“Money in the House!”

Have you ever watched a Brit show called “Cash in the Attic”? Experts are invited to a person’s home to find vintage/antique things to sell to help the homeowner raise money for some project. Homeowners decide which items they are willing to let go and the items are sold at auction. It makes for rather fun viewing for someone like me.

Well I am continuing my own version of “Cash in the Attic”–that I’m calling it “Money in the House!” I’ve really been doing it for months, years even, but especially now that I am purposefully not buying much for my vintage business these days. (In December I spent a grand total of $36.64.) With sales slowing down, it just doesn’t make sense to continue spending as much $$$ on “new” stock. And hunting in my house has gotten easier over time. Honestly. I’ve found and listed things that I never, ever intended to sell. And of course I still get to enjoy them till they sell!

I bought these two bisque porcelain vases of “cherubs in the garden” from a Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog decades ago, before internet shopping! I still love them, but notice I have been using them less. I don’t remember using them once in 2024 and maybe not in 2023 either. So I put on my big-girl pants and have now listed them in my Etsy store. (I have found some for sale online–singles listed for $40. I have listed my pair for $60.)

I have loved and displayed this 1800s framed military school photo for decades. The boys all look so heartbreakingly young and you’ll see a black servant photobombing the pic from an open window! But I finally decided I can let someone else enjoy this piece.

This handmade pottery flask was a Craigslist find, one of two I bought from a spunky older woman named Betty. I displayed one in my curio cubby and sold the other one six years ago. Now this one is for sale too.

Several weeks ago I was contacted by a customer in Canada wanting to know if I had Villeroy & Boch “Miss Desiree” wine glasses in the 6″ size (I had two listed in the 6.5″ size) and I did! I had four that we’d been using personally for the last 18 months. But I had plenty of wine glasses and I realized I could let these go. Even though it didn’t work out for her to buy them, I listed them. One pair sold in a matter of days for $60. One pair remains.

So I am going to try and keep this momentum going, but of course there are things that are still NOT for sale! For a hot second I thought about selling this small British hallmarked sterling silver trophy cup from the Imperial Tobacco Co. but I came back with a resounding no. I still wanted this one!