Plush Memories Plus is my eBay Store. The "Plush Memories" represents the Plush Stuffed vintage Toys and the "Plus" is the awesome unique old and new odds and ends. I sell on eBay as a Hobby. My specialty is helping people find and replace lost plush toys and dolls. http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/PlushMemoriesPlus Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:29:27 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.squidoo.com/PlushMemoriesPlus I started selling Plush Toys on eBay 5 years ago. One of my Grand Children lost his Clifford The Big Red Dog and was very upset. His Mother searched everywhere and called every store that sold it...with no luck after a month. She finally found it on eBay, but it was very expensive. My mission is to help Parent's find their Children's lost toys at a reasonable price. I have over 4000 stuffed toys and dolls that I haven't listed yet. If you are looking for a specific toy, please contact me. kids Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:32:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/PeruvianAlpacaSilverJewelry Peru lies on the Pacific coast of South America just south of the Equator which spreads through a coastal desert, Amazonian Rain Forest and snow-covered peaks of the Andes. To the Quechua Indians Peru means "land of abundance." Sites such as Machu Picchu and Cusco recall the wealth of the Inca civilization, destroyed in the early 16th century by Spaniards, who built an empire on Peru's gold and silver. Today Peru ranks among the world's top producers of silver, copper, lead, and zinc. Its petroleum industry is one of the world's oldest, and its fisheries are among the world's richest. Source: National Geographic shopping Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:32:00 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/OrganizingInventory Since I started selling on eBay 5 years ago, and I have accumulated over 4000 vintage and new toys! I quickly filled both of my guest room closets. My husband drew the line when I started storing toys in our bedroom closet. Several months ago I sold a plush animal on eBay. I looked for that toy for 2 days! I finally contacted the buyer and confessed that I misplaced it, but assured them that I would find it and send as quickly as possible. Thank goodness they were understanding and patient! I did find it after 4 days. An International potential buyer contacted me about their child's lost toy. Now keep in mind...this is an emergency and time is of the essence! I had to empty every closet, bag and box which took me 3 days. I decided that there had to be a better way to organize so I could have my sold and unsold items close at hand. My mission for the ultimate storage and organization began at Home Depot, but ended up at Lowe's where I got the best deal. I bought 40 big blue plastic tubs and quickly filled them. Then I organized the garage and added shelves that would accommodate the tubs. All well and good.....but there was still one more little problem. If I had to look for a toy, I would still have to open each tub and search for it. Not gonna happen! Been there, done that. While I was taking pictures of the items that I was going to list, the idea hit me. Wow, why didn't I think of that sooner? I stopped what I was doing and grabbed a tub and emptied it, then I arranged each toy so they could easily be seen and took a picture. I quickly downloaded the picture, printed it out and placed it in a plastic zip-lock bag, then taped it to the front of the tub. TaDa! Now when I look for a specific item I just open the zip-lock bag and pull the picture out and never have to open the tub. I took this idea one step further and added tubs for Holidays, Dolls, Pillows, Blankets, Puppets, etc. Wow, this makes it so easy to locate, enabling me to list a lot quicker. When I finish listing the items in the tub, I just put them right back in and label it with the date. education Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:36:59 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/CleaningPlushStuffedToys I've been selling Plush Stuffed Toys on eBay for 5 years. I select the toys that I buy very carefully, however there are times that I find an unusual toy that may need a little TLC. I specifically look for toys that are from a smoke free home with no pets and a clean environment. When I buy in bulk from an Estate Sale, I'm not able to look at each one close up, so before I list a toy from that lot, I check it thoroughly for cleaniness, stains, odors, missing parts, tags, etc. I offer my expertise on cleaning so if and when buying or selling a used/vintage plush toy or doll from a Yard Sale, Estate Sale, Rummage Sale, Flea Market, Thrift Store, or one of the many Auctions Sites online. You really don't know if the toy is clean or not, unless you ask or if it's listed in the description. So, in order to put your mind at ease, I'm sharing my methods of cleaning that I've researched and developed over the years. In the beginning I had a difficult time trying to figure out how to clean and sanitize the toys so they would be presentable and clean to list on eBay. After all, I personally wouldn't want to buy a toy that wasn't clean for my grand children...so I went the extra mile experiencing much frustration with trial and error, even ruining a few toys along the way. Being health conscious , I finally found ways to clean using safe cleaning methods and products. The methods are fast, easy and safe. I also have tips on maintenance for toys that are constant companions to children that are exposed to everyday drink spills, dust, dirt, germs and pet hair. I also share tips for refreshing collectible investment toys that sit on a shelf or in a case that are dusty or have picked up odors. I can't guarantee that the plush toy will last forever, but it can't hurt to try by keeping it clean and refreshed. kids Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:25:07 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/plushmemoriesplustoysdolls I love going to Flea Markets, Yard Sales and Up-Scale Thrift Stores to find unusual vintage Treasures to sell on eBay. I especially love it when Customers tell me that they found their Child's lost Toy or Blanket in my Store! shopping Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:03:42 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/BeanieBabiesBeanBags Yes, I'm taking advantage of the challenge made by Katiyana, a Giant Squid in her Lens of the Day. I will be creating a Lens a day for 10 days, starting June 4th through June 13th and will be featuring items from my eBay Store. This is Lens 4. The last Lens for this challenge will be some of my interesting experiences as an eBay Seller. diy Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:01:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/replacementdishes If you're looking for a replacement piece for Grandma's Wedding discontinued China Pattern that was accidentally broken...then you're in luck! Today it's so easy to find a piece from the past, just look on the Internet! You no longer have to sit on the phone for costly hours or go from one place to the next to find the matching pattern. There are web sites that specialize in replacing Good China, Everyday Retro Dishes, Glasses, Bar Ware, etc. The better China manufacturers usually have replacement dishes or will direct you to where they can be found. There are also web sites that specialize in searching for a pattern for you. Then there's eBay and other Auction sites that may have what you're looking for. Researching on the Internet will take an hour or two and saves on running around, wasting time and gas. However, if you're not lucky enough to find it on the Information Highway, then try the Paved Highway going to Yard Sales, Flea Markets, Thrift Stores, Estate Sales, Church Bazaars, School Fund Raisers, and Goodwill. You'd be surprised what you can stumble on in your travels! Plus it's a lot of fun to get out and meet people that can give you the history behind each dish that you buy. I personally find Yard Sales and Estate Sales an interesting and informative experience. In my many travels I've found Pyrex from the 60's, vintage Libby Gold Leaf Patter, Designer Glassware, Bar Ware, Blue Willow Dishes, Delft Dishes, Tea Sets and Chocolate Sets, Pitchers, Cookie Jars, Lazy Susans and and unusual items such as a bread and butter plate, Salts, serving dishes, tea cups and saucers, Salt & Pepper Shakers and so many more! I've sold quite a lot in my eBay store and even had requests for certain pieces. I've also found brands such as Royal Albert, Johnson Brother, Wedgwood, Lenox, Royal Doulton, Noritake, Pfaltzstaff, and many more. Funny story about how I bought the Royal Doulton cups and Saucers! Went to a Yard Sale somewhere in an out-of-the-way neighborhood in the mountains of Virginia. I spotted a kitten drinking milk from a saucer next to the Sale Table. While stroking the kitty, I gently lifted the saucer and noticed that it had the Royal Doulton Mark. I asked if the kitten was for sale and it was, then I told her that I'd like to buy the dish for it also. She told me that it wasn't a problem because she had more in the house! Total sale for a set of 4 Royal Daulton Cups & Saucers and the kitten was $15.00; $10.00 for the kitten and $5.00 for the dishes. You may also place an ad for your plea for that special piece on Craig's List or in your local Pennysaver Newsletter. Internet research is fast and easy for the person with a fast paced life. But give me the Yard Sales for the thrill of the hunt any day! shopping Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:21:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/kohlscaresforkidsplush Did you know that Kohl's is making a real difference for kids in our communities through its Kohl's Cares for Kids® programs? Kohl's strives to be an active member of each community where we do business. To date, Kohl's has raised more than $102 million to support children's health and education initiatives. In 2007, nearly 40,000 Kohl's Associates volunteered more than 136,000 hours to support youth serving nonprofits in their communities with more than $3.2 million in grants through efforts such as tutoring kids after school, building playgrounds and participating in fundraising runs and walks. In addition, Associates have shown their commitment to their communities by recognizing and rewarding young volunteers with over $1.5 million in scholarships and gift cards through the Kohl's Kids Who Care® Scholarship Program. kids Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:22:23 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/vintagefashionjewelry I love hunting for old Jewelry! Going to Yard Sales, Flea Markets, Thrift Stores and Estate Sales is an experience for me and I really enjoy it! Once I get my "treasures" home, I spread them on my desk, then research them on the Internet. It's a lot of fun for me to find jewelry that is marked and in excellent condition. Most of the time though, the vintage jewelry needs cleaning, or has signs of wear and damage. It's rare to find that "perfect" piece. The sorted jewelry goes into 4 different sections on my desk; Excellent, Very Good, Damaged and mis-matched. I list the damaged and mis-matched items in "lots" and advertise them as... Junk Jewelry For: Repair Parts Stones Crafts Findings I do not clean vintage jewelry because I am not an expert on the cleaners best suited for the different gems, metals and materials. Once I tried to clean pewter and it turned black....that was a lesson learned. I've added Links at the bottom of this page that will give instructions on cleaning and taking care of your vintage costume jewelry. This is Lens is just a sample of what I have...so stop in often as I will be listing more in the next few days. shopping Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:27:58 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/RedHattersStuff Since I became a member of the Red Hat Society I have received a lot of Red Hatter Gifts for my Birthday and Christmas. My closets over floweth! Some of the items I've listed are BRAND NEW! I have other stuff that is Red and Purple that I wore to Red Hat Outings. shopping Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:18:30 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/CoolDadMagnets I'm taking advantage of the challenge made by Katiyana, a Giant Squid in her Lens of the Day. I will be creating a Lens a day for 10 days, starting today and will be featuring items from my eBay Store. The last Lens for this challenge will be some of my interesting experiences as an eBay Seller. shopping Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:01:15 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/NotGivingUpMyVHS Many American homes still have a TV connected to a VHS VCR and not ready to give their inexpensive entertainment. It's mostly Grandparents and small children that are familiar with VCRs and aren't ready to convert to the new and improved technology. Ease of use is more important than picture quality for the die-hard users. Another positive tidbit is that VCRs can be replaced for as low as $25.00 new, or as low as $5.00 at a yard sale or thrift store. It's also easy to hook up. computers Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:58:10 -0600