Here's to elections and a renewal of hope

Finally the day to select a new president and a ton of other public officials as well as propositions. At 8:45AM I was number 82 in my precinct and had no line, but the other precinct in the same building was snaked across the gym to the doorway.
Whoever wins will bring changes and things can only get better. Let's face it manufacturing jobs are a thing of the past and knowledge workers and personal services are on the upswing. I'm reading a terrific book called Who's Your City by Richard Florida. This book should have required reading for all candidates. All this financial trouble did not happen overnight, it has been building for decades!
On my cynical side isn't it amazing how gas prices dropped rapidly leading up to the election? I saw a station this morning at $1.99 for regular.
Now we can spend that extra money at the grocery store. I know one thanksgiving that won't be quite as bountiful as in the past.
The stores seem to have forgotten thanksgiving--halloween is on discount and christmas has taken over the aisles and floorspace.
Did your family ever do much for special decorations for thanksgiving?
Not a ton of collectibles out there. We usually just had dried leaves and the mini pumpkins and gourds and maybe "indian" corn. Candles may have been orangish but the main distinction was the whole turkey, pumpkin and mincemeat pies.
Now christmas decorations inside the house are a whole range of collecting--special lights, candle holders, reindeer, elves, SANTAS, creches, wisemen, COOKIE CUTTERS, stockings, cards, feather trees, glass ornaments and on and on. This year I'm partial to the celluloid or plastic reindeer with antlers and painted noses and eyes. Variations of the wisemen and camels caught my eye at the summer yard sales!
Oh how I miss those sales once October ends. Even estate sales seem to have dwindled this past week.
A TOAST TO AN IMPROVING ECONOMY!

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!

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.

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.

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.