Vintage Rescue Squad

Lucketts Spring Market: My Tribe

There's nothing like a flea market/antique show, right? Even better, a two-day one that's local. What if I told you it attracts great crowds who are ready to buy, and loads of killer dealers? With many of your favorite bloggers: Beth (Olde Tyme Marketplace, from NC), Alice (Alice and Jay, from Georgia), Marian (Miss Mustard Seed, from MD/PA), Jeanne (Junxtaposition, from PA), and more. This year, there was a special guest appearance (courtesy of Hometalk) by the inimitable Donna from Funky Junk Interiors. I was lucky enough to have dinner with Jeanne and Donna and 10 other bloggers Saturday night.

 

It wasn't all glitter and unicorn farts, however. Sick of maneuvering a cargo van every time I do a show, I opted to rent a pickup truck. I was SHOCKED when they entrusted me with a brand-spanking-new badass Dodge Ram. Lemme tell you, it's a tight squeeze in my narrow neighborhood, but boyohboy did I get some looks from dudes who NEVER check me out!

Our tents were in our usual spot with all our cool vendor peeps as neighbors, but the terrain seemed bumpier than usual. My sister couldn't set up until 5 pm the night before due to work and extenuating circumstances. It rained the night before and apparently an overfed bird mistook our tents for avian port-a-potties. We suspect there was a dead critter in the bushes behind us, stinking up a cloud. Both days were drizzly for significant portions, but none of that deterred the shoppers!

 

Our goal was to DESTASH. Both my sister and I are downsizing (to be explained in a later post), so we were ready to deal. Well, my sister was. I hate dealing, but sucked it up eventually.

 

I even parted with my most prized possession: the late 19th-century political bunting. Unfortunately, all the bigger pieces in this photo (tables, stool, signs, pink shutters), came home with me, so I didn't destash as much as I'd hoped.

In the end, it was a great show with tons of enthusiastic buyers—I even met an ab-fab etsian from Vermont who traveled to the show. I just don't know how people do frequent shows, though. I'm bloodied, bruised, burnt, and all-around broken—but feeling the high from a good show. Can't wait until next year's show!

Nobody Puts VRS in a Corner: Art & Soul 2013

After skipping last year, my sister and I decided to sell at the Art & Soul Virginia Beach 2013 retreat last weekend. In the past, it's been utter insanity—a 3-hour feeding frenzy of a show. Booths are expensive, but with a captive audience of attendees jacked up on creativity—and a cash bar(!), it's easy to make more money in those 3 hours than I might make in a month in the antique mall booth.

 

The key is figuring out what these crafters will want to buy. Apparently, this year, NOT rosaries and printers type blocks. Oh, sure, I can look through the schedule of classes and see what kinds of projects are offered and tailor to those. But, the reality is (and I keep forgetting this) that not many of these crafters are vintage aficionados per se. 

 

Items that my sister and I brought—and especially at the prices we offered—would sell well at a regular vintage market, so we were a tad dismayed this year. I knew ephemera never sells well at this show, but thought other items would fly out. What we couldn't predict, however, was that this was at a new venue, with fewer of the big-name instructors. They also changed the hours to 7-10 pm, which is kinda late for some people. Even I don't like making purchasing decisions after 2 glasses of wine and after 9 p.m. And I'm a reckless shopper....

 

To compound matters (and I'm joking here), I suggested to my junky friend Justin (right) and his grasshopper Tom that they check out the show. OMG did he have amazing items. He was now the new "it" vendor!!! He always has amazing stuff—hell, I buy from him all the time. He's got 4 shows 4 weekends in a row this month, so he'll be depleted in no time. They had more horse-show ribbons than I've ever seen in one place at one time, and 8 of the most gorgeous ledgers I've ever laid eyes on. Before the show, I told him to jack the prices up on those ledgers, and sure enough they all sold before the show even started. The best buyers at A&S vendor night are always the instructors....

 

The good news is that Snister and I are doing the Lucketts Spring Market in 2 weeks, so all this vintage goodness is coming there. Lucketts is an AMAZING market and I strongly advise you to attend if you're with a few hundred miles. Loads of your fave bloggers will be there (more details later).

 

 

And, since no one was very interested in the bazillions of pieces of pocket watches, watch parts, clock faces (of which this photo is a fraction), I'll be opening up a big steampunk supplies section in my etsy shop after Lucketts!

I will admit, however, that I only made about half of what I normally make at A&S (and another vendor told me she only made 1/3), so that might have been our last year.

Plus, no one puts VRS in the corner. I just wish I could have Patrick Swayze say that for me.

Rosaries, Nautical Flags, and Cash Register Numbers. You Know, the Usual.

Overhead-bin sizes and high shipping costs mean that when I'm in Texas, I have to limit myself to smalls. For someone with poor impulse control (moi), that can mean some mighty frustrating junking. This certainly isn't all I bought, but what came home in my suitcase. I was especially taken with the nautical flags (which I've since learned stand for numbers: 496), 3 maps of Brazil, a bunch of receipt holders, lots of plastic letters, postcards, childcare pamphlets, etc.

 

My ab-fab, however, are the jumbo cash register prices and the snowman and clown party picks that I cannot BELIEVE Laurie didn't unearth. I also bought some larger marquee letters, and big metal arrows.

TSA once again had a field day with my suitcase; I found the usual notice that my bag had been searched. What? Aren't they accustomed to these kinds of items? I'm thinking next year I'll purposely by something ultra outrageous.... Alas, I left the junk of my dreams behind. I've got to get me a truck and more time off! 

Texas Antique Week 2013: East Meets West

Yee ha! I've been back from Antique Week in TX for a while now, and am just now able to process. What a glorious respite from day-job drudgery! For the uninitiated, imagine if you will a 10-mile stretch of junk. Fields and fields and fields of the finest junk imaginable. Tents, buildings, pickup trucks chock-full. Now imagine that it lasts for nearly 2 weeks. Got it? Now imagine shopping it with some of your crazy-favorite junking bloggers. Now you know: HEAVEN.

 

This year (my 5th? 6th?) I hooked up with Laurie (Magpie Ethel) and Amy (Into Vintage) for our version of East Meets West. I really wanted to throw E and W gang signs, but they were having none of it. We're not rivals, after all! In fact, this fortuitous trio all like to buy vastly divergent items so there were no catfights. I joined them a few days into their virgin tour of the Texas dirt—they were still reeling a bit at the prices, but by the end of our stay, when the 50% off signs started appearing, their moods picked up dramatically. (N.B. be sure to visit their blogs to see their posts on W/RT.)

It was awesome meeting them, discussing our junk dreams, speculating about other bloggers we've never even met, and swapping stories and advice about booths and sales. Two more BFFs for life—clear across the country!

 

350 pairs of vintage roller skates!

Besides meeting them, though, this just wasn't my favorite trip to Warrenton. Don't get me wrong—it's always a blast. But this year, with the breakup of the Bermuda Triangle of Junk, it just wasn't the same. Many of my ab-fab dealers had scattered, or were not doing the show this time. Many of my TX peeps couldn't come while I was there. Debbie, Robelyn, Kim, and Kristi: I missed you guys sooooo much.

 

By all rights, this sign should be hanging in my living room.
Alas, I knew it wouldn't fit in the overhead bin.... 

On Saturday, though, I ambled over to the esteemed Marburger to hang with Sweet T and Shelley—both their booths were jaw-dropping! For me, however, Marburger is all about looking—I can't really buy much. In actuality, I can't buy much in Texas at all, due to the fact that I fly. I know; it's idiotic. But, it's become my yearly birthday treat to myself, and is a perfect vacation to kick off my junking season!

 

IF—and that's a big if—I had a truck and unlimited vacation time, you betcha that this trip it would've been filled with nothing but giant letters. OMG, they were so reasonable! I am obsessed with typography to begin with (the curse of the newspaper employee), but can never get enough of these. Oh, and I would've purchased a helluva lot of cubby/multi-drawer items. Not to mention a carnival bumper car. The thing is, there's just so much great junk at this show! The real deals are on the larger items (dealers just don't want to take them home!).

 

It's also worthwhile to hit the smaller towns/shows. And, of course, mandatory to eat BBQ for both lunch AND dinner every.single.day. Who's up for meeting me there next spring? (Unfortunately, I can never go to the fall show....)

 

What did I buy, you ask? Well, you'll just have to wait until the next post!

Round 6: The Greatest Show on Dirt (TX version)

In a few scant hours (T-minus-6), I'll be headed to Warrenton, Texas for the Greatest Show on Dirt. I'm beside myself with excitement! It's my yearly birthday treat (squee!) and my one opportunity to see all my ab-fab Texas peeps. A glorious 5 days trudging through acres and acres and acres of tents full of glorious junk is the bestest gift ever. Just doing so (whether I buy or not, whether I see my compadres or not) is what I live for.

This year, I'll be lucky enough to meet up with invisible Oregon BFFs: Amy and Laurie. Last year, I met BFF Pam, who's BFFs with them....

Each year is a treat: only once a year, I get to see all my ab-fab far-flung bloggers/junkers (Sweet T and Cruz, Trash, Kristi, Shelley, Robelyn, Kim and David, Stash, and countless others). ONCE A YEAR.

I had to work late on deadline tonight, so am pulling an all-nighter—you sellers better take advantage of my delirium Thursday! I'll be there as fast as I can! I've packed a suitcase inside a suitcase inside a suitcase in anticipation. Wish me luck. Hoping that this will be the magical year I don't have to buy an entire 5-pc set of luggage to get my smalls home.

A Junker Library

It's inspiring that lately there are a few more flea-market-y, vintage-y magazines on the stands these days—I can never get enough! Back in the 70s, when we were tweeners, my sister and I spent an unforgiving amount of time creating our own magazines (and comic books). We'd write and draw and do layouts. After college, I came down to DC to attend GWU for an extra year in publication design. My dream was always to have my own magazine. I've learned to be content with newspaper design, but that dream still nags at me.

Perhaps because of this—as well as my junker niche interests—many of these publications often leave me feeling just meh. Some are just too foofy, some have cringe-worthy writing, some are too one-note to be distinguishing one issue to the next. The trend toward user-generated content, IMHO, devalues their appeal.

My ab-fabs will remain Flea Market Style and Country Living, with Vintage Style as the new dark horse. I'm sticking to my guns, however, in stating that if they all don't stop showcasing cavernous super-organized laundry rooms that not a single one of us could ever afford, I'm boycotting every single issue.

 

Inexplicably, I have duplicates of the new Flea Market Style and Flea Market Decor, so am offering a giveaway to one lucky reader. Leave a comment before Sunday night (3/24) about your thoughts on the slew of new mags and I'll draw a winner. Anyone declaring their love for schmancy laundry rooms is automatically DQd.

UPDATE: Mary Scott is the lucky winner! Thanks to all for your comments.

5-Year Anniversary ... Yet Paralyzed

our booth at Weathered Elegance

Last week marked my 5-year anniversary at my current location (Leesburg Antique Emporium). It's hard to believe I've been there 5 years! The hour-long commute still sucks, but it's been a good fit for me.

Unfortunately, as you can tell from my absence in blogging, I'm in junker paralysis again. Estate sales just haven't been doing it for me lately—nothing good. It seems that we're moving away from the jam-packed old-lady hoarder homes to streamlined minimalist and tasteful retirees—not my style. If it weren't for the accursed day job, I'd be out there hitting the auctions and doing a lot more roadtrips. Because I haven't been buying as much, it's getting harder to be enthused about the booth. When you feel like you don't have exciting new treasures to bring in, it's easy to skip a weekend of foofing. It's a vicious cycle.

But you know what the junk doctor prescribes: 5 days of Texas junking! In 2 short weeks, I'll be at the greatest show on dirt, yukking it up with my peeps and hauling it up north. I cannot WAIT. This time, I'm hooking up with Amy (Into Vintage) and Laurie (Magpie Ethel). They'll have a few days' lead time on me, so I'll have to do some lickety-split junking. Hope they leave me a few tidbits (moldy ledgers, broken skeleton keys, etc.)....

Roadtrip to FreshVintage #2: Anniversary Edition

Saturday, I made a quick (3 hours each way) roadtrip up to PA to help Colleen and Chris celebrate the first anniversary of Fresh Vintage! Apparently, she's hoarding every vintage camera and seltzer bottle on the eastern seaboard, so I just had to come and gawk.

The shop looked great. It was hopping! There was not-one-but-two kinds of daytime wine, and uber-cool cookies shaped like vintage items. I'm pretty sure I ate 2-3 mannequin cookies, but couldn't be sure. I definitely ate a camera though. Natch. Sustenance, you know....

 

The store was drool-worthy. I really, REALLY wanted that standing chalkboard (been looking a loooong time for one), and a ton of the great signs, maps, and other items. Not so much the taxidermy deer head. Holy flashback to grandpa's porch! I remember being forced to nap one afternoon back in the 60s directly under the deer's gaze, and being totally skeeved. I still have nightmares. But I digress....

Unfortunately, I didn't stay long as they were super-busy, and I had some primo PA junking to do.

 

I'd also come to pick up 15 super-awesome Keystone printers trays from Meg of Hooten Nanny (look at those handles that say Keystone). Because, as you know, it's my personal goal to own every newspaper printers tray in the US. And flip it.

I'm in Love with a Hippo

A hippo pulldown, that is! At the DC Big Flea this weekend, there was a vendor who had just brought over a CONTAINER from Germany filled with these pulldowns. He probably had 200 of them: science, animals, bugs, anatomy. I was in heaven. I'm sure there's still a puddle of drool in the aisle. Alas, the least expensive was $95 (and it was totally beat up), and most were $150-$200. Curses.

Buying Vintage for the Booth v. Buying for Etsy

My sister and I often have this conversation after hitting a flea market or junk trip: did you buy more for your booth or more for your etsy shop? Increasingly, the answer is the latter. This time of year, buying also includes stockpiling a hoard for Art & Soul.

 

large lot of watch parts scored yesterday

Yesterday, I hit the ever-fab DC Big Flea. Although I always want/need more for the booth, the fact remains that it's now easier to move merch online. I've pondered long and hard about this, and have come to the conclusion that with a world-wide audience of savvy junk enthusiasts, an online presence is more profitable. And it's not just because of a distinctive lack of high rent.

 

who could resist this JUMBO set of printing stamps?

 

 

the tiny ones print words; the larger ones are pictures!

With online sales, I don't have to worry about theft or damage. I can move lower-priced items that are just impractical when trying to meet rent. Accordingly, without even consciously doing so, I purchased purt-near exclusively for etsy yesterday.

 

AND, in true VRS mode, nearly everything I bought was EVERYTHING—I bought them ALL. It was exhilarating! I found everything I was specifically looking for. I'm stoked to put them in my etsy shop, but despairing of filling up the booth with quality stuff. I need me some more junking trips!

Furniture just doesn't move well in this economy, so I've resigned myself to the fact that it's there mainly to put the smalls on. It's also difficult when you are reliant on a local audience to "get" what your style is. Those of us in the junk community are immersed in the cool vintage decorating trends (blogs, magazines, Facebook), but can't assume our local shoppers are. Do you ever feel that if your booth were magically plunked down in another city, you'd have fewer challenges? I definitely do. For now though, I'll enjoy shopping for BOTH!