Font Size:     

Month: October 2023

Sat. Oct. 21, 2023 – pickups, and decor, that’s my list…

Cool and clear, warming later. Breeze if we’re lucky. Friday was like that and it was lovely. More please…

Did my pickups yesterday. Filled the pickup bed, again. Did I mention finding an entry door just laying on the side of the road? Propped against other heavy trash, clean and perfect condition. Should fit the dock house entry, which is currently a peeling old hollow core door. Might be a little tall, but we’ll see. Now if the universe would give me the other 3 entry doors I need…

Also hit the Goodwill bins and picked up some good stuff for resale, and a few things for me. Good LP records, some reel to reel pre-recorded performances that should sell, and some nice books– some for the apocalypse library, and some to sell. I’m ripping the CDs and DVDs as I write this. Someone liked Charlie Parker, so I filled a gap in my collection. I think I had 62 pieces of “media” all told which is a lot since they went to “by the each” pricing for “media”. The LPs are a wash compared to weight, but the CDs and DVDs got more expensive. They raised the price on books, which have always been “by the each” from 50c or 3/$1 to 69c or 2/$1. All “media” is now the same pricing as the books, so I’m a bit more careful buying CDs and DVDs. Books I grab if I want them or if I think they’ll sell. Given my review of what made money in my local auction, getting books is smart.

Today I need to continue in-processing auction items, and make a big loop to pick up this weeks winning bids. After that, I want to work on holiday decor for a few hours. I won’t put up the big display yet, but I want to get some stuff up to enjoy for the week.

I feel like I should head to the BOL this weekend as I’ve got a big pile of stuff to get up there and it’s piling up around the house. Just doing a quick run to take stuff up is kind of expensive in gas though, and more critically, time. The drive time:work time ratio doesn’t make sense unless I can stay up and do some work for a couple of days. Maybe later in the week…

So much to do, and time keeps ticking away.

I can stack though, and that’s a good thing.

nick

Read the comments: 33 Comments

Fri. Oct. 20, 2023 – Ah, living a life of leisure…

Cool and clear, turning warm and clear. Possibly even “hot” for values of hot. It was nice bordering on sweaty yesterday by late afternoon. That would be just fine for me today too.

Did some pickups. Filled the truck bed and the passenger seat. My opening bid won 14 cases of methyl alcohol in bottles. Yeah, wasn’t planning for all that. That is so far more than a lifetime’s worth it isn’t funny. Should burn in an alcohol stove, or work as a cleaner, don’t know if it will work with resin printers to clean the model, but that would be sweet. Normally they recommend isopropyl alcohol.

I also won food, 10 packages of oreo cookies in various flavors, some Kettle chips, and something else I can’t remember. Also a bunch of OTC meds, some makeup for D1, and various and sundry other things for around the house. I made a big loop and hit three auctioneers before my doctor appointment.

After that it was ‘busy with kid stuff’ until late. D2 had a band concert. They’ve improved dramatically. My Axil G2 active hearing protection worked well for the parts that weren’t great.

Spent some time looking over my auction sales for the last two months, mainly to see how specific things did, and what my best sellers are. For margin, it’s clearly books. I pay between 33c and 50c per book, and it’s rare that the sort of book I pick up doesn’t sell. Minimum of $1, but $5-6 is more typical, and I hit $15 or more with several in every auction. Occasionally I have one that is crazy, like the one that sold for $420, although $40- 50 is more common. Most of what I pick up is either old, no UPC codes, or small press with narrow subject matter, or of local interest. Regional cookbooks did very well, as did outdoor books by authors telling their particular story.

Pokemon is a good seller, since it’s basically free (weighs very little) it has great margins, so do console game discs. Cast iron sells well too, but it’s heavy so the margin is poor. Modern Lodge sells for about $10-15 per piece, which is a small profit, but antique or collectible brands sell for much more. I had a collectible frying pan sell for $100 a couple weeks ago.

Well respected name brand cowboy boots, especially in exotic hides, sell well, but the ‘store brands’ like Justin don’t bring much money, even in great condition. Clothing and regular shoes are hit or miss- sometimes the top brands or vintage bring good money, sometimes it is just ordinary thrift store pricing. Even so, the margin on clothes is pretty good.

Ladies handbags, some vintage toys, and some cookware are all items selling well, but not for crazy money.

In general I’m seeing 1/3 to 1/5 of ebay sold price for most items with a few going much higher. And I’m getting a better idea of what should really be on ebay, where you don’t have to have the ‘right’ buyer during a narrow window of time, and your audience is broader. Add in that the economy is always changing, buyers come and go, and holiday spending has an effect, and you have to play a numbers game and hope for good averages. This month and last, I could finally get a lot of stuff in and sold. I hope it continues, and that the recent drop in prices improves.

Today I’ve got a few items to pickup, and all the normal list to do. I won a couple of blue plastic water barrels that will become part of my rainwater harvesting, either here or at the BOL. I won a couple of other things for the BOL too. And it would be nice to get some more stuff out of the attic and driveway for next week’s auction. At least I don’t have a bunch of kid chauffeur duties today.

I’m stacking up money, and clearing the way for more useful stuff, as well as buying stuff for the stacks. It’s a ‘multifaceted’ approach. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Multi- faceted.

However you source it, stack some stuff.

nick

Read the comments: 68 Comments

Thur. Oct. 19, 2023 – getting closer to All Hollows Eve, and I’m not ready

Slightly warmer forecast for today. Yesterday was another beautiful day. Clear and cool, with a breeze. Today should be mostly the same.

I did get a bunch of auction stuff done yesterday, and took a load to my auctioneer. He ran a report and printed me all my lots and sale prices for the last few weeks. I’ll be looking through those today and the rest of the week. I want to spot anything that sells well consistently that I might not realize. It’s always a crap shoot, sometimes one thing sells well, the next time it doesn’t. I’m trying to maximize return though, so I should look.

Today I’ve got a couple of pickups, household stuff mostly, that I didn’t do yesterday. And I need to hit Costco for candy, and the local grocery for milk and cream, and any meat that might be on sale. I’ve also got a follow up appointment with one of the specialist doctors, who will be reviewing the PET scan results with me. Hopefully I’ll get an all clear, at least until the colonoscopy.

It will be a busy day, when all that can’t even start happening until after 10am. But that’s life. I take it as it comes, and do what I can with it.

And I’m always stacking or thinking about stacking…

nick

Read the comments: 57 Comments

Wed. Oct. 18, 2023 – the dog ate my icecream…

Cool, or even cold to start the day, then warming later. Yesterday went from 48F to mid 80s. CLear for the next few days too, according to the national forecast. Very pleasant to be outdoors.

Did some stuff at my desk, then got out and got some stuff together for the auctioneer. Took me so long to find the stuff that I missed the close of business. Now I have the stuff on the truck, ready to drop off later today. I want to move as much stuff as I can before people’s buying shifts into Christmas buying. Big picture, I want to sell as much as I can while people still have the money to buy it.

Today I’ve got some auction pickups after I do my drop off. Looking at the invoice, a fair chunk is cookies. That’s followed by makeup/beauty supplies. That stuff is crazy expensive to buy at retail. The rest is household stuff, or for the BOL.

I’ve already begun pulling back, so I figure others must be too. I am not even bidding on stuff I’d have gone after a year ago, if it is far away, or the pickup terms are onerous. I’m dropping out of auctions at lower amounts than I might have last year too. I’m still winning lots, so others are dropping out even earlier. All this is to say that I’m seeing a tightening in spending that is probably more general and widespread if it’s affecting even super bargain shoppers.

It’s also an opportunity. If people are reluctant to spend, the prices will come down and someone who has money and the desire to spend it will be able to get some great bargains. Some good stuff will be selling at fire sale prices. Great news if you’ve got the scratch.

Stack it while you can.

nick

Read the comments: 71 Comments

Tues. Oct. 17, 2023 – ok, so that wasn’t quite what I wanted…

Cool and clear, nice. Chilly even. I wore a coat while waiting for the bus. It did get warmer, but the wind was blowing like crazy. It was blowing enough to bring down branches and to move my truck around on the freeway. Today should be the same, maybe less windy.

I decided yesterday to make my pickup in Austin, so I jumped in the truck and went. Had to unload some stuff first, and there were some other things to do, so I got a late start. That meant I could shop the State Surplus store, but didn’t have time to hit the Goodwill bins in Austin. Ah well. It’s been three years since I got anything in the surplus auction there, and they’ve redone the freeway, and the store in the mean time. The interchange was confusing before, now it is baffling. HATE the roads in Austin. Lots of cops hanging out too.

So today I’ve got to get stuff together for my local auction. I’ve got some bigger things to get to him later today, but should take a couple of bins too. I’ll have to hit my storage unit, and my secondary location. On the plus side, everything I take him is something I don’t have to deal with again. Stuff is leaving the house and the units, and turning back into money.

Money is good.

Money buys stuff. Stuff to stack.

Stacks are good.

But, if you can’t stack, learn something or meet someone. That’s good too.

nick

Read the comments: 65 Comments

Mon. Oct. 16, 2023 – back to work you slacker.

Cool, almost cold, then warming. Clear for a few days according to the national forecast. Yesterday was nice, starting around 64F and getting warmer. Cooler after sundown of course. With the breeze, it was chilly in shorts.

I didn’t get done much of what I wanted to do yesterday. Sooprise! Not. Spent a good part of the day waiting for and expecting to be interrupted by my wife getting home. Her changing flight times made that longer than I expected and really broke up my day. So that is my excuse. I did get some auction stuff done, and some sorting. Continued feeding CDs into my computer for ripping and storage. I like ripping CDs better than DVDs since they are so much faster to rip. I can really make progress on a stack of discs.

I have been mixing in the occasional DVD, and found one that was rotten in a way I haven’t seen before. I mention it because of our previous discussions about media longevity. It was an expensive and well produced copy of Edward Scissorhands (10th anniversary). Some DVDs are better than others, with thicker discs, thicker coatings, better packaging, etc. This was a better one, and yet something seems to have gotten between the base disc and the protective coating. The result is the reflective layer is a darker color in an irregular donut shape, almost as if you trapped a circle of oil between two glass plates. I’ve never seen one fail in this way before, and it is completely unreadable. The packaging is in good condition (no indication of moisture or heat) and there isn’t a scratch or mark on the disc surface. Weird.

Today I really do need to get some of the stuff done I’ve been pushing off. I’ve got auction, home, and holiday stuff to do. I need to just get moving and let inertia carry me along with a busy and full day. I am feeling better, I think the cold is almost done, so that should help. I just wasn’t feeling great yesterday, after being up late and having a mild headache most of the day.

To that end, time to get to it.

Stack. Stack. Stack. And then stack some more.

nick

Read the comments: 50 Comments

Sun. Oct. 15, 2023 – Hoping for a nice day to work outdoors…

Cool, clear, and dry. That would be great. Yesterday was like that and it was glorious. Of course, if you were in the sun, and the breeze wasn’t blowing, it was still pretty hot. I’ve got stuff to do in the yard, and I need some clear weather to do it.

Did my pickups and even a small drop off yesterday. Got a load of patio furniture for the BOL in the back of my truck, for now. I’ve got to off load it so I can use my truck this week. Auctioneer said I could bring a couple of bigger things, along with the flip top bins and black bins, so I need the truck.

Met with my non-prepping hobby friends too. Another small meeting. Of course the day was beautiful, and the eclipse might have kept some people at home. The eclipse was pretty cool. It didn’t get as dark as I expected, but the quality of the light changed dramatically. Spent some time in the street chatting with a couple of the neighbors while we watched. Nice to connect with them.

I missed having the city pick up my tree debris apparently. That was one of the things I learned from the neighbors. City came by, but my pickup was too close to the pile for their comfort. Dang. Now I’ll probably have the pile sitting there on Halloween. Do not want.

Speaking of, I really would like to get the first layer of decor out today. Not the new special yearly display, but the old favs, gravestones, busts on busted columns, skulls and bones… maybe some lighted inflatables…

Wife should be back from her trip later today. I always feel better when the pack is all together. This is an especially worrisome time though, so I am anxious for her return.

I’m still stacking. Part of what I picked up was several shelves of stuff from a garage cabinet. One way to get stuff cheap, buy a box of fluids at a garage or estate sale. It’s mostly car care, plumbing supplies, and garden chemicals. Pennies on the dollar.

Money is tight and getting tighter. Every penny needs to count, especially if you are getting a late start prepping and you still need a bunch of stuff. You can do it, and you should.

Keep stacking my friends,

nick

Read the comments: 56 Comments

Sat. Oct. 14, 2023 – Solar eclipse today… and my non-prepping hobby

It was warm as the devil’s backside yesterday and just as sweaty, so I’m hoping today actually is cooler, like Fall is supposed to be. It’s still not “winter” or “summer” in Houston, so it could go either way. There were threatening clouds too, but I didn’t personally see any rain. Somebody probably did.

I did my running around, several pickups, and arranging for a drop off later today, and on Tuesday. Ran the kids back and forth from their events too. Didn’t make it to Costco, or into the attic for some Halloween decor.

Today is busy too. Starting out with my non-prepping hobby, then eclipse watching with the kids if possible, then drive out to an auction pickup. My wife wanted some more patio furniture for the BOL, and I won some more in an auction. Grabbed a few more things, since I was going there anyway. Then if I get back in time, I would really like to get some preliminary decor out. I’m feeling a bit slack this year. Doesn’t matter that I’ve got this cold, no one cares. And I don’t actually want it to delay me either. So I’ll push through.

The world continues to get crazier. Thankfully there wasn’t much from the “day of jihad”, outside of the stabbings and chanting “Death to Israel” and “Death to the USA” that I’m sure played a big part in the various gatherings worldwide. Doesn’t mean there won’t be more. I think the chances of something bigger than Ham-ass killing jews and getting themselves slaughtered in return just got downgraded a notch. I still think we’ll get more involved, and then China will move on Taiwan, but that will wait for another day.

Meanwhile, think about what losing Taiwan will do to global manufacturing, product availability, price, and the stock market. And what that will do to our economy. Plan for it. Stack while you can.

nick

Read the comments: 78 Comments

Fri. Oct. 13, 2023 – Friday the 13th is on a Friday this month…

Cool and clear, but still damp. Achingly damp. There were scattered rain showers in various parts of town yesterday. I could see them when I was driving around, but nothing that affected me. Today could be the same… or it could pour on me no matter where I am, but the money is on “same.”

I got my pickups done. Didn’t do a drop off. Chatted with one of the staff guys at one auctioneer. He’d been gone for a while with health issues. A sinus infection turned into a tooth problem turned into life threatening sepsis. Many people tied from abscesses in their mouths. Many people died from simple infections. Anesthetics and antibiotics have made all the surgical interventions modern medicine is so fond of possible. And the antibiotics have made interventions unnecessary in many cases. We live in an age of miracles and don’t even realize it.

There were an awful lot of people sneezing and sniffling when I was out and about, myself included. I actually handed out some tissues. I am a bit fatigued and might just go back to bed for a while today. I have stuff to do, but rest and fluids sounds better right now. I’d like to kick this thing in the @ss and move on, especially with my other testing and appointments.

So I’m going to just play today by ear. Might do stuff, might not. Wife is traveling on the day of Jihad, so that’s fun. I think I’ll stay close to home.

And stack. Or re-arrange stacks. Or maybe clean and double check some needful things. the smell of Hoppes is like aromatherapy…

nick

Read the comments: 64 Comments

Thur. Oct. 12, 2023 – time to start decorating…

Cool and clear after yesterday’s misty drizzle. I stood with D2 under an umbrella waiting for the bus in the morning, but had to shade my eyes from the sun when I drove home from my appointment in the evening. It would be nice to have a sunny but cool day.

Did my pickups yesterday. Mostly health and beauty stuff for the teen, and a few items for the BOL. I’ve got a couple of pickups today too.

Did my imaging appointment yesterday, but won’t hear anything until a week from now. It was interesting to have a scan I’ve never had before, but I’d really just as soon not needed it. It’s amazing what we can do with tech. Western civilization has been very good to a huge number of people.

Today I’ll be doing auction stuff, and hopefully dropping some stuff off for sale.

I’ll also try to get to Costco for Halloween candy, and whatever else I can get.

I didn’t lose a whole day, but I lost a part of it, and I couldn’t spend it on the stuff I thought I would. I have to make up some of that time.

And time feels very short. Get your preps stacked, you might need them sooner than you think.

nick

Read the comments: 61 Comments
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- // end of file archive.php // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------