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.