miriam

Finding color or cool machines isn't any problem. FWs - too much investment most of the time.

ArchaicArcane

I wonder if that's why I've found some of the best deals I've had in Calgary and Airdrie. It looks like we might only have been about a year behind then. This time last year, I had 3 or 4 sales a day every weekend. I'd love that again, it would clear the place out really fast.

The Gov't shutdown and the issues with the US' debt ceiling are making some non-Americans nervous as well.
I love your ad. I've seen a few of the iterations that you've made. You get about the same number of replies that I do to a legitimate ad, maybe more.

There was a lady who should have been sitting on her paddle at the auction we were at. She kept bidding on crafting stuff, and saying that her husband was going to kill her, and telling the auction kids that they knew where her van was... I was convinced that some of the stuff being auctioned off was just changing barns.

This I have found too. I wonder if my last 2 ads have been -too- informative.... "Come see it, take it home... "

OK, I LOL'ed. I was so afraid that would be me at that auction. I waited to see what would happen with the FW< then I left without even seeing the other 2 sell. I left with a pocketbook intact. I may have been the only one based on the stuff I saw people buying. Auction fever!

Yes, I think I will sign up for this too. And do as Mike suggested, post them on my site. It's just going to take time, because I'm currently trying to clear space in the basement, and that's possibly literally killing me. Holy Cow am I ever sore! I don't know I'd want to lift a camera... or a phone to take pics!

ArchaicArcane

Not an irish-ism I'm a little ashamed I didn't think of it before. I know a lot of my previous customers read my blog.

I've bought some of my best fixer uppers from poorly spelled ads. I've also gotten good money for the same machines, cleaned up, etc with well spelled ads. I think that a poorly spelled ad often lowers the buyer's opinion of the seller.

I think a lot of kids learn fear from their parents for the most part. "DON'T DO that!!" or yanking things away from them, or various other things. Even subconcious things. At 2 or so, they're fearless, so that tells me that they're not "born that way". Some of them never get over it. I know several adults who are afraid of tons of things, and can't figure out why I would think to take a sewing machine apart / drive on the highway / ride a motorcycle, etc.

I've read horror stories about Paypal -always- siding with the buyer. They will refund the money without even asking you. You could have a tracking number that says the item is still in transit, and the buyer could claim that they received it broken / not as advertised, etc. Then the burden of proof is on you to get your money back, or be out the machine and the shipping.

Yes, shipping is born by the buyer, but many buyers won't even bid on something that has shipping of $50 or something, even if it's "real" shipping, not inflated for handling and packing.

And coming out of Canada, I would say pretty much -all- of the time.

That's really good for packing. I went to HD, and a shipping place and estimated that to properly package it, it was going to cost about $20.

ArchaicArcane

sjdal, if all the buyers were like you, more people would still be selling on ebay. I could also try Bonanza. I've heard good things about it, as compared to Ebay, though they use Paypal too.


I -love- this idea!! I was supposed to do a talk on featherweights and maintenance at one of the guilds, but I haven't heard back. I should follow up and see if I can expand it to vintage machines in general.

Basically, I'm keeping the 15-90, a 411G (I picked another one up last week though), one of the 301s, all of the featherweights, 27, VS2, 201-2 and the serger. There are a few machines in time out too that I'd love to see someone fix up - Pfaff 362, Elna something or other - I think it's a Supermatic, but it's not labelled and it's a candidate for re-painting, a 127 that I was supposed to part out, but didn't have the heart to do it - needs slide plates and a tension spring, but otherwise works, etc. There are a few that I don't know that anyone will want though - A Singer 247, a newer Kenmore - Janome made, etc.

I was just gobsmacked when I read that they were banned. I think I heard about that a year ago..

There are a couple of great write ups online about how to pack a sewing machine. Basically a box within a box and a styrofoam layer between, and you should be able to shake it and hear nothing moving. The head should be packed so tight in the case with bubblewrap that the case should be hard to get on, but obviously not to the point of damage. A good pack job will take about an hour or a bit more.

The reason for the 36" fall criteria is that most of the carriers use conveyor belts. Sometimes a package gets "bumped" the wrong way and things fall. (Think corners at the airport luggage claim) The conveyor belts near the floor are fine. The ones that go up over the garage doors are scary to have things fall off of. DH used to work for DHL / Loomis. He told me about one driver who was going into the shop and had a box smash his windshield. I'd have needed the day off to go home and change my shorts, and you probably wouldn't get me in that door again.

There was a story about a year ago, I think where someone wrote about almost being arrested at the Canada / US border for having "contraband". It was the dreaded Kinder Eggs. The thing I can't figure out is that the toys inside have always been in a "capsule", as long as I remember, and as an adult it was a challenge to get them open. They couldn't have been that dangerous, with a little adult supervision.

This would be great, as long as the cost of the table / portion of the table wasn't too bad! I thought about it for a quilt walk and sale that happened earlier in the year, but then found out it was a town garage sale with a quilt walk shoehorned in. Wrong venue for the quilts.

Personally, I'm up for a little natural selection being reintroduced. I think the gene pool's getting a little contaminated...

I'm always amazed at what I see ladies leaving the quilt shows and such with. They must be well armed as far as purchasing power.

MissJMac

How do I sell machines and stash overload on the Board? can't find the right location for buying and selling

miriam

yup I want to know, too

oldsewnsew

I'm setting up a booth at 2 quilt shows this summer. I may not sell much, but am looking forward to it.

SteveH

Is is not here? http://www.quiltingboard.com/items-sale-trade-f20/

miriam

looks like it is all fabric and books

Cogito

I receive emails from the Yahoo group "Sewitsforsale and I have tracked off and on....there seems to be a pretty brisk movement of items.