freshvintage

Road Trippin'

We had another successful outing at the Clover Market last week! This was Chris' first time selling with me and and I am happy to report that we did not kill each other. This was also our first time using Square to process a few credit card purchases, and it worked perfectly.

Our theme this time was "Summer Road Trip". It really should have been "Ohmigod, That's a Hell of a Lot of Vintage Metal Lawn Chairs", but that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

In keeping with the summer vacation theme, I made price signs that looked like the old "Greetings From" postcards. And I asked every person who walked into our tent, "Are we there yet? How much further? I need to pee really bad."

I only had a few things that actually went with my theme, including a stack of souvenir state plates, postcards and my Florida tablecloths. I sold all five of them (I kept the pink and aqua one for myself).  

I love these souvenir postcard booklets - they all have the same style of vibrant images. I sold a few of those.

And let's assume that you like to go fishing on your summer road trip. Well, here are enough minnow buckets to bait a great white.

Here's my husband, Chris, manning the register in front of our neighbor's Tastykake truck:

Since we had the truck, I figured I had to bring some Tastykakes. The box of mini coconut donuts went really fast.

There's that Gimbel's sewing machine that I gave you a glimpse of on Facebook.

I couldn't find much information about it, but I think it was from the late fifties/early sixties. It actually works.  And it came with a matching sewing accessories tin.

 

I designated this area the "Granny Corner" because of the chair and the hanging light fixture and the birdcage. Apparently, this Granny is an archer, because she has a quiver on her shelf.

Isn't this feed sack totally awesome? I love the colors. We found this in Galena, Maryland.

We had a bunch of little bags of random game pieces and flashcards for sale, too. They are always great sellers for us.

That reminds me - I'd like to give a special shout-out to the man who opened all of the two-dollar Scrabble bags, dumped them onto our table, and then asked how much it would cost to buy just the letter "T".

Oh - and another shout-out to the lady who wanted my circus signs (in the photo below). You wanted a 50% discount on something that costs $5. And when Chris said no to your offer, you said "But it is just a piece of cardboard!" Thanks for that. We had a good laugh.

And I'd like to give huge non-sarcastic shout-out to all of the people who admired our nine metal lawn chairs. It was nice to hear so many people getting all nostalgic over the chairs that their mom or grandpa or uncle used to have. And it was fun to hear three different people talk about the tiny squares that the woven-style chairs would leave on the backs of their thighs when they sat on them as children. We didn't sell any of the chairs, so I brought them straight to Brandywine View. They look really cute all lined up along the wrap-around porch there.

Our neighbor, Mike, kindly drove the truck to Clover in the morning, and we followed in our minivan. And then he told us that we could drive the truck home on the way back. One problem - there is no passenger seat. My tufted yellow chair didn't sell, so we wedged it in the aisle between the shelves that lined the back of the truck. It was comfy, but a little tough to see out the front window since it is so low. Oh - and also a little dangerous because tufted yellow chairs don't come with seat belts.

Here we are after a long day. We will be back at Clover Market on October 16. Please come see us again!

The East Coast Farm Chicks Alternative: Clover Market on June 5th

I know that some of you vintage-lovin' Pacific-Northwesterners will be visiting that tiny show called The Farm Chicks on June 5th.

On that weekend each year, all of us jealous Mid-Atlantic antiquers just sit at our computers and read everyone's Farm Chicks recaps. And wish we had somewhere equally fabulous to shop.

Stop sulking and join freshvintage at the Clover Market on Sunday, June 5th!

We weren't originally planning to set up shop there in June, since Erin already had plans that day. But, at the last minute, my husband Chris and I decided to get a babysitter for the day and book a spot in June. Luckily, we grabbed the last space available. Lisa from Brandywine View Antiques will be there, and so will the mother/daughter duo of Gloria and Ali from The Cottage Home in West Chester, PA.

We are going to have a Summer Road Trip theme this time, with lots of sunny vintage finds for you!

And, we will be accepting credit cards, through a new-to-us service called Square. I will tell you more about that in a couple of days.

The Clover Market runs from 10am to 4pm, rain or shine (unless there are horrible, mean storms that day). It is located in Ardmore, PA.  This is the last one until September, so don't miss it! I wrote a little about it when we sold there in April. And you can visit the website for more info, too.

Restoration Hardware Baby & Child: Pint-Sized Industrial Chic

Can something be industrial and unbearably cute? Have you seen this playroom in the new Restoration Hardware Baby & Child catalog?

   Photo Credit: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child Website

The catalog and website are packed with other ridiculously adorable nurseries, bedrooms and playrooms. For rich people. The prices are similar to Pottery Barn Kids, but the style is definitely more cutting edge.

I added up the cost of everything in the room, and the total is $5,824. That's only about $5,800 more than I spent when I spruced up my kids' playroom.

As soon as I saw this room, it reminded me of a customer at Clover Market who is creating an industrial-style bedroom for her young son. She bought our stack of industrial bins to hold his toys, and a canvas U.S. Mail bag, which was going to be made into a floor pillow. I would love to see the after photos of that room. (If you are reading my blog, please send them to me!)

I mean, I love everything in this catalog, but isn't it so much more fun to dig through a flea market to find the REAL thing, than to pay thousands of dollars for the reproductions? Or just make it yourself?

Take that play table, for example. Gina's husband recently covered their dining room table top with zinc. Just chop 12 inches off of the legs, and you have the perfect kiddie-sized table.

And no one should have to pay $229 for a pinboard. That's just crazy talk. For one that large, just get some cheap molding, a miter box and some cork panels that you cover in cute fabric. Voila! (Or, for a smaller board, follow my tutorial.)

I know that cubbies & metal bins can be tough to find, but if you scour enough flea markets and yard sales, they are there. And I've certainly never paid $799 for cubbies that size. More like $35 at a flea market.

I'm preaching to the choir. So I will shut up now. 

Have you seen the Restoration Hardware catalog or looked at the website? What do you think?

Updated: My sister, Erin, just found the same chairs at a yard sale! Check them out on the freshvintage Facebook page.

Clover Market Recap

So many photos, so little time. Clover Market, my Savannah vacation, antiquing along the east coast with my in-laws...I don't know where to start!

I suppose it make sense to start with Clover Market on April 14th. This was a fabulous sale for us. We made more money at Clover than three days selling at Renninger's in Kutztown (where we had MUCH more inventory). Of couse, the clientele is different, and the things we sold at Clover are a bit more expensive than at Renninger's- so it isn't an apples-to-apples comparison. But, still!

In addition to the pecuniary benefits of the day, we also got to see Sue, Lisa, Allison & Alison. And finally met Brandi and Gina. And my lovely husband bought me this necklace from no. 27 collection (after my friend Vicky dropped some major hints on my request).

My medical cabinet that Chris and Erin told me not to buy was sold to a lovely couple who were planning to use it as a bar.

 

My sister, Erin, made that cute wooden sign a few years ago when I had my porch sale.

Do you remember my enamel Keuken bucket? That's Dutch for kitchen. A woman told us that she has a similar one that says "Vegetables" in Dutch, and that they sell for $150-ish in New York. And she also told us that she married a Dutch man. Mine was priced at $48, but I might need to bump up the price. But the real question is: Why didn't she just buy it?! Why do I still own this damn cool bucket?

The Mary's Cafe sign, red wagon, green tool caddy: GONE. But the tables in the above and below photos didn't sell. I thought they would be the first to go.

This was our "industrial" corner of the tent. That stack of bins on the left sold early, along with all of the grain sacks that I brought to the sale.

The mini tub & stand sold. The Shabby Chic Oscar the Grouch trash can is still up for grabs!

We had five typewriters lined up along a bench, which attracted the attention of every single child that walked by. We sold two of them. Not the children - the typewriters. (Although I would have sold those children if I could stop them from banging on the typewriters while their parents watched idly!)

You may have seen it on Facebook - I sold the donkey and the Blessed Mother statues, but St. Francis needs some companionship. (Animal or human, I don't give a damn. Just buy him!)

That's all for now. I am compiling all of the photos that I took of Mary Kay Andrews' beautiful beach home that we rented on Tybee Island, so I will share them as soon as I get my ass in gear.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. There are lots of good sales in my area this weekend, including another Clover Market on Sunday. (I won't be selling - but there are tons of great vendors). Where will you be headed?

freshvintage at Clover Market

My sister, Erin, and I will be selling at the Clover Market on April 10th from 10am until 4pm. We are so excited to be involved in this outdoor vintage/art/craft/yummy food market in Ardmore, PA. If you remember back in October, I did a tour of the market with a group of shoppers. We walked around the tents and talked about antique trends while searching for vintage bargains.

And now we will be pitching our own tent and selling some of our favorite vintage goodies (many not even seen on my blog yet). Me and my boy toy have been scouring auctions and estate sales for fun finds for your home, garden and patio.

We are most looking forward to meeting up with friends while we are at Clover Market. Lisa from Brandywine View Antiques will be right next to our tent (that's the store where we sell our vintage finds). Our friends from Nannygoat Antiques will have their artfully-displayed antiques for sale. We'll finally get a chance to meet our bloggy-friend Gina from Vintage Junk in My Trunk - she'll be selling there as well. AND, to top it all off, Sue from Vintage Rescue Squad will be visiting all of us from the D.C. area. She won't be selling - just hanging out and shopping.

If you live in the Philadelphia area, please visit us! When you are finished shopping at Clover, there's a great outdoor shopping center called Suburban Square right around the corner. I have a special love for that place, since I worked at two stores there in college: Table of Contents (a super-cute home goods store) and The Sharper Image (where I once sold Dr. J a nose-hair trimmer or some equally ridiculous gadget). Both stores are long gone, but now you'll find Trader Joe's, Urban Outfitters, Ardmore Farmer's Market, and tons of other stores. And then there are all of the other boutiques along Route 30 in Ardmore and the surrounding towns (you can even get a 15% discount at a bunch of local boutiques if you pick up a "Lucky You" card at Clover). My point is: Make a day of it! It will be worth the trip.

Here's a peek at a few of our latest finds...

Aqua & white wrought iron gate:

White side table with narrow shelves:

Frostie Old Fashion Root Beer boxes: (yes, Chris found more of these, and in much better shape)

Copco paper cutter & St. Louis wooden tool caddy:

 

As previously seen on Facebook, and found by Chris:



Faux-bois metal medical cabinet on wheels with stainless steel top, in perfect condition:

Erin and Chris both told me not to buy this medical cart. But I think it has a very hip, mid-century, retro feel. And it would make an awesome liquor cabinet/bar.  We have a little bet as to whether or not it will sell at Clover. I WILL NOT BE PROVEN WRONG! I will buy it from my own damn self, if necessary.

Double-sided North Penn porcelain sign (Erin's find):

 St. Francis of Assisi and Mary:

 

Or, as my never-had-religion husband referred to them, "those Jesus statues".

He bought an ass to balance out the Jesus twins:

"See you at Clover Market! Hee Haw!"

Selling in an Antique Mall eBook

If you read my blog, you probably enjoy collecting antiques. Maybe you aren't a dealer, but you like to visit yard sales and flea markets. And I bet your collections are growing. And growing. Maybe you have a husband who wants to be able to put a car in your garage. (That's why they make driveways. Duh.) Or perhaps he would like to be able to do a jumping-jack in your basement without knocking over stacks of vintage dishes and piles of antique quilts. (I would tell him to join the gym, but that's just me.)

It might be time for you to think about getting a space at antiques mall.

I was lucky enough to get a preview copy of the new eBook, Selling in an Antique Mall: A Beginner's Guide. This 86-page eBook was written by Inis Lovely of A Lovely Thing and Sue LaLumia from Vintage Rescue Squad. 

The title is misleading, since the information contained inside goes far beyond selling in an antiques mall. Even if you sell on eBay or Etsy, a local antiques market or own your own brick and mortar shop, this eBook contains enough helpful tips to make it worth the low $9.95 price.

Since I've been selling at antique markets and shops for ten years, I was worried that it wouldn't contain enough information for me. But I found a lot of helpful advice, particularly in the second half of the book:

• Using Display Pieces
• Faux Walls
• Tips and Tricks of Display
• Inventory Record-Keeping
• Storage Unit Auctions (I thought this section was timely considering the two new tv shows that focus on buying at these auctions.)

If you are thinking about getting a space in an antiques mall, or you've been in one for a year or two, then you will find helpful tips from start to finish. Inis and Sue cover everything from choosing an antiques mall to ideas on where to find merchandise to sell. It is simply the best resource on the market today for anyone thinking about jumping into the antiques business.

I was also impressed that Sue & Inis decided to offer the eBook in three formats:

• PDF Format
• Amazon Kindle Format (Chris bought me one for Christmas, but I am acting like I don't know.)
• Barnes and Noble Nook Format

In conclusion, not only can this e-book make you a successful and organized antiques dealer with inspired displays, but it could quite possibly save your marriage.

I'd pay $9.95 for that, wouldn't you?

The one that got away: Carre Sunburst Garden Chair

This black metal chair was one that I really wanted to keep for myself. It was so comfortable and bouncy. I posted it on my Facebook page on the day I bought it:

I brought it to our tent sale in May and priced it at $75. Too high, I thought, hoping to bring it home and put it on my front porch.

During the afternoon of the sale, a woman walked up to the chair, looked at the price tag and announced, "I'll take that chair". No bargaining. No second thoughts.

Turns out she collects these chairs. They were originally designed by Francois Carre in the 1860s, but this one was probably made sometime in the 1940s. The pattern is called sunburst or pinwheel, and is worth a bit more than similar chairs because it has arms and it bounces (not rocks).

It is probably worth at least $150 because it was in excellent condition.

When I first bought the chair at a local yard sale for $30, I thought it was unique. I even attempted to find some more information about it online, but I guess I just didn't Google the right words. I used words like metal lawn chair star pattern, vintage patio chair starburst, and antique bounce chair star. Nothing.

If only I used the word sunburst instead of starburst. Dammit! I would have made a bit more money. Actually, I probably would have kept the chair.

After the tent sale, I came home and googled Carre Sunburst Chair and found a very helpful post on Mrs. Blanding's blog. The post demonstrates that there isn't much information available about these chairs (so I shouldn't beat myself up for not knowing about them).

But, the dagger sunk a little deeper when I saw this photo on her blog. It is from one of my favorite documentaries, Grey Gardens. There is my chair!! You can't see the seat in this photo, but I bet it has cat poop on it.

Have you ever sold something that you regretted afterwards? Either because you loved it, or because you learned more about it after the fact?

 

 

Christmas Candy from a Stranger

Halloween is over, so it is time for Christmas, yes? Okay, maybe it is a tad early. But I am in the holiday mood because we celebrated the start of the season at Brandywine View Antiques last night with a Holiday Preview Party. This is my first Christmas selling at the shop, so it was nice to see it all decked out with garland, trees and festive decor. Oh - and wine.

In preparation for this weekend, I've been on the hunt for Christmas decor to sell at the shop.

A few weeks ago, I met a man named Greg who was helping out at his friend's yard sale. His friend had already sold most of her vintage Christmas ornaments before I arrived, but Greg told me that he had more back at his house. I set up a meeting a few days later and went to his house to check out the Christmas booty. I wouldn't normally go to a stranger's house to buy antiques, but he seemed normal. But, as my friend Gloria said to me last night, "People thought Jeffrey Dahmer seemed normal, Colleen".

I suppose that by writing about this, I have opened up the possibility that any strange man could lure me into his sex dungeon by merely mentioning that he has Shiny Brites in his basement.

Lucky for me, Greg was totally normal. He is an eBay seller with a beautiful home and a lovely wife and LOTS of vintage Christmas ornaments. And mercury glass garland. And Christmas tree toppers. He kept bringing out box after box of Christmas goodies which he sold to me at a great price. And he didn't chop me up into little pieces, which is always a plus.

Instead of putting price tags on every ornament, I grouped some by color and placed them in glass jars that I've found over the years at yard sales and thrift stores.

I set aside about fifty of them to sell individually. I piled them in an old red tool caddy and a glass candy canister, whose metal lid I spray-painted red. I also added a few to my aluminum Silver Glow Christmas tree. 

 

I filled two huge pickle jars with blue/gold and green/red color combinations:

Our room at Brandywine View is stacked to the ceiling with great finds!

We filled an antique toy chest with vintage games and toys:

I brought my Hermes 8 typewriter to the shop last week, and added a note to Santa. It must have brought back memories for someone, because it was sold when I went to the Holiday Preview Party at the shop last night. Yay!

This is my sister Erin's find: a huge vintage remote-controlled model airplane. It is made of balsa wood and has the original Enya engine. With a little fiddling, it could be flying again. Or hanging in a boy's bedroom.

I love the way these old bulbs look in wine bottles. They are perfect to use during a holiday party, when you don't really need a cork because the wine isn't going to last very long. Or, like last night, when your neighbors come over and stay at your house until 1:30am and drink all of your wine. And then at 3am, your son comes barging into your bedroom and pukes all over your bathroom wall. Yeah - these bulbs are perfect for those kind of nights.

And now, for the holiday finale, here is a homemade planter-turned-lamp decorated with tiny colored bulbs that I found at an estate sale. I only bought this so I could blog about it. Which, from a financial standpoint, is not very logical.

The man who sold it to me said that his father made it. He drilled each hole into the plastic planter and added a light bulb and plug. It hung in their family room all year long. They had a matching lamp that they opted to keep.

I think Jeffrey Dahmer had a similar lamp hanging in his house. Rumor has it that the cops were more disturbed by this lamp than the head in his freezer.

Fresh from the Fall Fling

Here we are at the Brandywine View Antiques Fall Fling. Erin and I unexpectedly wore semi-matching aprons. I had the same apron at Clayson Farm sale, and Isabel told me that it was a Portuguese design. She is from Portugal, so she would know. By the way, I wore the same skirt, necklace and shirt to the Clayson sale, too. I do own other clothing, in case you were wondering.

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day. Sunday...not so much.  But beggars can't be choosers. We had a fun time and met lots of fun customers. Some of them even tried our favorite new drink, the Creamsicle -  Whipped Vodka with orange juice. Try it and let me know what you think. But don't blame me if you find yourself in rehab in a few weeks.

My creepy armless, legless doll in a high chair got a lot of attention. I can't imagine why.

This produce scale was made in the early 1900s by the Jacobs Brothers of NYC. Wouldn't it look cute in the corner of a kitchen?

Straight from the farm...

I set up three tables in the back of the tent, in an effort to clean out some of the older stuff that has been lingering in my garage. I stamped some vintage "Anniversary Sale" signs with the prices, and posted one on each table. It is something that I would definitely do again. Here's the one dollar table:

The five dollar table (the most popular):

And the ten dollar table:

Floral frogs:

Erin could have sold her farm table five times over. But she was just happy that it is out of her garage (and so is Doug).

Here's Erin with her Mrs. Smith's Pies sign that she bought at a yard sale. Yes, that Mrs. Smith's. The company was started in nearby Pottstown, PA in 1925. Needless to say - that sold pretty quickly.

Here is another one of my finds from Yakima (that my in-laws had to mail to me because I didn't have room in our suitcases).  It is a lollipop box from the 1950's.  I haven't seen one of these in probably 30 years. Last week, I saw one at a thrift store near me. And today, I just saw one Fiona and Twig's latest blog post. Weird.

It is one of those items that I didn't put a price on, because I really want to keep it for myself. But if someone offered $100, I just might change my mind. Here it is opened:

Wouldn't this be a great tin to display at Christmas time?

These two wine decanters were a big hit.

OK...maybe they aren't actually wine decanters. But if you come to my house, you just might find yourself pouring chardonnay from one of them. Yes, white wine would look so very appetizing in these his and her medical urinals.

Recap of the Clayson Farm Antique Sale

The Clayson Farm Antiques Sale was a blast! The prices were excellent, the vendors were friendly, the customers were buying, the displays were inspiring and the pie à la mode was delicious. You can't really ask for more than that.

It took a couple of days of preparation to get the booths set up. Unloading the truck and trailer on Thursday was a family affair: my in-laws, sister-in-law Sari's family, cousin Marlayne and her husband Rich. And my family.

Here's my husband, Chris, taking a well-deserved break:

Not everyone in my family was as excited as I was to set up for the sale:

Here's Finn the next day, looking bored for a change:

Don't worry - we didn't make the kids stay there for hours on end. They explored Boulder Cave while we worked the show on Saturday. Here's a happy Finn behind a waterfall:

When Saturday morning finally came, the line was looong, but there was no rioting or pushing or shoving. Always a good sign. Some of the first people in line were the Barn House Boys and Cindy from Queen of Tarte.

The horn honked to signal the opening of the show. Once people were let in, some flocked to the little barn, where a new line began to form.  The barn was filled with vintage goods sold by the owner of Clayson Farm, Leslee. I had a pre-show look inside the barn, and there was A LOT that I would have bought in there. I went back a few hours later, and it was nearly wiped out. But I somehow managed to find a huge yellowware bowl for $12. I had one of those moments when you ask yourself, "Why didn't anyone else find this? Did the first person in line use it as a toilet because he didn't want to lose his space to go to the port-a-potty?"

My mother-in-law, Mary and my sister-in-law, Sari shared two booths with my father-in-law's cousin, Marlayne. They spent months gathering antiques specifically for this sale. I'm happy to report that they all ended up doing very well at the sale - one of their best years since the first Clayson sale eight years ago. Here are a few shots of their booths:

And here is the booth with 15 people in it! We all had to leave the space, just to let people come inside.

It was so nice to meet Lisa from A Thing for Roses and Isabel from Maison Douce. They both found a ton of great stuff at the sale.

I also met Sue and her husband Joe from Bella Shabby. These are a few shots from her booth:

And the delightful Joy from Auntie Joy:

And Julie from Kindred Roses:

And I finally met Timi from Come Junk With Us (no picture) and a few of her friends, one of whom noticed by Philly accent. I guess I don't realize how strong it is until I talk to someone from Bow, Washington! For the past 20 years, I've tried to cover up my Philly speak. I'm obviously not doing a great job. But at least I no longer say "wooder" instead of "water". And I don't say "yous" instead of the plural "you" (or "y'all" for you southerners). That is a dead giveaway.

I loved that I could connect with all of these people who live 3,000 miles from me. I read their blogs and obsess about their vintage finds. It was fun to chat with everyone about the differences between the sales in the Northeast and Northwest. We don't have many of the sales that they have out there. Most of our antique sales are a little more staid and don't have the element of whimsy of the Northwest sales. While walking through the show, it is also obvious that the vendors in the Northwest place a huge emphasis on creating eye-catching and unique displays.

The day before the sale, I went to a fabulous yard sale at the home of jewelry designer and Farm Chicks vendor, Lisa Souers.  It was the earliest that I've ever arrived at a yard sale: 5:40 am. The sale started at 6am, but early birds were welcome. I woke up at 5am because of the jet lag. I was awake, so I might as well just go to the sale, right? You would have done the same, so don't make fun of me.

Everything was priced low - it was a damn shame I didn't live closer, or else I would have bought everything: cupboards, lockers, iron beds, a dress form. You would have died.

I settled for a set of 8 flags with 48 stars, a chippy metal soap holder, a wire floral frog and a 1948 Vogue's Book of Etiquette. Total cost: $9.

I brought six of the flags, the soap holder and frog to the Clayson sale the next day and sold ALL of it for a total of fifty bucks!

I'm writing a separate post about all of the other stuff that I bought while I visited my in-laws in Washington. I tried to buy only little things. But apparently, when I am on vacation, I forget about the basics of mathematics...when you add a bunch of little things together, you get a big thing that can't fit into suitcases with weight restrictions. Oh, and that case of wine that we checked as Maeve's baggage also took up some of our travel budget...