Happy New Year and new attitudes!

New Year and new goals rather than resolutions.

The point is to be positive and do something if only baby steps.
So here are my goals/plans:

Continue eBay sales
Drive to California and back--planned for April
Increase sales at antique booth
Attend auctions at new sources
Stay in my own frame of mind and not swayed by others
Keep it short and hopefully achievable!

Winter has never been a favorite time of year, I much prefer sunshine and warm temps about 65 to 80! Now if I won the lottery, look out Florida or another warm weather state, here I come!

Let's make 2008 great and do what we love as well as what we have to do, perhaps they can become one and the same!

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.