Featured eBay Underground Member of the Week!

Every Tuesday, we will put a spotlight on a Featured eBay Underground Member. We want to get to know other members on eBay Underground, and we want you to get to know each other too!

This week's Featured Member is ...

JANICE YUREK!  Janice sells on eBay at Gurley Max Treasures!

We sent Janice a list of questions, and here's what she had to say:

Start by telling us a bit about yourself.

I am 41 years old, living in Henderson Nevada.  I have 3 kids (an 8 year old girl, 5 year old boy & a 2 year old girl) and one naughty puppy.  I will be married 10 years in September.  I am originally from Northern Wisconsin and am a huge Packer fan!  I take my kids back to Wisconsin for a month every summer to hang out with my family and swim in Lake Superior.

How long have you been selling on eBay? Why did you start?

I have been selling on eBay since 2003.  I started selling off some of my oldest daughters baby clothing and became instantly hooked when I realized the thrifting potential.  I have always enjoyed thrifting and was happy to find a way to support it!  Plus, living near Vegas, this is a much safer hobby than my Black Jack playing single days...

Do you remember the first item you sold?

I absolutely remember the first thing I sold.  It was a Baby Gap snowflake sweater and guess what?  I sold it to an non-paying bidder!

What keeps you going during slow sale periods?

Well, I just opened my store in September, so I am kind of getting used to not having a huge batch of auctions going at once, which makes it seem slower.  It always seems to pick up sooner or later, so maybe experience keeps me going.  I also do this as a side hobby and for extra fun money.  It might stress me out more if this were a main source of income.


Tell us about your favorite buyer.

My favorite buyer was from this past fall.  I sold a large lot of baby girl clothing to a Military person and it took forever to get there.  They were so friendly and apologetic to ME about customs and how long it was taking.  They were awesome.  The package finally arrived after about a month!

Tell us about your worst nightmare buyer and how you handled it.

Okay, seriously knocking on wood here, I have never had a nightmare buyer.

What was your best sale?

My best sale was a Marx western town playset that I purchased at an antique store in Kingham.  When I got it home, I realized it had never been played with.  I paid $18 for it and sold it for almost $800!  I also had a stuffed lamb lovey that I got for $3 and sold for $100.  I have had a few St. John suits that I paid $15-$20 and solf for $150-$200.  Really, any sale thrills me!

What purchase for resale did you buy that turned out to be a big mistake?

I have never had any huge boo-hoo's or anything.  I am definately more selective now when it comes to clothing brands.  What use to sell in 2004 doesn't necessarily sell now.  Gymboree being one brand that I never used to pass up, but now will only pick it up if it's super cheap.

Do you have a niche? What is it and why?

I suppose my niche is children's clothing, mostly because I am lazy and it is easy to photograph and ship, but profit margin has decreased dramatically over the years on kids clothing.  I think a lot of that is due to the recession.  I am starting to branch out more into women's clothing and other odds and ends that I find.  I have an iPhone now, so I can search completeds in the store.  That helps a lot.  I also adore vintage kitchen items and glassware.


What is your favorite thing to watch for when you're out thrifting?

A few things I ALWAYS pick up are:
Hot rollers
White floaty beach portrait dresses (kids sizes)
Quacker factory sweaters
Pampered Chef items
Toddler girl pink cowboy boots

Tell us one thing you have learned on eBay Underground.

One thing I have learned from eBay Underground is that Big Lots & TJ Maxx can be a source of inventory for discontinued items....who knew?

Anything else you'd like to comment on?

If I buy something for a quarter and sell it for $15 it is still a "eBay high"!

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Thank you, Janice , for giving us a chance to get to know you a little better!

--Jessica & Lesley

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Be sure to stop by Janice's eBay store at Gurley Max Treasures and her blog Feels Like Time!


Also stop by our eBay Underground group and tell Janice hello!

And watch out - you might be our next Featured eBay Underground Member! :)