Mood:  on fire

I have been surfing the ebay wave lately and come up with a whole bunch of stuff I just love to pieces and find very useful, pretty, and neato - not particularly in that order.

I was really on a jewelry kick for a while there and I guess I still am. It all started when I was looking for jewelry for the New Year's Even party costume - Mrs. Roper inspired - outfit that I wore. This hideous orange, black and silver kaftan with gigantic flowers and swirls. Well, I was looking for those huge rings and necklaces that Mrs. Roper wore but couldn't find them online anywhere. I didn't think searching the garage sales around Wellington and Wichita would do any good, besides it was December after all and the snow was thick for Kansas. Yard sales that time of year - not so much. I then remembered ebay. Boy did I find what I was looking for any cheap. So cheap in fact I couldn't stop myself. I ended up buying a lot of vintage 1930, 1940, 1950's necklaces that I just love and wear all the time to work. They cost me about $1 EACH - YES!

So, inspired by my find and by my various co-workers comments that they liked the new jewelry I was wearing I started watching ebay closely and bidding on things here and there. Almost every necklace I buy now comes with matching earrings and the set costs no more than $8.50 with shipping. I am referring to the most expensive necklace I purchased - a coral and mother of pearl shell pendant necklace with matching earrings that I would have paid $25 for at Hilo Hatties in Hawaii. I know - because I swear I almost bought this exact necklace there in 2001. The necklace was $4.25 on ebay with $4.25 for shipping. It arrived in perfect condition and I've worn it twice since January 23. I love it.

Yesterday, I paid $32.95 (that's $20 for the items and $12.95 shipping) for 50 necklaces with matching earrings! That's 66 cents for a matching set of fashion jewelry that I could go to Claire's in the Mall and pay anywhere from a low $12 to a typically high $24 - for 66 cents! Right now I have 350 necklace sets pending and I'll know in about 20 minutes if I win the auction.

Now I bet you are wondering, what the hell is she going to do with all those necklaces and earrings. Well, here is the plan. I am going to pick out the ones I like best and that go with my wardrobe. Then, I am going to pick out the ones I think my mother, my step-mother, and my friend Lisa would like the best and set those aside - since they are coming for a visit later in the year - within a month or three. THEN, and I have already made a few arrangements at work, I am going to resell the items to a bunch of different ladies at work. I am going to charge $2.50 for a necklace & matching earring set. I will make back all the money I spent on the necklaces - nothing more, because I am not in this for profit - and get myself free necklaces in the process. Kind of like Tupperware or Pampered Chef parties, you know, where people buy things and the hostess gets free items depending on how much people buy. WELL - I am the hostess! I have worked it all out and of the 400 necklaces I will have (50 from the first batch and 350 from the second) I need only see 173 necklaces to cover my cost. That might sound like a bunch, but with the ladies I work with and knowing that they typically buy a necklace set for about $20, they will go nuts, because that $20 will get them eight sets of necklaces and matching earrings! I figure I am doing them a great service.

When the necklaces arrive I will post some pictures - I promise!

Oh, my auction is over in 4 minutes - hang on...*happy sigh* I just won! Wee haaaa...YES!!

Anyway, I have purchased quite a few other odd tidbits on ebay recently:

• a stainless steel fish poacher - NEW - in the box $4.99. It came with a set of sushi knives and a black plastic spatula. Shipping was $24.58, but I couldn't have found an 18" stainless steel fish poacher out there for that price!
• Wm Rogers Silverplate tea pot
• 10 Pillivuyt Fine French Porcelain http://www.pillivuytus.com/decorative2.asp  the six inch ribbed shell serving plate - I got them for $4 EACH - that's a steal
• FB Rogers Silverplate Seafood Serving Bowl
• Olfaire from Portugal blue green pottery shell shaped server It is SO pretty - and apparently from my research pretty rare and special - not many made
• Silver Plated Serving Platter - kind of like a round tea tray
• 2 Anchor Hocking Peach Luster Fire-King Seashell Dishes
• 2 Sushi place settings (flat rectangle plates, dipping bowls, and matching porcelain chop sticks)
• Wm Rogers Oneida Silver Coffee Pot
• A pair of pale green wine goblets that match the ones we already have to bring us up to a full set of 10

So, as you can see, quite a bit. Of the 400 necklace and earring sets I have purchased, if I sold 273 sets at $2.50 a set I could pay for everything I've purchased on ebay this year. I just can't wait. Ronda and I will host the Jewelry Party at her house and invite like 50 to 60 women and see where we get with it. Time to start planning and making invitations - weeeee!

BUT - I am done with buying anything else on ebay for a while. Until I have paid for my purchases with my necklaces sales - that's it for me.