Tuesday 12 August 2008

Unemployed




Did I ever mention that after a while, My Eco Self actually gave up my job completely? I've never seen the point in staying in a job you don't like, and so I left. Except I quite enjoyed that job. But I wanted to break free from the corporate existence, and freeing it has been.

For the last few months I have been pottering around, working on my projects, and loving life. I never noticed the weather from my cluttered corner in the office, but now I know the temperature every day; whether there's rain coming which will prevent my daily walk around the common, the windows flung open at every opportunity when before I never opened them.

I don't ever want to go back. I am trying to find a way to make that happen. Oblivious for a few months, now I'm keenly aware that my source of funds will run out, and before I'm ready. In an attempt to have some income, I decided to sell some items on E-bay. I want to make my weekly spend equal to that week's proceeds - a little like Save Karyn. Ok, not technically; I'm not asking for money and I haven't any debts, but she did sell a lot of her stuff on E-bay.*
Here is something you may not know; the credit crunch has affected E-bay. This can be the only reason that my total proceeds for a used-once LK Bennett leather bag, and a never-worn blue silk Top Shop dress (£70 new, still with tags) came to a paltry £26. Yes, indeed. £26. This wasn't any half-hearted attempt to sell rubbish - this was really good stuff, carefully selected with My Eco Self's impeccable taste, and put on E-bay so the auction ended at the optimum selling time. I might as well not have bothered.
*NB Karyn Bosnak has a funny blog - Pretty in the City. Have a look.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That does seem mighty disheartening. I think though there are other things you could sell which might be better. For example, there are a lot of companies that pay for old clothes so they can upcycle them. That might be a great place to start.

Quail said...

Selling online has been utterly terrible in the last 2 and half months. I run an online business selling my organic clothing under my own label and I'm making zero profit in a current sale, some stuff I'm selling at a huge loss. Zip. Nadda. Niente. Totally frustrating because I bet people think I'm still too expensive.

My Eco Self said...

Hi Quail; I just looked at your website - it's got some really nice things on there. I think I'm pretty much your target market but I don't think your clothes are too expensive at all at full price. Some things in Top Shop aren't much less than that. Looks like you've had some press too - I think that's the key. It does just seem a very difficult trading environment but you should persevere as it looks like a stylish range.