Something From Nothing Log

Fixing and making things, what tools to get and what skills to learn, ...
davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Sold a Sony Digital 8 handycam DVR-trv350 camcorder for $110 this morning. I found it in the alleyway a few months ago during one of my long bike rides. It came in a leather case with 2 batteries, charging cord, usb cord and 2 unopened tapes. I've managed to make $427 in trash sales so far. It's not a lot of money but at 100% profit I'm happy with it :D

plantingtheseed
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by plantingtheseed »

very creative, interesting thread.

mango
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by mango »

I like these Salomon trail running shoes, and overall they last great - no sign of wear EXCEPT for the inside of the shoe, where my heel rubs. That area gets a hole very fast, they use a very weak fabric. I've had the same thing with other shoes - maybe it's partly my walk, but with this shoe, it happens so quickly. Once that happens, I get blisters when walking in them.

Here's some pictures showing the fix:
https://imgur.com/79laYyx

Basicaly, I put nylon tape (GEAR AID Tenacious Tape) on it. It was hard to get the tape on without wrinkles. The tape works great, but after a while it starts coming off as well. So, on one of them, I sewed it to the shoe lining. It's very tricky to use a needle and thread in that tight of an area, but I made it work. Hopefully the tape PLUS sewing will keep it on.

Any tips or tricks for sewing in tight spots would be appreciated...
Last edited by mango on Sun Feb 14, 2021 11:05 am, edited 2 times in total.

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

Maybe try a curved needle? Or repair with more fabric instead of tape and use fabric glue.

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

I sold a few more items that were destined for the dump.
It amazes me how much unnecessary waste goes on in my neighborhood. I've chalked it up to people impulse buying items that were more of a novelty. Everything was sold on OfferUp for well below the used market prices. I sold an Aroma 20 cup capacity rice cooker for $15, a vintage instaflam camping stove + extra fuel for $15, and a Nespresso coffee machine + 18 new pods for $25.

I also found a conair steamer that I'll actually keep for myself. I'll finally be able to remove my cars window tint. After 10 years it's starting to show its age. Nothing a little steam and elbow grease can't fix :)

mango
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by mango »

Gilberto de Piento wrote:
Fri Feb 12, 2021 10:47 pm
Maybe try a curved needle? Or repair with more fabric instead of tape and use fabric glue.
The curved needles I happen to own happen to be very thick, and I couldn't even get them through the fabric. Maybe I need to look for thinner ones.

ertyu
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by ertyu »

my local shoe repair person can do this and has done it for me. a professional has the requisite tools for this.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

I sold the exercise bike that was left by a tenant today for $50 and the espresso machine from the fixit log for $800 plus shipping to a nice guy from across the country who refurbs old espresso machines. He sent the cash through walmart money transfer trusting that I would send the machine.

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He sent me a photo of another machine he had refurbished that was incredible. I feel like it found its way to the right person.

Also, I've become friends with an art dealer recently. He has helped me to understand the art world better. We became friends when I asked him about a particular painting I found at the swap meet. It is amazing to me that he is willing to teach what he has learned over a lifetime simply because I asked for advice and actually value his wisdom.

Loner
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Loner »

Ego wrote: I sold [...] the espresso machine from the fixit log for $800 plus shipping
Wow, that's something. I really enjoy this thread. I love your finds, how you refurbish them, and the amounts you sell them for (when you don't keep them). Very impressive. Among the recent stuff, I particularly liked the suitcase and the Redwing (iirc) boots. They looked beautiful.

Let us just say, as a thought experiment, that you had a friend who sold some stuff he found after refurbishing it. Would he bother declaring this income to the IRS? From an ERE standpoint, I'm thinking that this kind of work can have a really go return on investment/hourly wage compared to a lot of office work, in part because of this reason, on top of keeping stuff out of the landfill.

Joking aside, a guy who picks up trash and sells it back (after doing minor fixes, if at all) once told me that the taxman went after a few guys who did the same here -- easier than tackling the tax heavens I suppose. I guess this becomes only a problem when you sell thousands and thousands of dollars of stuff. Does/did that ever happen where you live, to your knowledge?

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

@Loner, yes, I have a business license and pay sales taxes as well as state/federaltax.

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https://www.goodnet.org/articles/turkis ... cued-trash

One man's trash is another man's treasure is absolutely the case in Ankara Turkey where garbage collectors started collecting discarded books and ended up opening a library.

It all started when sanitation worker Durson Ipek found a bag of cast-off books when he was working and then it snowballed from there. Ipek and other garbage men started gathering the books they found on the streets that were destined for landfills and as their collection started to grow, so did word of mouth. Soon, local residents started donating books directly.

The library that originally contained 200 books is located in the Cankaya district of the capital city in a previously vacant brick factory at the sanitation department headquarters. The library was initially available only to the sanitation employees and their families to use but as the collection grew, so did public interest and the library was opened to the public in December 2017.

"On [the] one hand, there were those who were leaving these books on the streets. On the other hand, others were looking for these books," Çankaya mayor Alper Tasdelen told CNN. "We started to discuss the idea of creating a library from these books. And when everyone supported it, this project happened."

All the books that are found are sorted and checked for condition, if they pass, they go on the shelves. In fact, everything in the library was also rescued including the bookshelves and the artwork that adorns the walls according to TRT World.

Today, the library has over 6,000 books....

Western Red Cedar
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Western Red Cedar »

I found a 1st Edition of Steinbeck's Travels with Charley in a little free library this weekend. No dustcover, but in good shape.

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Found a Keurig K-Select Coffee Maker with Strength Control in my back alley after a long bike ride. Cleaned it up, took some pictures, posted it for sale on OfferUp and within minutes sold it for $20. I definitely priced it well below used market value but it's amazing how often I find discarded coffee making gizmos. This was the 3rd used and discarded Keurig I've sold. I'm not complaining, it's free money but it's amazing how the saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure" holds true :lol:

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Alphaville
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Alphaville »

davtheram12 wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 11:01 pm
OfferUp
how do you perform the exchange of goods and payment, etc?

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Alphaville wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 11:58 pm
how do you perform the exchange of goods and payment, etc?
I always meet the buyer in a public place. I usually meet them at the Whole Foods grocery store walking distance from my apartment. I always give them the address and give them the opportunity to pick the time to meet. I only accept cash offers although a few people have tried paying with Venmo. If they meet me at night, I always take a flashlight to double check the legitimacy of the dollar bills. And I always give them the chance to check over the item before I take payment. Ironically people usually just take the item, say something like "that's okay, I trust you," and hand over the cash within seconds of meeting. If you haven't tried selling used items, it's an interesting and fun hobby. Lots of unique people out their looking for a deal :mrgreen:

Oh and Offerup has a nifty messaging function that gives people the opportunity to discuss everything before meeting. That way both parties know what to expect before committing

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Alphaville
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Alphaville »

davtheram12 wrote:
Mon Mar 08, 2021 12:21 am
ah i see... thanks for the info! so basically same as craigslist but with a profile.

i used to sell my unwanted stuff at flea markets long ago--same as @ego's swap meets. decluttered a large house with this method. much better than yard sales!

however this requires cars and crowds, and currently i lack the former and avoid the latter (i can always rent a car but not worth the bother till i get vaccinated).

i also used to liquidate used business gear on ebay. it was a pain, but worth the effort due to high returns ($500/$1k sales).

lately i've just been gifting items to friends and relatives who want them, but this talk of money makes me want some :D

i'm sitting on a few unwanted household items currently. i think i might wait till summer and do a flea market run... or maybe call humane society and see if they do pickups. humane was nice to my cat back in the day...

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

@Alphaville

I grew up around flea markets and swap meets so I have a soft spot for those. If you can manage the long day I'd say that may be a good idea. There is something simple about OfferUp that Craigslist and even flea markets can't offer. Its worth a shot even to test it's viability.

I've thought about selling on ebay. What would you was your net hourly rate?

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Alphaville
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Alphaville »

the rates were good, maybe i'd net $100-200/hr on a good transaction before fees and taxes... but a pain in the sense of taking me off track from whatever project i was working on, and stressing me out with risks, having to package delicate electronics with great care, etc. i hate multitasking.

plus on ebay the customer could be a jerk and get away with it-- only sellers got rated. haven't used in years but it was a good way to sell old tape decks, cameras, computers, etc.

and yeah, flea markets are a blast--i miss them, in fact. get up super early, grab your spot, lay out the merch, watch out for thieves... then sell a lot, and go home tired with a fat wad of cash. especially the month before christmas? they go home happy and i go home loaded. ah! good times...

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

@Alphaville

That's what I had in mind. Seems like a lot of juggling to make ebay transactions work. I know a few people who do it full time and say it's easy once a rhythm is in place.

Reading those words brings back so many great memories. My parents sold at a swap meet for many years. They always took me since I would have otherwise caused trouble at home. Once covid-19 is behind us, I'll definitely revisit some old stomping grounds.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

Left by a tenant. Sold in 20 minutes.

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In the past month I have sold five paintings, all around this price. Paid $5 for it. Now is the time to sell if you have anything even semi-desirable.

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basuragomi
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by basuragomi »

Ordered some whetstones and they showed up mostly wrecked. I got a full refund but decided to attempt a repair anyways.

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Ground some ridges into the back and backing panel and glued everything together. I glued them face down on a parchment paper-covered flat surface to prevent voids, though I had to go through a second round because a bubble showed up anyways. I lapped everything flat after curing.

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Worked great and now I have many shaving-sharp knife edges for free. Of course right after all this work I scavenged a new-in-box Lansky kit from the 90s!

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