New roommate, more garage shopping, plus an announcement

It's been a long and very busy week for me (because of my work and life schedule, I tend to think of Monday as my Saturday, so the week is just ending for me).  It was a day of 4 12+ hour workdays in a row, including Saturday night when I didn't get home from work and picking up the church van until almost 11:00 PM, and Sunday I was busy from 7:00 AM until almost 11:00 PM again, not to mention the fact that a roommate moved in this week.  Meet Mary Poppins, who is currently engaged in a death match with my tablecloth, but is otherwise practically perfect in every way!:

Mary Poppins is a very young mommy rescued from a farm.  She has been
fixed and litter trained, and has moved in to my house in the city.  Her babies
are finding homes at the Kirkwood Animal Hospital, if you're interested.  And
yes, I'm even thrifty about this.  She was free, from a friend at work whose sister
owns the farm on which she had her 9 kittens (she's not even a year old herself!)   

I feel bad for Mary Poppins that she moved in during a week I've been home so little, but we're bonding in fits and starts, and she's been a very good girl - no broken treasures, no litterbox-related incidents, and I'm very hopeful that after awhile I will adjust to her dander and stop being allergic to her cute self.  I am currently having a blast saying things like "Aw, Mary Poppins is chasing her tail", but when I talk to her I usually call her Poppy, except when I'm singing to her "It's a Jolly Holliday with Mary", which I can't seem to stop doing.

Oh, and look - I may have figured out why I needed the cool old chicken-housey thing I got a couple of weeks ago:

Mary Poppins' new house?

Anyway, as you can see, it's been an awfully busy week, and I'm still on a no-thrifting diet at the moment, so I had to shop the old garage for items for the booth again this week, but I'm pretty sure it's all stuff I've never posted before:

4 small smoked glass ashtrays?  Change trays?  I love love love the monorail one!

Royal Haeger Aztec Gold vase in a fun atomic shape in shiny, shiny gold.  So glamo-funky!

Pair of pretty embroidered napkins.

I had a matching kitty in the shop, but somebody already snapped her up.  If you're reading
this, kitty buyer, there's now a matching pup, albeit in less awesome shape than she was.

Two teacups and a sugarbowl from the Anchor Hocking Rainbow Glass collection.

Glasbake casserole.  Don't know the name of this cute pale green pattern.

I added several other items that I apparently failed completely to photograph, but here's how the booth is looking now:

See all those hats and purses and awesome vintage clothing?  if you're anywhere near St Louis, you might want to hop on over to the 2ndhand Moon Facebook Page for an announcement on an exclusive sale on all clothing and accessories!

And don't forget to check out all the great linkups I'm linking to:

Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday, Cap Creations Thrifty Love Link Party, Her Library Adventures Flea Market Finds, and Me and My Shadow's Magpie Mondays.

Enjoy!

Introducing the competition

It's been a little over five months now since the snowy February morning that I made my wide-eyed debut peddling my vintage wares in booth 78 at Kenrick Antique Mall, and since then, to be honest, I haven't met many of my fellow vendors.  In fact, I've yet to meet the one I'm about to introduce to you all, at least in person.  But when her booth popped up shortly after mine, I felt like I knew her, or at least like she'd be a fun person to know. So of course I I had to stop for a good look.

A snap I took of the booth shortly after I first spotted it.
I wish my walls went all the way up like that!

Our styles were similar.  We both stock vintage rather than serious antique items, generally from the 40s-70s.  We both seem to have an affection for cheery colors, toys and a bit of kitsch, and we both sell crewel work and vintage luggage, but right from the start she was brave and savvy in a few ways I'm still not yet.  This booth sold furniture, brought vintage pieces new life with bright, glossy paint and, cleverly (now you know my inspiration for finally getting 2ndhand Moon on Facebook) engaged in branding.  The booth was, adorably, called "Jack Loves Fronie".  The kind of name that sticks in your head.  So I asked my good friend Google about it, found the Facebook page and sent a message.  

We've swapped stories a bit since then, and found a few more things in common, and almost from the beginning I thought how fun it would be to do a little profile here on the blog - to share with you guys what awesome (and friendly!) competition I have for your interest when you wander the aisles of our mall.  So I finally got around to it, and now you get to meet Rachel Mowrey, proud proprietor of booth 12 at Kenrick Antique Mall.  Here's her smiling face now, with two of her adorable children:

How exactly does a mom of 3 manage to also keep up with an antique shop?
The one question I didn't ask her - every superwoman has secrets to keep!

I did send Rachel a list of questions, and here are her answers, interspersed with pics she supplied of some of her favorite items you've already missed the chance to snap up - her favorite sales!

How would you like to introduce yourself? What should readers know about you?

I'm Rachel. I'm the wife of an amazing guy, mom to three sweet kids and a graphic designer who finally realized it's ok to shop at thrift stores! I'm hooked and always feel like there's a treasure out there waiting to be found!

Gold-striped coffee carafe

Golden hearts Pyrex dish

I love your booth - you have a fun, lighthearted retro vibe. How would you describe your style? Where does it come from?

I'm starting to grow into my style, I'd say. It's definitely unstuffy, retro and eclectic. My philosophy has been, if I like it, somehow it will fit. I am drawn to mid century, but not always modern. I love pattern and color and like to pair things that don't belong in the same style family or era. I like to think of our home as my constant art work in progress!


I credit my style to my grandparents (the shop is named after them: Jack + Fronie...short for Florence), though I doubt they would take credit! I always loved the style I saw in faded photos from their youth and my mom and uncle's childhood. There was something so alluring about the 1950s and 60s...almost like a dream. Visiting my aunt and uncle's house and seeing their nostalgia on display and hearing their records constantly turning created a spark in me.

Damask chair

Fun blue floral chair

Have you always been interested in 'old junk'? What got you started?

I have always been interested in old junk! It's funny to think that it's always been in me, but as I grew older, I didn't feel the freedom to explore. As a child, I would collect small trinkets and hide them in a bottle with a corked lid and tuck it away. I'd forget about it and then, when I would discover it months later, I'd spend an hour pulling each trinket out and savoring the memory or beauty of it. As a teenager, I always preferred shopping at thrift stores but my family couldn't understand why I'd ever want things that had been used by someone else. It took hitting my thirties to realize that I'm not the only one into this sort of idea and that, actually, it's a really helpful outlet for me to express myself creatively!

A trio of kitschy big-eyed owls - so cute!

And a pair of chi-chi fancy peacocks

What's the first vintage item you remember acquiring? Do you still have it?

The first vintage piece I remember acquiring would be an old 1940s hat. I started collecting them around age 8 or 9. But a fonder item would be a rusty, vintage Clash of the Titans lunch box I got at a flea market and took my lunch to school in faithfully my junior and senior year of high school.  Unfortunately, I have no idea what happened to any of those things!

Big, bright, pretty crewelwork basket of flowers.

What's the best treasure you've ever scored? 

The best treasure I ever scored was a 1960s Plycraft Mr. Chair off Craigslist. It wasn't listed for sale but I saw it sitting in the background of someone's garage and got them to sell it to me for a song. It needed reupholstering, which I never ended up getting around to, so I resold it and now it resides with Mr. Modtomic who recovered it himself!

The (envy-worthy) chair itself, after Mr Mod's
ministrations (photo linked to his awesome site).

What sorts of things insipre you?

I'm easily inspired, I think. I love small towns and movie theaters, where it feels like time has not passed by too quickly. I love little details, soft light in the evening from a great old lamp, the comfort of quiet habits like cups of coffee in my favorite mug in the morning (or afternoon). I love seeing how other people take old things and give them a new spin, though, most often, I find the original beauty of things even better. As a design major, I can't avoid saying I appreciate beautiful typography, poignant photography and great illustration. But most of all, I am inspired by that sparkle in my family's eyes that comes from me thinking of them and creating spaces that makes them feel cozy and cared for!

Bright, fun, funky luggage.

Saucy electric blue mirror.

Where do you usually find your treasures? Any secrets to share with other vintage lovers like yourself?

I find most of my treasures out thrifting. My favorite spots are any of the Value Villages, Goodwills or Salvation Armies. I hit St. Vincent DePaul off South Kingshighway a few times a week since it's near my house. Most of the really great stuff comes from estate sales, but I don't often get the chance to do estates much. My biggest treasure trove is small town shopping, usually when I visit my mom in northeast Missouri. Things are much more affordable there and I stock up on lots of inventory when I travel to that neck of the woods!

Pretty buttery sofa

Dramatic red velvet sofa

Can you believe all the fabulous stuff Rachel has already sold?  But don't worry, there's still plenty for you, if you've missed out so far!  Here are a few of the items that stood out to me when I took a peek at the competition the other day:

Round suitcase

Cute toy piano!

Pretty cookware - Fire King?

Adorable bright cups/saucers

And here are some pictures Rachel provided to give you an idea of how her booth looks and what's for sale now:

Love the mushroom/butterfly wall hangings!

Great stuff on a great shelf!

The whole big lovely booth - isn't it fun?  You know you want to check it out!

 So now that you know all about my competition, why don't you come down to Kenrick Antique Mall on Watson Road in Shrewsbury and check us both out?  Rachel's booth, Jack Loves Fronie, is booth # 12 at the end of the first row as you walk in, and the 2ndhand Moon booth, #78 is about 2/3 of the way back on the east side of row 3, and both are chock full of goodness just waiting for you!

And don't forget to check out the Facebook pages:
Jack Loves Fronie and 2ndhand Moon

Booth update 3/27/2012

For the first time this week I was a little disappointed when I went to the booth.  As far as I can tell, I only sold one item this past week - again, vintage menswear.  Who new?

Still, last week I sold so much I was doing the happy dance, so hopefully for the month it will average out to still be even better than February.  I had intended to try and work some of the increasingly large collection of crewelwork I have accrued in to the booth this week, but the cutely scalloped and totally free long skinny shelf I acquired the other day seemed to be so perfect size and style wise that I decided to go another route, at least for now.  I may even make myself a wicked-crewel (see what I did there?) collage on the wall at home for awhile - imagine, decorating my own walls!  So here are some shots of the various items I added to the booth this morning.  Some of these pieces were just procured this weekend, but only the disco ball was part of the Big Trash Day free haul.:

kitschy hummel-esque 70s candle.

Disco ball!

Tall aluminum thermos (red lid is mismatched).

Awesome  yellow retro phone!

I think it might be to keep valuables in for
boating?  It would float if it went overboard...

Singer button-hole kit in a cool space-shippy case.

Cheery yellow lemon jar-pitcher.

1964 toy xylophone w/original mallet and string.

Joan Bryant wood grain clown print.

Small green vinyl suitcase with red/yellow/green stripes.

Vintage child-size Taos beaded moccasins.

Pair of 12 oz Butterfly Gold Pyrex fridgies.

Pair of floral Easter bonnety hats.  Are there still Red Hat ladies?

I forgot to get a shot of the great sunny yellow old men's Arrow shirt you can see the shoulder of in the above picture.  So Springy!

And here's one final shot of the whole booth, newly arranged and added to:

Lots of new items - come and get 'em at Booth 78 at Kenrick Antique Mall, and I'll keep adding more!

I really didn't think I could fit much more in there, but I don't think it looks too cluttered, do you?  And I like Bambi's new perch on the shelf, too!  Here's a slightly closer look at the shelf:

What do you think?  I'm liking it, although I'm starting to wish I hadn't hung the two small suitcases cockeyed like that...

Guess who has two thumbs and Actually Made a Profit?

You guessed it!:

This girl again!

I am so excited, you guys!  I stopped by Kenrick Antique Mall yesterday to pay March's rent on booth 78 and get my check/info for last month and find out what all I sold.  Now, I didn't have anything available for sale until the 13th, so I'm feeling kinda spiffy at this point, because: I sold 15 items, for a total of $113.50!  Of course, my pro-rated February rent was $79.00, plus the mall's commission and the 3% per item I lost if the customer payed with plastic took off another $12.84, which leaves $21.66.  Minus what I paid for the items in question (I had to guestimate on some because of my extremely poor organizational/planning skills), I would say I made at least five bucks!

Celebratory fireworks - Wahoo!

Perhaps I'm crazy to celebrate making five dollars in the course of two and a half weeks, but here's my reasoning:

1.  When I was pondering giving this a try, I chose to consider it an educational opportunity and, expecting to lose money, at least initially, told myself that it would be like paying for a class in reselling vintage goodies.

2.  I'm already starting to learn from it.  I have a list of 15 items that sold right off the bat.  I have already sold 2 of the 3 men's hats that I started out with in the booth.  That wasn't something I originally expected to be a big seller, so now I will be looking out for more.
3.  I also told myself that if I lost money consistently for 3 months, the experiment would be over.  So this at least means I get to keep trying.

4.  It's $5 for doing something I actually enjoy.  Hundreds or thousands made doing something you tolerate in order to pay the bills is useful, but occasionally depressing.  Ten bucks made doing something that I love doing, while it won't pay the bills, at least makes me feel justified to continue doing this very fun thing.

So yay me!

Guess who's got two thumbs and sold some stuff?

THIS GIRL!

 I ended up staying away from the booth yesterday after all, on the theory that I should wait until it had been up and running with actual prices on the items for a week before I go back the first time.  Like if I didn't, it would be cheating, and nothing would be sold and I'd be disappointed and... stuff.

So I stopped in this morning, and it looked more or less like it did when I left it last week, but I've definitely spotted a few items that are no longer present, so, while I can't confirm until the end of the month exactly what all sold (I don't think.  There were real live customers at the counter, so I didn't bother trying to ask if they could tell me today), I can show you this new picture:

Booth #78 at the Kenrick Antique mall, one week in!

In my quick perusal, I noticed that the black leather cowboy hat that used to be above where my "new vendor" sign is (Thanks for that, by the way, Kenrick folks!!) appears to have gone, along with the cool Austrian felt slippers that were under the suitcases, the blue Tupperware sugar and cream containers that matched the ones from my childhood, and the cute mushroom-decorated mail sorter that I got on one of my thrift jaunts when I was in Chicago.  And it just now, for the first time occurred to me that it would've been a good idea to write down the prices I put on those items (I know, I can't believe how slow I am either!).  Anyway, I am downright giddy and feel like a giant success even though I seriously doubt I'm on pace to break even just yet.

I added a set of 4 Fire King cups/saucers with the Harvest pattern this morning, like this one from http://www.firekingmugs.com:

Fire King Harvest pattern

I'll probably be adding some more items tomorrow.  More on that a little later this evening.