Well, I guess a week where I spent most of my time humming old Muppet sketches, 1990's earworms, plus this, and, somewhat inexplicably, this can't be all bad. I think.
A quick word on that Doris Day link. My mother used to sing that song all the time. Only, being my mother, she'd sweep through with a grand flourish, building up through the "Will I be pretty? Will I be rich?" line. Then she'd stop and deadpan in this mousy little voice: "No!" And leave the room. It used to crack me up. It's probably one of those "you had to be there" moments. Actually, it's more like one of those "you had to have known her" moments. She was a hoot sometimes.
It's fixing to be a crazy week in my neck of the woods. Actually, a crazy month, when you get down to it. Next week is another furlough week from work, which means I have a ton of stuff to do to get ready for that.
On top of that, here's what is coming up in the land of booths and re-sales:
Oct 4-5: Fall festival and outdoor sale at the Peddlers Mall. I'll have a booth.
Oct 12: Outdoor sale at YesterNook. I'll have a booth.
Oct. 19: My yard sale.
That's a lot of prep work, on top of the usual booth routines of stocking and foofing and such. Expect some short posts and video posts and gag posts to fill in the gaps.
Speaking of the booth, to follow up on Saturday's post: I ended up setting a new booth record! my total sales were $145.24! (My old one day record was $125.) I haven't had a $100 day in at least a year, so it was much welcome.
In fact, it had been such a slow month up to now that I was singing the blues. I seriously just made rent on Thursday. The Halloween stuff kicked me into high gear, so I'm pissed that I didn't get it out two weeks earlier. Several of the autumn items have sold as well, and I typically don't sell many of those. Many of the most expensive Halloween things have already sold, which is nice. I always worry that I've sunk my money into a dud. The only thing that's not really moving is costumes, but I don't have many of those.
I've actually started working on a plan to get that large booth space producing at the level it should be. I'll have another post about what I'm doing soon. I'm making some radical changes, some of which are already paying off.
Saturday was a good yard sale day. A couple of my favorite sales took place, although one was a total bust this time. In addition to the blow molds in Saturday's post, I got a lot of nice smaller items. It was one of those days where I ended up holding stuff on my lap, because the car was so full!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
What A Day!
I'm totally beat. It's been a long day, but a fun one.
I made some more new friends:
I also saw some interesting things:
Best of all, when I stopped off at the Peddlers Mall to drop off the blow molds, the manager paged me to the register. She was so excited to show me that I had already sold 100 dollars today, and it was only 1 pm! I'm on pins and needles waiting for my sales email tonight!
I made some more new friends:
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| Think they'll get along with Po? |
I also saw some interesting things:
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| I would have made friends with these ladies, but they scared me. |
Friday, September 27, 2013
Literary Corner: Booth of Dreams
A Poem What I Have Wrote
By Michael Edward Mitchell, age 48
If you stack it, they will scatter it.
If you tidy it, they will mess it up.
If you put it in your booth, they will leave it somewhere else.
If someone else places it in their booth, they will leave it in yours.
If you arrange it, they will move it around.
If you stage it, they will leave their empty pop bottles in the middle of it.
If you price it, they will switch the tags.
If you close it, they will open it.
If you open it, they will close it.
If you put it up, they will take it down.
If you place it, they will move it.
If you put it on a shelf, they will leave it on the floor.
If you try to sell it, they might buy it.
The other stuff, though, is a given.
By Michael Edward Mitchell, age 48
If you stack it, they will scatter it.
If you tidy it, they will mess it up.
If you put it in your booth, they will leave it somewhere else.
If someone else places it in their booth, they will leave it in yours.
If you arrange it, they will move it around.
If you stage it, they will leave their empty pop bottles in the middle of it.
If you price it, they will switch the tags.
 |
| I'm pretty sure the toy jackhammer doesn't go with the Jesus pics. |
If you close it, they will open it.
If you open it, they will close it.
If you put it up, they will take it down.
If you place it, they will move it.
If you put it on a shelf, they will leave it on the floor.
If you try to sell it, they might buy it.
The other stuff, though, is a given.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Getting it out of my system! Now!
Two weeks ago--seriously--I was eating lunch before work when this song came on the radio. It's been stuck in my head ever since. It's almost as bad as it was when the thing first came out. Let me afflict you too, so I won't feel so alone.
Back when the song came out, I was in the throes of my brief involvement with anime fandom and the Sailor Moon reference tickled me. (I'm still do like anime, but I have less time to follow series and such and certainly no time for organized fandom. Plus, I have a stack of unwatched DVD's to go through.) I still totally adore that show, even if--bit by bit--I'm selling off my memorabilia.
Back to the song, here's a parody version that kind of expresses how I've been feeling for the past two weeks. (I still catch myself humming and singing along when I'm dong other stuff.) There's a little bit of language to deal with in this clip.
Finally, here's an acoustic version that I like quite a bit. That link also includes the lyrics, if you need them once you start humming along.
Back when the song came out, I was in the throes of my brief involvement with anime fandom and the Sailor Moon reference tickled me. (I'm still do like anime, but I have less time to follow series and such and certainly no time for organized fandom. Plus, I have a stack of unwatched DVD's to go through.) I still totally adore that show, even if--bit by bit--I'm selling off my memorabilia.
Back to the song, here's a parody version that kind of expresses how I've been feeling for the past two weeks. (I still catch myself humming and singing along when I'm dong other stuff.) There's a little bit of language to deal with in this clip.
Finally, here's an acoustic version that I like quite a bit. That link also includes the lyrics, if you need them once you start humming along.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Valderee! Valderah! Valderaaaieeee!
Somehow, Keith and I got to talking about this Muppet sketch the other day, so I had to go look it up on YouTube. I was remembering it as done by Muppet mice, but it turned out to be pigs. This is one of my favorite Muppet sketches and it's still a scream after all these years. Enjoy!
Here's what the song sounds like without the pigs. I remember singing this in sixth grade.
It's more fun with the pigs.
Here's what the song sounds like without the pigs. I remember singing this in sixth grade.
It's more fun with the pigs.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Halloweening
I didn't have time yesterday to get the booth pics sorted and edited, so I decided to wait a day to show you the fully "Halloweened" set up. There were also a few shots that I did not get on Sunday, so I took them yesterday when I went by the booth.
Everything starts with pulling all the Halloween merch out of the shed. This stash includes a few left-overs from last year, plus some yard sale finds, and all the items I bought at clearance sales last year. This year, it came to six tubs and four bags. This also includes fall-themed decor and Thanksgiving-related items.
Shots of the mostly finished table. I've used those tablecloths for the past three years. The one with pumpkins keeps bunching up in places. I keep smoothing it out, but it's kind of a never-ending battle. I didn't notice the problem until I had almost everything out and on the table and I really didn't want to pull it all off again.
It's important to label everything really well when you put it in storage, since it's going to be there for nearly a year before you put it out. I label the outside of all my containers. I also indicate whether the items are new or secondhand and if they have been at the booth previously on the label. As you can see, this label was on a bag of bags of bones.
I usually make at least one shelf of Halloween stuff on my shelving that holds my "new to the booth" items. This is usually the secondhand stuff. That way, I can grab people as they walk down the aisle, even if they don't go into the booth and visit the table.
To make the Halloween table work, I had to set up a new area for my comics. They normally go on the table that's now the Halloween table and will later be the Xmas table. If it were other items, I probably would have just boxed them up, but I can't afford to be without my comics sales until after the first of the year.
Is it legal to include two Amish dolls in with the pilgrims and such in your Thanksgiving display?
This is the whole Fall/Thanksgiving display. I don't do a lot of this compared to the Halloween, but I do think it's a nice touch to have.
Not all of the Halloween stuff would fit on the table.
Of course, it's not a Halloween display without a creepy bride doll in the middle of things! I've had a creepy doll in every Halloween display I've ever done. Since all dolls are creepy, that's not too hard to do. This is the second time I've had a bride doll in that role.
So far so good. When I went back today, several things had already sold. In fact, I had a really good sales day for a Monday. I also have about twenty dollars in sales coming from the management there. They'll hold their items until payday, but they're good for it. I usually sell several Halloween items to them every year.
Everything starts with pulling all the Halloween merch out of the shed. This stash includes a few left-overs from last year, plus some yard sale finds, and all the items I bought at clearance sales last year. This year, it came to six tubs and four bags. This also includes fall-themed decor and Thanksgiving-related items.
 |
| Please ignore the mess on the back porch. |
Shots of the mostly finished table. I've used those tablecloths for the past three years. The one with pumpkins keeps bunching up in places. I keep smoothing it out, but it's kind of a never-ending battle. I didn't notice the problem until I had almost everything out and on the table and I really didn't want to pull it all off again.
 |
| Front view. I love that Jack O'Lantern piggy bank! |
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| Side view. Still in love with those foam pumpkin heads! |
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| I think the different patterned tablecloths together is kind of cool. |
 |
| Back view. |
It's important to label everything really well when you put it in storage, since it's going to be there for nearly a year before you put it out. I label the outside of all my containers. I also indicate whether the items are new or secondhand and if they have been at the booth previously on the label. As you can see, this label was on a bag of bags of bones.
 |
| I'm not sure why I put my booth number on all my labels, but I do. |
I usually make at least one shelf of Halloween stuff on my shelving that holds my "new to the booth" items. This is usually the secondhand stuff. That way, I can grab people as they walk down the aisle, even if they don't go into the booth and visit the table.
 |
| I got all these items at a yard sale this weekend. |
 |
| Ignore the orange tub. It was only in that spot temporarily. |
Is it legal to include two Amish dolls in with the pilgrims and such in your Thanksgiving display?
This is the whole Fall/Thanksgiving display. I don't do a lot of this compared to the Halloween, but I do think it's a nice touch to have.
Not all of the Halloween stuff would fit on the table.
 |
| The lighting in that place is so bad for pics. |
Of course, it's not a Halloween display without a creepy bride doll in the middle of things! I've had a creepy doll in every Halloween display I've ever done. Since all dolls are creepy, that's not too hard to do. This is the second time I've had a bride doll in that role.
 |
| She's in good company! |
Monday, September 23, 2013
Monday Rambles
How did it get to be Monday again? No one consulted me about this. Honestly.
I spent yesterday Halloweening the booth. (I know that's not a real verb, but it totally should be.) I'm about a week or so off my preferred schedule, but I kept putting it off because I didn't want to deal with the clutter in the shed.
I finally forced myself out there yesterday morning, expecting to spend hours out there dealing with it. There's a ton of stuff in the shed, and some of it had fallen over, creating a mess I just didn't think I could face. Turns out, I was done in less than two hours!
The mess was nowhere near as bad as it looked. I was able to get to exactly what I needed without much trouble, plus rearrange things so that the Christmas stuff is easier to reach to boot! To top it off, I found a box with several Halloween items merch that I feared was lost after I could not find it last year. I didn't remember that I had put it into a large cardboard box, instead of the tubs I usually use for storage. It looked so much like the boxes of my mother's stuff that is still out there that I just assumed it was part of her junk. I'm really happy to have found these items, because there are some really cute plush ghosts in there that I think will sell fast.
After spending all damn day at the booth rearranging and Halloweening, I'm still not all the way done. I chose to make getting the Halloween stuff done my priority, so I didn't do any of the usual tidying and straightening that needed to be done. I'll be headed out there after work today to get it finished. In fact, I still have a little of the Halloween stuff to do. I just dumped a tub of costumes in a chair and I can't leave it like that.
Of course, spending all day at the booth does have its hazards. I watched two different people knock something in the floor and leave it there! I beat them to death with a broom and threw the bodies down the freight elevator. What else was I supposed to do? (Okay, not really. But I really wanted to.) At least one of them bought something.
Send Shara some good sale vibes this week! Her big, much-anticipated barn sale starts in a couple of days. Also, reader and commenter Lynn is off on some adventures of her own--Happy Trails, Lynn!
Kosh had a good vet visit. She said he was looking well and seemed to be happy, other than the fact that he was at the vet, which makes him cranky. He was pretty well-behaved the whole time. We made an appointment for Chiquito for November. God help us all! It'll take a tactical SWAT strike just to get that boy in the carrier! He's got an unerring sixth sense when it comes to knowing when to run and hide. He's faster than either one of us!
Because of Kosh's vet visit, we only had time for a few yard sales, but there weren't too many that looked good anyway. I did get some vintage folding chairs and a bunch of autumn decor and a tote of Halloween bears. Pretty light overall.
Thanks for all of the comments on my Albatro$$ series. I probably should have mentioned that all that stuff has been Craigslisted forever. (I did write the guide on using CL to promote your booth, you know.) I did not put the chairs in the kids' section, so I'll try that again. As for painting anything any color (much less turquoise--yuck!), it ain't gonna happen. All three items are on the markdown trail, so they will be gone one way or another.
Busy week ahead. I'm looking at two visits to one booth and one to another, plus some more shed time. While the weather is nice, I want to deal with some boxes of books I have out there, plus the last of Mom's stuff. October is going to be a very busy month for me, resale-wise, and I'll need some of that stuff from the shed to do it, so I might as well get started. I'll tell you all more about my plans later.
I spent yesterday Halloweening the booth. (I know that's not a real verb, but it totally should be.) I'm about a week or so off my preferred schedule, but I kept putting it off because I didn't want to deal with the clutter in the shed.
I finally forced myself out there yesterday morning, expecting to spend hours out there dealing with it. There's a ton of stuff in the shed, and some of it had fallen over, creating a mess I just didn't think I could face. Turns out, I was done in less than two hours!
The mess was nowhere near as bad as it looked. I was able to get to exactly what I needed without much trouble, plus rearrange things so that the Christmas stuff is easier to reach to boot! To top it off, I found a box with several Halloween items merch that I feared was lost after I could not find it last year. I didn't remember that I had put it into a large cardboard box, instead of the tubs I usually use for storage. It looked so much like the boxes of my mother's stuff that is still out there that I just assumed it was part of her junk. I'm really happy to have found these items, because there are some really cute plush ghosts in there that I think will sell fast.
After spending all damn day at the booth rearranging and Halloweening, I'm still not all the way done. I chose to make getting the Halloween stuff done my priority, so I didn't do any of the usual tidying and straightening that needed to be done. I'll be headed out there after work today to get it finished. In fact, I still have a little of the Halloween stuff to do. I just dumped a tub of costumes in a chair and I can't leave it like that.
Of course, spending all day at the booth does have its hazards. I watched two different people knock something in the floor and leave it there! I beat them to death with a broom and threw the bodies down the freight elevator. What else was I supposed to do? (Okay, not really. But I really wanted to.) At least one of them bought something.
Send Shara some good sale vibes this week! Her big, much-anticipated barn sale starts in a couple of days. Also, reader and commenter Lynn is off on some adventures of her own--Happy Trails, Lynn!
Kosh had a good vet visit. She said he was looking well and seemed to be happy, other than the fact that he was at the vet, which makes him cranky. He was pretty well-behaved the whole time. We made an appointment for Chiquito for November. God help us all! It'll take a tactical SWAT strike just to get that boy in the carrier! He's got an unerring sixth sense when it comes to knowing when to run and hide. He's faster than either one of us!
Because of Kosh's vet visit, we only had time for a few yard sales, but there weren't too many that looked good anyway. I did get some vintage folding chairs and a bunch of autumn decor and a tote of Halloween bears. Pretty light overall.
Thanks for all of the comments on my Albatro$$ series. I probably should have mentioned that all that stuff has been Craigslisted forever. (I did write the guide on using CL to promote your booth, you know.) I did not put the chairs in the kids' section, so I'll try that again. As for painting anything any color (much less turquoise--yuck!), it ain't gonna happen. All three items are on the markdown trail, so they will be gone one way or another.
Busy week ahead. I'm looking at two visits to one booth and one to another, plus some more shed time. While the weather is nice, I want to deal with some boxes of books I have out there, plus the last of Mom's stuff. October is going to be a very busy month for me, resale-wise, and I'll need some of that stuff from the shed to do it, so I might as well get started. I'll tell you all more about my plans later.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Eddie's Albatro$$ Part 2
Here's another one of those things I wish I'd never even seen, much less bought. Share my pain, people!
I have a good track record with chairs of all kinds, especially kid-sized chairs, so I thought these two cutesy Adirondack chairs were the very definition of "no-brainer."
"No-seller" is more like it. It's been over a year, and they're still here. We're coming to the end of the second deck-sitting season since I bought them, and they're still here. Two different booths, and they're still here. Every possible selling platform, and they're still here. Every possible price point, and THEY'RE STILL HERE!
Honestly, I'm baffled. I think they're adorable, but I guess what I think doesn't really matter.
They're on the mark down trail to oblivion now. (Sadly, I paid more for these than I normally do. I did manage to get five bucks knocked off the price, but it was still higher than I usually pay.) I want these suckers out of my life.
Sigh!
I have a good track record with chairs of all kinds, especially kid-sized chairs, so I thought these two cutesy Adirondack chairs were the very definition of "no-brainer."
"No-seller" is more like it. It's been over a year, and they're still here. We're coming to the end of the second deck-sitting season since I bought them, and they're still here. Two different booths, and they're still here. Every possible selling platform, and they're still here. Every possible price point, and THEY'RE STILL HERE!
Honestly, I'm baffled. I think they're adorable, but I guess what I think doesn't really matter.
They're on the mark down trail to oblivion now. (Sadly, I paid more for these than I normally do. I did manage to get five bucks knocked off the price, but it was still higher than I usually pay.) I want these suckers out of my life.
Sigh!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Monday, September 16, 2013
Monday Rambles
Omigosh! It is soooooooooo wonderful here right now. Cool. Sunny. Lovely. It's supposed to rain some this week, but overall be this nice the whole week. I love this time of year, on the cusp of the changing of the seasons. It's the first real sign that my November birthday is approaching! (Don't worry! You all still have plenty of time to shop...)
I am debating having a yard sale in October, but can't really decide. We live in a shotgun house, and the front yard is the size of a postage stamp. Parking is also the pits. There's no way to get from the front of the house to the back of the house without going through the house, so that's not a good option either. The parking is better in back, however. If we did advertise is as being in the back, it would not make sense to use our address, since the back of the house faces another street. Would people come if I advertised it as "near the corner of Flux and Glibbly streets, across from the Convenient Store?"
Complicating this is the frustrating inability of one of the stores that I am in to decide whether or not it wants to repeat its very successful parking lot sale, and if so, when it would be. If they had one, I might not be thinking about having one of my own, but the back and forth on this one is driving me a little insane.
In the meantime, I am having a sale right now. I may continue it through October with a bigger discount. Sure doesn't seem to be helping things.
Still, if you're in the area this month, hit me up. I'll give you directions.
I'm just kind of desperate to get rid of some things right now, for a lot of reasons. I'm starting to put out the Halloween stuff, so I need more room for it, and the Christmas stuff that's going to follow. And I just need more sales. I'm really starting to feel like I don't know what I'm doing here. I have another furlough week coming up, and maybe more to follow. It's looking like we might actually have to close for a few weeks in a row to deal with the budget shortfall. (My real fear is that we may have to start looking to layoffs. The human face of sequester is me.) One of my income sources needs to become reliable. Hell, I may have to start putting shit on eBay.
I have a few more tweaks and rearranges to make to my booth this week, so maybe that will help. It will sure give me a lot more room.
Thank goodness for comic books! Sometimes they're all I seem to sell. I need to take another load to one of the booths this week. After that, I'll have to bag some more because I'll be out of the pre-bagged ones.
Kosh has a vet appointment on Saturday, which will be fun. (Not really.) He doesn't like the vet at all. Not at all. But he needs some tests. He's a grumpy old man now, and grumpy old men need tests. (Right?) He's claimed so many new sleeping spots for himself this week, that I can't keep up with him. This is also flea pill week, which is also lots of fun. (Not really.)
Honestly, I am in a better mood overall than this post would seem to indicate.
I am debating having a yard sale in October, but can't really decide. We live in a shotgun house, and the front yard is the size of a postage stamp. Parking is also the pits. There's no way to get from the front of the house to the back of the house without going through the house, so that's not a good option either. The parking is better in back, however. If we did advertise is as being in the back, it would not make sense to use our address, since the back of the house faces another street. Would people come if I advertised it as "near the corner of Flux and Glibbly streets, across from the Convenient Store?"
Complicating this is the frustrating inability of one of the stores that I am in to decide whether or not it wants to repeat its very successful parking lot sale, and if so, when it would be. If they had one, I might not be thinking about having one of my own, but the back and forth on this one is driving me a little insane.
In the meantime, I am having a sale right now. I may continue it through October with a bigger discount. Sure doesn't seem to be helping things.
Still, if you're in the area this month, hit me up. I'll give you directions.
I'm just kind of desperate to get rid of some things right now, for a lot of reasons. I'm starting to put out the Halloween stuff, so I need more room for it, and the Christmas stuff that's going to follow. And I just need more sales. I'm really starting to feel like I don't know what I'm doing here. I have another furlough week coming up, and maybe more to follow. It's looking like we might actually have to close for a few weeks in a row to deal with the budget shortfall. (My real fear is that we may have to start looking to layoffs. The human face of sequester is me.) One of my income sources needs to become reliable. Hell, I may have to start putting shit on eBay.
I have a few more tweaks and rearranges to make to my booth this week, so maybe that will help. It will sure give me a lot more room.
Thank goodness for comic books! Sometimes they're all I seem to sell. I need to take another load to one of the booths this week. After that, I'll have to bag some more because I'll be out of the pre-bagged ones.
Kosh has a vet appointment on Saturday, which will be fun. (Not really.) He doesn't like the vet at all. Not at all. But he needs some tests. He's a grumpy old man now, and grumpy old men need tests. (Right?) He's claimed so many new sleeping spots for himself this week, that I can't keep up with him. This is also flea pill week, which is also lots of fun. (Not really.)
Honestly, I am in a better mood overall than this post would seem to indicate.
Friday, September 13, 2013
This may have just changed my life!
But I'm still not sure.
I think I need to watch it four or five hundred more times to be sure.
I'm calling in sick today.
I think I need to watch it four or five hundred more times to be sure.
I'm calling in sick today.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Eddie's Albatro$$
You try as hard as you can not to do it, but every junker will end up with a lemon from time to time. I'm so tired of looking at these things that I thought I'd put them up here, so you all could share my misery.
First up, this:
Now, I fell in love with it when I first saw it. Solid wood. Oh so rustic. Awesome tile inlay.
And a built-in bookshelf!
I was convinced someone would love it as much as I did. It's got a bookshelf, for crying out loud!
It was a little more than I normally spend on a single piece, but I was getting a whole lot of other, cheaper furniture pieces at the same time, so I jumped on it. That was almost two years ago. I should have dumped it a long time ago, but I have a hard time giving up on something I find so cool.
I've had it everywhere: both booths, consignment spaces, rough room. No luck. I filled the bookshelf up. I emptied the bookshelf. No luck. I have lowered and re-lowered and re-re-lowered and re-re-re-lowered the price. No luck.
Now I've got it at cost. Thankfully, all of the other items from that buy have sold, sold quickly, and sold well. I've made my money back on the buy and a nice profit, so I'm not going to hurt as bad over this one piece as I would otherwise. (As long as I don't think about the rent for the space it's occupied for two freaking years!) Still, I would have liked to have made money on it. Now I just want it gone. I'm prepared to go below cost if I have to.
Sigh.
Turns out there's not a market for solid wood, heavy, sturdy 70's end tables with a rustic flair. Wish I'd gotten that memo earlier.
First up, this:
Now, I fell in love with it when I first saw it. Solid wood. Oh so rustic. Awesome tile inlay.
And a built-in bookshelf!
It was a little more than I normally spend on a single piece, but I was getting a whole lot of other, cheaper furniture pieces at the same time, so I jumped on it. That was almost two years ago. I should have dumped it a long time ago, but I have a hard time giving up on something I find so cool.
I've had it everywhere: both booths, consignment spaces, rough room. No luck. I filled the bookshelf up. I emptied the bookshelf. No luck. I have lowered and re-lowered and re-re-lowered and re-re-re-lowered the price. No luck.
Now I've got it at cost. Thankfully, all of the other items from that buy have sold, sold quickly, and sold well. I've made my money back on the buy and a nice profit, so I'm not going to hurt as bad over this one piece as I would otherwise. (As long as I don't think about the rent for the space it's occupied for two freaking years!) Still, I would have liked to have made money on it. Now I just want it gone. I'm prepared to go below cost if I have to.
Sigh.
Turns out there's not a market for solid wood, heavy, sturdy 70's end tables with a rustic flair. Wish I'd gotten that memo earlier.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Linking Around
This is a longer Linking Around post than usual. I had the links gathered for a normal length one, but hadn't started writing it before I took my break. I kept adding to it in the time since, so here it is in all its glory. We've got a lot of ground to cover, so let's get started. Some of the comic links in this post come courtesy of the awesome Comics Reporter.
I'm behind on my Days commenting, so I didn't do my Day by Days yesterday. I'll have to do an extended one of those soon. However, here is a list of sexy Days wicked ladies, and (in the interest of equal time--AHEM!) a list of hunky henchmen to tide you over.
Speaking of Days, I was a little dismayed to see that they have released Chandler Massey, who plays Will, from his contract almost three months early. Yes, he had said he was wanting to move on when it expired, but this seems odd to me, especially since the kid brought so much acting cred to the show with back-to-back Emmy wins. I think the show is gambling on the fact that they tape so far ahead (Massey will actually air until the end of the year) that the fan furor will die down before the recast actually appears on the show. I think they're wrong. Honestly, I see some backtracking and an effort to get Massey back in a few months. Charlie Sheen can't be wrong, can he?
On the one hand, the IRS moving forward to recognize same-sex couples is yet more progress on the gay marriage front. On the other hand, it can create some other issues for couples like us who live in a state where same sex marriage is prohibited.
Within the last few weeks, we lost a couple of really talented gentleman. Cowboy Jack Clement helped shape the Nashville music scene for decades and is one of those forces that helped keep the kind of country music I like alive, leading to the birth of alt-country and Americana music. Stan Lynde was an excellent cartoonist who drew the western strip Rick O'Shay for many years. I used to get this magazine called Comics Revue in the early 90's which reprinted strips from many eras. One of those included was Lynde's. I was quite fond of his work.
Did you ever hear about the time some newspaper comic strip captions got switched by accident?
This guy is my new hero.
This piece from the venerable Comics Journal is a great article about comics and the misconceptions of their value. It should be mandatory reading for junkers and resellers. What I found most interesting was the assertion that lots of fans from my era are trying to get rid of the comics of their youth right now, creating a soft market. I know I've found those issues in good shape in the 25 cents to a dollar range for quite some time now, without much trouble. The real irony here is that thirty years ago I was finding them for that price in flea markets!
I unloaded a ton of that stuff several years ago and I'm glad I did now. I took the X-men stuff (including the seminal and sought after Giant Size X-Men #1) to my comic shop and got over $350 and then sold a bunch of long boxes at a yard sale for $400. I didn't know it then, but apparently timing was on my side.
Oh, Pooh! Say it ain't so!
I was really upset to learn from Roger that Linda Ronstadt has Parkinson's. We're talking one of my favorite artists from my youth and an incredible musical talent. As I've said before, she's the reason I discovered the musical love of my life, Emmylou Harris. I know there are treatment advances happening all the time, so I'm hoping for the best for her.
Look out, Miley Cyrus!
One of the first Golden Age comics I was ever able to buy was an issue of Fairy Tale Parade by Walt Kelly. I came of age reading all kinds of Golden Age reprints, so I've always had a love for them. The problem is that GA comics tend to be pretty pricey in the back issue market. I was kind of tickled to not only find this one in an antique store in the town where I went to college, but to get it for a dollar. (Really!) This was just a few years after I graduated. I had come back for homecoming and was wandering around town. I found the comic on a shelf of books and the store owner didn't seem to know what it was, so he said "How about a buck?" Needless to say, I took it. Here's a sample of the kinds of stories Kelly (better known for the newspaper strip Pogo) did back then. (Link courtesy of Comics Reporter) His art is fluid and expressive and the story is sweet as can be.
Finally, ever wonder how the design for the push button phone came to be?
I'm behind on my Days commenting, so I didn't do my Day by Days yesterday. I'll have to do an extended one of those soon. However, here is a list of sexy Days wicked ladies, and (in the interest of equal time--AHEM!) a list of hunky henchmen to tide you over.
Speaking of Days, I was a little dismayed to see that they have released Chandler Massey, who plays Will, from his contract almost three months early. Yes, he had said he was wanting to move on when it expired, but this seems odd to me, especially since the kid brought so much acting cred to the show with back-to-back Emmy wins. I think the show is gambling on the fact that they tape so far ahead (Massey will actually air until the end of the year) that the fan furor will die down before the recast actually appears on the show. I think they're wrong. Honestly, I see some backtracking and an effort to get Massey back in a few months. Charlie Sheen can't be wrong, can he?
On the one hand, the IRS moving forward to recognize same-sex couples is yet more progress on the gay marriage front. On the other hand, it can create some other issues for couples like us who live in a state where same sex marriage is prohibited.
Within the last few weeks, we lost a couple of really talented gentleman. Cowboy Jack Clement helped shape the Nashville music scene for decades and is one of those forces that helped keep the kind of country music I like alive, leading to the birth of alt-country and Americana music. Stan Lynde was an excellent cartoonist who drew the western strip Rick O'Shay for many years. I used to get this magazine called Comics Revue in the early 90's which reprinted strips from many eras. One of those included was Lynde's. I was quite fond of his work.
Did you ever hear about the time some newspaper comic strip captions got switched by accident?
This guy is my new hero.
This piece from the venerable Comics Journal is a great article about comics and the misconceptions of their value. It should be mandatory reading for junkers and resellers. What I found most interesting was the assertion that lots of fans from my era are trying to get rid of the comics of their youth right now, creating a soft market. I know I've found those issues in good shape in the 25 cents to a dollar range for quite some time now, without much trouble. The real irony here is that thirty years ago I was finding them for that price in flea markets!
I unloaded a ton of that stuff several years ago and I'm glad I did now. I took the X-men stuff (including the seminal and sought after Giant Size X-Men #1) to my comic shop and got over $350 and then sold a bunch of long boxes at a yard sale for $400. I didn't know it then, but apparently timing was on my side.
Oh, Pooh! Say it ain't so!
I was really upset to learn from Roger that Linda Ronstadt has Parkinson's. We're talking one of my favorite artists from my youth and an incredible musical talent. As I've said before, she's the reason I discovered the musical love of my life, Emmylou Harris. I know there are treatment advances happening all the time, so I'm hoping for the best for her.
Look out, Miley Cyrus!
One of the first Golden Age comics I was ever able to buy was an issue of Fairy Tale Parade by Walt Kelly. I came of age reading all kinds of Golden Age reprints, so I've always had a love for them. The problem is that GA comics tend to be pretty pricey in the back issue market. I was kind of tickled to not only find this one in an antique store in the town where I went to college, but to get it for a dollar. (Really!) This was just a few years after I graduated. I had come back for homecoming and was wandering around town. I found the comic on a shelf of books and the store owner didn't seem to know what it was, so he said "How about a buck?" Needless to say, I took it. Here's a sample of the kinds of stories Kelly (better known for the newspaper strip Pogo) did back then. (Link courtesy of Comics Reporter) His art is fluid and expressive and the story is sweet as can be.
Finally, ever wonder how the design for the push button phone came to be?
Monday, September 09, 2013
Post-Vacation Monday Rambles
All together now:
Vacation!
Nice, but it's over!
It's Monday!
Have to go back to work!
Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. Guess I got a little too involved in the "rest" side of the "rest and relaxation" thing.
I didn't get my junk room straightened.
I didn't get any blogging done.
I didn't do much of anything, really.
I did, however, nap. A lot. I got some good, much-needed rest. I'm starting to feel much more energetic and much, much better. Almost normal, in fact.
It's going to be a challenging week at work. Our session ends this week, and the week off isn't going to help anybody when test time comes. Just have to make the best of it, I guess.
I did get a little thrifting in last week. My uncle and I got together twice and hit the shops. I didn't find too much, but it was good to see him again. We went to one place I had been wanting to hit for while, but for some reason had not. It ended up being a bust, so the place is on my "visit once a year" list now. At least now I know.
Yard sales were really good this weekend. You've already seen my new friend. If not, scroll down. I also made a killer Ficher-Price score that I will write more about later.
I spent yesterday at the Peddlers Mall working on the booth. My sales have drifted down to almost nothing. My check last month was pitiful. August is usually a bad month, but not that bad. I know part of it goes back to the effort that I wasn't able to put into the space for months. During chemo, I was doing only what had to be done, and that was usually just putting new stuff out and picking stuff up off the floor. I just didn't have anything else in me.
I just now feel like I'm able to really take advantage of the larger space I have. Expanding when I did (right after my surgery) wasn't the wisest move, but it was a chance I had been waiting for. If I had let it pass, I would have had to wait a long time for that one corner to open up again.
The problem is, I can't support this space on smalls alone. At least, not the nick nacky kinds of things that have always been my stock in trade. I need more medium-sized items and small furniture. I also need to spend more time there, now that I am able to. One afternoon a week just won't cut it any more.
The fall is usually a busy time, so I'm bouncing back at the right moment. I cleared out two carts of shelf sitters and took them to the thrift downstairs. I won't be able to shop there for a month now.
Some of that stuff had been there since I opened the booth! A lot of it were things that folks have given me. I have a good line with a couple of vendors who give me their cast offs. I'll usually sell a lot of it, but there's always a piece or three that just won't do anything. Some of it came from box lots where I had sold the bulk of the items and more than made my money back. And there was one little smidge that never should have gone into the booth to begin with.
Back when I started the booth, I set back four or five tubs of stuff I got at a couple of auctions to use as "emergency" stock if I ever ran low. I never touched the stuff, so I brought it in when I wasn't feeling well. It was already priced, so it was easier to deal with. However, there's a reason I deemed the stuff for emergencies only. Clunker city! About a fourth of it sold and the rest has sat there and mocked me all summer. Well, not any more. I long ago made my money back from those auctions and then some and then some again. It's all gone now.
I put out some Halloween stuff and will have more coming this week and next. I also started a small Christmas shelf. I pulled a bunch of things to markdown as well. I didn't get to them (ran out of time), so they are still sitting in a cart. I'm hoping the manager won't notice tomorrow. I'm going to clearance them until the end of the year, then take what's left to the thrift.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to pump a ton of new stuff into the space. It's time to turn this ship around!
I feel like I should turn to the camera at this point and exclaim "I'm back, bitches!" As I have no idea who the "bitches" are which I would be referring to, I'm going to refrain from doing so. I still have a massive amount of stuff to do, but it feels better in there than it has in weeks. I'll be heading back on Wednesday to finish up.
Other than that, this week is going to be mostly about catching up and moving on. To quote Robert Earl Keen:
"It feels so good feeling good again!"
Vacation!
Nice, but it's over!
It's Monday!
Have to go back to work!
Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. Guess I got a little too involved in the "rest" side of the "rest and relaxation" thing.
I didn't get my junk room straightened.
I didn't get any blogging done.
I didn't do much of anything, really.
I did, however, nap. A lot. I got some good, much-needed rest. I'm starting to feel much more energetic and much, much better. Almost normal, in fact.
It's going to be a challenging week at work. Our session ends this week, and the week off isn't going to help anybody when test time comes. Just have to make the best of it, I guess.
I did get a little thrifting in last week. My uncle and I got together twice and hit the shops. I didn't find too much, but it was good to see him again. We went to one place I had been wanting to hit for while, but for some reason had not. It ended up being a bust, so the place is on my "visit once a year" list now. At least now I know.
Yard sales were really good this weekend. You've already seen my new friend. If not, scroll down. I also made a killer Ficher-Price score that I will write more about later.
I spent yesterday at the Peddlers Mall working on the booth. My sales have drifted down to almost nothing. My check last month was pitiful. August is usually a bad month, but not that bad. I know part of it goes back to the effort that I wasn't able to put into the space for months. During chemo, I was doing only what had to be done, and that was usually just putting new stuff out and picking stuff up off the floor. I just didn't have anything else in me.
I just now feel like I'm able to really take advantage of the larger space I have. Expanding when I did (right after my surgery) wasn't the wisest move, but it was a chance I had been waiting for. If I had let it pass, I would have had to wait a long time for that one corner to open up again.
The problem is, I can't support this space on smalls alone. At least, not the nick nacky kinds of things that have always been my stock in trade. I need more medium-sized items and small furniture. I also need to spend more time there, now that I am able to. One afternoon a week just won't cut it any more.
The fall is usually a busy time, so I'm bouncing back at the right moment. I cleared out two carts of shelf sitters and took them to the thrift downstairs. I won't be able to shop there for a month now.
Some of that stuff had been there since I opened the booth! A lot of it were things that folks have given me. I have a good line with a couple of vendors who give me their cast offs. I'll usually sell a lot of it, but there's always a piece or three that just won't do anything. Some of it came from box lots where I had sold the bulk of the items and more than made my money back. And there was one little smidge that never should have gone into the booth to begin with.
Back when I started the booth, I set back four or five tubs of stuff I got at a couple of auctions to use as "emergency" stock if I ever ran low. I never touched the stuff, so I brought it in when I wasn't feeling well. It was already priced, so it was easier to deal with. However, there's a reason I deemed the stuff for emergencies only. Clunker city! About a fourth of it sold and the rest has sat there and mocked me all summer. Well, not any more. I long ago made my money back from those auctions and then some and then some again. It's all gone now.
I put out some Halloween stuff and will have more coming this week and next. I also started a small Christmas shelf. I pulled a bunch of things to markdown as well. I didn't get to them (ran out of time), so they are still sitting in a cart. I'm hoping the manager won't notice tomorrow. I'm going to clearance them until the end of the year, then take what's left to the thrift.
Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to pump a ton of new stuff into the space. It's time to turn this ship around!
I feel like I should turn to the camera at this point and exclaim "I'm back, bitches!" As I have no idea who the "bitches" are which I would be referring to, I'm going to refrain from doing so. I still have a massive amount of stuff to do, but it feels better in there than it has in weeks. I'll be heading back on Wednesday to finish up.
Other than that, this week is going to be mostly about catching up and moving on. To quote Robert Earl Keen:
"It feels so good feeling good again!"
Saturday, September 07, 2013
We made a new friend today
I'll have more to say later, but I had to share one of today's purchases right away.
Who doesn't need a four foot tall wooden Teletubby cut out?
Monday, September 02, 2013
Holiday Monday Rambles
Happy Labor Day! Just kind of kicking back today. Actually, I'll be sort of kicking back all week, since I'm off. Budget cuts run down hill, and, thanks to sequester, our program has about a $300,000 cut to absorb for this year. As a result, the center where I work has to close this week. I know the reality is that I'm being furloughed without pay, but it honestly feels kind of like this:
(A couple of things that kind of tickle me about that video: Gina mouthing the beat counts while she's drumming and the totally stoned look on Belinda's face when they're doing the water ski bits.)
It wasn't a planned time off, but it's really welcome. I have needed a few days to catch up, rest, and breathe since June. I always tried to take minimal time off through the chemo, even going in some days when I really shouldn't have. (One time they sent me home.) Those last months it was pretty obvious that I was putting the minimum effort I had to into things, because that was all I had to give.
Even though, I'm feeling a lot better now, there's still just a little lag in me that's calling out for a few days of not having to report anywhere or meet any expectations. I know I'm not getting paid, but this week is a godsend for me.
I'm not totally off either. My night sessions will still take place on Tuesday and Thursday, but going in at 5 for a couple of hours on those days still gives me a major break the rest of the week.
I'm planning to spend the week resting, of course. I'll do some reading and a little housework. Now that I am feeling better, it's time to take some of my responsibilities back from Keith's shoulders. He's done a great job handling the load since January, but he can't do it alone. I'm also going to get the blog back on schedule. My hiatus messed up my scheduling, and I'm still getting that straightened out.
Of course, there will be some booth work. It's time to get some Halloween and harvest items out. I'll also try to squeeze in a little thrifting along the way.
These guys will be the first to go to the booth. I was pricing them last night. The foam pumpkins are from the 80's and I think they're super fun. I got them over the weekend. There's a foam witch head too, but you can't see her. She's behind the pumpkin on the right.
It was too hot to do any yard sales over the weekend (and they're really weren't any listed worth going to), so we went to the big flea market instead. The Labor Day show is when they have the special antique wing, and there's always some bargains there in amongst the big ticket stuff. I didn't get too much, and part of what I did get is actually stuff for me or for the house, but I did make a killer comic score. (More on that in a later post.)
Mainly, the trip was about seeing the interesting stuff.
Very interesting stuff.
Very interesting, indeed.
Apparently, it was lady legs day at the flea market!
As a rule, I don't like things that are faux-aged or distressed. But I did like this guy's large metal letters and stuff. I loved that he used the typographic symbols!
I got one of these big foam fingers for my brother, because he's such a Miley Cyrus fan he's a big University of Kentucky fan. Since he lives in Tennessee, I always get him something UK-themed for Christmas.
It's kind of interesting that there wasn't a University of Louisville fan merch booth there, as well.
Among the other things I intend to do this week is get some of my recent finds photographed and posted, plus lots of pricing and packing things. I'm way behind on that. My junk room is a disaster right now.
I'll be humming it all week long.
(A couple of things that kind of tickle me about that video: Gina mouthing the beat counts while she's drumming and the totally stoned look on Belinda's face when they're doing the water ski bits.)
It wasn't a planned time off, but it's really welcome. I have needed a few days to catch up, rest, and breathe since June. I always tried to take minimal time off through the chemo, even going in some days when I really shouldn't have. (One time they sent me home.) Those last months it was pretty obvious that I was putting the minimum effort I had to into things, because that was all I had to give.
Even though, I'm feeling a lot better now, there's still just a little lag in me that's calling out for a few days of not having to report anywhere or meet any expectations. I know I'm not getting paid, but this week is a godsend for me.
I'm not totally off either. My night sessions will still take place on Tuesday and Thursday, but going in at 5 for a couple of hours on those days still gives me a major break the rest of the week.
I'm planning to spend the week resting, of course. I'll do some reading and a little housework. Now that I am feeling better, it's time to take some of my responsibilities back from Keith's shoulders. He's done a great job handling the load since January, but he can't do it alone. I'm also going to get the blog back on schedule. My hiatus messed up my scheduling, and I'm still getting that straightened out.
Of course, there will be some booth work. It's time to get some Halloween and harvest items out. I'll also try to squeeze in a little thrifting along the way.
These guys will be the first to go to the booth. I was pricing them last night. The foam pumpkins are from the 80's and I think they're super fun. I got them over the weekend. There's a foam witch head too, but you can't see her. She's behind the pumpkin on the right.
It was too hot to do any yard sales over the weekend (and they're really weren't any listed worth going to), so we went to the big flea market instead. The Labor Day show is when they have the special antique wing, and there's always some bargains there in amongst the big ticket stuff. I didn't get too much, and part of what I did get is actually stuff for me or for the house, but I did make a killer comic score. (More on that in a later post.)
Mainly, the trip was about seeing the interesting stuff.
Very interesting stuff.
Very interesting, indeed.
Apparently, it was lady legs day at the flea market!
As a rule, I don't like things that are faux-aged or distressed. But I did like this guy's large metal letters and stuff. I loved that he used the typographic symbols!
I got one of these big foam fingers for my brother, because
Among the other things I intend to do this week is get some of my recent finds photographed and posted, plus lots of pricing and packing things. I'm way behind on that. My junk room is a disaster right now.
All together now:
Vacation! All I ever wanted!
I'll be humming it all week long.
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