The Recycle-ista...Adventures in Thrifting

Serendipitous Thrifting

2012-02-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

1974 Fisher Price Little People Castle

So here's the story.

Last week, I was at the 'antique' store where I have my booth, and I saw a castle (~~similar to~~ just like the one above) on the counter. As I checked it out, I couldn't help but gasp. It was like a part of my childhood came rushing back. I had this exact same castle when I was a kid!! And I had no memory of it until I saw it again.

The woman was selling it on consignment and she had all the Little People and accessories. Royalty, thrones, knights, horses, the DRAGON! We totally had all those pieces.

My son would LOVE this. So I asked and found out she was asking $100 for the whole thing. It didn't surprise me...if I were selling it, I'd pop it online and try to get double. The dragon alone can sell for $25.

But, $100 for a toy for my son? With pieces he may lose? Parts on the castle he could break? Go ahead, call me cheap. I prefer the word 'thrifty'.

Fast forward a week.

Enter a Goodwill you haven't been to in awhile. Accompany your son to the bathroom, then to the toy section. Almost fall over when you turn around and see YOUR 1974 Fisher Price Little People Castle sitting on the shelf!

The price?

Get this. ...$2.99.

A sales clerk said she had just put it out. Talk about serendipity.

There were no dragons or Little People to go with it.

But if you're 4, Lego guys and Jean-Luc Picard will do nicely.

O What a Month!

2012-01-31T20:02:00.000-08:00

This is how our road looked about a week and a half ago.

To some of you readers from colder, snowier climes, this doesn't look like much. But here in the rainy, temperate Pacific Northwest, we're not used to this!

Or to this:

Ice encased trees!

Our power and cable lines are not used to it either. We were without power for 3 days and without INTERNET FOR 7 DAYS!!!

That pretty much spells death of sales for an online reseller. And my January backs that up. It was s....l....o....w. I guess on the bright side, it meant fewer packages to deal with the old skool way. I had to look up the addresses on my phone, handwrite the labels..and get this....stand in line at the post office! The internet spoils me so much.

So now I'm trying to play catch up. Here's hoping February is better!!

Guess Who's in the Typewriter Business?

2012-01-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

I love vintage manual typewriters. So much so that I buy them whenever the price is right, condition is good enough and they have a cool color. I try to avoid beige. That just seems a good policy in life anyway. (Just ignore the wall color you see in the photo)

Well, I guess my problem is, I buy a manual typewriter and it needs checking out and cleaning. So it gets put in The Pile. I buy another. Add to The Pile. These things reproduce on their own when you're not looking. After all, there is an Italian Olivetti in the mix.

So fortunately for my storage space, Hubby has had a bit of free time on his hands lately. This weekend was snowy and work has been a bit slow.

So guess who cleaned and checked my manual typewriters?? Whoo hoo!! Thanks Hubby.
He even ran to Goodwill in the snow and bought the dark red Sears model that was marked down to 1.29 on Sunday. It's pretty much a mess...but for 1.29...it's worth a shot.

These beauties will be rat-a-tat tatting their way into The Recycleista's Retro Shop this week!

Thrifting Tip- Check the Belts!

2012-01-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

So whenever I'm in the menswear section of a thrift store, I usually scan over the neckties, belts, suspenders, etc. None of these are serious niches for me. (Did neckties for awhile...but can't seem to find the good brands out here in the Pacific NW that I found in the church attending Bible belt South)
Anyway, I usually check the belts for any vintage canvas Ralph Lauren belts or for any tooled leather Western belts. And I always check the buckle.
So, last Thursday being no different and finding myself in the menswear section of Value Village (it is right near the restroom, as my pregnant self is well aware), I flipped through some belts and saw a nice Western style leather belt. Not tooled, but still had that look. As a matter of habit, I flipped over the buckle and WHAM!

Sterling.

Rock. On.

Brought the belt home and checked the brand (of the buckle, the belt is just a Resistol belt). VOGT. Turns out it's a nice brand. Sell through is pretty much 100%.

The belt was missing the tip, (probably why it was donated) but I still had these 3 pieces. Buckle and 2 Keepers. If I had all 4, I could probably have gotten more. If they were vintage, I could probably have gotten more.

As it was, these 3 pieces sold within hours for $75. Maybe I could have gotten more but I'm happy with my turnover. My buyer is also a seller but he specializes in this kind of thing. He'll even polish the pieces I bet! He deserves to get what he can. And it was nice of him to offer me a solid $75, not try to lowball me at $20 or something.

So, in these days of finding way overpriced Born and Merrell shoes at my thrifts, I'm heartened again. The thrift store pricers don't see everything!! Just takes a little treasure hunting on our part!

Thrift Snapshot

2012-01-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes my thrift shop finds just make me happy.

What's Your Bread N Butter??

2012-01-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

Recently, over at Ebay Underground, Chelsea from the blog Kiss My Brass, posted a question. "What's your bread and butter on Ebay?"

In other words, what items can you consistently find at thrift stores or yard sales and flip for a profit? Not necessarily WHOO-HOO!!!!s...but solid, well performing items. You can find them readily, at a good price and they sell fairly quickly. It's all about Cash Flow baby.

I thought about it and I would have to say, for me, my bread and butter is...Coffee Mugs.

Of course, I love Starbucks mugs. They're a given. City or location mugs especially. I've gotten upwards of $100 for some City Mugs.
Here's a couple I recently found:

But looking back over last year, there were a few other categories of mugs that sold consistently and that I pick up whenever I find them.

Chaleur Mugs

I happened on a bunch of these at a thrift store back in the spring and I think I've sold them all. They all sold between $10-$30 apiece. They feature famous artists' paintings. The bottom looks like this:

I try to include the painting name in the title and/or listing as these appeal to art lovers. Chaleur has a website, with limited pieces for sale. So if you come across a painting that isn't being sold currently on their website, that's when you'll do your best.

I just found this one by Winslow Homer. Love it! I had the only one like it when I listed it and according to Terapeak there were only a few that had been listed in the last year. Popular artist + rare mug = great sale! I just have to wait.

And the best part...Chaleur has partnered with Starbucks in the past!! I found this one and it sold for the most. Look for Chaleur/Starbucks canisters as well.

The Far Side

Again, not new information..although it may be for some of you newer ones. I pick up any Far Side mug I see. In good condition of course. They may take awhile, but they will sell. The Far Side has a HUGE following.

Again, they usually sell for between $15-30 apiece. I did sell one for about $50 but it was oversized and I hadn't seen anything like it before or since. I'll try to track the photo down and add it in later.

So, there are other categories of mugs that will sell, we can explore those another day.

What's your Bread and Butter??

What's New at the Retro Shop~~A Pyrex Pantry

2011-12-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

So I opened a new section in my Etsy shop, called the Pyrex Pantry. I plan on selling my extra Pyrex via The Recycleista's Retro Shop, as opposed to Ebay. Of course I'm always up for a trade!

So far, I've only got this great set of Red and Gold Pyrex Dinnerware on there.
On a replacements website, it's called Maroon-Gold. Other people have it listed as Flamingo-Gold, specifying that it's red and not pink. So i threw both of the keywords in there.

Got some more Pyrex to get into the shop..some Barbed Wire, possibly some pink pieces and I'm going to let go of the Primary Colors set that I put together. Since I'm focusing on turquoise and red for my future kitchen, I'm okay with letting go. With a baby on the way, space and money has gotten a bit more important!!

How has the Pyrex hunt been for y'all lately?

Check Out My Happy Pyrex Find

2011-11-22T13:14:00.001-08:00

I posted on The Pyrex Collective II about my latest happy turquoise Pyrex find!

It's a promotional cinderella bowl from a chip and dip set. It came out in the Spring of 1958.

The pattern is called...

...well you just have to go over there and check it out yourself.

Serendipitous Thrifting

2011-11-21T08:37:00.001-08:00

I don't think that's the exact word that I want but you'll see what I mean in a minute.

I love it when one of my finds goes to exactly the right person.

I found this amazing scrapbook back in July. I loved the cover and I knew other people would too. I put it in my Etsy store, The Recycleista's Retro Shop. It took awhile, but it sold last week and I got this message with the sale.

"Wow! I had this VERY Scrapbook, when I was in my early teens. I was a picture-taking nut! Sadly, 90% of my treasured photos, and my scrapbooks, were left outside, during a remodel...and all got snow and water damaged. I have just a few pictures left, from the 40's, 50's and 60's...and now I'll have the perfect place for them! I know they're going to feel right at home, even though they are a bit "worse for wear"! Thank-you, so much, for offering this!!"

I love that!!

Then she left me this feedback:

"Such a GREAT Find!! This Album is EXACTLY like the one I had as a teen-aged girl; over 50 years ago! It looks, feels and smells BRAND NEW! Thank-you, sooo much, Shannon for packing it with such TLC, and for going the extra-mile to get it right to my door! I LOVED doing business with you, and you can rest assured I'll be shopping with you, again!"

I looked up the definition of serendipity.

"noun. 1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident." (wow.lots of potential there for the reselling biz)

So maybe it is the right word. A little serendipity on both our sides.

What about you? Have you had a serendipitous find/sale?? Did your item find just the right buyer??

Here I Am! Here I Am!!

2011-11-14T11:14:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know it's been a long time. My apologies.
I have been feeling a bit better. Getting on towards the second trimester is helping. I'm still tired but some of my motivation has come back.
What little energy/motivation I had was put towards listing and not blogging!!

So what's been new?

With the help of Chelsea at Bergen House I finished my new look for my Etsy shop. Thanks to Etsy's announcement that shop owners could change their shop names, my shop is now called The Recycleista's Retro Shop. Chelsea designed my banner and I think it looks pretty good!!

She also gave me a design for business cards and I had those printed by Moo. They were (and probably still are) having an Etsy promotion for 50 free cards. There is an advertisement on one side of the cards as you can see below.

I'm very pleased with the results, it's a great quality card. Once these are used up, I'll order more and they won't have the advertisement.

Etsy sales have been fairly steady. Enough to be encouraging and to make me realize that I should probably concentrate my efforts there. Ebay has been slow...I've really not been liking them lately. Along with every other small seller on there, I think.

I'm debating giving Bonanza another try. It's grown so much since I used it! Another learning curve that I think I need a little more energy for.

Anywho, that's about all that's new here. I'm hoping to have a few more posts this week. Some of the things I've found lately.

What's been new with all of you??

An October Update

2011-10-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

Well, October has been busy, just not in the way I expected. I started off pretty good with listing and I had great intentions.

Then. Life. Happened.

But it's a good thing! Last week, Hubby and I discovered that I'm expecting. Whoo hoo!! Little Man is going to be a big brother!! He will have someone to share his thrifting expertise with!

So we're excited.

But a very strange thing happened. I don't feel like working. HA!

I'm very fortunate, I know, in the Morning Sickness department. I've heard stories of women who have hurled EVERY DAY of the First Trimester. And sometimes longer. I didn't throw up once with my first pregnancy and not so far yet either. (Although it was close at an overcrowded greasy spoon breakfast place on Sunday morning)

But I'm tired. Painfully tired. I have slight nausea (mostly indigestion), heartburn, etc. But most of all, I have an overwhelming fatigue. Fatigue of the body and the brain. I haven't felt like listing or photographing or researching or anything. I just want to lay on the couch with a book.

I've managed to get outside and enjoy our short-lived sunshine. Little Man has been getting a lot more of my attention...playing with him is do-able for parts of the day.

I'm trying not to stress about it. Although we are going to need the money. I know this initial phase will pass and I'll be unstoppable!

Vintage Finds

2011-10-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind in the blogging department, but what else is new? October is here. I've been busy listing (see post below). But of course that doesn't mean there isn't time to shop.

Last weekend I hit a thrift store I go to a little less often and it was PACKED. With people and stuff. Here are a few of the vintage finds Hubby and I found.

The tray pictured above is glass, with an amazing illustration on it. It's unsigned unfortunately, so my research has kind of hit a dead end with that one. Look familiar to anyone?

Vintage Yellow Descoware Pot Made in Belgium

More Descoware! This time in a sunny yellow.

Vintage Fondue Forks with Stand

I found my first fondue stand. Not that I was actively looking, just had never run across one before. It came in it's original box, but it was kind of beat up, so it's not photo worthy. It also came with extra forks, which I'll be listing separately.

Toleware Bar Tray

I also found this round metal bar tray. The design is very Peter Hunt, but I can't confirm that it's one of his designs. One thing about finding vintage, the necessary research opens me up to a diverse amount of information!

At a different thrift, I found this camera. It's a non-folding version of the camera I talked about here. This one came with a huge Polartronic flash. It needed a bit of work which Hubby did last night. We've confirmed it works and so I'll list it today. It's worth more than the camera! Which has sold already.

At the same thrift as the Polaroid, I found this Dymo label maker with it's original box. It has tape and a CURSIVE cartridge. Way cool. This one sold this morning.

I could probably go on all day with vintage things I've found recently, but I'd better get listing!

What about you? What have you found??

It's Gonna Be a Busy October!!

2011-10-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

Note: So although I like the alliteration of Mid Century Mondays, I'm thinking that Monday might not be the best day for that series. I like sharing my weekend finds at the beginning of the week and there are some Monday linky parties that I enjoy participating in. So I'll let you know where Mid Century Mondays finds a new home.

Today is just a quick post to let you know how busy this month will be!! I"m joining in 2 listing challenges and contests. It's all about getting the merchandise out there and FOR SALE!! It can't be bought if no one can see it!

The first is a contest over at Ebay Underground. It's called the "Get Your Rear in Gear" Listing Contest. You can read the rules there. Feel free to join in. (You'll have to join this ProBoards group if you're not already a member. Let me know if you have problems.)
Not sure of the prizes, but there will be some good ones. You can join as a Part Time Reseller, or Full Time. So you won't be competing against people who have a lot more time to list than you do.

The second Listing Challenge is put on by Apron Thrift Girl. You can see her explanation on her site. She'll be officially starting it tomorrow but its for the month of October. I have to think about specific goals that I want to accomplish.

So you'll see I'll be busy this month! Perfect timing for the best selling season of the year!!

What are your reselling goals for October??

Thrifting Tip~ No One Can Know Everything About Everything

2011-09-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

No one can know everything about everything. Most of the time, this is the frustration I face when I'm out thrifting. I have many niches, (pretty much anything that'll turn a buck) but I know I'm passing things on the shelves and tables that are worth more. I just don't know it. Google and my Droid are helping though.

But what I'm talking about here is the fact that not every Thrift Store pricer, garage sale Owner, even Professional Estate Sale....runner...person...dealer...guy can know everything about everything that they put out.

And occasionally, that works to our advantage.

I went to an estate sale last Friday that was put on by family members. However, the nephew running the sale was in the BIZ. He holds Estate Sales for a living. So it was pretty professional. I approached the tent outside the house about 2 pm and took a look at the expensive jewelry, antiques and doodads that were in the glass cases. Prices were high...pretty much at retail.

Things were fairly picked over inside the house and what was left was expensive. I'm sure other 'pickers' were waiting for 20% off Saturday or 50% off Sunday.

Then I saw the above camera. It's a Polaroid SX-70 Sonar Folding Land Camera. And it had a nifty over the shoulder carrying case. It was $6.

Check Etsy for these and they are mostly all listed at about $100. They're a little bit less on Ebay.

I came home and listed mine for about $70 on Etsy (condition issues...and I can't test it...no film) and I sold it today.

So my point is, not everyone can know everything about everything. I don't. I just happen to know that Polaroid cameras aren't just old cameras. There are several desirable models and folding land cameras are one of them. Last time I saw a similar one at an Estate Sale, the owners had it priced at $150!! At an Estate Sale!! So that dealer knew. This one didn't.

Just a quick tip to remind you that there's usually 1 or 2 items at every sale or store that is underpriced. And we get the fun of finding it!!

What about you? What was your best under-the-radar item??

Mid Century Mondays- Gense of Sweden

2011-09-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Celery Tray by Gense of Sweden on Etsy

To all of you that are keeping track, I'm so sorry I missed Mid Century Monday last week! I even meant to write a post later in the week and apologize and didn't even get to that! This week I do have a few posts planned, including a Recent Finds and a What's Been Selling. I love reading these kind of posts on other blogs...you never know when you'll come across the same items in your own thrift hunting. So I thought I'd share my recent finds and scores!!

I'm going Scandinavian on Mid Century Monday again. I'll have to check out a different section of the world for next week.

Gense of Sweden began all the way back in 1856. It was founded by Gustav Erikson. The company is still going strong today and is one of the major cutlery/flatware producers in Europe today.

I like to read other thrifting blogs and see what the authors are selling. I think I may have come across Gense for the first time on Apron Thrift Girl's blog, or possibly in her Ebay store. In any case, I filed the brand away and was happy to spot this tray on a recent thrifting trip.

I love the tray's modern design. From what I've researched, it was designed in the mid 1950s by Pierre Forssell.

Vintage Modern Gense Forks Set of 4 by marthathehipster on Etsy

One thing I would love to find is some of their flatware. But I have a flatware obsession. I have a hard time NOT buying it. Gense flatware can bring a pretty penny on Ebay.

So keep your eyes open in all that stainless at the thrift stores. And it may be worth a dig or 2 through the silverware bins!

Linking up to Thrift Share Monday.

Fab Friday Finds...Somebody Pinch Me..

2011-09-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

I just had such a wonderful thrifting day. I have to share.

I almost didn't go. I'm so glad I did.

I started out at one yard sale (they are getting fewer and fewer...so sad!!) and was happy to find this piece of Descoware. It's my first. It's Belgium's answer to Le Creuset.

I was happy enough with that. Then I turned and saw a table filled with...

Starbucks City Mugs.

There were 12. Nine are the original 1994 versions. I just sold my first one for $74.00. I'm happy. I should probably have listed it for higher. But I won't be greedy. :) I paid such a ridiculously low price for these. (See!! I may be gloating but I'm not hoarding!!)

I was ecstatic. I walked away from the sale wondering who to call first. But there was a sale across the street and so I held off.

At that sale I found these owls.

At a quarter apiece, I was happy. Nice little antique booth fillers and Etsy shop fillers. There are sugar bowls, salt and pepper shakers and a toothpick holder. Plus some way cute figurines. I love that Mod big one up top. It's a bank. The trio on the right have googly eyes. They are mostly all from Japan.

The one I was most excited about is the one right up front (the top blog picture). It's a metal sculpture. I was hoping it was a Curtis Jere but it's unsigned. I still managed to find one like it on Ebay that sold for over $100!!!

Ok. So now I was stoked. I could have gone home happy. But I didn't. I kept going, with Little Man in tow. "You said 2 Ga-wage Sales, Mama", holding up his little fingers. Although he wasn't complaining at the free toys he always scores from friendly Garage Sale people.
After fortifying ourselves on chicken McLugnuts, we hopped into Goodwill.
First thing I found were these American Girl items. A doll (AG of Today) and Bear (Miss AG). The outfits and the bear are all mid 1990s. Interesting! My first thrifted AG items.

Then I went down another aisle and saw this:

This is not a huge money maker...but it's one of those items to keep an eye out for. The fad may be fading, but Google 'circuit bending' and you'll see what people use these for. It's used but it's got a box and book! Sweet!

At this point I'm just shaking my head. I had already gotten some shoes and sandals on my BOLO list (Be On LookOut) and the finds just kept coming.

Next aisle, Portmeirion. Would prefer Villeroy & Boch. But you don't see toast racks everyday, do you?

Then I finished up the day going with my gut. Found this set of vintage children's books. Never heard of Rupert, but that doesn't mean anything. Did a quick Google search and figured someONE, someWHERE will want these books.

So those were my highlights. I found an Under Armour shirt for 25 cents and some shot glasses...some shoes...nothing I need bore you with photos of. I know days like this don't happen very often...so I'm gonna relive it in my memory!

What did you all find this weekend??

Linking up to Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday

Time for Letting Go

2011-09-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

In this new phase of my life, working at home, building a ReSelling business, I've learned some things about myself. Which is a good thing. Every new challenge should reveal previously hidden skills or abilities. But that's not what I'm talking about here.

What I've discovered about myself is that I'm a...what shall I call it? Hoarder? No..that's not it. Not really. Just a little. I've always said that as long as I'm selling what I'm finding, I'm not a Hoarder.

And I like to sell. I buy shoes, I sell them. I buy shirts, I sell them. I buy silverware, I....hoard it.

Ok never mind. It's still not completely the thought I'm looking for. I'm a....Gloater? Yes, there is part of that. I love telling everyone what I found. And how little I spent on it. So, yes, that's a bit of gloating.

But I think what I'm really finding out about myself is that I'm a Hoarder-Gloater.

When I find things that are AMAZING, that are ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME, I have a hard time letting go.

Remember this post about that amazing end of estate sale, and the free items and the AMAZING Le Creuset finds and getting it all for dirt cheap? Well, that stuff has just been sitting in my ReSelling area. I was having a hard time letting it go. It's worth money!! I'm not planning on keeping it. It's just been sitting there.

I'm like some Scrooge character, counting his gold. I look at my finds and I'm like...'hee hee...look what I found!!'

So this week I listed some items. I started with the Heath pieces. They were free.
Immediately I sold this one:

And this one:

For $25 each. Duh!

So last night I got all my Le Creuset listed.

It feels good.
I'll make some money to go spend on my next ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME item. There's always another one. That's why I love this biz.

What about you? Are you a Hoarder-Gloater? Or are you a Churn-and-Burn kinda person?

Mid Century Mondays- 1956 Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book

2011-09-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

1956 Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book for Sale on Etsy

Before I get into today's Mid Century feature, I have a couple things to say.

No, this is not becoming a Mid Century blog. I don't know enough about Mid Century and I have too much to say about other things! I just haven't had time to do any other posts other than this feature that I've started. That will change, I promise!
Also, check out Late Night Coffee's blog. I'm a guest blogger today! See my post about ReSelling clothing.

Now on to the feature!

I found this book at an estate sale and was super excited when I saw the turquoise cover! I knew it was harder to find and full of mid century decorating.

I know the web is full of images from this book so I won't bore you with tons of them.

I totally wish I had a large room...big enough to try this room divider/bookcase idea.

Love the chairs...the carpet's gotta go though.

Whoo hoo! Check out that atomic wallpaper!! Now why didn't my Grandparent's house look like this? Their decorating stopped somewhere in the mid-century but I don't remember anything MOD or ATOMIC in their house. Oh...it was more like this....

Early American or Colonial Revival. I remember plenty of eagles, butter churns and wagon wheels at Grandma's house. This style was popular in the mid-century, so this book has plenty of these images also. I REALLY hope the Colonial style doesn't revive again. Please, no.

Ok, lets wash away that image with another one.

Again...am loving the bookshelves!
The book is also full of these cutesy cartoons and helpful tips.

That's today's Mid Century Monday! What's your memory of Mid Century decorating??

Linking up to Thrift Share Monday.

Mid Century Monday Follow Up- An Orrefors Answer

2011-09-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

I just received this email in response to my email requesting information about my Orrefors find.

Dear Shannon,

Your e-mail was forwarded to me regarding your Orrefors votive. Your
votive does not have a pattern name but the designer is Edvin Ohrstrom.
Your votive was introduced in the late 1940's and discontinued in the late
1950's.

I hope this helps and if you have any other questions, please let me know.
Enjoy your beautiful votive!
Sincerely, Jackie
Orrefors/Kosta Boda USA

Whoo hoo!! I'm so excited. I don't know why. I just love having answers! And I'm so glad this is really a Mid Century piece!!

Mid Century Monday- Orrefors

2011-09-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

This week's Mid Century Monday feature almost didn't make it on Monday, but I'm squeezing it in. Got a last minute offer on babysitting this morning, so I ran off to the Labor Day sales at the thrifts!

Glassware has got to be the vintage area that I know LEAST about, so this week's feature will be short!

Orrefors is a Swedish glass company that began to focus on crystal glassware and art glass in the early 1900s. The company is still around and making pieces today.

The mid-century period of Orrefors glass is described on their own website.
"Intensive experimentation and a continuous search for new means of expression generated results. Orrefors participated in the New York World Fair in 1939 and launched the concept of Swedish Modern. The exhibition was a major success for modern Orrefors glass – colorful, vigorous and exotic. In 1947, Ingeborg Lundin became the first woman designer at Orrefors. She gave a new, dynamic aspect to engraved glass. Nils Landberg’s “Tulip Glass” and Ingeborg Lundin’s “Apple” illustrate the graceful, daring glass of the 1950’s, which together with Palmqvist’s centrifuged bowls created a worldwide stir. Gunnar Cyren, a silver- and goldsmith, came to Orrefors in 1959 and responded to the trends o the 1960s with such works as Pop Glass."

I didn't go out looking for Orrefors- you could say the piece above found me. Like I said, glassware is not my main area of interest, but being newly interested in mid-century mod style, I've been doing my research. I've been looking through shops on Etsy and reading blogs. So when I saw the above piece at a thrift store (I think it's a votive holder) I knew it had that LOOK.

I flipped it over and saw the signature. The name sounded familiar. A quick search on my phone confirmed it was Swedish so it came home with me.

My research continued but I've hit a brick wall. I can't find this piece anywhere. The only other place I've seen it is in someone else's mid-century modern webstore. They hadn't been able to identify it either. I'm hesitating listing it until I can learn more, so I think I'll email Orrefors and just ask 'em!! What do you think?

I'll keep you posted!!

Mid Century Mondays - Figgjo Flint

2011-08-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Figgjo Flint Torskefiske Plate Norway Fisherman Fishing Mid Century

Welcome to a new feature here at The Recycleista-Adventures in Thrifting! I'm hoping to hit every Monday, so I'll do my best.
I love all things vintage, but lately I've been learning and focusing on things more mid-century especially things Danish Modern and Scandinavian.
I'm looking at them with new appreciation. My Mid Century Eye is being honed to spot these items while I'm thrifting. Things I may have overlooked before. And I need to learn. Much of my research lately has been about companies like Dansk, Orrefors, Figgjo Flint, Rorstrand...because these are the brands I've started finding.
So I figured you can learn along with me!

Figgjo Flint is a Norwegian company that started in 1941 and is still producing. I love their quirky, folk artsy themes from the 1950s and 1960s.

Figgjo Flint Scandinavian Norway 1970s Pottery Astrid 5 dinner plates

Check out these dinner plates in the Astrid pattern. I may just have to get those. They would match my new kitchen perfectly!!

Figgjo Flint Turi-Design Lotte Pattern Teacup

Lotte is another popular pattern. I think I saw an unmarked salt and pepper set in this pattern and didn't recognize it at the time. I may have to go back and see if they are still there. Several of the mid-century folksy pieces have people on them and stylized decorations. The company produced tableware, bowls, cups and dishes.

They also made wall plaques.

Figgjo Flint Torskefiske Norway Plaque Fishing Boat Scene

The above plaque is the same pattern as my plate I found. (see top). This plaque is being sold by A LA MODERN. If you want to learn more about mid century modern, check out their website and blog!! Fun stuff!! I always love to see what they've found!

So that's today's Mid Century Monday! Stay tuned next week when we'll take a look at...Swedish Art Glass...Orrefors!

Linking to Thrift Share Mondays

And Now Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Program...

2011-08-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

(image from The Huffington Post)

Well, maybe not quite yet.

Sorry for the lack of posting but I'm hoping to be back up and back to my usual sporadic posting schedule.

How's everyone's summer going?

DIRTY MONEY...A New Favorite

2011-08-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

I'm not a TV watcher. Not generally. I'd rather read a book if I have free time. But sometimes, the remote calls.

In our current living arrangement, we have basic cable.

I miss the History Channel. Ok, not all of it. But I miss Pawn Stars and American Pickers. Sure, I can watch them online...but I never do.

So, the other night, after heeding the call of the remote, I was idly flipping through my 10 channels when I came across Auction Kings on the Discovery Channel. I've seen this one before.

Paul Brown is kind of hyper, but the show is about stuff and selling stuff...so I dig it.

Then after that another show came on. There was a warning about inappropriateness for children...but since Little Man was tucked away in bed...we waited to see what it was. Soon Little Man was out of his bed, wondering why his Daddy and Mommy were laughing so hard!!

The show is Dirty Money, featuring the comedian John DiResta and his brother Jimmy turning trash to treasure at the flea markets of NYC.

John DiResta is the negotiator and his brother is the artist. They spend the week scouring the dumpsters, thrift shops and junk shops of the City, looking for unusual pieces or things that can be repurposed (by Jimmy) into something that can be sold for big money that weekend at the flea market. Not a new concept perhaps, but I was fascinated by seeing what NYC yielded and the thought of such a melting pot of customers all in one spot. Kind of like having an Etsy shop offline!!

They even used the word 'steampunk'!! Something you don't hear everyday. John overpaid on a vintage typewriter (because of nostalgia...hey, we've all been there!) but Jimmy salvaged the deal by using the keys and modifying a computer keyboard that was 'rescued' from a dumpster earlier. They sold it for a profit that weekend at the flea market.

(I can't even imagine trying to sell something like that in my little town of Buckley. Gotta love NYC!!)

Anyway, maybe cause I grew up in NY, within commuting distance of NYC, that this show struck such a chord. There may be other picking shows...but hearing the negotiating done in a Long Island accent was hilarious. I believe John and Jimmy have had shows highlighting their family business before, and John is an actor/comedian so they're no newbies in front of the cameras...but still...they are the real deal!!

Check local listings...they're supposed to be on again Tuesday Aug 16 at 10pm. Check 'em out!!

Reselling Plans for August

2011-08-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

First of all, just wanted to express a quick congratulations to Kaitlyn for winning the giveaway on Thrift Core's post and also a thank you to Vanessa at Thrift Core for hosting it!!

Kaitlyn, your goodies are on their way shortly!!

So it's August 3 already and I'm ready to rumble. We just got back from a 6 day trip to CA, and a reselling break always helps to recharge the batteries.

Plus, I learned last year how busy my stores became in the fall and winter and I need to be STOCKED.

Maeve Skirt from Anthropologie Size 4

Clothing sold really well out of my Ebay store and I've got a bin or two to get listed. I've found some great shoes that need to get on there as well. I've started slowly at the end of last month and have already sold some of the items. For example, this ExOfficio shirt that Hubby found on our Montana thrifting trip.

So the wonderful selling season is coming!! I can feel it. Summer is rough, but we're coming out of it.
I just need to be ready.

Plus, I'm still working on putting some fab items into my Etsy store. I'm working on branding and so have planned to change my shop's name from Vyeshi to The Recycleista's Retro Shop. Etsy won't let you officially change your user/shop name so it will be mostly a superficial change. Lots of things will still say Vyeshi. But I'm going to change my banner and avatar to be more cohesive to the whole Recycleista theme I've got going on here and in my Ebay shop.

Here are some fun things coming up in The Recycleista's Retro Shop: (hopefully later today)

Golden Preschool Learning books

ASP Holmblad napkins and candles

Dansk Kobenstyle pot. No lid, unfortunately

Griswold red enamel covered cast iron pan

And some more vintage Danish fun!! Rosti Mepal (melamine) bowls.

So plans for August would not be complete without some concrete goals.

Get Etsy shop listings up to 100.
Get Ebay listings up to 150.
Two blog posts per week, at least.

What about you all?? What are your August reselling plans? Anyone wanna share??

An Estate Sale To Remember

2011-07-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've made you wait long enough.

So Sunday, I was in a town that I'm not normally in and we were dropping something off at someone's house. Errand done, we noticed an estate sale just winding up right around the corner. There was a big dumpster out front, and some items on the driveway. As we approached, the people running the sale very tiredly said, "The items out front here are free. We are just so DONE."

It was mostly canning jars and such, but there were a few odds n ends and so we poked around. Hubby grabbed a huge vintage Lazy Susan that is a nice solid, stained wood piece. That's his deal, but I can see its usefulness. He also grabbed a cool vintage brass bowl.

Then I saw a stack of dishes.

Checked the mark on the bottom and after turning it around a bit, I made out "HEATH". Sweet!
Heath Ceramics was started in California by Edith Heath in the 1940s. Some of her designs are in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

Later research revealed that the line is called "RIM" and it was designed in the 1960s. It's still made today, so I'll have to research the mark a bit more to date these better. One dinner plate on the Heath Ceramics website goes for $36.50.

But it gets better.

We wandered further into the garage but there wasn't much there so I was starting to get the idea that it was over. There were a lot of people, but I think most people were actually family. Someone asked if we were done or waiting to checkout. (it was confusing). I asked if there was more inside the house.
So one lady said to another, "Well, I suppose they can go look in that one closet....in the kitchen". So they turned to us (there actually was one other woman customer) and said, "There's a closet in the kitchen full of dishes that we didn't even get to, it hasn't been touched at all."

Did you catch that?

An end of estate sale, untouched by greedy dealer hands (the only greedy dealer hands were mine, the other customer wasn't a dealer) closet in the kitchen full of dishware!!!!!

So I feigned politeness and said, "If you don't mind, if it's not too much trouble...." as I walked into the house.

The woman showed us the closet and it was kind of funny, because the other customer and I were trying to be polite and not rush it. We both kind of peered in, but when I realized we'd be there all day, I jumped forward.

One of the first things I saw was this:

Wasn't sure right away what it was, but Black Americana is collectible so I put it aside to decide on later. Well, as you can see, I did keep the little chef. Any guesses as to what it is? (answer is at the bottom of the article)

Then it got really good.

I pulled out a large enamel covered cast iron Paella pan and flipped it over. Yup.
Le Creuset.
!!!!!!!
Then I pulled out a small Dutch Oven (or French Oven) in the same burnt orange color.
Then I pulled out a large Dutch Oven...same color.
The insides are pristine!!
One of the owners opened the bottom of the stove/oven and said, "Oh I think this goes with it too". It was a small open baker/ pan thing. (not sure the official name)

Note the color and the interesting handles. I assumed from the color that these were from the 1970s and I was right. In 1973, Le Creuset enlisted designer Enzo Mari to do a special line of cookware, which he called La Mama.

Hubby was sweetly standing by, holding our free finds, letting me do my thang, so I picked up my LC (it was so heavy my knees almost buckled) and plopped it over by him.
Don't get me wrong, the other customer was not into these things at all. She I think grabbed some aluminum bread pans and then when she found a stoneware one, offered it to me. So not a dealer. ;)

But it wasn't over.

I picked up one more dark brown bowl and flipped it over.

Arabia of Finland.
It's an open vegetable bowl. I didn't know it at the time, so I wasted precious moments looking for a lid. It's listed on a replacements site at 59.99.

I'm sure there was so much more. There just wasn't time. And the family was trying to finish and they looked wiped out. I was quite happy with what I got. But it makes me wonder what I missed....

So I asked the owner, "What can I give you for this?" She hesitated because I could tell they were just happy more stuff was going out that they didn't have to deal with. Then she said, "$5.00???"
That was so nice, but my conscience would not allow that, so I gave her more.

It was really an estate sale situation that you normally only dream of. Twenty pounds of cast iron kept me from floating away.

Oh...and the chef? There's a hole in the top and right as we were paying I realized it was a....
..Pie Vent/Pie Whistle/Pie Bird type thing. Sweet!

I'm Featured on Thriftcore and a Huge Giveaway

2011-07-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share the huge vintage giveaway that Thriftcore is hosting for me!! Hop on over there and enter to win!!

Click here: The Recycleista Vintage Haul Giveaway (and Reselling Tips)

A Thrifting Reveal

2011-07-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, why in the world do I have a Finds post, when I blogged here about my thrifting diet???

Well, I do have a good explanation.

Ahem.

Well, everything does fit into my criteria set up by myself and Hubby. Most of it is for my booth. Or it's a sure thing that will sell well. So there. Our town had a city-wide yard sale this weekend so I didn't even have to drive far or spend a lot of time. As you can see from the above picture, I did get mostly vintage items. Although I did find a pair of Merrells, and some Winnie-the-Pooh hand puppets for Little Man. The brass deer I've sold before on Etsy and they are already listed there.

These radios are transistors and will be great for the 'Man-tique' shelf in my booth. The little blue one goes in the small leather case...and the ear-piece/headphone is still in the little holder!!

These 2 items were in the dollar box. So while I didn't know much about them, I decided to go for it since they were vintage and in the box with instructions! One of them is a hand embroidery 'machine' from the 1930s, I believe. The other one is labeled as a massager from the 1950s. Research shows me that it's actually a quackery collectible! It's a type of electro-shock therapy do-it-yourself scary thing. Quack Medicine items are very collectible.

I found these buttons at another yard sale. Hard for me to resist old buttons! The card on the left is mostly black glass buttons with a few rubber buttons. The other card however has a nice selection of cut steel buttons which sell really well.

My last highlight is this vintage, unused Pals n Gals Pasteup Book, or scrapbook. The picture on the cover is amazing!! I love the fact it was never used!! Soon to hit my Etsy shop.

I think the only other items I didn't mention was a glass juice pitcher and a 1930s yearbook from Fresno, CA.

BUT, what I'm super-duper excited about was an estate sale I hit yesterday, just as it was ending. I don't have pictures yet..but I scored the MOST AMAZING ITEMS. Almost for free. I had to give them some money, since the value of what I found was pretty high and my conscience would bother me. Stay tuned...I'll blog about that later once I take the pictures!! It was a Thrifting Adventure you only dream about!!

What did y'all find???

Linking up to Thrift Share Monday

A Quick Picasa Tutorial

2011-07-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

Over on Ebay Underground, the members are all about helping to educate each other. I wrote up this quick tutorial about using Picasa to edit your product photos and it was presented as a class in the board's chat room. Here it is in case it can help someone!

Welcome to Picasa!

I think you may find that Picasa has less options than other programs, so it's good if you just need some basic fixes to your photos and don't want to get too fancy!

First of all, you'll want to import your picture(s) into Picasa, from your camera, your memory card, etc..

Click the Import button in the upper left. It will take you to the Import tab.

Once you're on the Import page, make sure the Import From box has the right source. In this case I use my memory card and these are the only pictures on the card. I double check that at the bottom I have a Folder selected to send them to, and then I click "Import All" from the lower right.

(If you only want 1 picture or a few pictures imported, just select them from the ones showing and click "Import Selected")

Once importing is done, it will pop you back to the Library tab, where your most recent imports will be right on top.

I decide which photo to work on and double click it. I'm choosing the L'amour girls shoes.

This brings me to the edit page. There are lots of things you can do here...feel free to play around. I usually stick with the basics. The three I use the most are:

I'm Feeling Lucky
Straighten
Crop

I'm Feeling Lucky is your basic picture fix. It will lighten dark pictures, etc... If you don't like the results, you can always undo and play around with some of the other buttons...like 'Fill Light' 'Auto Contrast', etc...
In this case, I'm Feeling Lucky didn't really help my photo, so I'm not showing a screenshot. I'll just move on to Straighten.
Click Straighten and you'll see this grid over your picture.

Use the slider under the picture until you are happy with the result and then click 'Apply'.

Then I go to Crop. Click Crop and it will default to Manual with three choices underneath. I usually pick the far right one and go from there.

Once I click the far right one, a light colored box will appear over your picture.

You can adjust the sides of the box until it's where you want it to be. Click Apply.

Once you're done with the photo, you can go back to the Library page.

Make sure the correct photo is chosen, or highlighted, then click Export at the bottom of the page.

A new box will pop up.

Here you can add a watermark and resize (i set mine to 1000).

Make sure you note where the resized photo will be sent. Picasa sends them to a Picasa folder and an Exports subfolder. I usually just work out of there...I know all the pictures in my Exports folder are resized.

NOTE: Changes made in Picasa will not affect photos on your computer unless you hit 'Save' at the top of each day on the main Library page. So you can crop, resize, make it black and white...but it just stays in Picasa unless you save it. Of course photos that are exported will have all those changes.
NOTE 2: Any changes you've made to a photo in Picasa (if you haven't saved it) can be undone by reclicking on the photo, getting to the edit page and clicking UNDO on all features.

Ok...so now a quick Collage lesson.

I've fastforwarded...and I finished editing all my pictures for these shoes. I'm in the Library and I click all the pictures I want to include (CTRL+click)

You'll see the pictures you want in the lower left 'deck'. Then click "Collage" on the bottom right-ish.

The collage page will open and you'll be able to choose from a variety of collage types.

You can also hit shuffle at the bottom to rearrange the photos to a better order.

I rearranged mine and added a border or space between each photo.

When you're ready, click Create Collage.

Picasa will put them in a separate folder at the top. This is where all your collages will be. From there you can resize and export.

(I did forget a picture of the soles of these shoes..so if I wanted to use this in my listing, I would still have to add that...either re-do the collage or add another photo. Haven't decided yet. :) )

So those are the basics! If you want to get fancy, there is always Picnik. You may have noticed that button on the Edit page. You can open a photo there...add borders, text, etc...and resave back to Picasa.
Have fun and happy listing!!

On a Thrifting Diet

2011-07-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

No this is not a stock photo. Yes, this is my cat. Her name is Fatty. Obviously, that was not her original name, since she wasn't this...um...'fluffy'..when she was born. We named her Emma when we first got her and the terribly demeaning, self-esteem destroying nickname came along a bit later. What can I say? She's happy.

But I'm not here to talk about my cat. I just don't like to do a blog post without a photo. I have put on a few pounds as well...but you certainly weren't going to see a photo of me! I'm not on a diet. I'm just watching what I eat and trying to exercise more. What? ...that's a diet? Well fine then.

I've also put on a few pounds in another sense. I have POUNDS of inventory to take care of. Between selling on consignment, the yard sale season and a few recent inventory-acquiring vacations...I have a bit too much stuff right now. We were cleaning up for company this weekend and I told my husband.."That's it. I'm not going to shop for inventory any time soon". He said, "Promise?".

Which is funny, cause he's not any better than I am. He just works all day and doesn't have the thrifting opportunities that I do.

But he already started giving me 'outs'. He said, "No thrifting....UNLESS....the item is a sure thing and will sell for decent money.". HA! He assumes I'll still be in the thrift stores. But that's like sending a dieter into Dunkin Donuts and telling them not to buy anything.

I will still get thrifting fixes because I'll still hit yard sales. It's the season, and I have a booth to fill. At least that inventory will go right back out and not need a spot in the house.

I don't know. Being on a real diet and a thrifting diet at the same time could be a bit of a drag. Then I realized, no thrifting for inventory, but there's no reason I can't thrift for myself!!

Adventures in....Opening an Antique Store Booth

2011-07-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

I've been promising to write about this for awhile, so here it is! A couple months ago my MIL let me know that she signed us up for a booth in a new antique store in our little town of Buckley, WA. "Antique" might be stretching it a bit...more like vintage or new or whatever you want to put in your booth. Kind of an upscale thrift.

But it's got the layout of an antique mall. It's in a big building on Main St and has about 16-20 different vendors. It's called The Queen's Ransom if you're ever in town.

My MIL knew the owner from around town and got to talking when she stopped in one day. MIL does excellent reupholstery work and the owner was excited for her to put some of her chairs and projects in the shop. So as fast as that, we were on a waiting list. I was excited but not quite ready! It was always something I had wanted to try, but wasn't sure if it was worth the expense/time/etc. Splitting the rent with my MIL took some of the scariness out of it!

Well our wait wasn't long. By the next week we were told a booth was available. It was kind of an odd shaped booth in the back of the store. The owner assured us she wanted us to move 'up' as soon as possible but we were fine with the smaller size. Especially since we had no idea what we were doing.

Being the thrifter extraordinaire that I am (ahem ahem) I had a large backlog of vintage things to price and put in the booth. We scrambled for fixtures, bookcases, tables...and moved in. When we finished, my first thought was 'We need more STUFF!!'. It's amazing how a booth just swallows up your items, even if you think you have a lot of stuff.

Here's that first booth..after we had stocked it for a bit. And my MIL had gotten some chairs into it. I was never quite satisfied with that booth, the awkward shape made it hard to put in furniture, and it was dark. But we were selling things and learning a lot. And we didn't have to hide back there long. A month later we were told there was an opening at the very front of the store and the owner wanted us to have it!

The move had to be done pretty quickly since it's not good for business to have upheaval for a long time. Again, a scramble to find a few more fixtures and we moved. This spot is brighter, bigger and altogether nicer. We moved our stuff and I thought "We need more STUFF!!".

It's all an ongoing process. Here's the new booth recently. I spent time there on Monday moving things around which is vital in the booth world. Please excuse the naked dress form. She is fully clothed now. The sweater that was on her sold and I forgot to bring new clothing!

We're still learning. I've learned that it's a LOT of work. Staging and foofing is NOT my strong suit. So the items are pretty much just there. The inventory is mostly mine at this point. MIL acknowledged that finding things that will sell and finding them at the right price is harder than it seems. She's leaving that to me and she'll focus on the furniture projects.

So far we've made a profit every month. We've learned that in our location, the items that are $20 or less sell the best. People in this economy want 'deals', even (or maybe especially) for their unnecessary, decorative items. My great, super fab items get sold online..where I can get the price their worth. But the booth has items that are still very good...all of it is sellable online. So if we decide the booth scene is not for us, I'll still have an outlet for all this STUFF!!

This Weekend's Finds

2011-07-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

I realized I hadn't done a 'Finds" post in awhile. So here you go.

Ran out this morning to get some groceries and of course mapped out a few yard sales before I left.
Managed to score a bit of vintage...and at great prices!

The picture above shows a Portland, OR bottle crate, some crystal and silver S&P shakers, a 1965 Syroco mirror, an unsigned sweater guard (my first!!), Tragedy/Comedy clip earrings, a large Deco style botle with cork, vintage Mother/Father mugs and some divided stainless serving trays. Here's a better picture:

They are by Lundtofte Denmark. So Danish Modern. Love it. Most of these I see are from Japan..so it was cool to find a couple Danish ones. If I see something vintage and from Denmark..I always pick it up. More about that later.

Also in the top picture is an AMAZING gooseneck lamp. It has a cast iron base which is very Art Deco. Check it out.

See the little grooves for pencils? And for paper clips? Cool beans. Someone painted it red along the way..but I think that just makes it cool-er!!

Last night we went to Goodwill and I found these 2 items. The shoes are Made In Italy. I always double check Italian shoes on the Internet from my phone. These are Thierry Rabotin. Nice. Some of their shoes new are over $300. While I won't get anything near that on Ebay, it'll still be a sweet flip.

I also found this bowl. Looks like nothing much. But I saw 'Denmark". Remember my rule? I bought it without checking. And I'm glad I did. It's a Krenit Denmark bowl from the 1950s with a red enamel interior. The designer was Herbert Krenchel if I'm not mistaken. Look at what this huge lot went for at an auction earlier this year.
What about you? Have you found anything that gets your pulse racing lately?

See more finds at Thrift Share Monday over at Apron Thrift Girl.

Some Days It's All Uphill

2011-07-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

We live pretty close to the base of Mt Rainier. Recently, we went on a walk within the National Park boundary. It was about 4pm, so we didn't have any big ambitions..just take a walk in the woods. We ended up walking about 6.5 miles total. The path for the most part was level. Then Hubby felt we should take a detour. There was a previously unexplored (by us) trail that led to an abandoned mine entrance. It was only 1/4 mile. No biggie.

Our group happily plunged into the forest on the narrow trail. Then the trail went straight....up. And up and up. I have no idea how many vertical feet the trail went in just a 1/4 mile. But it was pretty intense. I was not ready for it. And honestly, I'm not in shape at all. (It's called Ebay Butt, if you're interested) The first really steep leg of a switchback got me good. I had to sit down. I wasn't sure I could go on. Then Hubby retraced his steps a bit, along with Little Man. LM is 4. He SKIPPED up the mountain. LM said, "Come on Mama, let's go!!". So I did. It's always nice to have a hiking buddy. Or cheerleader. Or someone to make you feel lame and so you carry on out of shame. Whatever works.
So I was thinking later (after my heart stopped pounding out of my ears) how working from home can be like my day of hiking.
You're on a roll. Steadily working. In my case, ReSelling online. Acquiring inventory, cleaning, photographing, listing, shipping. You're going ahead at a pretty good clip.

Then you're detoured. You try to keep going and it seems impossible. Everything slows down. You just can't find the motivation to carry on. Sales taper off, inventory piles up and overwhelms you, summer beckons.

What can you do?
You need a 4 year old to say "Come on Mama...let's GO!!"
In a manner of speaking.

Join a group. There's a free group that I'm part of, called Ebay Underground. It's a great place for cheerleading and inspiration. The board is full of experienced and new ReSellers who share their questions, successes, finds, Whoo-hoo sales and more. You can list your goals and find some encouragement. Find information on new things to look for and sell. Come check us out!
Find a listing buddy. Do you know another ReSeller? My MIL has an Etsy shop, 3MontanaGirls. In an email recently, she discussed her lack of motivation to list. We decided to share our goals on a daily basis and then at the end of each day, report in. She was a bit hesitant at first, so I encouraged her to just set small goals. Goals are great because even if you don't reach them, whatever you do is more than if you hadn't set the goal at all.
Take a break. Honestly, sometimes your brain/body is telling you that you need a break. Take it. Enjoy it. Just don't make it too long. :)

So what do you do when you hit an uphill patch? How do you get motivated again?

Back to Business

2011-06-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a very nice, relaxing vacation. Caught up with family and friends. Now it's back to work! I came back from the 2 week trip ready to go. Nothing like a listing hiatus to recharge the batteries!

We got home mid-day yesterday and the first question was...where do I begin!?! I knew that jet lag would set in early evening, so Hubby and I decided that shipping was the first order of business. As you can see from the above picture, we had a few things sell while we were away. I have 3 more little packages to do up and add to that pile.

It took me awhile to figure out how to handle the vacation and the status of my stores. In the end, I did what I normally do, which seems to work fine. I put my stores on 'vacation mode' with my listings still visible. When I get sales, I immediately email the customer, double checking that they noticed the vacation notice. Then I state that I will promptly ship on...(whatever date, in this case June 30th). I try to avoid language like, "I can't ship until...". I try to focus on the positive. "We will ship promptly on June 30th".

If I receive an offer on an item, I send a counter offer with a note. Even if my counter offer is only 1 cent different, I send it with a similar note as above. I tell them that if the delay is okay with them, to go ahead and accept the offer.

Most of my buyers responded back with a 'No problem. I saw (or didn't see) the notice. It's fine, have a great trip'. I will probably email everyone again today, reminding them of the vacation, and assuring them that their packages are shipping as promised.

This only works since I had continuous access to the internet on this trip. It may not work for every vacation. Communication is the key. It's a bit of work, but I was glad to have made about $250 while I was away.

So what's next? LISTING, of course. I had a bit of a backlog before I left and then of course I thrifted like a crazy woman while on the trip. And hubby was available to go with me, so we had DOUBLE the finds. Get this, we came home with TWO extra suitcases!!

I will share some of my finds once they are unpacked, but here are a few things that I should have listed before I left and didn't get to it. I will try to do them today.

I have 3 similar Reyn Spooner Hawaiian shirts that need to get listed yesterday.

And I found these 2 Illy Collection espresso cups. They are great sellers...and no one had these particular ones listed when I left.

Ok, ok..I'll stop yammering and get to work! I'll share some of my vacation finds later on this week when they're unpacked.

The Recycle-ista is On Vacation!!

2011-06-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry! I meant to share this tidbit before I left...but you know how packing and last-minute stuff goes!

We are back on the East Coast visiting family and will be back at the end of the month. I promise to share about my booth in the antique store when I get back. :)

Also, I've been thrifting...but have not been finding anything SUPER-DUPER great....wait, I take that back! I found a Dansk Kobenstyle pot. My first. It's yellow and it's without a lid. Still pretty exciting.

Can't wait to catch up on all your finds when I get back as well!!

Happy thrifting!

SIMPLIFY

2011-06-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

Simplify.
This is something I have a hard time with. I don't think I'm alone.

Back in March, look at what I was doing...trying to figure out how to balance FOUR online stores!! What was I thinking? I think I have unrealistic expectations. But I'm not beating myself up. Because at least I tried.

But I don't think it's working for me.

What I've realized is that I focus on my Ebay listings and my main Etsy store, Vyeshi. So I've made the decision to close down my other Etsy shops.

It doesn't really mean I'll be any less busy. I'll still list buttons and jewelry...but probably in Vyeshi, or on Ebay. I think I was spreading myself and my listings too thin.

Of course, I talk all about simplifying and in the next breath I'll tell you that I've opened a booth in an antique mall. ha! Oh well, there's more to that and I'll tell you about that next time.

What about you? How do you keep yourself focused?

Vintage Glimpse~The Lost Art of Postage Stamp Messaging

2011-05-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this delightful book from 1919, Love Letters Made Easy by Gabrielle Rosiere. The opening words of the foreward are "What magic in the words "a love letter," and is there any one who does not thrill at the enchanting prospect of receiving one?". Even in this electronic age, I don't think those words are any less true.

One of the first things that caught my attention in this book was in the first chapter, "Silent Messengers of Love". There I discovered the lost art of Postage Stamp Messaging.

Did you know the location and position of your postage stamp on your envelope could carry great meaning?

For example,
Upside down, on the left corner-- I love you.
Same corner, crosswise-- My heart is another's.

Straight up and down-- Good-by Sweetheart.

Upside down, on the right corner-- Write no more
In the left hand corner-- I hate you.
Bottom corner, at the left-- I seek your acquaintance.
On the right-hand corner, at a right angle--Do you love me?
Top corner , at the right-- I wish your friendship
On the line with the surname-- Accept my love
On the line with the surname, upside down-- I am engaged.
At right angle, same place-- I long to see you
In the middle , at right hand edge-- Write immediately.
In the center, at the top-- Yes
In the center, at the bottom-- No

Whew, I'm kinda glad the postal system has regulated this. Not sure if I could handle getting an envelope with the stamp in the left hand corner. It would have ruined my day.

Can you imagine what Gabrielle would think of today's correspondance via text messaging, social media and email? Now all it takes is a quick text "Itz not U, itz Me" and you're done! Guess not much has changed after all, come to think of it.

Love Letters Made Easy is in my Etsy Shop, Vyeshi.

Linking up to Coloradolady's Vintage Thingies Thursday!!

With My Sincerest Apologies

2011-05-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

What a dry spell!!! Of blog posts that is. I do have things to write about...but no TIME!! I'll try to be better, I promise!!

We've got some traveling coming up and I recently opened a booth in an antique store..so I owe you all a lot of catching up! I've been busy trying to stock the booth..it's slow going...and I'm not the best merchandiser in the world..so it's a learn-as-I-go process. My MIL signed up for the booth for both of us..so I may not have been completely ready. (lol...understatement of the year!!)

But it's been fun. Gotta get things priced and into there today too. See if anything else sold.

And I've been neglecting my listing too. That's today's task.

I call it "LISTMANIA"!!! (use your best WWF voice when you say that....in your head please)

What's been going on with all of you??

ReSelling Mental Blocks

2011-05-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

Isn't this fabric amazing? Super, super cute. Vintage, of course. I am not good with fabrics, so I have no idea how to describe it. It reminds me of terry cloth...but a lot thinner. Couldn't pass it up. There's quite a bit..and I got it for about $1.

Anyway, where my mental block comes in is when it comes time to sell vintage fabrics. I have a bin full of vintage novelty fabrics and vintage character sheets. I am actually pretty good about NOT buying more sheets. Although I see them all time. I just have a hard time making myself LIST the ones I already have. I have no idea why. I haven't done that well selling character sheets..but I know it's because I've only listed like 2, ever. I know if I list more, I will sell more. And I need to clear that bin.

And I don't know WHERE to list my novelty fabrics. Etsy? Seems logical, vintage+kitschy+craft supply. But will they sit for awhile? Would Ebay be faster?

See what I mean? I don't hem and haw over all my other listings. So what's my block?

Do you have any niche that you have a hard time bringing yourself to list?

I Am Now Part of 'The Collective'

2011-05-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Doesn't that sound serious? Well, it is. Serious about Pyrex, that is. I've been allowed to join The Pyrex Collective II!

After a rigorous application and screening process (I sent an email and I was in), I was invited to join!

I just wrote my first post...go check it out!!

Collecting Bakelite

2011-04-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

When I come across a button stash and make it my own, my first thought is, are there any Bakelite buttons in here? Bakelite is an early plastic and highly collectible in its many forms.

Bakelite was used widely for game pieces, billiard balls, phones, jewelry, buttons and more. The later development of other plastics makes it sometimes hard to tell at first glance if an object is made from Bakelite or not.

However there is a fairly simple test and I wrote about it here:

How To Tell if Your Vintage Buttons are Bakelite

This test should work on anything Bakelite, not just buttons. Of course, this test has to be done at home. But what can you do while out thrifting to identify Bakelite. Well, once you've handled a few pieces of Bakelite, you'll start to recognize it. I also further narrow it down by a few simple questions:

~ Is there a seam or mold mark? If so, it's not Bakelite. Bakelite was carved, not molded and seamed.

~What does it smell like? If the piece doesn't have a seam, my next step is to rub the bracelet or whatever piece it is with my thumb briskly to warm it up. Then I smell it. I really try to do this unobtrusively for obvious reasons. If it smells chemical-like, like formaldehyde, most likely it's Bakelite. Once you have a few confirmed pieces, do this test and smell them. The smell will stay with you and you'll recognize it out in 'the field'.

If the piece passes these two tests, I usually take a chance to bring it home and confirm it with my Simichrome test mentioned in the above article.

Doing this, I've also uncovered some Bakelite bracelets, earrings and beads.

I've also found some Bakelite handled kitchen utensils, a Bakelite hand loom, and some Bakelite dice but one of my thrifting dreams is to find a Bakelite radio! Let me know what Bakelite items you find!

A Recycle-ista Happily Ever After

2011-04-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

This is the first of a (hopefully) continuing series on my blog called "A Recycle-ista Happily Ever After". Selling vintage and supplies in my Etsy shop, Vyeshi, I often wonder what happens to the pieces I sell. Sometimes I find out!
It all started when my husband came home from a remodeling job with these incredible pieces of vintage hardware.

Some bifold closet doors were being replaced and these original knobs were being discarded. Hubby knows better, so he brought them home to me and I listed them on Etsy.
A couple weeks later, they were purchased by fellow Etsy sellers from North Carolina, The Velvet Branch. With their payment came this note:
"We are going to use these on a custom painted cabinet we're doing for a client. :-) Super excited about them!"
Well, that got me 'super excited' as well! I quickly replied and begged a picture of the finished product.
Yesterday, I got these pictures via email.

Isn't that exciting?
The story of this cabinet is in the photo album of their Facebook page:

"This was a rustic, stained wood cabinet and we turned it into a modern, Asian inspired cabinet. We painted it black with a matte finish and then painted a geometric design on the top and sides in a glossy finish. This created a pattern that was bold, yet subtle because it only shows when the light hits it. Finishing it off are those fantastic vintage copper pulls."

According to The Velvet Branch blog, the new owner LOVES it, and so do I.

This is what the Recycleista is all about! Rescuing vintage hardware and giving new life to an older piece of furniture. Definitely a Recycle-ista Happily Ever After!!

Industrial Estate Sale Finds

2011-04-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

I promised on the last post, that I had some estate sale finds from last weekend to share with you. This week has been so crazy with taxes and such, that I didn't blog nearly as much as I wanted to. Well, I'm planning on finishing the taxes today, so I'll be able to catch up next week.

Anyway, I stopped in at an estate sale on Saturday that was very frustrating. Frustrating, because I had $10 cash and about 10 minutes to look. And the house was packed. Full of vintage loveliness. I don't think the owner had purchased anything new after 1970.

So with my 10 minutes I snagged the little metal chest in the above picture.

It has 4 drawers with different dividers. I know my Etsy peeps will love it...but for now it's on my shelf above my desk where I can look at it. And it's got some goodies in it that the people running the sale included for free.

There are some drafting pencils that I've researched. They date to the 1950s. (Google is amazing) There were some other pieces that I wasn't completely sure how to identify. Finally I discovered that they were for calligraphy...they were dip pens. Just wooden, nothing super special. But I remembered that there were some calligraphy nibs attached to the package at the sale. If I wasn't convinced I needed to return, that convinced me.

So next day, I hit the ATM and jetted back to the sale. And it was 50% off day!

So I got the pen parts I wanted and then had time to poke around.

I got the rest of the industrial type things in the top picture. A super cool railroad style lantern, a flywheel of some kind, a brayer and an old folding measuring stick.

Hit the library and found some gardening books from the 1940s and some mid-century decorating books.

Some mid-century silverware by Epic.

And some smalls.

Some tole-painted candlestick holders.

A deer.

German Eau de Cologne, new in package.

Then there was a mid-century napkin or letter holder, some vintage drawer hardware and another little ornate mirror.

It was so much fun. Craigslist isn't showing much happening this weekend, so I don't think I'll repeat my success. But I'm behind in listing, so that's probably a good thing!!

F-U-N spells Thrifting!!

2011-04-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with my finds this weekend. Of course, I always have fun when I'm thrifting, except when I don't find anything good. Okay, that's not true. The hunt is fun too.

Went out to a few sales on Friday and the first was tagged as an Estate Sale on Craigslist. It really was, too...which is always a nice surprise. Not a scraggly yard sale trying to puff itself up by calling itself an estate sale. The previous owner of the things I found had run a store out of her little shed and so I scored this lot of sign making supplies. Letters for DAYS!! Fun, fun, Etsy stuff.

The same sale yielded a few other fun finds. A metal industrial drawer from a small cabinet. One drawer only. I love finding things like this because most of the time the people running the sale are shaking their heads thinking "Why are we even trying to sell this thing??" and are further stymied when I buy it!! It usually leads to super low prices and this was no exception. Also a vintage Tiki vase and a small planter marked USA.

Then I hit a sale that yielded this FUN find.

A vintage, early 90s mobile cellular phone by Nokia. This thing is HEAVY. It's designed for a car, not to strap around your neck like I originally pictured. Love it! Also got some Levi 501s and a nice hardcover copy of The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

The next sale cracked me up because it was labeled "Man Sale" on the sign. Even though I already have a man, I decided to see what was up for offer. There was a small added sign that said, "Girl Stuff Too". As I walked up to the sale, the somewhat crusty man running it said, 'sorry, I don't have too many girly things.' I replied that it was okay, that I didn't mind. I'm thinking, 'I just bought vintage electronics...you'd be surprised'. But I was also spotting this silverplate chest and pieces on the other side of his driveway.

I beelined over and started looking at the loose pieces of flatware. The owner said, "Oh that's just the cheap plated stuff". I said, "Oh, I know, I just love looking at the patterns". Which is true. I have a silverplate collection that rivals my button collection. Can't pass it up.

Then I opened the chest and discovered this beautiful set by Rogers...with lots of extra serving pieces.

I asked him what he was asking for the chest and he said, "Give me $20 and you can have every piece of silver on that table!!" Including the dishes and loose flatware. I have never whipped out a $20 that fast in my life! He said he knew I'd appreciate it and it will clear up space in his garage. He also said I was his best customer so far!! At a MAN SALE.
I've done some research since I brought all this loveliness home. The set in the box is from 1940 and is called "Beloved". Sigh.
Then in all the 'cheap plated stuff' was this spoon.

I paid attention to it since it had the name "Olsen" and various hallmarks. One of the hallmarks shows its from Denmark and is sterling silver!! Score!!

I'll say it again...

F-U-N spells thrifting!!
(I haven't even gotten to the amazing estate sale I went to this weekend. Stay tuned later on this week!)
Linking up to:

Awesome ReSource for ReSellers and a Contest

2011-04-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

Over there <----- on the side of my blog, you may have seen the link to "Ebay Underground" under resources. I think it deserves its own post and a bit of an explanation.

Ebay Underground is a Facebook group made up of online ReSellers who freely share tips and information. The amount of knowledge on there is staggering. And it's FREE! The group was started by several experienced Ebay sellers (although Etsy, Bonanzle, Addoway, etc...Sellers are also welcome!) who wanted to share information.

Ebay Underground is not a 'snarky' board. Any and all questions are welcomed. It's also very active. If I have a question, I can post a question and know that someone will have the answer and respond quickly.
It's a fabulous way to pool knowledge.
We cover the technical aspects of selling, as well as WHAT to sell. Things that we've personally had experience/success with.
So come on over and request to join. There are tons of threads to read through, as well as several Google docs with more information.

And best of all, right now there's a fantabulous GIVEAWAY! When Ebay Underground, or Ebug, reaches 400 members (it's really close now), there is a great prize ready to be given. You just need to join and tell people you did! Details are here.
And here's the official contest thread. But read through the details first, so you know what to do.

Feel free to join and leave a comment here to let me know you did! I'm just curious. Remember, to enter the contest you have to follow the directions in the details above.

Let the Season Begin!!

2011-04-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Whew. I didn't think I'd make it to yard sale season! After weeks of NO sales, and horrible rainy weather, seeing at least a few yard sale signs gave me a wonderful feeling.

I started out by checking Craigslist and noted that there was a professionally run estate sale in my small town that started at 8 on Saturday. I'm totally not hard core yet, so I wasn't sure if I'd be there right at 8...I'm not really into fighting with other dealers. Maybe I need to be, if I want the REALLY good stuff. But I got there about 9:45 and was happy with what I found.

I also realized that at least in my small town, my competition is small. I didn't even see any other dealers at the sale. True, the place wasn't full of antiques, and it probably helps that I'm not looking for the same thing everyone else is.

I loved the prices too!! When I saw this red toolbox marked at $1, I knew it was my kind of sale!!

Isn't it cute? "Mom's Very Own Toolbox"

Found a few more things, this little Baby Ben clock, the "Empress Telephone" circa 1974 pictured above, and a GE clock radio I forgot to take a picture of.

A basket to carry it all in....

There was this AMAZING vintage dress made from Zephyr wool. Have no idea what that is.

Some vintage patterns and a Moto-Cross Embroidery patch.

This was a different sale, but I have to show it. Believe it or not, it was from a daycare closing its doors sale. I got some toys and things, but also grabbed this gooseneck lamp with DIMMER knob. How cool is that?

And then this lovely pair were from a yard sale I stopped at yesterday. We were in the boonies, and followed some signs up this LONG driveway. The sale was inside and looked kinda sketchy, so I made Hubby come with. It was interesting. This woman had set up a thrift store in her house. Some stuff was overpriced but I couldn't resist these lovelies.

I'm late to the party, but I'm linking up to Thrift Share Monday at Apron Thrift Girl.

Listing Challenge for April

2011-04-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Apron Thrift Girl has a new Listing Challenge starting up for April. I decided to join. First time. Accountability can be a good thing. We'll be checking in mid-month and then the end of the month to see how we are doing and how we did on our goals.

This is what I posted for my goals:
"Ok- ~I'd like to get my listings on Ebay over 100 and over 50 on at least 2 of my 3 Etsy stores.

~I would like to have at least 10 days of the month where I sell at least $100 worth. A hundred dollar day makes me happy.

~I'd also like to catch up on some of my backlog of items to list before shopping for more. So when I DO shop (cause I will) I will only focus on high ticket items."

April is going to be a crazy busy month. I've got some personal commitments that will take up a lot of my weekends and some mid-week time. But, I don't know. Sometimes when I'm busier, I get more done. No lolly-gaggin. (a Mom word).

I've also talked with a friend that I'm 'hiring' to help out for a few hours this month. I know we'll get TONS done in those couple hours. It will keep me on task and she'll be learning a bit about ReSelling as well.

So if you feel like some goal-setting and accountability, feel free to join up! Or just play along here. What would YOU like to accomplish this month??

Hiding in Plain Sight--An Inventory Storage Solution

2011-03-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know this won't work for everything I re-sell...not sure I want 7 cashmere sweaters, knife blocks, Keens, Danskos or vintage needlework kits to be strewn all over my shelves and dressers.

But there are some items (especially vintage) that I don't mind having out to 'display'.

I have a couple bookcases in my bedroom that are full and pretty much all of those books are for sale. Throw on a vintage typewriter, electric fan, a jar of buttons and some tins..and your inventory can be 'stored'...in plain sight!

An added benefit is that when I find something I really LOVE, I can get a few months enjoyment out of it before it's time to move it on. And then I can get something else. The fun never ends. And there's nowhere it says you have to list something right away. Like my vintage glass-key Royal typewriter...that may just sit there for awhile...a long while.

There are also other storage options. Above my desk, which is disgustingly piled up with stuff, I have a vintage suitcase with storage possibilities. And a duck paint-by-number that I can enjoy until it sells.

Another vintage suitcase (did I mention I have about 8?) holds the silverware pieces that I've already listed. It doubles as decor next to my fave chair.

This trunk is on my landing. There is a ginormous skylight above it and it is where I take all my product pictures. It is a studio backdrop as well as storage. Guess what's inside? You won't believe it. Buttons and notions. And it's almost full. But no one has to know. I am a button-hoarding crazy lady and no one knows.

My apartment is still a work in progress and I'm imagining more possibilites. A DIY picture frame/cork board with pins could hold vintage jewelry. More jars with buttons. I still need to unpack my vintage cameras. Thrifted ones for sale can join them.

This, of course, doesn't solve ALL of my storage issues. I have the ubiquitous plastic shelving with clear plastic bins that most resellers have. Can't avoid it. But this way is a lot more fun!

What are some of your creative storage solutions?

I Love Me Some Starbucks...

2011-03-28T14:10:00.001-07:00

...and apparently so does the rest of the world.

Most of my sales of Starbucks mugs have been international lately. It started off with this older logo mug (see above) that my MIL found at the thrift. Sales on the older logo mugs didn't seem to hot, so we stuck a high price on it and she said she'd keep it if it didn't sell. I mentioned the new, 2011, change of logo in the listing and something to the effect of the collectibility increasing.

Couple weeks later, SOLD! Full asking price to Japan. $50. That's what I'm talking about.

Then in the past few weeks I've sold a mug to France,

Great Britain,

and just today, to South Africa!

Back a few years ago when I was stepping up my Ebay selling, I was really into selling Starbucks things. I mean, I live near Seattle, the birthplace!! Starbucks items are fairly common at the thrifts and yard sales. And collecting was HOT. The famous Icon mug series from 1994...found me a couple of those and did fairly well. Never Minneapolis well, but more than a few bucks. What? You hadn't heard of the Minneapolis 1994 Starbucks Icon mug? Well, I guess they are pretty rare (they were pulled early due to a copyright issue)...and people who collect the series want them ALL. So one auction of a Minneapolis Starbucks mug I watched ended at....are you ready?

$1,100.00!!!! I heard a later one went for over $2Gs.

(photo from www.fredorange.com)
I've always got one eye peeled for that cherry!!

I think this calls for an upcoming post about the collectibility of Starbucks and the different series to look for. Stay tuned.

Branding...Part 2

2011-03-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

As you can see...I've changed it up already.

Like I said, not sure the owls were ME...seems like ME is more ME. Actually.

What's the verdict?

Branding

2011-03-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Branding is not something I know a whole lot about. The ideas behind marketing, selling yourself, etc...not my forte.
In the past when I joined a social media site, or opened a new store...I just kinda picked an avatar I liked or a name that struck me at the moment. Never gave a thought to cohesiveness.
But I'd like to change that to a certain extent. I'd like to have one 'look' that says "Recycle-ista". Still working on it.
So, I made a new blog banner. What do you think?
Not sure OWLS are really ME, although these are darn cute. But they're not MINE, really. I took a picture of some vintage stationery. Added my title. That's about the extent of my graphic design.
So don't be surprised if the banner and look of the blog changes a few more times in the next weeks. I'll be trying things out until I find something that is ME.

Second Chances

2011-03-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, when I was posting my finds, I mentioned a brooch at the thrift store that I had noticed, but hadn't purchased. Then I got home, researched, and (mentally) kicked myself. The thrift was closed for a couple days, so I returned early yesterday to see if the brooch was still there.
I walked in and there's a woman at the jewelry cabinet, HOLDING MY BROOCH! I saw her put it down but I knew it wasn't safe yet.
Since there really wasn't room to hover, I decided to check out the rest of the store and check for my other near-miss. A Polaroid Cool Cam I had seen another day. I had managed to remember at home to check sales on those. This one was red, which was a good thing. As you can see from the picture below, it was still there. I know, I know, RED! Total coolness. Not sure why I didn't snatch it up the first time. (Thank goodness for slow turnover at my favorite little thrift!)

I wandered around and picked up a few things and then headed back to the jewelry cabinet. The interloper was gone, and I quickly found my brooch.
Big let down. Closer examination revealed missing stones.
But, being the intrepid thrifter that I am, I still found these other items.

A Mickey Mouse Lorus watch, a spoon locket pendant signed ART (just like the owl), a cool unsigned pendant with herons(?), and a vintage chain with interesting links. Oh and a heart shaped perfume locket pendant.

The day revealed some more second chances. The night before I was at Goodwill, and saw this complete set of My Book House. I'd seen random volumes of these before, but hadn't really researched. I checked Amazon quickly on my phone and liked what I saw. But these were a new version (reprint) and I didn't have time to research more thoroughly. Some of the volumes are still SEALED.
My gut said "get them", but I didn't have a cart and the store was closing. Yada, yada. So I went back Tuesday morning, and yes, they were still there. Now they are mine, and soon (hopefully) to be someone else's.
My second chances don't always work out so well. Usually when my gut says 'buy!' and I don't, the item isn't there the next time. So, I'm slowly learning to trust my gut. As you can see, I've still got aways to go.

Have you ever had a second chance on a thrift store item?

Goodwill Had a Sale This Weekend

2011-03-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

Not sure why. They just decided to do 30% off all donated goods for Friday and Saturday. I was underwhelmed. Slim pickings, or maybe I just wasn't 'into' it. But I went and I guess I found more things than I remembered. I won't bore you with my bread and butter pickins. Such as the NWT Quacker Factory sweater, Under Armour shirt, CAbi jacket, vintage hot rollers, etc. These are my 'bread and butter' items since I can flip them and they pay the (some) bills.
No, I'll just show you my fun stuff...some of this I got at my favorite thrift, not at Goodwill.
The top picture up above are the 4 Pottery Barn candle holders I found first thing at Goodwill. Think I'll keep 2 and share 2.

Fabric leftovers. Have a project idea for one of these. Otherwise they can go to my Etsy shop. They are a funky vintage burlap..but I love the floral pattern.

Vintage spiral Golden Preschool Learning books. For my Little Man. He has to look at them nicely so I can resell them later. It's amazing how early kids get the concept. "Are you gonna sell dese, Mama?"

Amazing vintage vanity hand mirror. Goes with my amazing vintage vanity. I still have to blog about that one. Someday, when it's clean. And I can photo it without my reflection getting in it. Or my unmade bed in the background.

Way cool vintage Polaroid with rainbow stripe. Hint: always look for the rainbows!! Comes with soft vinyl case and flash bar and manual. Found at...favorite thrift..not Goodwill!

And these are the little owl pendants I grabbed at my favorite thrift. Got home and found the imperfections. Looks like the enamel owl (signed ART) is missing his tail. DUH!!! And Jumbo owl (unsigned) has some finish issues. So I think I'll sell 'em together and they can be repurposed. I passed up another pendant that I should have grabbed. These owls could've stayed there and I should have gotten the other pendant. It was gaudy. It was signed. It was blingy. What was I thinking?? Or NOT thinking? Oh well. Gotta have the misses to appreciate the hits. But on the bright side...that thrift is closed Sunday and Monday so I'll be there first thing on Tuesday to hopefully reverse my miss!

Linking up to Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday! Come on over!

Finders Keepers

2011-03-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

I think, as ReSellers, we sometimes get caught up in the whole ReSelling process and making a profit, that we forget to shop for ourselves.
Wait.
No, that's not true. I totally know when I want to keep something.
Like turquoise Pyrex. The pink is really cool too...I found both pieces close together and was debating which color to focus on collecting. Since my kitchen is non-existant at the moment I'm trying to create a look in my head. (which I'm not very good at) It will feature vintage pieces, though. And I'm liking turquoise. (plus yesterday I found a turquoise Amish Butterprint butter dish!!) I figure I'll collect what I like for awhile..then when the kitchen is done...sometime this century...I can make my final decisions and sell the rest!

Here's some more finders keepers items...

Linking up to Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday

Fun Finds

2011-03-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite small, private thrift stores in WA was replaced with a Goodwill right before I moved to NC. They promised to let the customers know if they found a new place to rent. Fast forward a year and a half, here we are, back in WA, and I got a phone call. Store opening in new location March 1st!! Whoo hoo! And even closer to my house.
So I went, March 1st, to celebrate the grand opening and of course, SHOP!

I couldn't believe it when I found the above pieces of Franciscan Starburst. I almost fell over. They had them on their shelves of 'more valuable' items. But they were still priced lower than they would be at Goodwill. I put the creamer on Etsy and it sold overnight. The water pitcher is a bit more chippy, and I'm running an auction on Ebay here, just for fun.

Found this vintage Lisner clip earring and necklace set. Thermoset plastic. Sweet! It's going into my Grandma's Drawers shop, hopefully today.

Also found these small ornate metal frames. I've sold these before and they are listed in my Etsy shop.

And a 1918 version of Gray's Anatomy! Falling apart but with awesome engravings. Already sold.

I was on a roll, so I picked up this set of Siam Sterling cufflinks and tie bar. Still researching a bit. Haven't found much about it...not the figural type like these are.

What I love most about this thrift store is the prices. I also picked up a couple embroidery kits, some fabric, some vintage wooden cat figurines from Japan, a full service for 4 of Reed and Barton silverware, plus extras, some Mid Century Modern candlesticks and some more jewelry. My 2 sales I've had so far (the book and the creamer) have already covered the cost of ALL the items. Everything else is gravy.

Portrait of a Family

2011-02-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

So I thought I'd follow up right away with the story of the pictures from yesterday's post while it's all still fresh in everyone's mind.
So, like I said, I found these photos at a booth at the Antiques and Collectibles show in Ocean Shores, WA. I love old photos and the price was right, so I picked out a few from the vendor's shoebox.
I knew there were other old photo/cabinet card lovers on Etsy and so I listed the photos right from my hotel room that night.

The photo of the couple in wedding finery was taken in Salt Lake City, UT and had their names on the back, as well as the date, 1902.
The distinguished-looking gentleman had his portrait taken at a studio on Pennsylvania Ave, in Washington DC. I assumed he was a politician, or at least an aspiring one! His name was on the back also, and Google searching didn't reveal anything about him. I did however, learn more about a photographer who apprenticed to the owner of the photography studio....Oh the joys and distractions of Google!!

Monday morning, I wake up back at home and my couple cabinet card has sold! And there's a note: "These are my great-grandparents!!". What???

A longer email from the buyer peppered me with questions..where did I find the photo? Was the bearded gentleman's photo from the same place??

I replied as best I could and volleyed a few questions back in turn. Turns out, the couple HAD lived in WA for a bit, and the great-grandmother had passed away in a town not far from Ocean Shores. And a funny thing...her great-grandmother's maiden name was the SAME as the bearded gentleman's!! Too coincidental to not be a relative.

I also asked how she found my listing so quickly. She replied that a family history researcher in CA contacted her after doing some independant research on my listing and the names involved. So they got a phone call out of the blue saying that there was a listing they might be interested in. Awesome!

I did give her as much info about the vendor as I could, so hopefully she can track him down and get ahold of some more family photos!

My buyer had already purchased the one photo, and I threw the other one of their likely-relative in as well and shipped them off...back to family!

Linking up to Thrift Share Monday at Apron Thrift Girl...enjoy!!

A Thrifting Weekend

2011-02-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

So The Fam and I got a chance to get away this weekend...not too far, but to an easy, no-brainer, kinda getaway place: Ocean Shores, WA. It's a small coastal town where the highlights are go-carts and searching for intact sand dollars on the beach. (I found 3)
Every February, the local Convention Center hosts an Antiques and Collectibles show. Which is why we picked this past weekend for our jaunt.
The show is always fun to poke around, although my 3 year old kept asking, "where's the show? I wanna see the show!" I think he was expecting the vendors to break out into song and dance.

Found a few things among the booths that I decided to bring home. The old photos in the picture have their own story, which I'll tell in a future post.

The highlight of our thrifting happened, as it usually does, at the small thrift store that supports a local kitchen. It's right next door, as a matter of fact. I love this thrift store. The prices aren't marked, but most things are about .25 to .50!! Clothing and shoes are about a dollar. (Scored some Dr. Martens)

So I had my pile up on the counter...where the tally was at about $3.50 when I said "oh yeah, I have this typewriter" (props to Hubby for spotting it on a top shelf...I had some mysterious typewriter blindness when I was in that section) and the cashier said "ok..make it an even $5". Seriously?? A vintage MADE IN ITALY OLIVETTI manual typewriter for $1.50????

So I told Hubby..."Go get the other one too". He went and got the Mod looking Royal typewriter and I told the cashier to take $5 for it. It made me feel a bit better. I'll post a picture of that one later, when I get it listed.

We ended up at that thrift twice this weekend. The second time we got a few books to read and Hubby spotted some vintage Merrell cross country skiing boots. A recent pair sold for $60 on Ebay. Hubs was quite proud of himself and I guess he paid his way on this trip. :)

Of course we hit a few thrifts on the drive to and from and found a few interesting things. Some Bakelite handled kitchen pieces, vintage Max Factor cologne and some so-so clothing that was on the 3/$1 rack.

The hurricane winds and rain on Saturday gave way to a bit of sunshine on Sunday so we did actually get some fresh air. Little Man got to build his sandcastles and I looked for rocks and sand dollars. It was a good weekend.

I am linking up to Vintage Thingies Thursday...so head on over and check out some more vintage thingies!!

Follow-Up to the New Listing Plan

2011-02-09T11:29:00.000-08:00

As you may (or may not) remember from this post, I had come up with a new schedule for listing my items for sale online.
I have 4 online shops and balancing them all is tricky.
It's been almost 4 weeks I guess, so here are my thoughts so far.

Not sure if I like it.

Parts of it are great. The week I focused on jewelry, I felt fine. I didn't have any feelings of guilt that I wasn't listing elsewhere. And I got a lot done.

Then I started Ebay week #1. I wasn't going to do Weeks #1 and #2 consecutively, but that's what happened. I didn't feel like I accomplished enough the first week so I just kept going. Now I'm halfway through the next week and I'm still working on Ebay. It's making me feel overwhelmed.

I know I need to just stop and switch back to Etsy for vintage Vyeshi, but I keep thinking, I just need to list one more sweater....

And Etsy has had a few changes so I know it needs attention. Plus, the nature of the Etsy beast is that if you're not listing, you're not selling. Haven't had a button sale the whole month...cause I haven't been near Pish Posh Notions.

So I'm not sure what to do. Maybe hire someone? Create a clone?

Any ideas?

And DON'T say scale back because that would be admitting defeat.....

Division of Time

2011-01-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

One thing I've been battling with lately is balancing everything. Who isn't, right? Specifically, how to handle having 4 different online stores and keeping them stocked.
Add to it my short attention span...and I feel like a hummingbird, flitting from one flower to another. That word picture actually doesn't work, since hummingbirds have WAY more energy than I do. But the flitting idea is right...I do a little bit here and there in my shops, and then a few things sell, and I feel like I'm back to where I started.
So I have a new plan.
Stop the presses.
I have 4 stores. Three on Etsy and 1 on Ebay. I like it that way. I like having my different niches compartmentalized.
There are 4 weeks. See where this is going?
Actually, what I decided is that 1 week is not enough for Ebay. I make the most money there (at least in good months) so I think it will get 2 non-consecutive weeks.
So Pish Posh Notions (vintage buttons) and Grandma's Drawers (vintage jewelry) get to share a week and Vyeshi (vintage everything else) gets a week.
Within each store I will focus on different items. In Vyeshi, I sell vintage hardware, housewares, game pieces, ephemera, etc...So I could pick a few categories for the week and get stocked up. On Ebay, I sell clothing, mugs, housewares, silverware (don't get me started on my stash that needs de-stashing), shoes and whatever else I find.

This week I've been filling Grandma's Drawers. That doesn't sound good, but I hope you know what I mean.

Next week will be an Ebay week. I've got tons of clothing (some on consignment)that needs to be mannequin-ed, photo-ed and list-ed.

My only exception to my plan came from dear hubby. Sure, just when I have a PLAN, he has to come along and make it better. Great. His idea?: When we score an exceptionally good find...list it right away..wherever it goes.

Because the thrifting and treasure hunting goes on, unabated, of course. My schedule for that is: sure, let's go!

So when I found this Barbie Polaroid the other day...

I came home and listed it. And sold it a few hours later for $58.
Darn it, I hate it when hubby's right!

Another Vintage Typewriter- Olympia SM-4

2011-01-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

The vintage typewriters are just jumping off the shelves at the Goodwill and into my cart. There I was, investigating something on a shelf (now I can't even remember what it was) and out of the corner of my eye..I see the lovely space-age metal case.

I thought, "why am I wasting my time on this...this...(whatever it was)...thing? when I could be checking out this obviously awesome cool typewriter right next to it?"

And I knew, I just KNEW, that there was a cool vintage manual typewriter inside. How can a case like this hold anything BUT a seriously, wickedly awesome typewriter?

I even thought that there might be a RED *gasp* or even PINK *sigh* lovely in there..but alas...I had to settle for SEAFOAM GREEN *swoon*.

But what really sold me was all the little accessories and brushes tucked away inside the case. Who doesn't like bonuses??

If you remember from this post recently, I found a turquoise Remington Ten-Forty not long ago. I do have my pictures done, so they will be showing up in my Etsy shop in the near future.

Thrift Store Item: Wooden Knife Blocks

2011-01-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share another item I keep an eye out for while strolling the aisles of my favorite thrifts...wooden knife storage blocks. I've sold several of these in the past and it's been awhile since I picked one up. After having lived and thrifted on both coasts of the US, I'm discovering which items seem to be easily (and affordably) found where.

Knife blocks, as it turns out, are a West Coast thrift store find. At least, in my limited, regional experience.

Because, as with everything, brand is important! I saw knife blocks out East. Just not the brands I look for...or the styles.

I look for blocks by Wusthof (see above) and J.A.Henckels. Sometimes it's just the logo that's showing so it pays to get familiar with them. Wusthof has a little trident logo and Henckels has a logo of what looks like 2 men. I'll edit this post later and try to add a picture in.

Another vital point: The more slots the better!! The block above has 22. (and it swivels!! how cool is that?)

Knife blocks are heavy, so I usually ship via a US Priority Mail Flat Rate box. Medium or Large. And take photos of any damage or scratches.

I generally can sell the knife blocks between $20-40. Remember, the more slots the better!

I'm sure there are more knife block brands that would also do well, I need to do more research. If you know that the knives themselves are expensive, chances are the block is worth selling.

I also sell thrifted kitchen knives when I find them, but I'll save that for another day's post.

2010-12-27T14:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I am loving Picasa. I've been using it for awhile with my photos..editing and resizing for listing and emailing is so easy!

And they have this super cute little blog button that sends a photo straight to my blogspot blog...and I can do a quick post. I may even blog more often...imagine that!

So here you go. Mad cute tables that I scored at the Goodwill yesterday.

I think they will appear often in my Etsy shop listings..you can't beat them for a nifty photo backdrop!

What about you? Found anything cute for yourself while out thrifting lately?

Typewriter Love

2010-12-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

First of all, a quick apology for the lack of posting lately. I have moved cross country yet again! So we are back again in the beautiful (and wet) Pacific NW. As you can imagine, things are a bit topsy-turvy, so listing and thrifting and posting have gotten a little off track!

Just a quick show-off of what I found at Goodwill today. (they opened one in my town while I was away this last year!) I always check the vintage typewriters...they are pretty good sellers for me.

I look for:
coolness (check!)
retro-ness (check!)
cleanness (check!)
and an amazingly awesome retro color!! (check!)

I love this turquoise color!! It's a Remington Ten-Forty. It has its case and is pretty clean. Have to test it out still. But its color would make it a lovely piece of decor!

Yes, shipping can be a bit of a challenge if you want to sell a vintage typewriter online. But I found this great tutorial.
Lots of great vintage typewriter information on this site. He's also a buyer and restorer so it's definitely worth checking out his website if vintage typewriters interest you!

Quick Tip: Harris Tweed jackets

2010-11-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a great item to pick up at the thrift stores when you are out and about and looking for things to sell. Vintage Harris Tweed blazers are pretty sought after and can be a good 'flip'. The above one is a 3 button and in a brownish green which I think helped it to sell for $55.00 the same day I listed it! I've got 3 more to get listed too...better get busy!

The Vintage Fashion Guild is a great resource for learning the history of Harris Tweed, and viewing samples of labels.

Vacation Finds

2010-11-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

So as you fellow junkers/thrifters know, thrifting never takes a vacation. Traveling just means fresh territory in which to find some 'treasures'. Here's a few of the lovelies I found in the past 2 weeks on my 'vacation'.

Up top:
Altoids Tangerine Sours. I found 8 of these in a small discount grocery store. They are discontinued. On eBay, a lot of 3 was/is selling for $50!

Then hubby found this ExOfficio jacket New with tags(!!!) at the Goodwill.

At the same Goodwill he scored me these Remington Tight Curls. It SO helps to have a partner in crime at the thrift stores...you can divide and conquer!

One of my early finds was this sealed pack of Polaroid film. They go for about $25 a pack on Ebay. Plus it was nice and small and fit neatly into our luggage.

Also found some shoes which DON'T fit nicely into luggage, but we managed. The Tevas I'm sure you recognize..but the other brand is called Irregular Choice. I believe they are available at Anthropologie among other places.

Hit a small thrift store on the coast where everything was about 25 cents. Bunch of cute, funky things that will go into my Etsy store. There were a few craft booklets too that are still packed somewhere.

This last little grouping can't really be called 'finds'..or I guess they can, they're just not mine. My MIL is a TRUE junker and finds some amazing things. These items were gifts to us, with the purpose of us reselling them. It was her way of contributing to our trip out West...much more fun than a wad of cash, don't you think? Just a little more work. :)
Some good stuff in there...yes, those green bangle bracelets ARE Bakelite. She found them at a yard sale. Some other good, signed (and unsigned) costume jewelry, a Garfield mug and a huge solid brass key.

Well, time for me to get to work, wouldn't you say? This stuff won't list itself!

Silverplate Update

2010-10-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hey that rhymes! Silverplate Update. I guess I have the name of my silverware blog whenever I start one....like never.

Just a quick update since I have a list THIS long (you'll have to imagine the gesture) of things I should be working on...like LAST YEAR's taxes. (Oct 15th is just as annoying as April 15th). But anyway.

So I have most of the flatware from the box (see post below) researched and identified. I have about 1/2 listed. One listing is a fairly big lot, and a few smaller lots. Here's what's listed. If you want to see the listings, they are here.

And so far....

I've sold one lot!! Whoo hoo for me. It's a start.

This is the set that sold.

It sold for $9. Not bad. And it sold pretty quickly.

Silverware (unless it's a high demand pattern...which most of these are not) is like a lot of things on Ebay. It's a waiting game. Gotta wait for the right person to come along.

Thanks for checking in!

The Silverplate Challenge

2010-10-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

I found this set of silverplate flatware at a Goodwill awhile back. I paid a bit more than I'm usually comfortable with, but I did it. Getting ready for our (small) yard sale that's happening next Saturday, this case got unearthed again.

I'm not even going to go into the mountains of unlisted items that also got unearthed...that's a whole 'nother depressing blog post.

Anyway, I've had this idea for a bit..to do a silverplate challenge. I'd like to just focus on the pieces in this one box and see what I can 'flip' it for. It will either be a dismal failure or a break even attempt...or maybe, just maybe, a huge success. And you get to share it with me! Aren't you fortunate?

The box has a mixed lot. There are 1847 Rogers Bros pieces as well as Oneida Community..which, incidentally, is why I paid what I did. Those are good brands in the silverplate flatware world. Condition is mostly good..there is some plate loss on some pieces ..but we'll see if that makes a huge difference or not.

There are a few pieces of more unknown silver brands, but I'll see what I can do with them.

So tonight I begin...with actually my favorite part. The research. I'll keep you posted!

What's Been Selling

2010-09-29T04:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't been out yard sale-ing lately or even much shopping. I've been trying to be 'good' and list what I have. I need to get the stores stocked for the up-coming great selling season. (Please, please!!) I may pop out for a bit this Saturday but we'll see.

I thought I'd share what's been selling lately both on Etsy and Ebay. This is just the past few weeks.

New with tags Camelbak Hydration Pack
Yard Sale: $5
Sold: $27

Ekco Eterna Iced Tea Spoon in Canoe Muffin Pattern
Thrifted: 25 cents
Sold: $8
I love selling silverware. I think I'll be having some upcoming posts about this.

Vintage openwork filigree buttons.
Thrifted: I have no idea..these and the 1 at the header were part of a bigger lot that I can't remember how much cost. Let's say 5 cents for these 4 buttons.
Sold: All 4-$12.50 (on Etsy-my Pish Posh Notions store)

Vintage sealed 8mm Movie Film
Source: Friend's Mom's Estate
Sold: $35

Clothing has also picked up.
Vineyard Vines Dress Shirt
Thrifted: $3.79
Sold: $20.00

I can't find the pictures, but I also sold some vintage wallpaper that I got for $2. It sold for $39.99

So hopefully this gives you all some more ideas of things to look for while out and about doing your thang. And here's to Satuday!!

Come On, People!!!

2010-09-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

Haven't the ever-present messages from the media sunk in yet, people?? Green is Good! Recycling is IN. Throwing away perfectly good furniture is OUT.

But noooo..Mr/Mrs Hoity-Toity in your big house. You're above all that. You can't be bothered to haul this pretty little desk and chair in your monstrous SUV to the local donation center. Nooo...you have to put it on your curb like any bit of garbage.

Well, all I can say is...

Thank you.

Shabby....Not Sure About Chic

2010-09-13T04:22:00.000-07:00

Our apartment definitely has the first half down. Shabby. We've been working on the chic part...but I think it's a lost cause. Oh well. Our lease is up in 6 months.

Anyway, because the bathroom is kind of 'mine'...(I've made the boys share the other one. :)) ..it's as 'girly' as I've ever gotten in decorating. And I really haven't done much except buy a toile shower curtain and throw a few thrifted finds together. It's about all the bathroom deserves with its unrelenting neutralness and peeling cabinet doors. (who puts fiberboard doors that swell and peel when wet in a bathroom and kitchen? oh yeah. my apartment complex)

So here's the tableaux.

I just found the shelf at yard sale. $2. I'm so NOT tuned into the fake shabby, chippy look that it didn't even cause a blip on my radar the first time around the sale. Until I realized that it was EXACTLY what I was looking for. The glass knobs even match the hooks on my shower curtain that Hubby made me 'splurge' on. (Come on now, you know everyone has their own level of splurge)

Picture frames. Had these so long...can't even remember where they came from. Thrifted, I'm sure.

Old rusty crusty topped bottles. Yard sale. 75 cents each.

Soap tin. Scored at my big ol' supermarket thrift. See this post below. Not even sure what she charged me. $1 or less. The cat was less than impressed.

Bandage tin. I discovered this in a big bin of stuff some friends gave us to sell for them before we left the NW...guess I'll set a price and buy it from them!

Anywho...decided to go with black and white photos since the lighting in my bathroom is horrid and made the pics so yellow-y. Everything looks better in black and white. Even this apartment.

Speedy Sales

2010-09-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a few of the things that have sold quickly for me lately. By quickly, I mean within 24 hours. Or 12 hours. Or in one case, 5 minutes.
I love a quick flip!!

This was the most recent.

Little Professor calculator/game.
Thrifted $1.50
Sold $35.00
Selling time: 12 hours

Hermes tie
Thrifted: $1.99
Sold: $75.00
Selling time: 5 minutes

Ralph Lauren RLX Hoodie
Thrifted: $3.79
Sold: $35.00
Selling time: 10 minutes

Does the quick selling time mean I could have gotten more for the item? Possibly. But my profit margin was good and sometimes for the sake of cash flow...you just need a quick sale.

Happy hunting!!

Dover Supermarket~Home of the One-Eyed Cat

2010-08-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned this thrift store before but I thought it deserved an in-depth look. It's in a building that used to be a supermarket, Dover Supermarket. See? Even the sign is cool.

Anyway, the shelves are LOADED with stuff. The new owner, Wanda, has done an amazing amount of work in the last few years cleaning and organizing this place.
Here are some of the shelves:

There are also books.

And dishware.

And mugs.

And clothing.

And coffeepots.

Ok. I'll stop. You have to understand that this only a fraction of what this store contains. It's not just the bookshelves you saw...there are 2 more like that. More mugs, more dishes. More clothing.

Prices are pretty good. Some things are super low...like a garage sale...some are a little high..especially considering condition.
So..before you all get green with envy and are cursing me for having such a (Ebay/Etsy selling) Nirvana on my doorstep...you must realize that MOST of the stuff here is junk. Definitely more 'trash' than 'treasure'.

But that doesn't make the hunt any less fun. After all, this is where I found the expired Polaroid film I sold for $50 and the vintage Ferragamos that I've made about $150 on so far. There is definitely buried treasure in this place!!

Hope you've enjoyed the tour. Next time I'll snap some pics of the more bizarre items...the leftover grocery stock (1970s Nescafe anyone?) and the roll of butcher stickers. All for sale, mind you.

See more Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality!
And Apron Thrift Girl for Thrift Share Monday!

Decorating--The Recycleista Way

2010-08-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

So the other night, my husband decided he would work on some of the shelf/picture hanging chores that have accumulated since we moved into our new apartment. We started with the mirror and wall plaques over the mantel/mantle (sp?) which was fun.

Well, it was fun after we finished our 'discussion' about layout. I had an idea in my head for months about how I wanted to fill up the area above the mantel (this is right, I finally looked it up). He wanted symmetrical, I wanted asymmetrical. I wanted the mirror on the left and the two tree of life plaques staggered on the right. He wanted the mirror in the center.

Well, you can see who was wielding the hammer...and who therefore won. Just kidding. I gave in, since he's usually right about these things. I satisfied my asymmetrical side by arranging the items ON the mantelpiece in a more haphazard way.

I think our joint effort came out great! What do you think?

Looking at the whole effect later, I realized how many of the items were thrifted. Pretty much all of them.

~Tree of life burwood plaques. By Homco. (home interiors) Dated 1968. Way cool. Got those at Goodwill awhile back and held on to them. Hubby thought I got them to sell. Ha!! He obviously doesn't have the vision I do.

~Mirror. Goodwill. I loved the frame. Held onto it for a couple years waiting for this perfect occasion.

~Vintage books. Who knows where we got them. I always pick up vintage books everywhere I go.

~Apothecary jar. Value Village. Still has the $1.21 written on it in red grease pencil. Hid it with rocks I picked up in the woods and on the beach. (how more thrifting/recycleista can you get?) Ditto the driftwood.

~Teapot. Gift.

~Russian nesting dolls. Found these lovely ladies at Goodwill. Cha-ching.

~Nesting boxes. Ok, not thrifted. But we bought them in Poland, from a bazaar, street vendor type place...so it's not like it was TJ Maxx or anything. (nothing against TJ, I love that store)

Almost forgot the rusty orange tin. Found that at my favorite grocery store turned thrift store...home of the one-eyed cat. :)

That's pretty much it. I love having a finished vignette in my own house. Been staring at it all day.

Saturday's Haul

2010-07-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, just a quick post to show what I found in Saturday's yard sale jaunt. I made it out for a couple hours in the early morning. I really didn't feel like going...my bed seemed like the better option. But yard sales have a limited shelf life here in the southeastern US, so I had to get to them before they expired.

The first few sales were trying to prove me right..that bed was a better place to be...when I finally hit a good one! I saw this phone sitting on a shelf, whipped around and saw that it was a rotary phone. YES! Now the thrift stores have caught on to the fact that people are buying these and willing to pay fairly good money for retro style. So I asked the nearest family member running the sale...and almost fell over when he said...'ah..50 cents'. Nice.

Yes, it needs some cleaning. But I think it's beautiful.

Also at that sale I found a Harley Davidson belt, a North Face fleece and some sterling earrings(forgot to put them in the picture)and a vintage knitting book.

The rest of the morning yielded that way cool vintage lampshade (it's for an oil lamp chimney, I think),the brass ducks and the UGG slip ons.

Which brings me to why I buy what I buy. Some things I buy for myself. Some things I buy because they are amazing and old and need to be shared with others. Then honestly, some things I buy because I know they will sell online. We struggle just enough financially that me selling online is a necessary part of our income. I would love to buy only the things I love (not brass ducks) but I'm just not there yet. We'll see, someday.

Thanks for stopping by!

Got Vintage Buttons? Check Out My Guest Post

2010-06-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I got to do a guest post on Suzanne Wells' ever popular blog, Ebay Selling Coach.
It's all about....vintage buttons!
It's just an overview..I had to control myself about what I could write. I could've gone on and on....

Click here to check it out. And if you haven't read her blog before..you should! Tons of helpful information!

Cheers!

A Quick Update and a Few Fun Finds

2010-06-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

So this will be just a quick post. I need to start doing the quick posts instead of thinking that I need to come up with a big feature. That might get me blogging more often again.
Also, I logged on today and Blogger has all this new design stuff and I got majorly sidetracked...been playing around, but not sure if I like it. Opinions?

Anyway, first of all, last post was about this 'junk' jewelry lot I got at a yard sale. Also included in the lot were these vintage Lion's Club award pins from the 50s. I put them in a lot and put them up for auction on Ebay. It ended at $17.50. Not jaw-dropping, but decent. I love yard sales!!

Speaking of which, I went to a few this past weekend and here's a few of my finds that will be making it to Etsy this week. Super excited about the chandelier crystals. And I love old bottles. These have rusty, crusty caps which makes them extra special! I tell ya, watching American Pickers has given me a new appreciation for rust.

Ok, better get to work!

I Can't Think of a Title

2010-06-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

That's how bad it is. I've had this serious case of Writer's Block for a few weeks. I keep thinking, "I need to post on my blog". I even have a few ideas for subjects of posts. I just haven't been able to make myself do it.

I promise, they're coming.

In the meantime, here's a few things I have up on Etsy right now. These were all part of someone's 'junk' lot of jewelry. It was day 4 of her yard sale and the owner told me there wasn't anything good in the jewelry pile left. She gave it all to me for a lump sum and said it would be good for crafts. I agreed.

Then my husband and I went through it. And found this.
Sterling Tie Clip signed by NC artist Stuart Nye.

And these.
Copper and sterling Calla Lily Earrings signed by Stuart Nye.

And these.

Vintage sterling bird screwback earrings

These are what I've managed to get listed in my Etsy store, Vyeshi.

And there was more. Sterling. In the 'junk' pile. You just never know.

Holy Ferragamo, Batman!

2010-05-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

I just had to share my thrifting day with y'all. I've been trying all week it seems to get to this thrift store in the next town. It's pretty amazing, actually. It used to be a supermarket...most of the fixtures are still there. There's still stickers from the meat department that you can buy on the roll. And vintage spices. Not super vintage, but pretty funky.
Anyway, it's huge. There's a new owner, and a few years ago, she really started cleaning it up and organizing. I believe she buys estates or gets leftovers or something. Because there is a whole lot of JUNK in that place. It is super fun to poke through.
I don't go that often because the turnover is not that fast. I went on Tuesday, but unfortunately I had no cash (well, $3) and no checkbook. Of course, since I haven't been there in months, I saw TONS of things I wanted.
Most of all, I wanted to get this Polaroid camera, mostly because it comes with 2 unopened cartridges of film, which is now discontinued.

Well, I decided to go back on Wednesday, sans child. I was ready to dig, deep and dirty. Have I mentioned that clothing there is mostly $1 apiece? I was bummed to see the shop closing up early the moment I drove in the lot! Totally ruined my Wednesday!

So today, I dragged my little guy back in there. Fortunately there's a one-eyed cat that he likes to visit who lives in the shop. The other benefit to the place not having fast turnover, is that I was pretty sure the stuff I had eyed (and somewhat hidden) would still be there. Sure enough, I made a beeline for my camera and there it was!

I also found these boxes of vintage stationery..how super cool are the blank greeting cards inside? These will be heading to my Etsy store. And I'll probably keep a few...

I found a few more things...a garden book with color plates from 1924, a superb rusty crusty Uneeda Biscuit tin and this Bucilla pillow kit.

Then, right at the end, I squeezed into the last aisle where she was starting to put out vintage shoes last time. I was looking to see if there was anything I couldn't live without, and I spotted the boxes.

Salvatore Ferragamo. Vintage. Never been worn. With original price tags. $190??? I took all 5 pairs. (Plus a pair of Ecco shoes too) Did I mention she sells her shoes for $3 a pair?

So I had a good day. It was fun to find something a little different than the Nike and Under Armour I'm usually looking for at Goodwill.

A BOLO (Be On LookOut) List and a BOLO Book

2010-05-11T05:51:00.001-07:00

Some of my readers may remember the posts I did here and here and here, that contained what is known as a BOLO list. These are items and brands to Be On the LookOut for when thrifting or yard saling, because they are great resellers.

The list was compiled from several posts and threads from our lovely Facebook group Stay At Home Moms Selling on Ebay Everyone welcome!

Anyway, I had only posted 3 lists, and then stopped because I knew a download of the entire list would soon be available! And now it is. Thanks to the Ebay Coach, Suzanne Wells.

Click here to get your FREE copy of the 2010 Bolo List!

Several people on the SAHMSOE Facebook group mention that they have BOLO books. They have little notes of brands and items that they are on the lookout for at thrift stores.

I have been operating the totally inefficient way..relying on my memory. I'd be at Goodwill and see a brand and think, "Is that the brand so-and-so mentioned?" If I had my BOLO book, I wouldn't have any such questions! I had been waiting to thrift the perfect book and I finally did.

It's super slim, has removeable pages and has ABC tabs that I can use to organize my subjects. It was new (in 1995), never used and only $.99!

(Sorry for the wonky pictures, since my move I can't find my camera battery charger (uhoh) and this was the best I could do! But you get the idea.)

Stuff to Sell is Everywhere

2010-05-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

So, last post I mentioned that on the day we moved, we hit a few sales and found some free stuff by the curb. At the end of one person's driveway, they had a little sign that said "Free" with a few little items. There was a pair of Keds with only a little bit of wear. We grabbed those and a few other items. Housewares type stuff.

Anyway, I put the Keds on eBay and they sold for $16.50. Not a bad turnover.

Just goes to show that you just gotta keep your eyes open. Stuff to sell is everywhere!

I Hate Moving

2010-05-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry things have been a little quiet lately. We finally moved into our own apartment last weekend and it's a bit topsy-turvy around here. (i love that phrase, don't you?)

Haven't hit too many yard sales, thought we managed to hit 2 on the day we moved! Plus got a free kid's bed and some more free stuff from the curb.

I have been thrifting however, even though I shouldn't. I have so much stuff to get rid of. After carrying it all up to our 3rd floor apartment, it's got to go! I'll hopefully carry it all back down again piece by piece in USPS boxes!

A Few of My Thrifty Finds

2010-04-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well, this past Saturday was about the funnest time I've had in awhile. I got up early and was hitting sales by 7:30. Here's a few pictures since I should be listing items in my stores and not blogging! :)

First sale yielded these Sophie Kinsella books (also by her pseudonym, Madeleine Wickham) and a DVD. If you haven't read these books..especially the Shopoholic series...you really should. They are H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S. I also scored a bookcase for my son's room for $6.

Next sale was amazing. This cute little cabinet is FULL of vintage sewing items. I know, I know. I got the entire cabinet for $10. It is so true to let the other person name the price. She asked me, I was hesitating..I would have said $20...she said $12 before I could say anything! Then I offered $10 and she took it!

So I went on to get some more things...a brown drip pitcher, a vintage recipe box with recipes, some costume jewelry and 2 little brass ducks.

Then I hit the community sale in the high school parking lot. Here's my goodies from that...vintage train case, Danish Modern flatware, tins, jewelry (sterling) and more.

Thanks for looking!! Hop on over to Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday for more thrifty finds!

New HOT LIST Available from the Ebay Coach!!

2010-04-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of selling the same things on Ebay? Are your thrift stores not yielding the goods? Rainy yard sale season?

Why not try something a little different with your Ebay selling?

Suzanne Wells, the Ebay Coach, has a new Hot List available with "information on 25 discontinued products that are profitable sellers on eBay".

See her blog post about it here.

I myself can't wait to get out to my local discount stores and clearance racks to see if I can spot any of these potential moneymakers!!

Meet Etsy Seller Miss Courageous - Pop Jewelry and Accessories

2010-04-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

It's called recycling, upcycling, reinventing or repurposing. Taking trash and making treasure. Whatever you call it, today's "Meet the Etsy Seller"- Miss Courageous, is very good at it.

Today's interview is with Millie, from the Etsy shops Miss Courageous and BuckleUp. According to her Miss Courageous profile, everything Millie makes used to be something else. Her Miss Courageous store is known for "Pop Jewelry and Accessories...As in pop caps, pop music, pop a lid, pop art, pop culture."
Necklaces made out of hand cut record vinyl, earrings made from Scrabble tiles...Millie's Miss Courageous store is full of surprises! As is her other Etsy store, BuckleUp. Full of upcycled...buckles of course!
My favorites are the upcycled Altoid tins as buckles...with built in storage!

Enjoy the interview!

How long have you been making jewelry/upcycled items?

I've always enjoyed finding creative re-use for things, but I've been making & selling jewelry from recycled materials for about 4 years now. It progressed naturally to accessories from there.

What inspired you to incorporate vintage/recycled materials into your work?

Basically just the need to create from whatever I had on hand... sometimes I'll look at things and imagine what else it could become. I'm also really drawn to the idea of transformation. Some of the vintage items become incorporated because of my love of the past, & the mystery those things hold.

Why do you feel that's important?

Aside from the obvious benefits of re-use I also think as an artist it's important to try to do things that are unconventional. I enjoy peoples reactions when they see my products.

What's your favorite item in your store(s) right now?

Since I have two etsy stores can I give you two favorites? I have been in love with the Lego belt buckles, in my shop buckleup, since I made the first prototype for my nephew, but in the fun colors they're irresistibleI In misscourageous my favorite item is the bubbles upcycled record vinyl necklace, all of the vinyl is handcut. I'll be adding some with colored vinyl soon. But some of my favorite items haven't made it into my shops yet; belt buckles made from rotary telephone receivers.

Is this a full-time job for you? Or would you like it to be?

Yes! Miss Courageous is my full time job. Well, my second full time job, I also have a 4 year old daughter!

Where else do you sell besides Etsy?

I also sell at the Capital City Public Market, which runs every Saturday from April 17 thru Christmas. I have just opened a brick & mortar boutique with my local etsy street team Idaho Indie Works, at btcelements.com and I also have items in a couple of consignment stores. I also sell at local events and shows.

Anything else you'd like to share?

Martha Stewart, if you're reading this, I'd love to come on your show and demonstrate how to make a storage belt buckle from upcycled materials.

My Yard Sale Hour

2010-04-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I found myself husband-less and child-less around 10 AM yesterday morning and I thought, "Sweet. Now I have time to list on Ebay and Etsy." ....Not. I thought, "sweet, how many yard sales can I hit before they all close up shop at 12?" Fortunately, there were several not too far away.

I ran to the corner drugstore, bought some hair elastics and then hit 'yes' when it asked if I want cash back. Asked for $40 and the clerk said, 'I have to give it to you all in 5's." Apologetically. I almost told her I was going sale-ing and that the smaller the bills the better. There's nothing like haggling down to $1 and then pulling out a twenty.

So you can see the loot in the above picture. Not too bad for 1 1/2 hours. At my first sale,(well it was the 2nd, the 1st was a bust) I found a Caboodle jewelry case and a vintage tie clip with matching cuff links. The Caboodle (or is it Caboodles?) I bought maybe to sell, maybe to keep. It's in super great shape, so I'm thinking i'll use it to hold the vintage jewelry I've been selling on Etsy. It's been selling pretty well, but I have more to list. I'd like to have it neatly organized. I put the tie clip and links in there to get started.

My next sale didn't look too promising. You had to slog through the yard to the back of the house and the stuff for sale was cheesy and dirty. But then I started digging. I found this set of silverware by Interpur. I knew anything with this Danish Modern look (altho made in Japan) would sell, even if I put it on Etsy. And there were so many pieces! 32 to be exact, including a sugar spoon and butter knife. Looking on Ebay, I hope to get about $50 for it. Along with the Wilton cake pan, that was my 2nd productive sale.

The last sale in that neighborhood yielded some canning jars..I'm planning on destashing my vast button collection and I thought I'd use jars to make 'em pretty! The jars with the white lids were pretty wide-mouthed..the owner said her daughter-in-law sent her some squash preserves in them. At which her other son said..'yeah and they were disgusting! But at least it washes clean."
I also found the vintage Care Bear Bedtime Bear mug and the sweet little Burwood bird. All that loot for $1! That's my kind of sale!

Hit another sale at a senior center...the items for sale were the nurses'. So I only snagged some clothes for my son. But got a sweet deal on them.

And last but not least, I went to one more sale that I had seen advertised the day before. First thing I see is a Coach purse. It is sooooo super buttery soft. I know it's tricky selling these on Ebay but I thought I could try selling it somewhere, somehow. I carried it around a bit then asked how much it was. $2!!! I remained calm and nonchalant. It just goes to show...it can't hurt to hit sales at the end of the yard sale day. It's amazing what gets missed by other people.

What did you all find this weekend?

ESellerAds - A Tool for Etsy Sellers

2010-04-03T18:05:00.001-07:00

I was reading the latest AuctionBytes newsletter (a must-read, I think, for all online sellers) and there was an interview with someone (I forget who..I'll go back and check) from ESellerAds.

I read through it and thought I would check it out. It looks like it makes a nice scrolling gallery of your items from your Etsy shop which you can place on your blog, Facebook page and other social media sites. You can even Tweet them and drive traffic to your shop.

I still have more to check out, like the reports section but it was super quick and easy to make my scrolling gallery. I'm putting it on my blog here, instead of the Etsy Mini. Then I'll go play around with sharing on Twitter and Facebook.

Oh...and it's free! The interview explains how they can do this. They are also behind Handmade Spark which also showcases Handmade artists.

What do you think?

I'm Sailing!!!!- Yard Sale-ing, That Is

2010-03-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

I totally felt like Bill Murray in "What About Bob?" when he's screaming "I'm sailing!!" as he's lashed to the sailboat mast.
I was finally yard sale-ing this morning after a long, dry winter.

Here's the haul. Not super exciting, but better than I expected. With all the baby items and Nascar items advertised on Craigslist, I didn't have much hope of finding anything vintage. But I was pleasantly surprised to find the vintage industrial bobbins and old books. Sweet.

Then I scored a Rothschild coat, a bag for me, a Ralph Lauren shirt, Magic Bullet cups and a bunch of clothes for my little one.

I spent way less than at Goodwill...it was a blast!

This was my first NC yard sale-ing attempt...it was interesting to see that most sales only run from about 7-11am. Yikes. No more fun Saturday afternoons looking for sales. I had to get up early!!!

Some of the items are heading straight to Etsy or Ebay, the rest I'm keeping!

Another Follow Up to the Arbitrage Disaster

2010-03-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember my first Arbitrage attempt, which didn't end well...you can read about it here.

Well, well...it's turned out a bit better than I expected. I had put the salt and pepper shakers aside to deal with later. In the meantime, I had come across various other sterling items I couldn't sell by themselves.
I had a broken bracelet marked 'Sterling' and a few pieces of flatware from my friend that were either damaged or unsellable.

I put them together in a lot and started the auction at $19.99. With 15 minutes to go...it had 1 bid and 10 watchers. I went to bed and figured I'd ship my sterling silver scrap lot in the morning after I collected my $20.

Well next morning, imagine my surprise when I saw that the auction had ended at $102.50!!!

I guess my Arbitrage disaster wasn't so disastrous after all!!

Read more here on how to sell sterling silver scrap on eBay.

Click here to learn more about Ebay Arbitrage

Thrift Store Items to Be On the LookOut For- Part 3

2010-03-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

It's time for the next installment! Thought I would steer away from the clothing racks of the thrift store and focus in on toys and games. Some of these may be in your own home! (Special thanks to Rachel from Mortenviews Gifts and Treasures for her special knowledge of Care Bears and plush items!!

Toys, Games, Dolls and Plush Toys

Leapfrog items
LEGOS ~sell in lots
~Star Wars legos are especially good sellers
Lego Minifigs ~can sometimes be sold individually
Lincoln Logs (lots or smaller similar lots)
Water Babies
Super rare Nintendo games :-)

Cat in the Hat
Carebears (more details here)
Wiggles dolls, cars, guitars, featherswords
Build a bear outfits (the plush are hit and miss)
Starbucks bears
Little Bear
Curious George
Alf
Veggie Tales
Nemo characters (dory sells like hotcakes)
Wells fargo ponies (many of these sell for 24.99)
Puppets
Backyardigans (especially pablo)
Oswald
GIANT Fievel dolls (American Tail)
Seattle Mariner moose items
Green Bay Packer plush
Dallas Cowboys plush
Jo Jo the clown
Noddy
2001 & 2002 Ralph Lauren bears
Lamb Chop
My Buddy Dolls
American Girl Dolls
Hello Kitty
Handy Manny
Caillou
Little Einsteins (in a lot)
Beatrix Potter

Scrabble (sell tiles in lots)

A New Blog

2010-03-08T17:16:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to announce a new blog I'm starting called The Retrench Report. It's about my economizing and my new found seriousness about getting out of debt! I'll share the steals and deals I find, as well as ways to make extra money...plus I'll chronicle my progress and setbacks. The name comes from...well, I'll just let you go read my first post and find out!

Thanks!
Plus, it's kinda lonely over there...I know there's not much content..it IS brand new, after all...but I would love some followers!

Thrift Store Items to Be On the LookOut For- Part 2

2010-03-05T06:44:00.001-08:00

Ok, here we go with more items for your BOLO list. See part 1 here. And again feel free to come over and check out our Facebook Group- Stay at Home Moms Selling on Ebay. Everyone is welcome!

Let's start by finishing up the clothing. Here are some brands added in the comments section of the first post and some other items I've learned about.

The North Face
Men's Blazers
~Harris Tweed
~Bijan
Vintage Ralph Lauren sweatshirts,sweaters
and Rugby Shirts!!! (from the 90s)
Ralph Lauren Indian Blanket jacket
Woolrich Indian Blanket jacket
Ralph Lauren crested blazers
Travelsmith
Ralph Lauren equestrian skirts
Dale of Norway
Norwool sweaters

Children's Clothing

Mini Boden
Oilily
Hanna Andersson
Baby Lulu
Cornellok
Naartjie
Keedo
Gymboree
Anavini
Janie & Jack
Rothschilds Coats

Shoes

Keens
Merrells
Born
Ecco
Dansko
Ben Sherman
Sorel snow boots (Style-Caribou)
Columbia snow boots
Kamik boots
Cowboy boots
~Justin
~Ariat
Frye
Land’s End snow boots
Airwalk snow boots
Doc Martens
Cole Haan
Bloch dance shoes
Birkenstocks
Brighton
Nike Shox
Sigerson Morrison

Again, I'm sure there's more! Feel free to add items in your comments! An upcoming post will cover Toys and Houseware items.

The Recycle-ista...Adventures in Thrifting

Serendipitous Thrifting

O What a Month!

Guess Who's in the Typewriter Business?

Thrifting Tip- Check the Belts!

Thrift Snapshot

What's Your Bread N Butter??

What's New at the Retro Shop~~A Pyrex Pantry

Check Out My Happy Pyrex Find

Serendipitous Thrifting

Here I Am! Here I Am!!

An October Update

Vintage Finds

It's Gonna Be a Busy October!!

Thrifting Tip~ No One Can Know Everything About Everything

Mid Century Mondays- Gense of Sweden

Fab Friday Finds...Somebody Pinch Me..

Time for Letting Go

Mid Century Mondays- 1956 Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book

Mid Century Monday Follow Up- An Orrefors Answer

Mid Century Monday- Orrefors

Mid Century Mondays - Figgjo Flint

And Now Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Program...

DIRTY MONEY...A New Favorite

Reselling Plans for August

An Estate Sale To Remember

I'm Featured on Thriftcore and a Huge Giveaway

A Thrifting Reveal

A Quick Picasa Tutorial

On a Thrifting Diet

Adventures in....Opening an Antique Store Booth

This Weekend's Finds

Some Days It's All Uphill

Back to Business

The Recycle-ista is On Vacation!!

SIMPLIFY

Vintage Glimpse~The Lost Art of Postage Stamp Messaging

With My Sincerest Apologies

ReSelling Mental Blocks

I Am Now Part of 'The Collective'

Collecting Bakelite

A Recycle-ista Happily Ever After

Industrial Estate Sale Finds

F-U-N spells Thrifting!!

Awesome ReSource for ReSellers and a Contest

Let the Season Begin!!

Listing Challenge for April

Hiding in Plain Sight--An Inventory Storage Solution

I Love Me Some Starbucks...

Branding...Part 2

Branding

Second Chances

Recommended Reading

Goodwill Had a Sale This Weekend

Finders Keepers

Fun Finds

Portrait of a Family

A Thrifting Weekend

Follow-Up to the New Listing Plan

Division of Time

Another Vintage Typewriter- Olympia SM-4

Thrift Store Item: Wooden Knife Blocks

Typewriter Love

Quick Tip: Harris Tweed jackets

Vacation Finds

Silverplate Update

The Silverplate Challenge

What's Been Selling

Come On, People!!!

Shabby....Not Sure About Chic

Speedy Sales

Dover Supermarket~Home of the One-Eyed Cat

Decorating--The Recycleista Way

Saturday's Haul

Got Vintage Buttons? Check Out My Guest Post

A Quick Update and a Few Fun Finds

I Can't Think of a Title

Holy Ferragamo, Batman!

A BOLO (Be On LookOut) List and a BOLO Book

Stuff to Sell is Everywhere