Selling some books ...

I recently attempted to sell some of my myriad books at the local swap meet, but met with little success.  I was even told by someone that I was charging too much, that she could get the same books at the Goodwill for only $1.  I felt like telling her to go buy them there, then!!  At the swap meet I actually had more people ask if the bookcase was for sale than check out the books on it ...

I also tried to sell some of the books at a garage sale, where I had a bit more luck.  At the garage sale (because it was windy) I left the books on the ground in a bin with their spines facing up.  Don't know if this was the reason I had more success or not.  Sorry for the bad pic, that was a crazy windy day and I think I couldn't focus because I was going to blow over!!

I have tried to sell books on eBay, with limited success.  The best way to sell on eBay is to have a "lot" of similar books so that the shipping seems lower to the bidder.  I got rid of most my decorating and crafts books this way several years ago.  But, I still had some left that I ended up donating to Goodwill (perhaps that lady from the swap meet found them!!)  I have several random books up for sale on a free online storefront (BluJay.com), but they have sat there for 2 years now. I will try some of the better books from my group on eBay this week again to see how they sell.

So, when I heard about an online site (Cash4Books.net) where I could enter my ISBN numbers and they would tell me if they would buy my book, I was excited.  Surely with all my books there would be several that they would buy!!  NOT!!  I searched over 30 ISBNs, including a couple of audio books, and only TWO books came up indicating that they would buy them.  Of course they offered me more than I would probably get at a garage sale, so I went through the motions.  They offer free shipping (Media Mail), that is a great thing because I wouldn't have been able to  afford to ship the books to them for the amount they were offering me.

The two books they purchased were newer books with the ISBN-13 only, so I figured that was why they were interested in these two.  However, I tried some others with ISBN-13s and they didn't want those either.  So, I was able to get $4.58 for two books (one SciFi reprint and a book about Egyptology).  I will mail off the box tomorrow (with their paid shipping label), and they will send me some money via PayPal (they offered the option of a check or PayPal).  I hope all will go smoothly, but they could always reject the books once they have them, or pay less for them than quoted.  I will let you know when I have my $4.58 in my PayPal account!!

I want to Stay in Morro Bay!!

Two and a half years ago I moved to Morro Bay, California.  I took early retirement from my 20-year job and accepted a position in San Luis Obispo.  I knew I wanted to retire to Morro Bay and thought that it would be great to move down to the Central Coast so I could be familiar with the area and make some new friends.   Unfortunately, that job didn't work out, I was let go after 3 months.

I realize now that the woman who recommended that I be let go was correct, even though her motivations may have been misguided.  I was not suited for that job.  At the time, however, I was devastated!!  In my 35 years of working I had never even had a mediocre review, much less a bad review followed by being "let go".  It was a surprise, even though that morning I had a moment of prescience as I headed out the door of my cottage.  I had thought, "What if I get laid off, what would I have to remember to take with me from my office?"  It was a strange thought and even at the time I thought it could have been a premonition.  Sure enough, that day I was called into the big bosses office and was told that he had to let me go.  He wanted me to stay until the end of the week, but I was too emotional and knew I couldn't stay.  In tears, I packed up my office and left then and there.

Most of my coworkers were shocked at how I was let go, and I did have some support from one of them in particular who snuck back in my office to retrieve some personal items I had forgotten!!  It was comical as we went back and forth leaving each other messages, trying to arrange when and where we should meet so she could give me my "stuff", like some illicit drug exchange!!  I appreciated her support at a time when I was still in shock.  Right after it happened I wasn't comfortable telling people that I had been "let go", so I let people think I had been "laid off".  At the time it sounded better, but over time I have changed my wording to be more accurate.  The only negative thing for me now is that I have to say that I was "let go" on my job applications.

The first thing I did that day was to drive over to my storage unit and retrieve all the boxes of stuff I had been planning to sell after I got "settled" in Morro Bay.  I had been selling through eBay for many years, but when I revisited their site I realized that their policies had changed so much that their site was no longer a viable place for low-end sellers like me.  So, I did a bit of research and discovered some free online storefronts.  I decided to list my modern items on BluJay and my vintage items on eCrater.  It made me feel like I was doing something proactive towards my unemployed situation.

Of course, after I did a bit of research, I applied for Unemployment Insurance.   I lucked out that I was awarded the maximum weekly benefit because they based the figure on my previous job.  I was also lucky that I hadn't quit my part-time job when I got the San Luis Obispo position.  I had been commuting up to the San Francisco Bay Area every other weekend for a high-paying part-time position.  This part-time position enabled me to continue to stretch out my Unemployment Insurance for 2 years at the highest weekly award while I have been job-hunting in my field.

I have lived somewhat frugally over the last two years, but I recently began my third Unemployment Insurance claim and they are now only using my part-time work to calculate my weekly benefit amount.  My current weekly benefit amount is only $150, and I will only get that during a week when I am not working my part-time job.  The bottom line is that while my part-time job will give me enough to pay my rent, it is not enough to pay the bills!!

And, I want to Stay in Morro Bay!!  I love it here, I am happy here, it is beautiful here.  Unfortunately, there are almost no job opportunities in my field here in San Luis Obispo County.  At almost 50 years old I don't want to move home with my parents, although I totally appreciate that I have that option.  I moved home with them in my mid-thirties and went crazy.  I was able to get somewhat out of debt after a year and a half, but I had gained 25 pounds and many stress-related health issues.  I couldn't get out of there fast enough once I was relatively solvent.

So, after seeing this incredible sunset this evening I decided that I WANT TO STAY IN MORRO BAY!!  This blog will follow my journey of trying to find money to pay the bills, find a job,  hopefully getting out of debt again, AND be able to stay in Morro Bay!!

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