Buying Out Goodwill

The other day, the kids and I were in the new classroom.  I kept looking up at the wall for the time - but there's no clock.  I'd have to "wake up" the computer to check the time, and that was lousy.  I remembered a wall clock I saw at Kohls that I found delicious.  Of course, I can't find it on their website, but I'd guess the best I could get for would be about $30. Today, I dropped off a couple boxes at Goodwill and decided to peek inside.  Mind you, the last dozen trips I've made to Goodwill, I haven't bought a thing - NOT A THING.  It just seemed to be piles of garbage - nothing I needed or even wanted.

That all changed today.

My son, daughter, and I bought out the whole store!  (Not really, but we did buy quite a bit.)

Unexpectedly, I came across this gem:

It wasn't ticking, and I found a corroded battery in the back.  I didn't have high hopes of her making it, but I was willing to take a gamble for $1.99.  When we got home, I removed the battery and cleaned up the area with a water-vinegar solution (four parts hot water, one part vinegar), dried it out really well, and popped in a new battery.  Success!  I scrubbed it with a Magic Eraser - it had some scuffs and some build up around the "chrome" (it's all plastic - shh!).  Aside from some hardly noticeable scratches, she cleaned up nicely:

There she is in all of her retro beauty right in the spot I was looking for a clock.  Perfect!  The Non-Consumer Advocate would be so proud.

I also found this Classic Pooh print that was grossly under-priced:

Just $1.99!  And it's in awesome shape!  The frame and matting, dare I say, are even very pretty!  I knew I could easily resell this for $10 on a local online yard sale site (kid stuff tends to sell very well on there).  I did just that within minutes of coming home.  Score!

Unfortunately, I bought way more than those two items, so even netting $8 doesn't make up for the trip.  My son "needed" a 5-pound weight.  I also came across Reader's Digest books, which I've been wanting for a year or so now (I have a project in mind).  I gobbled up all seven of them (three would have probably been enough).  I also got a brand new ravioli maker.

I went a little overboard with the "it's just $1.99" mentality.

I am selling off several of my treasures in the garage (see: mostly crap I pulled off the curb that I have grand plans for but will likely never get to).  I am hoping to make $100 off of it by the weekend when we begin our Master Bathroom Renovation.  There are lots of supplies to buy, so every little bit will help!

With the sale of a shelf and a dresser (both curbside finds), I am up to $21 today.  Tomorrow, I have another $58 scheduled to come in.  I have a few bites on some other things - hoping another $21 or more will sell between now and Saturday!

Bean had some hands-on homeschooling today as he measured stuff for me.  He did a great job.  Who knew a child would prove useful one day?  I'm still confused every time it happens.