#miscellaneousstuff

[mrlifesthoughts]

Here’s a few more cosplay pics as well as some other miscellaneousstuff

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A guide on where and how to sell your stuff online

Image: Shutterstock / f_s

Its simple enough to earn extra moneyselling stuff online, but youll want to determine the ideal venue for your goods. Selling Grandmas vintage tea cozies is a different endeavor from offloading your old stereo system.

Weve rounded up some of the major online marketplaces along with tips about their audience, style and fees.

Online sales and auctions

Theres a handful of majoronline auction and sales sites, and as youll see, some charge much lower fees than others. The major players, Amazon and eBay, have higher fees, but theyre also some of the most highly trafficked sites on the internet. If speed of sale is your goal, thesesites are the way to go. If youre trying to maximize your profit, you might take some more time to find a buyer on a smaller site.

Amazon

You can sell pretty much anything on Amazon, although selling in some specialized categoriesrequires Amazon approval and an upgraded selling plan. Amazon charges several kinds of fees on items sold, depending on what kind of selling plan you have.

If you opt for the standard Individual selling plan, youll pay Amazon 99 cents per item sold, plus a referral fee. The referral fee is a percentage of the items total sale price, including shipping costs but not taxes, and generally ranges from 8% to 20%. If youre selling any media items, including books, movies and video games, you pay a $1.80 closing fee as well.

To upgrade to the Professional selling plan, you pay a $39.99 monthly subscription fee but not the 99 cents per item fee from the Individual plan. So the professional plan makes sense only if you plan to sell more than 40 items per month.

eBay

eBay lets you auction and sell a wide range of goods and has a slightly simpler fee structure than Amazon. For most items, you pay eBay 10% of the final sale price of the item, which includesshipping costs but not taxes. You can estimate your item fees with this calculator. If you post more than 50 items in a month, eBay starts charging you 30 cents per listing over 50, though it may refund the 30 cents if your item sells.

You can also upgrade and promote your eBay listing in various ways for extra fees. For instance, you might want to set a reserve price so that your item is auctioned off for at least that minimum amount. Its a $3 fee to set a reserve price below $75; the fee for anything above $75 is 4% of the reserve price.

Bonanza

Bonanza sells a similar range of products to Amazon and eBay.Itchargesfees based on the sale price of your item, plus any amount of the shipping costover $10. So if you sold an item for $20 and shipped it for $13, your fee would be based on a price of $23. Bonanza charges you 3.5% of this price; in our example, youd pay about 80 cents. Theres a minimum fee of 50 cents per item.

For items that sell for $500 or more, you pay 3.5% on the first $500 and then 1.5% on the amount over $500.Bonanza also offers to advertise your listing across the web in exchange for a higher percentage fee.

EBid

EBid is an eBay competitor out of the United Kingdom. The basic fee at eBid is 3% of the final price of your item, sans shipping costs. You can also upgrade your seller account and eliminate fees on the items you sell; instead, you pay a recurring subscriptionprice, anywhere from weekly to annually.

Local sales

Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, LetGo

These websites and apps dont take a cut of your sales, but youre responsible for connecting with your buyer, meeting up in person and making the exchange. Its definitely a different style than the online auctions and sales. If youre not comfortable handling all the logistics yourself and thenmeeting up with a stranger, you should probably stick to online only.

Depending on what youre selling, you can arrange to meet your buyer in a public place (many local police stations offer a safe haven for such sales) or have a friend hang around while you make the sale. The simplicity here is the key: no packing, shipping or fees, just cash in your hand. But unlike many online-only sales sites, these marketplaces dont have any guarantees or protections if your buyer turns out to be a flake.

Clothes, vintage and crafts

The bigger online sites are good for getting rid of miscellaneousstuff, butfor specialty items, like antiques and vintage clothes, you might want to sell to a more intentional audience.

Poshmark

Poshmark isanonline sales and social network hybrid for mens, womens and childrens clothing.Itsfee structure is simple: For any clothing item you sell for under $15, youll be charged a $2.95 fee; for anything over $15, the fee is 20%. Poshmark charges your buyer $6.49 for shipping, so you just print out a prepaid shipping label, box up your clothing and send it off.

Ruby Lane

As youll see from the pricing, Ruby Lane is more for serious antique and vintage sellers. If youre just trying to clean out the closet, the setup and maintenance fees will probably prove too steep.

First of all, you have to pay $100 to set up your store. Then youll pay 19 cents per item you list, plus a monthly maintenance fee based on the number of items in your store when the first of the month rolls around.You can have up to 80 items in your store for a monthly fee of $69. For each item over 80, youre charged a small, variable fee. You can see a more detailed fee schedule here.

Youll want to have a good idea that you canrecoup an initial investment of $169 on Ruby Lane before diving in.

Egsy

If youre interested in selling your handmade arts and crafts or vintage collectibles, Etsy is where its at. You pay20 cents to list an item and then a 3.5% fee on the sale price of the item, not including shipping. If you use Etsy to process your payments you dont have to it charges an additional 3% plus 25 cents.

Electronics

Swappa, Glyde, Gazelle

These sites arent so much marketplaces as resellers.They give you a quote on your smartphone, laptop or tablet and then ship you a box so you can send it in.

The sites are pretty similar in essence, so you can compare quotes from each oneand find the best offer. Youll likely get a lower price for your electronics than if you sold them yourself somewhere like eBay. The draw here ishow easy these sites make it to get quick bucks for your electronics rather than having them gather dust in your drawer.

WATCH: If this alarm clock doesn’t get you out of bed nothing will

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This article originally published at NerdWallet here

Read more: http://ift.tt/2qsRbTM

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2rhI0GX via Viral News HQ

[asouca]

BIG GAME WEEK. BERKELEY vs STANFORD. 

[trendingnewsb]

A guide on where and how to sell your stuff online

Image: Shutterstock / f_s

Its simple enough to earn extra moneyselling stuff online, but youll want to determine the ideal venue for your goods. Selling Grandmas vintage tea cozies is a different endeavor from offloading your old stereo system.

Weve rounded up some of the major online marketplaces along with tips about their audience, style and fees.

Online sales and auctions

Theres a handful of majoronline auction and sales sites, and as youll see, some charge much lower fees than others. The major players, Amazon and eBay, have higher fees, but theyre also some of the most highly trafficked sites on the internet. If speed of sale is your goal, thesesites are the way to go. If youre trying to maximize your profit, you might take some more time to find a buyer on a smaller site.

Amazon

You can sell pretty much anything on Amazon, although selling in some specialized categoriesrequires Amazon approval and an upgraded selling plan. Amazon charges several kinds of fees on items sold, depending on what kind of selling plan you have.

If you opt for the standard Individual selling plan, youll pay Amazon 99 cents per item sold, plus a referral fee. The referral fee is a percentage of the items total sale price, including shipping costs but not taxes, and generally ranges from 8% to 20%. If youre selling any media items, including books, movies and video games, you pay a $1.80 closing fee as well.

To upgrade to the Professional selling plan, you pay a $39.99 monthly subscription fee but not the 99 cents per item fee from the Individual plan. So the professional plan makes sense only if you plan to sell more than 40 items per month.

eBay

eBay lets you auction and sell a wide range of goods and has a slightly simpler fee structure than Amazon. For most items, you pay eBay 10% of the final sale price of the item, which includesshipping costs but not taxes. You can estimate your item fees with this calculator. If you post more than 50 items in a month, eBay starts charging you 30 cents per listing over 50, though it may refund the 30 cents if your item sells.

You can also upgrade and promote your eBay listing in various ways for extra fees. For instance, you might want to set a reserve price so that your item is auctioned off for at least that minimum amount. Its a $3 fee to set a reserve price below $75; the fee for anything above $75 is 4% of the reserve price.

Bonanza

Bonanza sells a similar range of products to Amazon and eBay.Itchargesfees based on the sale price of your item, plus any amount of the shipping costover $10. So if you sold an item for $20 and shipped it for $13, your fee would be based on a price of $23. Bonanza charges you 3.5% of this price; in our example, youd pay about 80 cents. Theres a minimum fee of 50 cents per item.

For items that sell for $500 or more, you pay 3.5% on the first $500 and then 1.5% on the amount over $500.Bonanza also offers to advertise your listing across the web in exchange for a higher percentage fee.

EBid

EBid is an eBay competitor out of the United Kingdom. The basic fee at eBid is 3% of the final price of your item, sans shipping costs. You can also upgrade your seller account and eliminate fees on the items you sell; instead, you pay a recurring subscriptionprice, anywhere from weekly to annually.

Local sales

Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, LetGo

These websites and apps dont take a cut of your sales, but youre responsible for connecting with your buyer, meeting up in person and making the exchange. Its definitely a different style than the online auctions and sales. If youre not comfortable handling all the logistics yourself and thenmeeting up with a stranger, you should probably stick to online only.

Depending on what youre selling, you can arrange to meet your buyer in a public place (many local police stations offer a safe haven for such sales) or have a friend hang around while you make the sale. The simplicity here is the key: no packing, shipping or fees, just cash in your hand. But unlike many online-only sales sites, these marketplaces dont have any guarantees or protections if your buyer turns out to be a flake.

Clothes, vintage and crafts

The bigger online sites are good for getting rid of miscellaneousstuff, butfor specialty items, like antiques and vintage clothes, you might want to sell to a more intentional audience.

Poshmark

Poshmark isanonline sales and social network hybrid for mens, womens and childrens clothing.Itsfee structure is simple: For any clothing item you sell for under $15, youll be charged a $2.95 fee; for anything over $15, the fee is 20%. Poshmark charges your buyer $6.49 for shipping, so you just print out a prepaid shipping label, box up your clothing and send it off.

Ruby Lane

As youll see from the pricing, Ruby Lane is more for serious antique and vintage sellers. If youre just trying to clean out the closet, the setup and maintenance fees will probably prove too steep.

First of all, you have to pay $100 to set up your store. Then youll pay 19 cents per item you list, plus a monthly maintenance fee based on the number of items in your store when the first of the month rolls around.You can have up to 80 items in your store for a monthly fee of $69. For each item over 80, youre charged a small, variable fee. You can see a more detailed fee schedule here.

Youll want to have a good idea that you canrecoup an initial investment of $169 on Ruby Lane before diving in.

Egsy

If youre interested in selling your handmade arts and crafts or vintage collectibles, Etsy is where its at. You pay20 cents to list an item and then a 3.5% fee on the sale price of the item, not including shipping. If you use Etsy to process your payments you dont have to it charges an additional 3% plus 25 cents.

Electronics

Swappa, Glyde, Gazelle

These sites arent so much marketplaces as resellers.They give you a quote on your smartphone, laptop or tablet and then ship you a box so you can send it in.

The sites are pretty similar in essence, so you can compare quotes from each oneand find the best offer. Youll likely get a lower price for your electronics than if you sold them yourself somewhere like eBay. The draw here ishow easy these sites make it to get quick bucks for your electronics rather than having them gather dust in your drawer.

WATCH: If this alarm clock doesn’t get you out of bed nothing will

5 Tips to Find a Cheap Flight

Its Not Too Late to Plan a Summer Family Vacation

Mortgage Rates Monday, May 15: Near Mid-November Levels

VA Loan Eligibility and Requirements for 2017

This article originally published at NerdWallet here

Read more: http://ift.tt/2qsRbTM

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2rhI0GX via Viral News HQ

[asouca]

Ok I know this is long but it is so worth your time! It’s Brene Brown’s Ted Talk on the power of vulnerability and it’s amazing

[asouca]

Resolutions for the College Soul

Cut back on beverages-- reduce to only water, milk, coffee, and hot tea. Coffee is essential. I am a college student. I need it.

Cut back on sweets-- reduce to only Twizzlers/Red Vines and chocolate (of any kind because really chocolate doesn't fall under candy in my brain; it falls under freaking delicious). 

Finish up a script by the end of February. Show my mom what's what. IN YOUR FACE MOM. 

Get straight A's. Because I get something special if I do. Something special and important and YES. (Not a car or anything. Why would you think it's a car? It's totally not.)

Get a significant other. Because I'm tired of being alone and inexperienced and I have desires, people! 

Have a blast during my college experience-- GO, IDAHO!

[asouca]

Cassie's Christmas List

AKA Cassie's List of Thing She Wants Year Round And Only Gets Away With Asking for Them Around This Time of Year. 

AKA wow I need to tone this down. 

All I Want For Christmas Is:

I'm pretty sure that's comprehensive enough... But I'm sure there's more I could add. For now, though... That's what I want for Christmas. 

[asouca]

Flay You Alive

Ah, yes! Being home for the holidays.

And, by holidays, I naturally mean for Thanksgiving. It's refreshing, honestly, getting to come home to my mom after months of not seeing her-- of only hearing her voice on the phone. So far the experience is great. I'm enjoying my time and looking forward to Turkey Day. 

However, a couple of things suck. 

One, my dad isn't here. For reasons. Military reasons. Curse you military reasons! CURSE YOU!

Two, I do not get to see any of my old friends. Why? Because-- and, once again, curse you military reasons-- my parents are currently living elsewhere. So instead of getting to go back to the hometown, I'm in Washington with my mom and my two dogs. It's not terrible, but it's not exactly hip-hopping-a-hip-hip-hop-you-don't-stop, you know? 

But besides all of this, I am still enjoying my time off. 

Word of advice: Enjoy your time off! It goes by quick, so grasp onto it and spend as much time with your friends and family. Keep those bonds strong. 

Word of other advice: Do be sure to remember that you might have an assignment or two due right after said break. It could be your untimely doom if you do not. 

Signing out. 

[asouca]

Only Shooting Stars Break the Mold

THINGS I LIKE ABOUT COLLEGE ARE VERY MUCH PLENTIFUL!

I like the people.

I like the place.

I like the activities. 

I like almost everything.

College is awesome. Everyone should go to college. 

[asouca]

Ky 101: To the Best Year Yet

It’s odd thinking back to this time last year and how much has changed since then. I helped build and competed in my last FIRST robotics competition. I created my first mosaic of my own. I created a Where the Wild Things Are themed chalk mural. I participated in my first MUN conference. I snuck into an R rated movie while underage for the last time. I went LARPing for the first time. I went to grad night. I graduated. I spent hours toiling away getting very frustrated with ground penetrating radar. I went out to lunch with my fellow interns. I went to the county fair and a deep fried Klondike bar. I ate at Big Kahuna Burgers. I made friends. I celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving. I went to my first frat party. I stole rescued a Christmas tree. I learned how to lapdance. I learned...SO MUCH I got my first B in my entire academic career. I came home. I saw old friends, family, and teachers. I broke into my high school the night before the world was supposed to end and planted asparagus. I celebrated the New Year with the best friends anyone could have.

This has been the best year of my life yet, and hopefully, the next will be even better.

[asouca]

Ky 101: Flying Back to the Nest

Another reason why Stanford is awesome: We get a full week off for Thanksgiving. Which means that this little bird got to fly back to the nest. I got back Friday night, and it is so odd being back home. It feels like I never left, as if those months away were all just a dream. The weird thing about college is that it feels like college and the rest of the world don’t run on the same clock. Even though it feels like I've been at Stanford for forever, it doesn't feel like I've been away from home for that long. It’s so nice being back. I missed my mom and my dad and my brother and my house and the ocean and the beach and aircraft flying overhead and my Queen sized bed and California burritos and showers with actual water pressure and my old stomping grounds and my friends. It’s not the same though. My room is almost completely empty now and doesn't feel much like my room anymore. I broke into my high school the other day as I have scores of times before, but for the first time, it could actually be considered trespassing because I’m not a student there anymore. My high school isn't really mine anymore. Unfortunately, I always think that a week is much longer than it actually is, and I always overestimate my productivity during a break. Not only do I have to cram in a lot of quality family time, shopping, and time with friends, but I also have a huge amount of schoolwork that I need to/want to get done over break which is making me more stressed than I’d like to be. For now, I’m just taking the break one day at a time, and enjoying it for what it’s supposed to be: a break.

[asouca]

Ky: What They Don’t Tell You in the Glossy Brochures

Today marks the beginning of my fifth week at Stanford, and as much as I love it here, there are definitely things that I dislike. Some of these things are what most college kids deal with eventually and others are more specific to me or Stanford. Feeling inferior: In my classes, in my dorm, and in my dining hall there are Olympians, science fair winners, company founders, inventors, movie stars, Spelling Bee Champions, authors, and true geniuses. Being surrounded by people who are so outrageously talented and accomplished is pretty awesome, but it really makes you hyper-aware of how remarkably un-talented and un-accomplished you are. I was so used to feeling like the big fish in the small pond. Now, I feel like a single krill in the Pacific Ocean. Wherever you look there is someone who is more intelligent, more motivated, more athletic, more attractive, more artistic, and more innovative than you. Whatever you may think you’re good at, there’s someone who does it better. I know that this experience will really help me grow, and I relish the challenge. I just don’t know if my self-esteem can sink any lower. Lack of privacy: Most people who aren’t commuter students will likely end up sharing a room with one or more other human beings in college (unless you’re lucky and got a single).You will be deprived of privacy. You can’t even find it in the bathroom because you have to share that bathroom with everyone else on your floor. Even when your roommate is gone, and you have the room to yourself, there are people all around you separated by just the few inches that your thin dorm room walls provide. You can never be truly alone with just yourself. Fear of missing out: There are things happening ALL THE TIME. Every minute of everyday is filled with exciting things from a talk on US-China relations by Condoleeza Rice to a Raspberry Pi workshop with the company co-founders or a speech by Richard Dawkins or a lecture given by Melinda Gates. Then, there’s people going to concerts in SF, hiking the Dish, doing a sushi making workshop, and every other cool thing you can imagine. It’s hard to not feel like everyone is having more fun and taking advantage of more opportunities than you are. Homesickness: It sucks. You miss your family. Your friends. Your room. Your house. Your old routine. The familiar, the safe, the comfortable.

[asouca]

Ky 101: Orientation

Exactly one week ago today was my first day at orientation and first day of college. It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been here for a week, yet simultaneously it’s hard to believe that I’ve only been here for a week. Tuesday (First Day):

My mom had the brilliant idea of staying in a hotel 3 hours away from Stanford, so on Tuesday morning, my family and I woke up at 4:30 am and left at 5:00 am to get to Stanford at 8:00 am if all went well. Unfortunately, all did not go well. We managed to get caught in terrible traffic (why there was traffic out in the middle of nowhere, I have no idea). We nearly ran out of gas and had to get off the road to ask truckers where the nearest gas station was. Then, we had to go on a detour in an attempt to reach that gas station. The trip ended up taking 5 hours instead of 3. We finally got to Stanford and my dorm (after getting lost). I moved in, went to Target & Wal Mart, met my roommate, and the rest of the day flew by in a whirlwind of speeches, emotional farewells, excited introductions, ice breakers, and a cappella concerts. Then, I went on the infamous Band Run in which 2,000 freshman and a few hundred non-freshman ran around campus in the middle of the night while screaming chants while following the Stanford Marching Band who were clothed in ridiculous costumes or barely anything. It was a ridiculously awesome way to start my college adventure. Wednesday: I took my first college test! Okay, it was a language placement exam, so I guess that doesn’t really count. Besides that, I attended a few course planning seminars which were very helpful, listened to more speeches, and watched a really cool show called Faces which featured dances, music, poetry, and narratives that demonstrated the diversity at Stanford. Oh, and I lost my I.D. Thursday: MORE SPEECHES!

I met with my Pre-Major Advisor who does exactly what you’d think he would. He advises me until I declare a major. He was pretty cool and somewhat helpful. That night, we watched a series of sketches called The Real World: Stanford showcasing all of the fun things that can come with college like drugs, alcohol, sexual assault, abusive relationships, and depression! (and by fun, I mean not fun). Oh, and I got into my first bike accident.

Friday: Q&A session with my dorm’s Academic Advisor which was quite helpful. Then, my roommate and two other roommate pairs went on a “Sonic Scavenger Hunt” in which we had to use an iPad and an app to record videos/sounds of us doing various tasks around campus. That night, I learned how to swing dance (partially), and went to the big freshman dance party which turned out to be more enjoyable than expected. Oh, and I officially caught the freshman plague. (At this rate, college may kill me within a month) Saturday: I got two free t-shirts! Woohoo! Free stuff! Attended a We the Kings Concert in which the main singer tried to excite a very unenthused crowd and talked about losing his virginity while watching Men in Black. Sunday: The last day of orientation. It was the first day all week that I actually had free time. It was nice. We went to a roundtable discussion featuring Chuck Klosterman who wrote Fargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey, Ge Wang who is the co-founder of Smule apps, and Michael Kimmelman who was featured in My Kid Could Paint That. We were sent the documentary, the book, and the apps over the summer. They all related to the questions of “What is important? Who gets to decide?” specifically pertaining to art. I’ve quickly discovered that my dorm is definitely going to be a party dorm and that my room is right next to the room that’s the center of it all. On the brightside, at least they have good taste in music. Overall, orientation was insanely busy and exciting and fun and strange, and I’m starting to feel at home.