Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Those are both somewhat at odds with my goal! While I have made some lucky scores at thrift stores over the years, the reality is most of the items on the shelves these days aren’t what I want to sell anymore.

Took a quick jaunt into my neighborhood thrift store. It’s slim pickings these days but I did like this German crystal bowl with a Lausitzer label. Handsome and functional. But with a resale value around $25 to $30 it didn’t fit my store goals. I left this behind. [It was gone two days later.]

What I Am Looking For

I want to sell boxes that are uncommon and uncommonly good. When I’m sourcing I focus on craftsmanship, quality, uniqueness and age in all types of materials. I pay particular attention to snuff and cigarette boxes which remain popular categories with buyers. I also look for items that have hallmarks, signatures, brand marks and other types of identification.

• Antique booth and flea market stall fees
• Software (accounting, listing, photography, etc.) fees
• Storage (buying bins, shelves, space, etc.) costs
• Shipping material (mailers, bubble wrap, boxes, etc) costs

What Made the Difference in Sales?

This July my number of orders improved from the previous two months and my Etsy revenue jumped up significantly. 

Another American blog, Sammy D Vintage is not only inspiring but a really informative vintage blog. I look to the blog for advice on caring for fashion and how to wear it in an accessible way. I found this site when she shared a 1990s vintage fashion blog written by moi, and I have avidly followed it ever since. With posts like 21 Reasons to wear 1940s vintage – what’s not to love?

• I need to keep focusing on higher-value items. Even though my number of sales is still below average, my revenue is way up. The people who have extra money right now want good stuff! (One of these sold items was sent to a doctor with a Beverly Hills address.)
• I need to keep an eye on what’s popular with buyers, both in my store and in the vintage/antique industry in general. I’ve learned the hard way that certain things just don’t sell for me anymore. I’m avoiding ceramic creamers, no-name costume jewelry, porcelain figurines (even by good companies) and generic handmade pottery.