Something From Nothing Log

Fixing and making things, what tools to get and what skills to learn, ...
AussieGirl
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by AussieGirl »

Hi Ego,

I'm really enjoying this thread. It is very interesting. I'm curious about how you value your time. I know you posted about assessing the ease of selling something as part of the decision to do it, but do you consider it will take you X time and you value your time at Y? I'm thinking about following your example to earn some side money (don't worry about competition I'm in Australia) and would really value your thoughts. What do you think is a realistic earnings per month to target once you get in the swing of things?

Thanks,
AussieGirl

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

@AussieGirl, I find it hard to put a value on my time while selling this stuff because I really enjoy it. I go to the swap meet for fun. I like meeting people who are doing interesting things so I enjoy meeting them to sell a backpack or a pair of boots. Selling a bed, on the other hand, is not as much fun so I do take into consideration the time vs profit potential for boring items. For instance, I have not listed the food dehydrator or the air filter because I figured the likely profit is not worth the trouble.

How much could I potentially make if I did it as.... work.... rather than an income generating hobby? Well. I know some of my vendors who sell only at the swap meet make a lot of money. I know where and how they buy. A few years ago I registered as a buyer to test the system. I know what they pay. I could easily muscle in on their world and would be able to triple or quadruple my income. But it would be work. The stuff is sold in big bins so I would get my hands on a lot of good stuff for almost no money but I would also have to buy a lot of junk along with it. I would have to sell the junk. I know I would be good at it, but it would be work. So I have a lot of friends at the swap meet who bring me the stuff I like. I pay a bit of a premium and enjoy myself.

I have no knowledge of Australia so I couldn't begin to guess earning potential. Even in the U.S. the potential varies significantly from city to city and item to item.

AussieGirl
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by AussieGirl »

Thanks so much Ego for your insight. I'll continue to read with great interest.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

A tenant moved out and left several things. The only thing that was interesting was a bunch of unopened high-end food in the fridge including a vegan pie crust. Mrs. Ego bought a giant bag full of partially spoiled pears at the Middle Eastern market for 99cents and made a delicious mushy pear pie. She used flax seeds as the binder and oats, cinnamon, dates and nuts on top. Delicious.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

Ran into a friend this morning getting onto the ferry. I knew about certain aspects of his life, but today we had time to talk so I followed my own advice from the Social Capital thread began peppering him with questions. He told me a good something-from-nothing story.

Since he was a kid he had always been a Hollywood movie buff and he had always liked writing. Years ago he had a chance encounter with the owner of a neighborhood newspaper. Not a big paper. Just one of those thirty-page sheets that are distributed for free outside of grocery stores and libraries. He mentioned to the owner that the paper should have movie reviews and he offered to write a review for free. He did. The owner liked it and began paying his movie admission in exchange for reviews. His reviews were popular, the owner knew he could write and knew he was reliable, so whenever the paper needed a last-minute reporter for a sporting event or community meeting, he'd call my friend and pay him a stringer fee for the work. Now he is retired and the stringer work is how he earns extra cash. Today, not only does he get free admission to the movies, he now get's paid to go to the movies and sometimes he gets to see them before they are released to the general public.

The glee on his face as he told me the last line was a splendid sight.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

The final resting place of our cast off clothing.
https://aeon.co/videos/this-is-the-fina ... f-clothing

sfchristo
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by sfchristo »

+1 on the cast off clothing video. Makes me realize even more what a life of incredible abundance I lead (just did a huge cleaning of the house and donated 10 bags of clothes).

jacob
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by jacob »

I have a "saga of stuff" that's nearing completion now, finally, after 7 years. I didn't get much for nothing but several people did enjoy something from nothing and I was able to keep track.

It started when I got an old borked/frozen Schwinn bicycle (free) on freecycle back in 2008 or so. I spent $50 converting it into a functional single-speed and then used it as a commuter for a few years. When I moved to Chicago, I traded it for a Windows desktop from a forum member because DW needed a computer to run Office for her accounting studies and he needed a bike. A year later, the bike was returned to me. I sold it for $50 to another forum member. DW finished her studies and so the computer was used mostly as a DVD player. Meanwhile, I borrowed the keyboard to run the ERE site (I keep all this blog/forum/book stuff on a separate computer now.) This year, the in-laws' computer died, and so we're handing the computer over to them, including my borrowed keyboard. I, therefore, bought a new(*) one and deducted it as a business expenses.

I leave the net expenses and benefits as an exercise for the reader but I think everybody around got a lot of usage out of each and every dollar or piece of material that were ever involved in all these transactions.

(*) Seems to make IRS sense that it'd be new and all. Also, I think keyboards are like underwear and socks. One of the few things that I don't like to buy used.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

On top of the trash this morning was a body analysis scale. The CR 2032 watch battery that powered the scale was dead. It required a screwdriver to replace the battery. I have strips of these 2032 batteries as it is the most common coin sized battery and can be ordered on ebay for 75 cents for a strip of 5 from China. I replaced the battery and it works perfectly. Apparently this thing can measure BMI, bone mass, body fat percentage, body water and muscle mass. Look out!

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jacob
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by jacob »

Before we moved to Chicago, I used to acquire broken bicycles this way, where by broken I mean they had a flat tire. Also acquired a weed whacker because it had run out of string. California really is something else.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

The young woman who I believe threw this out gets a lot of packages in the mail. Maybe two or three a day. A few months ago I had to have a talk with her about flattening her boxes so that they wouldn't take up all of the space in the recycle bins. She suggested, with absolutely sincerity, that I present a Home Depot style class for all of the tenants on how to flatten boxes so that they fit in the bins.

cmonkey
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by cmonkey »

DW found this old Betty Crocker cookbook at our local antique store for $1. It current sells used on Amazon for $25 and new for over $40. I would probably list this as 'New' for $30-$40 and try to get more because it is in amazing condition.

She has seen them around so she'll pick them up as she finds them. This one is going as a gift.


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C40
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by C40 »

Ego wrote: She suggested, with absolutely sincerity, that I present a Home Depot style class for all of the tenants on how to flatten boxes so that they fit in the bins.
This had me laughing for ten seconds

JasonR
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by JasonR »

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Last edited by JasonR on Fri Mar 15, 2019 1:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing

Post by Ego »

Ego wrote: We've been lugging a few very old oil paintings from place to place since we bought them in the early 1990s when we were.... I don't know... insane! They represent the last of our remaining possessions from the accumulation phase when we were flush and foolish with cash. We haven't hung them so they've got to go.

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This painting has been listed on craigslist for nine months but has received very little interest from buyers. The other day a woman contacted me to ask about it. She said that her grandmother was a gyspy and the painting reminded her of one the grandmother had on her wall. Today her son came to buy it for my asking price.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

One of my tenants came into the office last week to tell me that his live-in girlfriend had moved out and cheated on him, not necessarily in that order. In what I assume was a fit of rage, he threw out her comic book collection and her clothing. The clothing was terrible and I know nothing about comics. I had figured I would give him until trash day to reconsider. When the comics were still there yesterday, I grabbed them and listed one of the thicker books on ebay. It sold today for $24.95.

Nice guy. I feel sorry for him.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

When I first moved to California my little brother, who was ten-years-old at the time, sent me this birthday card. For about a decade we sent it back and forth. My mother sent it twice as a Christmas card so she added to the little tidbits inside. Then we started traveling and the card disappeared. Last month I was paging through an old journal and found it, so I put it back in circulation by sending it to the daughter of that same brother for her third birthday. They immediately sent it back for Mrs. Ego's birthday.

Who said family heirlooms have to be expensive?

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

We have a small two cup coffee press that has proven insufficient when entertaining. Today I found a nice Mr. Coffee in the trash. Tested. It works perfectly.

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Kriegsspiel
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Kriegsspiel »

Ego has convinced me that if I ever need to outfit a house, I should just go to California and pick through the trash.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

Three tenants moved out last week. One left a gamma seal lidded bucket and some Ball jars. Another, a female pro volleyball player left a massive bag full of volleyball clothing. I was taking the Wilderness First Responder course last week and took the bag of clothing to class. We were doing a bunch of accident simulations where we had to alternate between rescuer and victim. The victim got their clothes cut off. So a group of us dressed in women's volleyball clothing for the sim. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

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