August 2022

What Sold August 1 – August 12

By Jenny | August 13, 2022

I’m so glad to be able to add a “Sold” category to the blog! For those who don’t know about me, I used to sell on eBay way back in the day and haven’t been very active in the past ten years. I have saved a lot of items we have thinking, “I could sell that on eBay” but never listing anything. I have been wanting to get back into selling on eBay and inspired by all the reseller YouTubers, I have taken the plunge this month.

My goal is to really start adding listings in September and use the month of August to understand selling on eBay in 2022. I have done four listings so far and one actually sold within 24 hours! Woo hoo! This will be the item that I share telling how much I paid and how much it sold. It is a listing that I never would have done if it hadn’t been for watching The Hustle Couple on YouTube who sells plush for good money as I wouldn’t have even bothered looking at plush. Now let’s get to my one sale but it was a good one.

This is Cara the turtle who is Beanie Boo and also a Sea World exclusive. She is adorable and was tempted to keep her for me. In fact, when I bought her, I wasn’t sure if she was selling on eBay. I checked the comps, and there were a couple that had sold. One for $119 and another for around $50. There were a few listings that were right around $50 plus shipping. I decided to list her at $45 with free shipping and I accepted an offer of $38 because while she does have her tags, the tag has some wear. I thought $38 was a fair offer. Now here is the best part. How much did I pay for her? 99 cents! I was happy to find such a clean, nice plush for 99 cents. It’s sales like these that really help with motivation.

While I didn’t expect much from August as far as sales, I’m thrilled to have one, and the month isn’t even half over. I need to do more listings this coming week. It would be nice to make this type of blog post weekly.

Bakelite Jewelry

By Jenny | August 4, 2022

Bakelite is an early resin that was widely used for many household items and jewelry. Bakelite is made with phenol and formaldehyde. In the jewelry space, it is highly sought after by collectors. But how can you tell if your old plastic jewelry is Bakelite? There are some proven methods.

I have a couple of bracelets that I believe to be Bakelite but am not sure and need to find out before I list them for sale. I plan to follow these methodologies for testing plastics to see if they are Bakelite.

The Smell Test

When Bakelite is heated up, it releases a formaldehyde smell so think back to your high school biology class and dissecting labs. It will be that unforgettable chemical, lab smell that will be so familiar.

My bracelets failed this test. I rubbed the bracelets on my pant leg until the bracelet was warm and then smelled. There was no formaldehyde smell. Here is a really good video on testing your plastic jewelry to see if it is Bakelite.

The Clank Test

From the video, you can hear the difference in sound from two Bakelite pieces clanking together and comparing that to other plastics. My two bracelets when clanked together do not have that ‘clunk’ sound and have more of the sound of Lucite.

The Cleaning Test

Right now I do not have the cleaner to test for the colorization that is left behind from cleaning Bakelite with certain cleaners. I will probably just leave these bracelets unlisted until I either buy cleaner or decide just to list them as plastic bracelets as they are really cute.

I’m a little sad they aren’t Bakelite but still think they are good bracelets and work well together so when I do list, I will list them together. But before then I will do a little more research since I have never sold jewelry before but I love it and it is a reselling space that I would like to learn more about.