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(I edited my post and then it disappeared so sorry if there are 2 posts.)
I went to a new auction last night and it was super different than the one I normally go to.
I got to talk to the auctioneer during the day when I went to go have a look see at all the stuff. He was an old guy who used to own the auction house and antique mall. He was from Oklahoma. He basically sounded like me when I talk about the legal profession – he was like “its just not what it used to be.” He told me lots of stories about the good old days and how much things used to go for. He also was of the opinion that the greatest transfer of wealth that Jay was talking about a few podcasts ago had already happened. He told me about the cycle of certain types of things – like how MCM is in now but that it will go out again and then all that ornate fancy stuff will come back; that seemed a little hard to believe but I’m sure he’s right. My basic take away from him was: research before you buy.
During the auction, there was a lot of jewelry and coins which I don’t really know about. They had lots of old pennies and quarters but also had some pieces of eight coins which were interesting to me after studying them in home school history with my son. The coins seemed to be selling and the jewelry not so much. To my delight, there were tons of table auctions – the auction I normally go to has a few but this one had well over 20. I didn’t buy anything but I plan to next time. I also plan to drag someone, like my husband or son, with me so help me box everything up and put it in the car.
One couple I noticed bought a box lot and then they also bought a lot of travel and suit cases so when they were packing things up they put the things in the suit cases. That seemed super smart. They also brought old bed sheets to cover their table lots while they weren’t right there. It totally seemed like someone could swipe things from the table lots during the auctions and the auction card said something like – we’re not responsible after you bid for breakage or theft – so go guard your stuff.
My other take away is that – there is so much stuff – in the thrift stores, in auctions and estate sales. Humans have made so many things. It is crazy.
I sometimes use a collage of photos for the cover pic – like a reversible jacket, so you can show both sides – you can use an iphone app to create a collage.
1. What T-Satt said.
2. We used to bring those Folgers tea bags on cruises because the coffee on cruise ships is super bad and the Folgers in tea bags was marginally better, but it wasn’t awesome.
Total Items: 2,603
Items Sold : 66
Total Sales: $973.00
Highest Sold: $44.00 (St. John Pants)
Average Price: $14.74
Money Spent on Inventory $240 (probably bought too much this week)
Listed This Week: 35 (probably not enough listed this week)I shopped mostly at Goodwill. This coming week, I’m going to go to an auction that I haven’t been to before.
My current favorite podcasts:
1. The Rachel Maddow Show
2. This American Life
3. Nerdist
4. My dad wrote a porno
5. Stuff You Missed In History Class
6. The Hilarious World of Depression
7. The Minimalists
8. Making It with Riki Lindhome
9. The Moth
10. Anthropocene ReviewedAlso recommend Serial, The New Yorker Fiction, BBC Documentary and BBC A History of the World in 100 Objects, and Happier with Gretchen Rubin
So I’m still having the glitch problem – but it is not consistent – so sometimes it works & sometimes it doesn’t. Boo Hiss.
Anyway, I’m going to quit for today at only 16 listings.
We’re going to go out on the boat to get dinner and watch the sunset.
Happy Sunday everyone.
Sharyn: I think with anything – it is just a matter of figuring out how to systematize the process, so doing like things together helps.
What I’m up to: I got 11 done in the last hour and now there is a glitch in my ebay app so when I take a photo it is not saving! Grrr. Going to switch to one of my other accounts to see whether I have that problem there too.
Yes – Middlegrounds is seafood. Our former receptionist’s family owns it. Our family friend, Mark Renda, did all the metal art in it – he scavenges old metal – like old ice makers or whatever – and then blow torches them into shapes of metal art. We have several of his pieces and he has done many restaurants around here. He even did some work for Disney. Here’s a link to his website: http://rendaart.com/Slide_Show.php
That looks so cool. My son wants to see NYC and I was thinking at some point we’d fly up and stay in the city – this looks perfect.
I’m trying to switch my focus from quantity to quality – I think it is going to take some time to get there. But in the meantime, I can list pretty quickly.
Mark – near Madiera Beach – Middlegrounds and Salt Rock. Both are date night restaurants that are on the pricier side of things.
Hey Mark!
Let me know next time you are in town & we’ll go thrifting together.
I have been to the Keswick Thrift in Seminole but haven’t gotten anything there. There is another place near there across the street that seems like a Jay and Ryan kind of place, it is chock full and completely disorganized. I’m sure there are lots of finds in there but the place makes me too claustrophobic and I feel like it probably full of black widow spiders.
I like the Kennedy Brothers estate sales. I also like the Goodwill Outlet early in the morning on weekdays. Sunshine Thrift is one of my favorite places to buy clothes and they have 1/2 off sales a couple times a month, they also have Tampa and Bradenton Stores. There’s a new place called Out of the Closet in South St. Pete where I’ve found tons of St. John clothing, like practically every time I go – I think they get shipments from Miami and California – I have no idea why – but they had a bunch of Burberry shirts last time I was in so they get a lot of high end stuff – the Burberry was priced up so I didn’t get it, but is worth a look. My aunt likes Bartholomew’s Church also in St. Pete on Friday Mornings which is their half off day. St. Vincents has $1 Wednesdays and I used to love it there but they reorganized the store and I just don’t like it anymore. I also go to several of the Goodwills, the stuff is priced up but I like shopping there and I find high end clothes. Salvation Army is half off on Wednesdays but I find less and less there, it seems like it used to be good but now not so much – or maybe I’ve just gotten pickier, I’m not sure.
I’m going to try the auction near Bay Pines that has an auction the first Friday night of each month, there’s an antique mall and that was super interesting to just walk through – I got a chance to get in there last week – and it felt educational, like “oh I didn’t know that was a thing people wanted” etc.
We live a few minutes from St. Pete Beach but I haven’t been to that restaurant, on the beach we get pizza from Michael & Vitos. Mmmmm, that’s making me hungry.
Other restaurants I love in St. Pete:
Alesia’s on Central Avenue – Vietnamese Food – it is amazing! My current favorite restaurant. $$
The Reading Room – also on Central – it is pricey but its farm to table and super delicious. $$$$
Neptune’s – in Gulfport – Greek Food – reasonable prices – so yummy. $
Pom Poms – on Central Ave – reasonable prices – sandwiches and soups with an asian flair -so yummy. $
Taco Sun – on 22nd Ave North near Home Depot – best tacos in St. Pete. $
Moon Under Water – downtown British Pub with lots of great curry dishes. $$
Red Mesa – higher end Mexican – and they have a super hot habenero sauce I love. $$$Now I’m really hungry.
No tips, just a review of our annual neighborhood yard sale which was today.
We didn’t sell this year: We’ve done it in the past but did’t do it this year as a seller.
New Neighbor with Vintage Items: We walked around and got to meet a new neighbor and see inside of of his house and get to know him. He is a retired arms dealer, he said he likes to stay busy so now he sells military poison and has a few other businesses just for fun. He showed us the renovations he’d done to the house and everything looked so quality and high end. He is a divorced guy but he even had tons of vintage Pyrex bowls which made me want to ask him if was also an antiques dealer because it so seemed like he had vintage quality stuff, the sort of stuff we look for. But I didn’t ask, I don’t really tell many people in my real life about my eBay hobby. Which is why a forum like this is so fun – strangers with the same interest.
No purchases: I didn’t buy anything except a muffin for my daughter at one house where they sell food every year.
Overpriced things: I had to silently laugh at a guy trying to sell a John Deer children’s ride on thing for $350, seems like that would go better at an auction or on ebay or somewhere better than a yard sale. What have you all noticed about higher end things at yard sales – are they there? do you ever find them priced to sell? Also, one yard sale had eBay prices and listed what the items were selling for on eBay.
Thrifted clothing: And another friend of ours had I guess gotten a storage unit full of 2XL mens shirts and the guy asked my husband if he wanted any – we didn’t take any – and afterwards my husband said “I didn’t want to tell him I have all the access I want to 2XL shirts.” I mentioned this in another post, but my whole family wears thrifted clothing all the time now. And we used to shop at places like Target and JC Penney so our quality of clothing has gone up while the price of our clothing has gone way down.
Florida: Since it is warm all year here, there are yard sales all year long. I’ve never had very good luck at yard sales. I like estate sales better, but mostly stick to one company’s sales because some of the others have crazy prices.
Pythonesk: I am so bad because I did ship it priority but I’ve been too lazy to figure out how the insurance works. I’ve only had a few things break and I’ve just eaten the losses. I know I should look up what to do but for some reason, I’ve been procrastinating doing that. Can you give me the cliff notes version of what do to? Sorry & thanks (I don’t know what my mental block is with looking that up).
And keeping the middle one separate – that’s a good thought.
