Dull As Dishwater

I’ve been trying to write a new blog post for days and every one I’ve started just seems so uninspired and boring. Rather like this one! Life is a little dull right now. I’ve been curtailing my sourcing so I have no amazing finds or thrifting adventures to share. (Last time I was in my neighborhood thrift store I did run into some thrifting friends and the reoccurring theme in our conversation was the lack of good items. The consensus is that the “better vintage stuff” is being shunted online and not hitting the shelves. Sigh.) And my Etsy sales have been noticeably “off” too. Typically October is grand. This year it’s meh. We are all blaming the upcoming U.S. elections.

I will say of the things that have sold this month I was particularly pleased with the huge Art Nouveau silver plate ladle. This was a $2 yard sale find from three years and it sold for $40. The vintage Lomonosov collie figurine from Russia (a Goodwill find) was in and out of carts for four years (!) and finally sold. (Paid $6+, sold for $58.)

So instead of having fun sourcing I’ve been listing bits and pieces from previous buying trips–some I don’t even remember when or where I bought them! Some I’ve held off listing because they are in the “bread and butter” category, i.e., lower value items like this 1968 Newlywed Game. I rarely deal in games or toys (not much interest for me), but I thought this would be fun for all types of couples–married or not! Still it’s taken me years to list it.

In that same vein I bought this Eastman Kodak film tin a few years back. The yard sale guy had a lot of interesting things and shared that he used to sell at the huge Alameda Flea Market. His prices weren’t cheap, but not obscene either. I was drawn to the tin because one of my brothers and a cousin had worked for the company, still it wasn’t worth as much as I’d hoped. (Listed for $30.)

This purse, once part of my personal collection, had a sterling silver frame, but after languishing in my store for eons with few views I removed the frame and sold that separately…in a few months. But the material (mythical creatures in petit point) is fantastic too and I’m hoping someone will want to repurpose it. If it doesn’t sell I may try to do something with it.

So this is how it is. Real vintage reselling. It’s not all great finds and making tons of $$$$. Some YouTubers I follow (and I adore their vlogs) make it look so easy and fun, fun, fun. I appreciate the ones who show the harsh realities too–the sourcing challenges, difficult buyers, slow sales, rising fees, etc.

I’ll close for now, wishing you happy hunting,

Karen