Shipping Charge Update + Store Hiatus

In February in my post "A Postage Dilemma + Many Books Listed," I explained that I take a loss on postage when I sell books.  I have left my postage charge for a single book at $3.95 since 2008.  That amount has been inadequate for years.  Early this year I wanted to raise my postage charge to $4.95 but decided against it, since most sellers were charging just the base rate of $3.19 in their listings.

The USPS raised rates again this month.  I mailed out several packages this week, and the media mail postage increase grabbed my attention.  The one-pound rate is now $3.49.  I cannot continue charging just $3.95 for the first book.  That is over.  

I also mailed out a Three Investigators book that went at the two-pound rate for $4.16.  This means that I charged only $3.95 to mail a book for $4.16, and my packaging costs added at least $1.50 to the postage charge.  

I immediately went into my listings and changed my postage charge to $4.45 on listings for books that will go at the one-pound rate.  Heavier books like the Three Investigators now have a postage charge of $4.95.  My charges of $4.45 and $4.95 are still inadequate, but I want to increase gradually and not go all the way to $5.95, which is what I should be charging to mail one book.

For now, I have left the combined shipping amount at $0.60 for each additional book.  I still have the free shipping promotion for purchases of $35 or over.  I will have to assess whether the free shipping promotion should change to a higher minimum order amount, but that is a decision for later in the year.

My listings will be deactivated by the end of the day on Wednesday, August 3.  I may even pull them the night of August 2.  I expect my listings will be down for at least a few weeks.  Beyond that, I have no idea.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

Inflation, Low Sales, and Targeted Offers

Yesterday I explained how I have some books set aside that are slated to go into bulk lots.  Today I divided up the Nancy Drew books into possible bulk lots.  It worked out better than it usually does, and I found a place for each book.  This is what I have in mind.

The bulk lots will likely be listed sometime in the next few days.  When I price them, I will add together what the books cost, what postage will be, and what the fees will be.  I will then add a few dollars to the total, and the result is the Buy It Now price.  It is an effective means of getting books to disappear fast.  Buyers love sets of cheap reading copies.  Sometimes my bulk lots go to sellers who need some cheap inventory.  

Sales are horrible right now.  Gas prices and the resulting inflation are the biggest reasons.  Some people in the government want us to think that inflation isn't that bad right now and that the situation is improving.  Inflation is very bad, and the situation is most certainly not improving.

Around 2 years ago when I cautiously ventured forth from my self-imposed lockdown, I started using Walmart Pay on my phone to pay for my purchases at Walmart.  I liked using Walmart Pay because I didn't have to touch the register.  I have continued to use Walmart Pay.  It's easy, and I don't have to mess with paper receipts.  

All of the purchases I have made at Walmart for the past two years are saved in my account with the prices I paid.  I can search my transactions for certain items and see the price increases over the last two years and the especially noticeable price increases of the last six months.  

In the last two years, Purina wet cat food has increased by 25%.  Bottled Pepsi has gone up by 55%.  Bacon is now 75% higher.  Some products are even 100% higher.  Inflation is appallingly high.  It's not getting better.

This is why sales on eBay and Etsy have mostly halted.  The diehards are still buying.  I continue to make purchases.  When I list something special, it sells immediately.  However, the average person has quit making discretionary purchases.  Gasoline and food costs are taking their extra funds.  The current situation is bad.

Sales will remain low regardless of what I do.  It does concern me that my listings will be suppressed on eBay and Etsy due to low sales.  It's important that I sell some books so that I am not penalized in the search results.  

I first looked into making targeted offers on eBay.  I decided to try it out.  eBay allows sellers to select some of the items that are being watched by prospective buyers.  I like that I can choose which ones.  I chose items that have been up for sale longer, and I sent offers to those watchers.

I do not know who is watching my books on eBay.  I just see a list that shows me which items are being watched, and I then can select the items for which I want to send offers.  I made a few sales last night and today as a result of the offers.

On Etsy, I cannot pick and choose which items.  I have to run a campaign where offers are sent to all prospective buyers who fave an item.  The campaign would have to run indefinitely.  No, I want a one-time offer.  Also, on Etsy, I have to pay $0.10 for each targeted offer that is sent.  That would add up quickly.  So, no deal.

eBay is better for targeted offers, since I can choose and do not have to pay an additional fee.

I decided that I wanted to do something on Etsy.  My sales on Etsy have slipped so that they are worse than my eBay sales.  Both sites are bad, but Etsy is far worse.  I need some sales so that Etsy doesn't bury me in the search results.

I am now running a two-day sale on Etsy for 197 of my listings.  The sale is for 10% off.  I included all books in some of my categories, while in other categories I selected some of them.  

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

If you see this post after the Etsy sale concludes on Thursday, then the sale is over and will not be honored.

Building Bulk Lots of Books

Purchasing bulk lots of books is a great way to acquire extras and to find interesting variants.  I have acquired most of the library editions in my collection through bulk lot purchases.  The problem with purchasing bulk lots is that I end up with many bad condition books and with uneven quantities of extra books.  

I listed three bulk lots of Nancy Drew books on eBay a few days ago.  Most of the books were acquired through purchases that I made in order to acquire some hardcover Nancy Drew Files.  You will have to click or tap on photos in order see them in higher resolution.

I try to find bulk lots of bare tweed Nancy Drew books whenever I can.  These books are in high demand.  I have written about them in the past.  Buyers pay $10 or more each for bare tweed books, even when the books have some wear.  Whenever I acquire bulk lots of bare tweed Nancy Drew books, a few of them will be in bad shape.

I try to place books in bad condition near each other on a shelf as I acquire them.  In the last few days, I began organizing those books and getting them completely segregated from other books.  These photos show books that have condition problems that I have flagged as books that I intend to place in bulk lots.  

It should be obvious why many of the books are slated for bulk lots, since they have some obvious wear and tear.  Some of the blue Nancy Drew books have pulp paper, and I always place those books in bulk lots.  Some of the Nancy Drew books that look fine on the outside have significant interior condition problems, such as excessive stains, crayon, marker, or torn pages.  Other Nancy Drew books that look fine don't have significant problems, but I feel that they won't have a good chance of selling individually due to how they present.

Some books are just not worth selling individually, even though nothing is wrong with them.  The Bobbsey Twins book is an example.  There just isn't enough interest in the Bobbsey Twins series for me to sell random extras individually.  Once I have acquired some books that will fit in well with the Bobbsey Twins book, they will go in a bulk lot.  In fact, I have a copy of Black Beauty currently for sale, and I doubt that it will ever sell.  It would work as part of a bulk lot of books that would also include the Bobbsey Twins book.

After I organized the books seen in the above photos, I organized my extra bare tweed and blue Nancy Drew books which will be sold individually.

I always find it interesting to see how many extra copies I have of some titles, while I have no extras of others.  What I will do is assess the books that are slated for the bulk lots.  I will begin dividing them up into lots in such a way that will enable me to list as many of them as possible.  I have multiple copies of some bad condition books, so they cannot all go in the same bulk lot. 

Once I have begun to build the bulk lots, I will then look at my other extras.  I will focus on titles where I have more extra copies.  Hidden Staircase, Red Gate Farm, and Old Stagecoach are obvious examples where I have too many extras.  I will likely remove at least one of each, picking the worse condition copy, and will place them in with the books destined for the bulk lots.

Sometimes I will sacrifice some of my extras just to make the bulk lots more enticing.  I must make the value proposition good enough for each bulk lot so that it has a decent chance of selling.  

I will probably begin building the bulk lots tomorrow.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

Books Listed on eBay and Etsy

I have listed quite a few books in the last couple of weeks on both eBay and Etsy.  

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

As always, I have different books listed on each site.  I never duplicate listings across multiple sites. 

On Etsy, I have listed Nancy Drew in multiple formats including bare tweed, tweed in dust jacket, original text picture covers, and revised text picture covers.  I also have listed Trixie Belden, Three Investigators, Rick Brant, Vicki Barr, and Connie Blair books.  The Three Investigators books listed on Etsy are not musty.

The musty Three Investigators books are on eBay, and I have lowered the prices.  I am hoping that someone who doesn't mind a musty odor as much as I do will end up purchasing the books.  If not, then the books will eventually go to a bulk lot.  

On eBay, I have listed Nancy Drew Files, Nancy Drew library editions, and Hardy Boys Wanderer softcover books.

In the coming days, I will list additional books.

Orders of $35 or more shipping to United States addresses will receive free shipping.  Add the books to your shopping cart and then complete checkout in order for the shipping discount to apply.

Late April Listing Update

As I mentioned in my previous post, sales are currently low on eBay and Etsy.  There are multiple reasons why this is the case, and I covered some of them in my last post.  Another reason is the search algorithm.  Sites have parameters that determine the placement of items in the search results.  One parameter is tied to new listings.  

If a store does not list new items frequently, then that store's existing listings will receive lower placement in the search results.  I reflected on that situation today and concluded that I probably hadn't listed any items in around five weeks.  My lack of new listings has caused lower sales.

I wanted to list some books today, but I struggled to motivate myself, which is in fact part of a vicious circle.  When I don't list books, my sales decrease.  When my sales decrease, I don't feel motivated to list books.  The situation then worsens.

I spent some time in the late afternoon trying to decide if I should force myself to list on Etsy or on eBay.  I leaned towards Etsy, which is exactly why I decided that I should go with eBay.  I feel that the situation is worse on eBay.  That's why I'm more motivated to list on Etsy, which is why I should instead list on eBay.  I need to break the vicious circle.

I then struggled to decide what to list on eBay.  I wasn't motivated to list more of what is already not selling.  I finally realized that I could list Hardy Boys books.  My picture covers had sold out, and I could also list quite a few Wanderer softcover books.

That is what I did, and I really had to force myself to do it.  I took no joy in the process and felt like I was wasting my time.  Nevertheless, I got the books listed.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

I did go into Etsy and lower the prices of my most expensive books.  The ones originally priced at above $100 were all reduced by either $25 or $50.

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

I have a large number of tweed Nancy Drew books both with and without dust jackets that I need to list on Etsy.  These books are my best sellers on Etsy, especially the tweed books without dust jackets.  People love them.

Perhaps next weekend I can force myself to list on Etsy.

I also have quite a few Rick Brant books (actually most of the set) that I need to list as well as a variety of other books.  Much of it likely will not be listed until school is out for the summer.  Teacher Record Day is four weeks from tomorrow.

It occurred to me that I could mention my stores in one of the Facebook selling groups, and that would probably result in some sales.  For now, I'm not going to do that.  I don't like promoting my stores in the groups, for two reasons. 

First, I don't like promoting myself to people who don't follow me.  This blog is different since those who read it choose to follow me.  This is my space, and anyone here has an interest in what I write or what I do.  I am comfortable with self-promotion here in this blog.

I also don't like promoting myself in the Facebook groups because of some of the odd responses.  Facebook members have become very lazy.  They get in the groups and ask basic questions that can be answered by a simple Google search.  When I mentioned my online stores in the group last summer, people asked me if I had certain books for sale.  They were apparently too lazy to follow the links to see what I had.  What I had for sale was what I had for sale in my stores.  It shouldn't have been hard to figure out.

If someone is too lazy to follow the link, then they are probably too lazy to make a purchase.  I get better results mentioning my stores in this blog than I do when I mention them in the Facebook group.  I also don't get the lazy questions in this blog, and I thank you for that.

Low eBay Sales Caused by eBay's Category Removal

Sales are currently lower than normal on both eBay and Etsy.  This is no doubt tied to the economy and high inflation.  Sales also tend to be lower in the weeks before Tax Day.  Nevertheless, something else is at play on eBay.

In my previous post, "Using the Copyright Year in the Title of eBay Listings," I wrote:

My Nancy Drew books tend not to sell on eBay, but they sell just fine on Etsy.  Something is wrong on eBay, and I've felt for a long time that buyers cannot find my Nancy Drew books in the search results.  This is probably partly my fault.

I have not been consistent in using item specifics.  I find it hard to believe, however, that most Nancy Drew buyers rely solely on item specifics instead of looking at the items that are returned in their searches. So, I feel like it's more than just the item specifics. 

I know that more is going on.  My eBay Nancy Drew sales tanked sometime in the middle of last year.  Last summer, I created a bunch of small bulk lots of Nancy Drew original text picture cover books.  The books that were listed in those lots had condition problems and often had bookplates.  I didn't feel that those books were advisable to list individually, so I put them in the small bulk lots.  The lots were priced at from around $18 up to around $25 for three or four original text picture covers.  Shipping was free on the lots, so the buyers were only paying sales tax in addition to the cost of each lot. 

Years ago, the lots would have all sold within a few weeks.  The lots went mostly unnoticed.  Gradually over the months, the lots sold one at a time.  I still have one of them, and it's been close to a year since it was first listed. 

$6.66 per book plus sales tax is not a bad price.  While the books have wear, they are not in bad shape.  They are perfectly respectable copies, just like the others that took months to sell.  I have been astonished that these bulk lots have been so hard to move considering the high interest in the original text books.  

I can pinpoint exactly when the drop in Nancy Drew sales occurred on eBay.  I have taken several breaks from selling during the pandemic.  I reopened in March 2021 after a lengthy break.  At first, my Nancy Drew sales were fine.  My Nancy Drew sales began to drop by summer, although I didn't notice.  I was going through a lot at that time and was selling plenty of other books.  

I did notice that my original text bulk lots weren't selling, which was odd.  But I didn't stop to think about it and didn't notice that my Nancy Drew picture cover books priced individually had quit selling on eBay. 

I closed my store again in early August 2021 and reopened in late October 2021.  That was when I noticed the drop in Nancy Drew sales on eBay.  The books just weren't selling anymore.  I have had the same picture cover books listed since last year, and they don't sell.  Meanwhile, my Nancy Drew picture cover books sell on Etsy just fine.

I do know why this has happened.  In May 2021, eBay removed most of its categories.  Yes, you read that right:  eBay removed most of its categories.     

This image shows the subcategories available within eBay's "Books & Magazines" category.

There really aren't any.  There is a subcategory for "Antiquarian & Collectible" books and another for just "Books."  The "Books" subcategory has no subcategories of its own and is for all books from all genres.  

The children's book category is gone.  Vanished.  It no longer exists.  I mean, who would want to separate children's books from other kinds of books?  Certainly, none of us, right?  

The item specifics are supposed to take the place of the categories.  There is an option for "children's" in the item specifics.  The idea is that buyers can find the option for "children's" in the search results and select it to see children's books.  It sounds great in theory, but there's a problem.  Most sellers don't use that item specific for Nancy Drew books.

This image shows most of the topics used by sellers for their Nancy Drew listings along with how many listings were assigned to each topic.

Click on the image in order to view it clearly.  Some sellers did label their books as children's books, but many sellers did not.  The only way to use the item specifics to see all of the Nancy Drew books is to click on each one in turn, which would take forever.  Just running a search for Nancy Drew like I do, and looking at everything without using item specifics, is the only feasible way to do it.

Aside from that, many of the topics selected are rather... strange.  Notice that over 100 books are categorized as "farming."  I checked that one out and found many Red Gate Farm books and a number of the ND Diaries Black Creek Farm books.  How stupid.

When I was editing the item specifics for my Nancy Drew listings, I found that eBay automatically generates item specifics inspired by keywords from the titles.  That is how a large number of Nancy Drew books are categorized as "farming" books.  Not helpful, eBay.

The bottom line is that eBay's children's books category no longer exists.  Buyers are now on their own trying to find children's books.  Buyers are reliant on sellers properly using the item specifics, yet eBay hinders sellers by suggesting completely wrong item specifics in many cases.

Think of going to a library book sale with hundreds of thousands of books for sale, except all of the books are piled in bins and unsorted as to topic.  That is what eBay is like now.

None of this is a problem for searches that return few results.  I find that all of my books aside from Nancy Drew do fine on eBay.  A search for Nancy Drew returns over 25,000 results, so buyers are overwhelmed and unable to find what they want.

I found an article that indicates that eBay is trying to get rid of buyers and has apparently succeeded.  

Is Management Strategy or Reopening Economies Driving Customer Losses for eBay?

I have trouble understanding how getting rid of buyers is good.  However, the people who have run eBay over the years have sometimes shown very poor judgment.  For instance, a team of now-former eBay executives and employees allegedly executed a harassment campaign against the Steiners of eCommerceBytes a few years ago.  

Former eBay employees harassed couple who wrote critical newsletter articles, prosecutors say

Couple harassed by former eBay employees sues company and former executives

Former eBay executive to plead guilty to cyberstalking campaign targeting couple

With people like that connected to eBay, we shouldn't expect wise decisions.

My eBay and Etsy Stores Are Back Open

I decided that I should be okay packing books any books that sell this next week, so I reopened both stores.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

If I feel overwhelmed or annoyed again, then I will take my listings back down.  This last week was brutal, so taking my listings down was the right decision.  

All prices are the same on Etsy.  On eBay, I lowered the prices of the musty Three Investigators books, a few R. L. Stine books, and some other scattered books.

My eBay and Etsy Stores Are Temporarily Closed

Today a torque test was done on my dental implants.  The implants passed the test, and I will be fitted for crowns next week.  I did not expect the torque test to hurt like it did.  I had brief but intense pain.  In addition, my gums are always very sensitive, and that part of my mouth is now sore and probably will be for several days.  I have concluded that I will have discomfort and possibly more lingering soreness next week when I am fitted for the crowns.

Long story short, I felt a bit disgruntled as I drove home from my appointment.  I also forgot to drop off my packages at the post office, so I had to drive back.  That was the second time in the last week that I drove by the post office, forgot to stop to drop off my packages, and then had to drive back.  That left me feeling quite annoyed. 

I always stack my packages in the passenger front seat so that I don't risk forgetting to drop them off.  That I actually have ignored the pile of packages twice in the last week is a very bad sign.  I am making more mistakes than usual.  This means that I don't need to be selling right now.  

I decided to take a break from selling, and I got all of my listings deactivated earlier today.  The plan is to be closed for two weeks minimum.  Depending upon how I feel in two weeks, the closure could extend to a bit longer.

I was dismayed awhile later when I realized that people will think that I'm taking part in the Etsy strike.  No, no!  I understand why some sellers are upset, but striking isn't going to change anything.  I will just make sure that my prices are high enough to cover the fees, which is what I always do.  Etsy is still cheaper than eBay.  I can deal with it.

Little things can add up over time; they are cumulative.  The school year is like that as well, and we have reached the point in the school year where everything is wearing on everybody.

I have had several instances lately where prospective buyers have been difficult.  Again, these instances alone are nothing, but they have a cumulative impact on me.

One buyer asked if a copy of the Three Investigators book, The Secret of Phantom Lake, was a first printing.  I made no remark in my listing about whether it was.  I know why I didn't.  The book has a musty odor, so it's not a collectible copy.  Anyway, the book isn't the first printing.  I told the buyer that it isn't because it has the full series list inside.  According to Seth's Three Investigators first printing page, the first printing only has #17-20 listed inside.  I mentioned Seth's site to the buyer as my reason.  I know that the book isn't the first printing.  

So, the buyer asked for a photo of the copyright page.  I'm not sure what a photo would prove.  There isn't a number line, and I know that the book isn't the first printing because of the list page.  I sent the photo.

The buyer then asked for a discount.  At that point, I was done.  My listings say that I don't accept offers, and I don't.  I didn't reply.

Another buyer from Slovakia wanted to purchase a Three Investigators book and have me mark it as a gift on the customs declaration.

Buyer:

hi there. any chance that we can make a deal? i want avoid fees in slovakia, so wanna pay but send you like a present, so declared price is lower. thank for answer

Me:

I create my postage labels through eBay, and I don't think I can hide the value of the item.

Buyer:

Well i wanted to avoid extra money u will pay to this site, but i dont have problem to buy it here. I would just like to ask you, if u can send it as "gift". Otherwise they will delay this order unless i prove them few documents and pay tax. Its not that much about 10 or 15 euros, but about annoying process i would like to avoid.

So if u agree, i will buy it and you just send it to me without stating price, so it gets to me without problems.

Me:

I am nearly certain that I will not be able to mark it as a gift on the form that I will fill out for eBay. I do not believe that is an option with eBay's global shipping program.

Buyer:

Hi again. Hmm when i once sold smthing, i just packed it and sent it, so im not sure hows that ebay shippment working and why there has to be anything. and what about just fair trade - i send you cash u send me book?

I haven't responded.  I took the time to find a completed international transaction that is in my account.  I initiated a shipping label.  All I can do is ship the item to eBay's Kentucky global shipping facility.  I cannot declare it as a gift.  

I don't feel comfortable dodging the import/export laws, but that aside, I simply do not have the option to mark the item as a gift.  It isn't possible with eBay's global shipping program.

I am using eBay's global shipping program at this time partly because of the pandemic and partly because it's easier.  USPS is not currently shipping to some countries, and the global shipping program allows me to do so.  Furthermore, by using the global shipping program, I don't have to figure out the international postage fee.  eBay handles that part and charges the buyer appropriately.  

I have had a few other instances of buyers being very pushy about getting a discount.  One buyer wanted me to discount a book.  When I declined, they then asked for a discount along with another book free.  They later came back again with another request.  When this happens, I hold firm and do not discount.  I don't like being harassed.  

Cumulative, indeed.  All of these events together add to my stress, which is already high because of school.  Therefore, I'm taking a much-deserved break from selling.  

Books Listed on eBay and Etsy + A Listing Dilemma

This week I listed a large number of books and other items on eBay and Etsy.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

I had a dilemma concerning some hardcover Three Investigators books.  The books needed to be on eBay due to condition issues, but I prefer not to sell Three Investigators books or early Nancy Drew books with dust jackets on eBay.  There is a certain problematic eBay user that I have blocked on three of their IDs.  This person deals in Three Investigators, early Nancy Drew books with dust jackets, and other books outside of my interests.  Even though I have this person blocked, he could very well circumvent the buyer block yet again.  He's already done that once before.

Circumventing a Buyer Block

His selling practices also disturb me, so I would rather not become his supplier again.

eBay's New Search Uncovers a Shady Seller
Tainting the Book Supply
Why I Don't Want to Sell Certain Books on eBay

The above posts are worth a read.  They will make clear why I keep certain books off of eBay whenever possible.

Getting back to my dilemma, I have quite a few Three Investigators books that have a musty odor.  Early this year, I used an ozone generator on the books in an attempt to get rid of the musty odor.  I believe that it helped some, but the books still smell musty.  I don't want to mess with them anymore.

Etsy is not a good venue for books with hidden flaws.  I cannot place text in bold or change the color of the text on Etsy.  I find on Etsy that buyers are less likely to look at all of the photos and are less likely to read the description.

This meant that I needed to list the musty books on eBay, but then my books would be visible to the blocked buyer.  I needed to price the books high enough to avoid gaining this person's interest.  I finally focused on this person's prices when selling the books.  I priced my books about the same as comparable books offered by this person. 

Another dilemma that I encounter fairly frequently is how to price extremely scarce books that are not in the best of condition.  The original text picture cover edition of Nancy Drew #7, The Clue in the Diary, falls into this category.  That printing is unbelievably scarce, yet it usually surfaces in bad condition.  

I have a copy available on eBay.  I may have priced it too high for the market.  We'll see.  I believe that the book is worth a good bit more than what people are willing to pay.  Quite a few people want that book fairly badly, but many of them expect for it to be priced at under $20.  The book is so scarce that pricing it under $20 is illogical.  Also, I haven't gotten my extras cheaply enough to price them that low.

At some point in the near future I want to get into a more lengthy discussion of my observation that many desirable books have an invisible cap on their values.  I find that this invisible cap often applies to the library editions and the international editions.  In short, very scarce books sometimes fail to sell due to the expectation that the price must be low.  It's an interesting topic.

Early November Sales Update

This weekend I listed over 100 books on Etsy.

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

My Etsy shop has fully reopened, but I do still have 35 inactive listings.  Most of those listings will be moved to eBay eventually.

I listed a few bulk lots on eBay, mainly of items pulled from Etsy. 

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

In order to make sure that you see all of the newly-listed items, you will have to change the sort to "newly listed."  eBay's algorithm sometimes shows the new items first.  At other times, eBay shows random stuff.  I guess the idea is to keep changing what is shown first in order to give all items a chance to sell.  I'd still rather see newest first.

My eBay store remains mostly closed.  I have 130 inactive listings which will be reactivated sometime in the next one to two weeks.  Once I have reactivated those listings, I will also begin listing many new items on eBay.

I have dozens of extra First Love from Silhouette books that I need to list.  I also have some R. L. Stine, Christopher Pike, Nancy Drew Applewood, a few Dana Girls in the blue/red jackets, Three Investigators, Vicki Barr, Ken Holt, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew with blank endpapers, my usual large selection of Nancy Drew picture covers, and lots of other assorted books.

Store Hiatus Begins Sunday + Thoughts on What I Have Accomplished

Reminder:  The 10% off sale ends tomorrow (Saturday) night.  On Sunday by the end of the day, I will make all of my listings inactive.  My listings will remain down for some time, probably several months.  One plan is to open back up during fall break, which is in October.  The other plan is to wait until Thanksgiving break.  

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

Unlike last year, the reason for closing has nothing to do with the pandemic.  I anticipate that I will have a strong autoimmune flare and that I will not be myself for up to two months.  I am closing since it is best for my body and mind.

My concern about the pandemic and the upcoming school year has increased in the last week.  Our governor signed a bill into law in May that forbids school districts from mandating masks.  The only way that districts can mandate masks if he declares a state of emergency.  He has declared that he will not do so.  So he's got us.  Fortunately, vaccinations are increasing again in Oklahoma, and I hope this situation doesn't get too much worse before it gets better. 

I am not worried about severe illness or death since I am vaccinated.  I am worried about having to self-quarantine.  The district policy is that vaccinated staff must self-quarantine for 10 days if they show symptoms.  Even catching a cold will be a problem and will require a Covid-19 test.  I am quite prone to catching colds. 

We will be returning to school without masks for five days of in-person learning per week.  With the spread of the Delta variant, I feel like we are about to throw ourselves into another debacle.  

So I'm a bit concerned about what I might catch once we all return to the incubator.  I am definitely much less anxious than I was a year ago at this time, but I do have some worries.  I'm also dreading the tooth extraction on Tuesday but will also be relieved to get it over with.  

I accomplished most of my goals for this summer.  I sold off a ton of books.  I still don't have everything quite back after painting in June, but I'm close.  I'm close enough that I can see how much space I have cleared.  I had around 20 boxes of books that I sold.  I also sold off enough books to clear the equivalent of 2 1/2 bookcases.  

Since March, I have sold 975 listings on Etsy, nearly all of them for individual books.  On eBay, I have sold 708 listings.  I tend to put bulk lots on eBay, but most listings were individual books.  Going by listings, I sold 1,683 of them on the two sites combined.  I do not know how many books were in the bulk lots, but I surely sold a least a few hundred books in bulk lots.  All told, I must have sold at least 2,000 books since March.  I can see how I ended up clearing off at least 2 1/2 bookcases besides emptying all of those boxes of books.

In a moment of clarity a couple weeks ago, I realized how much my collection is actually worth.  My thought was, "I sold $_____ in books since March.  That's a fraction of what I still have.  So I can probably multiply that amount by __, which means that my collection is worth around $_____."  I knew that my collection was worth more than a certain amount, but I hadn't considered that it was worth a good bit more than that.

A goal that I didn't accomplish this summer was getting draft blog reviews published.  I have already mentioned that the photo problem with Blogger has taken away my motivation.  Earlier today I finally tried to add photos to some draft reviews.  I was shocked when each photo actually landed in the right place.  This means that I actually do have some reviews ready.  I will likely set them to publish sometime in the next few weeks. 

I hope that after I close my stores that I can catch up on the blog and get some other draft posts ready as well. 

July Closeout on eBay and Etsy This Week + Store Hiatus

I will be closing both of my stores on Sunday, August 1.  I will have oral surgery next week to remove two teeth, which I mentioned in my previous post.  A few days after that, I will go back to work for the fall semester.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

I expect to be closed for two to three months.

Both stores currently have a 10% discount on all purchases.  The sale was supposed to end today, but I decided to extend it until the day before I close the stores.  The sale will end on Saturday evening, July 31.

I want to get my inventory down just a bit so that I can reduce the shelf space taken up by those books.  This will help me to continue to organize my different collections. 

I am also being very careful about what I purchase, as I don't want to end up with boxes and boxes of extra books by the time I reopen.  During the last week, I decided not to purchase four bulk lots that I would normally have purchased.  Any bulk lots will have to be especially enticing before I will consider purchasing them.  And yes, I have already purchased two small bulk lots, but they have important books in them (like hardcover Hardy Boys Digest books).

Sales have been brisk since March and mostly without any trouble.  The postal service has caused me a few problems with some delayed outgoing and incoming packages.  Two outgoing international packages were held up in customs for a month.  One incoming international package took two weeks to be processed through customs.  

Currently, I have one incoming package going in a circle in the northeast United States.  Hopefully, it will escape soon.  A few of my outgoing packages have also gone in circles.  This doesn't seem very efficient.

A few years ago, I wrote about the high cost of international shipping.

Chinese sellers are able to list items on Amazon, eBay, and other sites for as little as U.S. $0.99, shipping included.  The Chinese receive subsidized postage rates, and the rest of the world is paying their postage for them.  Read the following article for more information.

As U.S. Postage Rates Continue To Rise, The USPS Gives The Chinese A 'Free Ride'

I still offer to ship books internationally, but most of my prospective international buyers think I am ripping them off.  They think I am choosing to use the most expensive shipping method instead of using a less expensive method.  The United States Postal Service no longer offers surface mail.  It does not exist.  We are only allowed to use the expensive method.

This came up again last week, leaving me with the familiar but unpleasant feeling that the buyer thinks I am trying to rip them off.  A buyer wanted me to find a cheaper method to mail five books.  I looked into the cost, and it would cost me $80 to mail the five books together in a box to the destination country.  Yes, I agree that the cost is outrageous and not worth it for cheap books.  

I was then told that another seller sent seven books to the buyer via international mail for around $30.  It was suggested that I might be able to find a cheaper method.  I decided not to respond, just because I didn't wish to give a detailed explanation of the situation.

I don't have access to that cheap of a method through the regular shipping channel.  It is true that a cheaper, seldom-used method does exist.  However, I'm not going to go to the trouble of using M-bag, if that is how the seller ended up shipping the books for $30.  I used M-bag a few times many years ago, so I am quite aware of the service and the hassle involved on my end.  I don't care to go to that trouble, for personal reasons.

Years ago, the postal clerks were bemused when I asked for M-bag.  They didn't know what it was and had to find a supervisor.  A canvas bag had to be found.  The package had to be placed inside the bag, and then the bag had to be tagged with the mailing label.  I drop off my packages with preprinted labels, and I refuse to wait in line and go through all of that again.  I am sorry.

In past years when I have mentioned M-bag, some readers would tell me that it is a defunct service, while other readers would say that the service is still offered.  USPS updated its site, and the service still existed as of January 24, 2021.  That's pretty recent, so I'm confident that the service continues to be offered.

What Is M-bag Service?

I will close with a word of advice.  If you really want a book and the book is at all scarce, purchase it instead of asking the seller questions.  A prospective buyer asked me about whether a certain book had a mylar cover (the edge of the white paper backing could be seen in a chipped area in the photo) and whether the shipping cost would include insurance.  

I spent a few minutes typing an answer.  I stated that the book had a mylar cover.  I explained that the shipping didn't include insurance, and eBay does not allow sellers to charge for insurance.  However, I would gladly insure the book.  As soon as I sent my reply, I saw that the book had just sold to somebody else.  The person who asked the questions missed out by just minutes.  The book hadn't been listed that long.  

If a book is scarce and hasn't been listed for very long, purchase it if you think you want it.

Late July Selling Update and Forthcoming Store Hiatus

This is a continuation of these two posts.

June 2021 Update on My Activities

July 2021 Update on My Activities

In my last post, I mentioned that my goal is to clear out enough books so that I can get my Bee Gees stuff displayed out in the open.  I had one bookshelf partially emptied, so I cleared off two more shelves.  I began pulling my Bee Gees stuff together. 

The image seen below is not how it looks currently.  I have actually removed the books from the top shelf since I took the photo.  I have to put photos in my posts before I write any text since Blogger places the photos randomly instead of where my cursor is located.  I expect in a year or so Blogger will shut down due to greatly decreased usage.  They'll have no clue that it will be their fault for ruining the interface.  If I didn't have over a decade's worth of posts, I'd already be long gone.  As it is, I'm barely posting anything.

Target has some nifty wooden boxes.  45 rpm records with picture sleeves fit into them, and those are on the second shelf from the top. 

I'm really excited that my songbooks fit into the boxes as well. 

For months, I have been at a loss as to what to do with the songbooks.  They are oversized and heavy and won't fit in most of my bookcases.  Finally, I have a place for them.

I also have some magazines, and I've purchased sleeves and backing boards for them.  I plan to put the magazines in the wooden boxes as well.

Last week, quite a few of my Etsy listings expired from when I reopened on March 12.  I renewed them, but I lowered some of the prices.  I lowered the prices of all of the Three Investigators paperback books.

I also listed a large number of Nancy Drew Files paperback books on Etsy.  I chose books where I could use the same description on most of them, saving me time.  The vast majority of the Files books have very light wear, no creasing at all, and are in excellent condition. 

I also listed quite a few Nancy Drew Digest paperback books.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

My oral surgery for the removal of two teeth is scheduled for August 3 (read the above linked posts for the backstory).  I go back to work on August 6.  At the beginning of any school year, I have a moderate autoimmune flare.  There is nothing I can do to avoid it.  The change in schedule and stress of getting back to work causes my thyroid to shut down temporarily, and this results in me not feeling that great for up to two months.  I repeat this process every year.  

The biggest problem is actually the brain fog and not anything else.  I can say and do some dumb things at times.  I hate it when I say something really stupid due to confusion, and then a couple minutes later I am chagrined after I realize what I said.  This is why I am quite open about my condition, since it causes me to look like a fool at times.

With the oral surgery just three days before I go back, I am certain that I will have a strong autoimmune flare this year.  That will result in a lot of brain fog and my two-month recovery time being a very difficult and dysfunctional experience.  

For that reason, I must close my eBay and Etsy stores again for the beginning of this school year.  I will close them on August 1 so that my last trip to the post office will be on August 2.  Since I can expect to have two months of not feeling well, I plan to keep both stores closed for at least two months.  I think fall break would be the time to reopen them, which will set the closure at 2 1/2 months.  

If you want something I have for sale, you have until August 1.  After that date, you will have to wait until I reopen.  

I believe I am now finished listing new items for this summer.  I just have two weeks before I close, so there isn't much point in listing anything else.

I am very pleased with the progress I have made this summer in freeing up some shelf space.  I am not going into local stores, and I am avoiding purchasing most bulk lots online.  I don't want my extra books to begin building up too much.  In spite of my strong resolve, I couldn't resist purchasing a bulk lot of Hardy Boys Digest hardcover library editions.  I didn't have some of them, and others could be upgrades.  Those books will take up some space, and if I can avoid buying too much else, then I will remain in great shape.

July 2021 Update on My Activities

This is an update to my June update on my activities.  This is another long post.  

I did finally get done painting the one room.

I purchased the new dresser that I wanted.  The final step was going to be new carpet, but that was when I decided that I had had enough.  I quit with the dresser and did not get new carpet.  I was a bit overwhelmed with the mess that I had created by moving everything around.  

I began the process of getting it all picked up and put away.  I'm not done yet and still have quite a mess, but it is a lot better than it was.

I'm still working on selling down as many books as I can as fast as I can.  I mentioned earlier this year that I wanted to get stuff out of drawers and cabinets so that it can be displayed.  This requires me to sell off a good many books in order to gain the needed shelf space.  There is no point to me having neat stuff if I can never look at it.  (Note: I never make statements like this in the Facebook groups because people get really defensive.  I'm sure all of us have neat things stashed away that we can never see.  I want to change that problem for me as best I can.  I'm not judging others, since I'm guilty of it as well.)

I didn't get into the specifics of exactly what my endgame is, but I have a distinct goal: all of my Bee Gees stuff out where I can see it.  Just so that you understand why this is important, these are the four types of Bee Gees fans as I see it.

#1  These people are fans of the Bee Gees from 1960 to 1974.  They dislike everything that came later.

#2  These people are fans of the Bee Gees from 1975 to 1979.  They may like some of the other stuff, but the disco is primarily all that interests them.

#3  These people are in love with one or more of the brothers.  I'll leave it at that.

#4  These people are fans of everything Bee Gees and related from 1960 to the present day.  They are fans of the entire song catalog and are interested in knowing everything about the Bee Gees.  They get along quite well with all fans who fall under #1 and #2.  They tend to avoid the #3 fans.

I am #4. 

Getting my Bee Gees stuff out is of paramount importance.  It needs to happen.  Unfortunately, I don't think I will reach that point before summer break is over.  However, I will keep working at reducing my books and freeing up more space.  Here is a peek at some of my Bee Gees stuff, which is currently stacked here and there as I continue to shift items around.   

I have had multiple other complications this summer, most importantly the one involving my teeth.  Both tooth #30 and #31 have been quite painful.  #31 has been a problem periodically over the years due to a crack in the tooth under the crown.  #30 has never been a problem, but it was hurting with #31. 

My dentist wanted to pull tooth #31 since it is known to be cracked, see if that helped, and then put a crown on #30 if it didn't.  I declined to do anything last month since I was having an autoimmune flare and I had a suspicion that #30 was the real problem.  I didn't want to remove #31 and risk whatever that might cause.  I couldn't figure out the status of #30, so I did nothing.  

Three weeks passed.  At first, the pain went away.  And then it came back, worse than ever.  Tooth #30 became obviously infected (I'll spare you the details, but it was bad.).  Ah-ha!  I then knew which tooth was the bigger problem, just as I suspected.

I went back to the dentist where it was determined that both teeth need to be removed.  I felt like I was a fool for waiting, but my dentist thinks that I made the better decision.  This way both teeth can go together so that I have a shorter recovery time.  That's better than doing one (what would have been the wrong one to begin), waiting for it to heal, and then having to do another tooth. 

This is what is interesting.  I had suspected that #30 was a problem in June, but there appeared to be nothing wrong with it.  #31 has the known crack and a small air pocket that hasn't changed in the last couple of years.  When I went back to the dentist for the infected tooth to be checked, it had changed in just three weeks.  It now has a large air pocket that goes down into the root.  It now has a visible crack.  Those two things explain the horrific pain.

I've been on an antibiotic, and I have the consultation with the oral surgeon this coming week.  Hopefully we can get the teeth removed soon.  While I hate losing teeth, I will be better off without them.  I cannot chew at all on the right side due to the pain.  Even chewing on the left side causes the right side to hurt.  It will be easier to eat once the aching teeth are gone.  

I do plan to get implants, so this will be a long process.  

The tooth pain has been a huge distraction, but I have still managed to get lots of books listed.  Things are starting to get cleaned up.  It will work out eventually.

In an effort to speed up sales, my books are 10% off this weekend through approximately midnight Sunday, July 11.  

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

I end up listing stuff at all sorts of random times.  Those of you who have been on top of things have benefited.  

Yesterday, I listed some Applewood printing plates, which sold quickly. 

Normally I wouldn't mention items that have already sold, but a discussion about my listings that occurred on Facebook proved to be mildly annoying.  Interestingly, at least one of the comments has been deleted.  That was a comment that appeared to imply that my listings were priced too high.  There was even a suggestion that something hinky was going on since the listings sold fast.  Rather, the listings were probably priced too low, and they sold fast for that reason and because someone advertised them to collectors.  That's all.

You can see why I don't post much in the Facebook groups.  There are too many odd comments, which don't occur either here or on my own Facebook page.

I'm left with the vague feeling that I did something wrong by not having eBay auctions.  At the same time, I feel that I sold the plates at a fair price.  I don't regret it.  I do regret that the listings were mentioned on Facebook.

The irony is that the printing plates were readily available in 2004 and 2005 when Applewood offered them.  Very few of us purchased them.  My purchase was for 10 plates, which was 4.8% of the plates for the book.  I think Applewood only sold the plates for Old Clock.  If there had been more interest, then plates for additional titles would have been sold.  People aren't happy that they missed my listings yesterday.  The real loss is that more people didn't purchase the plates in 2004 and 2005.  If they had, more of them would be out there for those collectors who want them now.

Selling Practices and Saving Time When Listing

eBay continually comes up with new guidelines for sellers that end up wasting time.  The latest is that sellers are required to enter item specifics for the author and title of the book.  This is stupid.  Most sellers put the author and title of the book in the title of the listing.  Exactly why does the seller need to type the same information into the item specifics?  

I heard about this requirement awhile back and was highly annoyed.  I held off doing anything about it, wanting as many of my existing listings to sell as possible before the deadline, which would save me from having to edit them.  I did begin entering the author and title for new listings that I created in the last few weeks.

The new item specifics will be required on eBay beginning July 12.  Yesterday, I finished editing my existing listings to include title and author.  Language will also be required, but I was already using that item specific.  Since I sell international editions of series books, it's been necessary for some time for me to enter the language of the text as an item specific.

Since I complied with eBay's latest requirement, I resumed listing new items.  I always need to get many books listed very quickly, so I look for ways that I can reduce the amount of time it takes to create a listing.  For instance, I copy from old listings to create new listings.  I have used that practice for many years.  It alone saves a lot of time.  There is no reason to start over from scratch each time.

I now take fewer photos of my books.  One photo with the book open is usually enough.  I don't have to crop that one photo.  I have saved much time by cutting the number of photos taken in half and have saved even more time by avoiding having to crop many of my photos.

Interestingly, both eBay and Etsy have recently begun to suggest on the listing form that I need to add more photos.  The sites are unequal in their treatment of sellers.  They allow sellers like Thriftbooks to list books without any photos.  Small sellers are nagged about selling practices while the big sellers get to do what they want.  

In recent years, I have gradually reduced the length of my listings.  This has been especially necessary on Etsy, where listings are truncated when they are anything other than very short.  The truncation hides most of the text, and many buyers will never open up the remaining text to read.  This is a big problem.

An Etsy description that I wrote for an original text Nancy Drew book this spring is as follows:  "The book contains the original 25 chapter text.  The book has blue multi endpapers and lists to Crooked Banister on the back cover.  The book has light wear. The spine is slanted.  There is no writing inside the book."

With that all as one paragraph and short, the text does not get truncated.  In the last two weeks, I have realized that I can begin saving myself more time.  I always provide a picture of the book open so that buyers can see the front and back covers.  Why I do need to keep stating what the last title listed is on the back cover when it can be clearly seen in the picture?  

New listings for Nancy Drew picture covers can go like this:  "The book contains the original 25 chapter text and has blue multi endpapers.  The book has light wear. The spine is slanted.  There is no writing inside the book."  

I save time by not having to verify the last title listed and then change it in the text of the listing that I just copied from another listing.

Of course when the book is a special printing, I will continue to give more information.  But when a book is an ordinary picture cover printing, the back cover list is enough information.  

Most sellers consider the pictures in the listing to be part of the description.  The only sellers for which this would be an exception would be sellers like Thriftbooks, who use stock photos.  Any seller like me considers the photos to be part of the description.

Recently, a member of one of the Facebook groups posted a photo of a book that is for sale on eBay and said that it had no description.  The member was critical of the seller for not having a description.  I was rather baffled.  The photo showed the age of the book and the condition of the book.  Yes, the seller should have made some kind of statement about the interior condition.  Even so, it was unfair to state that the seller had no description.  The seller provided quite a lot of information just by posting a photo of the book.  

Did the seller really need to write out a description of what could be seen in the photo?  "The jacket has a tear in the upper left corner of the front panel.  The jacket has a chip at the center bottom of the front panel.  The jacket has a small piece missing from the spine."   To save time, I make a more general statement like, "The dust jacket has chipping." 

The seller must describe what is not apparent from the photos.  Sellers like Thriftbooks have a meaningless canned description and use a stock photo or no photo at all.  Why criticize a seller who photographs the actual book for sale?  That seller has provided a lot more information than Thriftbooks does.

I want to remind sellers that books should always be protected from moisture exposure. The vast majority of the books I receive in the mail were mailed with no protection from moisture, which is why I end up with wet and damaged books periodically.  Of course it doesn't rain often in most locations, but you never know when the package you mail to a buyer is the one that is left out in the rain.

I have been informed by two different buyers in the last few months about how the package I sent was sitting in the rain and soaked.  In both cases, I was told that my protection of the books saved them from water damage.  It does matter.  Wrap the books in plastic before mailing them.

Note:  In this post I used Thriftbooks as an example of a seller who uses stock photos.  Even though Thriftbooks uses stock photos, I am a big fan of Thriftbooks.  I understand what they do and know how to use their service.  I use Thriftbooks to build complete sets of books that I just want to read.  Thriftbooks is perfect for that and cannot be beat.

Format collectors should never purchase from Thriftbooks.  When format collectors make the mistake of purchasing from Thriftbooks, they are the people who complain about Thriftbooks sending the wrong book.  Thriftbooks sends any copy of the book.  They don't care what it looks like.  Thriftbooks should be used to obtain reading copies.  The service is great for that purpose.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

June 2021 Update on My Activities

This post is quite long, perhaps more than you will care to read.  Or, if you enjoy these kinds of posts, then this will be a good one.  

The first part of this post was written in May.  That part is as follows with some added notes for clarity.

I have some draft posts that were written at various times in the last year.  My enthusiasm for this blog dipped when Blogger changed the interface.  The interface has improved somewhat, so I expect to resume some regularity in posting once I am out for summer break.  (Note: That didn't happen.)

I have reduced my extra books to the point where I have some space on the shelves allotted to them.  My problem now is that I am still using too many shelves for my extra books, so I hope to reduce the quantity a bit more in the next few weeks.

February to the present (Note: early May when written) has been an incredibly stressful, difficult time for multiple reasons. 

The two winter storms and extreme cold that occurred simultaneously in February were devastating.  In Oklahoma, it was the coldest stretch in over 100 years.  Around half of the bushes lost all growth from above ground level.  They are now coming up from the roots.  Some bushes were completely killed, including the roots.  Some large trees were also damaged or killed. 

The bird and squirrel populations were decimated.  There are very few birds flying around and far fewer squirrels than usual.  I always put out seed for the birds and squirrels.  In the past, multiple squirrels and six to 12 birds could be seen eating the seed at any given time.  Now, I see no birds or squirrels eating the seed during most hours of the day.  Every so often, one squirrel or just one or two birds might show up to eat.  The squirrel and bird populations in the vicinity of my home have decreased by more than 75%. 

I actually was a bit traumatized by the cold spell, just like I was after the horrific ice storm in October.  I received my first Moderna Covid-19 shot on February 24, which caused an autoimmune flare.  I had pretty much recovered (or so I thought) from that by March 30, when I received the second shot.  I then had another flare, which I didn't perceive to be too awful.  It was bad, but I dealt with it.

It was not until around May 10 that I realized how messed up I had been for 2 1/2 months.  I felt the depression lift.  I didn't know that I was depressed.  I knew that I didn't feel normal and that I was stressed, but I didn't perceive that it was a big deal.  When the fog lifted, it was like I had taken a happy pill.  Wow.  I hadn't been well physically or mentally for 2 1/2 months.

During the 2 1/2 months that I wasn't well, I was under a large amount of stress.  We started making our students take tests on paper once again, and the students did not adjust well.  That was difficult.  I started selling again on March 13.  That went pretty well, actually a bit too well.  I sold so much that it finally got to me.  (Note:  In the last three months, I have sold as many books as I normally sell in an entire calendar year.)  I was incredibly stressed by the number of packages that I was having to prepare.  I pulled back on listing new items, which caused my sales to slacken off somewhat.  That helped a little bit.

It was in late April that I felt the very highest amount of stress.  Around then, problems on Facebook increased.  I manage some groups, and one group in particular is continually a problem because it has a bloated membership.  Several people kept submitting posts that were problematic for various reasons.

Those people might post about an extremely obscure series but not explain what it is.  We won't blindly approve something when we can't figure out what it is within around 30 seconds.  We repeatedly advised those people to explain their content, but they didn't seem to get the message.

At the same time, others used loopholes in the rules to get posts approved that shouldn't be in the group.  I won't get into the specifics of exactly what transpired, but I finally reached a point where I was done with letting people sneak things in under a loophole.  It just wasn't worth my time or trouble.  I have been stretched so thin the last few months, and I finally had enough.  No more loopholes.  On May 7, I decided that I was completely done with dealing with certain kinds of posts.

That was what I wrote in May.  I am now two weeks into summer break, and honestly, I am still a bit stressed for multiple reasons.  

Graduation was three weeks ago.  The ceremony was held outdoors due to pandemic precautions.  Of course it rained on us.  It was rather... unpleasant.  We all laughed about it.  What else could we do?  I dealt with it okay, or so I thought.  However, my autoimmune disease does like to betray me.  The very next day I began dealing with horrific tooth and jaw pain that was quite intense.  It has really settled down in the last week, so I think I'm going to be okay without having to get major dental work. 

My dentist wants to pull a tooth and put a crown on another in an attempt to solve the problem, but that's like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  They don't think that an autoimmune flare could be causing the pain, but I know my body.  In fact, I believe that the Moderna vaccine is still affecting my immune system, and that I'm not back to normal.  Oh, and my thyroid medication was recalled again in early May.  So there are several reasons why I would be having autoimmune problems at this time.    

While I have been dealing with intense pain, I have worked on the next step in getting my collection in order.  I have reduced my extra books, and now I need to start rearranging and getting my other collections out of drawers.  This has snowballed into a rather large project, so I haven't gotten that far.  

It started with my closet.  I wanted to remove my closet doors and change to curtains covering the opening.  But I now hate the light pink paint on the walls.  I didn't want to purchase curtains to match paint that I no longer like.  I decided to repaint the room.  I chose a nice shade of blue, then I found curtains that would look good.  Painting the inside of the closet took forever.  When I finished painting the inside of the closet and around the opening, I finally hung up the Judy Bolton Ghost Parade Spirit Masks I purchased in February just before the terrible cold spell.    

I started painting two of the walls.  I then decided to replace a piece of furniture and get new carpet in the room once I am finished painting. 

At present, I have a big task in front of me, which I am dreading.  In order to paint the third wall, I need to pull down all my Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton books with dust jackets, plus all the books that are shelved behind them. 

I can't stack the books on the floor, since I have to protect them from the cats.  I'm going to have to stack them on top of books that are shelved in other rooms.  I don't have much extra shelf space even after having sold a huge number of books since March.  Space is still at a premium.  

So, that's why I have seemingly abandoned the blog and am not posting much of anything on Facebook.  Once I get this project done, I can finally reorganize my collections as I originally planned.  This is apparently how I am spending my summer break.  

Before I started painting, I listed a large number of books on both eBay and Etsy in late May.

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

Sometime after I finish painting, I will have some more interesting items to list.  As I move my possessions around, I continue to find books and other items that I no longer want to keep.