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Now, that’s cool!
OK Jay, I just busted out laughing at your first sentence above. What the hell is “Old Barnwood Porn” and what’s the URL addy to Chip and Joanna’s web page that focuses on “Old Barnwood Porn”, if they are a part of that “trend”. That is a riot.LMAO π
mike
I apologize. i wasn’t trying to be insulting. Just pointing out the quality of that stuff.
A rule is that to even be called vintage it is supposed to be over 20 years old and antiques over 100 years old.
Etsy is not suppose to allow anything less than 20 years old [2000] or older to be listed. But belive you me, that a ton of people think all that stuff is cool. That what trends and fads are comprised of, and my point is marketing and madison Ave. drives a lot of that.
I didn’t mean to insenuate that someone who likes it is not cool. It is just not vintage, are reproductions and use almost slave labor to produce it along with crazy deals we have cut to allow the Chinese to get away with it.
Thinking it is “cool”, or liking it, buying it or using it is perfectly fine. But trying to buy it cheap and re-selling it would be hard to compete since that is what everybody buys.
Here is a link to where a large percentage of retailers shop. This is how America gets to buy that stuff. I think there are about six of them in America. We have one here in Atlanta, then there’s Chicago, New york, Los Angeles, and only a few more.
AmericasMart Atlanta is a wholesale trade center located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The exhibition center is one of the largest permanent wholesale trade centers in the world. AmericasMart Atlanta consists of three buildings totaling seven million square feet
the link: https://www.americasmart.com/
Most retailers mean they are going here 2 or 3 times a year when they say, “They are going to Market”. These Marts are not open to the public that does not have a Tax ID number. We can buy there because we are a corporation and have a Federal ID number. These marts are only open on the select weeks they advertise.
Everything you see in Pier One, Bombay [now closed], Kirkland’s, all the stores mentioned, all small boutique shops, etc. But very large companies do their own direct imports. But many, if you see a style in the “display booths” in the Marts, is the stuff that is the “newest trend. See if you can find someone to let you go with them to one if you are close enough and there is where you will find the trends, unless you are your own mfg.
You are not uncool, just an American Consumer like everyone else. You are “cool” because you have an Ebay Store, you are trying to be your own boss, you are trying to figure out how to use the capitalism system of doing business and learning to identify what to “invest” in and buy and what sells and for how much. YOU ARE COOL. Much more so than the whiners who hate their jobs and are trapped. You are “cool” because you are trying to do something about it.
So again my aplogises if I made you feel uncomfortable. Not intended or meant.
And I also do buy some stuff from Hobby Lobby and I usually get a 40% discount [coupon, my business account, tax exempt ID number]. But I usually only buy art supplies if I run short on doing something in the studio and need it quick. Otherwise I buy from DickBlick.com or JerrysArtorama.com on my business account.
As we said in the 60’s .. “Peace, Love, and Be Cool” , Groovy, Far Out,
Mike an ex hippe on the streets of Atlanta selling the “Great Speckled Bird” underground newspaper in 1969. LOL look that one up.
mc at mdcgfa
Yep I forgot about HomeGoods, Kirkland’s, and also SteinMart, T.J. Max, man almost any retail store. So much stuff is thrown together in China it is unbelievable.
Of course Chinese tariffs will drive prices up, so much so, I would hope that someone thinks it might just be better to have somethings made back here in the USA. and start reinvesting on our own soil.I like to watch the last 2 minutes of the nightly ABC where they end each newcast with things about America and some times they highlight smaller newer companies making things here again.
Personally I don’t mind paying more for items if they were made here at home, created jobs, helped Vets and others to find new jobs and get new training.
Yep.. Hobby Lobby is the perfect example of .. WHAT FOR IT π “Cheap Crap made in China.”
small tack welds on metal, thinnest gauge metal they can hammer out, 1 staple in the corner of anything instead of a mortised corner with glue and nails that are recessed and covered.They carry all the cheap stuff from China that a lot of the vendors at the few Merchandise Marts in America carry that most retailers buy at.
Pressed paper items that look like wood and here goes my statement that gets me into hot water. Why not, most young people today can’t identify any of quality if it fell on them! OK now yell at me about your kids and how well they know quality.
As for why would people buy from us on Ebay, that comes from knowing how to identify a quality made item, and know what is a unique item that is hard to find any more and selling to those who do know and will buy that rarity or quality.
The ‘young ‘uns’ of the 80’s / 90’s they just want the look and that is it. They will buy cheap furniture for an apartment, live with it for a year or two, move out and just leave the furniture, tables, sofas, chairs behind for the landlord. Low quality, cheap living decor stuff that has become disposable.
But now take most of us as “buyers”, first we all know the better brands in our various niches, Coco Chanel, Top designers I don’t know the names but our SL members do], Hull, Roseville, Lenox, Tiffany, Murano, Limoges, on and on. We spot those, put in our stores and bingo, those who know, see and buy. Many are collectors or have previously “INVESTED” in sets and things get broken so look to replace. On top of this are older buyers looking for nostalgia pieces. things they grew up with, played with, parents had. Depression glass made cheap but a recognized collectible.
Just way too many real good reasons that people seek to buy on Ebay and those wanting handmade items by artists and craftsman on Etsy.
But printed paper to look like wood, no glue in joints, a staple in the corner is just junk. Americans in many cases will buy crap because advertising makes us buy it and, in many cases, 2 or three of them in different colors, just to either have those cheap Chinese items rust, fall apart, come unglued, and disposable trash that we throw out.
How many members here on SL can tell just by looking if something is a veneer piece of a solid piece of real wood on a dining table? Hhumm.
Back to advertising, interior decorators, clothes designers are taught to create “trends” or fad items then Madison Ave. takes over and creates the desire thus the Market.
tell me that all these celebrity people who quote “Have their own Designer Lines” of anything work directly in the actual production and keep the work in America and make sure it is done with quality. Nope, They all sub-the work out to Indonesia, Thailand, China.
Sub it out to people who work for 10 cents an hour, import it back in and then create a false demand, then pump it out into the marketplace.
In my opinion, with the loss of so much of American Manufacturing that younger generations are clueless as to how things are made and will buy whatever fad or trend advertising pushes at them. Guess we all were maybe the same when we were in our teens.
But I think, again all of this is just my opinion, and I will admit, some younger people, will still buy better made things, harder to find things, nostalgic things on Ebay.
You ask is Hobby Lobby undercutting Ebay sellers, well only if you are an Ebay seller trying to sell the same cheaply made junk that you buy wholesale through Alibaba or the national Merchandise Marts. But if you think that the cheap fake look vintage stuff is the Real “McCoy” then Hobby Lobby is the place to go, along with Garden Ridge, Walmartβs, Dollar Generals and the such.
But they Can’t undercut real VINTAGE items because they don’t have real vintage items. Only cheap labor made, junk that happens to look similar in a few cases.Now to change your shopping strategy?? Well if you mean to buy something for yourself to hang on the wall and you don’t care what it is, have a go. If you want to buy to resell, I think you need to know as much about stuff as you can gather from over 400 episode of SL, What sold videos, read every posted what sold this week on SL and duplicate those items and efforts.
Now Sigilini I don’t mean anything negative toward you or personal about you, this is just an old guys rant more or less on how the generations have faded into a manipulated, non-knowing bunch.
So, in my opinion stick with what you know, learn what you don’t know, apply that to a business model that you see someone else being successful with and buy and sell in those categories. And make it something you are interested in.
Hobby Lobby has tons of other retailers to compete with, no need to jump into the Chinese Junk – Crap pond.
Now that I have officially done a Dennis Miller style rant, I guess I will get lambasted for venturing out with such opinions and may regret posting this later today. This shows I have had way too much time on my hands today LOL π
Happy digging, hunting, picking everybody and keep your eye for quality bargains.
Mike at MDC Galleries and fine Art in Atlanta
@Amatino.. May I invite you to do a few searches here on both the SL old Blog and the newer Forum and use key words like, half tone dots, benday dots, reproductions, art repro’s offset litho prints, color blindness, limted edition prints and the such. You will find about half a dozen or so of longer, detailed posts that covers a lot of information about reproductions, how they are made and how to spot them in the wild. That information will arm you with two types of information. One, how to spot the cheap repros and what not to buy and also help with identify the characteristics of what should be included in real fine art printing processes and what to look for.
One of the best ways to tell good quality, art printing processes though, is too have gone to school for print making, actually done many of the processes yourself and studied the surface characteristics under extreme magnification. Knowing what the ink lay down and surface of an etching compared to a silk screen print is tough to do without advanced traing. I can even make a silk screen print edition of prints, “Look” like it was an etxhing process and it would take a very knowledgable person to tell how I got that look from the screen printing process.
And of course, we can’t leave out today high end digital Giclee printing processes. Damn near impossible to tell how some prints were done.
BUT a tip, real oil paintings are fairly easy to spot and distinquich from repro prints of a painting with fake brush strokes applied to the surface. Learn how to spot those and to describe them in your descriptions and real oil paintings in some of the more elaborate frames still do sell. Many interior decorators will buy them for their clients or buy and re-sell them in thier own shops.
See ‘ya..
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta@ Antique frog: Very nice link.. The frame Blog. Now those are some very nice frames and are museum worthy pieces and yes those have value.
To deal in this type of merchandise, one needs to know framing techniques and recognize between cast molded resin relief pieces and actually hand carved relief profiles and to be able to identify “real gold leaf gilding” when you see it. A whole other specialty niche.
But those frames are gorgeous. Who knows were a frame from the Louis the 14th era was hung, who’s house and what painting was in it.
Thanks for the link.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art
@Amatino: Yep you got it right. We don’t resell frames, I use them to frame my own work, my daughters work and loose prints that I have in my collection portfolios or find in the wild.
I will buy almost any frame that is a Structural Industries or a Neilson metal frame, Gold, Silver-chrome or black and use it for our work. Most metal framed prints come with either a glass or plexiglass sheet in it.
At our art supply house where I can buy at a deep discount, tax exempt, it usually will cost me 3 to 4 times more than what I can buy framed art prints for at garage sales.
I had a lady one time tell me after I bought a framed print for $4 that she hated to sell it because she loved the water color painting of the famous “Fox” theater here in Atlanta. Well I knew it was a reproduction and there were thousands of them all over. So, I asked her for a phillips screw driver and disassembled the piece right in her garage and handed her the print. She was so shocked.
All I said was I understand. I have loved the Fox theather’s interior for years and have attended plays, events and concerts there on “Ole Mo” the grand Wurlitzer organ and it was a gift for her.
That frame and glass would be about $35 to $40 my discounted cost, which I got for $4 and she got her lovely print back. Which she said she would go to Hobby Lobby and get re-framed. My wife, susan stated in the car later, well she will be in for a surprise and I replied “Yep”.
To give you a price comparison: A 24×30 matte black Neilson frame will cost retail 2 pc. of 24″ for $36.24 and 2 pcs. of 30″ at $43.29 retail. So $79.53 without glass. Then another $8.50 for glass plus tax = $88.03 then Labor on top of that and if you need a matt cut, you need to include that. So she will have to spend about a $100 ++ to get the print re-framed. I got the frame and glass for $4. π and do this all the time, when I can find them.
Also I find loose reproduction prints a lot and will buy them or posters, and will frame them up myself and sell them for more.
I am going to be listing some prints in a few eeks which the posters and prints all cost me under $15 each, I have already framed 6 or so up and will list them for about $75 to $150 each. I even have a few small ones already done this way listed in the store now, but the bigger ones are coming later.
Actually I have several portfolios full of real, silk screen prints, all pencil signed and numbered from my days of being hired to complete limited edition prints for New York artists that did not have the skill sets or equipment to produce their own work. I always arranged to get 10 signed “artists proofs” for myself as part of my payment.
>>> My wholesale cost on the re-framing the lady would pay over $125 for would be $18.58+$22.86 = $41.44 less another 10% to 15% if I catch a Sale, then tax exempt [for resale you know – wink, wink] for a total of about $35 to $37 and glass at about $5 and I french bevel cut my own mats, single or double.
Sorry, I should have stated a few more details. Sorry you went on a hunt that wasted your time.But empty frames by themselves doesn’t bring much as a resell, but has much more value to an artist who can find them in the wild for pursonal use or to frame up repro’s to give “added value”.
My rule of thumb is because I know that even at wholesale prices metal frames will run me $.39 to $.45 per lineal inch, if I can get frames in good, unscratched up condition for under $.20 per running / lineal inch I am in like flint. π And when I can find them for under $.10 or even $.05 like the example above I am in hog heaven.
AND YES, there are cheaper wood frames with mats and glass from Ikea or Michaels or Hobby Lobby, or Dollar General type of stores made in China with cheap wood, but I like the quality of Neilson Anodized Aluminum frames with good quality mitered corners, a tight fit and quality corner brackets. Just my preference.
Susan declares when I get framed pieces, “How many more frames do we need!” I always say, as many as I can get.
I also always buy art supplies and equipment whenever I can. Two years ago, I sold one of my older Grumbacher used pastel sets. Many of the colors were used down to nubs, many snapped in half and a few colors missing. Sold it for $125 [if I remember correctly].
Hope this all clears it up. unless you are going to use them yourself to frame art, this is not a pipeline.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
MDC Galleries & Fine Art.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
MDC Galleries & Fine Art.
On the 3rd pin, try “Brownie Pin” instead of Girl Scout pin. Looks fairly similiar to the ones I am seeing.
No clue of the others.
mike at MDCGFA
Hi and Welcome Craig:
I too have a MFA, major in contemporary abstract painting and printmaking. Master printmaker in Serigraphy and 35 years in commercial printing and fine art publishing in the screen printing industry. With experience in etching, collographs, stone lithography and of course litho offeset and digital printing.
Very interesting, I too did teaching as an Adjunct Faculty member back in the early 70’s before going into the printing business. As I have said before, getting an MFA in Fine Art along with $.50 will get you about a third of a cup of coffee. I was lucky to find a partner right out of grad school with whom we built up a very nice sized and successful printing company.
Looking forward to hearing about your finds and seeing how you come along with your store. 1,300 items is a nice size store and you should see some fairly consistent Sales.And as you said the flexibility is great. I do several things for income now that I am retired, but good luck along your journey and will be looking for you as you chime in on all the art questions.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
06/18/2019 at 1:57 pm in reply to: Victorian (1880's?) Antique Solid Brass Hand Holding Light Socket Sconce #63669You’re welcome. Guess everyone can see I had some time on my hands today, thus all the forum replies.
In case you may not know, in the Andrew Lloyd Weber movie, the Phantom of the Opera, when the main character descends into the tunnels under the opera house, he is advised to keep his head low. And on the walls as he descends the staircase there are arms-hands holding torches that are attached to the walls very similar to your concept pair.They are cool. If you keep them they would have to we wired and run to a switch or maybe you could get a ceramic sleeve to go over the socket area and then slide a pillar candle into the socket and find a glass chimney to go over it [sort of reverse engineer] it back to the way the ones are in the link I sent.
Good luck
MikeYou are perfectly welcome. Again, I didn’t want to come across as all negative, but trying to offer information for those who don’t know some of these things. I have a very strong background in art and printmaking.
You made me laugh with the following: “theyβre more discerning about the quality of crap they accept.”. LOL-Funny π A quality scale for “crap”. On a scale of how crappy is your crap. Slightly crappy, very crappy, makes me puke crappy, stinks to high heaven crappy, I wouldn’t put it in my house but I will sell it to you crappy, etc., etc.LOL π
Good luck with it buddy..
Mike06/18/2019 at 1:08 pm in reply to: Victorian (1880's?) Antique Solid Brass Hand Holding Light Socket Sconce #63661Daisy: Out of 73 listings sold on Worthpoint, most with hands holding a torch only one listing has the fingers “open” and “not clutching” the torch stem with wrapped fingers. The pair of open finger ones also have a taper candle and glass globe above the drip catcher plate.
Unfortunately the closed fingered ones can be up over $1,000 and one at $1,500.
The only open fingered one sold at $195.99 BUT IT IS THE CANDLE AND GLASS GLOBE PAIR not ones with an electric socket.
Making a big assumption here, but maybe yours once looked like these [click the link]:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/unique-vintage-victorian-style-brass-469234398but got retro-fitted [altered] and converted to having light sockets. As to what that did to the real value, I wouldn’t know, but even so, as Ryanne says they are really “cool” and even though maybe converted, I would try to list at maybe the $195 or even $273 and then run Sales at 20% Off and take offers at up to another 20% Off. So at $273 list and either a 40% Off Offer and a combination of a Sale and an offer on top of that, you could end up at about $165 to $175 +/-.
But who knows. But in my opinion they are not in the category of the $750 and up pairs.
P.S. don’t think they are “forged” but the hands may be “cast” and the torch “turned”. And check to see if the metal is magnetic. If so it is steel or iron, if not then probably brass.
Good luck.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atl
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
MDC Galleries & Fine Art.
06/18/2019 at 9:51 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 415: Importance Of Being Honest As A Business Owner #63643Happy [belated Birthday Ryanne. My daughter turned 40 in Nov. and she said to me sunday, I don’t feel 40, I still feel like a kid inside and have urges to do stupid stuff.
I told her we all do, but now she has enough sense and maturity to not go through with it.
Ryanne, hope you get to keep that “kid” inside and have fun with your life as it seems that you are, based on how you come across in the podcasts. Sounds like you and Jay just have a lot of fun doing this.
So welcome to the second half of your life. π
Mike at MDCGFA in Atl
06/18/2019 at 8:45 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 415: Importance Of Being Honest As A Business Owner #63637@ Troy: Glad to hear they will build this in. That would allow us to accomplish what CraigsList Hunter is advocating within SixBit and set the end and relist with an allocation plan just on the Ebay Tab.
* I knew that the Etsy and Ebay Tabs were separate so that will be the key to selecting the 27 / 28 day end time frame on the Ebay Tab but leave the Etsy Tab to just do their standard 90 day rollover OR Maybe set Etsy to end at 88 days. That way we could be doing the same thing as on Ebay only instead of every 30 days, on Etsy will will happen every 3 months.
I notice after one of the more recent SB updates, that when I go and do a relist there is a selection to force a complete new upload, but there is not an allocation plan that I can see as of yet to do this automatically.
** OK that your desktop which is where you are acting as your own file server for SB is running is Win10. And that hers are. Then as long as the motherboards and chips are running at a PassMark Score of 3,500 or higher you are good to go. My old laptop that our helper was using was running at a PassMark Score of less than 2,000 and it was always stalling-hanging up. So I got a new laptop for them that clocks out at over 7,000 for a PassMark Score and it is smooth, speedy sailing.
As Jay calls these things “Robust Programs” and as such, a user has to have the fire power in a computer to run it.
P.S. SixBit has their new “Shopify” module in Beta Testing. I hope to see that roll out in the near future.
Looking forward to seeing you get back home soon and maybe we can do a phone hook-up agagin.
Take care buddy…
Mike -
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