I Got Nothin'

Except for this.  It is a magazine I've purchased from time to time.  Thick, nice paper and once in awhile, it occasionally speaks to me: I think I'm a little old for it actually.

I have always had an affinity for windows.  Bought and sold many antique ones and painted them on canvas.  I love the crackled paint, but could never live with it.  I think heebie jeebies; hold my nose kind of thing.  Love to buy and sell primitives, but don't usually put them in my house.  

This really spoke to me though.  I think is was written for me (though I'm old enough to know I'm not going to change the world.) But, there is hope for the problem child.  And, like Candide, I'm off to tend my garden.

Have a wonderful, magical weekend.

Look Away

A blog friend mentioned she hasn't seen my booth at the antique mall, so better look away now if you scare easily.  Here are some pics from yesterday before I started moving things around.  It is full and thus, looks a mess.  I am basically just moving things around.  Sell a few things - add some new things.  Aye yay yay.

 I had an old floral hooked rug on the floor, but it was getting trashed so I took it out.  The antique tulip quilt and the homespun twin bed sized fabric are the only textiles left in the booth.  I've gone in several times to find them balled up on the floor.  The quilt is from the 1800's and in good condition as is the homespun.

I thought they would have flown out the door, but they've been there from day one.  The cradle did finally sell, but sat there for months.

Some booth owners paint their booths.  I am not kidding.  Yes, I would have liked another color than brown, but not going to happen.  I love the spare and styled booths, but I figure, with the rent, the 10 - 15% commission and card fees, if it isn't in there, it's not going to sell.

I've got some nice old baskets, but haven't sold a one.  Same with pottery.  I have a Clarice Cliff plate and a Wade pottery pitcher and don't think I could give them away.  In fact, I brought the Wade piece home as it is in perfect condition and they will break it.  

The most expensive things in the booth are the fairy painting and the french trumeau mirror which you can't see very well.  Pretty much, I am trying to get what I paid back, or even at a loss.  But, some things, the rarest, I'm not going to budge on.

Aye yay yay.  I've had several 25% off sales, but I didn't sell more, so I haven't had one in a couple of months.

There you have it.  Almost everything in the booth is old.  This mall is in an old supermarket and is huge.  I realize that means the money is stretched out over 300 booths, but it also gets lots of traffic.  From what I can tell, it is mostly the garage sale stuff that sells.  Like I said earlier, it is a new day in the antique biz.  I need a larger booth, but am not going to pay the higher cost.  So, it is just going to have to look junky. And, I've had many items disappear and broken.  

The only thing worse would be to have to take all of this back to the farm where there is more  waiting.  

Collections

I guess it's time for me to bend over and show my backside and a few of the many things I've been keeping tucked away.  I'm not proud of it and I'm really not a hoarder.  Really.  These are all leftovers from my days of selling antiques; stuff too nice to donate to Goodwill or sell in a garage sale (the cheapest people I have ever met in my life). So, it sits in my garages and barns.  My houses are full too, though I really don't do any primitives in my houses.  I just like them, though my collections run the gamut from sterling silver to folk art and fine art. This beautiful bowl is about 14" across the top.  Someone said they made them in graduated sizes that fit inside each other.  

And who needs an old egg crate?

I keep old canning jars and milk bottles in this cabinet.

I have two of these - tall and shorter.  I don't know what people do with these, but I like old windows.  It also has a large carved thingy with a finial that goes above doors (pediment).

This was on the counter of an old general store.  Mud daubers and spiders live in it now.

This hanging kitchen cabinet is photographed upside down, but you get the gist.

The top half of an old stepback hutch; the first primitive I ever bought.  It weighs a ton.

Well, there you have it.  I'd love to have an estate sale, but since I live so far from everyone, I don't think I'd get many takers.  It is overwhelming.  My kids don't want any of it - they either don't have room or it's not their taste.  They have told me to please don't leave all this for them to have to do something with.  I think I need to catalog everything.  I don't want them selling my Native American collection of totem poles for $10. when one of them is worth over a thousand (and I bought it for $10.00). I wish I'd never bought all this stuff, but it sure was fun looking for it - kind of like hunting for Easter eggs.

Kinda Crafty

Here is something you can do with those old peeling mouldings and shelves. This hangs over my bed. It is pink painted over green. Most of these primitives have been painted many times. I scratched out the United States with OK in the middle. Then, the African continent with Saudi Arabia and India and lastly, South America. Maybe someday, Australia.