Cloudy Skies, but a few Sunny Sales

I have not been in the best of moods this month. The weather has been cloudy and rainy much of the time (sigh) and life tends to feel humdrum after the holidays. Dull you might say. Still it goes on. Thankfully I’ve be able to meet up with a few friends here and there and last night our daughters came over for pizza and a favorite TV show. We all have the same sense of humor so we leave each other in stitches! (I needed a night like that.)

On the biz front I haven’t been sourcing or buying much for my stores, but what I have bought I’ve spent more than usual for the quality or uniqueness. I know some resellers who like to stay in the “cheap and cheerful” budget category and that’s fine…for them, but I’m okay investing more in better pieces.

One of my favorite recent purchases is this old (circa 1890s-1920s) sterling silver charm bracelet I bought on eBay (paid $101). The charms are solid, some of bit crude/worn, some rather scarce and the bracelet itself is a thing of beauty. I haven’t researched all the charms yet, but I see a couple that could sell individually for $100.

And yesterday I found this large wood and plaster gilded frame (with a worn easel back covered in velvet) at my neighborhood thrift store–vintage and likely antique. It’s a beauty with only minimal damage. (Paid $7.99).

I think this would look great displayed on a wall on its own.

Old frames are not a big part of my business, but I have sold a few in the past. As others have commented on various vlogs, sometimes the frame is worth more than the picture!

Now January sales, while not overwhelming in number, have been surprisingly good. Sunny, even.

Just the last days have included an interesting mix of orders from the recently listed antique Watson sugar bowl (paid $3.79, sold for $125) to the antique Pain & Bayles chemist stoneware jar bought last year (paid $5, sold for $140) which is heading back to Ipswich, England!

The tiny bog oak carved pincushion was one of my personal treasures. I listed it a few weeks ago and it sold for $68. But the signed Lyell maple burl bowl took almost four years to sell. (Yikes!) Still I only paid $4 and it sold for $140. Was it worth the wait? It was in my books!

The African ebony head bought last year was such a striking piece, but thrift store priced at $11.49. Still I thought he had potential and I really liked his look. He sold for $58. Now the fabulous 7-Up silk scarf was bought in a linen lot from Shopgoodwill.com four years ago. And I was surprised at how long it took to sell. Still, it did and for $68. I’ve already made my money back many times over from that lot so after fees this one is all profit.

So it looks like January will end strong!

But as part of my biz I do allow for returns (no questions asked) within a 14-day window. A buyer kindly asked if she could return a silver creamer that was a little too small for her needs and I told her “absolutely.” While it’s always disappointing to receive a return, I want folks to be happy with their purchase. So I sent her my address and told her as soon as I receive it I’ll be able to refund her less the shipping costs. Now a week has gone by and I haven’t received it or heard a peep from her. Which sometimes happens too! Maybe the hassle of shipping it back deters them?! We’ll see if it shows up this week.

I’ll close for now, hoping we get a little sun today. I think our next major rainstorm is not till next week!

Happy hunting,

Karen