Hellooooo . . . anybody home?

[Vinca]

Very quiet forum. Has anybody found anything exciting or had any interesting experiences? If you're a seller, drag out all your Star Wars merchandise . . . this is the week.

[Paper Roses]

1. Hi Vinca, even we 'used to be" dealers are wondering where everyone is!

Not much going on here by way of local dealer friends. Just heard from a old friend from PA. He has closed his shop and given up. Makes me sad to see great shops and wonderful dealers closing up. Someday the next generation will wonder why no-one wants their vintage IKEA stuff and Grandma's stuff she bought at Walmart..

Still trying to move on some goodies I have had for years. Lots of likes, too many passes.
No-one has any $$$.

I will still visit every shop near me and all gifts I buy are oldies. Someday things will turn around and hopefully my kids will find a market for the stuff I have given them and those items they have collected. One daughter cannot keep from visiting every shop and thrift shop she passes.

She just bought the most beautiful, huge Heisey(marked) punch bowl for $20.00. She said it was dirty, mark did not show when she bought it. I've looked all over the Internet, cannot find the pattern.
Scalloped top, fan shaped design on upper bowl with cut(type) work on the bottom third. Beautiful The pressed design feels so sharp it feels like cut glass. I envy her this find! I guess the collector bug will never leave us. Sure wish I was young enough to start over. Lots of good stuff to buy, customers,...not so much. Hope others pitch in with comments. How can we convince the public that great old stuff will serve them better. Forget the Ikea and Target stuff.
Old is good!

[Vinca]

2. Heisey punch bowls are a sore subject with me.

I've found 2 over the past couple of years and I can't give them away. I'm trying again during the holiday season, so maybe they'll go this time. I guess people don't serve punch anymore.

[safeinOhio]

3. Glass and china are a hard sell these days.

So many older people are downsizing and passing on. Not much interest in those things anymore and lots of it flooding the market.

[Vinca]

4. Agreed. Another thing I can't give away anymore are Annalee dolls.

It's strange. They used to fly off the shelf.

[safeinOhio]

5. Here is what sells for me.

Old stuff of interest to men. Anything to do with cars, motorcycles, hunting, fishing, tools, farming, military, phones, advertising and erotica. If it'll hang in a man cave, it goes. Items sold as collectibles, not so much. Can't sell a baseball card, but old baseballs, gloves and bats, fly off the shelf.
Of course price is the biggest factor. I'm happy to cut my profit margin for a fast sale. I see so many booths with top end items at top price. They may have $20K in inventory, but few sales. I have fast turn over so I'm able to go out and buy more. Half of my sales are to other dealers. I've been doing well lately with old treadle sewing machine bases I've made into tables. Takes less than an hour for me to spay paint the base and set a top on it. Usually cost me about $40 to make one and I sell them for $65 to $100. If I can't find a top, I just paint and sell the base. I see the same things in booths for $150 and up and they sit there. In the mean time I've sold 5 or 6.

[Vinca]

6. I always pick up baseball stuff when I see it - especially Red Sox related.

Yesterday I stumbled upon a full box of cards at the recycling shed at the local dump. I discovered it contained the lone card from that year that might have some value, but it wouldn't have graded very high so it was a bust. I have a box I fill up with cards I find here and there and every so often I sell them as a lot. Personally, I despise baseball cards, stamps and coins, but if they're free or very cheap I find something to do with them. LOL.

[safeinOhio]

7. I'v done well selling collections as a lot.

Recently bought a collection of old motorcycle mags about 200 of them. Stuck them in the mall and had 3 people say those will never sell. 3 hrs later they were gone and I almost tripled my investment.

[FSogol]

8. I just bought a treadle sewing machine base for Mrs FSogol.

Paid $70. Instead of paint, I treated it with rust converter which turns it glossy black.