Auction Girl Vintage

30 Days of Junkin' ~ Day 10 * Swap, Trade, Barter

 

 

 

 

 

Frugal Fridays is hosted by Jessica at Life As Mom.  Click here for a list of this week's participants.

Bartering -- trading goods or services for other goods or services -- is an often overlooked way of saving money and/or of acquiring some of the goodies we'd like to own.

There are many forms of bartering, ranging from formal membership-based bartering groups, to exchanges made online through Craigslist and similar websites, to babysitting co-ops and clothing swaps among small groups friends.

Most of us bartered as children -- trading Barbie outfits or marbles, baseball or Pokeman cards,and even lunchbox desserts -- with our friends.  Bartering among adults -- especially between strangers -- often grows in prevalence and popularity during tough economic times.

Just last week, I traded these 4 Orla Kiely serving bowls ...

 

... for this:

which contained this:

 

That's a dozen mugs and a dozen salad plates in the Dansk Bistro Christianhavn pattern, which I've been buying at garage sales and thrift stores for the past year.  It's a popular pattern, released 20+ years ago (and still in production), and it mixes and matches wonderfully with the Dansk Bistro Aalborg dishes (no longer produced) that I received as wedding gifts 25 years ago.

 

The retail value (before adding tax and shipping) for the dozen mugs and dozen salad plates is $222.00, if purchased brand new today.  Several of the pieces I received are brand new with tags, and the rest are in excellent barely-used condition.  The eBay seller who traded these to me had them listed as 2 separate listings (12 mugs and 12 plates) for $59.99 each, plus shipping.

 

So how did I end up trading?  I recently purchased some Orla Kiely melamine dinnerware and serving pieces at Target, to resell on eBay.  I had purchased 2 each of the 4 serving bowls shown above, and had 1 of each pattern listed at auction.  I received a question from a potential buyer, asking if I would end the auctions early and sell her all 4 bowls at a Buy It Now price.

 

I didn't want to cancel the auctions, but I did have another set of the bowls I could sell her, if we could agree on a price.  I checked her eBay profile and discovered she had the Dansk dishes listed, so I wrote her an email and asked if she'd like to make a straight across swap -- my brand new bowls for the used dishes she no longer wanted.

 

The Orla Kiely bowls are sold out at most Target stores, and have been in high demand on eBay.  I bought them at Target for $19.99 each, and was hoping to sell them at the average eBay price of $30 to $40.  My soon-to-be swap partner had owned her dishes for a number of years, so her original cost wasn't an issue ... what she really cared about was getting the hard-to-find Orla Kiely bowls.

 

 

We exchanged a couple of emails, agreed to swap, and we both had our new dishes in less than a week ... definitely a win/win situation.

 

 

 

 

Whether you call it swapping, trading, or bartering, it's an important tool in the junkers' toolkit, and one that is frequently overlooked.

 

 

 

True thrifters and junkers are savvy negotiators, and should never be afraid to ask a seller -- whether at a yard sale, an antique store, or even in an online transaction -- if there is anything you (the buyer) can offer them in trade for whatever it is you want.

 

It doesn't cost anything to ask, and you might end up getting your next big score for free!

 

Please leave a comment, and be sure to let me know if you have any specific questions about the wonderful world of junking.

 

If you'd like to share a post about junking, just follow the directions below. I've created a button to place on your blog, so please grab a copy, tell your friends, and jump right in.

 

 

How to Participate in 30 Days of Junkin' ...

 

1.  Write a post about junking on your blog, or link to a post you've already written.  We want to hear about the hunt and the rewards ... where you shop, how you do it, and what you do with your goodies.  This is a celebration of All Things Junk, so please share your treasures as well as your tips.

 

2.  Place the 30 Days of Junkin' button at the top of your post.

3.  Add your permalink using Mr. Linky.  Please do not link until your post is up.

 

I encourage everyone to share at least one post celebrating junkin' during April, any day you wish.  Once your post is up and linked, you can grab a copy of this badge for your sidebar.  Please link it back to my main blog addy ... http://auctiongirlvintage.typepad.com

 

30 Day of Junkin' ~ Day 9 * Teapots & Tea Rooms

First things first ... I'd like to thank Kim at Forever Wherever for being the first person to share a junking post and grab a button.  She posted about a really nifty yard sale teapot on Wednesday morning.  Since I post so late in the day, her link went on Tuesday's Day 7 post.  I'm  adding her link to today's Mr. Linky, so ya'll can pay her a visit.

Kim inspired me to do my own post on teapots, which are very popular with hundreds of thousands of collectors around the world.  I'm sharing this post on Vintage Thingie Thursday, so please c'mon over to check out the great vintage items shared by this week's participants.

 

 

Teapots, tea cups, tea leaves, and tea rooms all have a devoted following -- with their own customs and culture -- and there's something for everyone, whether you're a casual collector or a dedicated devotee.

A quick search of eBay shows 13,579 active listings for teapots, plus 22,822 completed listings (a combination of sold items and auctions that ended without a buyer).  eBay displays 21 days of completed listings.

The most expensive teapot sold on eBay during the past three weeks was this ceramic apple pattern teapot made by Watt Pottery, produced from 1952 to 1965.  The seller described it as being in non-mint condition, with "overall age crazing and 2 very small chips under the spout."  Sales price?  $3,495.00.  Uh huh ... makes you wanna get up earlier on Saturday mornings, doesn't it?

The least expensive completed teapot sale on eBay during the same three weeks was this 1950s 25th Anniversary white bone china teapot with handpainted silver details, in mint condition, made by Lefton China in Japan.  Sales price?  $2.00.

 

 

Last month, I purchased a small collection of teapots at a local garage sale, for $1.00 each.

Here are two that have sold so far:  this sweet Alice in Wonderland teapot sold for $9.99, and the vintage Treasure Craft chalkware watering can (c. 1940s - 1950s) sold for $13.49.

 

Miniature teapots are also very popular, like these two that were part of the collection I purchased.  Both are less than 2" tall.  The one on top is a vintage cloisonne teapot decorated with fluffy yellow chicks, and the one on the bottom is part of the ME Mary Emmerling Cherries Collection.

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Although I don't collect teapots myself, I do enjoy the pomp and circumstance often associated with formal occasions for drinking tea.  My Uncle Clare -- the namesake of my middle name -- married my Aunt Yaeko in 1960, while he was serving in Japan.  On her first visits to the U.S., Yaeko treated us to the elegance of the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony, and presented me with my first set of Japanese teacups.

Some of my fondest childhood memories involve drinking tea in the 1894 Tea House in Golden Gate Park's Japanese Tea Garden, and climbing over the 180 degree Moon Bridge (quite a challenge for a 5 year old girl wearing a dress).  The Moon (or Drum) Bridge, the Japanese Tea House, and the pond in front of the Tea House are all part of the original Japanese Village constructed for the California Mid-Winter Exhibition held in Golden Gate Park from January to December, 1894 (yes, that's eighteen ninety four, 13 years before the infamous San Francisco fire was started by Mrs. O'Leary's cow).

In my travels, I've visited many memorable tea rooms.  I recall the elegance of my first high tea, enjoyed in the gorgeous Palm Court in the lobby of NYC's Plaza Hotel, way back in 1979.  I've had tea several times at the Fairmont Empress Hotel, overlooking the beautiful Victoria B.C. Inner Harbor on Vancouver Island.  Their afternoon tea is legendary, with lengthy lines to match to match it's popularity ... when we're in Victoria, we prefer the more casual tea-and-curry luncheon or dinner buffet available in the Empress's fabulous Bengal Pub.

If you love tea and love to travel, you'll definitely want to visit Tea Travels, where the subject is tea rooms.  The site is chock full of scrumptious recipes and fabulous photos of elegant afternoon teas.

Want more info on the wonderful world of tea?  Check out these sites:

• Calendar of Tea Events -- a directory of events from A to Z, throughout the US and Canada

• Tea Guide Worldwide Tea Room Directory 

• Great Tearooms of America -- searchable by zip code

If you'd like to learn more about teapots, check out these terrific sites:

• Teapots Teapots Teapots
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• The Trenton NJ Teapot Collection
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• The Teapot Collector's Club -- Show Us Your Teapots photo gallery (awesome!)

 

If you'd like to share a post about junking, just follow the directions below. I've created a button to place on your blog, so please grab a copy, tell your friends, and jump right in.

 

 

 

How to Particpate in 30 Days of Junkin' ...

 

1.  Write a post about junking on your blog, or link to a post you've already written.  We want to hear about the hunt and the rewards ... where you shop, how you do it, and what you do with your goodies.  This is a celebration of All Things Junk, so please share your treasures as well as your tips.

 

2.  Place the 30 Days of Junkin' button at the top of your post.
 

3.  Add your permalink using Mr. Linky.  Please do not link until your post is up.
 

 

I encourage everyone to share at least one post celebrating junkin' during April, any day you wish.  Once your post is up and linked, you can grab a copy of this badge for your sidebar.  Please link it back to my main blog addy ... http://auctiongirlvintage.typepad.com

30 Days of Junkin ~ Day 7 * So Much Junk, So Little Time

 

Tuesday night in California, pushin' 11 p.m.  Tuesday is an office day for me, and I'm still at work, finishing up a day of packaging eBay sales and listing some of my newest finds.  

Unlike many eBay sellers, I don't work out of my home ... I rent an "office house," right around the corner from where I live.  2000 square feet of mixed use space ... command central for the process of sorting, cleaning, photographing, listing, selling, and shipping my junkin' finds.

 

Can you say messy?

Things get picked up, looked at, and put back down -- sometimes without a lot of conscious thought.  The end result is bizarre little vignettes that seem to create themselves.

When I finished taking today's eBay pics, I decided to wander through the office and snap a few shots of the current state of my working world.

 

 

In the "Dish Room"

Part of last summer's bounty, waiting to be listed.

 

Pyrex and dinnerware from Oregon thrift stores.

 

Aren't these fishing bears adorable?  I found them at a high school yard sale in Camas, Washington, last August.

 

More dinnerware, plus one very cool guy with a ukelele.

 

In Transit

 

Unpacked this evening ... vintage tins, trays, covered Pyrex bowls, and a cool green cardboard suitcase with bright daisies.

 

Another daisy, ready to list ... these are size 7.

 

Check out the faceted lucite heel!

 

 On The Kitchen Counters

 

A flock of angels, and some antique postcards.

 

A collection of spoons, from Savers in Vancouver, B.C.

 

Garage sale find ... Garfield mugs from McDonald's, circa 1979

 

This one's a little scary!  Dorothy, Glinda, and the Cowardly Lion, next to a milk bottle and in front of a cigar box purse.  I really wonder who stood up these Happy Meal toys.

 

This is NOT decorating, honest ... but there sure is a lot of work to do after taking two months off to work on my own house.  If you see anything you can't live without, be sure to let me know!  How about this next little gem that followed me home?

 

Yes, someone will buy this ... isn't life amazing?

 

If you'd like to share a post about junking, just follow the directions below. I've created a button to place on your blog, so please grab a copy, tell your friends, and jump right in.

 

How to Particpate in 30 Days of Junkin' ...

 

1.  Write a post about junking on your blog, or link to a post you've already written.  We want to hear about the hunt and the rewards ... where you shop, how you do it, and what you do with your goodies.  This is a celebration of All Things Junk, so please share your treasures as well as your tips.

 

2.  Place the 30 Days of Junkin' button at the top of your post.

 

3.  Add your permalink using Mr. Linky.  Please do not link until your post is up.

 

 

I encourage everyone to share at least one post celebrating junkin' during April, any day you wish.  Once your post is up and linked, you can grab a copy of this badge for your sidebar.  Please link it back to my main blog addy ... http://auctiongirlvintage.typepad.com

 

 

Show & Tell Friday ~ Funky Folk Art Mirror

Here's a funky piece of folk art I found for one dollar at a church rummage sale a couple months ago.  I think this little lady is about 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide.  I don't have exact measurements, as she's in the garage at my studio, waiting to be listed on eBay.  I'm sure there's someone who'd like to give her a new home.

 

 

She began her life as a simply-framed mirror, whose frame was lovingly painted with pretty pink roses.  A layer of wooden scalloped trim was added, and vintage buttons in shades of white, ivory, and taupe were added with a glue gun.  One button is missing from the bottom.  Her arms are chair spindles, and she has a charming bluebird on her shoulder.   I think she'd look lovely in someone's cottage, possibly in the powder room, kitchen, or a little girl's room.  It would be easy to swap the mirror for a chalkboard, or to simply paint over the mirror with blackboard paint.

 

 

Show & Tell Friday is hosted by Kelli at There Is No Place Like Home.   

Pink Saturday ~ Pink Christmas Ornaments

Happy Pink Saturday! 

I had fun taking these sweet pink photos for my eBay store today, so thought I'd pop them in here in the middle of a busy afternoon ...

Rosey pink round ornaments, in matte and metallic/shiny finishes.  These are displayed in dishes from my Depression Glass collection:  a pink Miss America stemmed compote and a crystal Miss America sauce bowl.  I don't know the pattern name of the pretty scalloped plate in the background, but I love the way it sparkles and shines.

Other fun props in this photo:

• Shabby pink and yellow cabbage roses on yellow and white striped fabric:  this is one of a pair of vintage 1980s window valances I purchased at Savers in Phoenix a couple years ago (total cost:  under $2.00).  When I got them home, I discovered that they were both for the lefthand side of the window.  I've never gotten around to re-hemming them so they can be used, but plan to do so soon, to add them to my master bathroom, where they'll look terrific with Lulu the Chalkware Dog.
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• Silver and gold plastic twisted beaded garland, from the dollar store.
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• Vintage sheet music:  I bought tons of this at the Goodwill Outlet Store (aka "The Bins") in Vancouver, WA, during my summer trip.  Technically, sheet music is considered a paperback book at The Bins, and should cost around $1 per item.  However, there are always loose folders, binders, and portfolios mixed in with the books, patterns, magazines, and sheet music ... cram in as many loose items (magazines, patterns, sheet music, etc.) as will fit and the cost is about a buck and a half, based on the cost of a hardback book :o)

 

Icicle or teardrop ornaments in romantic shades of matte pink and metallic lilac.  Two of my favorite brooches are in the crystal Miss America sauce bowl, along with my faux pearls glasses chain.  The bowl is sitting on a frosted Princess House salad plate, atop a layer of clear glass marbles (round ones and flat ones).  Most of you probably recognize this month's Romantic Homes Magazine in the background, which has a vintage silver-and-rhinestones necklace draped over the righthand page.

 

While you're here, don't forget to download a free copy of my cookbook.

 

FREE COOKBOOK

a gift from me to you
click here for download info

 

 

 

 

 

For a full list of this week's Pink Saturday participants,
please visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound