I've been MIA again but I've been super busy with my eBay business. For the last three months, my profits have increased sixfold, and so has my workload, so it's become a full-time job for me now. Yesterday I opened an official eBay store because I'm at the point where it's financially viable.
Over the past few months I've fine-tuned my inventory and figured out my customer base. I've learned that these are the brands that sell consistently for me:
Anything from Aritzia, so Wilfred, T Babaton, TNA, Talula, etc.
J Crew
Alexander Wang
Equipment
Club Monaco
Ted Baker
Theory
Maison Martin Margiala
3.1 Phillip Lim
Paige
I also do well selling designer items, like Chanel, Lanvin, Alberta Ferretti, etc. but I don't come across these often. For those who are interested, I currently have an amazing men's Burberry Prorsum trench coat in excellent condition up for auction.
Hubby and I just completed some custom made tortoiseshell chetki (Russian worry beads) for a man in the UK. Well, hubby made the beads and I did all the admin.
The client saw them in the movie Eastern Promises; Viggo Mortensen's character has this particular style of bead and he looks badass when he plays with them, so the client did some research and came across them on this blog. I'm thrilled that someone sought me out for a product and I invite queries/requests for anything listed on this blog. Although we do have to make some changes if we're going to make any more since the current operation is unsustainable.
My boyfriend and I have talked it over and discussed how we'd love to corner the market of these types of beads in North America as it's very hard to get them from Russia, particularly from Russian prisons, which is where most of them are made. There isn't a large demand here. David Cronenberg fans aren't chomping at the bit for authentically hand made worry beads.
Here they are.
1) First bar of plastic.
Hubby got a really pretty pattern out of them, way more intricate and nuanced than the first tortoiseshell set.
2) Second bar.
The client pointed out that they look like Cola ice pops, which they really do.
3) Individual beads that have been cut and sanded. Just before holes have been drilled.
They just look like rocks
4) Threaded and polished. Photographed against different backgrounds.
A few more touch ups were made after these photos were taken but they already look stellar. See them against light.
Looks like tiger's eye
I'm incredibly proud of hubby. He got some gorgeous swirls and coloring in this one. We both love the effect achieved.
See them in action.
Slow to fast
As of right now, this client will be the last person to receive both the unique swirl in the plastic and the low cost of $65 per set. If we're to do this again, we'd definitely ask for more due to the amount of labor involved. But we're glad the client gets to have a unique item and we really hope he likes them as much as we do.
The day I suggested to hubby I needed a bigger desk and he needed a new chair, we went to Bibles for Missions and found this desk and this chair.
Desk $79. Chair $12.
So I gave my old desk and chair to him and this is now my current workspace. The larger area is great for wrapping packages.
I could also provide Blixa a space of her own for when she likes to stare out the window, ie. wait for me to come home.
The Mexican blanket I put on the floor happens to go with everything perfectly. The turquoise matches the table to the left, the blue matches the walls, and the pink matches Blixa's velvet pillows.
I'm currently doing a post on re-dying a Proenza Schouler PS1 bag, so in the interim, I thought I'd post my new designer score.
I have a knack for snagging $3,000 bags for $300 (Canadian prices, obviously). I don't mind a bit of wear on a purse. I use things hard, so 5 years with someone who cares for their handbags is equivalent to 5 months with me anyways.
Yesterday was my birthday and about a week ago I came across this Balenciaga City bag in Bordeaux with a very low starting big. It was around 11:30pm, there was about 14 minutes left on the auction, and without even looking into it, I bid and won. Talk about an impulse purchase.
Around midnight, I started to worry that the bag was a fake. So I spent the better portion of 2 hours investigating its authenticity and I came to the conclusion that it was indeed authentic. The seller was a trusted source. Phew. And when it arrived, I was even more certain about its authenticity. It was clearly listed at such a cheap price because of its less than stellar condition.
Fine by me! It has a great patina.
And so I anointed this bag as a birthday present to myself! And I love it. The size suits me more and I love the oxblood color. I originally wanted the City with giant studs in black but that will have to wait.
I had this draft saved for over a month and I forgot to post it! September has been so hectic (lots of really good posts to come, I promise).
Mid century wood and brass balance. For sale on Kijiji for locals, and on Etsy for non-locals.
Southwest themed placemats
Love the varied colors. They clearly need a wash.
Large pansy planter.
Small Persian rug for Blixa.
Small Japanese enamel tea pot.
Love the tangerine with the light blue interior.
Vintage Fiesta Glass handkerchief bowl.
This little end table. It's not the world's sexiest piece of furniture but it was $2 and I was sick of having a crate as a night stand. I also picked up 4 drum lampshades.
