The New Booths! (Booth Math Answers)

I've graded all the responses to the Booth Math post and I am happy to say that not only did everyone pass, but you all got an A+!  Your teacher is just an old softie and cannot bear to disappoint anyone with a low grade.  Even people that didn't hand in an answer got an A+.  Heck, even people that weren't in the class got an A+.  I'm just that kinda guy.  (I tried to give A+'s to people at other schools, but they wouldn't let me.)

I thought you might want to see how things turned out.  The first pic in the Booth Math post was the panic booth I rented when the Dixie store was closing.  It had operated as a dumping ground all through the move out in January.  I had just started to tidy it up, when we got snowed in during mid-February.

I was kind of sad to give it up.  It had an ideal central location and great visibility.  I never really got a chance to implement my vision there.  It had these bare cinder block walls, with a couple of panels of pegboard mounted at the end.  I had planned everything around the cinder block.  All my shelf purchases during the store closing were things I thought would look cool and "rustic" against the bare block.  I was planning to experiment with the pegboard and try hanging some shelves on it for an attention getter.

I never really got to start any of that, but I think I got a better deal.

The second pic was my already existing booth in this store.  When the new space filled up, I had to resort to dumping in this spot.  Clean up was slow going, and so were my sales.  The store manager called and offered me a booth swap:  the end booth on the row where I already was in exchange for the bare wall booth.  There was a carpet vendor looking to come in, but he needed a solid wall to lean his rolls against.  The end booth had just opened up very suddenly, so it was a win-win for everyone.

Besides having my spaces on the same aisle, starting with the blank booth in the third pic gave me the chance to build my second booth from the ground up, thoughtfully and deliberately, which is the way I like to do things.  It would have taken me longer to dig out of my panic mess at the other spot than to create a new space.

I'm breaking new ground for myself here.  I have never had a booth with this much visibility before.  It is seriously one of the first things you see when you start shopping in the store.  I figured my usual "cram it in" approach was not going to work here.  I needed to make...gulp...displays.

I don't like a booth that looks too curated.  To me, the more styled a space is, the less likely there's going to be anything there I can afford.  I much prefer an organized, cluttery ensemble of items.  I've tried to strike a balance between the two with this space.  Its main purpose is to showcase my books (organized clutter) and my furniture (limited curation).

Let's see how well I did.

Side view from aisle

Head on view

Right corner view

View from other aisle

Other corner view

I lined the aisle with bookshelves pointing outward.  Behind these I put another row facing inward.  I am trying to limit the items that go on the outward facing ones to larger smalls, so that a shelf will be easier to unload if someone wants it.  The inward facing shelves hold the books and help keep them organized (sort of).

There are a few more tweaks I want to make, but I am pretty happy with it.  I need to being in another large piece or two.  It looks a tad too bare.  I think I've hit up a winning formula here.  I've sold a lot of large furniture pieces out of this space in the past week.  A lot.

The other space is just down the aisle from this one.  It maintains that cluttered "old man junk dealer" feel that I like.  I actually do have an organization scheme for this one, but it's in the nascent stage.  It will take a few more weeks of careful refining to bring it to fruition.  This is actually a very hard look to pull off just right.  There has to be an organization scheme, but it can't be too noticeable.  I'm working on it.

I have my religion section started, and my toy section is sort of brewing.  I'm struggling with how to incorporate my comic books into one of the spaces, since they do take up a lot of room.

I guess it's a work in progress.  But aren't most things?

Class dismissed.

Retro Y'all!

Ain't No Truth Like Vintage Truth...

I think that says it all, no?

From one of those vintage decorative plates that grandma used to have in her kitchen.  Well, your grandma maybe.  My grandmother would never display something so racy!

Lo! There Shall Come....Church Sales!

Last weekend, we entered into the early throes of the yard sale season.  Two of the best early church sales were scheduled, the weather was warming up (despite the snow that was still piled up on the ground), and I was itching to go!

Let this be the first official Mazda shot of 2015:

The Ice Melt bag doesn't count

One of the sales always has a huge gym full of stuff, with plenty to buy throughout the sale.  The last hour is their half-price sale.  I've gotten into habit of not showing up there until the last hour.  Actually, we get there about 20 minutes beforehand, case the joint, and wait for the half price hour.  This year, they had a lot of furniture left at the end.

The other sale is always better at the beginning than at the end.  Lots of good stuff, but it goes fast.  We had nothing else to do on Saturday, so I didn't want to get to one sale at 8, then wait until 1 for the good prices at the other one.  Since my main target these days is furniture and larger items, which is not something the early sale usually has a lot of even at the beginning, I decided to head out mid morning, to avoid the downtime.

I also found another church sale that would just fit into the time frame available, so we were off!

So what's in Mazda?  Well, for starters, an odd small book case.  What's odd about it?

It has a slot in the top.

And this weird construction in the back of the top shelf.  The slot makes me think of old dot-matrix style printers.  Back in the day, office furniture had slots for the paper feed.  But the shelf is all wood and seems much older than that. (To me at least.)  So, I'm mystified.

I could not pass up this blue color, even though I know whoever buys this beauty will likely change that.

Both these chairs and the plant table were part of the load.  I have an unhealthy love for director's chairs. You can see bits of my new booth set up peeking around these pics.  I'll do a full reveal in a couple of days.

I almost passed on this toy organizer, until I saw it was Little Tykes.  That brand sells well for me.

Love this groovy bag!

I'm not sure why anyone would have six (!) Our Lady of Fatima plates, but I almost passed out when I saw them.  Love.  Since there are six, I can sell five and keep one!

Buncha smaller stuff.  I love anything with characters on them, so the BC pitcher was a no brainer.  I sold a bunch of BC glasses a few weeks ago.  They would have displayed so well with the pitcher.  Oh well.  The decanters held bath oil at one time.

I have no idea what possessed me to grab that large wrought iron candle sconce thing.  It's not my usual vibe.  I think some other junkers are rubbing off on me.  There were some other smalls from this sale, but that pic didn't come out well.

These retro plastic hampers always sell for me.  The little bunny on the wagon went into my Easter display.  Two of the Bible story books on top I had as a child.

March seems about right to start pulling together Christmas stuff.  Those blow molds are not the least bit old, but they are sweet and will certainly sell when the time comes.  I always hop on the smaller size blow molds, since they are easier to store.  Same for trees.  I like to have 4-6 smaller trees for sale during Christmas.  This is the first one for the stash.  I already have an idea for making a Christmas tree forest in my booths.

I've been doing some other shopping of late, as well.  I've been pretty lame about getting pics, but here are some recent thrift finds.  If I plan it just right and have the time, I can pass up to five thrifts on my way to the new store.  I feel like I just have to stop in at least one, you know?

My Easter display is, for better or worse, done, but I could not resist this cute little chicken wire fellow.

These are modern cups, but the art style rings vintage to me.  Maybe they're some type of repro?  Either way, I could not resist coffee mugs with noses.  I wonder how many more were in the set?

More Missals and Bibles?  Yes, please!

I am ga ga over these two vintage Catholic pictures.  The one on the right is titled "Mary, Hope of the World" and the left one is called "Mary, Mother of Mankind."  That's quite a head of blond hair the baby Jesus has, isn't it?  They're professionally framed and were sold from a religious goods store here in town that has operated since the late 1800's.  They were a tad more than I like to spend, but I could not resist.

My favorite find lately has to be this gold framed plaque of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts with the Alpha and Omega symbols.  Sweet!

Let's see....

I think I'm leaving something out...  What could it be?  Oh yeah!

I bought a blue bedpan!

Because blue bed pan!  I showed it to Keith and all he had to say was:  "Did you ever sell all those others?"  Well, yes!  It's not like I have a problem or anything.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

File this one under...

...Kind of obscure, now defunct bands from the past that Eddie likes!

Retro Y'all!

How about some bluegrass?



You honestly cannot get more retro than those jackets!  Woo hoo!

This was one of my mother's favorite tunes.  She used to sing it all the time.  I find it popping into my mind frequently, usually when I'm not expecting it.

Booth Math

POP QUIZ TIME!

CLEAR YOUR DESKS.  SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS.  GET A SHEET OF SCRAP PAPER.  NO CALCULATOR USAGE ALLOWED.

1

Extra credit if you noticed the stranger's legs in the mirror.

+

2

Yes, the white shelf totally blocks all booth access. I never said this was a school for geniuses.

+

3

=

?

The first smart-ass that says "A big ole mess"  fails!  Be sure your response is no more than a page and put your name in the upper right hand corner.  Be sure to show all your work and cite your sources.  For heaven's sake, proofread before submitting!  This counts towards 75% of your final grade.  I'll show you the answer in a day or two.

Sometimes...

......You just wanna hear a good old, rock-solid, stone cold country song!  This one fits the bill nicely. 



You're welcome.

Retro Y'all!

You certainly can't get more retro than that outfit, can you?  Linda always could rock those 70's fashions!



You could also rock a country song like nobody's business!

Frustrations

It's legislative session time again here in Kentucky.  Actually, the session is wrapping up pretty soon.  I dread this time of year, because inevitably some numbskull will do something like this and it ends up making national news.  Way to go for home state pride.  Woo hoo!  (There are a lot of details missing from the linked story that help make the whole issue that much more frustrating.)  Seriously, sometimes I am embarrassed to be from this state.  And I have lived here pretty much my whole freaking life!!

These are the times when I have to remind myself of something cool about Kentucky to calm down. Like...  Like...  Like...

My Morning Jacket is from Louisville!



(They're even playing in Louisville in that clip.)









So, yeah, I gotta be better at taking the good with the bad when it comes to these parts.  But that bill is still horrible and needs to be stopped.

If you'll excuse me, I need to go make some phone calls and send some emails.

Personal Tenets

We've all got them, those beliefs that form and shape who we are at the core of our beings.  From time to time I mention one of mine in passing in a post, but this may be the first time I've actually devoted a whole post to one.

That should tell you that, as far as personal tenets go, this one is a biggie.

Are you ready?  Sure?  Okay, then.  Here goes.

Every fat guy should own at least one t-shirt that says "Athletic Department" on it.  I've got mine!

It was one of my purchases for personal use during the closing days at my old mall.  Some times, you buy 50-75% off stuff to re-sell (re-re-sell?).  Other times, you buy it for your own use.  I mean, I had this personal tenet and didn't actually have such a shirt!

It's such a relief to have that taken care of!

Honestly, I get a little tickled wearing that shirt.  I'm not only quite obviously not athletic, but also so totally clueless that I wouldn't know a double dribble from a foul ball from a fumble.  I think the reason that my mom ended up having two kids was to make sure that she had one she could discuss UK basketball with.  Good thing, too!

Monday Rambles

So, I ended up not leaving the house last week, except for one trip to the booths.  It was cold, snowy, icky, wet, and just not pleasant.  The streets stayed nasty all week, so every work day I would have had got cancelled.  No complaints from me.  Turns out I really needed the rest more than I thought. I had some things in the house to price, which kept me busy.  And there's nothing wrong with a good nap (or a dozen) on a cold winter's day.

It's supposed to stay cold this week, but the white stuff is clearing out.  By the end of the week, we'll be into better weather.  I'm finally going to get that Goodwill trip in, plus a few more errands.  Depending on how wet the back yard still is, I'm going to try and work on the booth stuff in the shed.  I don't have a lot to do, so maybe I can get it done, even if it's a little muddy.  

I have four-five banana boxes with my religious merch in them that I would like to get all stacked together so I can grab them this weekend.  They're all labeled, so it should be easy to do.  I also have about six boxes with unpriced stuff in them that I would like to pull into the house to work on.  My goal is to have a full van load (or two) to take to the booths on Saturday.

I'm also planning on my first midweek booth work day for this store on Wednesday.  I've got a lot of work to do right now.  The manager offered a booth swap to me and I decided to take it.  I'm moving from a really cool spot in the back that I would not normally give up to an end corner double booth on the same row where my other booth is.  The temptation of having everything all together, plus the double-spread end row booth is too much to say no to.  The nice thing is that I can move a bit at a time over several days and avoid the rushed clutter that I cam dealing with now.

I actually headed out on Saturday to start the work, but the new space was not totally cleared out, so I couldn't.  It's supposed to be all cleared out in a couple of days, so I'm going back Wednesday to start moving and cleaning up.  Since I couldn't do anything on Saturday, I hit up a nearby thrift.

Of course, I found a few things. 

I got the bunny stuff to tide me over until I can dig my little Easter stash out of whichever storage place it's in.  I thought the tins were cute.  The Ponderosa Ranch tin cups aren't old, but they are cool.  The Angel graphic novels were a fun find.  They had a huge stack of comics, but they were a tad much for my tastes right now.  I'm going to have to wait for them to go half price in a week or two. 

Wolf Pack

I had two thoughts when I saw this mirror for sale. 

That damn price tag does not want to come off!

The first was:  "I'm going to get that."  The second?  This:



This one almost became yesterday's "Retro Y'all!" post, but I like to use the original music videos for that, and I could not find a decent quality copy to use. 

Retro Y'all!

Here's one I ran across looking for vids for yesterday's post.  It's just totally too good not to share.  Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today would have been my dad's 85th birthday.  That seems like a lot to me.  In June, he'll have been gone ten years.  That seems like a lot too.  Life is passing by too damn fast, you know.

I don't write a lot about him, because we really weren't as close as my mom and I were.  He was stationed overseas a lot while I was growing up, so we saw him just a few times a year.  Then when he retired from the Army, my parents divorced soon after.  There are a lot of memories associated with that time that I don't like to dwell on, and most of them relate to him.  It took me years to work past all that.

I'm glad I was able to do that.  I know too many people who are still screwed up from their relationships with dead parents that now can't be fixed.  What I have discovered over the years is some really nice memories buried under all the rotten ones.  Those are the ones I want to remember.

I think of my mom whenever I hear certain Johnny Cash songs, because she liked them and sang them a lot.  I think of my dad whenever I hear any Johnny Cash song, because he was the one that made me a Johnny Cash fan.  (He's also the one the really jump-started my comic book collection.  An awful lot of those things that make me me are due to him.  I've only recently started to realize this.)

When I was in 7th and 8th grade, I spent a lot of time trying to have surgery.  I know that sounds kind of weird, but I was scheduled for a procedure that I needed several times, but it kept getting postponed. The first time it got postponed because I was sick.  We did go to the hospital, but they wouldn't admit me for the procedure.  I can't remember why it didn't happen the second time.  I think it might have been due to my bloodwork, because I do remember getting that far.  I also remember feeling kind of bad that time, because Dad was in Germany by then, and he came all the way back home for the surgery.  I was also very embarrassed at school, because for the second time, I had told everyone I was going to be out for about three weeks and collected homework and everything.

When the surgery finally happened, he came back again from Germany.  If I'm remembering right, he got there after the procedure had been one, but was there to take me home.  He had brought me some comics (of course), but also something else:  an 8-track tape player!  And a box of tapes!  (I think I just dated myself there...)

It was a mixed bag of tapes.  I really didn't have much of a developed taste in music at that point.  I think the story goes that someone owed my dad money and gave him the player and tapes to pay off the debt.  The ones that I remember the best (and that I probably played the most) were several by Johnny Cash, two from the Beach Boys, and a home recording of Linda Ronstadt's greatest hits.  (I'm going to be doing a long post on her soon.)

I had that tape player for a long while.  My first copy of the much beloved Grease soundtrack was on 8-track.  I don't know whatever happened to it or the tapes, but I remember laying in bed during my three week recovery period and listening to them over and over.

The other day, I was messing around on YouTube (like always) and found this Roseanne Cash song.  She recorded it with her father right before he died.  That got me to thinking about Johnny Cash, then about my dad.  Then I remembered that his birthday was coming up and knew that I wanted to use it in a post about him.



Another song with a Cash connection that makes me think of Dad is this one.  It's one Cash recorded as part of The Highwaymen.



The song was written by Guy Clark and makes me think about my dad whenever I hear it.  When he was in the hospital before he died, Keith and I had tickets to see Guy Clark in Nashville.  My brother agreed to stay with Dad so we could go.  He always plays this song as it is one of his better known.  When they got to the part about "the son of a bitch is coming" (that's the original line) I burst into tears.  I've had a hard time listening to it ever since.  My dad died six weeks later.

Happy Birthday, Dad.  We miss you a lot. 

The Tale of Ezale

Easel fever seems to be sweeping the junking blogs.  First, Shara found the most awesome easel ever.  Then, Linda found a cute little easel.  During the mall closing, I found one too!  It's vintage, aluminum, and a table top model, which means it's also portable.

Isn't it cute?

My favorite part of the whole thing is the tag the vendor put on it:  Ezale.  Now, I'm not really one to make fun of the spelling issues of others.  I have enough of my own.  Hell, I had to look up whether the correct spelling is "easel" or "easle."  No, it wasn't the spelling that struck my fancy.  It was the word itself.

"Ezale" sounds to me like it should be the name of one of those older country ladies I went to church with when I was a kid.  Or one of those elderly aunts that you would only see at family reunions and such.  I'm almost positive that I knew someone named "Ezale" in those days.  If I didn't I should have.  It's such a good name.

That got me to thinking.  What if Ezale was an artist?  What if this was her easel?  What if that wasn't really a price tag, but her way of marking her easel so no one would take it?   What if Ezale was known for her paintings?  In a small town like I grew up in, everyone would know about Miss Ezale and her paintings.  I bet she could be found somewhere every day with her easel set up, making a new painting.  The story probably went like this:

Ezale took her easel wherever she'd go
From the warm summer beaches to the glorious snow

Ezale was an artist.  How she loved to paint!
She used to tell others:  "With no easel, I can't."

"The easel holds my canvas the way I like it.  Just so.
It helps me make paintings wherever I go."

I'm also thinking that Miss Ezale was a bit absent-minded, hence the need to add "for painting" to her tag, so she would not forget what she was supposed to do with her easel.  The whole town is still taking about the time she showed up in the park with her blender and tried to paint a picture with it.  There are even whispers about the little notes she has to herself all over her house, so she won't forget things.  ("Take your night gown off before you get in the shower" is a local favorite.)  Everyone knows that artists are a little quirky and eccentric, so nobody really questions it too much.  Miss Ezale is the town artistic genius and the local color all rolled up into one.  Everybody loves Miss Ezale.

Then I got to thinking a little bit more.  What if Ezale wasn't the painter, but the name the painter gave to the easel?  I name objects all the time.  Lots of other people do too.  That would certainly explain the price tag.  Ezale actually was for sale!  I think that the new story would go something like this:

Ezale is my easel.  She holds my canvas up for me.
She holds it nice and high, and I paint what I see.

She's my most faithful assistant, my dear Ezale.
Without her all my paintings would surely always fail.

I love my dear Ezale.  We shall never part.
If it weren't for sweet Ezale, I could not make my art.

Every item has a story.  Sometimes you know them.  Sometimes you have to make them up.  Don't tell me I'm the only one who does this.

Fun Finds from All Over

I've started pricing the stuff I have at home to clear up my junk room and get things ready to go to the booth.  This is a combination of a thrift run, the New Year's Big Flea, and stuff I got during the closing.  These are only highlights.  Some stuff is sellable, but not blog-worthy.  The blog is for the best stuff.  Only the best for you guys.  Or at least what I think is the best.  All those boring feedsack quilts and Shaker furniture just goes straight to the booth.  You all get the comic books and Beanie Babies.  (Just kidding.  Sort of.)

The only indulgence I allowed myself during the whole closing month at the Peddlers Mall was a trip to the New Year's big flea.  We got our notice on Jan 2, and I was already planning on going Jan 4.  It's an important buying trip for me, since this is the time they add the extra antique wing, which means 400 extra dealers, none of whom are selling socks or salvage groceries.  I will always love the variety and eclecticity of a good flea market, but the chance to see a whole huge room of cool stuff is always too good to miss.

I always go on the last day, because a lot of the antique dealers have huge mark downs on that day.  There's always a lot of good stuff for a buck or so.  One couple comes from somewhere in Indiana with overstock and leftovers and such from their store.  At the beginning of the big flea, everything is in the 2-5 buck range.  On the last day, it's all a dollar.  I usually hit them a couple of times.

We were running late this year and didn't get there until early afternoon.  I was walking away from their table after buying several dollar items, when I heard the magic words:  "As soon as he gets back from the bathroom, it's all going to be a dollar a bag."  That's certainly worth waiting for!  I can put a lot in a bag.  I mean, there are always things that I like that I don't get because there are nicer things that I want to use my dollar to get.  I filled three bags.

At that point, I was feeling kind of light-headed, so I needed to sit down and rest.  After a nice break, I decided to go back to this booth and see if I could maybe fill another bag, now that others had thinned the tables out a bit.  I always seem to be able to find some good stuff that others leave behind.  Right when I got there, I heard the other magic words:  "It's all free now.  There are boxes under the tables if you need one."  You don't have to tell me twice.  Free is even better than a buck a bag!

The two boxes on top of the granny cart are filled with free stuff!

Sadly, most of what I got that day has already been priced, shipped over to a booth, and sold.  All I have left is a few Christmas items that I had set aside to deal with after the move out madness was over.

I loved the bright colors and cute pictures on these china cups.  So sweet.  I don't think they're that old, but I like them anyway.  They're now in storage for December.  This is the mark on the bottom.

Maybe the Queen will come around to these parts and purchase them?

I generally don't do a lot of Christmas tins.  They're kind of a dime a dozen, honestly.  I couldn't resist the shape of this one.  Again, not super old, but charming.  Charming counts for a lot in my book.

I also grabbed this handful of scissors during the "free phase."  Just because I could.  And because scissors are one of those things I can never keep track of.  Not much left to show you out of a pretty great haul.  Sorry about that.

One of the first things I did after I woke up from my recovery hibernation last week was go to a thrift.  I didn't need to.  I didn't need anything.  But I wanted to, just because I hadn't been able to in so very long.  I didn't pick up much but there were a few things.

One of my rules is "Never pass up a cheap Madonna and Child."  Especially when you are trying to re-establish your religious section.

I'm thinking this might be a planter?  It's a bit large to be a creamer, it seems to me.

Anything card or poker themed is a sure seller for me.  I wish all four suites had been there, but this was all I found.  Oh well.

Another section I need to get set up quick is my Asian section.  It's another good seller for me.  This sweet little geisha will be joining everything else.

I have to admit that I am probably more in love with candle stick holders in general than I should be.  I try to be really tough on myself so that I won't be everyone I see, but the style of this pair won me over.  They remind me of something you might see on the Gold Country Girls blog, only not quite as colorful.  By the way, that's a really fun blog to follow and you should do that if you aren't already.

 

This dish had an obvious repair to the handle, plus mad crazing, but I had to get it.   All that stuff is character to me, kind of like my own obvious repairs and mad crazing.  Every mark tells a story, you know?

Let me wrap this up with a few items from my mall closing days shopping and scavenging.

There is nothing special about this basket at all, except that it was free and I liked it.  I'm picturing it filled with Easter bunnies and eggs.  I picked up a lot of baskets during the closing.  They make good display.  I never do very much for the holidays that aren't Halloween and Christmas, but I do keep a small stock of stuff.  I never got to do anything for Valentines due to the move, so I am looking forward to putting a little Easter out.  And St Patrick's.  And Derby. C'mon Spring!  (Won't be long now.  Today is Ash Wednesday, after all.)

This school bell is huge!  It's not old, but it is striking.  Interestingly, it's an award that was given to a local newscaster in the 80's for education coverage.  That's all engraved on the other side.  What's even more interesting is that I got it from a vendor who gets his stuff exclusively from storage unit auctions.  There's a story here somewhere.

I have been eying this pretty enameled brass dish ever since the mall opened.  No kidding.  The 45 dollar (!) price tag put me off, as it seems to have done every other potential buyer for the last five and a half years.

The only reason I can think of for such an outrageous price is this original price tag of 191.00.  It probably never occurred to the vendor that this is not in US dollars.   Anyway, with a very drastic markdown, and 50% off that price, I was able to acquire it for a much more reasonable price.

I actually got these mini baseball player bobblers before the holidays, but never got the chance to put them out.  This was a bulk buy--this is only about half of them--from an evicted booth.

Finally, this awesome vintage portable Royal typewriter with case, manuals, and a spare ribbon!  It's in great shape, except for a small split in the zipper near the front of the case.  I'm thinking someone is going to love it.  I've got a lot of pics, so that I can put it on Craigslist after I get it to the booth.

I'm just getting started working on things, so I'll have some more to show tomorrow for sure.  Everything I got at the mall on the next to the last day of business came home with me, since I would have been moving it out anyway.  I made two other large purchases during closing that are in storage.  I'm glad that this lot made it home, as it is giving me something to do right now while it's so cold and snowy outside.