He Provides...all the time!

Many of you know that I'm on a short-term disability leave from work due to some not-so-fun complications of my MS. As my salary is now greatly decreased, we're left to come up with some creative ways to bring income into the house. Since starting a three-ring circus was not an option (although there are days when I feel that we could do that!)...



...I decided to go back to my ebay selling.

Selling on Ebay takes a LOT of time. But --I'm not working - I have a LOT of time.

I poked my head into the garage...what treasures might I find in there?

We are collectors of many things...we never pass up something that's in resellable condition if we see it on the side of the road...brakes on...flashers on...van in park...GO!

We've been known to go dumpster diving. (We were out one day diving through the dumpster at our local furniture store hoping to score some very large boxes in order to pack up a very large item which had recently sold when I pulled out a BRAND NEW pair of Men's Tennis Shoes --they still had the tag on them and the paper stuffed in the toes!!! ?!?! The thing that really puzzles me is that The Good Shepherd Center is right down the street....why didn't they donate these?!)

Brillo Man used to go out scrapping before his hip got so bad that he can no longer do a lot of heavy lifting.

I am Queen of thrift shopping.

And I volunteer regularly at our local Good Sherherd Shepherd Center where I am fortunate enough to spot some great bargains before the Treasures store opens and can set them aside to purchase after my shift ends. (By the way...I donated those tennis shoes.)

All of these "treasures" that we find along the way have to go somewhere...they're in the garage...and in the shed...and in the other shed... Our neighbors can attest to the fact that until recently our van sat outside for two years because our garage was full of stuff to sell! We finally sold the commercial size dryer that was in there - someone drove from Iowa (or was it Idaho?) to pick it up. He got a great deal for his tent-washing business (I didn't know there was such a thing as a tent-washing business) and we regained the space in the garage - as well as a couple of extra dollars for groceries! (And I'm parking in the garage again!)

Just last week while volunteering at The Good Shepherd Center, my friend and coworker for the day (Dawna!) was setting out a White Hobnail Chenille Bedspread....Hmmm...let me see that...It was marked "Double Size" - I bought it. When I brought it home I noted that it was 100% cotton and was in very good condition with no stains.... I listed that baby on Ebay - yesterday it sold for $27.38 --my investment: $1.00

Several weeks ago I attended the library book sale and purchased four bags of books on "everything-you-can-fit-in-a-bag-for-$4.00" day. Filling 1/4 of one bag was a set of young teen romance series books...Sweet Valley High. I picked up 37 of them. They sold for $45.50! Someone got a great deal on those books which MORE than made up for my entire investment of $16.00 ...and I still have plenty more books to sell!

An old copper, hand-hammered tray which Brillo Man picked up when scrapping one night just sold yesterday for a little over $13.00. It all adds up...(in fact this month our Ebay sales total over $1000.00) and with every sale I praise God for His provision for our family.

My all-time best finds have been the book that I purchased at a firehouse booksale. The book was a 1945 copy of Alice in Wonderland - had some great prints in it and was in very good shape. It sold to a book collector in The Netherlands for $38.00. My cost for the book: 10 cents! Another favorite find was at an auction - everything in the box for $1.00 - I bought the box. In the bottom were three antique hat pins. Two were not fancy - plain black beads adorning the top...the third had an enameled bead which read "Slippery Rock State Normal School 1898" An alumnus from the now Slippery Rock University purchased all three hat pins on Ebay for $68.00!

Okay --gotta dash--time to check my Ebay listings! Five items I'm selling are ending today and my "Lot of EIGHT Sterling Silver Bracelets L@@K! Great Gift" is up to $10.49 - my investment: $0.00 --found in a box in an apartment in a nearby town which Brillo Man cleared out for the apartment manager. Someone is going to get a great deal! (Any silver lovers out there? Sara?)