So Cute It’s Ugly, or Just Ugly?

09Feb10

I’ll let you decide…

Bobble-Head Cat Mug on Etsy

Filed under: Etsy   |  1 Comment
Tags: Bobble-Head Cat Mug on Etsy, cat, siamese cat

I Like Football

08Feb10

I just want to say, I’m a female and I enjoy football.  I understand the rules, know the teams, and can even name players on said teams.  I can converse on many football subjects.  Also, after watching the Super Bowl, I’m tired of the cliches’ on the commercials.

First of all, according to the commercials, all men are dumb and want only beer.  They will do anything to get said beer, but not by any intelligent means.  Also, women with big boobs fall in the same category, it makes said beer look better.  Not all men are this simple, some do hard stuff like taxes or be a good father, but apparently that all goes out the window when beer is around.  They even build beer houses.  I can’t imagine the re-sale value being too high on that.

Females like to shop mindlessly and talk on the telephone.  I have to be honest, as a female, I’m not a phone person.  I like e-mails, but I’ve never enjoyed talking on the phone, even as a teenager.  I don’t mind doing it, I don’t have a phobia, but doing it every day just isn’t my thing.  Also, I’m on a budget, I can’t sit there and shop.  And honestly, if I had a bigger budget, I would buy more on Etsy and support the “little guy,” but even then, I wouldn’t be buying overly expensive items.  I shop if I need something. 

I know, I know, it’s a joke, and I’m taking it too seriously.  There is some truth in that, but I do get tired of the simple commercials.  These are supposed to be the best commercials of the year, and this is the best they can do?  I want something different, something that goes beyond the simple cliches’, but it probably won’t happen anytime soon.  Budweiser is losing ground to the craft beers, no big secret.  Maybe if they had better commericials it would help.  I can’t remember the last time I had Bud, and again, yes, women also drink beer with said football game we like to watch.

I did enjoy the Letterman/Oprah/Leno commercial.  Was it me, or did Leno look uncomfortable?  I would have loved to have been on that set, I can’t imagine Letterman holding his tongue.  I also like Letterman, so that is probably why I liked the commercial.  I also wonder why Danica Patrick is okay with coming across as cheesecake, yet wants to be taken seriously as a racer.  I think it’s great she won an race, yet her commercials are fluff (and that’s being nice).   I guess time will tell on how she does at Nascar, I wish her luck.

So now that the football season is over I’m sad.  I can still cry in my beer, but I don’t know what to watch.  I’m not a basketball fan, it’s just not as good as football.  I guess I’ll hang in there for the melodrama of whether Favre retires or doesn’t.  I hope he doesn’t, he still plays well.  Ah, I’ll miss football.  The Super Bowl was a good game.  Here’s to next year, and congrats to the Saints.

Filed under: Random Thoughts   |  1 Comment
Tags: beer, commercials, football, men, saints, super bowl, women

Sales

07Feb10

Everytime I sell something on Etsy I’m just thrilled.  I’ve had some great customers and products, and I’m happy to bring them together.  What I find frustrating is that sales tend to come in spurts, some days are busy, some days have tumbleweed rolling through them.  I’ve also noticed my sales tend to fall around paydays, I assume this is a reflection of the economy and less people using credit, but it’s just an opinion.

The problem is when the tumbleweed rolls through my store.  I start worrying, should I do something different, what is wrong?-and thoughts along those lines.  Then I get some sales and I wonder what I was worrying about, then slow period again.  It’s a bit of an up-down cycle.  Some big shops never have slow-downs, but I’m not anywhere near there yet.  It takes time and patience, but I sometimes forget that. 

I really can’t complain at all, I’m doing better than I thought I would and have come across some great people.  Here’s to the next round of sales, and I’m looking forward to them.

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Tags: sales

Estate Sale

05Feb10

I woke up to snow, yet again.  It seems like winter will never leave.  However, it’s routine as usual, get the kids up and ready for school.  Once they were dropped off, snow or no snow, I was off to an estate sale.

Once I got on the main roads the snow wasn’t too bad, which is good, because my husband would have made some sarcastic comment if I had an accident while looking for vintage.  The house was unassuming, but it was a great estate sale.  The sign of a good estate sale?  When at some point, you or someone else remarks, “they kept everything, didn’t they?”

I don’t mean that comment in a hoarders sense.  I’ve seen the show, and most of the stuff is worthless.  Every now and then I’ll comment to my husband about some piece I wouldn’t mind having, because it dates to such and such time, but most of it is junk.  I’ve been to the estate sales of hoarders.  You walk through the “trails” and casually look at the piles on the sides.  There might be treasure in the piles, but if the odor is too bad I’m not looking.  You have to have items displayed for an estate sale.

It was a large house with older items and nice prices, perfect for me.  I got my share and some unique pieces, and will be posting them on Etsy as time allows.  Hurrah for the people that collect and keep items, and for a snow day, it didn’t turn out to be so bad.

—On a side note, I sent an e-mail and plan on doing some advertising on Craft Cult.  We’ll see how it goes, and I’ll keep everyone updated.

Filed under: Estate Auctions   |  1 Comment
Tags: craft cult, estate sales, snow

A Couple of New Pottery Items

05Feb10

Haeger Oval Planter

Frankoma White Bowl or Low Vase

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Tags: frankoma, haeger, pottery

So you want to sell Vintage

03Feb10

There was a post on Etsy the other day from a woman who does pottery saying she wanted to start selling vintage because she has a good eye.  She will only sell amazing things, she said.  While a part of me was, good for her, another part was annoyed.  It’s not like I can say, you know, tomorrow I’m going to do pottery or start selling jewelry.  I could say that if I had a talent for it, took the time, and knew what I was doing, but I know my limits.  I did pottery once, but no one but my mom would like it, and it does take and innate style/talent I am lacking.

It’s the same with vintage.  You need to research and be knowledgeable.  I’m not saying you couldn’t sell some things, but you could be missing out on the “amazing” items.  Anyone who sells vintage knows not everything is marked, early pottery was unmarked or given a generic USA, and paper stickers were used.  I’ve been at estate sales where Heisey is left alone, because everyone knows they always have the Diamond H.  This is wrong, they also used paper labels, and people in the know like me will snatch it up while people who don’t know pass it up.  It’s impossible for a dealer to know everything about vintage, all have their strengths and weaknesses, but it takes more than a good eye, you need knowledge.

You also need to know what you have to list it properly to get more eyes on your product.  What would work better, an generic title like “vintage glasses” or “vintage Ovide tumbler, Hazel-Atlas glass.”  You might get the item to sell with the first listing, but with the second listing you sound like a quality dealer, and people looking for the item will find you on the internet. 

I also found her “amazing” comment amusing.  Talk to people who deal antiques and vintage, “amazing” is becoming harder and harder to come by.  There was a thread on Etsy the other day about how rare quality vintage clothing is becoming to get, and I had an earlier post about Elegant Depression and it’s scarcity.  People are keeping these items in the family, or are afraid to give them up, because they may really be valueable.  Call it the Antiques Roadshow effect.  I do want to say that for every five figure item they show, there are 100 items that aren’t even worth $100, you see some of these on the end credits.  It’s human nature to think your item is worth the five figures even if it isn’t, and hang onto it. 

There is also the time to find the items, the cleaning, and the research.  Even if you are knowledgeable in a area, something will come along and stump you.  I don’t mind doing it, in fact, I enjoy it, but like every job there are challenges that come along with it, and you won’t know until you try it.  It’s not just going to an estate sale and stumbling on something “amazing,” it takes time and work.  You would never tell a photographer that his great pictures are due to his great camera, please give the vintage dealer the same respect as well.

Filed under: Antiques, Etsy   |  2 Comments
Tags: vintage, dealer, forum, estate sales

Heartbreaker

01Feb10

My son came from school the other day.   Like most kids, it seems that nothing goes on at school at all, and I was expecting that as an answer when I asked how his day was.  Instead, he was a little upset, he had gotten into a fight at school.

I, being all motherly, was worried.  It was a fight with a girl, and he then clarified that they were just arguing, so fight was a strong word.  My son had already told me about a  girl in school he’s going to marry.  I’ve let him know it’s against the law to marry until he’s 18, so he’s going to wait until then (this girl is no dummy, she’s already told that he needs to take her on date, good for her, I say).  I don’t want my son to marry young, but since he’s 6 now and I don’t even know if he’ll be at the same school as her at that time, I’m not too worried.  As a parent you learn to pick your fights.

It seems another little girl was was jealous, and she wants my son to marry her.  He’s told her no, but she just kept “arguing about it.”  We both agree you can sit there and argue all you want, it won’t change a person’s mind.  My husband and I have both assured him you get to pick who you want to marry, so it’s up to him.  She hasn’t brought it up again, but I do find it funny he has two girls arguing over him.  He should enjoy it while it lasts.

Filed under: Kids   |  2 Comments
Tags: heartbreaker, school

Nice Roseville Link

31Jan10

As stated in my previous posts, I’ve been doing some research on a Roseville conch.  Back from Barnes and Noble and no luck, but the more I find out the more I do think it’s a Capri piece.  I did come across as nice link for Roseville information on the internet and thought I would share it.  I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

http://realpriceguides.com/rosevilleA/index.htm

Filed under: Antiques   |  4 Comments
Tags: pottery, roseville

Computer Skills

29Jan10

So, you have enough computer skills to hack into the White House computer system.  What do you do, you post anti-Obama messages.  Now, I’m not saying this is what I would do, or should be done (basically, don’t do this at home),  but it I had that type of computer skill I wouldn’t be doing that.  Seriously, you know you’re going to jail big time for what amounts to graffiti. 

To quote Homer Simpson said to Bart, “bootlegging is where the money is, not your childish vandalism.” 

To which Bart replies, “all those wasted years.”  (Okay, I’m not sure if that is the exact quote, I looked on the internet briefly, couldn’t find it, and paraphrased, so I shouldn’t use the quotation marks, oh well, too late).

See, my computer skills are so limited I’m having trouble re-sizing a banner.  Trust me, no hacking or other computer skills on this end.  That’s why I sell vintage.  If I did have computer skills I would be using them for good, and making some money.

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Tags: computer

A Word on Book Value

27Jan10

There are experts in antiques, such as Kovels, who cover a broad range, or you have the Florences in glass.  They publish books which dealers buy.  These books have price listings in them, which is called book value(s).  There are many subjects out there and many experts in many fields, and different book values according to authors.

The thing about book value is not to get too hung up on them and price exactly as the book states.  First of all, if you sell locally, certain items sell better there than elsewhere.  Florida State collectibles will sell better in Florida than they would in Idaho.

I’ve seen people also state, the book value is $100, so item X is worth $100.  I disagree, and item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.  Book values give a general guideline, but it doesn’t mean you’re going to get $100 for it.  If I sell it on Etsy for that price, or Zibbet, or Artfire, it may just sit there.

Unless you’ve been holed up somewhere, you know we’re in a recession.  Antiques are needs, no one needs a McCoy or Shawnee, it’s a want.  It’s nice, we would like to have it, but sometimes groceries come first.  A good portion of the price guides aren’t reflecting the recession, the still come from the “boom time.”  It’s no secret antiques and collectibles are going through a bit of a rough patch, like most retail.  Oh sure, there are exceptions, and some items will always be able to get top dollar, but if it’s a common item and it’s really wanted and you’re charging twice what it’s worth people will go elsewhere.

I also read about some people selling items in newspapers or Craiglist trying to get full book value or above.  I wonder how these turn out, because pricing them as such may not always get rid of the item the fastest.  If it’s priced below book, someone like me would buy it hoping to resell it.  Pricing it at full value yourself cuts out a lot of potential buyers.

I’m not dismissing book value outright, it’s a great starting point.  Remember, if a piece is flawed it likely won’t get full book value.  Just use common sense when pricing, especially if it’s a common item.

Filed under: Antiques, Random Thoughts   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: book value, reselling