Does it often feel like just when things are getting good, they flip on you?
Besides the latest crypto dump being difficult to swallow, the past few days have been quite somber. It's too much at once for me, as I learned that my favorite Aunt (who's battling ALS - a rare incurable disease), has declined rapidly following a recent hospital stay. I knew something wasn't right when she didn't reply to my message as she always does. Whether her family was being private, or possibly didn't recognize it over time, my family was blindsided.
I had no clue that her situation was so bad because we were always told that she was ok. The hospital trip may have been a catalyst, but not an inkling was given that time was short before. To this point, I really wish that I visited before this, but it's a tough trip, and I thought that there was plenty more time. Now, they can't talk, among other more critical issues, and it'll be hard to not feel like I could say a proper goodbye.
I visited her with my family for 7 hours today and did what I could. It's always tough seeing someone you care about in this condition and struggling, but this one hits in a different way. While ALS is incurable, I took time for granted. I got too caught up in my day-to-day and put visiting more often off under the impression that things weren't nearly as dire as they'd become. I was able to say a nice goodbye, and have a nice memories of our hug and her slowly blowing me a kiss, but I can't help feeling like I dropped the ball to have been there before this turned so south.
As silly as it sounds, her Christmas card was cruelly lost in the mail this year. This had never happened before, and saving this one was very important to me. She's sent me birthday and Christmas cards with the same gift every year, early, without fail, for my entire life. She's the only one. I really wanted that last one and feel terrible because I haven't always kept them, anticipating another next year.
I won't delve into this more, but it's not fair how the nicest and most loving people get bad breaks like this. While I was already feeling shaken financially as most crypto investors can relate, this was a lot to add to the mix. It's been a tough few days. Seeing her today was important and we communicated through hand gestures and a large card with symbols and letters on it. To make things easier for her, I wrote ice cream, apple sauce, and egg drop soup in permanent marker on her card, as well as "I love you." Hopefully that process improvement with the foods she's tolerating/asking for, and my little note, can help her in the slightest way.
Money comes and goes, but time is a one-way street.
Wanting to post lately has felt like typing in cement, but I'll try now before bed because I want to feel like I'm moving forward in some way.
Here are 6 items I've saved and recently sold for income:
This AeroGarden base part was tested and sold for $59 to a repeat buyer. The unit was parted out because there was an issue with the capacitors on the overhead grow light. Selling it in pieces has now netted me more than if I'd sold it as a whole, and I have a few parts to go.
This Miele vacuum part was tested and sold for $65. It came from a high end model with a whining motor. While the previous owner tossed it all, I was able to salvage this and another good part that'll ultimately sell for about $55. I couldn't save other parts of the unit, but did what I could.
This older textbook was sold for $24.50. It had some stains on the back cover, so I lowered the price and it sold within 24 hours of listing it. I typically list my books higher since selling fees for books are often at the highest tier online, but decided to pass this through for a quick win.
This scanner part was sold for parts/repair for $38. I'd sold another part from the same scanner in my last post, and have sold plenty of $30-$50 parts from this unit, with a few to go. This is a scanner I've found 3 times before and enjoyed selling for parts to maximize my return.
This printer motherboard was sold for parts/repair for $42. The motherboard worked for main printing functions, but it had a damaged ethernet port. In this case, I explained that there may be issues with it, but did detail what I was able to test. I always err on the side of telling the buyer to expect it to not work, and discount accordingly. This helps me save and sell items that otherwise appear broken, i.e., the screen, a crack in the frame or glass, etc...
This Raspberry Pi part was sold untested for $29. Based on the customer feedback I received, it worked just fine, so they got a nice deal. Even though I had no concerns about it being functional, I couldn't personally test it to ensure that with certainty, and advertised it appropriately.
Summary:
- 6 items sold for $258 revenue = $43 each. (at least it's something)
- 0% received as cash.
- No repair or parts costs.
- All items shipped with recycled packages and padding.
If you're seeing my recycling post for the first time, the value in it isn't in the entertainment from the handful of items I show as saved/sold. It's from the passion and hustle I consistently exhibit off-chain to produce the items for posts, and my goal of motivating others to address our global waste problem.
Thanks as always for your interest and support.
Please reuse, repurpose and recycle. If you aren't able, then donate them to shelters, churches, or thrift stores.
