Not Counting My Chickens…

In a couple of days I have the opportunity to do a private pick. It will be just me at this location sifting through hundreds of items in dozens of boxes. I’ve been given a list of what’s available and it’s fair to say I am excited! Many are just the kind of thing I love to sell—religious artifacts, Chinese items, native handicrafts, quirky bits. And bonus I will be able to come up with a “lot price” for whatever I decide to buy. 

I could reap enough stuff from this one pick to last the rest of this year! It’s hard to imagine not needing to go out sourcing for months. I likely wouldn’t stop altogether, but it would mean I’d have more time for other parts of the business–listing, researching, repairing, organizing.

This is a great this opportunity for me, but I’m not counting my chickens before they’re hatched. A few years ago I had a similar situation arise and when I arrived at my appointed time almost everything was gone. Other arrangements had been made beforehand and no one thought to contact me. Since they had reached out to me and we had made an appointment it was rather maddening. I was dumbfounded. Especially since they weren’t strangers. And I realized that they likely thought of my online vintage business as a “cute hobby.” That I wasn’t a “serious” buyer and that I didn’t really know much so it was okay to do this to me. It wasn’t!

And yes, there is always more to learn whether you’ve been in the business five years or 50 but I have learned a lot these last 12 years as a seller and in all my decades as a collector. And frankly it’s never right to treat someone like that. Ever. They could have let me know by call, text, email that the plan had changed and they needed to cancel but they didn’t. Instead I arrived eager and excited and then I had an epic WTH moment.

Not nice.

Hopefully this private pick will work out. But whether it does or not, it will not affect my business. Over the years I have spotted amazing, unexpected things that others have passed by. I am confident in my ability to find good stuff.

Here are a few random finds from recent months…

Three wodges of woven vintage trims, paid $5, sold for $200.
Eight 1960s Japanese poppers, paid $2, sold for $105.
Steuben glass apple, paid $5.59, sold for $145.
Vintage French Brittany carved wood ship’s wheel box, paid $2.69, sold for $51.

I’ll let you know how this upcoming private pick turns out. Fingers crossed!

Wishing you happy hunting,

Karen