Fill 'er Up! Stocking The Booth

Out with the old . . . 
and In with the old!

There are some new old things in the booth.

Ms. Gilda would like to introduce you to a small-scale mahogany

bombe chest, with a William Morris paper decoupage top.

She's a curvy gal.

A formerly beat-up 1940s mahogany chest has new life

in a coat of Annie Sloan Old White Chalk Paint,

and a well-buffed coat of wax.  Decoupage on top: origami squares

and Ralph Lauren glaze in tobacco.

Whoa.  Pink.

A 50 year old lift-off tray table gets a glam

treatment with hot pink paint, and a 

modern decoupage paper under the glass.

Snazzy.  And very pink.

Yes, it's a strong but beautiful color, and such fun.

 I can see martini glasses and bowls of

Cheez-Its on this table, can't you?

:-)

 Somerville Center Antiques is at 34 West Main Street in

downtown  Somerville, New Jersey.  Lots and lots of dealers,

but I think I'm the only one with a

hot pink tray table in residence just now.

Lots of new "smalls," too - from the serious to the very silly.

Which makes it fun!  -- Cass

What Graffiti?

Business has been moribund at my antiques
booth at Somerville Center Antiques.

Moribund.

Now there's a perfectly good word that I don't think I have ever used before.

This slump is probably the fault of a slow post-holiday economy,

and my totally ignoring maintenance and updating at the booth.

Probably more the latter.

Daughter Anne says she'll give me a hand this week,

moving some no-sellers back home, and bringing in new items.

And - because she is both an artist and a good soul -

she has agreed to help me do something with the

walls of the booth, which currently are a dull and dreary,

scuffed and worn-looking cream color.  Ick.

What will we do?

I'll let you know after we do it.

I probably should ask the landlord first . . . .

Cass

Goodbuys And A Mystery

The gorgeous hand carved swan decoy in my
antiques booth has swum off to a new home.

Swum?

Yup, swum.

Mr. Swan hung out in the booth for several months before

some sharp-eyed collector spotted him.

Or, maybe, just someone who thought,

"Hey, cool.  A big swan!"

**********************************

Also off to a good home, the 2-drawer stand on the left, below.

A lovely and useful original antique - 

well made American country furniture, early 19th century.

With glass pulls to die for.

My favorite kind of furniture - spare and graceful,

and not machine made.

And now, a mystery.

The tole tray on its stand has gone AWOL.

Missing.

It's not in my list of "sold" items,

and it's not in the booth.

Odd.

There are occasional thefts at the shop, but

I cannot imagine anyone smuggling

this out under his or her raincoat.

Most likely, it's taken a walk to some other booth and settled down

there for a cuppa and a chat with the other old geezers.

Or, it was sold, and credited to another dealer by mistake.

Eh, I'll figure it out later this week when I'm back at Somerville

for some booth-sprucing.  Many smalls are sold, and

some furniture, so it's looking kind of bare at the old booth.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I wish you all good things in 2013 and beyond.

-- Cass

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Booth sales were sluggish in November.
Truth?  "Sluggish" would have been an improvement.

So why, with sluggish sales, am I on the verge
of taking a second booth at another antiques mall?

Because I'm crazy?

Yes, there is that ever-present factor.

Because I've got a really supportive husband, who likes

that being busy with antiques keeps me (mostly) out of mischief?

Well, yes.

Because I think I can better target what people might want to buy

if I split my inventory between two very different locations?

Bingo!

I am beginning to accept that I am not my own buyer!

I have a passion for American country furniture from

the 19th century (18th if I can find it!).

Pieces like this:

And this:

Sadly for my sales, American country furniture

is languishing in all too many antiques shops.

 Despite all that gorgeous patina.

These pieces have such character, and they are

part of our country's history.

But period antiques are just not hot right now,

even at bargain prices.

*******************************

What is selling?

Let me give you an example:

this little table sat for months in my booth, in its original state:

I finally brought it back home, painted it with

Old White chalk paint, and popped it back to the booth.

It sold in just a few days.

Time to change tactics, don't you think?

I have been peeking around at other antiques malls,

looking for one that would be a good fit for the American furniture.

I think I have found it.

I'll be changing the Somerville Center Antiques location

to appeal more to people just starting to furnish their homes,

rather than collectors.  My period antiques will move to . . .

I'll let you know when I sign the contract!

Yeah, I'm such a tease.  :-P  

Merry Christmas!  -- Cass