life hack – Peculiar Porter

Everything You Need to Know About Buying and Selling Clothes on eBay

Published on March 22, 2018March 22, 2018 by PeculiarPorter4 Comments

eBay rocks my world. It allows me to make money without even having to move from my bed… okay, sometimes I do have to leave my bed to mail out a package. But other than that, it’s smooth sailing. If you haven’t tried to sell or buy clothes on eBay or you just don’t know where to begin, this is the post for you.

A few years ago my cousin started selling tons and tons of clothes, comic books, action figures, etc. on eBay and I didn’t think twice about it. It just seemed like unnecessary work for “little” return. Little did I know that he made way over a thousand dollars just from selling clothes on eBay. My green eyes turned a little bit greener when I thought of the cash I could make just by selling the clothes in the back of my closet. Not only could I make money from selling my clothes, I would be giving my clothes to someone who will appreciate them instead of throwing them away. After all, only 10% of clothes donated to charity get sold… the rest gets thrown away or shipped to countries who don’t need any more clothes. Also, if I wanted to donate money to charity I could donate my earnings directly to charities through eBay. So instead of throwing away your clothes let’s put them to good use.

Selling Tips

When I first started selling clothes on eBay, I was a little overwhelmed. Where do I begin? I called up my cousin and asked him for some tips and tricks and this is what we came up with.

Start off by looking what other people are pricing the same items for.

Before I list an item, I always look what other people are selling the item for and if they include shipping or not. I usually end up putting my item $1-$2 cheaper than what other people are selling their stuff for. This way people are more likely to buy my item for cheaper.

Measure everrrrrryyyythaaaanggggg.

One thing I was absolutely clueless about was making sure all of the measurements are listed on jeans, belts, and so forth. Make your life easier and just look at this guide to figure out how to measure your pants. For shirts, make sure that if you think it runs a little small or large you put that in the description. It’s all about behind honest on eBay.

Take pictures of every corner of the item.

Take pictures of labels, pattern, tags, buttons, hemlines… if you think of it you should take a picture of it then do it. Also, if you are selling something that has a rip or stain (which I personally do not do) make sure you take a picture of it so people understand what they are buying. If you don’t you could get a bad review and people will become more hesitant to shop from your store.

Add personality into your captions.

This is my absolute favorite thing to do on my eBay page. I love mentioning what someone can wear an item with and how fabulous they will look. I can just picture a total stranger reading my words and being super amused. Plus, this might make someone want to buy more because they can relate to the buyer. Make sure you include descriptors like “only worn once” or “it was the back of my closet since 2009 and has never been worn before.” The better the description, the better the outcome.

Shipping Tips

The hardest part about selling clothes is figuring out how to do the shipping. However, once you figure it out it will be second nature to you.

Don’t include free shipping with your jeans.

Jeans are typically heavy so they cost around $5-$7 to ship. This can be half of what you’re selling the jeans for so make sure that you calculate the cost of the shipping in the cost or just say shipping “$6.99” or whatever it is to ship. Sometimes I sell my pants for a super low cost because I know shipping is going to be so much. It all depends on if they’ve never been worn before or if you just bought them directly from J.Crew.

Shirts typically cost between $2.50-$4.50 to ship.

Since shirts are typically lighter you can make the shipping costs much lower. If you buy a scale (which I highly recommend you do) you can measure it the shipping cost before you put the listing up. It also helps when you do have to finally ship the product.

High priced items: include free shipping.

Personally, I think it is polite to include free shipping when someone is buying a big priced item. I sold a pokemon card for $150 and didn’t charge the customer shipping. Obviously, a little card didn’t cost that much to ship but I think it makes the sale go through that much easier.

Buying Tips

You know that awesome feeling when you return something that you weren’t really sure that you loved or not? You then get store credit or your money back and you feel this odd sense of power. Okay, maybe just me. The best part about selling clothes on eBay is that you have money you can either save or you can put back into finding something super cute.

Make sure you read all of the descriptions!

I almost bought a shirt that had a stain on it without even knowing. Just as I was checking out, I noticed the little description saying that there was a faint stain on the front of the shirt. That was definitely enough to deter me from buying the shirt. Also, sometimes the titles get mixed around when you’re posting so make sure that you’re actually buying the right size.

Play around with bidding wars.

This one is very new to me and it’s oddly thrilling to play the little dancing game. I’m currently in a bidding war on a beautiful Free People top. Fingers crossed that I win it because it is the cutest thing in the world. My tip would be to wait until the very end to bid the shirt up.

Search your favorite companies with descriptors you might be looking for.

Instead of just searching the name search key things you may be looking. This may be the textile-like “lace” or it could be a vibe like “edgy”. This will help narrow down the search and hopefully weed out the sellers that you’re not looking for.

What is currently on my watch list:

Free People Top, Vintage Belt, Feed Bag, Button Skirt, White Madewell Jeans

What do you think about selling or buying clothes from eBay? Have you ever done it or do you use sites like postmark? Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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5 Ways to Make Your Life Easier Next Time You Fly

Published on March 1, 2018 by PeculiarPorter9 Comments

As some of you know, I’ve been flying a lot lately. I’ve traveled to California, Texas, and Arkansas all in the past two months for work and vacation. I also studied abroad in Italy so I know what it is like to go through the hassle of security. I thought I’d share some of my tips on how to make the process that much easier for you.

Wear comfortable shoes that you wear socks with.

Unless you have TSA precheck, you’re going to have to take off your shoes which means your little piggies are all going to be the slimy floor where everyone else’s little piggies have been. Talk about nasty. Make sure you put on shoes you can easily slide off and that you wear socks with them. Over the knee boots might be a good idea in theory because you don’t have to pack them but they take so much longer to take off than a pair of little booties.

If you can, don’t wear any jewelry because you might have to take it off.

I always wear the same two rings every single day but when I’m going through security I don’t wear them just in case they have to wipe my hands and I have to take them off. It’s so much easier to just put them in my bag ahead of time and if I want to put them back on after.

Make sure your water bottle is empty and your liquids are under 3.4 oz or 100ml.

I still remember the horror of my 8-year-old self when I learned I had to throw out my lotion because it wasn’t under the liquid requirement. This is the exact reason why I’m fixated on making sure my liquids are under the allotted amount. I also always have a water bottle with me so I make sure to chug the remaining water before I enter the line. That way no one has to wait for me to chug the rest of my water.

Pack your luggage and bags so that your electronics and liquids are easy to reach.

When traveling with work I travel with a large camera, iPad, an iPhone, and two laptops. I have to put each of these items in a box and make sure they aren’t overlapping one another. To make it easy, I know which ones to put in what bin and so forth. I also make sure that my liquids are in a spot so that if I have to get them out it’s easy for the security officer.

Be polite.

I don’t know how people somehow magically forget their manners when they’re going through security. No one likes going through security but that doesn’t give you the right to be rude. These people are doing their job to make sure you and your loved ones are safe. They really don’t want to get all up in your space making sure you don’t have something you shouldn’t. So just like you’re supposed to be nice to everyone else… be nice to these lovely people. (Obviously, you knew that already though).

What are some of your tips to make going through security easier? I’ve been thinking about getting TSA precheck because the lines are so much shorter. Maybe my next trip I’ll see how that goes. If you have TSA precheck let me know in the comments down below if you think it’s worth it.

As always,

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How to Revamp Your Bedroom

Published on August 22, 2017 by PeculiarPorter6 Comments

Hello darlings! I hope your day has been as wonderful as you! This post has been long overdue, but I couldn’t be happier to show a little bit of myself through my room. In July, I decided the hot pink was not for me. After going to Home Depot and looking through 125 swatches, I decided on the color First Rain. I slapped on two coats of paint and BAM a totally new room was born.

Tip: Picking a light color will automatically make your room look much bigger and brighter.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go for a light gray, light purple, or light blue. I ended up with this light blue because not only was it a light color but it had a bright tint to it. Plus, the color gives a relaxing vibe unlike other colors. After I painted two coats of the blue, I repainted the molding and doors in a crisp white in order to make everything really pop.

Bed

Tip: This is the focal point of any bedroom because of how much space it takes up. Pick a bedding that you are madly in love with. If you want it to be a loud pattern you might need to tone down the rest of your room. if you want the room to speak for itself you might need a neutral color.

I’m obsessed with this white bed covering from Tahari. The neutral color helps tie everything in the room together while the ruffles add a pop of personality. The fun ruffles on my bed tie in the fun pattern on my curtains while the decorative pillows tie in my funky rug. When decorating a room it is all about balance and making sure everything lives in harmony. Thus, make sure nothing swallows up the room. Both the comforter and pillows were purchased from Marshall’s. The dream catcher was made by me two years ago in college. Boy, do I love that thing.

Bedside Table

Tip: Don’t overlook items found in other home decor sections. All types of furniture can be used in different areas of the house.

This nightstand was actually found in the bathroom section of Marshall’s. You might have seen a peak of this granite top in my past post because I’m absolutely in love with it. The nightstand appears to have three drawers but it actually only has two. I keep my every day make up in the top drawer, books in the second shelf, and random nicknacks on the third. This might be my favorite addition to my room just because of how convenient it has been.

Storage

Tip: When planning your room think about storage/function first and appearance second.

I’ll admit it, I accumulate a lot of ‘stuff”. I have a ton of clothes and had nowhere to put them all. As a result of this, we decided the more storage the better. I had shelves in my closet so we decided to take them all out and just have two places where I can hang cardigans, dresses, casual coats, and skirts. For clothes I also have one book shelf, two brown bureaus, one white shelving unit with wooden baskets, two large clothing bins that fit under my bed, and two shoe bins that fit under my bed. Now that is a mouth full! Basically, everything in my room is designed to store something. Sometimes its all about function.

Rug/Floor

Tip: Think about cold winters when you’re buying a rug. Do you want to step on something that is ultra soft?

I was really lucky. No, not ‘really’ lucky… incredibly lucky. We were able to find this navy, abstract rug for $49. This huge 8×10 rug was originally $200 and we were able to get it for $49. Actually unheard of. So, don’t be afraid to look in the sales section because you will find prizes like this rug. Also, the fluffy, white rug was on sale for $57 originally $171. Shop around before you end up dropping a lot of money. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a winner like these two rugs.

Decor

Tip: This is how you add personality into your room. Pick things that talk about who you are as a person.

Guys, you know me by now. You know I’m obsessed with cacti so obviously they had to be peaking out in multiple corners. We have the cacti painting on my wall, multiple cacti themed candles, cacti stuffed toys, a cactus ring holder, and a scented cactus. Through my decor, I was able to showcase my semester abroad in Italy and my family that I love dearly. I was also able to showcase my beloved jewelry. There are so many ways you can showcase your style and your passions through your room. Just think of what you love most and you’ll be able to find a way.

If you look closely you can find another slight obsession I have on my bookshelf. Comment what you think it might be!

There we have it! Thats my big, bad, blue room. I can’t even begin to explain how floored I am about this beautiful room. A big thanks to Papa Porter for helping me figure out everything and going through all the crazy trips. You can only imagine how many times I turned my head to him and asked “do you think this goes?” Hey, its always good to get a second… or third opinion. He sure is a trooper!

What do you think of my blue room? Have you done a recent room tour post? I would love to check it out. Let me know in the comments down below.

As always,

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