I officially launched a Cool Old Things section in my books area today. I've been tucking things among the Cool Old Books for a while now, but today I gave them a couple shelves of their own.
I have more vintagey things the back, but if items sell quickly, I won't be able to keep the shelves full---the store does get cool donations, but not all that many all that often.
My favorite is the Northwest Orient red wool blanket (loved it so much, I took it home & washed it so it was saleable) along with the grey and white Northwest airline plastic coffee cups.
A couple things, like that seafoam-green soap dish, are leftovers ––things I'd listed on ebay. (Most things sell there, eventually, but a few don't.)
Ebay just takes too much time--most things can be sold in the store for a lower price, but since there are no fees and much less time is spent, the profit is about the same.
Except, there really is a lot of shoplifting at the store. It used to bother me, but now I don't much care.
I mean, I don't like the idea of someone who can afford stuff stealing it, but I can't know that, and mostly I just want someone to have the stuff.
There's so much stuff.
If you steal it, I just ask, please, enjoy it!
This regular customer, >
a really nice person who always finds the best stuff in the store, bought a Cool Old Bear off the shelf.
She let me take her photo for Facebook with the bear, who she named Goldie.
I'd saved the bear from the garbage, where the toy lady had thrown him.
"Nooo!" I said. "He's vintage!"
I priced him double our usual $1.99. Almost took him home myself, but I have a backlog of bears... (Firefly is still patiently waiting to be patched, rejointed, and stuffed.)
I also took a cast iron pan out of metal recycling. The ladies are always putting cast iron in there, if it's rusty. I should make a sign...
In fact, I did stick a sign for this pan on how to season it. It's a little inexact. (I hope no one sets their kitchen on fire or something...).
I'm going to post better instructions on Facebook.
I have more vintagey things the back, but if items sell quickly, I won't be able to keep the shelves full---the store does get cool donations, but not all that many all that often.
My favorite is the Northwest Orient red wool blanket (loved it so much, I took it home & washed it so it was saleable) along with the grey and white Northwest airline plastic coffee cups.
A couple things, like that seafoam-green soap dish, are leftovers ––things I'd listed on ebay. (Most things sell there, eventually, but a few don't.)
Ebay just takes too much time--most things can be sold in the store for a lower price, but since there are no fees and much less time is spent, the profit is about the same.
Except, there really is a lot of shoplifting at the store. It used to bother me, but now I don't much care.
I mean, I don't like the idea of someone who can afford stuff stealing it, but I can't know that, and mostly I just want someone to have the stuff.
There's so much stuff.
If you steal it, I just ask, please, enjoy it!
This regular customer, >a really nice person who always finds the best stuff in the store, bought a Cool Old Bear off the shelf.
She let me take her photo for Facebook with the bear, who she named Goldie.
I'd saved the bear from the garbage, where the toy lady had thrown him.
"Nooo!" I said. "He's vintage!"
I priced him double our usual $1.99. Almost took him home myself, but I have a backlog of bears... (Firefly is still patiently waiting to be patched, rejointed, and stuffed.)
I also took a cast iron pan out of metal recycling. The ladies are always putting cast iron in there, if it's rusty. I should make a sign...
In fact, I did stick a sign for this pan on how to season it. It's a little inexact. (I hope no one sets their kitchen on fire or something...).
I'm going to post better instructions on Facebook.
I don't know much about vintage stuff, but I know that people who do know about it are crazy for cast iron. Shouldn't be scrapped.
ReplyDeleteCast iron especially the old stuff is the best even if rusted! I made sure to grab my mom's cornbread cast iron pan from the estate which makes 6 pieces instead of 8.
ReplyDeleteI love the old Northwest Airlines blanket. I picked up two SAS airline blankets at an estate sale. Lovely orange and red stripe and washed up so soft. Some of the older blankets most likely were not fake material but real wool and poly mix.
Kirsten
MICHAEL: I'm always surprised what people don't know--cast iron is a new thing as well as a vintage thing, but the ladies keep scrapping it, and I keep pulling it out. Time to post a "DO NOT SCRAP" list.
ReplyDeleteSterling silver would be on it too.
KIRSTEN: That's a treasure,your mom's castiron cornbread pan!
I am thinking of nabbing that blanekt if it didn't sell on my day off. It does feel like REAL wool (blend), for sure.