Unlike a lot of women, I've never had that experience of transferring my belongings to a purse dug out of the closet only to find it had been put away with money in it. That's probably because I hate changing purses so I just don't. I carry a purse until it needs replacing so my belongings are going in something new instead of a bag from the back of the closet. In fact, I doubt there are any bags in the back of the closet.
And I never put on a coat or jacket from last season and find money in the pocket. Holding on to old purses is rare for me but putting money in my pockets is an even more isolated incident...it just doesn't happen. That's what billfolds are for.
So I've kind missed out on that thrill of having extra money just show up. Maybe that's why I was so delighted when the girl at the scrapbook store this morning told me I had $40.40 in credit. It's found money.
You see, the store has a consignment area where customers can bring in unwanted supplies to sell to other scrappers...sort of an ongoing garage sale you don't have to sit out in the heat to man. You bring your items in, price them and put them on the shelves or tables for resale. Each seller is assigned a number so it's doubtful buyers know whose cast-offs they're buying although I doubt that would really make much difference. When it sells, the store takes 20% of the proceeds and puts your 80% into store credit.
I had taken a few things over there about a month ago. Mine happened to be mostly new...a set of Quik Cut dies I'd won at a trade show, a laminator sent as a promotion, some chalk sets and templates from who knows where, all things that have been taking up space on shelves and in drawers for far too long. I wasn't going to use them but someone else certainly could. Merchandise doesn't have to be new though; there are even packages of embellishments for sale where the original owner used one or two and has no need for the rest.
Just like a garage sale, the secret is pricing it right cheap. My theory is I want it gone so it needs a price that makes someone want to buy it. And apparently that theory worked because everything I took over there sold. Now I have $40 in credit to apply toward some new albums I desperately need.
I suppose I could have a big clean-up campaign and haul a bunch of stuff over there to sell but a) that sounds like a lot of work and b) I kind of like the happy little feeling I get hearing I've earned a few coins. I took over another $10 or $12 worth of unwanted stuff this morning.
Going to the scrapbook store is always fun; it's just a little more so now that something's going in my pocket instead of just out of it. Of course, Wayne will tell you I'm buying more than I'm selling but that's not the point. Found money is still a good thing.
And what a brilliant idea! We all have stuff we acquired somewhere along the way and know we'll never get round to using. To be able to clear some of the stash and then go and buy more of what we need with the proceeds - brilliant! Jude.x
Posted by: Jude.x | February 17, 2012 at 01:22 AM
Like you, I don't have multiple purses so that source of 'found money' isn't there for me either. What I do have is the sofa and DH's habit of losing change from his pockets into its cushions. On a good week I can 'reassign' $5 or $6 from his pocket to my purse from this source, tee hee!
Posted by: Margot/NZ | February 17, 2012 at 03:07 AM