Posted by For all of you “in the vintage selling biz” I know you’ve likely had some ups and downs this year too and have done some soul searching and pivoting. I had intended on putting my Etsy store on “vacation mode” for six days before Christmas, but decided to keep it open and I’m glad I did. A few more sales dribbled in, including two on Christmas day.
One of those sales was a neat MCM lithograph of Paris by Gabrielle Ardant, an estate sale find from 2016. (Paid $15.) I kept this piece for myself, then about four years ago I decided to list it. There was off-and-on again interest over the years, but I was surprised it took this long to sell. But then I’m always surprised!
And I finally bought a few things this month from my neighborhood thrift store. Three in fact and it felt almost miraculous! Though I should have left this one behind because it doesn’t fit my new direction–it wasn’t very old or valuable, but I really liked it–a Polish carved wood box with slots for cards and dice–and it was priced right and appealing. (Listed for $35.)
This vintage pressed glass perfume bottle was a classic shape and in pristine condition. I didn’t find any marks on it in the store but felt it might “be something.”
At home I found this tiny clear sticker on it. Turns out it was a Lenox piece made in West Germany (1949-1990). I generally avoid Lenox, at least the more ubiquitous cream-colored porcelain items, but I’m okay with this bottle. (Listed for $40.)
But the best piece was this beautiful crystal oval biscuit jar with a lid. You could feel the quality. At first I couldn’t find a mark, but finally spotted one on the side–Waterford. Oh glory be, I do love a bit of Waterford. Crystal and clear glass may not be the most popular items, but Waterford consistently sells for me.
Total spent: $14.64
Strangely as I was pulling a sold item from one of my inventory bins, I spotted this small Paris painting and I had a niggling feeling that it wasn’t listed…and I was right. How had this dropped off the radar? Why was it in storage? Well, it’s listed now! The signature is credited to British artist Albert George Morgan (1848-1930). I’m dating it to the mid-1920s with the little cloche hats and the just-below-the-knee skirts.
I’ve had a pair of Edwardian-era bone glove stretchers in my Etsy shop for a ridiculously long time so I deactivated that listing and created a new one pairing the stretchers with an unlisted bone bodkin (for making lace) and a miniature bone folding cocktail fork. (Listed for $48.) I think these would be cute together in a shadow box or some kind of assemblage.
As I am mainly focusing on listing items previously acquired (rather than buying much “new” stock), I am also making the painful decisions that some items aren’t worth reselling online–like this $3 flea market find from September. It’s missing a piece in the middle and doesn’t sell for much, and honestly it’s not normally what I sell. I’ve never been big into kitsch.
So as 2024 winds down, I’ve definitely been doing lots of soul searching and subsequently creating new biz goals and directions for 2025. I can’t just can’t keep doing what I’ve been doing for 12 years.
One of my goals for the next year is to decrease my inventory by 33%, which I hope to accomplish by:
- buying less
- putting more items on sale
- donating lesser-quality items
- redoing old listings of the good stuff with fresh photos/search terms
- putting items on other selling platforms
- doing more promotion.
Phew…it doesn’t sound fun, but it needs to be done.
Would love to hear how your vintage business did this year and if you’re making any changes in 2025.
All the best,
Karen
Hunting for Vintage 