Getting the right box to cut shipping costs

When I first started to buy goodies online, I never stopped to think about the box that it came in.  I would always just tear it up just to get at what I had bought.  But when I started to sell online, I started to look at boxes differently.

One place that offers a wide variety of boxes is the Post Office, and places like Walmart goes through quite a few of them on a daily basis.  More often than not, places like this will let you have these boxes.  One bit of advice that I keep in mind is to stay away from boxes that had food in it. I do this because the smell of the food that was in the box could potentially be there still and attract bugs to the box.

But what happens if you have a box that you want to use that has a ton of writing on the outside?  This is actually very simple, and all it takes is some mailing tape and a pair of scissors.

The first step is to cut the top and the bottom loose, like this:

 

Every box has a seam on the side where it was assembled.  The box can be unassembled at this seam, and the box will look something like this:

 

Once the box has been unassembled, you need to flip the box over and tape the box together at the seam again which can be seen here:

 

 

After doing that, the next step is to tape the bottom of the box back together:

 

 

Now that all of that is done, the easy part is next.  All that you have to do is to fill the box and tape it shut.  Make sure that you print out the correct postage for the brand new box that you just created and send it off.

 

What kinds of ideas do you use to help you and your customers save money?

What in the world is Goofus Glass?

Goofus glass is also known the names Mexican Ware, Holligan Glass, or even Pickle Glass.  It is a presed glass with relief designs painted either on the front or the back of the class.  It was very popular from 1890 to 1920, and it was used as a premium at carnivals.

The glassware was produced by several companies such as Imperial and Northwood.  It lost its popularity when people found that the paint tarnished or even wore off after repeated washings and wear.  If you find a piece in good condition, treasure it.

The color of the glass also varies just like the manufacturers as well.  Green, crystal, and even milk glass are some of the colors that can be found.

Even though there has been no record of its manufacture has been found after 1920, there are plenty of patterns to show off anywhere in your house.  Patterns like Cabbage Rose, Peacock In A Tree, Three Mums, or even Morning Glory are but a small examples that can decorate any room in the house.

You can see some great example of Goofus Glass in my Etsy shop here.  Have you found any examples of Goofus glass?

 

Got a decanter?

In 1955, the James Beam Distilling Company began offering ceramic whiskey decanters.  At the peak of interest in 1975, at least 20 companies were producing these decanters.  The decanter was often made for a certain distilling company’s product.

Most collectors specialize in a certain figures.  It could be a train, cars, Indians, characters like Jesse James, or even a fish like a Blue Marlin.

Most define a mint decanter with no chips or cracks, and the label is intact as well.

Values for these decanters vary.  Some can be found scratched up for a few dollars, while the perfect ones with a rare motif can be worth hundreds of dollars.

You can find the Blue Marlin and the Jesse James decanters in my Etsy store here.  What kind of decanters have you seen lately?

 

Tips for a successful garage sale

I see them everywhere, especially during the spring and early summer months.  Garage sales are absolutely fun to go to, but how do you have a successful one of your own?

One thing that helps is to put out a lot of signs where you’re most likely to snag the most traffic.  The signs must be visible from the street, and even give the address of your sale.  It even helps to give the time and dates of your sale.

 

The next thing you need to do is to make your merchandise accessible.  The items that are not in the sale need to be either covered with a sheet or tucked away somewhere else if possible.  Dust or clean the things going into the sale.  A clean, well-organized sale does so much better.

Don’t overprice your items.  We’ve all gone to sales where the garage sale prices were higher than the original sticker price—and we have left shaking our heads in disbelief.

For your own safety, don’t allow strangers to enter your home to use the bathroom or the phone.  They just might be casing your house to see what you have for the possibility of a robbery.

Be willing to entertain a good offer (not 50 cents for a 50 dollar item).  If the offer is a little low, you can always give a counteroffer.

Be friendly with the people that come by—but don’t sit and stare at your customers.  In a way, they are your guests.  But at the same time, don’t allow bad manners (it’s your sale after all).

If you’re willing to do this, your garage sale will be a hit.  You might even just sell out of everything!

For the budding collector in your life

You are an avid auction-goer, flea market shopper, or antique store junkie.  Each time you’re out, young son or daughter is alongside watching what is going on, which is how it began for me.

By the age of 8, I was raising my hand at auctions (always with the bidding help of my parents).  When I was 15, I had a tiny booth with a monthly rent of $35.

Why not encourage your own young person to begin collecting—or at least pay close attention to the kinds of childhood interests he or she exhibits.  When you purchase inexpensive items for them (like baseball cards, action figurines, games, dolls, and on and on), why not buy another and put it away.  In another 20 or 30 years, you may just hit the jackpot.

How I wish I had my 1980’s Transformers toys in the box.