What a let down!

I purchased a Wedgwood red jasper ware Xmas ornament on eBay and was surprised to find that it was made in China!

Last weekend at an outlet mall I visited the Waterford/Wedgwood store and they had neatly covered the made in china sticker on the box with their "discounted" price sticker.

What has the world come to? Now I don't trust if Waterford is still made in Ireland.

How can a brand keep their reputation if they outsource work out of the country?
Has anyone visited the actual store in England at the factory and seen items that were made in China?
Maybe it's only stuff shipped to the US like the toys with harmful elements versus what the Chinese buy. I'm not bashing China, only the companies that are outsourcing to save money while their employees or former employees have less and less job opportunity.

Perhaps all artists should be free agents and use eBay as their marketplace to make a name for artisan goods actually made in the country of residence.

I buy what I like rather than by brand as many high end brands are offering items that look no better or hold up no better than a less expensive item.

Even the "stores" on eBay selling the designer items through keeping up the real deal versus any knockoffs aren't divulging where the item is actually made. Is an Hermes scarf really worth over $400 based on name recognition. Maybe owning a one of a kind is tres importante and a business has to make money from the richest--if so then why move down the ladder to an online
auction site for NEW goods?

I'm just not a shopper/buyer.

Where have all the flowers gone?

Fall may be here on the calendar, but Mother Nature has been good to us so far. Only 2 days where the nip of fall was in the air. My new yellow rosebush that hasn't bloomed since June has pushed out a final bloom! A new blue flowering plant or weed has shown up in an area that usually has orange lilies.

At work we had an open house and 2 great flower arrangements could be found. Yes that is owl as the planter.

The blue vase is a new version of the older, heavier "McCoy"? style.

After vacation I haven't had the chance to get to an auction.

There is at least one great next Friday and one on the 29th looks good. Sales have been steady in September and October, still not where I'd like to be but a small profit after rent.

Fall is here on the calendar

Fall may have arrived on the calendar, but it's in the low 80's today and rest of the week in the 70's. Rather unusual for late Sept. rain was forecast and about 14 drops fell by 3:30PM.


I went to the mid-nite flea in Centreville on the 1st and it was so small, it was unbelievable. Probably not more than 25 vendors counting the food booths. Attendance seemed good for the 1st hour. Needless to say pickings were slim.
The most recent auction wasn't too bad for the items I got, but so much is the same old "vintage" kitchen items and dishes.
The yard sales are winding down and those out there are pushing baby/toddler items or overpriced why did I ever buy this items.

I'm off on a real vacation starting Saturday and this time not a busman's holiday!
I don't plan on any antique shops at least ones that would be open or affordable.
I put eBay on hiatus until I get back and uncover more smalls.

Summer drawing to an end

Labor Day is upon us and I always think of that as the official end of summer. Traffic moves up to normal pace, my street gets tied up with parents driving kids to school.

Summer flew. I actually saw a maple tree that was 99% red this past weekend and dry leaves swirling in the road. Thankfully the other trees realize this is way too early!

I was able to get to 2 auctions in August with little results. I drove part of the M25/M29 road sale around the thumb of Michigan. It has to be the prettiest road sale. The glimpses of Lake St Clair, the St Clair River and Lake Huron are so refreshing among the schlock for sale. I can see why the Blue Water bridge is so named from Port Huron to Sarnia Ontario. The best buy was gas at $2.71 a gallon, probably a lot less than the Canadian drivers had to pay over in Ontario.

eBay sales waned in the last part of July and early August. I'm gearing up for listings Labor Day weekend. Sales at the antique mall are down--part road construction with access on and off expressway and part the back to school spending that leaves little for the adults to spend. The mall was almost empty of customers on my last visit. Hopefully a rearrangement of items and some new items hinting of Fall will attract browsers.

I have a 4 bowl set of Fiesta from the late 30's that I think I will take up but I really don't want to break the set--so will probably price 1st at a set level. All are in good condition as my mother hated using them because they were so heavy. I swear she concocted more food once she got a set of lightweight pyrex bowls.

If work schedule and gas prices are opportune I hope to get out to a late night flea market on Saturday. Otherwise it will just be the trip to change around the booth and dig into storage boxes for eBay items! Weather outlook appears good, but wait 24 hours and the forecast will change completely!

Found this great picture circa 1962, of one of my favorite restaurants as a kid, we always sat in a booth, and would go there after a shopping trip downtown, and were done in time to catch the loop bus home!

eBay Seller

Finally got the act together and listed a dozen items on eBay before the end of June. Last night I completed my FIRST sale--a Beswick, Beatrix Potter figure I had picked up at a yard sale.

Photo not so great though. Perhaps the Ratatouille movie will make mice and rats a more collectible item.

Ordered a scale so for the next listings I will be better prepared for shipping costs. Almost all the packaging from my own test purchases is reusable so I can contain costs a bit for a couple of weeks. Got boxes from USPS and had some bubble wrap from helping a person pack up and move, same with tape and dispenser.

Now the hunt will be on for smalls that are attractive to eBay buyers.

Fireworks and the 4th of July

My favorite time of year--parades, fireworks, Jimmy Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy, and Fred Astaire dance routine with firecrackers!

As a kid the fireworks we were allowed were sparklers, visit this site for an interesting discussion on fireworks: http://www.howstuffworks.com/fireworks.htmtuffworks.com/fireworks.htm

I now prefer parades and fireworks on TV in the airconditioning.

Canada Day is July 1st and celebrates 140 years of confederation so a round of Oh Canada goes out to all.

I've always liked the pre 1965 flag the Red Ensign

--part of my anglophile propensity. I just found one a few weeks ago, the small kind stapled to a dowel, but color was good.

May both countries maintain a friendly border and celebrate in peace.

June sales looking up.

Sales at the mall booth are growing, despite road construction any way you turn. Just how much more expensive is it to repair roads in the winter? Maybe that asphalt or concrete would last better than the summer repairs. At least most spots the crews are out working and if drivers would really give the workers a brake and slow down we could all breathe easier. I hate the tailgater on these roads where you quickly switch back and forth with only a few inches on either side of the vehicle.Of course travel is more comfortable than dirt, dust and walking

Though a ride on the water in one of these would be a delight on a hot day.

And modern day nikes are certainly more comfortable than

Almost half way thru June

Took a few days off the grind and travelled to Niagara Falls Canada. Of course sort of a busman's holiday as I stopped at 2 large antique malls on the way over, 2 on the way back and drove around the countryside tracking down the independents. Best mall this trip-- Memory Lane on Hyde Park road in London and the one off 401 at the Tilbury exit. This was my second trip that direction and 2nd stop at Southworks in Cambridge. I was disappointed at this stop. It was too much the same --tea cups and saucers, corning ware, drinking glasses from the 70's on of the collectible characters. But it is large and best of all Mapquest gave me a better way to get to it without driving through downtown!
What a change in the land use going down the QEW. What once was fruit farms and orchards is now all vineyards. One could be on a perpetual buzz tooling down the side roads. With the exchange rate near par nothing is a bargain for the US traveller.
Yes, the Falls are still there but one can't park along the street anymore, you have to pay $12 to park in the the large lot down by table rock. The Botanical gardens are a treat and best of all the butterfly conservatory is an experience not to be missed.
Now that gas prices have come down to $2.99 a gallon more people will take to the road and visit all he antique shops and malls around, then my monthly sales will be profitable!

eBay Buyer experience

Fascinating seeing the variety of packaging used for my purchases. Everything from inside out Fed-Ex envelopes, reused boxes, handwritten labels, a ton of stamps to printed postage.
2 boxes arrived smashed in and 1 item was broken. The broken item was wrapped in bubble wrap but I think the damaged box was what broke off a pitcher handle on a fragile piece of jaspareware.
I found 2 Coca Cola employee shirts that I haven't come across at auctions.
A few items will turn into stock for the mall booth.
Books for reference and pricing will become my "professional" resources.
I've spent a ton of time doing searches on eveyy conceivable item I might want to buy. I see the importance of selecting a category and using key words in the right place. Most importantly I have a better understanding of the need for a photo in the gallery and additional photos as well as the quality of photo. Rulers and measurements are certainly a useful description.
Still hesitant to become a seller, though I started a list of what I think I would sell, and I ordered some boxes through USPS.
New month fast approaching, that may become my goal for June!

eBay

Taking a leap and trying out eBay as a buyer. I'll attempt to be successful on several items and get that positive feedback. If I can hold back on buying everything I see, I'll create a sellers account and try to start an auction of perhaps 10 items--all non fragile, easily packaged.
Currently waiting for 1st 2 items to arrive so I too can leave feedback. Certainly creates handfuls of email. I did create an items I'm watching list to see if my pricing ability has improved. When I begin listing to sell I think it will be US only with choice of either USPS or UPS shipping. Also trying to save packaging materials.
Sales at the antiques booth are moving slowly, bit at least selling. Next month is an anniversary sale, so I'm picking through the items I can part with, to add extra merchandise and hopefully snag a buyer's eye. If the weather could hold fine for a full weekend and it's not a weekend I have to work I want to have a yard sale to make room for booth stock and get a cash flow.

Garage sales slump

Last weekend I hit 9 garage sales and drove past 6 more. Pickings were slim. Lots of toddler toys, good if you're a grandparent I guess, clothes and tons of items from Bed Bath, Pier One Target etc. People buy way too much home decor items. One could buy a year supply of candles and candle holders at these sales. The few good items were priced too high!
Sunday was an auction and then learned they are moving to a new location about 40 minutes away. Bought a nice pair of handmade cast iron chairs in a possibly arts and crafts/Asian design. I recovered the seats ASAP and these will go up to booth on next trip.
The staple gun and a square a fabric about fills out my skills of fixing up.
Just learned of a fabric "warehouse" so I'll try to hit there this coming weekend. Working a full time day job, cuts in on going full tilt in this business.

English Lustreware

Got to an auction Friday evening and was able to get a jug of early English Lustreware with pink, and on the bottom some fine bleed through of cobalt.

Not as nice as these found on http://www.jeanniestreasures.com/images/Photos/smith08-R1-022-9A.jpg

I already had 2 copper and blue ones--one of which sold, but I had bought it for a song so passed on for a quick sale.

For brief info on lustreware visit http://focus.antiquescouncil.com/articlepage.php?artid=114

Once again a felt held back in bidding when thinking I have to sell this for 2x or 3x what I paid for it. Can't quite see items priced as high as might be called for selling in my booth. Maybe I just need to take the leap, buy a few items I really like and see what the market will bear. I could always reconsign to auction down the road. Though a couple who were at the auction with consignments seemed to be taking losses in order to get a cash flow.
The weekend is not over yet so perhaps garner a few more sales. Also a chance to attend an auction on Sunday. Price and pack to take to booth on the 1st!

Grease Jars

Rearranged stock and added some new items this week, only a few sales by mid-month. Walked around the mall to see what offers had to offer. Saw several grease jars--what did people do with the drippings? During WWII I think there was some kind of "recycling" for all sorts of "trash" including the grease. Did people use the grease to coat a pan for pan fried items? I just put ours in an old cup while hot then when cool or solid put it into a can or plastic bag before out to the trash. I was always told not to let in go down the drain. My parents grew up during the depression and I still have some habits of my father--the old waste not adage and the pack rat tendencies. Always was an alley picker as a kid and still am pleased with treasures I retrieve from all sorts of places. Those tall cans I retrieved down the alley were great for kick the can or cut holes, add twine and make those can walkers.

Booth decor

In the first 9 days of this month only 4 items sold. Happily 2 of the items were pieces I have had for a few years waiting for a booth. I did put out "spring" blooms--artificial apple blossoms, tulips in a planter and a garden trug with roses and ferns sitting atop an enamel basin. I'm hoping some "decor" will draw the eye and person in. How do framed prints and other wall art do? Are they hard sells or fly off the wall?
I'm trying not to have a lot of the same type of item--like a mess of tea cups and saucers or souvenir plates, or kitchen utensils. I'm going for a more restrained look of classy sideboard/table items. And that quirky item that one may not see in every other booth.
I hope I can find some wicker, outdoor, gardening items for May.

Profits $$$ or not?

One month down and it looks like I made money at least on paper, I sold the items for more than I paid for them. Of course I didn't add in my costs of time and gas acquiring items and getting to mall. Let alone any cash out to me. Just on a buzz of they sold for more!
How do I figure a return on investment? If I bought an item for $100 and sold it for $100 that's 100%? If I sold it for $200 that's 200% $244 would be 244% or is it only 144% profit since I recouped the original $100?
Sold it for $80 so that would be a 20% lost? only made 80% of value?
Profit margins-- so if sold for $244 the margin is 144%?
Factoring in my cost of time, transportation at what rate? minus cost of monthly supplies--tags, cleaning products, light bulbs, etc would then give a net profit or loss right?
Most of the books I've looked at talk about raw materials to make a product so that isn't always a factor.
Is a 10% margin after all costs added profitable? Should I "pay" myself monthly or plow it all back in?

estate sale return

Managed to get to an estate sale over lunch and found a limoge plate and a handpainted reticulated edge dish. Tomorrow I plan to hit a church rummage sale and perhaps back to the estate sale. There was a small mahogany chest at the sale that might be there on 50% day and I didn't see any Firm sign.
Now that I know my niece needs some household items, of course none of which were available at this estate sale, I have even more reason to go out to auctions etc.

Sales so far

The only good thing in the past days has been the weather, two great warm days unexpected in March. Broke a record from 1976 with high of 80. Of course these two days had to be the start of the work week.
Had a free of work weekend and attended 2 auctions. I was so tired both days that I didn't stay long as I was almost falling asleep on Friday night, and Saturday afternoon's had the items I was interested in up early. Seemed like a waste of time, as combined I spent less time at 2 than I normally do at 1 auction. Slim picking now through Easter Sunday.
Yard sale weather almost here and I hope to find some saleable items. I have sold enough merchandise to cover rent and close to what I have spent on new items this month, with 4 more possible days of sales.
What is needed to push sales to a level of $1000 a month? High end pieces with substantial prices? Items in the $50 to $125 range or attractive eye catchers in the under $25 range and focus on quantity?

Spring can't come fast enough

Spring is a day away and today dawns with snow, sleet and rain. Yippee! I had to drive to the mall of course. Got a nice rug for the booth floor and at least 2 items sold on Saturday. Luckily I can see sales on-line and didn't have to scrounge for another furniture piece.
It will be so nice to lug items around in good weather and not be afraid to load up the night before in case glass or other fragiles may develop cracks.
Only noticed a few customers roaming the aisles this morning. Several other dealers in booths with new stock and cleaning. As a quiet person, it's hard to strike up a conversation. Is talk about sales ok to ask?

Half way into the 1st Month

Half way through the month and I have covered rent but nothing has sold since Sunday. I don't know if it's because traffic is down during the week days. I'll have to start a tracking of sales by day.
Will return to mall on Monday to straighten and freshen.
Hopefully today-Sat, and Sunday will generate a sale or two. Have to work at real job this weekend so I'm excited to get back to the "mall".
More excited to get to an auction next weekend.
How long is good enough to judge if this is a go? Should it be kept running in order to take a loss for tax purposes?
I now have a list of what I want to be when I retire just in case antiques dealer doesn't cut it.
--floor person at an auction, auctioneer with training, floor person at antiques mall. estate sale assistant or coordinator, bagger at grocery store
I'm open for other suggestions.

Do I want to be an auctioneer?

Didn't attend an auction this weekend but did see a new episode of Cash in the Attic. I think that could be a profitable business for someone. Come and take away the treasures for me and let me get a check. I don't have the type of stuff that would make it profitable enough for the auction house to do it. Maybe some of the smaller auctioneers would like to try it.

Attended an estate sale that was the 1st one that the ad and photos really reflected what was in the house. Went back twice and probably have more saleable items than if I had gone to an auction that would have been at 120 miles round trip and hours and hours! I got on the email list of alerts and will certainly scrutinised their next sales and photos.

I know each state has different laws for auctioneers. Whose are the easiest to setup a business? Are those course advertised by Mendenhall, Ruppert etc. worthwhile?

Curiosities

The time has come the walrus said to speak of many things, of shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings--or something like that from Alice in Wonderland.
Antique malls are just that to me. They are filled with curiosities.
I've added to the wonders with a small booth. I'll hope to make money in the long run but short run will be operating at a deficit. Pricing will be a challenge. I see items marked dirt cheap--where's any profit? to what I find as hard to swallow.
This isn't a high-end shop. Appears to be a middle of the road to rising quality.
I want to keep an eye on merch in other booths and see what moves. Is there a middle ground for pricing. I'm considered cheap so many things seem high to me. How much is a person likely to drop on a whim? I suppose if one is browsing in a mall they must, at least in the back of their minds, be considering the purchase of a treasure. If they are furniture shoppers will a $2,500 dining table, chairs and cabinet or server be reasonable? Not that I have one yet, or even enough guts to set that high a price. I'd be happy to double my cost, love a higher return, and may have to settle for a quick profit to turn over items to gain funds for new purchases.
I look forward to continuing business after retirement.

Time to act

Antiques and collectibles auctions are strange beasts. I might see some of the same people at auctions through various auctioneers but the tone of each auction is unique. The personality of the auctioneer comes through loud and clear in most cases. The conduct of the floor help adds to the tone of the event.
A well trained crew lends credibility to items being sold and I feel to the honesty of the whole affair. I attended two auctions this weekend and they were at opposite ends of goods quality and audience. Both were in nondescript bare buildings with cement floors, fluorescent lights, bare restrooms and limited food options. One had great items, not necessarily clean and dusted, but well described by auctioneer and I was clearly able to know what was up for bids. The other used video cameras and hand held items, but the noise was often so loud it was hard to know if the item on screen or the hand held item was up. The movement of the cameras could cause dizziness.
Some auctions hand items to the buyer, others move to a "secure" area and you show your paid receipt before collecting your treasures.
some mark the bidder clearly on large furniture items, others don't mark the furniture.
Websites for these auctions are often helpful if there is some description, proper naming and at least a ruler to know sizes.
Some auctioneers call all defects, others figure you had time to examine/touch each item yourself so you should know about repairs, hairlines, rough or smooth points on cut crystal etc.
I have not had time to handle every item I am interested in. I wonder if everyone in the business can spend a couple of hours pre-auction to inspect?
Is anyone in the antiques business out there who would comment on the hows to be successful? There does not seem to be an programs on this, more of an osmosis, seat of the pants, learning. I have subscribed to Antiques Week and the Journal of Antiques. I look at Antiques and Collectibles and the magazine Antiques from the library. I look at price guides and the colorful collectors books. I walk thru any antique mall store I find. What things can I do to become successful income wise? I'm jumping in an taking a booth with about 100 items including some chairs, small tables, a few lamps and wide variety of smalls.

Second Life SL

Can anyone explain to me the hows of Second Life? I just read about it and went in and created an avatar-- right, as if I understand all that, though not the image I wanted. Now I need to figure out how to get off orientation island. I am not into role playing games and have missed most of the computer game experience. I also don't do chat or IM so this a stretch. Starting a blog was a new project for this year.
I thought this SL might be an interesting way to create a virtual world of antiques and collectibles business.
Is there an idiot's guide to SL?

Snow day!

A snow day for most schools once again. Roads were terrible, but the commercial sites had cleared lots. Several closed schools had cleared lots and sidewalks. I guess though teachers may not have to report the grounds crew, janitors etc still do. The court workforce has plenty of jobs today shovelling snow from public buildings and senior homes.
Will people go out once the roads clear even if they didn't have to go to work? Will they venture forth to an antiques mall or shop? Would it be valuable to stay open when bad weather shuts schools? I don't think I would want to take on a stand-alone shop. There just seems to be so much overhead. I do want to be able to set up booths at more than 1 mall location. The idea would be to rotate inventory between sites to keep a fresh look.

the business of antiques

Unable to attend an auction since the 4th and I feel like I'm in withdrawal. Can't wait to get home and read the newspaper to see what's scheduled for the weekend. I've started viewing auctionzip.com and wish I lived elsewhere. The grass always looks greener.
What type of start up costs should I look at to open a booth at a mall? Should I just dive in and start once I have some stock to fill a booth? Should I look at a showcase rental? I usually don't spend much time looking at a looked cabinet, but that might be my hangup not that of a buyer. I like to freely look closely and touch. Anyone had experience selling from a showcase? Can one make more from a yard sale than a flea market? At least with a yard sale I don't have to move everything in and out of a vehicle.

A few pleasant snaps

Two snaps that are favorites--
English cameo glass at Corning Museum of glass

quiet corner in an antiques booth

Books and more books

I'm amazed at the variety of books out there on collectibles and antiques. There's one just on Housekeeping toys--those tin pots and pans, irons, stoves so many had. That time period of teaching girls the art of keeping a house correctly. After all no respectable woman worked outside the home. What a lot of rot! I don't know why these would have created a fond memory for women. It just ties one to the drudge of housework.
On a more interesting note I'm trying to obtain a copy of cabinet of curiosities through the library. Inter Library Loan can be wonderful when it works. If I really want to own a copy then I can pursue the used book circuit.
For pricing guides I think they are high. I want to be able to purchase items at auction an turn around and use as inventory for an antiques/collectible booth in a mall location. What's a good rule of thumb? Sell at 2/3rds the list "value" or some point where I would actually make a profit and the sale. How long should items sit on a shelf?
Advice on operating a booth would be greatly appreciated.

Cool Stuff

This website certainly is as labelled.
www.coolstuffiscoolstuff.com

Check it out!

SWAPATORIUM: Smile!

SWAPATORIUM: Smile!

Attended an auction today an it amazes me the variety of items the crowd will buy. Some stuff was clearly junk, other was decent. One woman who had been buying items clearly for a shop or such, bought 3 pyrex style dishes. When asked by a row mate why? She said they are great to put a casserole in and take to someone and not worry about the dish return. I need to change my buying position--be on the lookout for re-saleable items and also items for personal use. I try to figure out who might be dealers, who are collectors and who are the eBay sellers. One thing I am quickly learning is that you can't trust what the auctioneer says. Oftentimes he--I've only been to ones with a male auctioneer, just doesn't know what he has to sell and is ad-libbing to move along the sale.
I am searching for stock that will make a profit. Do I go for an immediate profit or items that may take some time to sell. If will would be a sitter do I need to nake a larger profit on it? Is anyone out there able to give your opinion?
A new month and another round of auctions to visit. It does make the weekend fly.

Auction etiquette

Is there any sense of etiquette at auctions today? I've been to 6 auctions this month and all were so noisy it was hard to hear and get bids seen. People were milling all over including walking right in front of the auctioneer. I suppose the auctioneer is happy to have people coming to buy, but should it be a free for all? I know these are not high price events like Sotheby's but shouldn't people try to show some courtesy? TURN DOWN your cell ringer, don't bring your little pooch, don't walk in the way of the staff or auctioneers. End of my rant.

Just learned that the Grosse Pointe MI annual garage sale has been resurrected.
The Junior League will be holding the same type of event at North High School on the Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day.

who's in the antiques business

I'd like to get active in the antiques and collectible world with a booth or 2? in an antiques mall. Has anyone out there had experience doing this? Is it reasonable to expect to actually make a steady stream of income at malls? What are your thoughts. Do items sell better at a mall than posting on eBay? Just the thought of packagin,g shipping, insuring etc with an online transaction boggles my mind. Sure would like to hear from anyone who works either way.