Mother’s Day, Bargains, Business Update

Wow! Almost 2 weeks without posting…it’s amazing how quickly the time goes by. What has been happening here? Well, it might take me a little bit of time and space to explain, so if you just want to look at the tablescape, scroll on down through my ramblings.

I’ve written a couple of times recently that I am in need of new merchandise for my booth at the flea market, so I have hit a couple of yard sales and such lately. I love the aquamarine color of this Pyrex bowl. Unfortunately, my poor photography skills make it look green, but I assure you it is the lovely color of the ocean.

Another beautiful Pyrex color is this cobalt blue. I have truly never seen either of these Pyrex colors before and hope that they will sell quickly.

Milk glass usually sells for me, although there have been times that it hasn’t. I love this ribbed vase.This pedestal bowl is quite unusual. In general, the larger pieces of milk glass seem to sell better than others. Of course, I can never tell, and there have been times that large pieces sit while small candy dishes sell. It’s worth repeating that one can never predict about the antiques and collectibles business.

I thought that this green bowl with its polka dot or bubble design was really cute and I hate that I am not a more skilled photographer.

This vintage Fire King swirl bowl sold the first day that I put it out.

Amber is another hard-to-predict seller. I have sold some pieces quickly while others have sat for months. I think I have about $1 tied up in this cute little pickle or relish dish, so I can afford for it to sit if it has to.

The best find in the bowl category: this lovely, very old Federal milk glass bowl with an unusual gold floral design. I got a great deal on it; therefore, I was able to put a reasonable price on it and still make a good profit.

I got a box deal on dishes, breaking a cardinal rule for yard sales and not checking every piece before I bought it. I was in a hurry and just bought them so that I could be on my way. I was thrilled at what I found when I got the boxes home. This pattern is called Golden Rapture by Gibson. It is an 8-place setting of plates, salads, and cups & saucers, nothing missing, no chips. This set alone will bring me the price of the box deal and everything else I sell from the box will be profit.

Also in the box is another Gibson set called Golden Moon. It is a set for 4 people, dinner plates, salads, and soup bowls with the large platter and serving bowl. No chips or cracks; it is also in great condition.

Also in the box was a partial set of a really old Noritake pattern called Buckingham. Once again, my photography skills do not do this lovely pattern justice. It is just gorgeous and consists of 5 dinner plates, 2 salads, 2 soup bowls, 1 bread & butter, 1 cup & saucer, creamer & sugar, and the vegetable bowl. I love this set and it is the most valuable of what I got in the box deal.

Also in the box was a pretty round platter. It is very large and has a nice raised design on the rim.

What a surprise when I got to the bottom of the box and found this complete 8-place setting of white flatware (24 pieces), which looks like it’s never been used! Score!

As for my business update, I was pleased with both my March and April sales, and so far May is going well. We usually experience a summer slow down starting about now until around August or even September, so I am bracing myself for that. We also recently got paid for some furniture repair and refinish work that David did, so that is always good.

My sales have been steady at the consignment shop. In fact, the test lot of Avon Cape Cod that I had sold so quickly and for such a high price there that I recently bought some more of it. Can you tell?

Would you say that is an understatement? Two of the vendors at our flea market gave me great deals on Avon Cape Cod.

One vendor is getting out of the business entirely and she is cleaning out everything. She really gave me a great deal plus I purchased some at half off from her going-out-of-business sale at her booth. The other vendor that I purchased from is depleting his stock of it and gave me a box deal on a large lot of it and half off on a few extra pieces that I wanted. I was stoked!

I boxed up about 8 or 10 pieces to take to the shop a few days ago, plus I had some money to pick up. As I was getting ready to leave, I got a text from the guy who owns the consignment store. He has to move his business and told me not to bring any more items right now.  I decided to go ahead and visit him to find out some more details, plus I did want to get my money, of course. Well, it turns out that if you don’t keep your bills current, you lose your lease. Because the shop owner had such a short amount of time to get out, David (who is still suffering very much from his bulging discs) had to make a special trip over there when he was not feeling his best to box up the rest of our things to bring home. Needless to say, he is in bed today.

Anyway, I picked up my check, and I am pleased with the money that I made from the last weekend in January until the second weekend in May. I would like to think that I will put some items with him again if and when he gets his business all straightened out, but it is just too soon to say right now. In the meantime, I have 135 pieces of Cape Cod to sell plus the other things that David brought home. I know that it sounds like I should be really stressed right now, but I am not. I’ll deal with it as it comes, and my husband’s health is at the top of the list right now; I can’t be worried about some dishes.

So that brings me to Mother’s Day. David brought me this beautiful rose this morning. He picked some spiderwort from the yard and put in this vase. I love it!

However, for my tablescape, I wanted to emphasize the purple color, so I moved it to this old vase that was my grandmother’s.

I started the table with my wicker chargers that my mother-in-law gave me.

I love my Thomas Kinkade dishes any time that I use purple.

I never get tired of this lovely pattern.

Of course, I had to find my purple goblets to go on this table.

Purple napkins, gold tassel napkin rings, and Chateau flatware finish out the place setting.

The vignette on the table features my Mother’s Day flowers, a pretty pierced dish with purple violets, and a purple variegated candle.

I love my simple table and I am sure that we will enjoy our Mother’s Day lunch at it. Have a wonderful Mother’s Day!

I am joining: A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday, Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life , Tablescape Tuesday at Every Day Living,   From the Farm at The Homesteading Hippy, Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday,   Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday,  Under the Table and Dreaming for Sunday Showcase ,  The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home, Cuisine Kathleen for Let’s Dish, Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage, Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours,  Homemaking Party at Hope in Every Season,   The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday, What’s It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants; Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now,   Spotlight Saturday at Classy Clutter, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound, You’re Gonna Love It Tuesdays at Kathe with an E, Mop it Up Monday at I Should Be Mopping the Floor , Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style ,  Make it Pretty Monday, Anything Blue Friday at The Dedicated House,  Create It Thursday at Lamberts Lately,   Flaunt it Friday at Chic on a Shoestring,  Tuesday’s Treasures at Uncommon Suburbia,  Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life, Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters, The Scoop at The Stone Gable, Thursday Favorite Things at Katherine’s Corner , Sizzle into Summer at DIY by Design