UsedEverywhere.com

In order to find, first you must seek

I was browsing the UsedOttawa Folk Art category recently, just to see what kind of things people were selling there. Let me tell you, there is a surprising variety of stuff in there.

Take for example, this gong. It can be used as a dinner bell, or for impromptu re-enactments of The Gong Show, a summons for the kids to come inside from an afternoon of outdoor play or for when it’s time for them to brush their teeth at bedtime. Think of the possibilities! But what about its history? Who was this mysterious old Asian man of whom the ad speaks?

One of the best finds I’ve ever made – online and elsewhere – is a wooden doll which I purchased at an estate sale down the street from where we live.

With youngest in tow I suddenly found myself browsing through someone’s belongings. There were stacks of odd things: old magazines, a collection of handsaws, countless knick-knacks, an old wooden toilet seat (!) … picking through all of that stuff felt downright voyeuristic. My daughter was eyeballing a dusty ceramic puppy and a box of broken wind-up toys, but what caught my eye was a hand-carved wooden Pinocchio doll.

I’ve browsed through many yard sales and thrift shops but I don’t have any experience judging the value of wooden toys or folk art. Whether something is valuable or not rarely enters into the equation, but this piece spoke to me. It reminded me of simpler times. It reminded me of the toys made by the grandfather of one of my childhood friends.

“Grandpa” (as we all called him – he was everyone’s adopted grandpa) made popsicles in the summer (ice cube trays of Koolaid with toothpicks “handles”) and distributed them freely to all the neighborhood children. He also made wonderful wooden toys: a scale model of a gas station for his grandson and doll houses for his granddaughters.  

Now that I’m old enough to appreciate how much time and effort it takes to make a gift by hand, I feel a little differently about all of it. I realize how special these kinds of things are, and I appreciate them much more.

The Pinocchio lying on the table before me had hands that were very roughly hewn. They looked almost like shovels with thumbs. The feet were simple and rounded. The only working joint was in the left arm.

I loved it. But I didn’t have any money with me so I left it behind.

The next day I drove by again. I pulled over, feeling hopeful. At first I couldn’t see him, but a second look located him quickly enough. The sticker on his forehead told me the price I was expected to pay: $10.

I didn’t have much cash on me. I should have scrounged up more money before I left the house. A fiver represented the only paper money I had and a loonie stood alone among all the silver. I had about six bucks to work with. I wondered if the proprietor would accept my offering. I held up the Pinocchio.

“Will you take six,” I asked.
“Eight.”
“But it’s all I have…”

I showed him the money. Perhaps I looked like a lovestruck of kind of gal who deserved some degree of pity. Perhaps he remembered my daughter and I poking around the previous day, although it’s more likely that he just wanted to clear everything out. Regardless of the reason, it was mine. He scowled a little, looked away, and grumbled a grumbly “okay.”

When I got home I peeked under Pinocchio’s clothing. His clothes were machine sewn and fairly new-looking. They didn’t look like they belonged. Much to my surprise he wasn’t naked underneath. He sports a painted shirt and what might be lederhosen.

This all happened years ago, but I still can’t help but wonder about the story of this little fellow. There are no markings on him at all. 

The history of the Pinocchio toy is forever lost, and it makes me a little sad. Whose grandpa made it? How did this little guy end up lying on a folding table surrounded by ceramic puppies and wooden toilet seats? Why doesn’t anyone want him anymore? It makes me want to write histories for all of our special things, just so the stories don’t get lost amid the detritus.

3D Everywhere!

3D seems to have taken over. Arguably almost every new children’s movie is in 3D and, as far as I can tell, 3D animation accelerated this whole trend. I’m pretty sure the most successful film of all time, which also happened to be animated, was 3D (10 points to whoever knows which one I’m talking about).

Everything else coming out in theatres seems to be 3D, too – there are even rumors that the in-production film version of The Great Gatsby will be in this format. Why? Is this really necessary?

Some films are definitely better in 3D. For instance, I saw Tron the other day (and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it). Tron is partially filmed in 2D, which makes the 3D parts of the movie that much more vivid, distinct, and impressive. This was the main reason I wanted to see Tron in theatres, because so much would be lost watching it all on a screen that can only handle 2 dimensions. Which leads me to the next product that has developed out of this 3D-mania (apart from the 3D digital camera, or the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition 3D video) – 3D HDTV, that is 3D High Definition Television.

I had the opportunity to test out a 3D TV. By that I mean I walked into Future Shop and there they were to try. I held the sticky-fingerprint glasses over my eyes in such a way that they weren’t touching my face and gave what I saw the sort of critical  review that only a know-it-all grad student can, “It doesn’t look very good. I don’t think 3D TV is going to go very far”. Maybe 3D should be restricted to the theatres?

The latest thing to roll off the production lines from the 3D factory is the as-yet-not-released Nintendo 3DS, a handheld gaming system. This is unique, not only because it’s so neat, but because it comes with a warning: children 6 and under should not use it; the reason being the 3D images are bad for their developing eyesight.

While I’m the first to admit I think (some) 3D movies are tops, is this whole 3D thing going too far? Are you selling your old TV and opting for the 3D variety? Will you be first in line for the new Nintendo?

Creative Commons Image Courtesy of 3Dstereopics.

Not on Twitter? You’re missing some cool stuff.

As a UsedEverywhere newbie, I get a lot of questions about my job from friends and family. I explain that I’m one of two Social Media and Community Coordinators at the UsedEverywhere.com offices in Victoria, and that we have a whole bunch of local online marketplace sites such as UsedVictoria.com. Usually the second question is, “So what do you actually do?” I talk about helping with some promotions/marketing/PR initiatives, blogging, Facebooking and Tweeting.

“Twitter, eh?” Confused face.

Twitter is way past the Early Adopters stage of development, but I hear a lot of people still saying they “don’t get Twitter.” Twitter is great for short, concise status updates but if all you’re using it for is to tell the Twitterverse that you just finished making quesadillas/blueberry muffins/Mr Noodles with your cat, well it’s going to get boring very quickly.

I like Twitter because it’s a great way to generate discussion and share things that I find interesting, while giving me access to things that the people I follow find interesting. What it comes down to is really that it provides a platform to stay informed and learn, and who doesn’t love learning? There’s so much cool stuff on the web, a lot of times it’s just a matter of finding it. In addition, it’s being considered as a great tool for keeping epidemics under control, along with other more practical uses. A little bit awesome? I’d say so.

For me personally, the people I follow on Twitter reflect my both my personal and professional interests, everything from Fashion and Sustainability to Business, Advertising and of course, Social Media.

I’ve compiled a list of some of cool Twitter resources (whether you’re brand-spanking-new or an old pro) as well as awesome things that we post on our Twitter feed @UsedEverywhere ! This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but I thought I’d give you all a taste of the Twitterverse from my perspective. Just don’t get too good and don’t take over my job, please!

1. Brand New? A link from the Holy Grail of Social Media, Mashable.com: What Is Twitter? Watch the video -  Twitter in Plain English
2. A Little Lost? Head to Twitter’s Help Center and click “Twitter Basics.” The list of topics is exhaustive… and don’t tell anyone, but it’s how I learned!
3. Been Around for a While? Awesome, but could you explain it to your parents?
4. Think You’re Funny? Mashable’s list of the funniest Twitter users. Prepare to laugh… and maybe even be offended a little.
5. An Old Pro? Check out some of the recent posts from the lovely people at UsedEverywhere.com. What do we like to talk about? Chairs made out of suitcases, everyday objects coming alive, new zodiac signs and the 3D craze. That’s right, not only online marketplace stuff!!

Happy Tweeting!



creative commons image courtesy of eurleif

A little wordsmithing can go along way

Have you ever wondered why your ad isn’t getting any bites, and others are? Maybe the fish are fickle, eh?

creative commons image courtesy of davemorris

Recently, we had a question on selling a high end/quality jewlery item on our facebook page. And while reading over the ad – I thought this would be a great way to show how a little re-arranging could make a difference.

Now that you’ve taken a read through both:

1. Which one do you prefer?
2. Can you do even more re-arranging to make it better?

A Good Dog and A Good Samaritan

Every now and then we hear heartwarming stories about how UsedEverywhere.com has helped a person, a family, a pet. This story comes from Caroline Stengl, a local artist and illustrator here in Victoria (you can see her website here), who used UsedVictoria.com to reunite a family with their lost dog, Koda.

Lost and Found by Caroline Stengl

Last week I was driving home from work in the late afternoon, from Brentwood Bay to Langford. I take Prospect Lake Road because it’s pretty, there’s no traffic and I like to take a country drive to relax after teaching all day. That afternoon I spotted this handsome dog right next to the road, eating some road kill.

Something told me I’d better stop and check this out. I got out of my van and approached the dog. He was a foxy red colour, medium sized, pointed ears and golden eyes. As dogs go he really was a looker! He greeting me with barking at first but then was quite friendly, allowing me to give him an all over scratch and a hug. “Where are you from, boy?” I asked him. He had no collar on and no other sort of identification.

I didn’t want to leave him there in case he was lost or homeless or in trouble. He jumped quite happily into my back seat and cuddled up on a blanket. I walked to the nearest driveway and knocked on the door of the house. No, they didn’t recognize him. So we drove up a side road and checked at a couple more houses. No one had seen him around before. By this point it was almost closing time for the local animal pound so reluctantly I called Saanich CRD pound. The animal control officer was kind enough to meet me halfway, back up West Saanich Road at the Red Barn Market. Driving there I stopped every jogger and dog walker I saw to ask if they knew the dog. No luck.

While in the parking lot waiting for the CRD van I got in the back seat with “Foxy”, as I had nicknamed my new handsome friend. I asked him to sit in my lap and he did, lapping up the cuddles and reassuring words. “You’ll be alright boy. We’ll get you home again.” The officer arrived and asked me to put the leash on him and get him into the van since I already had a rapport with the dog. He was a little scared to get in the van but I lifted him up and in he went without a hitch. “Good luck Foxy, ” I said as a good bye. Someone in the parking lot told the officer about an injured stray cat spotted moments ago. So as he went to investigate the cat situation I left for home, hoping the dog would get claimed.

I posted a notice on usedvictoria.com about finding the dog hoping that someone would see it and reunite him with his family. As luck would have it the ad worked! Someone who knew the dog notified the owners. They went to the pound the next day and claimed him. Now Foxy, a.k.a. Koda, was back where he belonged. Hurray! Unfortunately the owners had to pay just over $100 to get their dog back, but still it was a happy ending. Now his owners have replaced his lost collar and tags.

What I learned from this is it’s always a good idea to check things out if you spot a loose pet. Don’t just leave them to fend for themselves. But also be cautious. Not all dogs are as friendly and safe as Koda. Another important point is that it’s better to surrender the animal to the pound (if it’s a no-kill facility) rather than take it home because you could get in trouble for abducting someone’s pet. The animal stands a better chance of being reunited with family when taken to the proper facilities, plus the pound is already equipped to care for animals. You may not be ready for the responsibility of an unexpected animal guest.

Koda’s owners sent me a message via usedvictoria.com to say thank you for finding their dog. It felt really good to help him out and to know he went home again, safe and sound. I hope if my pets ever go missing that someone will do the same for me.

Thank you for sharing Caroline!

Safety First

Shopping via online classifieds can be intimidating, especially if you’re of a more paranoid composition like myself. For buyers and sellers alike: how can you trust that the person behind an ad or responding to one is sincere? How can you stay safe online? While we may try everything in our power to find those seedy listings, they can sneak through. The nature of community classifieds, online or not, means that your safety can’t be fully guaranteed, but there are many precautions that you can take to help protect yourself and others from scams, pranks, and fraud.

1. Trust Your Instincts: First and foremost, the age-old saying “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” holds strong. Your instincts are often the best indicator if something is amiss. Use common sense.
2. Report Abuse: Don’t be afraid to make use of the“Report Ad” link if you feel that an ad is fishy. As a community-based site, we rely on you to alert us when scammers are lurking.
3. Never Give Out Personal Information: Beyond your phone number or email (so that you can contact sellers and vice versa), never give out any personal information such as your credit card number, your social insurance number, birthday and so on. If you have to give out your address, only do so if you think the person is legit (if you are still uneasy, meet in public #8).
4. Talk on the Phone: While email may be the most convenient, especially for initiating transactions, when possible try to speak over the phone before agreeing to meet. If they refuse, excuses are often very revealing. Again, go with your gut.
5. Deal Only in Cash: Never wire money, send advance payments, or use your credit card. This also helps you to avoid any deals done through mail – a notorious method for running scams.
6. Keep it Local: You can reduce your risk by keeping all transactions local. This also eliminates the need to use anything other than cash when buying or selling.
7. Inspect Before You Buy: Never buy something that you can’t check out in-person first – not only can you assess it’s quality (and thus, pricing) for yourself, but you can meet the seller in-person.
8. Meet in Public: When possible, always meet to exchange in a public place. Not only does this protect you by not revealing your address, but also makes it less likely that someone will steal from you. Better yet, have a friend accompany you.
9. Don’t Go To The Car: Do not accompany the person to their car for any reason, and, of course, do not let them go to the car with items in hand if they haven’t paid for them yet!
10. Ask Questions: Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Ask sellers why they are selling their item and about it’s condition. And sellers – don’t be afraid to ask buyers what their intentions are. If something sounds shady, remember you don’t owe anyone anything and you can always back out of a transaction before any money is exchanged.
11. Research The Item: Where appropriate, research the item you are planning on buying beforehand so that you know what you are buying, how much it should cost, and what shape it should be in. If you are selling something, you can protect yourself by always providing correct and as detailed information as possible.
12. Keep Records: Especially if you buy and sell often – keep some sort of record of what you have bought and/or sold, where you met, and who you bought from or sold to.

Putting a spring in my step

I don’t LOVE shoes, I just like them a lot. Ok, maybe I like shoes a tiny bit more than the next person.

Here’s a question for you: do you or do you not think shoes are a personality barometer? What do your shoes say about you? Are you scuffed and dusty? Tired and worn? Neat and tidy? Shiny and purple? Or maybe somewhere in between?

Awhile back an acquaintance on Twitter mentioned that she had a pair of Fluevogs in my size to give away. (If you’ve never heard of Fluevogs check out the official website here. They are a very unique shoe, and have a cult following that borders on crazytown.)

I’ve never worn secondhand shoes. Although I’ve bought and worn a LOT of secondhand clothing, the idea of wearing someone else’s shoes was teetering on a line that I wasn’t sure I was ready to cross. But then I read that tweet, promising a pair of red Fluevogs to the first person who answered. This, my friends, was a very special kind of dilemma.

I have always wanted a pair fo Fluevogs but never had a few hundred dollars to spare in order to buy them. And so, I jumped. My friend sent them to me via another friend here in Ottawa, and suddenly I had my very own pair.

They required some minor repair work so I ordered special heel caps (heart-shaped! Eep!) from a local shoe store and brought the whole thing to the neighborhood cobbler. 

All told, I got myself a lovely pair of Fluevogs for less than $50.

While waiting to pay the shoe guy I had a few moments to scan the rows of shoes that were waiting to be picked up by other customers. All kinds of footwear lined the counter: work boots, high heels, sneakers, and even some cheapie little flats … the kind you’d pick up for a song and discard after a season of wearing.

And that’s when the lightbulb went off. I’ve kind of always known this, because I do consider myself to be an environmentally-friendly person, but as a society we really shouldn’t be buying cheap shoes and throwing them out when they fall apart. We should be spending more on better shoes, buying fewer of them, and getting them fixed when they need a little help. It’s better for all of us, especially in the long run, isn’t it?  

I was oddly proud to see all those shoes lined up, ready to be given a second chance.

Perhaps I’ll buy myself a pair of new Fluevogs after all. I wonder if I can find some in purple?

Moving On Up

I have a lot of stuff.

I know this because I’ve had to pack it up and cart it around many times in the past few years. In fact, this week will be the seventh time I’ve moved in about three years. If you count the two summers I spent living with my parents, then it’s nine moves. Nine. Needless to say, I’m pretty tired of it.

I was lucky to have discovered a nifty company called U-Pak Mobile Storage very early, which has made everything a lot easier (I definitely recommend). It seems that every four months I stuff my entire life into boxes, call some of my (infinitely helpful and very strong) friends to take apart my IKEA furniture, and load up the big yellow box. My whole life is then delivered elsewhere or stored until I make my way back to Victoria.

The amount of stuff that I seem to accumulate year after year baffles me. Even though a few plates inevitably break with each move, even though I wear out shoes and recycle old magazines, it’s just everywhere. I’m starting to think I thrive in the chaos, but with every relocation I pack and unpack, hoping the next repack is not in the short-term future.

Do you dread moving as much as I do? Any suggestions on how to make it bearable when life makes it unavoidable?

We're Here to Help

Sometimes, arguably all the time and perhaps even unknowingly, our goals and our resolutions are shaped by our means and by the level of convenience. In our previous post about my and Eden’s New Year’s Resolutions, my lack-of-a-resolution made us wonder what everyone else in the office was planning for 2011. We decided we would try to help our coworkers accomplish their resolutions by finding items locally on UsedVictoria.com that would help them succeed this year.

Devan told us that his resolution was to try to bike to work everyday. What better way to bike to work than with a bike? We found this Raleigh Superbe 3-Speed for him:

Alfie wants to participate in more outdoor activities in 2011. I suggest taking up alpaca farming. Here is a Herd of 5 Alpacas looking for a good home:

Nick K does things a little differently – instead of traditional resolutions, Nick finds a theme to act as a metaphor and to seek inspiration from. 2011 is the Year of the Care Bear, so we found this Care Bear duo with the hope that their little heart noses emit creative energy and continue to inspire all the way to December.

Nick N resolves to swim 3km per week, or ride the equivalent distance on a bike (apparently this is 12km, but math has never been a strength of mine so we’ll just go with that). My original suggestion was to rip out some flooring and install a lap pool, but a Cybex Exercise Bike might also work.

Keeping on the fitness and health trend, Charlotte hopes to have her knee strong enough to go snowboarding with her friends by the end of the month (sounds like excellent use of S.M.A.R.T objectives if you ask me)! We found her a  686 Snowboard Jacket to help her (and her healthy knee!) stay fly on the slopes.

Jody plans on reducing his weekly Starbucks visits by 30% (rumour has it this would be 3 fewer visits per week). We thought a Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker would encourage him to brew his own coffee… from Starbucks.

Kick-start your resolutions in the storage

Do you hear that Resolution clock still ticking?

Tick, tock, tick

Earlier, Katie and Eden introduced the S.M.A.R.T. method to figuring out what your resolutions could be. So what did you figure out? Make more money in 2011, clean up your garage, clean up your basement or get rid of stuff you don’t need?

Tick, tock, tick

If cleaning was on the list here’s a small checklist to get things out, and help you put money in your pocket ( and check off two resolutions if money was one of them )

1. Pick a room – For this example I’m going to pick the storage room because it’s obvious there are things in there we wouldn’t need
2. Find a judge – if you peaked ahead to the next few steps, you’ll see why another person could be helpful in the decision making process.
3. Pick an item – Tick, tock, tick
4. Do the one year test – if you haven’t used it in the past year there’s a good chance you don’t need it (make this two years if it feels better). Yes, that includes those cassette tapes in a box that you’re keeping just in case 1980’s Walkmans come back in style.
5. Would you feel good giving it to others? – Decide if it could help someone in need. Clothes are great to set aside and give to charity at a local drop box. You’ll feel better when you give back.
6. Keep, Sell, Chuck – Time to start dividing. I know it’s hard but you’ve got to be strong ( finding a judge comes in handy here ). You might be sitting on the fence with somethings. If you are, remember, that if you think it’s valuable, and it didn’t pass the one year test, you don’t really need it and someone else will surely pay money for it. If you’re still not sure then look up the item online and see what the going rate is. Knowing what it’s worth, rather then guessing what it’s worth could help change your mind.
7. Pick another item – repeat steps 3-6 until you know what you want to do with everything in the room

Still hear that “Tick, tock, tick“?

If you do, you’ve got to do something now. Anything! Even if it’s a 5 minute walk around the block or maybe getting rid of a single old wooden spoon from your kitchen.Give your resolutions a chance to survive.

_{creative commons image courtesy of over_kind_man}