Day 12 Homes for Heroes Georgetown, TX

The Total Amount Sold and Donated After Just 5 Days is $219.68

Well, it’s the 4th of July weekend starting today.  This weekend’s posts might be fairly short and to the point, since I’m not planning to be around the house much.

As I was thinking about this weekend and some things to blog about, I was trying to think of something that had to do with the founders of our country back in 1700’s.  Those people were really amazing to come together at one time.  I wonder what this country would be like if George Washington and John Adams hadn’t lived at that time.  I had to mention John Adams because after watching the John Adams series on HBO a few years ago, I didn’t realize how integral he was to the birth of this nation.

But, those guys were all heroes.  And today, I’m sending $17.10, which is the proceeds from sale of my 1923 Peace Silver Dollar to:

Homes for Heroes in Georgetown, TX

Their Website is http://www.heroesusa.org/

I found this organization online. Their mission is to serve those who serve in the time of crisis.  I think back to 9/11 when the men and women police officers and firefighters who were running up the stairs while everyone was running down.  These were heroes who never made it back down.

A number of my friends have been with different police and fire departments for decades now.  And when they are called upon to act, they do.  Luckily, all of them seem to be living their lives the way they choose.  But, what happens when one of these people encounter tough financial crises?  What happens to the police and firefighters, and their families who have to stay in a disaster area such as New Orleans during Katrina to help others, and then find themselves in a time of need?

Well that’s when Homes for Heroes helps. They can step in and provide assistance when nothing else is available to these heroes.  From financial assistance, to restocking the kitchen pantry, replacement clothing, medical or housing expenses, Homes for Heroes comes to their rescue.

So I’m sending Homes for Heroes my check today.

The Next Item up for Bid

Today’s item that is going up on eBay is a Jim Palmer Signed and Autographed Photo.  I got this back in the mid 90’s, so hopefully people will remember how good of a pitcher Jim Palmer was for the Orioles bid on it.

Thanks for reading and check out Homes for Heroes.

Here is the link and some pictures to my Jim Palmer Signed Photo.

Day 11 – Four Paws Rescue Team Falls Church, VA

The Total Amount Sold and Donated Through Today is $202.58.  That is only after 4 days!!! I can’t wait to see what this number is after 104 days.

Wow, yesterday’s sale of the NASA Earth Rising Over the Moon photo for $78 was really good. I wish that my sales of items could continue for at that rate.  But, that would be a really tough amount to maintain.  Sometimes, the amount will be much more “down to earth.”

But, this blog is not just about giving away 50 to 100 dollars a day.  While it would be nice, this blog is about trying to generate money from items that could be sold and finding lesser-known charities to write about and give that money to.  The intent is for me, and, if anyone might be reading this blog, to learn more about these smaller charities and to possibly find one or two interesting enough to donate money, or time.

For me, this has become a rewarding experience. Obviously there is a lot of time left for me to continue this selling and giving.  The biggest issue I’m having is trying to find some smaller charities to write about and give money to.  So, if anyone sees this, and knows about a really interesting small charity or organization, please email me at sellandgive365@gmail.com.  I would be happy to consider making your suggestion my charity of the day.

A friend of mine volunteers for a dog rescue charity in the Northern Virginia area. He donates his time mostly on weekends transporting dogs to or from foster homes or adoption sites.

If you ever walked into a Petsmart or other pet store on a weekend, you might have seen a  pet adoption agency trying to adopt out dogs or cats.

So, today I’m donating the proceeds from my Thomas Edison Signed Document to:

4Paws Rescue Team in Falls Church, VA.
Their website is www.fourpaws.org

All of these pet adoption agencies provide a great service. I’m going to donate to a number of these organizations this year.  Think about what would you do if you had a cat or dog and had to move to an area where you couldn’t take your pet with you.  What do you do?  Do you really want to take your pet to the pound and have it possibly be euthanized? I certainly wouldn’t.  And that is where these organizations really help out.

I remember going to a 4Paws Adoption Day and found the people who volunteered with 4Paws to be very committed to their cause.  This organization takes in neglected, abandoned, abused, and unwanted cats and kittens.  4Paws gives the cats the vaccines, and any care necessary so they can be adopted.  Any cat rescued by 4Paws will never be euthanized. 

So, I’m sending 4Paws in Falls Church a check for $26.58 for the sale of my Thomas Edison Document.

The Next Item up for Bid

Today’s item that is going up on eBay is a White House Memo Pad with the Presidential Seal.  I received this back in the 90’s, and items with the Presidential Seal are collectible. I’m not sure how much this will go for. I’m hoping in the 20 to 40 dollar range.  We’ll see in 7 days!

Thanks for reading and check out the 4Paws Rescue Team

Here is the link to the White House Memo Pad now up on eBay, and below is a photo

Day 10 – Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary – Indian Shores, FL

Ok, let me start off this blog today with the selling price of the NASA Earthrise Over The Moon Photo.  That sold on eBay today for……….$78.00.  So, that brings the total donated for the first three days to $176.00!!! If I can average this amount, at the end of 365 days the total COULD BE $21,413.  I highly doubt that this average amount can be attained for a year, but it is nice to think about the possibilities.

I thought this blog and year-long project was going to be fairly easy.  But, now after finally selling some items, I am becoming more and more consumed a number of things. I’m trying to find the right item to sell to maximize the amount I can donate for the day.  And I’m trying to find a charity that is small enough, and obscure enough to feel like I’m doing something good.

I spent a lot of time last night trying to find a charity to donate today’s money to.  I started off thinking I wanted to donate some money to an organization that would be doing something to help with the oil spill in the Gulf.  I started doing some Google searches.  Some of my searches were, for example, “oil spill gulf unemployment” or “obscure charities oil spill gulf”. I kept coming up with a lot of national organizations, which of course are doing a great job and certainly need the donations.  But, I wanted to find a smaller and more local charity.  One kept coming up in a couple of different searches.  Or, maybe it just called out to me when I saw it the first and second time.

When the Exxon Valdez struck the reef in the Prince William Sound back in 1989, that obviously was a horrible disaster.  There is a lot I have forgotten about that disaster.  However, there was one image that I saw on the news that I have never been able to forget.  The image was of a small bird covered in oil, being cleaned by a worker, or volunteer.  I have never forgotten that, and while writing this blog, I was able to find some photos from back then.

It appears from the BP oil spill that birds and other wildlife are going to be covered in oil again.  The only way to remove this oil is to actually clean the bird.  So, for that reason, I’m donating the proceeds from today’s sale of my Apollo 16 Earthrise over the Moon photo to:

Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, FL.

Their Website is http://www.seabirdsanctuary.com/

The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary is the largest non-profit wild bird hospital in the U.S.  They are preparing for the possible impact to birds from the oil spill. They have 700 volunteers on call.

Here is an image from their website showing a group of volunteers cleaning an oiled bird.

So, I’m sending the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary a check in the amount of $78.00.

This brings the total amount sold on eBay and donated after just three days to $176.00

The Next Item Up For Bid

Today’s item going up on eBay is a group of 9 different checks that were signed by former major league baseball players, including Ralph Houk, who used to manage the Yankees in the 60’s as well as some other teams.  I have sold some of these group of checks in the past for 25 to 50 dollars, so hopefully this gets some good bids.

Thanks for reading, and please check out the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary

Here’s the link to the checks now up on eBay. And, below is a photo.

DAY 9 – Lorton Community Action Center – LCAC Lorton, VA

Every now and then when I am out and have some time, I’ll stop by a Thrift Shop or an antique store with the hope of finding an old NASA Photograph or signature for me to add to my collection.

It’s like being on a treasure hunt.  The problem is, very rarely do I actually find anything, but when if I do, it’s exciting for me.

So, yesterday, when I went to the Post Office to get my P.O. Box, I stopped by a Thrift Store in Lorton, VA.  I walked in, everyone greeted me, asked if I needed any help finding anything.  I didn’t, so I started walking around the store.  And there was a woman who was working there, stocking a shelf or something.

I don’t remember exactly what was said, but it did go something like this:

As I was walking by her, I said, excuse me, and she told me to be careful that I didn’t trip over things on the floor.   I jokingly said I would, because I didn’t really want to have to sue her if I got hurt.  And she jokingly replied, “that’s good because we really don’t have much money.”

So, after we both laughed about our conversation, I though that I would contribute the proceeds from one of my sales to the store.  I had no idea what the name was, but when I left, I saw on the door, the initials LCAC.

After doing a google search for LCAC in Lorton, I knew I would give the proceeds from the sale of my Apollo 11 Space Flown Medallion to the:

Lorton Community Action Center in Lorton, VA.

Their website is http://www.lortonaction.org

After looking at their website and seeing this,

Top Five LCAC Needs

• Breakfast Cereal
• Brown Rice
• Canned Fruit
• Canned Soups
• Cooking Oil

That sort of made my decision.  So, I’m sending LCAC a check in the amount of $58.00.

The LCAC is dedicated to improving the quality of life for underprivileged families and children in the Lorton, Virginia area since 1975. Our mission is two-fold, providing assistance and outreach. Our goal is to help families improve their lives, while assisting them toward self-sufficiency

This brings the total donated after two days to $98.00.

The Next Item Up for Bid

Today’s item I’m putting on eBay is a lot of 5 different Vintage and Original Neil Armstrong Photographs.  This is a nice group with one dating back to when he first became an astronaut.  I think Neil Armstrong is a person who will always be remembered even centuries from now.

Here is the link to the Neil Armstrong Photos, as well as some of the photos I put up.

Thanks for reading and please check out the Lorton Community Action Center.

Day 8 – Arlington Free Clinic in Arlington, VA

Today is the first day I get to give money away. I really am looking forward to this.

My first of 365 days of donating to a charity begin today.  And the first charity I’m going to give to  is:

The Arlington Free Clinic, in Arlington, VA.

Their website is  www. arlingtonfreeclinic.org

I put a lot of thought into who I would send the proceeds from my first sale.  Having grown up in Arlington, it still holds special memories for me.

One of my best friends happens to be the Chairman of the Arlington Free Clinic this year.  He recently gave me a tour of their new facility , which is located at Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike.  It struck me that everyone I met there really cared about what they were doing to help sick people in Arlington who can’t afford to go to see a doctor.

The day I was there, it really opened up my eyes to how the Arlington Free Clinic helps people.  But the problem is that they can only do so much.  Every month, uninsured people with serious chronic diseases line up to get in a lottery to see who can receive heath care.  Unfortunately not everyone gets chosen.  I asked what do the ones who don’t get picked do?  They just come back the next month to try to get a lottery slot.  I could see how bad the person felt that they couldn’t all receive the care they needed.

When I thought about starting SellAndGive365, this was certainly a moment that stuck in my mind and made me want to help organizations that really did care about what they were doing, and not  just doing a job.  The staff that I met at the Arlington Free Clinic were all really dedicated to helping sick people who were in need of healthcare that they couldn’t afford.  A lot of the doctors and other medical staff  provide their time at Clinic and at that hospital for no charge, and they should be commended for that.

So I am sending them a check today in the amount of $40.00  I was hoping the Terry Bradshaw card would bring in a little more money, but that’s how eBay works sometime.  And considering the Bradshaw Rookie Card was laying around not doing much, at least I have $40.00, which is going for a good cause, and now a few people may read about the Arlington Free Clinic.  So, goodbye Terry Bradshaw.

Here is the link to the Terry Bradshaw Card.

The Next Item Up for Bid

Today’s item I’m putting on eBay is Pack of Cigarettes with the Presidential Seal.  These were given out during Reagan’s first term in office.  I have no idea what they will go for. I’m starting the bidding out at $.99 hoping that it will draw a lot of bids early on.

Here is the link to the Presidential Seal Cigarettes, and here are some photos.

Thanks for reading, and please check out the Arlington Free Clinic.

DAY 7 – Giving Starts Tomorrow

Well, I’ve completed the first week of my blog.  I’m glad I have kept this commitment so far.  But, I’m beginning to think I need to figure out a way to become more efficient at this.  Especially now that tomorrow I have to begin giving money away.  I really now have to start finding charities. I have an idea for who I want my first charity to be, but, I’ll think more about that tonight. 

A lot of times giving money to a charity just sort of happens, either through buying something, or receiving a request for money.  I always feel good after I give money to a charity.  But, I’m wondering what it will feel like to give money away for 365 straight days. I’m also wondering what a charity is going to do when they receive some unsolicited check for an amount like  $12.82.  Will they question the small, and uneven amount?  I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

So, today, I finally got around to ordering checks online with my SellAndGive365.com Heading.  I also decided to get a Post Office Box tomorrow, so that I don’t get inundated with mail at my house.  I’m wondering if I’m suddenly going to be put on EVERY mailing list in existence.  So, I figured a PO Box might save me from a lot of mail.

So, at the end of the week.  Here are some statistics from my ongoing eBay Auctions:

DAY 1 – Terry Bradshaw Card $21.50

Day 2 – Apollo 11 Medallion – $16.87

Day 3 – Apollo 16 Photo – $14.95

                                                                       Day 4 – Edison Document – $10.45

 

Day 5 – 1923 Silver Dollar – No Bid – (No Worries Here)

Day 6 – Mina Edison Signed Check – $0.99 ( Not Worried Here Either)

So, the next item up for bid is

Today’s item is a 1976 Newspaper Signed by Jimmy Carter.  I had five different President signed newspapers.  I sold three of them, an Eisenhower, Johnson, and Reagan a few weeks ago.  So, I’m hoping this goes upwards of $30.00.  I’m starting the bidding at 9.95.  So, we will see.

Considering I am going to guarantee a $10.00 sale every day, the total amount so far going to charity from these auction is at…..drum roll please…..$83.74. If I had to guess, I would think that by Next Sunday, the total amount will be more than double that amount.  If anyone is reading this blog, and can design some type of “toteboard” or running total amount that would be easy for me to use…that would be most appreciated.  Hmmm, now I wonder if anyone is really even reading this.

Oh well, tomorrow is a day I’m looking forward to.

Here is the link to today’s eBay listing and some photos are below:

Day 6 – Weekends shouldn’t be used for blogging

Well, Its Saturday.  I have been going like crazy today.  I finally had a chance to sit down and write this.  Since, I’m in a holding pattern to start donating this money, I’m going to make this short.

Today I put up another Thomas Edison item.  This is a check signed by his .  wife, Mina Edison.  She wrote this check out to Lillian Gilliland.  Gilliand’s husband, Ezra was Thomas’ best friend and “Forgotten Partner”.

The Gillilands were responsible for introducing Mina and Thomas back inth mid 1880’s.  So, this should be a nice collectible someone can add to their collection, and  hopefully it sells for between 30 to 50 dollars.  That would make a nice donation to some charity next week.

So, far the other items are still at the same prices. Here is the link to today’s eBay auction.

DAY 5 – I Had No Clue You Could Donate to an Elephant Sanctuary

It’s day 5 of my blog.  I am two days away from my SellandGive365’s first sale on eBay.  So, that means, I’m two days away from making my first donation.  This blog does take time each day.  Right now, some time is spent just thinking about where I’m going with this blog.

In addition to that, I have to think, what am I going to put for sale on eBay today, then write up the listing.  In a couple of days, I have to start packaging up these items and shipping out. Then time has to be allocated to finding charities, and sending them a check.

In anticipation of having to come up with 365 different charities starting in just 48 hours, I figured I better start looking for some charities on in the internet.

I knew I wanted some small charities that were not well known, but some of these are pretty cool.  Now, I haven’t spent very much time researching them, or really deciding on using them, but here is one that I found that would fit into the obscure category:

An elephant sanctuary in Tennessee.  How cool is that?  What kind of a vehicle transports an elephant from Africa to Tennessee?  If it’s by ship, I hope elephants don’t get seasick…because that could really ruin everyone else’s trip!!!

But there are a lot of different charities that deal with animals, children, heath, the environment, and much more.  If anyone who is reading this blog wants to make a suggestion about a charity, please do.  I can’t promise you they will be one of my choices, but, I will consider them.

Ok,back to eBay.  Well the good news is that all four of my items have bids. The Bradshaw Card is still at $20.50, the Apollo 16 photo is at $14.95, and the NASA Medallion and Edison Document are at $9.95.

Here is the item I am putting up today on eBay.

It is a 1923 Peace Silver Dollar.  When I was younger, my grandfather had given me a couple of silver dollars, and some silver quarters.  He gave me probably fifty or sixty dollars in quarters.  I remember when I was in college, silver prices were at an all time high, so I would sell a $10.00 roll of quarters for $250.00.  It was a great deal back in 1980.  Just before spring break, I sold my last two rolls for $500 for my trip down to Daytona Beach with three friends of mine. I had mixed emotions selling the quarters.  I knew the $500 for a broke college student would really make for a great Spring Break, but, I was now out of quarters.  But, as fate would have it, while I was down enjoying the proceeds from the high silver prices, that exact week, the silver market collapsed, and it has not even come close to where it was 30 years ago!!!

So, here is the link to today’s 1923 Peace Silver Dollar.

And here are some photos of the coin.

DAY 4 – The Lines For The Apple iPhone 4 Are Rediculous!!!

What a day!

I pre-ordered the iPhone 4 about a ten days ago.  So I decided to  pick it up after I finished watching the tennis match from yesterday, which Isner finally won at noon, 70-68. That was really an amazing thing to watch.

I drove to the Apple store to buy my new iPhone.  But when I got inside the mall, the line was three hours long!  So, I decided to leave and come back…BAD MOVE…when I got back…the line was now four hours long!! Oh well…as an Apple stockholder, I’m happy….as an Apple customer hoping to upgrade today…not so happy.  So, my choice was either to wait in line for four hours, or leave and come home to write my daily blog.  Hmmm, what should I do?

So, I’m sitting here writing this blog thinking about Apple.  🙂 They have created some amazing products in the last few years.  As I’m thinking about what to put on eBay, I was planning to put a signed photo of Bjorn Borg, but, I think I need to put up something that has to do inventions.

The only thing that comes to mind is one of my Thomas Edison Industries – Board of Directors Signed Document.  The signatures on this document include Edison’s sons, Charles and Thomas Jr.

I found this in an amazing Thomas Edison collection I bought a year ago.  I bought about 50 Checks Signed by Mina Edison, Thomas’ wife, and 30 different Thomas Edison Company documents, that were signed by Thomas’ sons.  One of the documents was Charles Resignation Letter to the Board so that he could serve as Assistant, and then Secretary of the Navy, and then become Governor of New Jersey.

Also in this collection were 6 checkbook stubs that looked horrible.  I almost gave them away, maybe even thought about throwing them away.  But, then I started looking at them.  These were amazing.  They were the Edison Family checkbooks from 1886 and 1887.  Five of them were filled out by Mina, but the sixth checkbook was filled out by Thomas.

Luckily, I found some of the canceled checks that matched my checkstubs on eBay so, that added nicely to the collection.

But, back to today’s auction, here is the link to it.

So far, of the previous three auctions, only the Terry Bradshaw card has bids.  It is still at $20.50.  But, the way eBay works is that people don’t really start bidding til near the end of the auction.  I’m confident everything listed so far will get bids.  All three items have people who are watching the items.

Here are some photos of the Edison Document.

DAY 3 – Is This Tennis Match Ever Going to End???

I feel like I’m in a holding pattern. I am getting a little excited to start sending money to charities.  I still have about 4 days until my first eBay auction ends.  So, I guess, it’s just a waiting game.

A friend of mine just called me and told me about the Wimbledon Match between Isner and Mahut. So, I thought I would turn it on. It’s in the 5th set, they are in a tie-breaker, and right now the score is 41 all.  I should probably put up a tennis item on eBay today.  But, I already posted today’s item.

THE NEXT ITEM UP FOR BID

Today’s item is an original NASA photo from Apollo 16.  This is a 1972 photo of the Earth Rising over the Moon’s surface.  When I first looked at the photo, I thought there was a mark on the photo next to the Earth, but it turns out that it is Apollo 16 Command Module flying over the moon.

The original NASA photos from Apollo are really nice.  Most of them are in color.  And some are just amazing and beautiful.  I got into collecting these and buying these by really by accident.  I went to an auction and wanted to buy some autographed Astronaut Photos.  I bid on them and won the auction, or at least thought I did.  But, I actually bid on wrong lot and ended up with a boxful of about 80 photos.  I had no idea what these were worth or if they were even worth keeping.  It turned out that these photos were worth between 50 to 100 dollars a piece each. So, that sort of helped getting me into collecting these photos.

After two days, my Terry Bradshaw Rookie Card is still at $20.50, and the Apollo 11 Medallion has not received a bid yet.  Here is the link to today’s new eBay listing, the Apollo 16 Earth Rise Photo.

Before I finish, here is the Wimbledon update, 5o – 50!!!!

Here is a photo of the EarthRise photo