Sterling silver :)

The ultimate thrifting problem: non-working watches

So I was out-of-town yesterday for a meeting and needing a thrift fix before I drove back home. I stopped at a large charity store en route, and was happy to see that they were open 'til 6 (it was already 5).

I wasn't very excited, until I remembered that I, as a reseller, actually look for specific things, and that I might find cool stuff (I know, I'm weird - thrift wandering is good on its own). So I walked over to the mugs, looked through the vintage ties, found a man excitedly looking through records, all with empty hands. I found some red Vara bow Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, but they were in bad shape, and they were size 7AA, so I didn't feel up to fixing them, only to have them sit in my shop for a year.

Behind the front counter, the store had small plastic tubs, filled with jewelry. I asked the employee to let me see them, which he gave me one at a time, and I slowly went through the hundreds of pins, earrings, and necklaces, all in small plastic bags, looking for sellable pieces. In the end, I found about 2 ounces (over 50 grams) of sterling silver jewelry for a little over $4. I can't quite explain it, but it made my day. It made me feel smart and thrifty and productive for the day.

I finished off this awesome day with a taco truck burrito and a crazy-exciting high school girls basketball game. The team I was there to see was up by eleven in the first few minutes, only to find themselves down by two, with two minutes left in the 4th quarter. A foul, followed by two perfect foul shots (Ack! One minute left!) and a three-pointer with 21 seconds on the clock. Booyah. Great game.

"What the hell does she sell?"

Serious, hard core, Sanita Danish leather clogs with wood bottoms - Booyah.

I get asked this question all the time. And every time it happens, I dig deep into my brain, and think, "What the hell do I sell?"

I get caught up in the routine of it, I guess, the buying, the cleaning, the organizing in my small space, and then the shipping and then the bill paying. Ack! There are a lot of steps, and it's no wonder that I get lost in the busyness of it all. So I'm evaluating my purchase/selling history, in an effort to define what I do, share my extreme lack of wisdom, and continue to move away from my brooding into a lighter mood for the holidays.

1. Milk glass/Fire King Mugs with Words/Pictures (blank ones don't sell as well)
2. Genuine Danish clogs
3. Vintage sewing patterns
4. SO many boots
5. Vintage Vera Neumann linens and scarves
6. Starbucks city mugs
7. Vintage heels, usually colorful and fun
8. Crewel and Embroidery kits
9. Vintage or artsy ties
10. Belt buckles

I especially thank Apron Thrift Girl and The Recyle-ista for keeping me up to date on what is selling, and inspiring me to look for new and interesting things in my own corner of the world.

Peace out mofos :)