Sometimes....

Sometimes....

...you gotta wash....

....the play food!

I love play food.  I really do.  I sell bags of it all the time.  Every now and then, I find a batch that's a little on the dirty side.  Like this batch that Keith discovered when he was cleaning out the dark corners of the living room.

I actually bought this a while back and set it aside for a day when I felt like cleaning it.  Since pigs never started flying, that day kind of didn't roll around too quickly.  I bought it from a yard sale where I found it all sitting in a giant salad bowl shaped like a clam shell.  The whole thing, bowl included, was just a buck, which is why I got it.  Typically, I pass on stuff this dirty, unless there's something unique about it.

The salad bowl was actually really nice, and I cleaned it up and sold it a while ago.  Now it's time to get this food out.  After this, I've got some toy soldiers to clean, along with a bunch of Happy Meal toys, mostly super-heroes.  They were a curb find from a couple of years ago that were hiding in the living room with the play food.  I think there was some kind of party going on.

The most favorite play food set I ever found was this amazing sushi set from a year or so ago.  I've never seen anything like it before or since.  One time, on another blog, I saw a KFC play food set that came in a KFC bucket.  I've been wanting to find one for myself ever since.  It would be too cool.

Little Tikes food is always on my list of things to hunt for when I go out.  One time, I bought an LT BBQ grill set that still had a lot of the food and utensils with it.  I sold the grill and food/utensils separately and made almost as much on the little stuff as I did the grill.

So many of the small components that come with LT sets get lost, which means that people are always looking for them.  Accessories from older, retired sets used to bring decent prices online.  (I haven't checked on any of them in a while, so that might have changed.)  Since these parts are usually small, they're easier to ship too.  Typically, it's the kind of stuff that's really cheap at yard sales, but makes digging through a box of little toys worthwhile. 

Whenever I sell Little Tikes food (or other accessories), I make sure to include the LT name on the tag. It means something to shoppers, so it can ensure a sale, especially if the price is right.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have play food to wash.

More Desk Cleaning Finds!

In lieu of a Mazda shot (Moratorium = No Mazda Shot), I hereby present:

Tiny

Tiny

Tiny Kachina!

Also, ALF!

PS  I know that's not an actual Kachina figure or doll.  It's more of a representation of one, but "Tiny Representation of a Kachina Doll" didn't have the flow I wanted.  No offense was intended.

Friendly Faces

I spent yesterday cleaning off my desk, because it was something I could do sitting down.  I still have a tote of junk beside it to go through, but I'll do that Saturday.  I've needed to do this, like, forever!

As often happens, I found a bunch of stuff that I had forgotten about:  a few comic books, some booth reports, a bunch of blank price tags, a couple of holy cards, some vintage Christmas cards, and a trio of friends:

Two cute vintage Kokeshi dolls and a Little People airline attendant!

Say hello, everyone!

Hello, everyone!

Monday Rambles

2007 is down folks, so I'm looking at my two largest blogging years square in the face:  2010 (114 posts) and 2008 (122 posts).  You're going down guys.  Just wait for it.  I've got enough blog drafts stored up to blow past you both and set a new personal blogging record.  As long as  I finish them.  Boo-yah!

Sorry for the sporadicidity (new word!) of last week.  It just could not be helped.  Think things will be better this week.  I hope.

At least it does seem like it might be better.  I've got an employment prospect lined up to replace (part of) the hours I lost from the cancellation, and I've been informed that the cancelled work is in the process of being rescheduled.  So, we'll see.  Sometimes this freelance thing has its ups and downs.

The replacement gig is going to be interested.  I've worked with this group before, but I have been informed that their supervisor is going to be sitting in this time.  I know I'm good at what I do, so this time I just have to be extra-good, I guess.  We'll see.

It has been infernally hot around here and that is slowing down sales a bit.  People just don't want to get out right now.  Eventually, that will start working in our favor, since the junking jonesing will eventually hit and people will "have" to get out, but will shy away from outdoor venues into those with a/c and the booths will win!  Still for June, it hasn't been that bad of a month,

I have had sales every day at YesterNook (this is the first month that has happened).  Now, some of them have been small sales, but small is better than no sales.  I'm adjusting my expectations there and starting to come to terms with the environment.  My other booth has done well--holding steady for the most part, although last week was a little slow.  Only a couple of exceptional days, but everything has stayed within its normal, predictable range.  And I can live with that.

I started cleaning out the junk room in the house last week.  I am finally to the point where I can see the end to that project.  Not that I am finished, mind you.  I've got a ways to go, but the project is starting to resemble the end result I have in my head. 

One of the fun things about taking on such a task is what I call "shopping twice."  I've found a couple of stashes of merch that got lost, including a box of Snoopys (Snoopies?) that kind of got buried.  It's now priced and headed for the booth.  I've also kind of recaptured one of my original missions with my booth, which was to help get rid of some of the excess stuff in the house.  By the time I'm done with this room, I'll have brought some much-needed organization to this whole re-sale thing.  I'll also (finally) have it concentrated in one room, instead of all over the house.

Speaking of which, today is the only day this week I have to work around the house, so I'd better get back to it.  See you all around.  I'm pretty sure there will be a few posts this week (I've got those triple digit years in my sights, after all), but I'm not sure it will be every day or not.