How did I find brand new clothing to sell on eBay? My local estate auction. I went to the auction to purchase antiques and collectibles and found brand new clothing that still had the tags on it!

Apparently the story is that a woman (size 3 X) was addicted to buying clothing on QVC. Most of it she never wore. Perhaps she did not get a chance to wear it. I am not sure if she passed away or if she had to downsize but everything at this auction was almost brand new in the box or new with tags like the clothing.

There was not much interest in the clothing at all since it did not fit most of the people there. A few ladies bid on the pieces at 50 cents and 1.00 a piece. I waited until everyone picked what they wanted. There were 3 racks of clothing with about 30 pieces on each rack to begin with. When the other bidders were finished, I picked up the extra for 1.00 a rack. That’s 3.00 for about 60 pieces of clothing! I have started to list it on eBay and at this time just one of the sweater sets (above) is already at 25.00.

It included such brands as Liz Claiborne, Talbots, Denim & Co. and the Quacker factory (I will list the sweaters closer to the fall season).

I also picked up some Princess House, Home Interiors, and Partylite—for pennies on the dollar!

Check out my auctions and my eBay store at everythingvintagesteph.com

THANKS!

Ok, here I am selling at the Renninger’s antique and farmer’s market. I was there for 3 days last week. They have this event 3 times a year but have a farmer’s market all year round. I ended up selling about 750$ worth of merchandise over 3 days. That is about average for me for this sale. I have made anywhere from 600$ to 1300$ for these 3 day sales. It’s a lot of fun! I set up near the same people each time and we catch up on what’s happening. It’s very busy on the first day and then slow but steady the rest of the time.  The rent is 180$ for a space under the pavilion (the best place to be) or 120$ for a space out in “the field.” You have to bring your own tent and tables, etc. if you are out in the field but you get a little more space to use. Some people camp there for 3 days. I live about 40 minutes away so no camping for me.

The first time I was at this sale, I watched what people were carrying around with them to see what they were buying. I also noted what they bought from me and the vendors around me. I discovered that they like a lot of primitives at this sale. Perhaps because this area of PA is known for a lot of farm collectibles like buckets and baskets and quilts and kitchen ware. So this is what I usually bring to this sale. Also, the price has to be right. I saw other vendors selling old buckets for 24$. Mine were 5-10$. I sold all but one. I had a vendor who bought 5 bags of cookie cutters from me because I had them for 5$ a bag. She took them to her booth and sold them by the piece.I bought about 1000 of them last year for less than 1$ a dozen at an auction in Leesport.

I also took some vintage toys but I didn’t sell many of those this time. Many of the items that I have leftover, I will put in my booth at Zionsville Antiques, or store for another antique sale, or sell the smaller items on eBay. You may see some of these toys listed soon.

Check out my eBay store at everythingvintagesteph.com for some great vintage bargains!

I found some really great pieces of vintage fabric last week that I have listed on eBay. It took a little research to learn about these when I first started finding them but knowing the proper terms to list them under in eBay is very important, so I learned!

BARKCLOTH

The pieces you see above are usually called barkcloth. I have heard people pronounce it BARcloth but this is not correct. Actually, barkcloth is not technically correct either since real barkcloth was made from real bark in Asia, India, and the Pacific islands in the 1800-1900s. However, this fabric is now called barkcloth because of its dense cotton texture that has a rough surface like bark. It was popular in the 1950s and 60s for home furnishings such as curtains, drapery, and slipcovers. A nice large pair of curtains in this fabric could bring over 100$ on auction. Small pieces are nice for pillows and other projects. I love the feel and look of it—especially the tropical and dogwood patterns. Do a search for barkcloth on eBay and you will see the various designs and prices.

FEED SACK FABRIC

I am just getting to know feed sack fabric a little better. If you only have a small piece of it, it is very hard to tell from just normal cotton fabric although it does have a little more texture to it than regular cotton. The best way to tell whether or not it is feed sack are the small stitch holes/lines that are usually on 2 or 3 sides of the fabric. This is where it was once sewn together to form the feed sack. Also it  is usually about 36-37 inches wide rather than the 45 wide fabrics bought from a bolt today. You would buy the flour or whatever in the feed sack and then reuse the fabric for dresses or quilts. It was a great way to recycle!

Vintage fabric is great because of the many different styles and colors available. Use it in clothing or crafts or quilts, etc!

Check out my auctions and eBay store at  everythingvintagesteph.com. I usually have some type of vintage fabric there!

patriotic fabric

I sell a lot of fabric on eBay. Right now though I only have one auction and 2 listings in my store with fabric. Why? Because it usually sells very quickly! If you have been to a fabric store lately, the prices are quite high. Usually it is sold by the yard. On eBay, there are may ways to sell fabric. You can list it by the yard or in strips or jelly rolls or panels or squares–sometimes called fat quarters.

WHAT IS A FAT QUARTER?

A fat quarter is an 18 x 22 inch piece. Most fabric is about 44 inches wide. If you buy a quarter yard you get a piece that is 9 x 44. If you buy a fat quarter, the yard is cut into 4 pieces of 18 x 44 each. For a quilter, this offers more versatility for use of the piece. So if you have a lot of pieces of fabric lying around that you are not using, you could cut them into fat quarters and sell them as pre cut pieces. I plan on doing this soon but haven’t done it yet because I have a lot of pieces that I can sell by the yard.

vintage fabric

WHAT FABRIC SELLS WELL ON EBAY?

If you use a program like hammertap (see sidebar) you can gather a lot of information on what is selling on eBay. Some of the higher priced fabrics are specialty ones like silk, jacquard, upholstery and bulk lots. If you have any of this, make sure you use those keywords in your title. The word LOT is a much searched word as well so if you have more than 2 pieces, use the word LOT in your title. It is better than the word BULK. Just do a completed search and sort it for “highest price” and you can find other keywords to use. (or use the HAMMERTAP program!)

vintage chenille bedspread

HOW DO I FIND FABRIC TO SELL?

Of course, if you want to sell fabric you have to either find something unusual or find something at an awesome price! I do find a lot of my fabric at the local estate auctions. I can buy a box for 1$ there. However, another good source is yard sales and thrift shops. I have a Goodwill store that sells clothing by the piece at 75 cents in their outlet store. I often will buy a piece of clothing that has some beautiful fabric and cut it up into pieces. (fat quarters) Sometimes you get some nice buttons and other trim this way too! The larger the size, the more fabric you get out of it. I made a number of crazy quilt pillows this way in the past.

Sheets and old blankets are great fabric too! I sell a lot of chenille bedspreads that have holes and stains because people use the fabric for teddy bears and other craft projects. Use the word CUTTER in the title if you have any fabric like this with holes or stains.

Fabric is all around you just waiting to be reused and recycled. Keep your eyes open and you can turn some free stuff into cash!

CLICK on any of my photos or click HERE to view my eBay listings.

classic book sets

I sure lost a lot of eBay time by going on vacation! I didn’t want anything listed while I was gone because I wasn’t sure how often I could reply to questions and of course I couldn’t send anything out. Then my printer went down right before I left and when I came back the internet was not working for  over 24 hours. Help! Well, I am back in business now for about a week and things are finally picking up.

Ebay is still a little slow right now but here are some things that are selling for me. Sets of classic books like the one I have shown in the photo above. As a former librarian, I like to find vintage books to sell. It is a lot of hit and miss though. This set I have listed for 5.00 and I have one opening bid so far. It is over later today so it may not go any higher. Sometimes complete sets like this from the 1920s or so can go up to 50.00. The condition has to be good.

crochet hooks

I don’t think I have ever failed to sell crochet hooks. They are easy to pick up at local estate sales and I usually get 5-10 dollars for a bunch of them since they are much more expensive in the craft stores.

barbie doll clothing

Barbie doll clothing of any type almost always sells. I have to list a nice size lot of it and the genuine Barbie is the best. This lot is all handmade clothing though and is probably at least 30 years old. The auction is not over yet as I write this but I expect 5-10$ for a lot of this size. Again, the condition must be very good.

crochet thread

I am not sure why crochet thread sells as well as it does. I do find these spools quite often at the estate sales and I can pick them up for a very low price. I guess there are some crafters out there who still do hand crocheting with this thread! The multi colored ones sell the best and I had to clean a  lot of fuzz off of these to get them ready to sell. I think they were stored with some furs! I got 30.00 for a lot of multi-colored thread a few months ago. These are still on auction but I expect about 5-10$ for a lot of this size.

I hope this gives you an idea of the vintage items you could sell on eBay if you can find them in your area, and what they might be worth.

Check out my store at everythingvintagesteph.com for more ideas!

anne klein

I should have paid more attention when I bought these perfumes at the auction a few weeks go. I will from now on! I just sold these 3 containers of anne klein for 113.00. It was a good deal for the customer but a great deal for me. I get most of my items to sell on eBay at local estate auctions. Sometimes when a house is cleaned out, there is some perfume to sell. I usually don’t pay much attention because I don’t use perfume and don’t even like it that much. I bought a box of it the other week for a few dollars. These were in it along with some Hawaiian fragrances–I got 5.00 for those, and  Perry Ellis–on auction now with a 10.00 bid and 5 days left.

It makes sense to me now. This is the scenario I picture for these items: Mother/wife likes perfume and kids/husband buy her some for her Christmas and birthday. She doesn’t actually wear it much so it stays in the bathroom or bedroom cabinet and adds up over the years. It makes a nice gift, so they keep buying it for her. She won’t give it away or throw it away because it is a gift and it doesn’t take up much room. A few years later–or maybe a lot of years later–the house is cleared out for whatever reason and the perfume ends up at an estate auction. That’s where I buy it. I bought this box for about 2 or 3 dollars. I could tell the perfume was never opened or used so, why not–the price was right. I am going to be looking for the perfume items a lot more in the future!

jessica mcclintock

Here’s another one I bought in the same lot. It is still on auction for a few more days. As I write this, the bid is at 6.08 and has 12 watchers.

raffinee

The Raffinee perfume has an opening bid of 3.00 and has 12 watchers.

Last December, I had a container of Ambush powder that I bought for 1.00 and it sold for 26.75.

If you want to see how much these sell for in a few days, visit my auctions at everythingvintagesteph.com. Check for completed listings. And keep your eye out for perfume in the thrift store and estate sales that you might be lucky enough to have in your area!!

antique redwork quilt

I just listed 2 pieces of redwork at everythingvintagesteph.com. Redwork is the art of embroidering with red thread onto a white fabric. This work was popular in the early 1930s and on into the 1950s. The quilt that I am selling on Ebay is dated 1936. It is not in perfect condition but many buyers look for this work and cut the quilt for other projects such as pillows. Many times you can find just the quilt blocks where a person was just practicing or the piece just never made it into a quilt project.

redwork quilt blocks

That is what you see above. These measure about 8 inches square and were probably meant for the quilt but never made it into the qult. I have both of these items listed on auction at everythingvintagesteph.com. They were found in the same collection so were probably done by the same person.

click here to see my other auctions of vintage linens and more everythingvintagesteph.com

To find out what they are worth, check back next wed. evening when the auction ends!

I decided to write about the items I am listing tonight and tell you the story that goes with each one. These are 3 glasbake square mugs that were part of a promotion for Lipton tea, probably in the 1970s or so.  I think they originally came in a set of 5 because I had one of these sets last year and it sold for about 40.00 or so. Each mug is a different color and they are really neat looking!

silkies pantyhose

I bought a few of these at an auction some time last year and thought I would try them on eBay. I paid about 1.00 for the whole box. Imagine my surprise when I sold 9 pair for about 30.00! This company has been mail ordering pantyhose for many years so I guess they are rather popular. I came across more at an auction a few weeks ago so I am listing them in lots according to size. These are a queen size and I hope they go for 30.00 again but I’m not holding my breath!

14 vintage damask napkins

I find lots of vintage napkins at my local auctions. It’s tough to find more than 4 that are in very good condition though! Sometimes I wash them up but I love it when they are already in great condition and I can just list them. These are damask because they have a shiny subtle design on them. They are actually 2 sets of 6 and 8 but they are so similar that I am grouping them together. If you had them around a table, you would never know they are different. Sometimes I can sell these napkins for over 20$ but usually they go for a bargain price of 5-10. Still a good deal when you consider the department stores sell them for at least 2-3$ a piece!

sheet music magazines

Did you know that you can buy and sell back issues of many types of magazines on eBay? Just look up your favorite magazine and check it out! These mags are great because they contain lots of sheet music. I have also sold recipe magazines like Taste of Home and have seen the Martha Stewart magazines sell for a good price when an entire year or subject is grouped together.

Perhaps this gives you an idea of what you can sell or buy on eBay. You can click on any of the photos to go to my listings or click HERE for     everythingvintagesteph.com.

Have a great day! It’s snowing here in PA again!

On sale starting Feb. 4

Who knew you can sell vintage fruit on ebay?? A few weeks ago I bought a bin full of plastic grapes. I was going to save it for some props for the plays I am in. I decided to try selling some on ebay. I sold about 9 bunches for 12.00. Then I sold another 12 bunches for 15.00 and another 8 bunches for about 8.00. I paid 1.00 for the whole bin. So when I saw these at the local auction a few weeks ago, I bought them (for 1.00 of course!). These are on sale right now. Why not try again??

20 vintage Valentines

Also on sale starting tonight is a LOT of vintage Valentines. These are usually pretty popular. Some people sell these one at a time but I like to bunch things together in lots. The ones in the lower left corner are probably from the 1920s. A lot of people collect these and now is the time to get them listed!

Renwal dollhouse furniture

Then there is the vintage doll house furniture by Renwal. This is a good brand name, probably the most popular, for doll house furniture. I only have the blue bedroom set but I am always on the lookout for Renwal. With the price of new doll  house furniture in the stores, you can pick up a nice bargain on eBay!

TEN 8 track tapes

The last item I have listed starting tonight on eBay is a lot of 10 8 track tapes. Yeah, when I first got a few of these I was ready to throw them in the donation bin. Then I tried selling a few on eBay and I was surprised that they sold. I’ve only gotten a few dollars each for them so far but at least they sell and I usually can pick them up for very little money. I don’t even have a way of testing them but I give a guarantee and so far have not had any complaints!

So, check my completed auctions in a few days and you can see what price these items sold for and you will know their “approximate” worth.

CLICK HERE to view my auction

listings!

vintage red poncho on auction until jan 28

If you are lucky like me you can find a mannequin at a local estate sale or thrift shop. Keep your eye open at going out of business sales or even craigs list. I finally got myself one for 20.00. I already see a difference in sales—or maybe it’s just a coincidence for now but I think the trend will continue! I always had trouble taking photos of dresses and coats. I either laid them out on the floor or hung them on a hanger over the door. But people like to see what they might look like in a piece of clothing so the mannequin really is a LOT better. Take a look at these and decide!

sold this coat for 15.50

didn't sell this one although I think it is nicer. it's listed in my store now