Monday Rambles

Drumroll, please!



We have a new record!  I had my total highest booth sales ever in June, 2014!  Despite the summer doldrums, somehow I managed to sell into the

LOW FOUR DIGITS

for the first time ever!

I've gotten into the upper threes quite a bit over the years, but have never broken that four digit mark, until now.  I'm still shaking over it, honestly.

Now this is gross sales, before the rent and commission comes out.  My check will be considerably less, but will still be one of the biggest I have gotten.  I've always felt that I needed to grow my gross sales to a certain level, then work on the net, which is really just growing the gross some more, but don't spoil my convoluted business theories.

Actually, one of my goals for my sales was to be in four digit gross by the end of 2014.  Since I had to take additional space to accommodate a store closing, I figured that I needed to make it pay.  I just didn't expect it would start so soon.  I've only been operating at my current level for two months, after all.

The challenge now is sustainability.  It doesn't do me any good if this is a one time event.  No resting on the laurels here!  I have to start working on my next goal:  the four digit net.  I've set a deadline for that one of December 2015.  We'll see.

I just can't believe I wasted all that time trying to have booths in other stores where it clearly wasn't working.  I thought that was the only way to grow my sales totals.  If I had spent the two years I wasted doing that on growing my base at the Peddlers Mall, I could have hit this level a long time ago!

Ah, hindsight!

Moving on to other topics:

I am off work this week.  Today is a stay at home and play day.  Or rather rest a bit.  Clean a bit.  Organize the shed a bit.  And maybe read some comics a bit.  Tomorrow is junking with my uncle and work on the booth day.  Wednesday is more booth day.  And Thursday will be about organizing my storage at the booth.  Friday, I'll probably chill and eat chili dogs.  (See what I did there?)  Saturday is closing day at the thrift downstairs from the booth, so I'll make a stop there.  Won't be much yard sale action, anyway.  Sunday, I'll go the big flea.

And then next Monday, I'll return to work, so I can get a little rest!

Actually, my work hours are weird right now.  Even though summer has officially just begun, our summer session is over.  When I go back to work, it will be on severely reduced hours--about half my usual total.  That goes on for two weeks and then we start back on regular sessions (ie the "fall schedule") on July 21.  

No Mazda shot this week.  Wasn't really that full.  No drama in a piddly Mazda load.  I'll have some finds picks later in the week.  My main stop was an estate sale run by my favorite company.  I would have been there regardless, but they also had comics!  Yay!

Finally, I word about that double post on Saturday.  I was trying to save that glamour shot for this Tuesday and thought I was scheduling it for then.  Instead, I accidentally set it up for last Tuesday.  (Does senility start at 49?)   I didn't realize it until your comments started showing up in my email.  Since it had already hit your feeds, the surprise was spoiled, so I didn't want to take it down and re-post it on Tuesday, so I just moved it to Saturday, for the sake of smooth posting continuity.  I was also afraid that someone might think it was an old post if I left it on the 24th and not see it.  What is the point of getting dressed up in your tropical finery if people don't get to see it because of a silly techno-user glitch?

Have a good week!

Merry Monday Rambles

Okay, so I'm going to have to put the vintage cards on hold for next year.  At least it gives me a whole fricking year to get the dang things scanned and posted.  Works for me.

I spent the last few days of last week, including the dread end of the world day, in the dark with no lights or heat.  I was still house-sitting and a transformer blew across the street due to very high winds.  The crews worked on it for several days, and the power would flash back on and then cut out again.  This also happened to be the time that the temps dropped to true winter levels.  Dark and cold.  I almost started to believe that the Mayans were right.

I hope everyone is ready for tonight and tomorrow.  I finally got Keith's presents wrapped over the weekend.  We'll probably go to midnight mass tonight.  That's one of our off and on traditions. Maybe Santa will come while we're out.  I've been good.  Really.

Sales have been strong this month, until the beginning of last week, when they slowed to a crawl.  Things picked back up by Friday, though.  It did kill the momentum I had built up a little, which is frustrating.  Still, I am only sixty bucks off last month's total sales at the Peddlers Mall, and we still have a week to go (but the store is closed tomorrow).  I usually have a really good day after Xmas sales total.

Looking back at what has sold, I can make some preliminary conclusions:

Ornaments (new and vintage):  MOSTLY SOLD OUT
Wrapping paper:  SOLD OUT
Cards:  DID NOT SELL WELL
Dishes:  SO-SO SALES
Gift Items:  50% SELL THROUGH

I'm not going to end up with too many leftovers to store.  The gift items will be left out, just shifted around.  New stuff sat good prices is a good thing to have for tax season, which is our busiest time in this business.

My pre-surgery tests went well last week.  Nigel finally stopped bleeding and all the bloodwork was good.  There was a bit of a scare about my blood pressure, which was waaaaaay high.  I've never had blood pressure issues at all, mind you, even during stressful times.  The culprit turned out to be the cold meds I've been slugging in my dread fear that  I was going to get sick and could not have the surgery.

In other words, my hypochondria-driven preventative treatment designed to keep me healthy enough for the surgery almost made me ineligible for the surgery.  The irony, it burns.  I went back to my doc on Friday and my bp was normal, so it's full steam ahead.  This time next week, Nigel and Sixtus will be gone.  I, for one, can't wait.

Happy Merry Ho Ho, Folks!

Goofy Is as Goofy Does. Yes, Indeed.

The scene:  The front of our house.  It is Monday of this week.  Our heroes pull up in their car.

Keith:  I thought I put the garbage can out when I left this morning.

Eddie:  You did and I took it in when I got home.  You know, like I always do after they come through.

Keith:  Garbage pick-up is tomorrow, dear.

Eddie sighs and hold out his hand.  Keith acts as if he places something in it.

You've just witnessed the latest passing of the Goofy Award.

In our household, we pass the Goofy Award back and forth between each other to mark those occasions when one or the other of us is, well, goofy.  I mean really goofy, not just the day-to-day kind of silly that results from living in the modern world.  You know, doing inexplicable things for oddball reasons.  That kind of thing.  Stuff that falls somewhere in between losing your keys and "This is going to go in my notebook of evidence for the mental competency hearing."  That kind of goofy.

We've all been there.  We've all done it.  Maybe it's stress.  Maybe it's age.  Maybe it's a natural state of being.  Or, as in our case, a little bit of all three, I think.  It's kind of our way of making fun of ourselves a little bit and thumbing our nose at the things that make us goofy.  In a way, it's kind of like celebrating being goofy.  Is there a better way to deal with aging's effects on memory than mocking it when it pops up in your life?  Honestly, it;'s going to happen.  Might as well have fun with it.  (Just remember to draw the line when someone ventures outside without any pants on.)

It's also, in an odd way, a sign of our commitment to each other.  We all need a little boost now and then.  A partner's goofiness can actually be something that frustrates you, if you let it.  This is our way of keeping those frustrations from turning into arguments.  The Goofy Award says "I love you despite your goofy behavior.  Or maybe because of it."  It's not insulting, but endearing.  It's a reminder that after twenty-plus years, I am so not going to let a little thing like forgetting to put the milk back in the fridge get to us.  Long haul, baby.  Sickness and health.  Poverty and wealth.  Normal and goofy.  I think that works.  

There is no actual, physical Goofy Award as such.  It's just an imaginary trophy we pass back and forth.  I think it would take away from the fun if we actually had something tangible to pass back and forth.  Besides, as goofy as we are, one of us would probably lose it. This way, not only can one person win multiple Goofies for successive events, but it can be awarded anywhere.  The only criteria is that serious acts of goofiness be involved.

So, who else has a Goofy Award?  What goofy things happen in your household?