Stuff from Under The Sink

I really, really wish that people would not sell their half used toiletries from underneath the bathroom sink. Gross! One place this morning had three tables' full of it - hello? Would you buy an open tube of toothpaste from a garage sale? Do people actually buy this stuff?

Not us, obviously.

I used a bit more discretion today in how carefully I looked over some the stops on the garage sale trail - I didn't sit in the car the whole time, but I was rather quick in my perusals. It saved my senses from feeling overwhelmed, so it would seem that I learned my lesson last weekend.

Generally speaking, we do best at the homes of older people, whose belonging are also older. That makes sense. At the same time, you have to look much more carefully at these stops for the condition of the items; there will be things that have been used for decades, and so will be much more worn. We're always looking for those treasures that come from a loving home - well cared for.

(And if you can believe it, we even bought a couple of teapots today. I never thought that I'd be buying more teapots!)

Getting Re(t)a(i)l

OK, so that's an awkward title for a post! But I'm actually excited that yesterday I took delivery of a credit card terminal so we can put through those sales that I've been whining about. I'm waiting on a call from the helpful technician from NACCA, who sent us the machine. He'll run me through how to operate the thing, and we'll be off.

It's a step backwards technologically speaking, since we started out being set up for doing the transactions with them for the internet store. But since that's about to close up shop, we had to make alternate arrangements so that we could still have the convenience of offering the convenience of plastic at our shows.

This company has been helpful and supportive throughout the entire chaotic experience with TIAS. They actually speak with me on the phone, and answer their emails within hours, if not minutes, of getting them. Yes, I'm still a mite titchy about the treatment we had at the hands (-off) of TIAS.

So we'll be able to do the manual imprinting at the shows, and run each transaction through the terminal at home (or wherever we are, as long as we have electricity and a phone line) and that will be it. What a relief. And, what an advantage!

....The training for the terminal unit was a breeze. I was able to key in the transaction that I had left over from the West Palm Beach show. So great not to have to worry about the website coordination to do these! This is older generation technology - you need a land line for the phone, and a plug. None of this handheld wireless stuff - but then, this IS an antiques business. Aw! Isn't that cute! (But I loved it!)

What we pack our treasures in

Here's a secret to share from the antique dealers' world. We wrap our treasures not in newsprint, getting our fingers dirty and necessitating multiple uses of baby wipes, or, if we're lucky, soap and water; we have a secret weapon.

They're reusable, waterproof, absorbent, soft, and inexpensive. You'll never guess what they are...

Puppy training pads.

They allow us to pack up a show in the rain without having to worry about drying everything off first, because they're absorbent. They've got a waterproof underside so you don't have to worry about everything getting soggy and falling apart. The absorbent material is very soft and cushioning so it's perfect for fragile porcelain and glass objects. You can buy an enormous package of 200 12" x 24" inch pads for about $20 and they'll last for years. They don't shred or disintegrate - bad for landfills, but great for durability.

And that's the Tip Of The Day.

Garage Sales and GPS

We've spent the weekend going to the many garage sales in the immediate area, to stock up on the particular things that we need (colored glassware, teacups, and animal figurines - go figure!). Around here and during this time of year, the newspapers publish a garage sale map every weekend of the county, with the Saturday, Sunday, and both days' sales clearly marked on the map.

Armed with our TomTom - perhaps Bob's most favorite Christmas present of recent years - getting from house to house without a hassle is all but guaranteed. You do need to type in your next destination before you leave your last, or at least I do, risking getting car sick and getting confusing commands from the calm voice of the unit, as it tells you to "turn around as soon as possible." And there are times when the thing just seems as lost as WE are. But overall, it's removed the stress from figuring out which way the one-way streets are going, and how to most efficiently get from one place to the next.

All I can say is - thank goodness for that gadget, because the garage sales themselves are really hard work to go to. In many ways I have to equate it to dumpster diving, because people will put broken and filthy items out for sale that aren't even suitable for donation to a charity. I don't know how people get the nerve to do it (I even saw, at one garage sale, a package of feminine yeast infection OTC remedy - what on earth?) - is it desperation, stupidity, or what I've come to think of that Jerry Springer mentality, where people don't seem to mind that they are literally airing their dirty laundry for the sake of a couple of dollars? Got me, but I felt slightly sickened at what I saw at some of these sales.

We did pick up one bad find this morning, at what had been signed as an "estate sale" outside of a double-wide trailer. It looked like tables of stuff that had been left outside for weeks, if not months - covered with dirt and grime. We found a lovely teacup and saucer, and negotiated down to what we thought was a fair price. It wasn't until we got it home and gave it a good wash that we saw that the underside of the saucer had a chip out of it. Darn! Condition is king in this business, so although it's still a very pretty piece, it's not worth very much at all because of that chip. So we've got to be more careful, and feel the edges of what we're proposing to buy.

Also picked up this weekend: several pieces of jewelry, a German beer stein, an owl ceramic bank (looking very 1970's), a brass owl trivet, and some amber glass tumblers and dessert glasses. We were pretty careful to stick to our shopping list, as we could have easily come home with plates, books, and other things - but I'm guessing that it makes sense to be firm in sticking to what we know we need, rather than buying what catches our eye.

This definitely is almost as hard work as doing the shows - it's a lot of driving around, and for every garage sale where we find one item, we'll have stopped at four or more that will have absolutely nothing for us. But these are the right places for us to look for our stock. We also struck out early this morning to check out the 49er Flea Market in Clearwater, Florida, which some dealers had recommended to us as a source for inventory. It opened at (yawn!) 7AM, but, as the season really is over for this area, most of the outdoor stalls were empty; many local dealers have probably started doing the shows farther north by now, where the weather is cooler. Many people travel north during the spring and summer, coming back down to Florida for the winter months.

We didn't buy a single thing there. It's not that there weren't items to buy - but the prices certainly weren't as low as I thought they would have been, even given the bargaining that you're expected to do at flea markets. And actually, nobody was selling what I had on my shopping list - no colored glassware, no (suitable) animal figurines, but ones that I would not have wanted in our booth. Not a single teacup to be seen. The jewelry was not as contemporary as the pieces that I like to sell - more of the Old Lady stuff that just doesn't interest me. So again I'm glad that we stuck to our guns and passed on the impulse shopping.

We'll probably be doing the same next weekend - we'll see how the sale-ing goes then!

Leaving TIAS

We've decided that after a six month trial at TIAS to admit defeat, pick up our marbles and leave. A single sale in January can't justify the monthly fee that we're charged; the company doesn't seem to be seller-oriented in their support (just read about my recent experience with them trying to process credit card transactions as an example); and their cloodgey, clumsy search engine that prevents getting a good result a couple of times a day means that even if someone ever found us on the World Wide Web in the first place, they can't always get the search engine at the site to work properly. Here's an immediate example of how they aren't oriented towards serving their dealers - I sent them a message yesterday afternoon about terminating our service with them, and here it is, the next day, and I have yet to receive an acknowledgment or reply from them. It really says it all. On the Information Highway, TIAS has been a Dead End for Time Travelers!

I'm feeling defeated by this decision, but at the same time, greatly relieved. It was so disheartening to check my emails every day and NOT see any orders. It was discouraging to write press releases twice a week, only to have them swamped amongst the scores of others on the TIAS site within hours. It's really, really hard work to take good product photographs and write the appropriate copy, only to have it sit unread and unseen in your store. I've learned how to take great pictures! And I'll continue to post my best ones here for people to enjoy.

The reality is that our antiques and collectibles business is quite successful - the shows that we've been doing have been getting better and better with each time out, as we refine our product selection and learn our customers' wants and needs. This after only 4 months of doing shows. It makes sense to cut back spending money where it's not being used wisely, and concentrating more on the areas where we are doing well.

Upcoming for Time Travelers: Memorial Day weekend we'll be close to home at the Sun, Sand and Swing event at our very own Treasure Island. Right on the beach! Music! Food! (I wonder if we'll sell anything??!!) We'll just have to see.

The last weekend in May we'll be doing a one day show in Arcadia, Florida - surely the last outdoor one of the season!! This is a regular event that gets great reviews from all the dealers we've spoken with.

West Palm Beach and also TIAS

It's too darn hot! I really think that it's too late in the year to be doing outdoor shows in Florida - especially for this northern native. This second-to-last show of the season at West Palm Beach, held at the Southern Fairgrounds, was packed with indoor vendors, but the outdoor vendors were sparse and the atmosphere was more like a flea market than an antique fair. Many of the shoppers inside the building were unaware that there were vendors set up outside, as I discovered when I briefly sat inside (to cool off), and overheard someone say just that. I interjected myself into their conversation to steer them to the offerings outside, but at the same time I was cringing that people had that impression in the first place. It wasn't well signed, and there weren't any show promoters greeting the arriving shoppers to tell them of the vendors outside - kind of pitiful.

It was an average show, and a lot of work for three days. I think that since we had just done another three-day show, I was particularly weary and not really enthusiastic about being out in the elements so soon. Maybe I wouldn't feel so grumpy if there had been a bit of a break between the shows!

And then there's TIAS.

At the Gainesville show we put up our sign announcing that we were accepting credit cards - and then after the show I discovered that I wasn't able to put the transaction through the TIAS website. Compounding the problem is that TIAS doesn't even allow their stores to talk to anybody on the phone - you have to put through a "contact us" report, then wait for them to get back to you - it can take a long time to resolve issues (or not). When, after a few days, I wasn't getting anywhere with their customer service department, I tried to approach the issue from the credit card processing company, in whose interest it is that I put these transactions through as well as mine. It was determined, finally, that TIAS does NOT SUPPORT non-internet credit card transactions. (We're in the process of getting a phone line terminal sent to us so that we'll be able to use a machine at future shows.)

Except that this morning, the orders that I attempted to put through the TIAS site appear to have gone through, and our bank account has been credited with the sales. Can you say - I am confused? Can you say - I am totally Not Impressed with how TIAS has handled this matter? First telling me that I absolutely can put the transactions through, then not being able to, then having it confirmed that they absolutely won't put such transactions through, and then presto! There they are!

What a cowboy outfit. The worst communication skills on the information highway that I've ever seen. Combined with their non-functioning search engine which doesn't allow people to find what they are looking for, plus a lonely sales transaction from the month of January, it adds up to us thinking it's time to say goodbye to TIAS altogether. I'm extremely frustrated, because I have put so much effort into the store there, and have had nothing really to show for it. I've never really felt that the organization is on the dealers' side, with their "don't call us with your problems" approach that further alienates their dealers when they need the support the most.

Boy, am I glad that we have a week off from shows. I think that I need a break at the moment...

Gainesville was Bloomin'

OK, so I obviously don't know anything about the economy - it would seem that people are perfectly willing to spend small amounts of money on antiques and collectibles (in Gainesville). It was a lovely show, well attended and promoted, with a good number of vendors, though not as many as we had hoped to see. The show was situated in an outdoor shopping area, like a cluster of small buildings, with covered walkways and park areas that connected them. On Friday and Saturday, the shopping center itself is a busy place and so there were plenty of people coming and going, and we had lots of ambient traffic. Sunday, however, was a different story; all but a handful of the stores were closed, and even though there were signs on the street directing traffic to the show, it was very lightly attended - a real disappointment.

But, having said that, it was our best show ever. It also had our highest cost to us, given the 2 1/2 hour drive to get to it (the gas prices are only getting higher and higher, and we paid $3.66 a gallon to fill our minivan's tank); and we had to pay for one of the two nights' stay in a hotel, the first being covered by Bob's hotel points that he'd accrued. Throw in the cost of eating out versus being able to dine at home, and you can see that it's a different kettle of fish to do these out of town shows - they pretty much HAVE to be lucrative, or you'll be hundreds of dollars in the hole. If the weather had turned, as it threatened, then it would have been a bust. So, we were lucky, very lucky.

We got to talking to some other dealers who do this as their full time jobs, and got some more insight as to how people keep their costs down. Tips on where to find new stock (we should be looking at more flea markets, which abound in our area), and were warned away from certain auctions, which advice we took with a grain of salt, since we already keep our bids at the lowest end and drop out early if they climb too high. We're also fortunate to have so many garage and estate sales constantly going on where we live - there really isn't ever a time when we're strapped for places to find more items for inventory.

OK, whacked out story of the show: one couple, who sleep in their van during the show so they save money on hotels. Um, toilet requirements? They keep a piss pot in the vehicle, and empty it sometime (somewhere? I was afraid to ask) during the day. She claims to wash her hair using a particular brand of baby wipes; uses the same as a sponge bath for her body. I'm afraid that my eyes glassed over in horror as the stories went on - we shared a table at a restaurant for dinner one night - their one extravagance during the shows. It was a view of a lifestyle that neither Bob nor I have any desire to sample, and we did get kind of quiet talking with them after that admission from them. Baby wipes. Hmm.

Things of note at this show - nobody paid with high value notes ($50 or $100 bills) - more checks were written. It was the first show where we offered the option of payment by credit card, and we made several sales because of it (though I don't think it was ever a deal-breaker). Still trying to figure out how to process those sales through the TIAS website, which is an enormous worry for me at the moment. I had a lot of trouble getting to sleep last night, worrying about this very issue.

(I am less than impressed overall with TIAS - from their twice daily reindexing of their database which prevents someone from getting a good search result. You type in an item that you're looking for, and the search results in garbage! Reply heard back from the CEO is, "Too bad!" Nice! Thanks for answering! And I haven't done any credit card processing until now because I was a bit afraid about how to go about putting the transactions through the site. Lo and behold, last night I tried to do the first one using the manual transaction slip from the sale, and the TIAS site is asking for the customer's billing and shipping information. Well, I don't know about anyone else, but if I'm paying for anything "live" with my credit card (as opposed to on the internet), all I expect to do is give my card and MAYBE my phone number to the merchant. I would never think of supplying my address in order to make a simple transaction - it defeats the whole purpose of the convenience of offering credit card sales. You can see that I'm quite upset that I might have lost all this revenue, and I hope that TIAS will surprise me with a happy answer back this time. Not expecting it!)

So, what sold at this show? Most everything - jewelry, again - low priced, nice costume jewelry pieces. Nothing precious or high end - and we can't keep enough of it in stock. Have now sold out of the menus from the S.S. Normandy that we acquired from Mort and Anita Trautman's cruise. Books. Glass. Teapots. Teacups. A McCoy string holder. A monkey bank (people love animal shapes!). Some silver plate. It was a well-rounded show.

Here are some pictures of our booth at the show. A photographer from the Gainesville Sun newspaper came by on Sunday morning to take some photos of us, and said that we'll be in Thursday's edition. If we show up, I'll link to the edition!