It wasn’t all that long ago it would have taken a team of wild horses to get me to go to an auction. Even though I had never been, for some reason I had the idea that I would be bored to tears, and that anything I might win would be nothing more than someone else’s junk. Now granted, all of that is a distinct possibility, but overall, I had no idea what I was missing!
During one particularly boring period of time during a holiday break, my wife suggested that we attend an auction that evening, just to “see what it was like”. I was so bored, and my only alternative was to go visit relatives, that I finally gave in and said “yes”. I was sorry as soon as I said it, but it was too late to back out. Besides, bored as I was, visiting relatives was a fate worse than attending an auction; at least I was sure it had to be.
The auction preview began at 4:00 p.m., with the auction starting at 6:00. As soon as I walked in, I knew I had made a mistake (or so I thought). I had never seen so much junk in one place in all my life (well, maybe my basement, but other than there)! Upon closer inspection, I found that there were some really nice items hidden away among the box lots of junk. I collect different types of pottery; Roseville, Weller, Rookwood, etc., and there were some very nice pieces that were going to be auctioned off. Of course, I was used to buying them at antique stores, etc., and although auction prices were supposed to be lower, I didn’t think the difference would be worth mentioning. Boy was I wrong!
Roseville pieces that retailed for several hundred dollars were being auctioned off for between $60-$80 bucks, some even less than that! I couldn’t believe it! Although some items went for quite a lot…much more than I would have paid…most were sold for very reasonable prices. It was becoming obvious to me that there were some terrific bargains to be had for the careful bidder. I was hooked!
Over the next couple of years, auctions allowed me to increase my collection of pottery very quickly. Unfortunately, it grew much too quickly. It soon became apparent that the rate our collection was growing would quickly consume all available storage space in the house, and then some. Something had to give…and by this time, I was hooked on auctions, so I wasn’t about to give them up. There was only one option…some things had to go.
If you’re a collector, you know how difficult it is to part with items in your collection. I think the phrase is “culling out.” Unfortunately, if I wanted to stay married, it appeared as if I didn’t have any choice in the matter, and so the very difficult task of culling the collection began (even more difficult with my wife in the background constantly muttering, “What have I done?”).
This was probably the most difficult thing I had ever done. Each piece in the collection was purchased for a reason, and having to choose which one stayed and which one didn’t was next to impossible. With the “help” of my over-eager wife, over a period of months we whittled the collection down to something reasonable. Now the next challenge…how to get rid of those items that didn’t make the cut.
To be continued.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Yes, Yes…I Know You’ve Heard it All Before, BUT…
Economic times really ARE tough! You hear it all the time. Everyone’s saying it, even those who have a good job and a steady income. I think we all feel it, regardless of our economic status…something’s just not right with the way the economy is working..or not working. The question is, exactly what is the problem, and how do we fix it? There’s a lot of blame to go around, and depending upon who you listen to will determine who’s at fault. I don’t think it’s all that simple, as a lot of different factors went into creating the economy we have now.
It wasn’t all that long ago, you could put just about any old thing up on the major selling sites, and it would be gone within days. I remember putting an old universal garage door opener up for sale on the Bay. The package was even opened, because we had tried it out, only to find it didn’t work on our particular brand of door opener. I put it up for sale, more as a lark than anything else…and it sold for 12 bucks, within 48 hours. At the time, I think that was almost two dollars more than I had paid for it.
There were other times when I would put items up and literally have bids before I logged off the site. It was pretty heady being a seller then. Very expensive collectibles were fairly easy to sell for nice profits. Those were fun times…people were eager to spend their money.
Fast forward to today. It appears as if those days are gone..at least for the near future. People are holding on to their dollars, and only spending what they absolutely have to. Savings levels for American families are way up. Brian O'Connell, in a recent article comments that savings levels today may be hurting the economic recovery (http://www.bankingmyway.com/save/savings/higher-savings-rate-hurting-us) because people aren’t spending. I’m not so sure how I feel about that assessment, but the article is an interesting read.
Many of us sell collectibles on-line. In times like this, most people will consider these items luxuries. “Should I spend 75 bucks on a Roseville vase, or hold onto that money for a trip to the grocery store. For many people, that choice is a no brainer…and I fear it’s going to be a “no brainer” for some time to come.
It wasn’t all that long ago, you could put just about any old thing up on the major selling sites, and it would be gone within days. I remember putting an old universal garage door opener up for sale on the Bay. The package was even opened, because we had tried it out, only to find it didn’t work on our particular brand of door opener. I put it up for sale, more as a lark than anything else…and it sold for 12 bucks, within 48 hours. At the time, I think that was almost two dollars more than I had paid for it.
There were other times when I would put items up and literally have bids before I logged off the site. It was pretty heady being a seller then. Very expensive collectibles were fairly easy to sell for nice profits. Those were fun times…people were eager to spend their money.
Fast forward to today. It appears as if those days are gone..at least for the near future. People are holding on to their dollars, and only spending what they absolutely have to. Savings levels for American families are way up. Brian O'Connell, in a recent article comments that savings levels today may be hurting the economic recovery (http://www.bankingmyway.com/save/savings/higher-savings-rate-hurting-us) because people aren’t spending. I’m not so sure how I feel about that assessment, but the article is an interesting read.
Many of us sell collectibles on-line. In times like this, most people will consider these items luxuries. “Should I spend 75 bucks on a Roseville vase, or hold onto that money for a trip to the grocery store. For many people, that choice is a no brainer…and I fear it’s going to be a “no brainer” for some time to come.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
There's Always Someone Who is Not as Lucky as You!
I think sometimes we have a tendency to complain too much. At least, I know I do. Whether it's slow sales, grumpy customers, or grumpy spouses, we sometimes get caught up in our own problems and forget about the folks around us who have it worse than we do.
A good example of this happened to me over the last 2 weeks. As you probably know, the East Coast was visited by a category 1 hurricane a couple of weeks back. We're not really use to this type of weather in the Northeast, and so its arrival was heralded with some trepidation. We made preparations as best we could; tied down everything that needed tied down, brought in anything from outside that could turn into a wind powered missile, and made sure we had plenty of wine on hand to "weather" the storm.
As it turned out, the storm packed quite a wallop when it came to rain. We were very lucky that the winds were not as strong as predicted. The damage, however, was done by the heavy rains. Areas flooded that had never done so before. I don't know what we find so fascinating about floods, but there's just something in us that tends to make us sit back with jaw dropping amazement at what nature can do.
After it was all over, we ended up with no more than a bit of water under the garage door, and a small leak in the chimney. I wasn't too happy about this, because we had just paid to have that small leak fixed last year. Apparently it was back to torment us once again.
Before I had a chance to call my roofer and give him what for, I found out that our dear friends who live next to a creek down by the Delaware River, lost absolutely everything in the ensuing flood. They own an old, 3 story stone house dating back from when their property had a mill on the premises. They've been flooded before, but never more than the first floor of their home. Apparently one wall of the nearby canal gave way, creating a wave of water from the Delaware backward up the creek. It came so fast and furious; they barely had a chance to escape with their lives. The water reached the ceiling of their second floor, wiping out everything. They lost not only their possessions in the house, but also all their automobiles, their barns, and their small cottage. He described the first floor as looking as if it was "covered with 3 feet of chocolate pudding, only it smelled like sewage and dead fish."
The next time I feel like complaining about slow sales, or a bit of water leaking in the chimney, I'll think twice...and count my blessings.
A good example of this happened to me over the last 2 weeks. As you probably know, the East Coast was visited by a category 1 hurricane a couple of weeks back. We're not really use to this type of weather in the Northeast, and so its arrival was heralded with some trepidation. We made preparations as best we could; tied down everything that needed tied down, brought in anything from outside that could turn into a wind powered missile, and made sure we had plenty of wine on hand to "weather" the storm.
As it turned out, the storm packed quite a wallop when it came to rain. We were very lucky that the winds were not as strong as predicted. The damage, however, was done by the heavy rains. Areas flooded that had never done so before. I don't know what we find so fascinating about floods, but there's just something in us that tends to make us sit back with jaw dropping amazement at what nature can do.
After it was all over, we ended up with no more than a bit of water under the garage door, and a small leak in the chimney. I wasn't too happy about this, because we had just paid to have that small leak fixed last year. Apparently it was back to torment us once again.
Before I had a chance to call my roofer and give him what for, I found out that our dear friends who live next to a creek down by the Delaware River, lost absolutely everything in the ensuing flood. They own an old, 3 story stone house dating back from when their property had a mill on the premises. They've been flooded before, but never more than the first floor of their home. Apparently one wall of the nearby canal gave way, creating a wave of water from the Delaware backward up the creek. It came so fast and furious; they barely had a chance to escape with their lives. The water reached the ceiling of their second floor, wiping out everything. They lost not only their possessions in the house, but also all their automobiles, their barns, and their small cottage. He described the first floor as looking as if it was "covered with 3 feet of chocolate pudding, only it smelled like sewage and dead fish."
The next time I feel like complaining about slow sales, or a bit of water leaking in the chimney, I'll think twice...and count my blessings.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Nice Day for a Walk...or in My Case...a Gimp
Yesterday was one of the nicest days around here that I can remember for quite a while. It also happened to coincide with the Wednesday flea market in the next town. I've been frustrated most of the summer with a severely sprained ankle, and yesterday was just too much to ignore.
I bravely strapped on my ankle brace, got into the car and headed to the flea market. Apparently, everyone else in the local area had the same idea. The place was jammed! Usually this early in the morning, traffic is very light, but this morning I was lucky to have a place to park. Swell...that much more of a distance to walk on this bum ankle. Nevertheless, the day was gorgeous, and I had some cash to burn, so off I went...slowly.
One of the things I noticed almost immediately was the prices on the items for sale. I may have been out of commission for June and July, but that wasn't enough time for inflation to hit the country THAT fast! On many of the items that held my interest, the prices were at or above retail! I couldn't believe it! I think too many of these good folks watch Antiques Roadshow and believe that the items they're selling are rare, and therefore worth lots of money. Trust me...most of the stuff is quite frankly, junk. If yesterday was any indication, the days of finding a real bargain at the flea market might be coming to a close. I'm not ready to give up...but it certainly was disheartening.
While I was there, I stopped and talked to a few friends that I know and haven't seen for a while, but after a couple of hours, I decided to call it quits and hobble on home. No luck. Not even close, but it was sure a nice day for a walk.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Be Informed When it Comes to Shipping
Unfortunately, shipping costs are a fact of life in running an on-line business. It's also a given that these costs are not going to remain static for long periods of time. When I started selling on the internet 7 years ago, it was not uncommon to be able to ship a fairly large package for under 10 bucks. Since most of the items I sell are fragile, my packages tend to weigh a bit more and be a bit larger than normal due to the extra cushioning material I use. Double boxing doesn’t help either. Since shipping costs now depend on both weight AND volume, not to mention the price of fuel for the delivery trucks, I've seen my costs go up significantly over the last few years.
This, of course, makes little difference to the casual on-line buyer. I say casual because people who tend to buy often on-line are fairly knowledgeable about what things cost to ship. This is not necessarily the case with buyers who only make the occasional purchase.
Shipping breakable items means extra cushioning, and added size and weight to any package. Anything less, and the seller is taking a huge chance with his reputation, and therefore his or her business. This means it now becomes common to have packages that cost between 15 and 20 dollars to ship. Packing and shipping art work can easily run up shipping costs of 30 dollars or more.
Of more concern are the less expensive items. Most people cringe at buying a $10 dollar item, and paying more than that for shipping (I know…I’m one of them). This might be fine if the item is hard to find; not so fine if the item can be obtained locally with a bit of effort. This situation may cause many sellers who specialize in less expensive items to rethink their on-line selling strategy.
In any case, if you buy on-line, you need to be aware of the expenses your sellers incur to get their goods to you in a safe and timely manner. If you think the shipping costs really are too high, don’t be afraid to ask the seller why they charge what they do. Most sellers will be more than happy to explain their costs to you. Be an informed buyer.
This, of course, makes little difference to the casual on-line buyer. I say casual because people who tend to buy often on-line are fairly knowledgeable about what things cost to ship. This is not necessarily the case with buyers who only make the occasional purchase.
Shipping breakable items means extra cushioning, and added size and weight to any package. Anything less, and the seller is taking a huge chance with his reputation, and therefore his or her business. This means it now becomes common to have packages that cost between 15 and 20 dollars to ship. Packing and shipping art work can easily run up shipping costs of 30 dollars or more.
Of more concern are the less expensive items. Most people cringe at buying a $10 dollar item, and paying more than that for shipping (I know…I’m one of them). This might be fine if the item is hard to find; not so fine if the item can be obtained locally with a bit of effort. This situation may cause many sellers who specialize in less expensive items to rethink their on-line selling strategy.
In any case, if you buy on-line, you need to be aware of the expenses your sellers incur to get their goods to you in a safe and timely manner. If you think the shipping costs really are too high, don’t be afraid to ask the seller why they charge what they do. Most sellers will be more than happy to explain their costs to you. Be an informed buyer.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Best Laid Plans
This was the end of my last year in the teaching profession. As June approached, I could feel my excitement building regarding the prospect of starting all over again. I have been looking forward to concentrating on doing my on-line collectibles business full time. Finally, I could spend the time I had, doing what I wanted to do, not what someone else wanted me to do.
Selling collectibles on-line requires a lot of time going to auctions and flea markets, something that I really enjoy. However it also requires a lot of walking, something else that I like to do. What better way to spend time than to put two things together that I enjoy doing? Well...as fate would have it...a few monkey wrenches have been thrown into my plans.
Two days before the end of work, I somehow got my foot caught up in a footstool (bit of irony there), and injured both my ankle and calf muscle. Not all that much pain involved, but it prevented me from being mobile for a while. After about 5 weeks of rehab, things were getting back to normal. This is about the time my stupidity kicked in.
I had to go down to the basement to do a load of wash. I always put my shoes on when I do this, but this particular time my foot was feeling really good, and I was in a hurry. Bad move. Walking across the basement floor, carrying a load of wash, I stepped on the only remaining clothespin within a hundred miles. Of course, it was with my previously injured ankle. Of course this caused me to lose my balance, my foot twisted, and viola...a severely sprained ankle!
So once again I'm in the rehab stage...Probably another 3 weeks or so before things get back to some semblance of normalcy so that I can walk. In the meantime, I'll just have to be patient about getting my "new life" going...again...and try not to do anything stupid. My wife has her doubts.
Selling collectibles on-line requires a lot of time going to auctions and flea markets, something that I really enjoy. However it also requires a lot of walking, something else that I like to do. What better way to spend time than to put two things together that I enjoy doing? Well...as fate would have it...a few monkey wrenches have been thrown into my plans.
Two days before the end of work, I somehow got my foot caught up in a footstool (bit of irony there), and injured both my ankle and calf muscle. Not all that much pain involved, but it prevented me from being mobile for a while. After about 5 weeks of rehab, things were getting back to normal. This is about the time my stupidity kicked in.
I had to go down to the basement to do a load of wash. I always put my shoes on when I do this, but this particular time my foot was feeling really good, and I was in a hurry. Bad move. Walking across the basement floor, carrying a load of wash, I stepped on the only remaining clothespin within a hundred miles. Of course, it was with my previously injured ankle. Of course this caused me to lose my balance, my foot twisted, and viola...a severely sprained ankle!
So once again I'm in the rehab stage...Probably another 3 weeks or so before things get back to some semblance of normalcy so that I can walk. In the meantime, I'll just have to be patient about getting my "new life" going...again...and try not to do anything stupid. My wife has her doubts.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Defying the Laws of Physics
My plan was to reorganize my home office to reflect the fact that I would now be spending all of my free time building my business. Of course, the first thing I had to do was clean out the office before I started reorganizing, and I figured I could accomplish this in just a few short days. Boy was I wrong! I didn't realize a room that small could hold that much! In fact, it appears that the room is actually defying the laws of physics in that the more I throw out, the more I seem to find! I don't know where all of this stuff is coming from, but it appears to me that "stuff" is being created faster than I can clean it out.
So much for being done and ready to go in three days. As I start my second week of clean up, I have hopes that I might be able to finish by the end of the weekend. I'm probably safer not making any predictions, but I can guarantee the trash and recycle guys aren't going to be too happy with me this week! Back to work!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
