Make a Holiday Date with “The Diva!”

Make a Holiday Date with “The Diva!” Spiff up your home & wardrobe! Are you searching for that perfectly frugal Holiday outfit? Are you in a quandary over the ideal gift to give a friend? Would you just love to have a festive holiday home? Do you have boxes of Christmas ornaments, but don’t know how to put it all together? Do you want to spice up your wardrobe for the New Year? Are you wondering what to buy for that special man or woman in your life? If you answered yes to any of these questions … you need to ring in the Diva…just in time for the holidays. Barb Tobias is offering a fabulously frugal special for November and December … For just $150 you receive her undivided attention for 4 HOURS!  Thrift shop with her … Decorate with her … Get a holiday makeover … Or, turn your home into a vision of holiday delights. Buy a Gift Certificate or Schedule your 4 hour Date with the Diva! Contact: Jennifer Seeley, Publicist for Barb Tobias Call – 303-902-6086 JenniferSeeley@ThriftTalkDiva.com

It Was a Diva Moment!

Ahhh, another Diva moment! 

An organization called Behind the Moon was celebrating their 7th Anniversary last week and I decided to check out this intriguing networking group.  Aside from the scrumptious cake, some delightful wine and a host of interesting people, there was also a fun photo opportunity. Chris Hibner of Chris Hibner Photography LLC was actually shooting DIVA pictures … go figure!

Well, this Diva couldn’t resist.  After all there were pink boas and wide brimmed hats … not to mention the array of sunglasses.  Darling, the opportunity simply too tempting .  Oh, what’s a Diva to do in a situation like this?    

Go figure!  They had fun shades…

                                                                                    And this sultry pose was just way too Diva….

 

I was just getting warmed up …  too fun!  You know even grown Divas like to play dressup!

Cinderella, Your Dress is Calling!

For some of us, our insatiable Diva curiosities find us scrambling to get a peek at the gowns worn by celebrities during the awards season.

So, check this out. You can rent one for a night or even own a designer gown that was worn by a star on the red carpet.

Although those gorgeous frocks are usually rented by the stars and are extremely expensive, the designers often auction them off after they have been returned.

So if you’ve spied a dress you simply must have, like Taylor Swift’s 2009 Grammy Gown, then keep checking auction sites such as  www.clothesoffourback.org, www.donatemydress.org or www.celebrity2nds.com.   You may just be able to own that gown . . . albeit at a high price.  The good news is that all of your costs go to charity.

But as a frugal Diva I must issue a word of caution.  The auction prices are hefty and you may watch your favorite gown propel beyond your reach for ever more.

However, if the starting bid price of that coveted Vera Wang gown, which you would almost kill for, is off the charts, don’t lose heart.  That dress can be yours for an evening in a price range more favorable to your pocketbook.  Visit sites such as One Night Affair, Light in the Box, and My Celebrity Dress to find your favorite gown, stun your friends with your Diva fashion sense, and smile radiantly because you can still afford groceries the week after the party.

Come on, Celebrities Holding Garage Sales?

Come on, Celebrities Holding Garage Sales?

I am spinning.  After reading numerous reports on People.com, Omg.com, and Thefrisky.com, I’ve learned that real celebrities are raising serious money by holding Garage Sales and Estate Sales.

And, here I thought that this Thrift Talk Diva had the corner on making good money with my fancy “Diva Sales.”

Whether their sales were held to make money or donate to their favorite charity, more and more stars are putting their used items up for sale. Yikes! Little did I know that I was going up against the likes of Tori Spelling, Scott Baio, Teri Hatcher and Pamela Anderson.

OK, so maybe I’ve been snookered and outclassed. I would imagine that my stuff is pretty paltry in comparison to their stuff.  But, I still have a bit of a time wrapping my mind around celebrities hawking their junk just like the rest of us.

Well, why not?  After all, I have yakked for years about the benefits of holding tag sales and purging homes of unwanted things.  And I do love the thought of a good yearly cleanse, because it is the only purge that I know of that is capable of making a fast buck.

But I still find myself asking, “Why would outlandishly wealthy celebrities hold yard sales?”

So I’ve been doing a little bit of celebrity snooping, and, voila, I am now Diva Detective. I’ve found that most stars sell their items through auction houses,  but a few actually worked their own sales right out on their very own driveways,  albeit with professional agent assistance.

Some pocket the money but others donate their funds to charity. Scott Baio’s sale raised funds as well as awareness for mandatory newborn screening in all fifty states after his daughter tested positive for GA1, a metabolic disorder.  Fortunately, she is fine, after it was discovered that her results were a false positive.

Teri Hatcher raised $20,000 for her favorite charities through an invite-only, $50 entrance fee, yard sale.

And Pamela Anderson was reported have sold one of her homes with all of the contents, donating the proceeds to PETA.

So what’s the difference between their yard sales and mine?  So okay, the autograph signings are probably a draw. And, maybe their furnishings are a tad more elegant.  And then there are the gowns, and the jewels.  Hmm…

Thrifty Tips from the Yardsale Queen

This is a guest-post from Chris Heiska, The Yardsale Queen.

Some people believe the myth that there’s only junk at yardsales and thrift stores. That is absolutely not true. Buying at yardsales doesn’t necessarily mean that you are buying someone’s used, dirty castoffs. I often find Christmas wrapping paper still attached to the box,
or a wedding card tucked inside of a box that was probably a duplicate wedding gift (and now the present that probably cost $40 in the store is selling for $5 at a yardsale).

The nicer stuff does get snapped up quickly, so persistence is the key. I often stop by the thrift store in my town two or more times a week to see what “new” stuff has come in. Often the cashier says to me, “Oh, we just put this out today.”

I can’t say specifically that shopping at yardsales and thrift stores is totally responsible for us living a debt-free life, but I know it has definitely helped. (Our mortgage was paid off in April 2000.) For instance, I’m not spending $99 for a metal two-drawer filing cabinet at Staples and putting it on a credit card; instead, I bought a similar one for $4 at thrift store. I don’t have high credit card bills since if I know I need something, I just wait until I can find it cheap at a yardsale.

Shopping at yardsales has enhanced our lifestyle — our money goes a lot further than buying retail. My son is enjoying playing in a $50 camping tent from Target that we have set up in the backyard. I paid $5 (still new in the box) at a yardsale a few years back.

Here are a few tips when shopping at yardsales:

• Be sure to look over stuff carefully since things are generally sold “as-is”.
• It’s easier to shop when I am not lugging my huge heavy handbag around so I wear a fanny pack. It keeps my hands free to look over items and carry stuff.
• If you are buying something in a box, make sure its what it says it is. My friend was disappointed when he bought a printer at a yardsale and opened the box at home to find the seller’s old printer in the box, not the one pictured on the box.
• Carry lots of change and small bills — much quicker to pay for something with exact change than waiting for the seller to make change.
• When buying electronics, ask to plug it in to test it.
• When buying a big item (like a desk or set of drawers), if you have to come back later with a truck to pick it up, take a piece with you — like a single drawer. That way the seller won’t be tempted to sell it to someone else who comes by later and offers more money.
• Clothes can be a real bargain at yardsales. The downfall is that you can’t try them on to see if they fit. Sometimes thrift stores have dressing rooms. Make sure all the buttons are there and the zipper zips. I also check the label for cleaning instructions (if it says Dry Clean Only, I tend to stay away since I want wash ‘n’ wear clothing). I also try to plan ahead for any special event clothing we may need. When I saw a classic conservative black dress ($5) that could be used for funerals or weddings (multipurpose!) I bought it since I knew it would come in handy.
• When buying CDs, VHS, or DVDs, check to make sure the right item is in the right case. Check the backs of DVDs and Cds for excessive scratches.
• If toys are electronics aren’t working, check the battery compartment to see if they have corroded batteries inside. I keep a multi-purpose tool in my fanny pack with a screwdriver to check.
• Look toys over carefully before giving to your child. I found nails and thumbtacks thrown in a canister of TinkerToys. For baby items, you can usually call the manufacturer’s toll-free number to find out if an item has been recalled. The safety belt on my child’s baby swing (that I bought at a yardsale) had been recalled and they sent me a replacement safety belt.
• In general, I would stay away from buying a used baby carseat at a yardsale or thrift unless of course I personally knew and trusted the seller.
• If you buy glassware, gently run your fingers of the edges. Sometimes your fingers can catch imperfections easier than your eyes.

Note that not every thrift store is created equal — some are run by volunteers and others are run for profit by storeowners. To find some non-profit thrift stores in your area (or to check some out while on vacation), visit thethriftshopper.com.

And when you do decide to check out your local thrift stores, flea markets and yardsales, you never know who you may run into. Celebrities who have been seen buying secondhand include Kirstie Alley, Jodie Foster, Clint Eastwood and even Oprah to name a few. If buying secondhand is good enough for them, it’s good enough for me!

 

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Visit Chris at The Yardsale Queen for more ideas on how to save money at garage sales and thrift stores.