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organization skills of a god lol

wish i was organized as you love

bargain hunt was the show sandy...i used to watch it religiously:)

there has been many more come out now since that one

I have to be organized or I wont get anything done.

Today I hit two thrift stores and back home to put some food in the crock pot for supper, take some pictures, toss packages into the van for the PO and off to pick up the kids from school.

I am truly enjoying what I do.

The hunt is what makes me go. I have found some money making rare items over the past few months just when most say there is nothing out there to find.

I liked that show. Is it on anymore?

I never miss Storage Wars, American Pickers etc. as I always watching to learn more.

aye sandy....you sound happy and settled even with the hectic schedule lol:)

suppose if you didn't have owt to do you'd be lost anyhow ha

yeah i think its still on....aint seen it for abit....they got so many of them shows man,similar ones to do with auctions,antiques etc

storage wars is funny man.....

do you read books on antiques sandy?

I have a ton of research books yes but seldom go to them.

My Grandfather used to take me to yard sales, flea markets, auctions etc when I was a kid and drilled into me what thing are, who made them etc.

Did that for my entire childhood and into late teens when he passed.

Extremely helpful to learn from an old pro and add you 02 cents as you learn and grow older.

Great thrift store day.

Sessions mantle clock
Tonka truck in org box (late 1960s)
2 Vinyl diner style swivel chairs
7 Jerry Garcia Ties
2 NY railroad red globe lanterns
3 hammered copper trays
Pez clicker
Masonic hat and sword

Host of other things.

Where is the showcase to buy? I was interested in buying few of the articles :pry:

aye the ol man must of passed down his keen eye for a deal sandy:)

Shipping to Canada is expensive. :laugh:

He sure did.

Sometimes I wondered why in the heck am I running from yard to yard looking for things that other people do not want.

As I got older and understood he had a gift and all the money he could ever spend.
I then understood why he would pick me up on Friday nights to come stay with him and Grandma only to get up at 5 am to get ready to go to yard sales, flea markets etc.

He drilled details into my head until I ended up with a headache.

hahaha...grateful now though:)

pass it down to your grandchildren too

you should open an antique shop one day sandy

Grandchildren?

Dont have any yet, my kids are still youngins.

No way would I want to sit in a shop and be stuck no out buying all of the time.

Saw too many people do this and they were limited on being able to run around and buy.

I have said many times.

Everyone can sell and item, the money is made when you buy the item.

If you are inside a shop and cannot get out your really are limiting yourself.

I sell in several antique malls. I rent booths and they sell the items for me and cut me a check 2 times a month. Do you guys have antique malls in the UK?

maybe have someone run the shop...open a few...& get out in the field :noidea:

not sure tbh about the antique booths..probs

dont know too much about antiques and the ins and outs of how things are done

I could not do that because I want to do things my way.

Antique malls are large buildings where you rent a space, like 10x15 and fill it with antiques, pay your rent and the mall sells your item for you, collects the money, pays for all the advertising etc and cuts you a cut twice a month.

I sell in many of them and get checks on the 15th and 1st of every month.

I have several booths in one of the largest antique malls in the US and get top seller awards all the time. People have a problem with over pricing their items and it is like money in the bank for me when they do that.

ahhh i get ya

yeah i think that will happen here sure

yeah you got to be clever...not greedy

you could train the employees to do things your way...or the highway lol

/quote Shipping to Canada is expensive.

Sandy_D - you are such a tease :mad2:

Knew someone who owned a antique business and the employee stole them blind because they had no way of keeping track of a massive inventory.

They put in hidden cameras when they saw someone sold and did not see the money or items written down.

Caught them red handed.

Employee were also taking pictures of their items and pre selling them on ebay.

Antique malls are the way to go. Huge dollars on advertising, draw tons of people to one location and all you have to do is go in put your things in your booth and walk out. they do the rest.

Have been called that before.

:laugh:

ur the boss ;)

Been called that before too!

well....mums are usually the boss...not in my household though.....i swear lol

Sandy your story about your grandfather brought a tear to my eye. I was very close to mine when I was young but unfortunately he died when I was very young.

Anywho, I love this thread. So much fun to read about all the finds. I haven't had a chance to go out in ages since I've moved. It was one of the most stressful moves of a lifetime. I still have a million things to put away.

I did manage to go to Goodwill for a quickie. I found some new in the box coffee presses for cheap.

While I was there I also saw a bunch of old books from the 1920s-40s. Stupid Goodwill, they broke their own rule for $1 for hardcovers and put $5 prices on all these older books. Unfortunately, most of them were barely worth $2 on Ebay...Even with the dust jacket.

Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's valuable.

Box coffee presses?

sandy, how much rent do you pay for those booths?

Yes, I'm interested in that too.

I think I've seen antique malls where you get your little booth, put whatever antique items in it.. Then the Antique mall people handle it from there pretty much. They take a 30% commission or something.. Like consignment.

Is that what you're talking about, sandy?

I pay anywhere from 30.00 a month to 150.00 per month for booth space.
Most charge 8-12% commissions which is not bad considering all you do is price tag the items and they take care of the rest.

One huge one I am in I have 2 booths on a corner and sell the dickens out of stuff.

Some malls do not get much traffic so do your homework to see if they get the traffic. Traffic is a must.

Lesson learned is if you get too small of a booth people go right by it. If you get too large of a booth and do not fill it people will walk by it as well.

Rsot - I meant new-in-the-box (nib) coffee presses.

Some can cost quite a bit. I got mine for $3 each and can sell them for $20. But some can be worth a lot more.

Good thoughts. You must be talking about some kind of "special" mall though right? Like an antique mall? I never see antique booths at normals malls.

Yep a dedicated 'space' with just antiques laid out like a (proper) mall.
Maxed out my cards at them in Ohio in mid 2007.

Antiques, collectibles and auctions at Heart of Ohio Antiques

and several months before that just as much damage in Louisiana LOL.

Antique Malls or Stores in Louisiana (LA)

Good times :clap:

Yea, my bubble got burst today.. I checked into this at a HOT antique mall in my city... 1 year waiting list for a booth.

You must do a bunch of traveling GB. So very jealous.

I've never been to an antique mall but I have seen billboards for them while on the highway. Stupid me, I always thought it was a a tourist trap. You know, like you get off the exit and then you are around a bunch of Made in China "antiques".

I think I'll be taking a trip this weekend to a local antique mall. I have to see what all the rave is about.

Mall is just a term used here.. An antique mall is more like an indoor flea market for only antiques.

we call them markets

Yes, special "antique malls".

Many good ones all over the US.

Many have failed and went down in the last several years.

Hope it was in my booth GB. :dance:

I sell in one of those malls and in fact sell a ton of stuff.

Many smaller malls were hurt by the bigger malls and combined.

Therefore if the mall is a hot one the dealers already knew and will not give up the space.

That rave is more then 20 years old as I have been selling in antique malls for more then 20 years.

The malls were extremely hot in the late 1980s and into the late 1990s.

In 2003 I sold the most I ever sold in one year and have not touched that 2003 sales since then. Even though I do well if I could sell every year like I did in 2003 I would be a millionaire today.

From 2009 on malls have actually went down in sales every year as the economy has effected peoples cash for buying things like this.

But, with some changes, a larger booth and better location and some pricing fixes I am on the roll of selling record numbers of items for the first time since 2003. Hope it continues.




TIP of the day-

Good antique malls are hard to get booths in. If you see several open booths do not rent in that mall.

The only thing like that in Vegas is the Out Door swap met. Bu they sell all kinds of stuff.

There is a huge and I mean huge Flea Market in Canton? Texas.

Went there many years ago and it was unreal. Could not go through it all in one day.

Sandy.. You mention that you have 2 booths on a corner at a nice antique mall where you do very well. Do people like you in those kinds of antique malls offer consignment deals? Is that usually allowed? Something like 30-40% maybe? I have plenty of items I pick up for $5-$10 that are worthy of a $250 price tag.

In that mall they wont allow you to sell other peoples items.
Too much trouble with it in the past.

People coming into the mall and taking whatever they thought was theres right out of the booth without contacting the booth owner etc.