Less Selling, More Crafting

I've put the resale thing on hold because I'm waiting to go into labor. And a few weeks ago I realized that if I am in the hospital while things are selling, I'm going to have to make my husband go home and figure out how to package and ship everything. Which he was NOT looking forward to.

So I stopped listing things, and raised the prices on everything listed in eBay so if it did sell, at least it would be worth the trouble. On Etsy, I just put a note in my store and all communications asking for patience if I'm slow to reply and ship. Everyone is generally nice there, so that seemed like the best way of handling that side.

But with all this free time not taking photos and listing and obsessively watching auctions, I'm able to get a little more crafty again.

Easter is coming, and I've had this cute Japanese bunny fabric for ages, and I finally found a pattern I loved, so it all came together to make these dresses for the girls.

The bunny fabric is the bodice and trim, and the skirt is basically a pixelated damask pattern. It's amazing.

The back is shirred, which I had never done, but wasn't too difficult, and I love how the straps tie with a bow through the back buttonhole. So clever!

I managed to finish the yellow dress at 11:30 tonight (which accounts for the poor photo of that one), so I have one more gift finished for the Easter baskets! I don't think they will wear them to church on Easter Sunday, but maybe for the egg hunt instead? We'll see what the little fashionistas want.

The pattern is "In the Garden" Shirred Twirly Dress, found at From and Igloo. And she's right, it's twirly. The skirt is 84 inches around! That's ready for some major twirling.

resale update

Finally got a bunch of stuff from February listed, including the colorful owl pillow!

It's quite darling, and if it actually matched anything in my house, I would consider keeping it. But right now, I just like how cute it makes my shop look!

Still have a lot more stuff to post, but actually took quite a few photos this weekend, which is half the battle. I don't mind posting, I just have to find my rhythm for it.

Also, my husband told me this weekend that I should just sell the really big payoff stuff, and not waste my time with the little things. I told him I'd love to do that, but it's trickier than he thinks. How do I go about explaining it to him? Hmmm, one to think about.

Relisting Challenge 2.21

I have actually done a lot of listing this week, which I am very surprised about! Though on the other hand, I haven't been able to go out thrifting very much, so the inventory isn't as exciting as I'd like it to be.

So according to my chart, it looks like I've listed 12 items in the last week. Two on Etsy and the rest on eBay.


I love listing things on Etsy. The site is beautiful, simple and so amazingly easy to use. This group of vintage Italian buttons was in a big box of old buttons. I ended up dividing them up by origin, since that seemed like a simple way to go. Japan and Holland are up next!


eBay, on the other hand, is so much less enjoyable to use. Even when you have templates set up and even when you're actually used to the process. I can get in a groove eventually, like a few nights ago when I listed a bunch of clothing I had, including these swimsuits. I eventually got a lot listed, but would have loved the process of Etsy.

I've also learned in the last couple weeks that I really prefer set price selling rather than auction formats. Auctions are too stressful for me! My first auction (another lot of clothing) turned out poorly, but in the end, the buyer backed out so I was able to list it again at a set price. I think I set it too high, but figure I can always lower it eventually. Of course, now I'm anxious again to decide when to reduce the price. It has almost been a week, and it's a 30 day listing. I think I've decided not to change anything until a week has passed.

I was happy to sell one more item, the little grasshopper toy from last week. That did sell within the first few hours for a good price, so I was happy about that. But now I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong and all listings should go that quickly.


These Ugg boots I found last week for $10, and they were in new condition, so after a little research, I listed them for $99. Later, I also added a Best Offer option after reading more about it.

Within a couple hours, someone sent an offer of $75. I spent some time considering it, and just wasn't happy with taking 25% off the price so quickly, especially since I was offering free shipping! So I countered with $89 and a nice note about it still being so early. But the offer was ignored, so now I'm second-guessing myself again.

I think this is the hardest part of reselling, when you're trying to figure out your best strategy for everything. Though I know that process continues throughout. But the learning curve is tricky to navigate.

Other items in limbo include this lovely pot (which was perfect until I dropped it and chipped a chunk out of the enamel) which got an inquiry quickly from a buyer in Korea about shipping cost. I quoted her $11, but haven't heard back yet.

Also this cute clothing set, which I set at $12, and then accepted an offer for $10. But that was Sunday afternoon, and I still haven't been paid. I know it hasn't even been 48 hours yet, but I still worry. She looked reliable! Hmmm...

Patience is what I'm learning this week. Patience.

Linking to Apron Thrift Girl.