I have a serious addiction - someone please intervene!!

[LynneSin]

I love buying boxes filled with junk jewelry. It's like Storage Wars meets Ebay.

Basically you have someone with one of those one-rate boxes from USPS filled with old jewelry that most of the time is broken, unsorted and not matched. Most of the time anything of serious value is removed. Spending is usually around $20-$50 tops and I buy maybe one per month.

I've found some lovely stuff in those boxes. I've probably pulled out at least 50 items that I have cleaned and now keep in my jewelry box. I've also harvested a bunch of stuff for jewelry crafting, something I am doing.

But it is such a thrill to open up a new box and see what you got. Usually the photographs are of the box and rarely do you see everything you're going to get. It's a bit like Storage Wars - in the end you have to dig to find anything of value and let's face it the boxes I'm buying are the low end of the spectrum. But I have found some really nice stuff.

In general I've 'made' my money back based on my goals which is crafting materials and things that I could wear myself. However it hasn't all been perfect. One box was filled with giant oversized hoop earrings, the kind you'd find in the dollar story. Problem was - only one earing was found and of the 50+ oversized hoop earrings in the box only 3 were a matched set. Another one filled the bottom of the box with those cheap beads you'd get during Mardi Gras.

But I have found plenty of stuff to keep. My friend's kids also likes to go thru the boxes and they've taken a few things. I've also made some lovely things like a beautiful necklace out of a chandelier earring that had these drop cubic ziroconias in it (only one earring but found a chain to match with it).

Am I crazy doing this?

[Arkansas Granny]

1. Maybe you are crazy, but that's beside the point. It sounds to me like you have a

fun hobby that is apparently well within your budget and not an addiction at all.

I sometimes do the same with knitting yarn. I love to buy a grab bag for $25-$30 just to see what they send. It gives me a chance to play around with something I've never used before and might never try on my own.

[LynneSin]

4. I'm not the only one who likes the grab bags stuff

I do try to budget it else i'll go off the deep end.

I'm also ready to resell a box of junk I'm not using. I've pulled out all the garbage (the one earring cheap oversized hoops and mardigras beads) and everything is cleaned too. I know in regards to craftables there is alot still in there, just stuff that didn't appeal to me.

[HopeHoops]

2. FUCK jewelry, BUY COWBELLS!

[Denninmi]

3. Crazy?

You came to the right man to ask about crazy. No,if you enjoy it, and it's not excessive in terms of cost, I say go for it, not crazy.

[RebelOne]

5. Where do you buy them?

Auctions or thrift stores?

[LynneSin]

6. Ebay

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=huge+vintage+jewelry+lot+&_trksid=p5197.c0.m627

I prefer ones where they haven't done alot of sorting. If everything is displayed nicely then you know they've pretty much cleaned out the good stuff.

[mysuzuki2]

7. Yes, yes you are.

I feel sorry for "normal" people. Their lives must be so dreary.

[Raven]

8. I've always known I'd like you if we met but

now I know I would for sure. You would fit like a glove with my friends...they buy boxes of jewelry, silver, linens, collectables, usually from estate sales and auctions. I have no talent at this but some of the things they get are real treasures. We have a shop in my town where we sell the really nice stuff...maybe you could look around for a shop like that and become a vendor. There is also the internet.

You are not crazy...if you love it and you are not going broke doing it...do it!

[LynneSin]

9. Rumor has it you're gonna be a granny!

Are you excited?

I think posts like this helps me to gut check that this is a fun hobby but I need to watch my spending so I don't go broke in the process.

I may sell - let's see if I make anything worth selling first.

[Aerows]

11. I could probably take some of your junk

and get a thrill out of making new stuff out of it LOL. I have a weakness for parts that can be made into useful things.

[LynneSin]

12. I"d be half tempted to send you the box of what I'm not using

Just pay for postage - one of those flat box rates.

Mind you I've mind alot out of it but for $12 you might still find more stuff not used.

Let me see what I have after these next two boxes are checked.

[Aerows]

15. I have a feeling

that you and I would be dangerous at a garage sale

[Raven]

14. I am very excited! I am knitting up a storm and picking

up all these cute little undies and body suits and...just baby stuff!

I have noticed that people can come up with the most creative ways to reuse and repurpose things. A woman came into the shop a while ago and wanted all the preserving jars we had. Just simple preserving jars...she said she was going to make a chandlier out of them for her breakfast area. She had it all planned out. Use your imagination and have fun!

[Aerows]

10. Grab bags are fun

I can't find fault with your hobby. Do you utilize the leftovers to make new things?

That's my weakness. I have to make stuff LOL. I probably have enough parts to launch the space shuttle or reinvent the bicycle.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. This is what happens to a person when they get stiffed from a X-mas present when they're still

children.

[pipi_k]

16. If you enjoy

buying the stuff and have fun making things and/or giving the pieces away, I don't see a problem.


I'm addicted to buying yarn, myself.

[HipChick]

17. Crazy? Sure

I collect candles...never burn them...I have candles all shapes and sizes...I'd freak out if someone lit them