I Have A Problem

I can't fit this weekends yard sale finds in my office.

Hahaha... Its official!  I'm addicted to the whole resale adventure on eBay and Craigslist.  I started doing it out of curiosity and now I'm really gung-ho about doing it to save for vacation.  So far I've banked about $700 (and I'm getting more efficient).  Not bad for something I just started about 10 weeks ago.  I have to admit, though, that certain things have suffered as a result: 

• cooking (why cook when you could be listing items on eBay!?!?!)
• ironing (we'll just wear the knit stuff for now)
• blogging (I haven't take a picture of my son in over a month, but I've got picture of plenty of toys, coats, bikes and baby gear!)
• sleep (I've adopted the mantra "I'll sleep when I'm dead")
• scrapbooking/other hobbies 

I suppose it DOES take time and everyone I talk to about it gets this perplexed look on their face and wonders aloud "how I have time for all that?".  I guess we make time for what we want to make time for.  It certainly is something I'm interested in for now. I mean, its just SO exciting to see my bids increase on an auction or have someone email me about something I have on craigslist.  I mean I bought a stroller at a yardsale recently for $20 and sold it within a couple days for $75. 

As my grandmother says "You can't beat that with a stick!!"

I recently have been selling more baby items on craigslist.  Having gotten rid of my own things fairly recently I knew what things were hot.  I was selling a Bumbo baby seat on Craigstlist and had arranged to meet an interested buyer at a local grocery store parking lot.  When we met, he got out of the car with his wife to inspect the seat and I asked how old their little one was.  He said... "oh we dont have kids, we have a business!" 

Oh...

Then he and his wife proceed to try to talk me down because "they had just sold one of these on eBay last week for such and such amount and weren't going to make enough profit on this one".

Not my problem, buddy.

I politely informed them that I sold on ebay also and I was firm on the price.  They left empty handed. 

Its highly annoying when someone waits until they're face to face with you to try to talk you down.

Jerks

Well, the next Saturday I started out at an upscale neighborhood yardsale promptly at 7am.  Who should roll in behind me but Mr. Bumbo himself.  He and I played cat and mouse throughout that entire community sale.  He'd run to one sale and beat me out of a stroller I wanted.  I'd run to the next and save a whole bunch of things I wanted and ask if I could go to the one across the street and come right back.  Seriously one of the most stressful experiences of my life!  I was trying to avoid "buying it all" because of the hype, but was having to make quick decisions and couldnt look anything up to double check prices.  All in all I was extremely happy with what I came home with (I packed Kevin's car to the brim!). 

I did overhear Mr. Bumbo telling one deflated homeowner that "he didnt have kids he had a business" after just wheedling him down to $10 for 3 carseats.  I couldn't BELIEVE he hadn't learned his lesson and felt pretty sorry for the guy who'd just been duped.  Ah well.. I guess no one twisted the guys arm to MAKE him sell his carseats.  Its just got to be a rotten feeling.

So, yes, something I laugh at.  I hope I dont have to contend with Mr. Bumbo at any sales in the near future, but figure I haven't seen the last of him.