Category: Strategies and Tips

Nothing can beat a good handmade item, and in today’s world of technology it appears handmade items are becoming more and more scarce and unique. How can anyone put a value in the time and effort it takes to create items by hand?

Thankfully, DealDash.com still offers some handmade items that some of us still treasure, such as the Cableknit blanket that is now up for auction.

A beautiful blanket

This 51-inch by 59-inch handmade blanket is 100 percent acrylic and its chunky knit design will
be sure to keep you warm and snug on cold days. It weighs 3.07 pounds, and comes in s misty
silver and blue color.
After 107 reviews by previous winners, this handmade blanket has received an overall 4.77 out
of a possible 5.0 rating, which is extremely good.
This item has a $240 BIN but several of the previous shoppers have already won it at fantastic
bargain prices. For example:
 On June 11 this auction sold at only 6 cents and the winner paid a total of 61 cents
counting the cost of the 3 bids placed.
 Again on June 11 this auction sold at $6.38 and the winner paid a total of $8.64 counting
the cost of the 40 bids placed.
 In another auction June 11 this auction sold at $1.14 and the winner paid a total of $7.51
counting the cost of the 37 bids placed
 The best deal of all on June 11 was when this same auction sold for only 2 cents and the
winner paid a total of 21 cents counting the cost of the 1 bid placed.
 The day before on June 10 this auction sold at 1 cent and that winner also paid a total of
21 cents counting the cost of the 1 bid placed.
You can tell from the outstanding bargains previous winners received that this handmade
Cableknit blanket just may be one of the best DealDash auction items to go shopping for the next
time you see it.

The bottom line

Several of these Cableknit blankets have already been scheduled to come up for auction soon. Whether we win this homemade item for our own use or as a special gift for a family member or friend, it is sure to be treasured for a long time.

It just might soon become our favorite “go to” blanket to keep us warm and cozy when we are curled up watching a good movie.

This sponsored blog post was submitted by: Barbara L. Sellers. Barbara was compensated by DealDash for this blog post. Blog posts are written by real DealDash customers. The opinions and advice here represent our customers’ views and not those of the company.

Did you see the fine bone china deals some DealDash.com shoppers are getting online? Better yet, did you see the 50 cent “No Jumper Limit” that was put on this auction?

Wow! I never before saw a DealDash auction that cut off all new bidders after the auction reached only 50 cents. That definitely eliminated a lot of the competition. I think this was the first time DealDash put different “No New Bidder” limits on various products at the same time. How creative and interesting is that?

The bone china tableware bundle for a setting of six includes:

• Six Dinner Plates
• Six Salad Plates
• Six Soup Bowls

The “ethereal, timeless design” presents a minimal clean appearance and yet the set is made from the finest bone china. This set has a BIN of $2,605 but many previous winners have already won a fantastic bargain. Let’s take a look at some of the best bargains winners received:

• May 14 this auction sold at $16.53 and the winner paid a total of $110.85 counting the cost of the 546 bids placed.
• May 17 this auction sold at $2.34 and the winner paid a total of only $8.54 counting the cost of the 31 bids placed.
• May 29 this auction sold at $10.40 and the winner paid a total of $42.00 counting the cost of 158 bids placed.
• June 5 this auction sold at $14.98 and the winner paid a total of $115.98 counting the cost of the 505 bids placed.
• June 5 again this auction sold at $21.40 and the winner paid a total of $135.50 counting the 624 bids placed.

If you have a family member who will soon be married, this bone china set would make an excellent wedding gift. Just imagine how amazed any young couple would be to receive this elegant bone china set, and you will not even have to pay and arm and a leg to get it.

A brief history of bone china

According to my research, the first development of bone china was made by Thomas Frye at his Bow Porcelain Factory near Bow in East London in 1748. His factory was located very close to the cattle markets and slaughterhouses of London and Essex, so they had easy access to animal bones. However, the initial development of bone china is attributed to Josiah Spode the Second, who introduced it around 1800. His basic formula was made up of six parts bone ash, four parts china stone, and three and a half parts china clay.

The most valuable bone china pieces can be worth thousands of dollars, especially rare pieces that are in excellent condition. For example, a single Shelley Lincoln teacup with a lily of the valley on it sold for about $1,200.

There is a difference between bone china and fine china. Bone china is lighter in weight and its glaze is far smoother compared to fine china. Bone ash makes ceramic pieces slightly lighter and more resilient against breakage. That does not mean that bone china is stronger china. All china should be handled with care.

Bone china is made from china clay, china stone and bone ash from animal bones. To create bone china, china clay, china stone, bone ash, or a combination of the three is combined with porcelain clay and fired at a slightly lower temperature than porcelain.

Bone china consists of about 33 to 50 percent burnt animal bone, which is mixed directly into the clay. The added ingredient makes the china much more durable and gives it a high mechanical strength and chip resistance.

What do customers have to say?

So far the reviews of the six place setting china set on DealDash has received a top rating – a perfect 5 out of possible 5. That is pretty outstanding.

For more details, please see the listing in the DealDash auction.

Happy shopping everyone!

This sponsored blog post was submitted by: Barbara L. Sellers. Barbara was compensated by DealDash for this blog post. Blog posts are written by real DealDash customers. The opinions and advice here represent our customers’ views and not those of the company.

We all want to stay safe. One way to do that is to light our way after dark with the power of the sun along our sidewalk or garden pathway.

You guessed it. I’m writing about the solar powered garden pathway lamps that we can shop for on DealDash.com. To make sure we do not miss the next auction all we have to do is press the blue “Alert Me” button.

These fully solar powered garden or sidewalk lights have a BIN of $140 and the size is 2.4 inches by 16.8 inches. They are made of weatherproof glass and stainless-steel casing and come in sets of four.

During the day, these lamps absorb energy and automatically switch on at dusk for illumination and go off again at daybreak. Working time is 6 to 8 hours, but they include a built-in solar powered 1.2 Volt AA rechargeable battery. The stakes can be simply pushed into the soil or gravel when used and stored inside the stainless-steel casing of the lamp when not in use.

Seeing a well-lit walkway is very welcoming for guests.

A brief history of solar lights

From my research I learned that in 1883 New York inventor Charles Fritts created the first solar cell by coating selenium with a thin layer of gold, but Frank B. Nightingale is considered the father of garden (landscape) lighting.

The first solar cell only had about 1 percent electrical efficiency. The best solar panels today can have more than 20 percent. Most solar lights have four main components: the solar photovoltanic (PV) panel, battery, control electronics and the light fixture. Whenever the sun is out the solar panel takes the light from the sun and produces electrical energy. The energy can then be used immediately or stored in a battery.

One of the greatest advantages of solar lights is that they are self-powered, but bad weather is the greatest disadvantage because it can diminish optimal lighting. On average solar garden lights last for up to 600 charges so they usually need replacement within two years.

Sometimes you may think these lights are broken when they are not. They might only need a battery replacement. NiMH and NiCd batteries are recommended for use in solar lights, so it’s a good idea to keep some of these replacement batteries on hand. Regular alkaline-based batteries are not designed for solar units but can be used for a short period if the correct batteries are not available.

The use of outdoor lighting of private and public garden landscapes can enhance safety and security and improve aesthetics for recreation and sports and social and private events.

Some people want to know if these solar lights can be left out in the winter. From what I read, the glass and materials are not made to handle frigid weather such as ice and snow. In places that do not get frigid weather we can leave durable solar lights outside but we should bring the decorative solar lights indoors for storage.

The bottom line

Solar lighting has both advantages and disadvantages. Some users love them and some do not. How well they work might partly depend on how much sun some areas get compared to others. However, solar lights do not need direct sunlight to charge them. While solar lights do need light in some form to power them on, they can get charged from artificial light.

For more information read the full description of this auction and check out the reviews of previous winners. If you have any more questions, it may be a good idea to talk with a DealDash customer service representative.

This sponsored blog post was submitted by: Barbara L. Sellers. Barbara was compensated by DealDash for this blog post. Blog posts are written by real DealDash customers. The opinions and advice here represent our customers’ views and not those of the company.

Two of my favorite childhood songs were “Wait for the Wagon” and “Wagon Wheels.”

DealDash.com has a different kind of wagon up for auction but one thing it has in common with the words to the covered wagon song I used to sing are the words “firm and strong.”

This “mighty foldable” wagon with the “sturdy steel frame and strong wheels” is 39.3 inches long by 21.2 inches wide and 43.7 inches in height and has a 175 pound weight limit. The bed of the wagon is made out of a durable waterproof fabric. It also comes with a long handle.

We never know when an awesome wagon like this might come in handy. For example, at this time of the year we will see local and state fairs and parents often pull their toddlers around the fairgrounds in a wagon. That sure beats carrying them on your back and it makes fair time more enjoyable for the parents, too.

I have also seen some people walk to a nursery or other retail store with a wagon, load some tall plants that would be crushed in a car and haul them home. So there are many uses for having a good, strong wagon.

The BIN on this wagon is $550. However, many of the previous winners paid far less than that. Below are some of the deals previous winners received:

• On June 1, this auction sold for $25.96. The winner paid a total of $49.78 including the cost of the 184 bids placed.
• On May 11, this auction sold for $26.13. The winner paid a total of $62.61 including the cost of the 300 bids placed.
• On May 21, this auction sold for $41.20. The winner paid a total of $114 including the cost of the 364 bids placed.

The above examples show some shoppers have already won this wagon at a bargain price.

A brief history of toy wagons

In my childhood days the most common wagons were the vintage red Radio Flyer wagons and nearly every family had one.

My online research shows that Antonio Pasin, of Chicago, Illinois, was the founder of these wagons in 1917. He started as a cabinetmaker and first created wooden wagons to carry items around his shop. Before long he was selling more wagons than cabinets, so he followed what worked. These wagons were named as a tribute to two famous men of the day: Marconi and Lindbergh.

In 2016, through a partnership with Tesla, Radio Flyer launched the “Tesla Model S for Kids.” This vehicle is the first and only ride-on for kids to use Flight Speed TM Lithium Ion Batteries and is the only customizable kid’s car on the market.

The bottom line

DealDash.com shoppers can now shop for a new foldable version of the old wagons that were invented more than 100 years ago. We cannot get them at the same old prices, but we can save a lot of money by winning one on this awesome auction site.

This sponsored blog post was submitted by: Barbara L. Sellers. Barbara was compensated by DealDash for this blog post. Blog posts are written by real DealDash customers. The opinions and advice here represent our customers’ views and not those of the company.