It sounds like the bead project is really taking you away from doing things to improve your situation and it’s become a burden. Can your uncle help fund it since you’re doing this for his benefit? It seems unfair that you have taken on this full time job that’s putting you into debt, but is helping someone else. I think if you could table that for a while, you could focus on getting back on your feet.

I think trying to be debt free is completely admirable and in the end you’ll be so happy you didn’t just rack up tons of credit card debt.

What types of jobs are you qualified for? Are there other jobs that use your cosmetology qualifications that don’t involve standing up in a salon all day?

Have you looked for a desk job instead of retail? You might be able to find a temp position (through an agency or on your own) that will be easier with your health problem – something like answering phones.

I sent you a message. =)

That sucks, that the beads are being so draining on you like that I’ll spread the word around to some of the bead people I know, see if I can’t get more interest in them

Put the beads on Ebay, there is a huge demand you can calculate the shipping/postage cost by weight on line and charge up front for it and have the payments directly into a Paypal account (don’t ship till payment is received). Since your Uncle doesn’t want to know about the debt I wouldn’t let him know till the beads are all sold then deduct your costs from the profits and give him what you think is a fare share, don’t forget to allow for a percentage to cover your time and effort as well. The bidding wars on interesting beads on Ebay is ferocious.

Oh, you can transfer the money directly from your Paypal account back into your bank account or just leave them there until you want to draw out a small amount of the total balance.

I agree with Roberta, I would ebay or craigslist ( or both). Etsy is great, but paying for marketing probably wasn’t ideal, and that was a large chunk that you probably won’t see return on. Depending on what kind of beads they are, you can also look for crafting jewelry forums that have b/s/t sections. Where you’ll really make money is from places like those, where people see value in what you have rather than looking for a bargain.

All I can say is that I really hope that you get back on your feet.
All of BB is here to comfort you and make sure that you get back up and get money for everything you need. Dont hesitate to post if you need anything at all!

All of the SP gemstones are in high demand, basically anything unique or vintage. I wouldn’t limit myself to local either. Download a list of international rates too and offer them as available to other countries, you can nominate which ones (I’d go UK, USA, Canada, Australia plus which ever other ones have easy postal/prepaid satchel services).
They tend to list either under jewellry, craft etc. Mixed lots of between 5-10 beads are popular or larger lots of one type by multiple. Security on Ebay is very good as is Paypal. Really its just common sense. Never log in via an emailed link always type directly into the browser. If you hold shipping until the money is received then you will not lose out when selling. You can put the lots up for straight Auction and/or set a higher “buy it now” price for people who are impatient and don’t want to get involved in bidding. You can include a small amount for packaging as part of your shipping cost so you are not out of pocket there either and you can also set a reserve price.

If you are checking Ebay to watch trends the really good bidders wait until the last few hours then go hammer and tongs. Because of this an item might sit for a while looking like no ones interested. You can specify how long a period you want the item up for.

Ooo I do adore the gemstone beads. Any hints of what kinds?

ebay is no longer a friendly place for new or small time sellers. auctions don’t command the prices they used to because the site is so cluttered and their search is crap. after all fees are said and done they take a monumental amount, so you need to have a pretty good margin to make it even worth your while.
if you’re a new seller you will also be subject to the 21-day paypal hold (funds will be frozen for 21 days or until your delivery confirmation shows delivered,, and even that release is glitchy)

That’s odd, As a private seller on Ebay I haven’t encountered those problems. The fee was tiny and reasonable last time and there were no holds on the funds at Paypal. Do different countries have different rules on Ebay ?

Just looked and there does seem to be a variance. They still have the 30 free listings for casual sellers but the rates on the others were still very low unless you were trying to sell a boat, car or caravan. And no freeze on the Paypal. Probably a good idea to pop in and have a look, Ebay Australia also has a freight and postage calculator so I am assuming other Ebay sites would too. I found the bulk of the gemstone beads by typing in “gemstone” in the search box next to “all Categories”

Yeah, the ebay fees are really high. They double dip. There is a final value fee on your listing and then paypal will take a chunk too if the person paid with a credit card.

oooo can’t wait! After my little vacation I may be allowed to buy some

I usually don’t know what I am looking for until I see it. The stones themselves give me the inspiration

So I’m actually kind of into the jewelry making thing… if you could private message me your etsy I wouldn’t mind taking a look! anything vintage? Vintage is definitely really big now!

Don’t forget to keep the idea of sunk costs in mind.