So…Jerry has been telling me for the past 3 to 4 months, “you have to start a blog!” “Really?” I say. Like I have time to sit down and “blog.” But, I finally have realized, I have a secret to share! To all those stay at home moms, struggling to make ends meet, clipping coupons and putting on hold their successful careers (and UHMAZING paychecks…which, by the way we didn’t realize was sooooo amazing until we don’t get them anymore)….I dedicate this blog to you!
It all started about six months ago! During one of my frequent Saturday mornings out with Mom, hitting up the local yard sales, I came across a beautiful, antique Secretary Desk. The desk itself was in great shape; sturdy, made of solid wood with drawers that moved easily and hinges that didn’t squeak or stick. It, however looked like a WRECK! There wasn’t any hardware to go with the desk and the wood stain and varnish had been completely stripped down (which, by the way, if you are ever identifying pieces of furniture to retrofit, having it already stripped is a HUGE BONUS)! Unfortunately, the family selling the desk wanted a whopping $35! YIKES! Way out of my price range. So, I told the lady if she had it at the end of the day and wanted to get rid of it, I’d be willing to come back out and buy it for $15.
Sure enough, at the end of the day, she was more interested in off-loading the desk and gaining $15. After getting it home, I needed inspiration for the renovation…(I’m trademarking that phrase!) And, with a can of black paint that I already had in the garage, I spent about 2-hours painting the desk inside and out. An extra $4 investment at Wal Mart for the cheapest and most antiquey looking hardware gave the desk its final touch and complete transformation! The bonus….I LOVED it and had a place for it in my living room. BUT, I was more interested in selling it and turning over a profit than keeping it, so I posted it that night on craigslist for $155 (I didn’t have a picture of the final product with the hardware).
8 weeks later (I was really patient with selling this particular piece of furniture because it worked so well in my living room), I finally sold the desk for $125. (That was after I “sold” it for $140 to a girl who drove out from West LA to pick it up on a Wednesday night…with the cash in my hand, there was no amount of twisting and maneuvering that was gonna get that thing to fit in her car….BOOOOO, I had to give her the money back and send her on her way).With a total expense of just $19, a sale price of $125, I turned a profit of $106! I could hardly believe it. And, each week since then, I continue to be in shock at the treasures I find for next to nothing and the HUGE profits that I make (up to 4,000% profit on one item…I’ll share about that one later).
So, for those who call me on Saturday afternoons to find out my yard sale “hot damn deals” of the day, and for my Auntie’s who wait for my Saturday morning texts, my girlfriends who eagerly and enthusiastically respond to my amazing sales during the week and anyone else who might care, I blog about my great finds, my amazing transformations (and, sometimes not so amazing) and my personal tips and tricks to yard saling!
Enjoy…and comment, too…I don’t want to get a blogging complex. 🙂
P.S. My weekly post can be expected on Sundays for those just dying to find out about my sales (Don’t hold me to that, though…many variables in place for me to have a peaceful moment!)
Having a blog is a great idea! I can’t wait to read about your sales. 🙂