Flea Market Flippers Results & FMF-O-Rama!!!

With law school right around the corner, I've been really busy so I'm taking a lazy route with my writings this week. But my laziness is your gain! After this weeks results, we'll have a FMF-O-RAMA!

Here are last weeks results:

Jurassic Park Baby T-Rex (it's actually a Velociraptor) - Paid $.50 cents. Sold for $5.75

1964 Ashland Products Elephant Squeaker Toy - Paid $3.00. Did not Sell (Carrie wanted it)

1971 Mattel Talk up Doll - Paid $1.00. Sold for $36.00

And this weeks junk. If there was ever a week to post what you think the results will be, this would be it. Some neat stuff:

Vintage Green Tiger Bank made in Japan (paid .50)

(I love this next one)

1983 Universal Pictures Rocky III 'Thunderlips' action figure (aka Hulk Hogan) (paid $1.00)

1999 Hasbro Pokemon Jumbo Pikachu plush (paid $1.00)

1992 Applause Stegosaurus plush (paid $1.00)

Talisman: The Magical Quest Game board Game (In a suitcase full of stuff I paid $5.00 for)

(And one of my favorite things I've ever found)

1968-71 Frito-Lay Premiums 'W.C. Fields' and 'Frito Bandito' pencil toppers (in a box of stuff I paid $1.00 for)

Bad Parenting Skills + This week's FMF

Emma, our 14 year-old, asked if she could have a cupcake. My response:

"Go ask mom; I don't want to be the bad parent."

Bella (13 year-old) chimes in, "Dad, that is being a bad parent."

Yep, I have terrible parenting skills. My biggest terrible parenting skill is lying to my children.

"Dad, where were you?"

"I saw a bear riding a motorcycle and decided to wrestle him."

"Dad, where are you going?"

"The whoopin' store. Do you want one?"

"Dad, where is Ghana?"

"It's a place where bats go to the bathroom."

I won't post some of the more awful things I've said. While most dad's are teaching their kids to be smart, I'm afraid I'm teaching my kids to be smart-alecs. This isn't something I started out doing. In the beginning of my parenting years, I only wanted to confuse my children. You know, teach them that chairs are tables and vice-versa. I wanted them to be scared to eat at McDonald's because of the groundclown they serve (OK, that one should go in the 'lie' category). I figured if I hugged trees and talked about wealth redistribution, they would rebel in their teen years and become Republicans.

So to my children, I say I'm sorry. Hugging Bella while passing gas is not cool. I should have never told Abey he sold on eBay and that he would be shipped with delivery confirmation. I'm sorry Forrest for telling you that the Colorado Rockies hide their steroids under 1st base. Nathan, you didn't really come from the circus (that one may actually be true). Guys, I didn't really escape from a Japanese enemy combatant detention center.

I feel better now. And to reward you kids; tomorrow DISNEY WORLD!!!! You know, that place that sells toys, clothes, groceries and you can get the oil changed in your car.

On to FMF (Flea Market Flippers)

This was a strange week as far as the hunt was concerned. Here are last week's results:

Vintage G.I. Joe H.I.S.S. driver. Paid .10 cents. Sold for .99 cents.

1959 Whitman "Little Black Sambo" children's book. Paid $2.00. Sold for $16.50

14 Wrestling vhs videos. Paid $2.00. Sold for $32.73

This week's offerings:

Jurassic Park Baby T-Rex:

1964 Ashland Products Elephant Squeaker toy:

1971 Mattel Talk Up doll:

Movie Snob (Not walking like an Egyptian) + FMF!

My family thinks I am too picky with my movies. That may need a little explaining. I don't watch R rated or higher. That's an automatic. The nose turning I'm talking about relates to the retread garbage that Hollywood continuously pumps out.

My snobbery probably started with the movie Stargate. I remember walking away thinking that someone mailed that one in. This disappointment was followed several years later with The Mummy, then pretty much every summer blockbuster after that. I've seen a few of the blockbuster movies this year and so far I'm not impressed.

Super 8 - eh. All I could think about was the 'Bad Robot' logo at the beginning and wanting to come home and watch Abram's 'Star Trek' on Netflix (I did. See below for scale worthiness).

Cars 2 - Saturday morning cartoon.

X-Men: First Class - I fell asleep during the climax.

Thor - I have a rule. If I think about the movie the next day, I like it. I didn't remember I'd seen that movie until now.

I've become so picky, my 0-10 scale will only allow movies I like. In other words, I have to actually like the movie for it to have a chance for at least a 1. In the past 5 years only 2 movies have cracked a 7 or higher. Bourne Ultimatum (a guilty pleasure 8) and Dark Knight (a gut wrenching 9). Inception, Taken and Star Trek all made the scale but no higher than 6. Pixar is so good, I gave it it's own scale where they are ranked in order (Cars 2 at the bottom; Incredibles and Ratatouille at the top). Do I have any 10s??? There are 2 - Raiders of the Lost Ark and Master and Commander.

I'm starting to see why my family thinks I'm crazy. Looking back, maybe I had a mummy's curse put on me for dissing movies with pyramids...

Save me Harry Potter 7 part 2, save me!

FMF for the week-

Last weeks offerings were just sad:

Vintage My Little Pony Sleeping Bag - Paid .50 cents. Sold for $10.50 (not bad).

Disney Store Finding Nemo Squirt Plush - Paid .25 cents. DID NOT SELL (crud)

Holliser Cutoff Jeans Shorts - Paid $1.00. Sold for .99 cents (loser)

Hopefully this weeks offerings are better:

Vintage G.I. Joe H.I.S.S. Driver (paid .10 cents)

1959 Whitman "Little Black Sambo" children's book (paid $2.00)

Lot of 14 VHS wrasslin' videos (paid $2.00)

Independence Day Decapitation (& FMF results)

When I was a kid, my dad would sometimes buy fireworks for the 4th of July, though never the big grand ones. One year my parents invited an elderly couple from church over to eat and watch the meager selection of explosives light up the sky (lighted matches thrown in the air were most times more exciting). The one we were most excited for this particular year was the Saturn Missiles, a box of about one dozen tiny firecrackers shooting out of their respective tubes to blow up in rapid succession. With all of us seated behind him, dad lit the fuse. As soon as it was lit the box fell off. Whether it was knocked off or not is unclear but what I do know is that it was pointed right at the elderly couple (and us kids, but that's not as dramatic). In his panic, dad turned to run as the rockets took off. Losing his bearings, he ran right into the neck high clothesline and was, well, clotheslined, completely flipping him on his back. All the while, the Saturn Missiles were flying wildly while everyone hit the deck themselves for cover. If you've seen the Pixar movie, A Bug's Life, this was reminiscent of the circus scene where P.T. Flea (voiced by John Ratzenberger) does "Flaming Death". Pure chaos.

Now, on to Flea Market Flippers!

Last week we had a Rainbow Brite card game, Super Mario DS and Sega Star Control. The Results:

Rainbow Brite Giant Card Game. Paid .10 cents. Sold for $1.84.

Nintendo DS New Super Mario Bros. w/case. Paid $8.00. Sold for $16.50.

Sega Star Control Game complete. Paid $3.00. Sold for $2.47.

As you can see, Mario wins, hands down. Disappointed in in the Sega Game, but it wasn't much of a gamble. This week's FMFs are:

Vintage My Little Pony Sleeping Bag (paid .50 cents):

Disney Store Finding Nemo Squirt Plush (paid .25 cents):

Hollister Cutoff jeans shorts size 0 (paid $1.00):

(Don't know what's going on with the diff. size pics. Oh, well)

Didn't find any video games this week so kind of a bummer. You can check the eBay auctions under my handle, bbohnsfactory.

Results! and New FMF

The results are in from last weeks Flea Market Finds:

Fisher Price Amazing Animals Choo-Choo? Paid $1. Sold for .99 (Booo)

Sega Genesis Splatterhouse II? Paid .18. Sold for $25.89 (Yay)

GBA Pokemon Chaos Black? Paid $8.00. Sold for $30.00. (Yay) Issued refund (Booo)

The Pokemon game sold but eBay cancelled the auction (don't know how they can cancel it after it's over and paid for but they did). The buyer freaked out and demanded a refund, which I obliged. The problem was, eBay has no product specs for this game and I guess that means they feel the game is bootlegged. Either that or a grumpy seller is telling eBay they are bootlegged so they can maximize there own auctions. Whichever it is, I still have the game and need to figure out how to sell it now.

On a happier note, another game from the Sega lot I bought for $10 did well. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist sold for $13.50. I sold 9 games out of the 35+ in the lot for a total of $58.63.

With that said, here are this weeks Flea Market Finds:

Rainbow Brite Giant Card Game, circa 1983 (paid .10)

New Super Mario Bros. for DS (paid $8.00)

Sega Star Control Game Complete (paid $3.00)

Let me know which one will bring the most $$$ ('cuz that's what we are about here at the Piggy Capitalist).

Flea Market Flippers

I forgot I had this here blog. Man, I was kinda intense originally. Oh, well, let's see if we can bury those first two with something different.

(Cue Monty Python)

"And now, for something completely different"

As the name of this blog is 'Piggy Capitalist', it seems fitting to share my flea market and yard sale finds and maybe post any scores or duds. Many of the items I find will make their way to eBay under the handle, bbohnsfactory.

Here is some of what I hauled home this week:

Fisher Price Amazing Animals Sing & Go Choo Choo Train $1

Game Boy Advance Pokemon Chaos Black Cartridge $8

Sega Genesis Splatterhouse II with manual and case $0. 26

The Splatterhouse II game was in a box of 38 games and 2 Sega Genesis consoles I got for $10. I figured I would get $15-20 apiece for the consoles and there are about 8 other games that have value in the box.

These 3 are all on eBay now. Which one do you think will net me the most profit?

Nannie

I was thinking about my grandmother today. We called her Nannie. This isn't some sentimental journey down memory lane with tears welling up or a quivering jaw. It's more like a furrowed brow and a set jaw. I missed her today because we need her.
Nannie was the ultimate politician, using her wit and personality to charm those around her. "I love your grandmother," folks would say, "she is so caring and nice." I would nervously nod with forced smile. You see the real Nannie, the family Nannie, was cunning, tough and cutthroat.
One time, my younger brothers, Nick and Jared, were spending the day with Nannie. Jared, younger than Nick, came in from outside, crying.
"What's wrong?" Nannie asked.
"Nick hit me with a stick." Jared replied through his 'I'm gonna get someone in trouble' tears.
Nannie got up from in front of the TV (I think one of her 'stories' was on) and walked out on the porch, Jared right behind her. Nick was standing still in the yard, knowing his world was over. Nannie starts looking around the back porch for something, still not saying anything. Finally she picks up a 2x4 about 3 feet long and hands it to Jared. Jared just looks at it then back at Nannie questioningly. Exasperated, Nannie says, "Well...go hit him with it!"
Another time she randomly calls up my cousin Rick, who lives on the opposite end of the state.
"Hey, Nannie, how are you."
"Oh fine, but I have a question for you Rick. Would you do something for me?"
"Sure Nannie, what is it."
"Would you be a pall bearer at my funeral."
"Oh, Nannie, I would be honored to do that."
"Well it's good to know that you'll come see me when I'm dead, 'cause you sure as he(double hockey sticks) don't come while I'm alive."
Click (no really, she hung up on him).

So I'm thinking today, instead of crying, let's hit these Democrats back (of course I mean at the ballot box. "Oh, no another extreme right wing Christian militia racist blog is talking about 'hitting'. They're sooooo mean spirited and threatening!" I think I said 'cutthroat' earlier too). Let's give them an earful of our dissatisfaction with their current disrespect for us and what we need as citizens. Not what they tell us we need but our actual needs.
I think those needs are pretty basic, completely spelled out in the Constitution. Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Property. Then defend our borders, get out of the way and watch us soar.
Of coarse according to people like Paul Krugman, at the NY Times, if Nannie were here she wouldn't be for long. Gotta get rid them old people because that's were we cut (watch out, I said cut) down that deficit, thanks to the Deathcare bill.

Lib quote of the day:
"Can you imagine if some of these reporters were working on a farm and you planted some seeds, and they came out the next day and they looked and — 'Nothing's happened. There's no crop. We're going to starve. Oh, no! It's a disaster!' It's been a week, folks. So, before we find out if people like health care reform, we should wait to see what happens when we actually put it into place. Just a thought."
-Barack Obama, back on the "hey, you guys need to get used to this dog food" tour.
YOU MEAN THIS 2700 PAGE LAW IS LIKE A SEED AND WILL GET BIGGER!!!!
By the way, the Homestead Act of 1862 (you know, the one that opened up a majority of this country to settlement and eventually statehood...pretty big deal) was a whopping 2 pages.