Sales Tip

As soon as you sell an item online, send a message to the buyer.

Indicate that you’ve received their money, as well as how and when their purchase will be coming to them.

All buyers appreciate hearing from you—and it may bring them back to buy from you again.

Garage Sales Tip

In my area, neighborhoods and even small adjoining suburbs hold spring community garage sales.

It’s a great time to park your car near an area that has quite a few sales going on.  This way you can save some gas, get a little exercise and hit all of the sales in that area.

My tip:  go early enough so that you can see all of the sales and be able to get a great deal.

How To Haggle in A Flea Market

You’ve come across an item that you want—but it’s a little out of your price range.  Dealers will usually entertain an offer.

*Don’t insult the dealer with an offer that’s way below their original asking price.

*Don’t knit pick the flaws of the item.

*Don’t get gushy or sentimental.  Your personal history does not effect a dealers bottom line.

*Don’t remove the tag—and hope the dealer will not remember the actual price—and lower it.

*Don’t insist you saw a similar item for less elsewhere.

Make a fair offer.  Good Haggling!

Handmade Necklaces

Have you checked out the jewelry in my Etsy Shop?

My sister, who is a writer, makes these necklaces in her downtime.  She uses vintage pieces and rearranges them in a different way.  They are one-of-a-kind pieces, and they are signed with her initials.

Check out this funky one with a neat metal cone pendant here.

Or you could take a look at this cool blue beaded necklace with a shell pendant here.

Better yet, you could see this awesome orange, gold, and brown necklace here.

You can also see her blog here to see what else she has going on.

Happy 200th Birthday!

In honor of the 200^th birthday of Charles Dickens, here is a few pieces from my own private collection.

Sneak Peek

Here’s just a taste of what’s going live on Etsy tomorrow.

It is a terrific 1918 World War I yearbook for the Drury University in Springfield, Missouri.

So be sure to check it out!

Estate Sales

I just got back with some real finds from a local estate sale.

 There will be more later about what’s inside.

Mother’s Day Gifts

Show your mom how special she is with a spectacular gift this year.  On Etsy, I have some unusual items.  Give your mom something to spruce up her table:

 How about a one-of-a-kind handmade necklace?

 Or a hard-to-find Goofus glass vase (there are lots of plates in my area, the vases seem to be rare).  You could even add her favorite flowers!

Visit my Etsy store for some more great ideas for Mother’s Day.

Auction Tip #2

So you have seen an ad either online or in your local paper for an auction, and you have just arrived at the sale itself.  You pour over what is at the sale, and you have a good idea of what you could comfortably pay for that really cool side table, or that stack of linens.

Now What?

With any live auction, you need to get what is called a “Bidders Number”.  The auctioneer will have a registration station set up somewhere on the premises of the auction.

 At this station, you show them your valid ID (usually a driver’s license), and you will need to give a phone number as well.  Once you have your number, you’re now able to bid on that really cool Fenton vase.  Just don’t get carried away.

Discounts On Items

In addition to all of the great deals that I have currently up for sale, I am also discounting some items that I have up for sale.  The first item that has a discount is this fabulous 1940's head vase on Etsy.

This deal lasts only through Wednesday.

Hey Guys—Need Your Help

Recently I acquired this eye catching bowl.  Actually it’s a mere 5 ½ inches across by 3 inches tall.

 I’m even divided as to what it might be—a bowl, nut bowl, votive, or even an art basket.  At first blush it looks to be a Fenton Open Edge basket pattern.  But —it has a Vaseline bottom and the entire bowl fluoresces under a black light.

  Anyone out there have one of these—or even knows what it is?

Shopping Tip #2

One of the best things to carry with you when you hit anything from a swap meet to an antique mall is a tape measure.  It doesn’t have to be anything outlandish, a lot of the time you could do with one that measures a couple of feet.  More often than not, I find myself needing something to see how tall a Depression glass vase is, or even what the size of a picture frame is.

 

A good motto in the antique world is, “buy the book before you buy the antique.”  In this case, “buy the tape measure so the piece can measure up.”

Ideas for Vases to Hold Springtime Flowers

This time of the year, some extremely beautiful flowers start to come into bloom.   If you get the urge to pick them and put them on your table or window sill, don’t just stick with a vase.

You can use just about anything that can hold the flowers and some water.  For example, you could use a pitcher to display the fabulous floral finds.

So have fun and get creative with all of the possibilities out there.

Happy Easter From Wisdom Lane!

I'm Live!

I'm thrilled to announce that my Etsy store is up and running.  The store features some incredible vintage pieces, as well as some original jewelry made using old vintage items.

I'm also now on Twitter.  Be sure to follow my Tweets, and to check in regularly on my Etsy store; I'll be putting up new items for sale on a regular basis.