Dance mob

http://videos.mlive.com/kzgazette/2010/05/dance_flash_mob.html
Ran across this cute item while surfing for something else. Maybe new excitement can be brought to all shopping venues by energetic young dancers.

Spring sprang! Now it's napping

Feb was so-so in the booth and March was downright dismal. Forget beware the ides of march--just beware!

April has started strong with a 25% off sale and rent plus has been made.

Only small items sold--but they add up quickly. I need to get out and purchase low price stock so I can get a 3x or 4x return. This weekend has promise--one auction and a dozen garage sales/estate sales to visits.

I know sales have been down for many but what are the larger ticket items that sell? There is no rhyme or reason on the smalls. Seems like any vintage camera or globe sells eventually but most other items it's hit or miss. If there's a booth sale things go that sat last month collecting dust. I try to rotate out every 3 months.

Looking forward to retirement when I can take this on full time to hit more sales and auctions and perhaps work on framing items and creating themed displays with more stock rotation. Still want a 2nd booth in a 2nd location to rotate between but time is a problem now. Are malls off expressway exits best or a booth in smaller shop in a small city where there several shops?

EBay has gone flat--those shipping costs eat into profit too much if offer free shipping (as part of initial pricing) or once packaged and distance adds up. The 1 box 1 price doesn't work well for the variety of shapes and sizes. What about dolls--what really sells a particular brand--or age-- or composition? So many out there and the last few auctions have had large collections. I never liked dolls and wouldn't have any affection to "KEEP" one but the jaded attitude doesn't help when looking at them to know what will sell at a profit. Seems it's mostly collectors bidding.

Winter can go says the groundhog

I hope that rodent is correct. Though as I look out the window those pesky white flakes are swirling down!

These photos are from January and today. Then we had a decent snow cover but the river was clear. Today very little snow but the river is jammed with ice flowing down.

January at the antiques mall was BAD! Another dealer confided to me that she was nowhere close to rent by the 19th. Our neighbor across the aisle moved out and on. A new dealer was moving in yesterday, busy constructing shelving units and bringing in tubs of stuff. Another dealer working yesterday was chatting about the unknown of what a customer wants. There's just no rhyme nor reason. Everyone has that special someone they are seeking whether they are articulate it or just know it when I see it. As I went over my inventory listing I realized we are in need of fresh stock. Of course this weekend's auction listings don't show much promise for the box lot bonanzas. I'll have to check out any estate sales nearby. Last weekend I attended 2 in the high real estate areas and was amazed at the firm prices half way though the 2nd sale day. Needless to say not much was brought home!

The last few auctions had many newcomers and as one of the dealers who's been around awhile noted: this is so high "I can't even get in the game!" A banjo went for $800 that was only worth $500 retail!

2010 may become the straw that broke the camel's back. Thinking of looking for space elsewhere, but this mall is clean, well lit and appears to have traffic. I've identified a few I will not go to and others have closed down or have reduced floor space.

Quest for a perfect cookie

I am looking for a recipe I remember from early childhood that is a chocolate chip cookie about 2 1/4" diameter and at least 1/4" thick. These were from a bakery run I think by 2 "old" sisters.
Each cookie was exactly the same size so perhaps a mold or design pan was used.
What made these unique to me was that they were white! Must not have had brown sugar at all and my memory makes them white not cream or yellow.
These cookies were firm but not hard and cost more than other cookies.
I tried a recipe this holiday from a website that used sour milk and only white sugar but the consistency wasn't quite right.
Perhaps it had chocolate chunks instead of chips. Memory only brings up the taste, smell and the visits to the bakery over 50 years ago. The top seemed to have small points on it, maybe just around the edge.
I just remember what a treat it was to get these. They were made throughout the year and sold out early in the day.

All I Want for Christmas...

December already and I started thinking of the hours I use to spend pouring over the Sears christmas book.

What were my favorite presents as a kid?

probably a 1950's version of this superior toy printing press. I remember fighting with the small rubber pieces of type and the twezzers to set a line straight. I once visited the typesetters at a large newspaper and was impressed with their linotype machines. Of course those large papers still alive today do it all on computer.

A spiral bound book that had heads you could put onto the headless items in a toy store.

a plastic mickey mouse club belt from the 2nd year of the show.

my own tool box with a few simple tools like a hammer, screw driver, pliers and a small saw.

Color by number book of birds. These came with colored pencils and were a lot less messy than paint by number pictures.

a radio of my very own--I think it was an Emerson in a creamy tan plastic.

What did I hate: a standup walking doll and a cowgirl outfit. I wanted the cowboy outfit that came with a holster and cap gun.

Now I want books about antiques and collectibles, gift cards to the movies and a 1965 mustang convertible!

Happy Holidays to all!

Vacation was Great, here's some pix

Now what do I do with my photos? Use to be I scooped all the rolls out of the suitcase and dropped them off at the drugstore on way into work and in 2 days got great prints back. Then it became the 1 hour in store service with mixed results, then I tried the do-it yourself at the drugstore machines and waited for a free unit and stood forever. Next I would send off electonically to a drug store and just stopped by for prints--once again color is an issue. Now I can sit at my computer for HOURS tweaking each photo, cropping, sharpening, playing with color and then find there is not enough ink to PRINT!
I long for the good days when quality was better, and life less complicated and slower!
So here's some of the pix not yet printed!

ceiling from Bridge of glass in Tacoma--one of the great free sites
Jug from the Kerman Ceramics collection at the Univ of BC Museum of Anthropology
The Troll under the bridge in Fremont WA


Part of the wall in the glass bridge by Chihully!






I found a great antiques mall in Kent WA Mad Hatter Antiques.
Cloverdale Mall in Cloverdale BC was worth the stop
and 2 malls in the same parking lot in Snohomish WA

I found some bargains as did my travelling companion--thus the stop at several places!

Fall in love with antiques

I wish more traffic was coming to the antique outlet. A 25% sale earlier this month was 90% of sales and that was all small items. I'm happy to have moved something and have some room for more. What sold? A golden yellow Lipton teapot with lid intact, a decorating book, a framed needlepoint design,, a chalkware sailing ship, a bait canteen and a neat china fish figurine along with a silver plated etched fish lid for perhaps a kippers server--these 3 went to the same person! A 1971 Indy car shape bottle/decanter. A tied together packet of old and new Antiques magazines. Just weird small stuff. I wish the portmierion coffee sets would go and free up that space.

Off on vacation to the Northwest next week. Hopefully time to visit some malls and find a good buy, but schedule is pretty tight with must see museums such as Museum of Glass in Tacoma!

Have you gotten carded at your LIBRARY?