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Saturday, May 18, 2024

It's hammer time

 

I can't look at Einstein's formula of E=MC2 without unfortunately thinking of MC Hammer. He was part of the sad transition from the cultural desert of the 1980s as it slipped into the cultural desert of the 1990s.

ChatGPT informed me that MC Hammer's real name was Stanley Kirk Burrell. He is only four years younger than me. I sincerely hope he isn't still wearing "Hammer pants." Hammer Pants were unfortunately also known as harem pants or parachute pants.   And if Stanley "the Hammer" is still wearing them it is because he wants to hide the fact that he is wearing adult diapers. And when he needs to change them he likely cries out, "It's Hammer Time!"

Sadly, none of what I just talked about probably means much to most people these days. Which is probably why the "E=mc Hammer" joke will fall flat as a t-shirt design. But it makes me chuckle.

It is also the only design I created today. This is because I was desperately revising all of my eBay listings trying to find the sweet spot that will make someone buy the shit I bought at Goodwill and am trying to flip on eBay.

So far nothing much is working. But I am learning about what is and isn't a hot commodity. Well, I'm learning what isn't a hot commodity.

Part of the challenge is that I'm following the suggestions that you Google things you see at Thrift stores to see if they are selling on eBay or Etsy and how much they are selling for. The problem with this is I generally see things selling at an inflated price and discover when I get the shit home that there are many other people trying to flip shit they found at Goodwill, too.

Let me just tell you that the Starbucks "You are here" mugs from exotic places really are worth as much as the "how to make money flipping shit from thrift stores" people claim.  

I have also discovered that Disney mugs aren't big sellers. This makes sense when you think about how many thousands of the damn things Disney sells on a daily basis.

And commemorative cruise ships crap isn't a big seller either.  I have bought several etched crystal paperweights from inaugural cruise ship launches thinking they will be rare and desirable commodities. In actuality, unless they come from the gift shop on the Titanic, no one wants them.

Oh and word to the wise if you want tips on what not to buy at Goodwill and try to sell on eBay: any commemorative mug released by Budweiser, anything produced by the Bradford Exchange and anything sold by Publisher's Clearing House. 

But if you are interested in any of these things, boy have I got a deal for you.

I'm also thinking about selling one of my kidneys on eBay. Maybe two if I sense there is interest.

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