Surprises in a Vintage Biz

Most weeks running my online vintage biz are fairly routine and even hum drum. I list items, package up orders, answer questions and get in some sourcing.

Well last week I was surprised when two women asked to return bracelets–one was smaller than expected, one too big. Both bracelets were shown against a ruler and dimensions were listed so I’m not sure what else I could have done to prevent this. I got back the antique garnet bracelet today and just relisted it though I am tempted to keep it.

It is disheartening to have two returns coming in the same week when in the course of a whole year I normally only get four total! Of course I will be able to resell the bracelets, but it’s always a let down to have to sell items a second time. One sterling silver bangle came back twice. (I began to think it was cursed.) Thankfully the third time it sold it the lady loved it.

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Yesterday I got a surprising but intriguing message from a guy in England regarding an item I sold last year. Turns out that British astronomer Dr. Allan Chapman who made this Nocturnal died this past January. The writer was asking permission to use one of my listing photos to accompany an obituary he was writing to be published by the Royal Astronomical Society!

Of course I was happy to let them do that and they’ll even give me a photo credit!

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And I got a nice surprise over the weekend when two beaded purses that had been in my shop for years (one at least five years) sold within a day of each other! They were such good things and I really thought they would sell quicker than they did.

Honestly, in the online vintage world I find it’s hard to predict what will sell quickly and what will linger. It’s all about the right person finding it.

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And lately as I’ve reviewed what’s been selling in my store I’ve been surprised that my antique sterling silver souvenir spoons have been doing so well. I collected them for decades and knew when I was downsizing my collection and listing them in my Etsy store that they were not “on trend.” Would anyone even want them? They were definitely long-tail items. Well, in the past 14 months I’ve sold 20. Which in my books is darn good.

I decided to see if I could part with any more from my collection and I choose one more–this charming Reed & Barton stork birth spoon. Can you see the baby tucked in his wing? It’s a substantial spoon at 34 grams. I’ve listed this one for $75.

Here’s what’s left of my collection–most demi-sized but full of amazing details.

Back in day when my daughters were young I’d let them choose a spoon to stir their “coffee”–mostly milk with a tiny bit of sugar and coffee. It was a fun ritual for a time. Now these spoons are never used, but I still appreciate them.

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There are always surprises in any business, both good and bad. I am thankful that for the most part I haven’t had too many bad. Even the ladies returning the bracelets left me nice reviews!

Wishing you happy hunting,

Karen