Monday Rambles

I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow I managed to pull out another record-setting month in the four digits!  July was even higher than June in total sales, and that was with about four days of really low sales.  I'm starting to gain a lot of confidence that maybe I've finally set on a course that works for my booth.  It's still way too early to come to think of this as a set pattern, but I am really freaking happy right now.

August will tell the tale, I'm afraid.  This is, after April, the hardest month there is to sell in this town.  What is it with the "A" months that makes them feel they have to rain on a junker's parade like that?  April has spring break and the beginning of the dreaded Derby festivities.  August has back to school (which is next week) and the Kentucky State Fair (which is also next week).  We'll just see what happens, I guess.

In the meantime, I'll keep things stocked and ready as best I can.

Which hasn't actually been very good lately.  I realized on Friday that I have totally, and I do mean totally, lost control of my spaces.  "Hot mess" doesn't even begin to describe it.  Stuff is just crammed everywhere, with little to no rhyme or reason.  People can get into my booth and out of my booth easily, but that's it.  I have no idea how stuff is selling so well.  Seriously, I don't.  The only thing that is in some kind of semblance of order is the comic books.

My plan this week is to rearrange and reshuffle stuff, rather than restock.  I'll put out new stuff for the weekend, but will wait until Friday to do it.  I have a couple of ideas for themed groupings of merchandise I want to do.  (I'm no good at displays, but I can get like items all together.)  If it works, I'll take some pictures.

It hit me really hard over the weekend that it's August. That means I've got to get my "harvest" items ready to go out and have Halloween on deck for next month!  Sheesh!  It's almost time for Christmas stuff!  Ack!

A junker's work is never done, I guess.  Good thing I like love doing this stuff!

Mata ne!  (I've been watching anime again.  The new Sailor Moon Crystal series totally rocks!  It totally updates the original series, but remains faithful to the source material.  The art, based on the manga, is gorgeous and the animation is awesome.  Highly recommended.)

Changes in Perspective

Used to be, when I saw this video,



I'd think about what an awesome song it is and how cool the video is.

Now, when I see it, I think about all the junk lying all around that house and how I'd like to back the car up to it and scoop it all up and take it to a booth!

But, it is still a cool song.

Junker's Serentiy Prayer (Buying Edition)

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change

Like seeing someone else buy something really, really cool

 that I would have really, really loved at a yard sale

Courage to change the things I can

Like buying things I know are re-sale duds over and over again

just because I like them

And the wisdom to know the difference! 

(And help me to remember that it's only stuff,

I won't die if I don't get it,

and there will always be more stuff out there!)

Apologies to Neibuhr

Junker's Serenity Prayer (Selling Edition)

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change

Like those days when the mall is dead 

because it's too cold for anyone to be out shopping 

Courage to change the things I can

Like those days when the mall is packed with people

but no one is shopping in my booth

And the wisdom to know the difference!

With apologies to Niebuhr

Weekend Finds

In Monday's post, I mentioned that I'd put some pics of my weekend finds later in the week.  Well, that time is here.

I'm such a bad junking blogger.  In my drive to get stuff to the booth as quickly as possible, I usually overlook the act of taking pics for the blog.  When I buy something larger in size, it usually has to go right to the booth, since I don't have space to store stuff.

So it was this past weekend.  Much of the items were smaller furniture, so they went right off to YesterNook.  No time for photos, in other words.  On Monday, I went back over to the booth and took a few pics.  They're not the best, since I was using my cell phone, but I think you can get the idea.

This is the bathroom shelf from the Cantina Room!

Close up of the burnt wood details on the shelf.

This is the sweetest Madonna and Child I have ever seen!

Magazine stand or sheet music holder?

This little dude is kind of shy, but cute.

There were a few other things, but those are the highlights.  In the last pic, you can also see a Cosco bathroom stool and a retro-ish chair I also bought over the weekend.

The New Space!

Welcome to the new Eddie's Attic!  (Or as I like to affectionately call it "Ed-Mart"!)

I call this pegboard display my "storefront."

I've spent a lot of time talking about the new space, but not enough time showing it. Let me rectify that right now.

To review, I took over the fourth corner of a little fourplex spot in the Peddlers Mall.  I already had three of the four spaces, so I basically run this little quadrant now.

One of the things I like about it is that it is so roomy and spread out.  I have a ton of stuff in there for sale, but I still have room for lots of small furniture or a couple of large pieces.  Yard sale shopping will be fun this year!  I can't wait.

Of course, it would not be my space without lots of comic books.  I've been able to add a couple of boxes and they have been selling really well.  In fact, I need to get some more ready to bring in!

And the religion wall, or as we call it, St Attica, is still there!

I love having my books on real bookcases!

This magazine rack is a yard sale find!

I hope you have enjoyed the tour.  If you are ever in Louisville, let me know and I'll be glad to show you the place (plus my other spot at YesterNook!)

Finally, I could not have down this transition without help.  I took the new spot right after my surgery.  I couldn't lift anything or really do a lot without tiring out and I was still in a bit of pain.  I kind of supervised how I wanted things, and Keith put and moved them where they needed to go.  He did a great job!