Posted by As the end of 2026 nears (!) I’ve been motivated to both downsize more of my Etsy store and be super picky in my remaining purchases for this year. I want to start 2027 more streamlined with an overall higher ASP (Average Selling Price) on my items. But even more important than ASP I want quality and uniqueness. I want to sell things that aren’t in every store.
Years ago when my brother Danny lived in Houston he took me to a huge antique mall in Spring, TX. I was excited, but I noticed there were a fair amount of booths that had the same type of common thing: vintage glassware, various china bits, salt and pepper shakers, sugar and creamer sets, various collectibles. And there is nothing wrong with any of that. But it got repetitive and boring and I wasn’t seeing anything unique, antique or valuable.
And I don’t want that for my store.
Buying at the Thrift Store
The other day I was the first customer when my neighborhood thrift store opened (now at 9:00 a.m.) and I spotted a few things, but only bought one. Here was my thinking…
First I spotted this metal reindeer tea light candleholder. It was a bold, striking piece. Simply fabulous! Here’s why I didn’t buy it. One, it wasn’t vintage. Two, it was seasonal. Three, it was large and would require pricy shipping. Four, I tried to sell a smaller metal reindeer candleholder for years and finally ending up donating it. Five it was priced at $15.20. And lastly, similar online listings for these type of candleholders were typically priced at $50 and under. So this had to be a no for me. (A few minutes later another woman snagged it!)
I also passed up these vintage glass toothpick holders which I know some folks adore but I am just not interested in this type of glass item and they are low-value. (These reminded me of the type of items I saw at that antique mall in Spring.)
The red one is an LE Smith “Moon and Stars” pattern typically listed for $22 and under (most Ebay solds are $13 and under) and the green one is Westmoreland in the “Diamond and Fan” pattern typically listed in the $20s. Each was only $1.29, so as a pair they could have been a nice bread-and-butter duo perhaps listed for $25 to $35. Still I was happy to leave them for someone else.
I also passed up the framed oriental painting. It was on the larger size (at least 16″ wide) and painted on porcelain–which makes it heavier (and costlier) for shipping and would require extra packing to try and ensure that it didn’t crack! The thought of that alone deterred me. Decided to leave this behind. (Priced around $15.)
Then I spotted this tall (11″), heavy (over 3 lbs.) vintage brass vase, and even though it was priced up ($12.50), I was pleased. It is just a fantastic classic vase, likely from India, but not something I see every day. It will fit in any decor. It won’t fight with the beauty of the flowers. It would look great with feathers and is heavy enough for branches. The interior shows that it has been used. Likely circa 1950 to 1980.
I have decided to clean it up as the finish is all over the place and have opted to use ketchup! I did a test patch (left on for four minutes) and it works, but it will take a while to get my desired result! Ketchup is cheaper than brass polish and there are no toxic fumes or chemicals to deal with, but I’m wondering if I may have to go with a little polish in the end as it’s taking forever.
Donating the Flotsam and Jetsam
I was going through my Etsy store inventory and decided to jettison some that either didn’t really fit my store or had lingered way too long–like two these vintage/antique copper jelly molds. I have sold three before, but the remaining two just won’t budge even after price adjustments. And I’ll admit that surprised me. Still I was done with them and kitchenalia is not my thing so these are now in the donate bag.
I received a large group of 1970s-80s political/religious buttons for free. I sold one lot, but this lot just hasn’t shifted after three years. They didn’t fit my store and were not worth much so these are now in the donate bag.
I thought this black tole-ware tin (by Sylvestri) was rather lovely but it has lingered too long too even after lowering the price several times. It’s now in the bag! Actually I think it was in the bag once before and I took it out and tried again to no avail. So it’s bye, bye for real this time.
Of course I let go of lots of other bits and bobs, including culling some books that just aren’t worth enough for me to sell online and some vintage necklaces that no one seems to want. It’s not an easy process, but strangely, feels good.
Moving Forward
I have been making progress towards having a smaller Etsy store–from over 700 items last year to just over 400 now. Hopefully less before the year is out.
Wishing you happy hunting…and donating!
Karen
