![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
botiasI thought I had broken even on the auction by badly mis-underestimating the shipping charges. I was doing really well being happy for whomever had just gotten an awesome deal. That's me: so Zen. Then I looked up the my final value fees on ebay, and I couldn't hear that one hand clapping no more. I didn't realize that ebay has started charging a percentage on the shipping amount as well as the final value or I would have thought twice about listing something that weighs 50 pounds. Choosing a second category was presented as costing a small fee, somehow I missed that it would double the cost of all the other 'enhancements' that seemed so reasonable.
Final Tally:
*pouts* I could have Craigslisted the whole shebang for $25 and been way ahead, or better yet consigned it all. :P Enough whining. But, ebay IS evil.
In other news, the braces are not free! At $1500 they are far from it, but still half what a private orthodontist would charge. Also, the solar guy called and he didn't think they could spot me a system that will meet all my demand. Also, no one has taken me up on my 'tubers for web development' offer, alas. HOWEVER, one guy said that he would send me a few tubers for free because I had inspired him do the work himself.
And the sun is shining as winter begins, a record number of dry, sunny days for December. We've spent the last two afternoons at the bay beach. Today the tide was lower than we'd yet seen it, exposing habitat usually under 6 feet of water. We saw sea anemones in hot pink and turquoise, orange sea stars, black rock crabs and grey hermit crabs. The kids were entranced. "MOM, you have to SEE THIS. It's a crab and it's ALIVE." All this in tones of shock and awe that most people would reserve for an alien visitation. 8YO had a wild kingdom moment. As he returned a hermit crab to the water, a rock crab scuttled out of the depths and skewered it for its supper.
8YO is driving me a little mad. He's so excited about Christmas loot that he can hardly stand it. 6YO is too young to be so focused on something in the future, 11YO is too old to get that excited about a few presents. But that's about all of my Christmas suffering. I only buy presents for the oldest generation and the youngest so my shopping is pretty light. I understandably get few presents as well, but that's fine. I think about decorating, but never actually get around to it. I did donate to Toys For Tots. I wish you all a bit of holiday relaxation.
Final Tally:
| Payment Received | $89.55 |
| Shipping | -80.00 |
| Ebay Fees | -10.50 |
| Paypal Fees | -2.90 |
| Net Total | -$3.85 |
*pouts* I could have Craigslisted the whole shebang for $25 and been way ahead, or better yet consigned it all. :P Enough whining. But, ebay IS evil.
In other news, the braces are not free! At $1500 they are far from it, but still half what a private orthodontist would charge. Also, the solar guy called and he didn't think they could spot me a system that will meet all my demand. Also, no one has taken me up on my 'tubers for web development' offer, alas. HOWEVER, one guy said that he would send me a few tubers for free because I had inspired him do the work himself.
And the sun is shining as winter begins, a record number of dry, sunny days for December. We've spent the last two afternoons at the bay beach. Today the tide was lower than we'd yet seen it, exposing habitat usually under 6 feet of water. We saw sea anemones in hot pink and turquoise, orange sea stars, black rock crabs and grey hermit crabs. The kids were entranced. "MOM, you have to SEE THIS. It's a crab and it's ALIVE." All this in tones of shock and awe that most people would reserve for an alien visitation. 8YO had a wild kingdom moment. As he returned a hermit crab to the water, a rock crab scuttled out of the depths and skewered it for its supper.
8YO is driving me a little mad. He's so excited about Christmas loot that he can hardly stand it. 6YO is too young to be so focused on something in the future, 11YO is too old to get that excited about a few presents. But that's about all of my Christmas suffering. I only buy presents for the oldest generation and the youngest so my shopping is pretty light. I understandably get few presents as well, but that's fine. I think about decorating, but never actually get around to it. I did donate to Toys For Tots. I wish you all a bit of holiday relaxation.
