Saturday, January 12, 2008

Shopping on the interweb.

In exciting news, I made my first ever foray onto ebay this last week, with good results. In fact I was the only bidder on the item I wanted so I won! I've held off for a long time because it looked to me that shopping on ebay could be mighty addictive, but when your 4-year-old tells you that that what he desires most in life is a Thomas the Tank Engine turntable, it seems sensible to at least have a little look...

Of course it was very exciting when the clock ticked down and we'd found we'd won. Climber, Nell, Fixit and I were all smiles, but they were as nothing to the Cherub's face when the parcel arrived in the mail later that week. Earlier this month he had informed me seriously, as he examined the picture on the side of a cardboard box that had once housed James (an engine from the Thomas the Tank series) and which featured other items available, that I fink I need more pwesents. Christmas can do this to a young boy.

The downside of our exciting win is that we are now unable to walk through our family room. And Cherub gets quite stern with us if we interfere with the track at, say, dinnertime, when access to the table is required. I don't like it when you break my track, he says. So don't do it.


In other on-line purchasing news, here is Nell modelling her Christmas present from us, a bracelet from etsy made from vintage typewriter keys. I also found her an "N" pendant from the same shop, which is my way of trying to help her work through her childhood misery at having a name that was NEVER used on keytags, drinkbottles, nameplates for your door etc. (And if anyone ever finds some crappy merchandise emblazoned with *Nell* please let me know!!)

But wait, there's more! Another online purchase; ostensibly for the Climber who has been taking an intense interest in my Facebook scrabble battle with Sussanah, but actually utilised 95% of the time by an unhealthily obsessed me. The benefit of having this is not having to wait 6 days for your opponent to have her go...

One more purchase from my online browsings to go; but this one requires that we drive to Seymour (1 hour out of Melbourne) this afternoon to view before we hand over any hard-earned. I don't want to say yet in case it doesn't happen but fingers crossed that all goes well. Climber has been counting the days, writing me letters about it and making lego models.

In all his gap-toothed glory.

17 comments:

  1. Gorgeous pic of Nell. You are right ebay is addictive, be careful!

    I'll be keeping an eye out for Nell stuff! I was always annoyed that there was always my name, but with the wrong amount of Ls.

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  2. ooh Ebay can help you waste lots of time and money !!!
    I love those typewriter bracelets, what a great gift.

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  3. I buy fake Thomas-compatible track and stuff from this lady:
    http://stores.ebay.com.au/Sunshine-Markets

    I also like getting parcel-mail. The boy always thinks it's Train stuff, when mostly it's not :p

    My name was never on Merchandise either. I still sometimes take a browse amongst the Leah's and Lindas...

    Facebook ?
    Ugh.

    Scrabble ?
    Ace.

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  4. Great photos of Nell and the boys!

    Ebay can be addictive. I haven't bought anything for ages because I would have one desire and then find a link to something else and then something else (not necessarily buying but spending hours perusing).

    I think I have broken that addiciton now.

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  5. I love those typewriter bracelets - very stylish! Good idea for someone whose name is so special that it is never featured on merchandise.

    You know that you will incite Sussanah by mentioning her six day delay. You'll be waiting ten days now - she's very spiteful.

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  6. Oh, I am ADDICTED to ebay and Etsy...

    and your boys smile. How glorious!

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  7. I'm too scared of the ebay people to shop there (it reminds me of carnivals) but I doooooo love etsy!

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  8. Names on merchandise?

    Try having a name like Shula.

    Took me 30 years to even find it in a name book.

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  9. I also stay away from eBay because I fear the slippery slope it would become. Love that bracelet though.

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  10. HOrray for you. I well remember the days when everything was an obstacle course - now it's all piled up in the garage - probably too dear to ship to Australia.
    cheers

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  11. Ebay was one of my saviours in trying to buy books secondhand last year. My, there's a lot of weird stuff on it though...

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  12. I love ebay. I find selling even more addictive than buying. I'm always looking around the house for something to sell...
    We had major Thomas addictions here, which have sadly now been outgrown. I am confident I could name any engine from about 50 feet away. Sad, but true!
    I too have a name that was never on the merchandise. I don't know how many times I heard "we don't have Stacey, but how about Tracey?" I just answer to Tracey these days. So much easier.

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  13. Ebay is dangerously addictive. I'm just sayin'

    Love that picture of the Thomas track all over the floor. :)

    Heidi

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  14. Those photos are wonderful.
    We never see our Grandson's name on tags or such. I don't think he cares though.

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  15. Oh, Ebay can be so addictive... I've found some great stuff there!

    Great trains!

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  16. Scrabulous may be shut down.

    http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23054813-29277,00.html


    I blame you.

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  17. I TOLD you I was crap to play with!!!

    ps I am very impressed with your Mother Theresa like non gloating over the fact you are totally SPANKING me at scrabble

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Don't let the cat get your tongue.