What Sells January 2016

I haven't done a post like this for quite a while so I thought I'd look back at the entire month of January instead of just a week and show you some of my favorite sales.

I purchased the puzzle below called Verticalville II about 3 years ago but it has sat on a shelf waiting for me to put it together before I would list it. The only way to be sure all the pieces are there is to put a puzzle together because the number on the box is rounded up or down from the actual number of pieces. So we finally put it together which turned out to be fun. It sold for a whopping $50 on Amazon. If you ever see puzzles by this artist pick them up. His name is Robert Martin. He does some really fun puzzles. Check him out on ebay.

Below is a Laurel Burch apron. I love Laurel Burch things and have found and sold a few. She is an artist who did a lot of cat jewelry and other items with her cat designs. I bought the apron at my new found weigh and pay and it sold for $20 plus shipping. 

I had the Indiana Jones poster below listed on ebay for a couple of years and it wouldn't sell. Put it on Etsy for three times the price and it sold! 

I purchased the tabletop pool game below for $5 at an estate sale this summer. I had it listed on ebay for a couple of months but was hoping it wouldn't sell. I decided if I couldn't get a great price for it I would take it to the Assisted Living where my parents live. My dad loves it and we have been shooting pool my last few visits. It's probably less than 3 feet long. I love the mini pool balls.

I love the vase below because it's very much like what was made in the ceramics painting class I used to attend almost 40 years ago. Paid less than a buck and it sold for $17 on Etsy. Isn't it cute?

The skis below were mine. I used them about 30 years ago. I purchased them used which was good because I never really made it beyond novice skier. I sold them for $50. They had been sitting in my garage for YEARS and I haven't skied in many moons. They weren't fun to pack.

Lastly the vintage pink swan shower curtain below was purchased at a Goodwill outlet where everything is half off. It was a buck or two. Sold it shortly after listing it for $40. It was never used. It would have been fun to keep and use but doesn't go with my bathroom tile color anyway so off to a good home it went.  

Coming Up

Here are some holidays and events coming up soon that may increase sales of certain items. Be aware of what's going on and keep an eye out for items that you can list. If you have these items unlisted in your death piles get them listed!Look at Pinterest to see what is trending and get ideas on what might sell. If I've missed any upcoming holiday/events put them in the comments, please! On with the post..

Mardi Gras. Look for items people may buy to wear in parades, parties. Face masks, beads, boas.

Valentine's Day is pretty obvious, right? 

Stuffed animals, things with hearts, jewelry, the colors red and pink. 

For Black History month I've sold related books. 

Think of items that teachers could buy to use in classrooms. Books, videos.

I've found in the past that green tshirts, jackets, ties, hats etc are popular items for St Patrick's Day. 

People like to go to parties and bars wearing a little green. 

The Super Bowl! For a while I was lucky with the Packers still in the playoffs. I have a lot of Packers merchandise. As of last weekend though they are out of the running. Keep track of the teams still in and list those items you have unless they are Patriots stuff (haha just kidding :)

Here is a website that lists the holidays for each month.

My sales have dropped off greatly this month. How are yours?

Images are all from pixabay. My favorite source for free images.

Hallucinogenic Plants. What?!

I'll bet you are wondering about the title to this post! Well lately I've purchased several vintage Golden Guides. Do you remember these from when you were a kid? I gave a couple to my dad who likes to identify birds but I've also kept some to list on ebay and etsy. While researching them I sorted by price and found the best selling of Golden Guides. As my title says, Hallucinogenic Plants. If you ever come across it don't pass it up! It's worth boku bucks.  Now that I have several in my possession I'm starting to feel a little like keeping them! I've acquired the beginnings of a collection without my even realizing it. Makes them harder to let go of. Anyway.

Below is a Golden Guide I picked up recently. It's beautifully illustrated with glossy pictures. The science geek part of me loves it. One of the many, many things I considered for a career was a science illustrator. I thought it would be the perfect match up for both my scientific and artsy sides.  Golden Guides sell well in lots too so if you find a bunch of them snap um up. Here is a link to the Wikipedia page on Golden Guides.