person, and then we're just riding along, and the waves are just huge, and the boat's just going up and down, and it the water splashed up over the bow of the boat. And I'm it's a 75 foot boat. And I'm like, Huh? And my son and his wife both said, these are big waves. And I'm like, what? Oh, my God, you're kidding. Because I was thinking he was thinking it was normal. And then when he said, this is, this is big and I was like, Okay, that's it. I'm not. I don't have to do anything else. Like. That that's my last deal like that. I felt like I was on Deadliest Catch with the water.

Suzanne Wells: 40:07

Oh my gosh. I was addicted to that show when it first came out.

Unknown: 40:12

Oh gosh, I love

Suzanne Wells: 40:14

crab. And I'm like, Oh, look at all that crab they have.

Unknown: 40:17

I know I do too I love it. I do too funny.

Suzanne Wells: 40:20

Now you said you're you're retired. What was your your career in life?

Unknown: 40:25

Well, so I, I have not really stuck with one career. So it when I was in single and I lived in Houston before I got married. I was in commercial real estate management. We managed high rise, Class A, office buildings, not residential. And, so. Then I moved from the city and married my husband, who was a farmer, and it was, it was like the movie giant. I felt like,

Suzanne Wells: 40:54

oh my gosh, I love that movie. Loved

Unknown: 40:57

it. And so we rode horses all the time, and, you know, and all that stuff and and, but anyway, then we ended up leaving the farm, and we I worked back in commercial real estate in San Antonio for a little while, but then I got really more like, I've gotta be around where my kid is. So I didn't work some of the time when he was in daycare, you know, I worked. But then when he got in middle school, I stopped working, and I just relived my life through him vicariously, and went to football games and all the band things and all that. That's great. Good for you. I loved it. I would have not changed it for the world. And I drove a truck for like, 19 years, the same truck, and I was very proud of that, because I'm like, I don't care if he doesn't like my vehicle. I don't care

Suzanne Wells: 41:46

it still gets you where you

Unknown: 41:48

need to go. Yeah, and, and I hadn't I have gotten a new one since then, but now it's getting older, and I'm like, I don't want to get rid of it, because there's no pain. I don't like car payment. My husband is a he has a welding business, and there, there is a farm that he's getting more involved in again, and because he's getting ready to retire, and but he'll be working probably as more than ever when he does that like he won't quit working until he dies. And that's how my father in law was. He was 95 when he passed away. He didn't work that last year, but before that, he worked, no, yeah, I just think

Suzanne Wells: 42:31

it would be boring, just like you don't have to stop No. Love it and you want to do it every day. Why? And you're still capable of it, right? Um, like this eBay is people keep saying, You know what, when are you going to retire like never? Because I love what I love what I do. I love the reselling. I love helping other people learn it all the content I create, helping people learn more.

Unknown: 43:02

And it takes all of it. I mean, it taxes your brain. You have to, well, you're just never stop. You never stop learning. Got to research whatever you pick up, you know, I mean,

Suzanne Wells: 43:16

and I'm teaching retired people to do this. So why would I stop doing it unless I'm physically cannot, you know, but these days, you can figure things out if a physical issue. So lots of people who are disabled do this because they can't go to a regular job. They, you know, whatever their disability is, that's just easier for them to work at home. You rest when they need to, or if you're having a bad day, you can, you can pick things up tomorrow, whatever it is, but, and just the older you get, the more you know. So yeah, look at things I'm selling now. It's completely different than five years ago. Just Oh, because I've learned new things, and I have the eBay community to thank for that, because people are so willing to share what they know, you know, they're excited about their sales. Oh, I sold this and that. Well, yeah, it's great that you have a place to show off your sales, but you're also helping other people understand what sells and what

Unknown: 44:24

to look for, and yeah, and what to avoid, exactly, right? Yeah, that the biggest thing I've done recently was the yarn. I thought that was so funny that I knew nothing about it, and I found it. I was like, Whoa, but, and it was so lucrative, but

Suzanne Wells: 44:41

that's now, where do you go to the bins in

Unknown: 44:44

San Antonio, I went. I've gone to, I think there's only one in San Antonio, and I'm not sure, but I've only been to the one in San Okay, and then Austin, there's one. I've been to it a couple of times. I don't. Really go very consistently either. And I have several boxes of stuff I need to list that. You know, I need to address that and list that so I don't, I feel like I don't need to go get anything. I have, like, 380 items listed. I would like to increase that to where I'm making and I don't anyway, I want to make more money to supplement our retirement income,

Suzanne Wells: 45:31

right? And without giving up your jewelry store job? Well,

Unknown: 45:37

I may give that up at some point, if it ever becomes not fun. I'm out. Do you sell any jewelry? Not on eBay.

Suzanne Wells: 45:45

Okay, so that job doesn't compliment your eBay business,

Unknown: 45:49

not right now, if I ever it, I'll have stuff to sell. I

Suzanne Wells: 45:53

mean, you're learning about what the the the makers, and you know the terminology for jewelry, because that is a very overwhelming category for some people. But just because there's so much of it, a lot of the the hallmarks, the markings, look the same, or they were only especially vintage jewelry. It was only during a very specific time frame, and so you have to, you have to be able to date it and figure out what the material is, and there's to it, and it's small. So if you're not, yeah, you can use a magnifying glass or a loop. But you know, if your vision is not great, as we get older, it's like, that's so small I can't see it, yeah,

Unknown: 46:41

yeah, I have a loop, and from just working there, I thought, oh, I need one of those. So I have one of those. And one thing I've learned with that is working there, and it's a Texas based company, and it's a specific brand, and so, but that stuff sells, and I won't ever buy another diamond, because they don't go up in value like other jewelry does, like some of this retired stuff with this company that I work with, that stuff goes way higher, and, you know, compared to what you spent on it to what you spend on a diamond ring. So right? I just that's changed my perspective on that. I'm thinking, No, I don't need another diamond, but I enjoy working there, but when my husband retires, I don't know, maybe we'll want to do more stuff together. I don't know. So who knows? Well, it's

Suzanne Wells: 47:41

there for you, if you ever want to pick it up, you know, and do it more intensely, yeah, is there, and we're never run out of stuff to find, to sell. Oh, yeah, it's just we can't do it fast enough. That's why we all have death piles. It's like we know these things will sell. It's just the time involved in getting it listed.

Unknown: 48:05

And, you know, I always was afraid, oh, I'm going to buy something. It's not going to sell. And there are, I do have some things that have been in my inventory for a couple of years, but I don't care, because I don't, I'm not. I didn't spend a lot on it. And, you know, maybe someday I'll go through and donate some stuff out of it, but I just it. Stuff does sell. It takes time. Some things take time, but they'll sell. You know, yeah,

Suzanne Wells: 48:34

it's eBay. Is not a fast game. Yeah, it is not. And somebody posted on the Facebook group about that. You know that they want their stuff to sell within three months, and it's like, you can't, you can't set that criteria. Yeah, it's it sells when it sells when the right buyer comes along. Or maybe you're the only one with that item. There's lots of reasons. But if you're, if you're getting into this, do not count on the income. You know, over time, you'll see what kind of you average at. It's not a fast game. Yeah, it's not. And I'm just being realistic. When people get into this, you know, because I see that all the time. You know they they're coming from either a retail environment or something with analytics that show how quickly the products in that industry sell. Uh huh, you know, like the turnover on the grocery store shelves or whatever it is. And eBay's not like that. You cannot. That's why I hate sell through rates, because they're just, they're not accurate. It's, you know, you could have several sales in there where the person just didn't care. There's getting rid of some I just think there's too many variables. There's too much of a human element involved that if you are solely basing your research. Search decision on sell through rates, that's just not a good plan. Yeah, that's just they're too variable. There's too many variables that we can't we don't even know, right? That's my PSA for sell through rates. My bottom line is, pay attention to what is working in your store, and do more of that. And if things work, do more of it. You know, everybody's store has a different algorithm. Some things sell for people so quickly and and consistently and, and I can't get it out of there in two years. Like, what's the deal like? I have

Unknown: 50:39

some loveies that I haven't sold, and I have some VCRs that I watch somebody say, Oh, they sell. And I have a couple of them, and they're just sitting there, they have not sold, and but then I sell another thing I sell, I don't know, wine, it's not like a big money deal, napkin

Suzanne Wells: 50:58

rings, yes, I've sold some of those. And

Unknown: 51:02

I love it. I like them. And there's these groups on Facebook, beautiful table settings, where they just set a dining table with beautiful things just for the occasion or the holiday or whatever. And that's just their their passion, their hobby. And so they buy that kind of stuff.

Suzanne Wells: 51:23

Uh huh, yeah, napkin rings are, if you're entertaining, that's just a fun thing to have, because you can change the look of everything. They're small, they don't take up much room, you know, they're not usually very expensive, but they can be very interesting. And, you know, a fun addition to whatever event you're hosting, yeah? Just, you know, it's the Martha Stewart mentality of, right? Let's just pay attention to the details and make this beautiful. So, yeah, those are fun, too. So okay, well, we have got to the end here. Do you have any final words for the listeners.

Unknown: 52:04

I just think that what you said, you know, you don't know. You have to figure out what works for you, what sells for you, because I've tried to do what I've seen some other people sell, and it hasn't, it hasn't sold, like, the weird stuff that I've bought, sells. So, right? You gotta find your niche. And I don't feel like I have a niche because I'm diversified, but I just think it's true what you say, that don't compare yourself to other people. And what calls out to you get that and so what? What speaks your name kind of,

Suzanne Wells: 52:49

yeah, find your passion. And it's not like work. It's

Unknown: 52:51

just fun. Yeah, exactly. Okay. Well,

Suzanne Wells: 52:55

that being said, Are you doing anything fun today?

Unknown: 52:58

I don't know. I don't so I don't have to work today, so I'm I, I'm just kind of chilling. Okay,

Suzanne Wells: 53:08

well, good for you. That's what you're supposed to do when you're semi retired. Is, yeah, you know, if you want to take a me day, then take one you can. Yeah, okay. Well, thank you so much for agreeing to come on and sharing everything. It's nice to meet you in person, and we'll look for more your sales on the group.

Unknown: 53:26

All right. Well, thank you. It's so nice to meet you. I appreciate you having me. Thanks. Bye. Bye.

Suzanne Wells: 53:35

Next week, my guest is Dana, who runs her eBay business a little differently with the help of her generous local community. So make sure you tune in for that episode to hear about her business. Thank you all again for supporting this podcast. I appreciate all of you, and I hope everybody has a successful week on eBay, bye, bye. You.