Saturday Yard Sale Sabotage

This past Saturday, I awoke at 6am with high hopes and a dream. Yes, it was super early for me on a Saturday morning and would require a nice cup of Dunkin Donuts tea to wake me up, but it was going to be worth it because I was going to hit what I thought would be one of those yard sales that a person talks about for years to come. Why was I so excited?

 Because of this:

 

 and this: 

These yard sale picture previews include some vintage holiday goodness. Valentine’s Day knickknacks, Gurley Thanksgiving candles, and the infamous light up ceramic Christmas trees. The best part about these items besides their outpouring of vintage looks? The price. I squinted and I cropped photos, I zoomed and I looked with one eye and came to the conclusion that the Gurley candles were selling at the whopping cost of 50cents per pair. The Valentine’s Day décor was just as cheap and though the price tag was hidden from view on the Christmas trees, I’m sure they were only a couple of dollars. Has this seller gone mad?? 

As I stated, I awoke bright and early with the hopes of coming home with all of these treasures. The yard sale started at 7am and I arrived a few minutes after the opening time. Seeing that the street was already filled with cars, my heart started pumping with that "must-move-quickly-before-all-gone" mode. Walking into the garage, my eyes darted back and forth from table to table. Candles? Little Valentine ladies? Christmas Trees? Oh the horror. Gone. All gone. 

I kindly and calmly asked the woman holding the sale if she had opened earlier, since the sale was already crowded. I also nonchalantly mentioned the Gurley candles to which she informed me that a man contacted her the night before in regards to the vintage holiday items. (Say it isn’t so!) He swooped in on the sale Friday night and bought all of the vintage décor including the candles, ceramic trees, the little heart ladies, and I’m sure anything else that was not featured in the ad pictures. 

I walked away from the sale with a few items and a reminder that the early bird gets the worm. I love when people include pictures in their Craigslist yard sale ads, but just never thought to contact the person prior to the sale in regards to buying items before the garage doors opened in the early hours of a spring weekend morning.Will I remember this in the future? You bet it. When you can score pairs of Gurley Thanksgiving pilgrim candles for 50cents a pair, it's unlikely that's something that can be forgotten. Will I contact a seller prior to a sale in regards to buying items before that 7am opening time? I'm not sure. Part of the thrill of going yard saling and attending flea markets is that early morning and the lure of what might be sitting on those tables in a musty old garage. Contacting a seller before a sale starts feels a bit like cheating to me, and what fun is there in cheating?

I like to find treasures fair and square, so give me a cup of hot tea to go, my list of sales, and I'll take an early Saturday morning over a Friday night "pre-sale" anytime.

Mr. Sharpie's Appearance

I hope that the first yard sales of the season aren’t an indication of sales to come. About three weeks ago, it was a sunny Saturday morning and the smell of spring had finally made its’ way into northwest Jersey. I mapped out my route the night before and was all ready to enjoy the first yard- saling of the year.

Mr. Marker makes his mark

Waking up a few hours early, I went to the gym first and then stopped at the first sale of the day – an estate sale. The house was an older home with an amazing vintage kitchen – double porcelain sink with the built-in drain, cupboards in assorted sizes running from floor to ceiling, and amazing woodwork throughout the house. What was not so amazing were the prices and the price labeling system. A few stickers, maybe an affixed price tag here or there, but mostly… prepare to cringe… prices written in black marker directly on the item. Not written on a sticker, not written on a piece of paper, but written directly on the item. Regardless of the material, be it glass, brass, chalkware – yes, vintage chalkware!, fabric, or porcelain, the marker spared nothing. Magic erasers work wonders, but I wasn’t too sure that Mr. Arm&Hammer could save some of these pieces from the wrath of the sharpie.

The house was filled with ornate furniture and lots of saints. Religious statues filled the fireplace mantle, dining room table, and were decorating the upstairs bedrooms. I haven’t had luck with reselling religious chalkware, so I passed both on the high prices and determining whether or not Mr. Marker would come off. I had mainly come to look at the vintage Christmas decorations, which I found in the basement.

It was like Christmas 1962 had thrown up in the basement and I loved it! Boxes of electrified red Christmas bells, plastic gaudy garland, Shiny Brites, and window candles with the red and yellow tipped light bulbs. Prices were high, both for reselling and for personal want. And again, perfectly good pristine Shiny Brite boxes were ruined by Mr. Sharpie’s appearance… and we know there isn’t a way to remove permanent marker from cardboard.

I left the sale spending $2 on a trio of vintage Christmas candles, complete with the flame bulbs. My plans were to include them with other vintage Christmas items to resell, but decided that, like with most vintage Christmas I come across, they would be keepers.

I hoped that the first yard sales of the season would be more promising, but I was left wanting more. For this coming weekend, I already have two sales lined up. One is an estate sale that is promising a house filled with vintage kitsch, so of course I'm going. The other is a yard sale which looks like it might be the kind of sale that one dreams off... vintage Pyrex, retro holiday decorations, and what I hope will be my first purchase of Gurley candles to add to my vintage decor. 

Expect some pictures from my purchases this weekend and look for future posts this week to include my unexpected find of vintage knee hugger elves and a surprise Santa & his lady friend!

Time for a Change.

It’s been some time since my last post. I’ve been writing, editing, deleting, and re-writing posts. I’ve been complaining how my full time job is getting in the way of my true calling of doing historical research, writing, thrifting and flipping. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. I could sleep less and work more, but in the long run that would leave me in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, underneath a blanket on a couch, napping away for hours.

I’ve been attending a weekly & bi-weekly auction and finally yard sale & flea market season is upon us here in the northwest part of Jersey. I’ve been reading lots of thrifting and vintage blogs, which always inspires me to want to write more as well as do a major overhaul on my blog. I made a goal in the beginning of the year to blog at least once a week & somewhere between New Year’s Day and now that goal has gotten swept under the rug. But, if I want to be like the blogs that I can read for hours, then I must write, I must photograph, and I must be diligent.

I love seeing all of the vintage finds that people stumble upon when going to yard sales. I am envious of those that still live in areas where towns do annual clean-ups and it’s a picker’s heaven on front lawns and driveways. I want to be proud of my blog & not only write here and there. I want readers to check in weekly or even daily to see into the world of The Corner Cupboard.

So, time to dust off that New Year’s Resolution and start making it a reality! 

A Hoosier Cabinet History

One piece of vintage furniture that I love and one day hope to have - when living space allows it - is the great Hoosier cabinet. These pieces are not only storage savers, but are just amazing vintage pieces of kitchen history. They can commonly be found in antique malls, used furniture warehouses, and Craigslist (which I highly recommend to check out due to seller's low prices).

The Hoosier cabinet has a great history behind it: practical, functional, and appealing to the everyday woman. Hoosiers were popular between the 1900s through the 1930s. The Hoosier Manufacturing Company was founded in 1899 in New Castle, Indiana and produced what is commonly known of today as the "Hoosier." The company coined the piece of furniture as a "kitchen filing cabinet" and no wonder this phrase worked: if offered a place for all of the kitchen necessities and more. Sold throughout the country, the Hoosier company advertised in popular magazines such as Ladies Home Journal and Better Homes and Gardens, appealing to the stay at home moms. The basic models were large enough to hold both food and kitchen utensils while more elaborate models were complete with flour sifters and revolving condiment jar racks. 

 Basically, the Hoosier served as the kitchen cabinet before built-in cabinets became popular in the late 1930s and 1940s. It was seen as a piece of kitchen equipment that would save time and revolutionize kitchen design, carrying the following motto: "Steps saved in the kitchen give women strength and energy for other things." The company even devised Hoosier test kitchens in order to promote the efficiency and necessity of their cabinets, giving the approval of the Test Kitchen in order to entice more buyers. Housewives were seen as the big buyers of the cabinets, or at least the people to market to in the event that the man of the house did the actual buying. Being a housewife during this time was the norm and so Hoosier played on that.

As the look of the kitchen changed and morphed into more of what we know today with all of the built-ins, the need for a Hoosier declined. To some, specifically kitchen designers who wanted to revolutionize the look of the kitchen, it was a cumbersome piece of furniture that wasn't that helpful in the kitchen. It was toted as a storage space for all of your kitchen needs and provided a working area via the porcelain shelf. However, the tabletop/shelf space was not adequate enough for some when it came to having enough room for baking. The area also wasn't large enough for other members of the family to help out in the baking process. A mother could very well have all of her baking supplies at her fingertips with the Hoosier, but when it came to having little Johnny & Susie assist in forming the dough & cutting out cookie shapes, the Hoosier shelf just didn't provide enough room for all of the work.

 Like everything, the Hoosier went out of style but now is back in style, at least with the collecting and antique population. Hoosiers are finding their way back into the kitchens and homes of Americans, with many taking on restoration projects to restore run down pieces. Some use it as kitchen storage while others use it as a way to display their collections. If you are interested in finding a Hoosier, it is easier than you might think. Craigslist has infinite possibilities, ranging from the pristine to the total fixer-upper. Search in both the antique and furniture section, using the correct spelling of Hoosier as well as misspelled variations such as Hooser, Hoosir. Prices vary depending on condition as well as the urgency of the lister to sell. Read the listing carefully, being sure to take note of the condition description, item location, and of course the price. If the price isn't right for you, be sure to search for the current listing title in Craigslist or scroll through the older ads. If the piece has been listed more than once over a period of time, you might be able to negotiate a lower price.

 If you are willing to travel, there is always eBay. This might be a little awkward for some, but many people sell Hoosiers on eBay by offering local pick up only. If you find one that catches your eye and the price is right, a few hours drive could be worth it. Be sure to come prepared with a big enough vehicle, blankets for covering the item, and able bodies to help move the piece. Sometimes sellers may assist in moving the item, but it never hurts to be prepared. Be sure to ask such questions as where the item is located. Is it on a 1st floor, garage loft, basement? Verify the condition of the piece and don't be afraid to ask for additional pictures or more information. It is bad enough when an item is shipped to you and the seller forgot to mention something totally obvious, but imagine driving a considerable length of time only to find out the piece is not what is pictured online.

Restoring a Hoosier can take time and money, but can be well worth it for a beautiful, vintage piece. A simple restoration with a new coat of paint doesn't break the bank, but those wishing to restore a Hoosier with period-correct flour sifters, shelving, knob fixtures, etc. can accumulate a high price tag. eBay is a great source to find the odds and ends to complete your Hoosier... and also a great place to sell spare parts if you should happen to come across any. These pieces are a great part of the history of the American kitchen and fortunately are still around today to enjoy!

eBay & Beyond for 2014

I started my EBay listing adventure in May of 2013. I don’t remember exactly what made the light bulb turn on that I could buy items strictly to resell, but once I sold that first item and made a profit, I was hooked. The first couple of months, buying to resell was something that I did nonchalantly. If I was at a flea market or a thrift store and I saw an item that I thought I could flip, I would purchase it. I have been going to flea markets since I was little, so the picking aspect wasn’t anything new to me.

It wasn’t until I had multiple sales that I decided that with more knowledge and time, I could turn this buying to resell into a part-part-part time job. Gradually month after month, I would spend more time looking at sales on ebay, reading blogs, and joining reselling and ebay Facebook groups to increase my knowledge and train my eye on what items to buy. At the end of 2013, I walked away with $1,067 in pure profit. To some resellers, they make that much in one day. For me, this was an accomplishment and an acknowledgement that if I put in more time and more research, I could bring in even more money.

Having the extra cash is something that helped me out this past year. Whether it was for unexpected car maintenance or even helping with Christmas gifts, my wallet didn’t feel the pinch as much when my PayPal funds provided some cushioning. I envy those that are able to be full time ebay sellers and not have to work in the corporate world. There is money to be made from thrifting and that’s my goal in 2014.

So what will it take? Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions? Most will commit to healthier eating, spending more time at the gym, less gossip, and more real interaction. All of these are attainable if one puts in a solid effort. However, I haven’t made resolutions as much as I have made goals.

My main goal is to at least double my profits from 2013. $2,000 is a drop in the bucket for most, but for me to sell that much would be great. If I can triple my 2013 profit, that would be even better – but, let’s start small and work our way up!

How will I do this? I’ve already taken two steps in order to make my EBay “business” easier. I have purchased a photo studio light box. I’ve gotten tired of dragging items outside to set them up on my deck. I don’t want to have to deal with shadows or pictures that need excessive touch ups. With the light box, I have different backdrops to choose from and now I don’t have to worry about making sure that the picture background is okay. The second step is I have finally ordered a scale to weigh items. Finally! Though I have gotten pretty good at estimating the cost of a package shipped out priority, I have lost money by underestimating the cost to ship. I also am looking forward to printing out postage at home and scheduling pick ups of the items I sell. While there are a few local post offices in the area, it will definitely be a real time saver to just put the boxes on my porch and have the mailman take them away.

The third thing that I did was join The Appsters. This is a private group run by Danni Ackerman of The Danni App. If you are new to reselling, you must check out The Danni App! There are old podcasts on Itunes but also check out her website and join her Facebook group. The amount of information that is posted on a daily basis on the Facebook page is unbelievable. A whole new world of reselling is opened and you won’t believe what can sell on EBay! I started listening to the podcasts over the summer and really enjoyed hearing about the “Score of the Week” and the adventures of going to yard sales.

On the Facebook group, I kept hearing about the Appsters and having access to webinars and all sorts of other information not available in the regular Facebook group. This is a pay subscription group, with the cost of either paying by the month or paying for a year. The price per month is $29.95 and the year subscription gives you twelve months for the price of eleven. I thought about joining for a few days, tossing the idea around in my mind. For someone just starting out in reselling, I thought that the money that I paid per month could be used instead for buying merchandise or even for other necessary things like gas and groceries. For me, that $30 could be used in so many other ways. But, then I thought of it in reselling terms: I had to sell one item – just one item – at $30 a month to cover the cost.

I said yes to signing up to the Appsters. I took a leap because I want to double, triple, quadruple my EBay sales and gain more information about the world of reselling. If I would just stay stagnant, sure my sales might increase a little but I want to be even more profitable and more knowledgeable about the world of thrifting and reselling.

 Good luck with all of your goals and resolutions - make it happen!

Here's to 2014 - eBay & Beyond!