For the past couple of years, I’ve been noticing more cars, boats, lawnmowers, furniture, etc. marked with a price and sitting by the side of the road. I’ve also seen more folks selling handmade stuff that way, too. There’s this person up by the school where I teach who sells very cute, hand-made bird houses, and down by my parents’, this man makes very rustic beds and chairs from pine logs. Perhaps people are selling things to pare down their possessions or because they simply like working with their hands and sharing that work with others. But I suspect that, at least in part, these sales are motivated by a need to make a little extra cash. I don’t understand economics with any degree of complexity, but I do know that when people start selling off the things they love, the situation doesn’t look good.
I’ve joined the ranks of the “sellers.” I list books and CDs on half.com, and I have an Etsy shop where I sell things my loved ones have made. It’s not just MY stuff I’m selling either. I also sell items for others on Ebay. None of these sales places brings me a lot of cash, but in this economy as a freelancer, every bit helps.
Recently, I also launched a writing and editing business, and that has proven to be absolutely wonderful. I have had the privilege of working on books, essay collections, resumes, etc, and I have loved every minute of that. Sometimes it’s hardship that helps us find our path.
So what do you do when you need a little extra cash? As long as I can hold out and not sell my eggs, I count myself pretty blessed. 🙂
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