Vintage Rescue Squad

Pickers Everywhere!

What is going on? In my last 2 visits to foof the booth, I've overheard no less than 5 people reference American Pickers—one even proclaimed that he FELT like he was ON American Pickers. Um, no, dude. You're in an air-conditioned antique mall in the suburbs. Even I don't call myself a picker.

Apparently, this phenomenon not confined to the eastern seaboard. Yard Sale Bloodbath said it perfectly: You don’t need to carry a f***ing loupe and a flash light with you to yard sales. Are you all getting the same thing?!?

Front and Center!

Saturday, I woke up earlier than usual (and earlier than I felt comfortable) so felt at odds with what I should do with my day. I wasn't feeling the estate sales. I knew I had to get more merch if I wanted to re-load the booth. I wasn't feeling like hustling for good junk.

 

Pennsylvania! PA is my go-to state for great junk at killer prices. I headed to my fave town, hitting some new spots. Both had super-high collectors' prices, and I was feeling discouraged. I hit my junky spot, but only got a single crate and 2 books. WTF? Did I waste this trip? THEN, I hit a new-to-me mall that ROCKED. I made a spectacle of myself, making multiple trips to the front desk for my "pile." In fact, I did it so frequently, they eventually started watching me on the surveillance tapes, and sent runners to shuttle my merch to the front desk—white glove service. Should I be flattered or pegged as a crazy compulsive shopper?

The icing on the cake was this chippy yellow CLAW-FOOT dresser. Of COURSE I had to bring it front-and-center in the refoof today.

 

It also meant some rearranging, with helpful advice from my sister. At first, I was concerned that so much stuff was jammed in one corner, until I realized I needed to pay heed to my #1 rule: never underestimate a shopper's desire to DIG. Dig away, shoppers.

Junk Rx

Madison & Mabel at Chartreuse

I didn't quite realize it fully until yesterday, but sometimes all you need to get out of junk funk is to hang out with other junkers. My sister and I hit the road and crossed state lines into Maryland to hit 2 local monthly barn sales. While driving, I felt myself getting even more excited, merely for the fact that we were together again (she'd been out of town recently), and we were gabbing about JUNK. Woo hoo! Instant good mood.

Thanks also to Kathy, Mary Alice, Mabel (no blog), Vicki (no blog), and Rosanna who generously indulged me at the Stylish Patina barn sale yesterday. And super-squeezy hugs to Robin and Kelly from Chartreuse for rekindling my enthusiasm. I'm raring to go now!

Slacker Junker

unrelated photo; booth at Chartreuse today

Guilty as charged. Although it's been a mild winter, weather-wise, it's had all the hallmarks of winter for a junker: no fleas, no good estate sales. Or maybe I'm just getting pickier? Every estate sale lately has seemed unappealing for a junker like me (fine antiques, interior-decorator's dream, orientalia, etc.). What happened to all the "bring a mask/80 years of accumulation/digger's dream" sales? I shouldn't complain—I have so much merchandise already! But you know how it is; it's in our blood.

I vowed earlier this year to get a grip on what I already own, so have been working hard at managing the hoard and ATTEMPTING to make my home more livable.

 

A big part of that was loading up the etsy shop, and it's paid off big-time! I took the time to list new items, maximize SEO (to the degree that I care to), and focus—and it worked. Three times in the last 2 weeks, I've surpassed my own record, and if today is any indication, I'll do so again. It's been a struggle to hit my etsy stride, but I'll admit it's working—and it's really gratifying. More on this in a later post.

 

And, although I feel like I'm neglecting the booth a little (ok, a lot), it's rebounded miraculously. This January was the best I've had in the last 4 years, and I'm hoping it's a sign that the economy is slowly recovering. I'm fortunate to live in a fairly recession-proof area, though. But to my thinking, if people are buying vintage, things are looking up.

I'm hoping the same is true in your area and your shops. I'm also hoping that you're doing all the buying that I haven't been, because I'm coming back with a VENGEANCE. The next good sale I hit will be a FRENZY. I can feel it!

Alive and Junking (barely): Two Bat Signals and a "Barn" "Sale"

Let's blame it on that pesky big-grrrl job. I've been mighty swamped at the paying job lately, and the junking has suffered. To be honest, however, it's not like I'm missing out on some killer estate or barn sales. Nothing seems to be happening in my area lately.

EXCEPT for two VRS Bat Signal Alerts I recently received. VRS Bat Signals (to me) are those unexpected/drop-everything/there-might-be-good-junk phone calls I periodically get. A week ago Friday, I got a call at 6 pm from a friend who works for an estate-sale company. He'd got an unexpected side job: a house had to be cleared out ASAP and I should come over and grab what I can. Unfortunately, it was filthy hoarder stuff, so there wasn't much to be had. All the furniture was broken (alas). But I got a handful of items.

Then, earlier this week I got a phone call from a woman who had stopped into our shop looking to unload some vintage items. She's moving to NC, and the shop punted the phone call to me. Woo hoo! Yesterday I drove out to check out her items. Alas, only a few were vintage, and even fewer were "my" kind of junk.

I have a love/hate relationship with these kinds of cold-calls (and people that walk into the shop looking to sell items). It's a GREAT opportunity (and as junkers, we JUMP at opportunities), but 99.9% of the time, the sellers want retail prices on their items. I made some offers, and am waiting to see if she bites. Doubtful, I fear.

Feeling the junking DTs, today I drove over an hour—over state lines, waaaayyyy out in the boonies—to a "multi-barn" "sale" I saw advertised. I use the term "barn" loosely because it was a 3-hovel deal, and the word "sale" would be more-accurately described as a "purge." I can't even call the junk "junk" because it was mostly literal JUNK. I didn't get much, but it was good to get out buying again.

 

Lately, I've taken to trolling etsy for some vintage merch. I got the double-swivel globe in the first photo there (woot!), as well as these great tri-state area pennants! How fun are they? I've never seen ones with the years woven into the pennants, and these are all in mint condition! (Please ignore the Bogie poster at top right; it's booth creep from an adjacent seller. Don't get me going on her....)

All I know is I NEED a junk fix BADLY and Warrenton can't come soon enough! See you TX peeps March 29th!