Thursday, August 20, 2009

Next Adventure - Help Me Pack?

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This is something I have always wanted to try, ever since I was a teenager. This week, due to my husband being in violation of court orders and choosing to ignore the required alimony and child support, I decided it might be a good time to go for it. Hmmmmmm... abject poverty or mighty empire..... decisions, decisions....

I have always wanted to purchase one small item that I could turn around and sell, either with or without labor, and make a little more, use that money to buy a more expensive item, then repeat that process continually until I have enough money to have something usable.

Yesterday, I left the house early for a dental appointment that I could no longer put off, as the pain was getting too bad. And who wants to go through life with visible holes in their mouth, you know?

Well, it turns out I had the time wrong. I was not to be there at 1 pm, my appointment was at 4 pm! Ack! A half day we could have spent getting things done here at home! Why do these things happen? Why indeed...?

What to do? Can't run back and forth to town all day long. So we used the time to window shop in some places I'd not been in for a long time. We finally ended up at the thrift store and I found these items separately. When I sat them all next to each other, the old idea popped into my head.

These are solid brass, made in India, and all together they cost me $6.00. I think I can sell them for more than that as a set.

I would love input on this. I have tremendous ideas all the time, but I often think that my ideas are not usually what appeal to others. If you can think of anything for me, put it in a comment below. I am wondering about a price. Does $35.00 seem good?

I am also wondering about the photos I just now took, very quickly. I know presentation is key, so I want to photograph them well. I am wondering about actually creating an entire deco scene around them, maybe flowers or something, but I am sort of drawn to the simplicity of the mantle shot.





My creative juices are flowing now. I am seeing these in an outdoor, rock setting with some flowing water... I have the rocks, and Michael could stand out of view with a pitcher... could work! :-)













Opinions, opinions! I know you have great ones. I would love them, both from an artistic sense and a common sense from consumer points of view.

I am considering opening another blog, just for this particular adventure. Seeing how far this idea goes. I want to find out if this is something the Lord will make happen, or just another of Faith's funny ideas.

Bring it on!

~Faith

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12 comments:

  1. What a great idea! You coud do e-bay or other sites, or your own! My brother makes lots of money on Amazon with books.

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

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  2. I have no idea about the prices...I would do a search on e-bay for similar items. I like the fireplace photo, but I have heard natural, outdoor lighting is really best. I would definitely take a couple of pictures up close, to give some idea of the detail. You could start an etsy shop, which is a bit easier than e-bay. I have done both. And both take some time to get acclimated. It helps to know someone in your area to help with the setup.
    As for the ex-husband, go get 'em!
    It is only right that he pay child support.

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  3. Sonds like you have a lot of good idea. Etsy is one place to sell vintage or modified handmade items. I can't say how successful it would be, as I nave not made a sale there myself. eBay may be another good place. Just a thought.

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  4. Hello Miss Faith,
    Lovely vases. I too am partial to the mantle shot. If you decide to run with this idea Faith remember to not get discouraged and give it some time to see if it will pan out. Be doggedly consistent, then if you don't see much return (after 6 mos or a year), you'll know if it was a good idea or not (I think it's a good idea). That is just my opinion and I'm not a business person my self, so not sure how much weight you can put on it.
    Love you dear,
    Kat
    ps: i like the ebay idea and you have to definitely find the spots to advertise and sell them because exposure is everything.

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  5. A' thinks ebay is better for this type of item. I also like the first picture better. I'm not sure if there are any dings or not. It would be good to carefully describe the items. There are cheap and free days on ebay. I would certainly think you could sell them for more then you purchased them for. A' says to carefully read the shipping rates you can charge at ebay.

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  6. Linda,

    I hope so. I've wanted to do the book thing as well, but it's one thing to want to do this, it's quite another to actually spend the time doing it!

    But winter will be here eventually and I'll spend more time working inside. Maybe things will develop.

    ~Faith

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  7. Cyn,

    I went and checked out your whole ETSY shop, this time to see how you had set it up for ideas. It feels a bit overwhelming, so much information is asked for. But I will focus on relaxing and enjoying the process. (I hope.) LOL

    ~Faith

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  8. Jo,

    You have been too scarce. Thank you for your input!

    ~Faith

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  9. Kat,

    You are right. It will be a slow process, no matter what. If I can just sell one thing at a time and make a little money on each one, I will still be ahead of the game than if I'd done nothing. :)

    Thanks for the encouragement!

    ~Faith

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  10. PsyNurse,

    Oh, for Pete's sake. I think I just figured out who you were. LOL

    I didn't know about the cheap and free days on eBay. :)

    ~Faith

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  11. I would definitely recommend looking into ebay as well. I have had some success there over the years selling various used items. Once sold all of my name brand maternity clothes for a pretty good price! I have also sold some of our old homeschooling supplies and there is definitely business to be had in that department. I would even recommend checking that out since you also homeschool. Some moms on there have a pretty extensive store selling their old homeschooling supplies and books. Might be worth looking into.

    I say go for it even if it takes you on a route you were not expecting. You never know where it might lead you! I admire your drive and determination Faith. :)

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  12. Cynthia,

    I have accounts for selling at both eBay and ETSY, but getting them suitable for anyone buying from me is another story.

    I checked out the brass vases for sale there and I felt mine were unique and pretty enough to ask more... however, we do tend to be biased about our own babies, don't we! LOL

    I got rid of almost all of my 23 years of home schooling book a few years ago. I used to frequent VegSource before they changed it up. That was absolutely the best place to buy and sell home school materials!

    ~Faith

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I always enjoy hearing from others. If you become a regular commenter, I'll assume you are being friendly and pretty much comment regularly right back. :o) God bless and have a terrific day!