Posted by Some weeks I just don’t find “happy-dance” scores for my Etsy biz, but I do find good, sellable things that are more accessible price-wise to a wider range of folks. And sometimes that is enough.
Last week when I popped into Goodwill I found Jesus! A rather pensive Jesus print attributed to artist Heinrich Hofmann (1824 – 1911) and known as “Christ at Thirty Three.” It has a nice wood frame in complementary colors and had a date pencilled on the back for 1947. I imagine this once had pride of place in a living room. I like this image more than others because his eyes don’t follow you and he seems compassionate!!
Lots of resellers don’t bother with religious items for one reason or another, but they appeal to me and are an active niche in my Etsy store. Over the years I’ve sold rosaries, medals, menorahs, statues, singing bowls, icons, crosses. Some of these items were hard to part with! We’ll see how long it takes for Jesus to sell.
I am a fan of barro negro Mexican pottery and spotted this little carved vase in a bougie thrift store. Even at 50% off it really wasn’t a bargain for a reseller. Honestly I should have left it behind. Still I don’t think it will take long to sell and it’s perfect for fall decor.
Wouldn’t it look great with these dried Chinese lantern pods?
Books are another beloved niche. This month I went to a library book sale, but I arrived five hours after it had opened so I knew that all the “best” books would have been scooped up by serious booksellers. Still I always find a few. Like this treasure–“The Schumacher Library of Printed Fabrics (Second Edition)” book. So useful for designers and appears to be a scarce one that was only offered to the design crowd. (Listed for $35.)
Vintage cookbooks sell for me and I find a lot of book buyers and vintage sellers ignore them. In this vintage cookbook by Helen Corbitt she showcases 1970s party cuisine with recipes you just don’t hear about any more–Ribeye en Gelee and Horseradish Mousse! Of course there are some I would make today like the Curry of Lamb. (In very good condition, it’s listed for $28.)
Now I rarely source clothing. Almost never, ever. But I was browsing in the women’s coat aisle in my neighborhood thrift store and spotted something that stopped me in my tracks–a vintage wool paisley Jaeger swing coat. (My quickie photo here doesn’t do it justice.) And I just couldn’t leave it behind.
I looked it over for five minutes in the store. It appeared to be in beautiful condition–no holes, rips, stains. It’s tagged as SML, but this is not a small. I tried it on (and I wear a medium or large) and this was swimming on me. (I’ll give all the measurements in the listing.) While I paid up for it, I’ll likely list this for $100+ so should do okay.
All in all July was an average sales month and a below average sourcing month, but that’s all to the good. I don’t need a lot more inventory! I still have a few bits in my “death pile” and I’m still working towards getting my listings under 400, down from over 700 eighteen months ago.
Hope you found a few good things this July.
Hunting for Vintage 