The Bins

 Trip to the Bins today mainly because there were no Estate Sales going on in the area. So the itch has to be scratched so I dropped into the local outlet for maybe an hour and a half. The usual T-Shirt vultures were there. They are so scruffy looking. Wearing pajama pants, badly in need of haircuts, converse and hoodies. average age early 20s.

Yeah they were there. But only a handful of treasure hunters as I suppose others were doing last minute Xmas shopping, traveling or attending holiday parties.

There is constant chatter on Facebook about the outlandish pricing going on at Goodwill. There is constant complaining about all the good stuff being sent to the on-line stores. This is very true, but a lot of times stuff gets by the sorters. 

For example the Steiff Bear . I know about Stieff from the auction house. Its so easy to check by using google search on the PC. I won at the doll Auction earlier this year several Bears of this brand and have sold one almost immediately. It paid for the other two (I think,,,brain frog). This little fella is missing his trunk. I doubt it was on him at the g-will store because the $ tag was 3.99$. With the suitcase, the bear is approximately 50$. This little guy should bring in 20 bucks maybe. Not bad for a few pennies. And he is in perfect condition. He was overlooked at the store and obviously overlooked by everyone else at the bins.

Another startling find was this Coach purse. I am not a name brand snob. I find knock offs all the time. My favorite was the Jimmy Chue Pink boat bag ( I call it a boat bag because they are so big!).  I have a very nice Dooney & Bourke. My favorite go to right now is the Eddie Bauer Hobo bag. It's authentic. 

I saw this bag in the pile of trash-treasure, picked it up, looked it over and thought it was not too bad. No rips, a few smudge marks that I could use leather cleaner on, and simply wash off (Spray and Wash) the cloth fabric. And it is going to be a very cute summer bag.

Its authentic. I opened it up in the car (while doing the laundry I got a moment to thoroughly examine my bag of finds). I pulled out from the change pocket the Coach Bag Handling and Care  3 fold pamphlet! Its the Real Deal! I'm really astounded at how much slips by the pickers. My gain. This style goes for around 50$ too. I actually went just to see if they had any xmas paper which I have been using as filling in my shipping. And blankets. I can never have enough blankets for the couch. 

I Love the Bins.  

Brain Frog

 I have been in a funk with listing lately. I have been keeping up with one or two a day - which actually isn't that much worse than my targeted 5 - and the death pile is enormous. See my cat (my daughters cat) on the orange MCM chair (from my Mom's estate - I have four of them). 

This is my work area. The Christmas tree held captive in the corner? It's been there for about 3 years now. It's the  third Christmas. I can't get to it to take it down. And even if I did I have nowhere to store it. 

On another note, the storage keys are lost AGAIN. I am ashamed to ask for another lock change.  I have two storage units filled with the death pile stuff. I began to weed it down and take loads of stuff to the Goodwill but it is still out of control.

I thought I was going pretty good this month with not sourcing as I am recovering from Covid. But I manage to still spend way to much and then sit on it. The doll auction was my biggest expense and accounts for approximately 50% of the months acquisitions. Then I got nuts with an on-line auction thinking it had some pretty profitable stuff for me and spent about 156$.

 I am not even going to include the 52$ I just threw away on some perfume store displays which I misinterpreted as store sample bottles and now I am stuck with two huge Volupe bottles. I will try and sell them on Facebook Marketplace. I have a few large items I need to unload on Marketplace. 

I have spent some on the estate sales I am addicted to,  and have listed some things from the hauls but not much. I have positioned on the light box several pieces from the Primitive Estate Sale on Cherokee Rd that I kept going back to because it was fascinating. It felt like the Architectural Salvage place I love to go wander around in.   

I have been pretty lucky with locating misplaced or mislabeled items. Box D-8? Nope - not in there. I have to methodically go thru each box until I find the item. I was lucky yesterday, only had gone thru half the boxes on the table (I don't even dare take a picture of my garage) until I found it. A major victory! When I couldn't locate the John Wayne stamps I had to hunt down thru Google pictures the date I took the pics and then drill down with the other pictures until I found the box. It's exhausting to be so disorganized.

Some items from S-ville. Due to brain "frog" ( which I keep saying instead of brain fog) I left behind three items. And they can't locate 8 of the 15 Dickens collection from 1800's I bought. Damn it! Stuff happens.

Early figurine from a factory which eventually was switched over to Lladro. I kind of love the research part. I use to really love it. Research.

An artsy photo of an Artisan pot from North Carolina. See the texture? That was what I was aiming for. The earth colors of terracotta, blue and green are so beautiful.

  

I love this Tara Buddha brass figurine head. She represents peace and harmony. 

 

Old Fenton perfume bottles.

The Dickens books of which I only received 7 out of the 15. 

Send me Dead Flowers by the US Mail and I won't forget to put Roses on Your Grave

 NO REST FOR THE WEARY

I have covid, or al least the test implified I had contracted it. Fortifying myself with Alka Selzer Cold Plus, cough syrup and a box of kleenex, accompanied by a mask, I ventured out into the sunshine drenched cold Friday and headed to the laundry mat (four loads = 20$), Kroger (more money and bologna), Post office (Ebay waits for noone), Walmart for shipping boxes and candy. After arriving at the laundry I realized I had left behind the essential, the one huge bag of smelly urine soaked pants that absolutely had to be washed as best as it could be. So I headed back and as it seened, started over. I bought second hand roses and took over to Cathy's grave. She has been on my mind a lot lately. Especially after being contacted by Stefanie, an old friend from the NS in Louisville days. 

I always wondered what would happen if I got sick. How would I cope with J and all his needs. I found out this week that I can not be sick. And since it is inevitable that I will be sick, I must carry on. I miss Cathy for so many reasons and new ones every day. She was the most difficult and complicated person I have ever know besides my husband. She was the most loyal friend one could ever want and then again the most distant and cold person on the face of the earth. I believe she knew me better than anyone because I spent the most time with her beginning with out college days in 1971 and our off and on again friendship thru 2017 when I had a hunch and checked the obituaries upon arriving home from our short lived residency  in Florida and there she was.

It was like a rock was smashed against my heart. I was searching for her to mend (yet again) another fence over a silly  spat we had over my not returning a phone call. She knows I'm bad about that but this one time (2015) she told me not to bother to ever try to talk or contact her again (cold and distant). It was my fucking fault for not reaching out immediately. I was involved in some drama in my own life - the move to Florida which at first I thought was cool to have two home, like I'd made it - the ultimate dream 2 homes!!!.

Everyone tries to be support in this journey I am on. They call,offer help and are there for me. But Cathy is the one I would have let help. I would have let in. 

I leave flowers on her grave when I can.

Jewelry Junkie

 What is happening? I'm in the writing zone!! I have avoided the dreaded COVID VIRUS for four years and suddenly I HAVE IT! Took one of those home tests because I was clued in that a lot of people are coming down with this new strain. And it turned out positive. I even read the directions . A novelty! I will say this and move on. Yesterday I felt like I had been hit by a Mack truck. I can not exactly describe the feeling. No fever, just a runny nose that would not stop, sneezing, watery eyes, chills, no taste no smell, no energy, no lust for life. The Little Clinic told me there was nothing they could do because I had no underlying conditions! WTF! But, Because of my unbelievable constitution, I feel much better today but must quarantine for 5 (?) to 10 days. Its about 30 degrees around here and I am airing all the room I am in with open windows. Because my body is so out of sorts, it is not bothering me at all!  All my remedies and  treatments are from the Internet.   That's all I have to say about that.

 

Around two weeks ago I received an email from yet another Goodwill Site about a jewelry sale. 75$ off when you purchased two boxes. This is my experience with BlueBox Goodwill - crap. Mardi Gras beads, unmatched earrings, broken jewelry, childrens jewelry. Just crap. Because I am hard headed (aka idiot) , I tried several times to snag a good box. The only one on the nice side came from North carolina. The other 3 from Florida. After spending about 200 smackers on junk my only salvation was a Coco Chanel earring. Mind you, not a set but JUST ONE. I was able to sell it for over 100. I may have mentioned this in an earlier post. That was the second time I sold ONE Chanel  earring for big bucks. 

But If I am nothing else, I am a sucker for Jewelry. It all began in 2010 when I was wondering what

type of business I could be in if I continued to relocate every several years with my husband (Railroad). I don't remember how it happened but I ran across S & D took the plunge. My investment taught me a couple of things. People love jewelry! And S&D is pretty overpriced junk. Shoddily made. Broke easily. So my foray into being an Independent was short lived and my interest in jewelry was sparked.

What happened next is a vice, an addiction that has never abated. I came across Shopgoodwill in the beginning of their online presence. At least I think so. The web site was as unsophisticated at everything was in 2010. You could type in "Jewelry Lot" and receive hundreds of hits - pages of auctions. All one liners that you would click on to see the descriptions and the pictures. I always choosed "unsorted". That was the good stuff, the mother load. 5 - 10 -15- 20 pounds of unsorted jewelry. Those were the good old  days. It was nothing to find 18K jewelry and no telling what else. as a matter of fact, I still have most of it. when I began reselling in 2019 on Merc I began with jewelry and I did have success. My absolute favorite was Southwest Jewelry unsorted Lots. The last good one I received was in 2020.  Nothing has ever been the same. 

Okay so 75$ off I once again took the plunge and the box arrived yesterday. Approximately 20 pounds. I opened one box - the bright spot in a Covid sticken day -  and it was filled with some wonderful stuff. Not any 14 or 18K gold. Not any Coco Chanel, but some beautiful costume pieces for my overwhelming collection.

 

Four Estate Sales and an Auction and a Lottery Ticket

 Week-ends I have my escape from the  Reality of  caring for an invalid and leave my cares behind knowing he is in good hands with my step son and I can be care free for about 5 - 6 hours. I have a full plate today of heading to the laundry (because I am waiting on my check from the sale of the Mobile Home to purchase a new washer) with another 20$ worth of smelly blankets and pants (damn you dementia!!!)  which is about four loads. Headed to Grainger to pick up boxes I ordered last week and forgot to pick up! Post office to drop off packages. Goodwill to donate a bunch of unsellable stuff. I should do some Xmas shopping but hell, I have two more weeks!

The homes I visited for the Estate Sales were pretty much stripped bare of the obvious "good" stuff but I still found some goodies. A box of french cocktail plates. A suede coat with sherpa lining, two antique profile metal hanging plaques. As usual I pick up cleaning supplies because where else can you get them for a fraction of their cost? I found two salad spoons wood from Africa I think. He did not charge me for them and I have to say I was conflicted when I realized it. He has overcharged me in the past, but it is still  not in my character to allow an oversite, even a 7.50$ oversite, to go unresolved. I will  give him his 7.50$ next week. 

One home was way out in Prospect. That area is always on the estate Sale Trail. Why? Because that is where a lot of the rich people live. The homes are spectacular, large, beautiful and full of goodies. This home in particular was way out - in deer territory - surrounded by woods and the typical windy roads and narrow hairpin turns that are a Kentucky speciality. Up a paved narrow driveway into a side muddy field to park. This home, I could not take a picture due to the unusual architectural layout of a one story, was a home that did not end. It had a downstairs, with bookshelves and the master bedroom that was two walls of glass overlooking the forests that surrounded and hugged the house. 

Upstairs, the same. Room after room with bookshelves. Bedroom after bedroom with spectacular views of the surrounding area. Two huge Great Rooms, the back one a wall of picture wall to ceiling windows. The one in the front of the house with a dining table the size of  a corporate conference table - another low row of bookcases. The kitchen!!! Definitely not the house of a gourmet cook! Two people could not turn around in that  excuse of a kitchen. I would guess all formal dinners were catered. Oh to have money like that!!! Off the kitchen was the laundry room and for good sake, at the end of that small room was yet an entrance to another room floor to ceiling bookcases! I would use this as the reading room.

So I bought a lottery. Since it is basically one floor, I would love it. I loved the one in Anchorage, but it was old and would need a full time handyman. If I hit the lottery I would just buy both - ha ha ha.

The auction is tomorrow and I will go preview the stuff today. Already I have my eye on three Miriam Haskell necklaces and earrings they have. i can only hope no one else is interested. It has some action on the web site, but the real real is in the Auction House.

I didn't list much this week. Probably the least of any week. Had a multitude of distractions. A call from the insurance agency, J taking a fall and step son had to come all the way from V to help get him up as I was afraid to call EMS as they would want to take him to the hospital and I would give in. They would have to strap him down. And just plain semi depression about how much stuff I have to list and how horrible the house looks and how the house stinks of J's urine. I need the a washing machine. Maybe I should include a trip to the scratch and dent place on L&C? 

Race to the Finish Line

 

A good month. Gross Sales were over 3 grand. But last year November was closer to 4 grand and I sold 20 more items. Still, I'll take it. Last year I had a ton of Kurt Aldler Jockey blown glass ornaments that sold super well. Nothing as great as that this year. But still, I sold quite a bit including some very old listings.

I'm trying to be much more selective with my sourcing. I have bought about 600$ worth of stuff this month which blows me away because I tried to not source due to many financial set backs. Things add up fast.

This past week-end including Friday was packed with some extra special auctions and estate sales. The semi annual doll sale was on Friday and I did not spend a lot. About half of my usual take. There was not a lot of things that interested me. And what did I had (there is always one) have my eye on some nut case lady kept bidding against me and would not relinquish. I'm not proud of myself, but I intentionally bid her up. I had no intention of paying 80$ or 90$ but I  new she would go higher. So the 6 dolls probably cost her close to 600$ bucks. She was one of the deep pockets there. Maybe the only one. There was another lady who would not let go of the Madame Alexander International Dolls. There were at least 8 sets of at least 6 dolls each. People who take them all are not only mean and do not show bidding my idea of bidding etiquette. They are real slow sellers - most of them. All dolls are typically slow sellers.

Here is one of the rooms in the Primitive House Estate Sale. Just packed full of items that are usually in an Architectural Salvage House. There was so much that I felt overwhelmed when I walked in. Thankfully I arrived about 1 pm and the house was not packed with people. I bought about 50 worth of things with the intent of returning the next day on 50% off. I got there right when it opened and it was packed!! I saw two other resellers there that I recognized from the auction house.   3 items I wanted were already gone (an Indian book, a blow glass Santa, suede hats, a very beat up leather messenger bag and a small bybee jug). But the other items I wanted were there plus I was able to snag a few more.

The second house was out in the county-ish area and nestled across from a huge Public Park. I would love to own this house and bought a lottery ticket just in case. It's on the market for a million bucks. It's very old and I overheard that it was once a grocery store. It is on the historic registry so there is not much you can do to renovate it. the kitchen is so tiny. But it has a carriage house that could possibly be converted into a  kitchen dining area. Perhaps a walkway would be allowed. All in all, I fell in love. I did not buy much here, a load of biographies - the library room was to die for. I wish I had the frame of mind to take a picture of it. This is the upstairs living room complete with a piano. How is one to get that down without a crane? There is a second piano in the downstairs living area/Library. 

 These are a few of the items I picked up at the Primitive Estate Sale on one of the most famous streets in Lou'ville.