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I believe Jay is correct on the days you allow them to return it. But where the 5 days comes in is 5 days after the shut off date is when Ryanne says you can then contact Ebay and ask for them to close it.
But things have been changing so much the last two years with almost quarterly Ebay updates who knows. Since we don’t get many returns it is sort of just out of sight out of mind for us. Plus Etsy is really throwing curve balls at all the sellers which compounds the confusion.
It is getting to a point where Ryanne says to just call Ebay and ask. You would think after 17 years we would all have the Ebay thing done pat, but not any more. Hate to say it, call, ask, then close the cases as quick as they tell you that you can.
Funny that we give the buyer 30 days to decide if they want to keep our purchase or not, BUT THEY ONLY Gave me 2 days to provide the refund to the buyer. But never cry “Unfair” in today’s world of the “Online-o-sphere”.
We had a discussion last week with our helper and the topic came up about what customers “Expect” these days and how much of that is more about younger buyers thinking the world revolves around them, it is all about them, what they “deserve” and are “entitled” to and how they have been raised on the “I want, therefore I deserve to get” mentality.
Ebay and Etsy say, buyers have come to expect Free Returns, Free Shipping, a lollipop, and pink ribbons, etc., etc. Well no wonder everybody almost since the sixties have been raised on the “I want” syndrome.Our daughter had to request by saying “May I have, please” and expect the answer to possibly go 50/50 either way. Any time she uttered, “I want” she was told the answer was an automatic no because of the way she asked. She is 40 yrs old now and still will say “May I have….” and always a “thank you” at the end.
Thanks RTWV for the segway into another “MDCGFA mini-blow off steam” opinion and as always, that along with $.30 will get you a third of a cup of coffee. 🙂
mike at MDCGFA in ATL
Jordan I see Ryanne attached a photo from a previous members post. Yep , just like that but also include the ceap to make plywood and saw horse table underneath the part that is showing on the floor.
If you look closely you can see in the photo a tall piece of white material on the wall. Bet she uses that in conjunction with a table butted up to it with a white table cloth for hard goods.
If you check out YouTube videos their are several good ones under the search term basement photography studio setup.
One that I also really like uses a translucent table top with milky plexiglass for the top and adds an extra light under the table to direct light upwards. It makes the whole table top light a light box.
You can modify the above directions I gave by taking the plywood and cutting out the center and only leaving about an inch and half rim all around. Still set that on the saw horses and you will have to buy yourself an 1/8″ thick piece of milk white TRANSLUCENT plexiglass for the table top. You can still lay a thin white fabric sheet over the plex to give a nice texture and cut down on the glare from the underneath light stand.
There is a video somewhere of a set up like this but you will have to research it. And of course the extra light and stand for underneath and the plexiglass sheet will drive the costs up.
Are there chaeper ways, yes, hand work lights about but they get hot, throw the color and white balance way off and you will spend a ton of time adjusting your photos without having the proper balanced lighting.
mike at MDCGFA
Jordan:
Years ago, I started out in my basement. Down there you need to do a complete set-up. Here is a link to some of the cheapest sets around. Cowboy Studios. Several SL members have lighting and backdrops from them.https://www.cowboystudio.com/category_s/311.htm
Amazon also has these same types of kits and many times both Cowboy and Amazon run Sales. We have had posts here on SL by members who have gotten 4 light, quad bulb stands with out the backdrop pole for $70 to $90 bucks.
We now use 8 of their spiral fluorescent bulbs on tripod stands that are 5500 degrees kelvin. We use a wide “felt cloth” background we got at Hobby Lobby for $.99 a yard. We got several pieces at 60″ wide x 3 yards [9 ft.] long
Here is the basic set-up. Go to Home Depot and buy a 4′ x 4′ 3/8″ inch thick pc. of plywood. Only need it to be smooth one side [cheaper] and 2 plastic sawhorses.
Now go to whatever wall you want to make as your photo space. Place the two plastic sawhorses one against the wall and the other in front of it about 2-1/2 to 3 ft. Now lay the 4 x 4 sht. of plywood on top of that. You now have a 4×4 tabletop butted up against the wall.
Next, Tack, staple or Velcro, which is what we use because we can easily pull off the white and replace with a darker gray or blue piece for white, lighter or clear items. $ ft. above the table, then let it hang down and across the table and then hang off the front lip about a foot = 9″ +/-
Now place one light stand on each corner of the square table. the back two should be all the way back toward the wall and close to the table edge. These back two stands of either a 2-bulb ea. or 4 bulb ea. unit should only be used to light the back white felt and BEHIND your object. This will eliminate many shadows form your item, and still reflect softer light forward to your item.
Then place your last 2 [out of the four you bought] at the front two edges. These will light the item all around.
Now for placement, try to always place your item in the center of the 4×4 sq. about 2 feet away from the backdrop and about 2 feet back from the front lip. This set-up will allow for the best overall lighting, keep shadows in the crevices of your item well lighted and not cast shadows on the background. To eliminate tabletop shadows, have a clear plastic or make a wooden stand to hold your item about a foot off of and above the tabletop. We use a 12×12 white wood prop and have 3 various size clear acrylic stands.
Some here that photo clothes either take their mannequin off the stand and just set the torso up on a table, or do this exact same set up only have a longer back drop piece and let it roll out on the floor and shoot directly down from overhead by standing on a short ladder at the front edge.
But using felt you eliminate ugly creases; it has a soft texture. Raising your item eliminates cast shadows, and having light stands all the way around prevents the white balance being thrown off and producing “grey” back grounds and eliminates almost all after the shot photo editing from having to be done. You can go straight to uploading without extra work in most cases.
Also, we would recommend a chair in front of the table because sitting for a whole day of photography can be a strain on your back.
All in all this will run a few hundred bucks but will in essence provide the closest to a complete studio setup for the least amount and provide all the blanced lighting you will need for any type of item. If you ever quit you can always sell the complete setup online and recoup some of your money back.
Good luck
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
Here you go Sharyn:
Sold for $200.00 Sold Date Feb 03, 2017 Source eBay
Worthpoint Category Furniture & Furnishings
Original Category Collectibles : Decorative Collectibles : FramesThe spirit of postmodern design shines in the bold geometric patterns and vibrant colors of this frame by Fujimori for Kato Kogei Ceramics. Fujimori was born in Japan in 1935 and won the National Art Award when he was just 19. He would go on to win many major awards including the Grand Prix at the Nitten Exhibition (a major Japanese art organization). He worked in Chicago as a ceramics designer before returning to Japan in 1963. He was named Art Director for Kato Kogei Ceramics, where he oversaw the design and distribution of his signature line.
In excellent vintage condition. Dimensions: 7.5″W x 3.0″D x 8.375″HMike at MDC Concepts, Inc.
MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
SmartParts Small EquipmentI agree with History Nerd. Cheap price and no but high price yes. We use our cocoon method on all items large or small. A $20 tea cup will still needs to puncture, vibration, pressure, drop protection of “Floating” the item inside.
So to help you out a little further here is a link to one just like yours [an 18″ one] that sold for $129.00
https://www.worthpoint.com/inventory/search?query=Kato+Kogei+Japanese+Fujimori+Alpha+3+Pottery+Vase&category=Now, using our pricing strategy, we would price this at $185.00 with make an offer. Especially since you will be putting time into the packaging. But maybe a little more research on your part may find a higher price still. But we always find the highest price we can and put a 40% mark-up on above that. So, we can run a sale or take offers up to 40% and not drop below what it last sold for.
This all may sound overly difficult but we do this to almost every item we ship because all of our invertory [about 2,000 pieces] are all porcelain, china, crystal, glass, pottery and most the size of a shoe box or larger. It is like a vacation to me when I get to ship something small and made out of wood or metal. Yippie, quick wrap, box with 50# brown kraft void fill and go.
Mike at MDCGFA in Atl.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by
MDC Galleries & Fine Art.
Good Morning: We would list and ship it. For us our largest box and usually our cut off point is 24″ x 18″ x24″. We could ship 2 or these easily in one shipment.
We use our custom “cocoon” method of 7 layers of protective wrapping material and then that complete box would certainly go into a second outer box [double boxed]. But the key is as I just happened to outline here on this forum the other day.Search Cocoon shipping method and you can see the 6 to 7 layers we use.
This size is most likely a candidate for FedEx also.
Ryanne has shipped large lamps and rolled and folded up rugs before.
But in some cases [ a few-not many], no matter how careful and over protective you are, some things just don’t make the journey to their new home despite all your efforts. If it falls off a conveyor belt or a fork lift and the forklift runs over it, it will be toast regardless. The good thing is the buyer gets disappointed but you get photos from them and file an insurance claim. The buyer gets their money back and you still get paid. A shame, but still you and the buyer are whole.
10 x 8 x 18 is a medium-large size to us, not a “huge” package by any means.
And lastly as Jay has said many times, just get a cost for the FedEx store to pack it for you and build that cost plus some mark up for your time and trouble into your shipping cost.
These are unique items and for the right buyer and or collector the cost of shipping is what it is and are willing to pay for it. You have a very nice vase and will support the costing you place on it.
A simple cocoon process:
2 shts of newsprint wrap, 1 small bubble wrap layer, 1 stretch wrap layer of 4 to 5 winds over the whole object, 1 cardboard rolled sleeve made by cutting a sht of cardboard and pre-rolling it then roll and tape around the object, then a layer of 50# brown kraft paper wrapping it like a Christmas present, then 1 layer of large bubble wrap. It is now looking and feeling like a cocoon at this point of 6 layers. Now place this “cocoon” inside of a box, any box, flat rate, priority, plain generic, it doesn’t matter. Give it 2″ all around and stuff all 4 sides with 50# brown kraft paper. and tape this box up. Now lastly take this box and float it inside a even larger box repeating what you did on the inner box. 1″-2″ space all around and stuffed and supported by 50# crumpled brown kraft paper for dunnage void fill. Tape this outer box up good and tape all box seams. Label it, place on fragile stickers. This now puts you at about 7 to 8 layers if you count the brown kraft dunnage void fill paper, and you are good to go.We pack better than any of the UPS or FedEx stores we go to. We have shown our process to several FedEx stores and they are amazed at the process.
Caveat’: It does add a little more weight to the overall package, thus the cost somewhat, but worth it to us.
This process has allowed us to ship breakable items up to the size of a small chair through the years. Large lamps, large diameter Tiffany style glass lamp shades, complete dinner sets of 50, 60 pcs and more, and we used to ship pinball machines but that gets into crating and using a furniture carrier, but with a $3,000 machine, as I said, a buyer doesn’t mind $250 to $375 shipping costs.
We have only had about 6-7 or so + breakages since 2002.
* Extra tips to add variation to the packing process.
– Use styrofoam sheets to pad around the voids with crumpled brown kraft as a extra safety barrier against punctures
– Buy 1×2 furring wood strips at HD and have them rip it in half [long ways] into 3/4″ x 3/4″ pcs. then to add resistance against top loaded crushing, bowing or deflection issues just hot glue a piece into each of the four corners of your outer box. Keeps your box from crushing under a lot of weight piled on top
– For very expensive items, use a can of spray foam [open cell] which is soft foam not the brittle type, spray a layer on the bottom of the box, put in your inner box, spray foam fill all 4 sides on the interior, then a layer on the top and close and tape your box.
– Lastly you can also fill void spaces with styro-foam peanuts, but make sure there are no voids where the peanuts can migrate or settle into. After 10 of thousands of bumps and bounces on a road in a truck, peanuts will and do settle on their journey. Years ago we used a vibrator plate to vibrate boxes as we filled them in order to get the peanuts to settle in before closing the box. Personally we no longer use peanuts for several reasons we have previously discussed here on SL. J and R do use them.Good luck and make sure you search the forum here for the “cocoon” method of packing for maximum protection. All the members have discussed their various packing methods. Also check out the Shipping section of the Forum.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
We do use the 40# newsprint to do the first layer of paper wrap. We use the newsprint much like others will use 2 or 3 sheets of tissue.
Sonia: Years ago we had a lot of questions about fluid ounce capacity that those details are automatically part of our custom specifics. We always state the physical dimensions, height, dia of item, etc. but also in the next file down we state the ounce capacity of all cups, glasses, pitchers, anything that holds something we state it.
we keep a gallon jug of water, a measuring cup and a funnel here in the office and will fill, measure a lsited item then just pou the water back in the jug.
This pretty much stopped all those how much does it hold questions EXCEPT for a couple of DxxAssXX that I suppose caught read are were too lazy to go past the title.
One that takes the cake was just about a year ago we got 3 laboratory beakers and measuring cups made in the 30’s / 40’s out of colored depression glass. So not only did we put the ounces they held in the description, but the photos clearly showed the ounces, milliliters, etc. right on the side of each item and we still got a “how much does each of these hold” question.
From my few years of teaching at a college and from a long time of selling online, I can officially state with all confidence, there is no medical cure for stupid and there are a lot of sick people out their.
Every time I get tickled about a stupid question and read it to Susan, about all she replies these days, is “DumbAss” and not a word more.mike at MDCGFA
As I have mentioned numerous times about our “cocoon” method of wrapping. we also keep a stack of 30×36 flat sheets of corrugated sheets in a ready stack.
So plates: If I have just one type say 4 to 8 dinner plates only, or a stack of salad plates, I put a thin bubble sheet down on the table, then a small square piece of thin cardboard, then a small styrofoam plate we use as spacers, then a thin sheet of bubble again and again a thin sq. pice of cardboard, etc., etc. until the “stack is completed. One stack all with cardboard, bubble wrap cut to size and a small styrofoam plate spacers.
This whole stack then gets a 360 degree tape band vertically in several directions. This tight stack is now, stretch wrapped with with 3 to 4 winds of stertch wrap from my hand held dispenser. At this point I have a solid block of tightly held together plates. I probably could stop there, but nope.
Now I take that tight stack and set it on one of the flat corrugated sheets and quitly cut a4 sided box shape and tape that over the stack, or if I already have some of my hand made rolled corrugated strips, I wrap that around the stack of plates and tape that in several directions.
Lastly I neatly wrap that whole hand made container inside of #50 lb. brownkraft to make it look like a wrapped present. Then this gets a complete wrap of thick bubble.
I would then do this for each of the other types of plates I may have, salad, bread, saucers.
Then using the same 5 to 7 layer “cocoon” method I would roll wrap cups, juice glasses, sugar, creamer, tea pots, etc. All with the paper, thin bubble, stretch wrap, brown paper and then cardboard roll wrap [which is our hand made “quick inner box” as we call it] and then the large bubble wrap skin, this is usually about 6 layers in all that goes internally.
When done all of these separate boxes get placed in the larger outer box with crumbled brown kraft dunnage as fill on the bottom, then intertwined with brown kraft ropes zig zagged in between each inner box to keep from touching and then finishing off with the last layer of brown kraft dunnage on top and a packing list.
The outer box, is almost always USPS Priority except of fuller dinner sets with many pieces and extra serving platters they go FedEx and at times in two boxes. The outside box is always taped on all seems and where the box is glued together also. Extra heavy boxes get a Ryanne nylon strap around it.
17 to 30 pcs can take an hour to an hour and a half to do completely.
The pay off since 2002, we have only had 6 packages that arrived with damage goods and 2 of those looked like a truck ran over it. Our guess it fell off a conveyor or forklift and the forklift ran over it. The other 4 were crock pottery bowls, but was before we developed to 6 layer “cocoon” method. Now I would feel safe shipping a funner set of dinnerware up in the 60 to 100 piece range but I have told Susan, i will shoot her if she buys full sets any more.
But just within the last few weeks we have thought about going back to full sets but listing each type of item, plate, cup, saucer as a separate listing and doing just like Replacements.com does and sell everything 1 pc. at a time.
But that would limit the buyers to only those who already have the pattern and only need to replace a missing piece or expand an existing set.
We do the same for rocks, high ball glasses, coffee mugs, Paper wrap, thin bubble, stretch wrap, cardboard roll around, brown kraft, thick bubble, outer box. BUT< BUT on thicker glass or coffee mugs usually just slip the 6 layer “cocoon” into a bubble mailer since the inner layer is so protective.
I would guess that about half of our 1093 feedback says something positive about how well our items come to them, how well wrapped and packaged they are. We invite you guys to go look and then just scroll down, page by page and count or search on packing and you can see for yourself.
Six damaged packages, 1 neutral feedback and 1 negative feedback in approx. 16 to 17 years. We must be doing something right! 🙂 🙂 🙂
MIke at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
Old Dad: In the 2nd link above about Dunnage and Void Fill options they also list Bogus paper as an in between weight. But the 50# #60 brown kraft is very good at void fill and for support without flattening.
I think the 36″ wide x 900 ft long roll we got was about $37 and when we ordered 2 rolls from Staples it was Free Shipping which was delivered from the closest store at the Mall of Ga., six miles up the road from us, so was delivered the next day, if I recall.
That is 5400 square feet of brown kraft. We also use it to wrap anything flat, like records, books, items that are still in the box, along with loosely basketball size balled and loose rope shapes for bottom, top and side fill and support.
A trick I used to use but not any more just because it didn’t look very well. But I have been known to crumple up brownkraft and put around an object then use our stretch wrap to cocoon secure the brownkraft in place instead of using bubble wrap when I was in a pinch or out of bubble wrap.
Old Dad: Plotter paper. Never thought of that. I will research that out, didn’t think the pund weight was that heavy on plotter paper I guess. But almost anything is cheaper than peanuts.
And, brown kraft crumples easily into “paper ropes” for intertwining between indentations on odd shaped breakables.
Here is a link for a desktop unit. We don’t have or use one, but we just make our paper ropes-snakes by hand. It is quicker for single boxes. But if doing an assembly line type of work this would be useful.
Also here is a link to a good break down of “Void Fill Dunnage Options”, and peanuts are not a good chocie.
https://www.ecoenclose.com/Definitive-Guide-to-Void-Fill-and-Cushioning/That is why last year I was surprised that Jay & Ryanne went to peanuts, based on the fact they got a good dispenser cheap. Peanuts are very expensive, no body likes or wants to recieve them, they are a hard sell to recycle. In my opinion now, for what that has been worth here on SL we all know is worth a third of a cup of coffee along with $.50, is that if I would start to use peanuts, I would be doing my customers a dis-service and certainly not helping the environment. But just my opinion.
We get some good prices on boxes [cheaper than the Ebay store] and on occasion the heavy brown kraft rolls at Staples. Check them out.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art
Jay: It depends on what pound paper. Brown kraft is heavier than newsprint. Newsprint is usualy 30# or 40# and is book page weight called “text weight”. Brown kraft is usually 50# to 60# Lb. Cover stock weight. A large difference in the overall thickness, and ability to support objects without flattening.
We bought 900 to 1,000 ft. rolls of 50# Brown Kraft paper and have it on a 3′ wide dispenser that holds the roll. It is heavy to load but spins ok on that dispenser which also has a tearing blade to effectively tear-cut the paper at lengths we want.
Crumpled that brownkraft up and make it thick and loose and it will not settle out flat. We buy it online and it is delivered to our door. Just a heavy mofo to lift and carry upstairs to the office and get on that dispenser.
Much less costly than peanuts.
But their is research on “DUNNAGE” paper and the articles will tell the story.
mike at MDCGFA
Way to go Retro. Susan says good for you.
mike at MDCGFA
07/27/2019 at 9:37 am in reply to: Does this pattern have a name or style name? (Needlepoint table runner) #65481Good morning:
Lisa came into the office this morning and took a look at the extra photos.About the only extra thing she said that she didn’t say yesterday was, yes, it is handmade and the back shows that, and she also agreed with Sonia, that while not as neat as a machine, which was what she was looking closely in the enlarged views at, that it is very neatly done. The person who did this took time to back trim all the threads very neatly, evenly and tightly to the canvass surface.
The small open pattern border that is closest to the image area is probably the drawn thread technique and if done by hand takes time to pull back the thread in both the warp and weft directions.
The outer edge border was done separately. The border is a double crochet technique then small loop thread wwork to attach it all the way around.
Lisa mentioned that some Aida cloth-canvass can be bought with the drawn thread borders already done and the artisan creates the image within the existing border.
All in all she thinks it is a more current piece and is probably not an antique but not being and expert, she thinks it would show more age if it was of antique age.
Hope all of this helped shed some light on your item. If it was just me all I would have been able to say is, “That’s Nice!”, HaHa LOL :-).
Lisa is here today so I will tell her, thank’s for the input.
Mike at MDCGFA
07/26/2019 at 1:26 pm in reply to: Does this pattern have a name or style name? (Needlepoint table runner) #65452Hey Sigilini:
Have some info. for you but it is from one of our helpers, Lisa. Knitting, needlework, crocheting, etc., etc. is her wheelhouse not mine or Susan’s.First Lisa said, if you can get a much closer [close-up] she can find out more because she can count the stitching and can also see if multiple stitches were intermixed. Also if you can show a photo of the back also. From the back photo she can tell if it was hand made or machine made or a combination of both.
From what she could see and count on this one photo, it is done on Aida Cloth 28 count and done in a 14 count pattern. That is where the “crosss-stitch” goes corner to corner in a square and is called a 4 count on the square. Then the count can double up or increase if the maker wants to span larger distances in one color. From what she can see without being closer up this seems to be mostly in the 14 count.
The thread seems to be a DMC Floss [a thicker, fuzzier thread] instead of a traditional needlepoint thread, which is thinner and each thread can be seen. The floss [fuzzier-fatter thread] is good for blended together and using over large areas.
She said if you take a photo of the back [close up] and of the lower front corner of the pattern she will be able to do a count for you to be more accurate.
She is coming back over tomorrow and would be glad to take another look for you and see if she can shed any more light about it. Also she may be able to cross reference a few older pattern sites she relies on the identify the over pattern.
Hope this helps somewhat and if u post any more photos before 8 am tomorrow I will show her when she comes into the office.
Good Luck:
mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art -
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