Saturday, September 27, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Kosh is gone.
Some posts are very hard to write. This is going to be one of those. We had to put Kosh to sleep yesterday. My dear, sweet old man is gone. And my heart is broken. I miss him so, so much. He was 12 years old, which is old for a cat, but I had been hoping for a few more years with my buddy cat.
We got Kosh when he was a baby. Keith found him while he was working, abandoned and alone in an empty apartment. Later that day, Keith showed up at my office with a cardboard cat carrier and this little head popped out when he opened it. It was love at first sight.
Keith swears he was trying to find another home for the boy, and was just stopping by to say hello. I know the truth. He knew I would be unable to resist this little fellow. He was right.
We named him "Kosh" after one of the aliens in Babylon 5. I was holding him in my lap, and one of the phrases from the show popped into my head: "We are all Kosh." So, Kosh he was. For the longest time, though, we called him "Boy" since he was our only boy kitty at the time.
He had some of the most interesting habits as a baby. He was all black, except for two white spots on his chest and belly and one little chocolate brown spot that was kind of on his belly and side. He used to nurse himself on that spot before he went to sleep. When he got older that place went away, so we always said that he licked the brown right off.
He used to like to crawl up on Keith's chest and take these long kneading walks, with this intent stare. When he was done with that, he would stop and literally just plop over, trusting that Keith would catch him. He'd fall asleep like that, and Keith would hold him while he napped.
His appearance did cause some chaos in our social order. At the time we had two older females, Bennie and Basil. We had lost sweet, fluffy Brianna several months earlier. It took some time for the girls to get adjusted to this interloper, but eventually we all gelled into a family unit.
He was only about four when Basil passed. She had been the head cat, which was a job that he wanted. He still had a lot of kitten in him at that point, climbing all over things, getting into stuff, tormenting Bennie from time to time. About a year later, Chiquito came along and Kosh matured over night. Having a new kitten in the house really pushed him to grow up.
The night that Basil was put down, he crawled up into bed beside me, just like she used to do. He pretty much stayed there the rest of his life. When I was sick last year, he was always right by my side. We called him my "Doctor Kosh." He would walk me to the bathroom and lay as close to me as possible and purr to comfort me.
He started acting sluggish over the weekend and stopped eating at all Monday night. We took him to the vet yesterday and the diagnosis was advanced kidney disease. Ironically, I was supposed to call this week for an appointment for him to have a six month follow up check up. The vet said that his levels were so off that there really wasn't any option for treatment. Even sweet little buddy cats can't get a kidney transplant. The misery he was already feeling was only going to get worse as the toxins continued to take over his little body.
We held him and loved on him and kissed him and cried over him and made the call that no one wants to make. I was holding him in my arms as he slipped away. Now, he's somewhere playing with Basil and Bennie again.
While we're stuck here wondering what to do.
We got Kosh when he was a baby. Keith found him while he was working, abandoned and alone in an empty apartment. Later that day, Keith showed up at my office with a cardboard cat carrier and this little head popped out when he opened it. It was love at first sight.
Keith swears he was trying to find another home for the boy, and was just stopping by to say hello. I know the truth. He knew I would be unable to resist this little fellow. He was right.
We named him "Kosh" after one of the aliens in Babylon 5. I was holding him in my lap, and one of the phrases from the show popped into my head: "We are all Kosh." So, Kosh he was. For the longest time, though, we called him "Boy" since he was our only boy kitty at the time.
He had some of the most interesting habits as a baby. He was all black, except for two white spots on his chest and belly and one little chocolate brown spot that was kind of on his belly and side. He used to nurse himself on that spot before he went to sleep. When he got older that place went away, so we always said that he licked the brown right off.
He used to like to crawl up on Keith's chest and take these long kneading walks, with this intent stare. When he was done with that, he would stop and literally just plop over, trusting that Keith would catch him. He'd fall asleep like that, and Keith would hold him while he napped.
His appearance did cause some chaos in our social order. At the time we had two older females, Bennie and Basil. We had lost sweet, fluffy Brianna several months earlier. It took some time for the girls to get adjusted to this interloper, but eventually we all gelled into a family unit.
 |
| Basil on my lap, baby Kosh beside me and Bennie on a blanket |
He was only about four when Basil passed. She had been the head cat, which was a job that he wanted. He still had a lot of kitten in him at that point, climbing all over things, getting into stuff, tormenting Bennie from time to time. About a year later, Chiquito came along and Kosh matured over night. Having a new kitten in the house really pushed him to grow up.
The night that Basil was put down, he crawled up into bed beside me, just like she used to do. He pretty much stayed there the rest of his life. When I was sick last year, he was always right by my side. We called him my "Doctor Kosh." He would walk me to the bathroom and lay as close to me as possible and purr to comfort me.
 |
| After I came home from surgery |
 |
| He loved that Sailor Moon blanket |
We held him and loved on him and kissed him and cried over him and made the call that no one wants to make. I was holding him in my arms as he slipped away. Now, he's somewhere playing with Basil and Bennie again.
While we're stuck here wondering what to do.
 |
| Sweet, sweet Buddy Kosh (2002-2014) |
Monday, September 22, 2014
Monday Rambles
First off, lookie here what I done gone and did:
Apparently, the back of my head is a tad misshapen. Also, misshapen has two "S's" in it. Who knew? I also do not know how to do that "S" thing right when there are more than one of them.
Call it a stress reaction or a mid-life crisis or a lark whatever you want, but I got the urge to shave my head last week. I thought about it for a couple of days, then talked Keith into doing it over the weekend. It came out better than expected! I love it! (We won't talk about how I screwed his up. At least hair will grow back.)
My hair grows pretty fast, so this won't be too extreme too long. I do apologize for the semi-nudity. (Shirltess fat guy alert!) I trimmed the pic so it wouldn't be too hideous. I wanted a pic right away when it was done and didn't take the time to find a shirt.
It is a very interesting sensation when the top of your head feels like sandpaper. I wanted to go all the way to bare skin, but I don't have the patience to finish this off myself or sit still while someone else does it. I'm going to add that to the bucket list.
Next time, I'm going to do a school bus yellow mohawk.
With that out of the way, how was the week that just was?
Pretty typical. Lots of work. Lots of booth work. I bought a shark. Did a little thrifting. Hit some yard sales. The usual. Oh, and I worked.
I spent Friday working at the new booths. I finally have nearly enough stuff in them that they are looking right. One more big load there would not hurt. There are two thrifts near the mall, so I'm going to hit them this weekend and see what I can find.
I'm having a problem finding a sense of balance where the new spaces are concerned. I'm selling stuff now, but I'm not being very patient. Now that I have seen what I can get out of a space, I'm kind of wanting/expecting the new spaces to do that too. Right now. Two new spaces just can't do what all my long-established spots at the other mall can, no matter how much I want them to. When I was just starting out with one small booth, I was excited to get the sales I'm having now at the new space. I need to remember that and stop putting the cart before the horse.
And figure out what my regular work day is going to be over there. It can't be Friday all the time. I really need that whole day to tend to the big spaces. Speaking of the big spaces, it was an interesting sales week over there. Really big days on Monday (!) and yesterday. Good, okay, and so-so days in between. We're continuing to fight the construction-created appearance that we're closed. There is supposed to be some signage in the works that will help. I hope. I'm moving some furniture again, which is boosting my sales. It had fallen off a little during the beginning of the month. I remain optimistic for fall.
Saturday was one of the most flat-out interesting yard sale days I have ever had. Not just for the finds, mind you. (Although they were fun.) Sometimes, you meet the most fascinating people--both good and bad. It was one of those days, for sure. I need to finish taking pics of the finds, so you'll get the whole scoop either tomorrow or Wednesday.
In the meantime, here are some previews. I forgot to get a full Mazda shot again, so this comes after a large item had been removed.
I also bought a small load of yard sale leftovers from my uncle on Friday. It was the tail end of the stuff from his junking days, so there was some fun stuff there. That's always good.
This coming Saturday is indoor sale day at the Peddlers Mall where I have the big booths. Should be a good time and lots of sales. I'll be doing 20% off. It's also sidewalk sale day at the comic shop, so I'll be joining the nerd herd one more time.
Good times all around, huh?
 |
| That's my surgical scar in all its glory. |
Call it a stress reaction or a mid-life crisis or a lark whatever you want, but I got the urge to shave my head last week. I thought about it for a couple of days, then talked Keith into doing it over the weekend. It came out better than expected! I love it! (We won't talk about how I screwed his up. At least hair will grow back.)
My hair grows pretty fast, so this won't be too extreme too long. I do apologize for the semi-nudity. (Shirltess fat guy alert!) I trimmed the pic so it wouldn't be too hideous. I wanted a pic right away when it was done and didn't take the time to find a shirt.
It is a very interesting sensation when the top of your head feels like sandpaper. I wanted to go all the way to bare skin, but I don't have the patience to finish this off myself or sit still while someone else does it. I'm going to add that to the bucket list.
Next time, I'm going to do a school bus yellow mohawk.
With that out of the way, how was the week that just was?
Pretty typical. Lots of work. Lots of booth work. I bought a shark. Did a little thrifting. Hit some yard sales. The usual. Oh, and I worked.
I spent Friday working at the new booths. I finally have nearly enough stuff in them that they are looking right. One more big load there would not hurt. There are two thrifts near the mall, so I'm going to hit them this weekend and see what I can find.
I'm having a problem finding a sense of balance where the new spaces are concerned. I'm selling stuff now, but I'm not being very patient. Now that I have seen what I can get out of a space, I'm kind of wanting/expecting the new spaces to do that too. Right now. Two new spaces just can't do what all my long-established spots at the other mall can, no matter how much I want them to. When I was just starting out with one small booth, I was excited to get the sales I'm having now at the new space. I need to remember that and stop putting the cart before the horse.
And figure out what my regular work day is going to be over there. It can't be Friday all the time. I really need that whole day to tend to the big spaces. Speaking of the big spaces, it was an interesting sales week over there. Really big days on Monday (!) and yesterday. Good, okay, and so-so days in between. We're continuing to fight the construction-created appearance that we're closed. There is supposed to be some signage in the works that will help. I hope. I'm moving some furniture again, which is boosting my sales. It had fallen off a little during the beginning of the month. I remain optimistic for fall.
Saturday was one of the most flat-out interesting yard sale days I have ever had. Not just for the finds, mind you. (Although they were fun.) Sometimes, you meet the most fascinating people--both good and bad. It was one of those days, for sure. I need to finish taking pics of the finds, so you'll get the whole scoop either tomorrow or Wednesday.
In the meantime, here are some previews. I forgot to get a full Mazda shot again, so this comes after a large item had been removed.
I also bought a small load of yard sale leftovers from my uncle on Friday. It was the tail end of the stuff from his junking days, so there was some fun stuff there. That's always good.
This coming Saturday is indoor sale day at the Peddlers Mall where I have the big booths. Should be a good time and lots of sales. I'll be doing 20% off. It's also sidewalk sale day at the comic shop, so I'll be joining the nerd herd one more time.
Good times all around, huh?
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Coming Together!
I am finally starting to get my new booths into something resembling normalcy. They're finally starting to look like "Eddie Booths." I still have some more stocking to do and a little more general work before I can give an in depth tour, but I can give you all some previews:
I need more/better shelving for both spaces, to define them better. I bought a van load from my uncle on Friday night that I am in the process of pricing up so I can get the over there. Bringing up a foundling booth while not neglecting a thriving one is tricky business!
Look for more to come!
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| Booth #1 |
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| Booth #2 |
I need more/better shelving for both spaces, to define them better. I bought a van load from my uncle on Friday night that I am in the process of pricing up so I can get the over there. Bringing up a foundling booth while not neglecting a thriving one is tricky business!
Look for more to come!
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Sometimes....
....You just gotta buy a shark!
It's made of fiberglass and is pretty hefty. It was also a helluva deal. I'm gonna walk away from that? Not this oddball junker-boy!
No need to worry, however. I have no intentions of jumping it.
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| Theme Music! |
It's made of fiberglass and is pretty hefty. It was also a helluva deal. I'm gonna walk away from that? Not this oddball junker-boy!
No need to worry, however. I have no intentions of jumping it.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
How I'm feeling right now.
This is my new theme song.
That is all.
PS Old 97's are totally kick-ass.
PS II Don't worry. This is just a mood that will pass in a decade or two,
PS III Send brownies.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
From now on....
...This is how I would like to be addressed.
Don't forget, pardners!
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go find a cowboy hat. And a horse.
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| Fun find from Saturday! |
Don't forget, pardners!
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go find a cowboy hat. And a horse.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Weekend Finds
Welcome back to the internet's worst junk blogging finds rundown. You know the drill: pics on the fly, no staging, crappy lighting, etc. I forgot to get pics of the stuff I left across the river on Saturday, so many of the interesting things from the Mazda shot are not even here. Sorry about that. I had a lot of smalls, so I only included the ones that I thought were interesting or blog-worthy. A couple of things I saved for future posts, because some things just deserve it. A good day junking should keep on giving, as far as the blog posts go!
Saturday was one of those odd days where the peak came at the very first sales and then everything else was downhill from there. Whenever that happens, there's a weird vibe that results. I almost lose the thrill of the hunt as soon as we finish that first sale. It becomes a struggle to keep going. Add into this my stress over booth sales and situations, and I was having a really hard time keeping the momentum up. Nevertheless, I persevered! Shop on, I say!
So what was that first sale that was so very freaking awesome? Why, the one put on by my very own neighborhood association! They rent out spaces in a vacant lot not too far from the house and wonderment ensues! It's always a good sale and there are bargains galore! I made three trips back to the car before I finished the first row of booths. I look forward to this one every year. It's the sale that sets off the home stretch of fall sales for the year. There are one or two other awesome mega sales coming and then the season will be over. Sigh!
I had intended to set up at this sale this year, but starting the new booth kind of torpedoed those plans. I'm starting to realize that I might not get another personal yard sale in this fall either. Well, there's always next year, I guess!
Many of the large things in the Mazda shot came from this sale, including the orange top tables and the blue wicker bar stool. They're all set up at the new booth.
Back to the yard sales. After making like a jillion trips through the neighborhood lot sale, we set off to tackle my list. Next stop was one that included this tantalizing phrase in their ad: "vintage(?) comic books." You know I was there! I walked off with the whole lot after this little dialogue:
Seller: Comics are a dollar each or three for two dollars.
Me: How much for the lot?
Seller: Count them up.
Me: There's about 16 dollars worth in this stack. (I counted by threes.) The other stack is about the same size. Could I get them both for $20?
Seller: Can't do that. I'd do $25.
Me: SOLD!
That is how negotiations should work, my friends. Bulk Buy Offer. Counter-Offer. Boom!
After that, it was hit or miss. The next few sales yielded little to nothing. The peak had been reached. It was 9:30, and we were heading downhill quickly. And there were too many choices and uncertainties. Do I go with neighborhood sales that might waste time? Or drive way out of my usual way for sales that might or might not be good? I had a real battle with indecision going on.
In the end, I targeted a large adoption fundraiser sale and a small street sale as definite stops. The adoption sale yielded a cheap Ikea end table and some smalls. You can see the Ikea table in the Mazda shot post. It stayed at the new booth, too. Leaving it we saw a sign for a sale that I had considered going to, but thought it was too far away. We followed the signs and found two sales. I piled up so many cool things at one of the sales that the seller stopped totaling me up at 20 bucks and just threw the last four of five things in. Love it when that happens!
One of the things I got there was a very large stuffed Hulk figure. A woman asked me what I was going to do with it. Her daughter looked at her and said: "I would throw it at people on Halloween." Seems like a good idea to me. Watch out on October 31!
Across the street, I bought a really odd (for me) item--a weight bench. It's just one of those plain ones that you lay on and hope you don't end up dropping something very heavy on your throat. It's totally not me, but it is something I can place other things on it for a display. It also has no moving parts, so customers won't be tempted to do stupid things in public on it. And it was only a dollar. Okay, so that last bit may have influenced me more than a little bit.
On way out of this neighborhood, we stumbled across a fundraiser sale for a Doberman rescue group. I got a huge pile of enamelware dishes there (most with lids). Happy dance! The last sale was a vintage junkie kicking the habit. I got some nice things there, but there were a couple more things I wanted (chalkware Madonnas!) and she wasn't budging on the prices.
We rounded out the day trying to pick up a free sofa from a work friend, only to find out that our wondrous Mazda does indeed have a limit. Just wasn't going to work. I ended up putting it on Craigslist for her and hauling it to the end of her driveway. It's gone now!
Oops! I am out of things to say. Photo parade from here on out!
Linking up with: Thriftasaurus!
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| Small brown tables with retro desk lamps |
Saturday was one of those odd days where the peak came at the very first sales and then everything else was downhill from there. Whenever that happens, there's a weird vibe that results. I almost lose the thrill of the hunt as soon as we finish that first sale. It becomes a struggle to keep going. Add into this my stress over booth sales and situations, and I was having a really hard time keeping the momentum up. Nevertheless, I persevered! Shop on, I say!
So what was that first sale that was so very freaking awesome? Why, the one put on by my very own neighborhood association! They rent out spaces in a vacant lot not too far from the house and wonderment ensues! It's always a good sale and there are bargains galore! I made three trips back to the car before I finished the first row of booths. I look forward to this one every year. It's the sale that sets off the home stretch of fall sales for the year. There are one or two other awesome mega sales coming and then the season will be over. Sigh!
 |
| Painted shadow box |
Many of the large things in the Mazda shot came from this sale, including the orange top tables and the blue wicker bar stool. They're all set up at the new booth.
Back to the yard sales. After making like a jillion trips through the neighborhood lot sale, we set off to tackle my list. Next stop was one that included this tantalizing phrase in their ad: "vintage(?) comic books." You know I was there! I walked off with the whole lot after this little dialogue:
 |
| SCORE! Good stuff in here and I got to take the tub too! |
Me: How much for the lot?
Seller: Count them up.
Me: There's about 16 dollars worth in this stack. (I counted by threes.) The other stack is about the same size. Could I get them both for $20?
Seller: Can't do that. I'd do $25.
Me: SOLD!
That is how negotiations should work, my friends. Bulk Buy Offer. Counter-Offer. Boom!
 |
| Tin picnic basket. Repro? |
After that, it was hit or miss. The next few sales yielded little to nothing. The peak had been reached. It was 9:30, and we were heading downhill quickly. And there were too many choices and uncertainties. Do I go with neighborhood sales that might waste time? Or drive way out of my usual way for sales that might or might not be good? I had a real battle with indecision going on.
In the end, I targeted a large adoption fundraiser sale and a small street sale as definite stops. The adoption sale yielded a cheap Ikea end table and some smalls. You can see the Ikea table in the Mazda shot post. It stayed at the new booth, too. Leaving it we saw a sign for a sale that I had considered going to, but thought it was too far away. We followed the signs and found two sales. I piled up so many cool things at one of the sales that the seller stopped totaling me up at 20 bucks and just threw the last four of five things in. Love it when that happens!
 |
| Hulk like Elmo! |
Across the street, I bought a really odd (for me) item--a weight bench. It's just one of those plain ones that you lay on and hope you don't end up dropping something very heavy on your throat. It's totally not me, but it is something I can place other things on it for a display. It also has no moving parts, so customers won't be tempted to do stupid things in public on it. And it was only a dollar. Okay, so that last bit may have influenced me more than a little bit.
On way out of this neighborhood, we stumbled across a fundraiser sale for a Doberman rescue group. I got a huge pile of enamelware dishes there (most with lids). Happy dance! The last sale was a vintage junkie kicking the habit. I got some nice things there, but there were a couple more things I wanted (chalkware Madonnas!) and she wasn't budging on the prices.
 |
| Love the red one! All have lids, except the top one. |
We rounded out the day trying to pick up a free sofa from a work friend, only to find out that our wondrous Mazda does indeed have a limit. Just wasn't going to work. I ended up putting it on Craigslist for her and hauling it to the end of her driveway. It's gone now!
Oops! I am out of things to say. Photo parade from here on out!
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| Betty Boop Witch |
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| Love the old hymnals! |
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| Palm Tree Candle Holders |
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| Crafty filled light bulbs |
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| Awesome Oreo tin |
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| Sweet vintage Madonna |
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| Bar stools are quick sellers for me. |
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| Hand-painted wooden elephant/pull toy |
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| Finding Peanuts collectibles is always a plus! |
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| More Peanuts stuff and a Fisher-Price repro |
Linking up with: Thriftasaurus!
Monday, September 15, 2014
Monday Rambles
Let's do this!
Last week was a bit much here, but I think this ones going to calm down a little bit. I am still struggling to fit the newest booth into my routine. I have no clue what my regular work day is going to be, but I desperately need to establish one. Two training days last week knocked out any hope of having a work day. I don't have that challenge this week, so at least I'll have a work day. I'm just not certain that it will become my regular day or not.
My sales suffered a lot last week. I've got the rent made at both spots, but I'm not having the high sales days and rapid growth I've become used to over the summer. I know that until I get a regular day to stock and prep at both sites, that growth is not likely to come easily.
Seems pretty cut and dry, right? Get to work and everything is going to be okay, dummy! If only life were that simple--or at least if only my life were that simple. Alas! There are complicating factors.
To wit:
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER ONE: I'm having a hard time trying to find a balance between the two stores. I have enough space in my original store that I cannot neglect it when it comes to stocking or working it. If I weren't so worried about that store lagging, I would have just hauled my van load from Saturday over to the new store, priced it, put it out and been fully stocked and done with it. Under other circumstances, that's the approach I'd take. However, there's more to this story, which brings us to:
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER TWO: Sales are falling off at my original store, by as much as two-thirds on some days. Last week wasn't pretty. The owners of the building where my mall is have started doing construction in front of the building. The parking lot is torn up. The front of the building beside our area has been completely gutted. There's a fence up that stops just short of our front door. Worse, our huge front window has been completely boarded up! From the road, it looks like we've closed up shop. We can make all the announcements we want in any forum we want, but the perception created by the front of the building is having an impact. Add to that the rumors that several competitors are taking delight in spreading and I am really nervous about taking attention away from there right now. I made rent fairly quickly this month, but at the rate things have slowed down right now, I don't have much hope for a strong month. Fall is supposed to be a busy time for us!
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER THREE: I could probably weather both of those storms, if it weren't for this last one. Eventually, I would bite the bullet and do what I had to do for store number two. Maybe, I'd even overstock it a tad, so I could then focus on the first store with some extra energy. Thing is, my track record is not so good when it comes to second stores. I've simply never done well anywhere outside of my original store. My first two forays into other venues turned into disasters, for various reasons. I thought that since I was moving into another Peddlers Mall, I would not have that same issue. Instead, I am having to deal with the voice of history and it's whispering some not very flattering things to me right now.
I know I have a tendency to be a Gloomy Gus. I'm probably over-reacting somewhat. I know that things ebb and flow and come and go in this business. I'm being a tad knee-jerky in my reaction right now, but I cannot help feeling more than a little discouraged. There's a part of me that wants to say that I've had too good of a summer for this to be my fall. That would also be my overly dramatic whiny voice. I know that reactionary side of my psyche has been provoked, so I'm trying to quiet that down. At the same time, the amount of work one puts into this business kind of makes one prone to these kind of reactions.
Of course, I'm also doing stupid things that aren't helping the situation. I had pulled a tub of stuff to take to the new booth on Saturday. I left in my storage at the first store, intending to get it when I dropped off the day's haul. When I got there, I started talking to some other vendors and guess what I forgot to get? Goofy Eddie, that's me. On the other hand, I got some new and rocking furniture from Saturday over there. I also put most of the smalls from last Sunday over there as well. It is filling up nicely over there, I just don't have enough stuff yet. It's hard to figure out what "enough" is when you're making up a load to take. I guess I'll get there.
I guess I should apologize for not putting a "Whiny Eddie Warning" at the front of this post. Sorry about that.
Let's talk about happier things.
The weather has turned deliciously cool and I am digging it with a spoon! We are nigh upon my favorite time of the year! Halloween is coming! So is my birthday! (Hint! Hint!) Leaves will be turning! Thanksgiving is also on the way. I have always loved, loved, loved autumn. This time of the year makes me happy. There are still a couple of awesome annual yard sales yet to come as well. I think one of them is this coming Saturday.
I'm writing this on Sunday evening, while Keith is outside doing the yardwork. He just walked in with a curb find for me! Yay! It's be junk set out time again in about a month.
We did have a good day of hunting yesterday. I'll have more to say about that tomorrow or Wednesday. I need to get some pics first.
We got a call from the vet the other day. It's tine for Old Man Kosh to have a check up. He's thrilled about that. (Not really.) I have my own annual check up on Friday. My doctor's office happens to be just down the street from my favorite thrift and just a hop, skip and jump across the river from the new store, so I guess my agenda for that day is set.
Thanks for indulging me this time around. I promise much cheerier content to come. I'm planning on spending my booth work time this week making a super-load for the new store, while still putting plenty of love on the original booth. It's time to multitask!
In closing, here's an artsy [ic of me pretending that I'm a Cyclops!
Last week was a bit much here, but I think this ones going to calm down a little bit. I am still struggling to fit the newest booth into my routine. I have no clue what my regular work day is going to be, but I desperately need to establish one. Two training days last week knocked out any hope of having a work day. I don't have that challenge this week, so at least I'll have a work day. I'm just not certain that it will become my regular day or not.
My sales suffered a lot last week. I've got the rent made at both spots, but I'm not having the high sales days and rapid growth I've become used to over the summer. I know that until I get a regular day to stock and prep at both sites, that growth is not likely to come easily.
Seems pretty cut and dry, right? Get to work and everything is going to be okay, dummy! If only life were that simple--or at least if only my life were that simple. Alas! There are complicating factors.
To wit:
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER ONE: I'm having a hard time trying to find a balance between the two stores. I have enough space in my original store that I cannot neglect it when it comes to stocking or working it. If I weren't so worried about that store lagging, I would have just hauled my van load from Saturday over to the new store, priced it, put it out and been fully stocked and done with it. Under other circumstances, that's the approach I'd take. However, there's more to this story, which brings us to:
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER TWO: Sales are falling off at my original store, by as much as two-thirds on some days. Last week wasn't pretty. The owners of the building where my mall is have started doing construction in front of the building. The parking lot is torn up. The front of the building beside our area has been completely gutted. There's a fence up that stops just short of our front door. Worse, our huge front window has been completely boarded up! From the road, it looks like we've closed up shop. We can make all the announcements we want in any forum we want, but the perception created by the front of the building is having an impact. Add to that the rumors that several competitors are taking delight in spreading and I am really nervous about taking attention away from there right now. I made rent fairly quickly this month, but at the rate things have slowed down right now, I don't have much hope for a strong month. Fall is supposed to be a busy time for us!
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER THREE: I could probably weather both of those storms, if it weren't for this last one. Eventually, I would bite the bullet and do what I had to do for store number two. Maybe, I'd even overstock it a tad, so I could then focus on the first store with some extra energy. Thing is, my track record is not so good when it comes to second stores. I've simply never done well anywhere outside of my original store. My first two forays into other venues turned into disasters, for various reasons. I thought that since I was moving into another Peddlers Mall, I would not have that same issue. Instead, I am having to deal with the voice of history and it's whispering some not very flattering things to me right now.
I know I have a tendency to be a Gloomy Gus. I'm probably over-reacting somewhat. I know that things ebb and flow and come and go in this business. I'm being a tad knee-jerky in my reaction right now, but I cannot help feeling more than a little discouraged. There's a part of me that wants to say that I've had too good of a summer for this to be my fall. That would also be my overly dramatic whiny voice. I know that reactionary side of my psyche has been provoked, so I'm trying to quiet that down. At the same time, the amount of work one puts into this business kind of makes one prone to these kind of reactions.
Of course, I'm also doing stupid things that aren't helping the situation. I had pulled a tub of stuff to take to the new booth on Saturday. I left in my storage at the first store, intending to get it when I dropped off the day's haul. When I got there, I started talking to some other vendors and guess what I forgot to get? Goofy Eddie, that's me. On the other hand, I got some new and rocking furniture from Saturday over there. I also put most of the smalls from last Sunday over there as well. It is filling up nicely over there, I just don't have enough stuff yet. It's hard to figure out what "enough" is when you're making up a load to take. I guess I'll get there.
I guess I should apologize for not putting a "Whiny Eddie Warning" at the front of this post. Sorry about that.
Let's talk about happier things.
The weather has turned deliciously cool and I am digging it with a spoon! We are nigh upon my favorite time of the year! Halloween is coming! So is my birthday! (Hint! Hint!) Leaves will be turning! Thanksgiving is also on the way. I have always loved, loved, loved autumn. This time of the year makes me happy. There are still a couple of awesome annual yard sales yet to come as well. I think one of them is this coming Saturday.
I'm writing this on Sunday evening, while Keith is outside doing the yardwork. He just walked in with a curb find for me! Yay! It's be junk set out time again in about a month.
 |
| Damn cluttered junk room! |
We got a call from the vet the other day. It's tine for Old Man Kosh to have a check up. He's thrilled about that. (Not really.) I have my own annual check up on Friday. My doctor's office happens to be just down the street from my favorite thrift and just a hop, skip and jump across the river from the new store, so I guess my agenda for that day is set.
Thanks for indulging me this time around. I promise much cheerier content to come. I'm planning on spending my booth work time this week making a super-load for the new store, while still putting plenty of love on the original booth. It's time to multitask!
In closing, here's an artsy [ic of me pretending that I'm a Cyclops!
Sunday, September 14, 2014
What's....um....around Mazda?
Good day yesterday for sure. It peaked early at a sale in our own neighborhood and went downhill from there, but there were plenty of finds.
Two stores means I have to go back to thinking about what needs to go where. Since I did not have a chance to get to the second store this week due to the two days of training I had to do, I ended up pulling everything out of the van in the Peddlers Mall parking lot to sort what went where.
Then I realized: "Doh! Mazda shot!" Sorry about that. Here's the big stuff sitting around Mazda in the parking lot. The smalls are boxed up at this point. I'll have them out later in the week, so pics then with the stories.
It's been a rough week. Sales have been slow, especially at the new spot. I am getting discouraged. More later.
Two stores means I have to go back to thinking about what needs to go where. Since I did not have a chance to get to the second store this week due to the two days of training I had to do, I ended up pulling everything out of the van in the Peddlers Mall parking lot to sort what went where.
Then I realized: "Doh! Mazda shot!" Sorry about that. Here's the big stuff sitting around Mazda in the parking lot. The smalls are boxed up at this point. I'll have them out later in the week, so pics then with the stories.
It's been a rough week. Sales have been slow, especially at the new spot. I am getting discouraged. More later.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Halloweening!
Well, phase one of the Halloween merch is out!
I've held back some of the smaller items to feed into the booth as other stuff sells. By the end of the month, it will all be out.
I decided to leave those Christmas dishes out in the middle of everything, just to be a little subversive. I'll start working more Christmas in the booth around mid-October, so the transition from Halloween to Christmas will go a little more smoothly.
I do all my Halloween shopping during the clearance sales the previous year, so I get a good selection of good stuff at a good price. I supplement this with some yard sale purchases, but I'm really selective about those. I love doing the post-Halloween shopping. Halloween stuff is so much fun!
In the end, I usually get a good sell through. We'll see what happens this year.
I've held back some of the smaller items to feed into the booth as other stuff sells. By the end of the month, it will all be out.
I decided to leave those Christmas dishes out in the middle of everything, just to be a little subversive. I'll start working more Christmas in the booth around mid-October, so the transition from Halloween to Christmas will go a little more smoothly.
I do all my Halloween shopping during the clearance sales the previous year, so I get a good selection of good stuff at a good price. I supplement this with some yard sale purchases, but I'm really selective about those. I love doing the post-Halloween shopping. Halloween stuff is so much fun!
In the end, I usually get a good sell through. We'll see what happens this year.
 |
| Muppet Monsters: So cute and so wrong all at once! |
Tuesday, September 09, 2014
It's a matter of scale!
I like tiny versions of things that are large and large versions of things that are tiny, especially when they still function like the regular-size version of those things.
But wait, there's one more:
Oh dear! It really is a collection now!
From one extreme....
 |
| Dig that original price! |
...To the other....
 |
| Don't they kind of look like little aliens? |
...IT'S ALL FUN!!!
But wait, there's one more:
Oh dear! It really is a collection now!
Monday, September 08, 2014
Monday Rambles
Where the craziness never ends!
Ever.
Seriously.
Last week was a whirlwind of activity and this one seems sure to be more of the same. I have to go to Lexington for training on Thursday and Friday. It's sure to be a good training and I love Lexington. Thing is, I want to go thrifting and junking in Lexington, not sit in a class all day! It's so hard to do the things you gotts do all the time when you can practically here the junk crying out for you! Am I right?
The good part is that I will get out of a day of work. The bad part is that my pay rate for training is half of my regular rate, so I'll barely make up for missing that day of work with the two days of training! Sigh.
I spent a couple of days last week trying to get the new booths up and running. It's proving to be quite a challenge. Nothing is photo-worthy yet. There's not enough stuff in the spaces for a pic. I've started selling at a good pace though.
I only have two spaces in the new store, as opposed to the eight I have at the other one. I'm actually finding it kind of hard to work in a smaller space now. I am so used to my big ole four-plex. It's easy to forget that I started small, back in the day. To make it even more challenging, my two spaces are across the aisle from each other, so I don't even have a duplex. The smaller space will be easier to stock and keep clean, but I find I'm constantly over-compensating for the size by not bringing enough stuff.
It's still going to be a while before I get it to that just right stage, especially at the rate things are selling. I am a little worried about keeping up the pace. Since it is across the river, I cannot get over there as often as I do the other store. However, blank spots and disorder show up more easier in smaller spaces than they do in my big ole booth. I'm still trying to figure out the balance. It might take me through the holidays to get it right.
Speaking of the holidays, I put the Halloween stuff in the new spaces and will be putting it out in the old booths this afternoon. It's already selling well across the river. Even my harvest stuff is selling better than it usually does. This time of year it really pays to think like a regular retailer and do what they do. All of your customers are seeing this stuff go up in Wal-Mart or wherever, so they are tuned into that cycle whether or not they realize it. Vendors that can play along with that will benefit. I'll have some Christmas out by the end of the month.
This was the most interesting yard sale week I've ever had. We went to a church sale that did not exist, a community sale that was a bust, and by 11 had only bought a bird cage. We were heading to large neighborhood sale, when we saw a pile of furniture in front of a house with a "FREE" sign on it. That filled the van, with really nice stuff, so we called it a day.
Sorry no pics of that haul. It was a busy road and there was no place to pull off safely, so we were too busy trying not to get killed as we loaded the van.
I did go over to a store I used to be in for a carport sale on Sunday. Everything was a dollar, so I cleaned up on that. Got some nice larger smalls for the new space. Here is Chiquito inspecting that haul:
I sort of had an interesting proposal tossed my way while I was shopping there. The timing right now is really bad for me, so I said I would think about it.
I need to give a "thanks" to one of my blogging heroes and all around good dude Mike Sterling for featuring my wonky Magneto on his blog the other day. If there is ever anything you need to know about comics, Mike is the guy to ask. He's hilarious too!
I got to know Mike several years ago, when a group of bloggers would exchange music CD's through the mail. Another one of my blogging heroes, Roger Green, reminisced about those days recently. It's kind of like "old home week" on the blog today!
Well, I've got laundry to finish and dishes to do before getting ready for work, so I better scoot. More later, if I don't totally lose my mind!
Ever.
Seriously.
Last week was a whirlwind of activity and this one seems sure to be more of the same. I have to go to Lexington for training on Thursday and Friday. It's sure to be a good training and I love Lexington. Thing is, I want to go thrifting and junking in Lexington, not sit in a class all day! It's so hard to do the things you gotts do all the time when you can practically here the junk crying out for you! Am I right?
The good part is that I will get out of a day of work. The bad part is that my pay rate for training is half of my regular rate, so I'll barely make up for missing that day of work with the two days of training! Sigh.
I spent a couple of days last week trying to get the new booths up and running. It's proving to be quite a challenge. Nothing is photo-worthy yet. There's not enough stuff in the spaces for a pic. I've started selling at a good pace though.
I only have two spaces in the new store, as opposed to the eight I have at the other one. I'm actually finding it kind of hard to work in a smaller space now. I am so used to my big ole four-plex. It's easy to forget that I started small, back in the day. To make it even more challenging, my two spaces are across the aisle from each other, so I don't even have a duplex. The smaller space will be easier to stock and keep clean, but I find I'm constantly over-compensating for the size by not bringing enough stuff.
It's still going to be a while before I get it to that just right stage, especially at the rate things are selling. I am a little worried about keeping up the pace. Since it is across the river, I cannot get over there as often as I do the other store. However, blank spots and disorder show up more easier in smaller spaces than they do in my big ole booth. I'm still trying to figure out the balance. It might take me through the holidays to get it right.
Speaking of the holidays, I put the Halloween stuff in the new spaces and will be putting it out in the old booths this afternoon. It's already selling well across the river. Even my harvest stuff is selling better than it usually does. This time of year it really pays to think like a regular retailer and do what they do. All of your customers are seeing this stuff go up in Wal-Mart or wherever, so they are tuned into that cycle whether or not they realize it. Vendors that can play along with that will benefit. I'll have some Christmas out by the end of the month.
This was the most interesting yard sale week I've ever had. We went to a church sale that did not exist, a community sale that was a bust, and by 11 had only bought a bird cage. We were heading to large neighborhood sale, when we saw a pile of furniture in front of a house with a "FREE" sign on it. That filled the van, with really nice stuff, so we called it a day.
Sorry no pics of that haul. It was a busy road and there was no place to pull off safely, so we were too busy trying not to get killed as we loaded the van.
I did go over to a store I used to be in for a carport sale on Sunday. Everything was a dollar, so I cleaned up on that. Got some nice larger smalls for the new space. Here is Chiquito inspecting that haul:
 |
| Beware the photo-bombing kitty! |
I sort of had an interesting proposal tossed my way while I was shopping there. The timing right now is really bad for me, so I said I would think about it.
I need to give a "thanks" to one of my blogging heroes and all around good dude Mike Sterling for featuring my wonky Magneto on his blog the other day. If there is ever anything you need to know about comics, Mike is the guy to ask. He's hilarious too!
I got to know Mike several years ago, when a group of bloggers would exchange music CD's through the mail. Another one of my blogging heroes, Roger Green, reminisced about those days recently. It's kind of like "old home week" on the blog today!
Well, I've got laundry to finish and dishes to do before getting ready for work, so I better scoot. More later, if I don't totally lose my mind!
Saturday, September 06, 2014
Friday, September 05, 2014
Boothing It
It's been so long since I've done a booth update post, mainly because I felt the booths were too out of control to show. Now that things are looking a little better, I took some pics.
I'll warn you in advance that they're just crappy cell phone pics, since that is all I seem to have time for any more. The harsh florescent lighting there isn't doing me any favors either. I did some cropping to help give the pics a focal point, but I don't know how much it helped. I have no walls defining my rather large space, so it's hard to keep background objects in other booths from becoming a distraction. Also, I pretty much have stuff crammed into every nook and cranny. Styling and displays are so not my thing.
For the record, I have two 8x10 and two 8x11 floor spaces combined into one large fourplex that I sometimes call "Ed-Mart." The official name of my booth is "Eddie's Attic." I also have three wall spaces beside my fourplex and another wall space that is in front of my storage room at the mall. I forgot to get pics of two of the wall spaces.
My vibe is kind of eclectic. I feature everything from the kind of practical to the slightly whimsical. My goal is to never be too stuffy and to never, ever look like my stuff came right out of my living room, even though some of it has. I'm not exclusively vintage or exclusively anything, except maybe exclusively Eddie. Someone once asked about my booth and I told them to think of bongo drums. If you get that, you'd love my space. Plus, Scooby Doo totally rocks!
I'm more enamored with the idea of the overstuffed little junk shop run by the slightly wacky neighborhood eccentric old dude than I am the overly foofed antique store. My booth totally reflects that. I do leave people plenty of room to safely walk around, though. I truly believe that if you can walk through my space and not come out with something you have to have, then you're just not trying hard enough.
Onto the booth:
Looking in from one side. There are four main entrances into the fourplex. This stuff is in the center of the space.
An overview of my religion wall. It started as a single shelf five years ago and grew to this. For a while, it took up one of the wall spaces. I started referring to it as "St. Attica" during that time, but I don't use that name now that I've incorporated it into the fourplex. I moved it when I had given up the wall space temporarily. When I took the wall back, I decided to use it for something else.
The religion section really is a destination for several shoppers. I have a lot of regulars buying from it.
The comic book/graphic novel/manga section is another popular spot. It's a struggle to keep it neat and stocked. There are other people selling comics in the mall, but I am the only one who has ever been a reader/collector, so I think my selection is better. I know my prices are.
The start of my seasonal displays. Right now, it's Fall/Harvest themed, but soon it will be mainly Halloween and will take over three tables and several shelves on the inside. I sell a LOT of Halloween. I don't do as well with the harvest stuff, so I don't do much of it, but I do like to have some.
Two of my wall spaces. This is my section for vintage and primitive stuff, or--as I like to call it--classics and rustics.
My ode to alcoholism. Beer and liquor advertising and related items sell pretty well for me. When I have a whole lot of them, I make a section for them and let it sell down some. I haven't had a bar section for a couple of years, so I thought it was time to pull another one together. When it thins out, I'll scatter the remainder among the other merch in smaller groupings.
I call this shelf "Remembering Grandma's Kitchen." Well, except for the Kiwi shoeshine box in the lower right. Grandma never had one of those in her kitchen.
I just bought that white inset shelf the other day and knew it would look good among the other "rustics." I had to take down one of the shelves that was on the wall to put it in. I had never thought of doing that before. I bought those shelves as they were (on the wall) when I first rented that space. Now I am pondering other arrangements for them.
I think this one shelf pretty much sums me up as a reseller in one picture. If you get it, then you get me.
Food fun! Various promo items and toys related to food and cooking. Plus, a big basket full of cookie cutters!
I've had this 8 foot section of pegboard wall forever. I bought it back when I only had one booth. It just doesn't work in my space any more, and I have been trying to get rid of it without much success. Right now, it sits on an aisle and I use it as my "storefront." I rotate displays in and out of it like a store window.
My vintage/classic toy section. It looks sparse here, but for some reason I took the pic before I was finished restocking it. It's full now. My old friend Fisher-Price is very good to me.
Back to where we started, but on the other side. Those drawers hold school supplies and office stuff. I did have them out more prominently during back to school time. Eventually, they'll end up under a table. I know a lot of folks don't like bins of things, but I do. It's a little extra work keeping them orderly, but it's also a good way to sell smaller things. At least, I think so.
And that's the tour! Hope you enjoyed it! Come back soon and bring money when you do!
I'll warn you in advance that they're just crappy cell phone pics, since that is all I seem to have time for any more. The harsh florescent lighting there isn't doing me any favors either. I did some cropping to help give the pics a focal point, but I don't know how much it helped. I have no walls defining my rather large space, so it's hard to keep background objects in other booths from becoming a distraction. Also, I pretty much have stuff crammed into every nook and cranny. Styling and displays are so not my thing.
For the record, I have two 8x10 and two 8x11 floor spaces combined into one large fourplex that I sometimes call "Ed-Mart." The official name of my booth is "Eddie's Attic." I also have three wall spaces beside my fourplex and another wall space that is in front of my storage room at the mall. I forgot to get pics of two of the wall spaces.
My vibe is kind of eclectic. I feature everything from the kind of practical to the slightly whimsical. My goal is to never be too stuffy and to never, ever look like my stuff came right out of my living room, even though some of it has. I'm not exclusively vintage or exclusively anything, except maybe exclusively Eddie. Someone once asked about my booth and I told them to think of bongo drums. If you get that, you'd love my space. Plus, Scooby Doo totally rocks!
I'm more enamored with the idea of the overstuffed little junk shop run by the slightly wacky neighborhood eccentric old dude than I am the overly foofed antique store. My booth totally reflects that. I do leave people plenty of room to safely walk around, though. I truly believe that if you can walk through my space and not come out with something you have to have, then you're just not trying hard enough.
Onto the booth:
Looking in from one side. There are four main entrances into the fourplex. This stuff is in the center of the space.
An overview of my religion wall. It started as a single shelf five years ago and grew to this. For a while, it took up one of the wall spaces. I started referring to it as "St. Attica" during that time, but I don't use that name now that I've incorporated it into the fourplex. I moved it when I had given up the wall space temporarily. When I took the wall back, I decided to use it for something else.
The religion section really is a destination for several shoppers. I have a lot of regulars buying from it.
 |
| The orange things in the lower right are priest's stoles. |
The comic book/graphic novel/manga section is another popular spot. It's a struggle to keep it neat and stocked. There are other people selling comics in the mall, but I am the only one who has ever been a reader/collector, so I think my selection is better. I know my prices are.
 |
| Media and games shelf |
The start of my seasonal displays. Right now, it's Fall/Harvest themed, but soon it will be mainly Halloween and will take over three tables and several shelves on the inside. I sell a LOT of Halloween. I don't do as well with the harvest stuff, so I don't do much of it, but I do like to have some.
Two of my wall spaces. This is my section for vintage and primitive stuff, or--as I like to call it--classics and rustics.
My ode to alcoholism. Beer and liquor advertising and related items sell pretty well for me. When I have a whole lot of them, I make a section for them and let it sell down some. I haven't had a bar section for a couple of years, so I thought it was time to pull another one together. When it thins out, I'll scatter the remainder among the other merch in smaller groupings.
I call this shelf "Remembering Grandma's Kitchen." Well, except for the Kiwi shoeshine box in the lower right. Grandma never had one of those in her kitchen.
I just bought that white inset shelf the other day and knew it would look good among the other "rustics." I had to take down one of the shelves that was on the wall to put it in. I had never thought of doing that before. I bought those shelves as they were (on the wall) when I first rented that space. Now I am pondering other arrangements for them.
I think this one shelf pretty much sums me up as a reseller in one picture. If you get it, then you get me.
Food fun! Various promo items and toys related to food and cooking. Plus, a big basket full of cookie cutters!
 |
| My Asian shelf |
 |
| Quiet study area |
I've had this 8 foot section of pegboard wall forever. I bought it back when I only had one booth. It just doesn't work in my space any more, and I have been trying to get rid of it without much success. Right now, it sits on an aisle and I use it as my "storefront." I rotate displays in and out of it like a store window.
 |
| Enamel top table + terracotta churches = DOUBLE AWESOMENESS!! |
My vintage/classic toy section. It looks sparse here, but for some reason I took the pic before I was finished restocking it. It's full now. My old friend Fisher-Price is very good to me.
Back to where we started, but on the other side. Those drawers hold school supplies and office stuff. I did have them out more prominently during back to school time. Eventually, they'll end up under a table. I know a lot of folks don't like bins of things, but I do. It's a little extra work keeping them orderly, but it's also a good way to sell smaller things. At least, I think so.
And that's the tour! Hope you enjoyed it! Come back soon and bring money when you do!
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