OLA Welcome Home Sale Concludes

Today marks the conclusion of the OLA Welcome Home Sale. Over 62 sellers participated in the year's largest OnlineAuction.com sale, featuring 5000+ products, attractively priced, and promoting Classic Auctions which lasted for 7 days.

I am thrilled to say that I had several sales at Fleapirates Plunder! Thank you to all my treasured buyers! I am proud, and blessed, to be a part of such an active, friendly and professional community.

Holiday shopping was at the front of my mind this week, as prices were slashed and great deals abounded. You should have seen my bookmark list... it was over 3 pages long! Unfortunately, some unexpected home issues affected how much I could spend, and I was only able to snag one treasured gift. What didn't get gobbled up in the sale remains on my bookmarks, and I'll continue shopping again soon. I usually start holiday shopping early, don't you? Last year, I bought nearly every gift on OLA! This year will be no different.

My plunder this week is a purchase from The*Tiki*Shak. It is a Cardinal Bird Feeder that my Mom will adore! She loves cardinals, and collects anything that shows off those beautiful red birds. Tiki has lots of other neat treasures in her store... click on the cardinal pic and I'll take you there to browse!

This may not be the brightest idea I've ever had, but I am going to let you peek at a few of the items that are still on my bookmarks. (Fight me for 'em, if you must!) These items are still listed in Classic Auction style, and to see their details, just click on the photo. And don't forget... if you are not yet a member of OLA, sign-up takes only a minute or two, and it doesn't cost a thing to become a basic buyer. We'd love to welcome you to our community!

Friendship in the Online Marketplace

Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.
~ Woodrow Wilson

Today's OLA Tuesday Tidbit is about Friendship in the Online Marketplace. Why should you get to know your fellow sellers & buyers? Because, often times, these are the very people who can provide you with advice, knowledge, support, motivation, inspiration, challenges, & friendship.

Social networking is a hot topic right now. How many venues or forums are you a part of? Aside from OLA, I am a member at Twitter, Seller's Arena & Online Sellers United. By far, OLA is my favorite, as I've been there the longest, & had the chance to more fully develop acquaintances there. (How did I ever manage at eBay for 9 years without social networking???) These relationships are all a work in progress, however, as new forum members are joining every day, & seasoned members are socializing more, providing opportunities to meet people I never would have met without my internet connection.

Some would argue the other side of the coin... that you're here to do business, not to make friends with potential competitors. I disagree! There's enough online pie for everyone to have a slice, & by sharing our experiences, we can all learn from each other & grow both personally & professionally. And I'll tell you, I like having friends all across the country!

One day, I'm going to wiggle my toes in Florida sand with CaptDonna. And if I ever am fortunate enough to visit Washington State, I want to see Curiocache & her mini horses. On the way, I just might stop by Oregon & surprise Ragmop! Or swing south and knock on Supergranny's door. The possibilities are endless! (And if I didn't mention you, please don't feel slighted... you're on my list, too!) Oh, did you know that I almost got the chance to meet Draggontagger? A longtime friend had a car breakdown about 30 minutes from DT. She was so helpful, telling us all about the local amenities & offering assistance if we needed it. I was sorry that I didn't end up driving to rescue my friend in Iowa, & sorrier still that I missed having coffee with one of my online buddies!

I've been talking lately with another couple of friends about gardens. Aesthetics48 has a lovely garden, & posts photos and tips in her blog. Sunflowerranch has also become one of my favorite bloggers, with her story-like posts. (It's no wonder that she's a book seller!) Do yourself a favor & get to know both of these ladies. They're OLA veterans, who are always ready to help with technical issues, trading advice & everyday chit-chat.

Stay social! And get to know your fellow members. You never know when you'll need 'em! (Or they may need you.)

In our garden talks, I was begging for advice on how to keep critters out of my garden. Aesthetics hit it right on the head with her reply, "I just try to plant enough so they will share with me". So with her good advice & without further adieu, here are photos of my newest garden friends...LOL!

The Eye Candy

Morning Dove

&

Cardinal

The Bandit

(Look, he's even smiling!)

The Flying Squirrel

Our evening
entertainer!

The Exterminator

I know, it's not the best picture... this hawk is elusive!

And the trouble-makers...

And the Stinkers, (the skunks), I am not hanging around long enough to get a photo! LOL!

So make a new friend today, & be sure to stop by

FLEAPIRATES PLUNDER to browse for all your vintage collectibles!