Apron Thrift Girl

Thrift Share Monday - Pottery

Porsgrund Pottery (klosterkaelderen photo)

We are supposed to be home right now but we are still up on the road. We didn't leave until Sunday morning in order to squeeze in a visit with my brother and family (who were sick when we were supposed to see them earlier in the week). We left Seattle at 6:30 a.m. and arrived in Arcata CA at around 7:15 p.m. It was my longest driving day (with kids) in years but I was relieved to get closer to home.

The best news is that my mother is now home. Thank you again for your all thoughts and prayers! She is so pleased to be in her own bed again and with my father. After six years of cancer though her body is tired but she still has a lot of fight left in her. I have so much admiration for my mother and her stubbornness to live.

We also got to spend a bit of time on Bainbridge Island and with our very close friends there. Keiran and I are lucky enough to have best friends that are related to each other. Jacki, who I've mentioned here, and her son who Keiran has missed since we moved 2 1/2 years ago. Our short visit with them was a crazy, fun, whirlwind of thrifting throughout their area.

Saturday morning Jacki, me, Keiran and her two boys were up early for a Bainbridge Island estate sale. We arrived at 7 a.m. for a 9 o'clock start. Unlike the Sonoma County sales were people arrive at 3 a.m. we actually got to be first in the door. (sort of)

Ironically despite being there so early another anxious shopper enjoyed trying to push her way past me and was aggressively trying to shove me out of the way. Seriously? Isn't that supposed to happen in the city? Or at least in Sonoma County on a bad day and not this sleepy, serene and beautiful island in the Pacific Northwest? I held my ground and ended up right in front of a vintage Polaroid Land Camera. I was still rather annoyed but tried to not let it get me down.

My best find of the day was the Porsgrund Pottery set (borrowed a picture that is above) that is so large. I don't know how many pieces I have but they filled two large boxes. It is truly beautiful set. It's stoneware with the most amazing glaze they call Lava. It was made in Norway.

The entire back of the van is filled with inventory but I haven't had a second to take even one photograph. I can't believe how quickly the week went. We plan to arrive home later today after a four hour drive with a few thrift stores stops in between.

Did you go thrifting this weekend?

Thrift Share Monday celebrates the Art of Thrifting. As a community of readers and bloggers we are able to connect through the process of buying second hand, selling and sharing.

We Thrift  - We Share

Here are some guidelines if you would like to join Thrift Share:

• Your Thrift Share Monday blog post should include your thrifted finds from the weekend.
• Create a blog post with photos of your items.
• Link your Thrift Share Monday post back to Apron Thrift Girl.
• Link to your Thrift Share Monday post on Apron Thrift Girl using inlinkz below.
• If you participate with Thrift Share Monday regularly, please add a button to your side bar so that we can build our Thrift Share Community.

Don't forget to visit Her Library Adventures for Flea Market Finds.

Thrift Share Tuesday

Arabia Mug from Finland - Recently sold for $75

We have arrived in Washington State after a three day journey. It's about a 15 or so hour drive but we are kind of slow travelers and we took the coastal route to avoid any snow in the passes on I-5. We stopped to play on the beach, thrift stores, for coffee and discovered at a fabulous library book sale full of vintage kid lit.

We pulled up to my parent's house on Sunday the car already loaded with thrifted finds. While this isn't a work trip, I always have a goal when I travel to pay for the gas/lodging/food with inventory that I find. Thankfully because of a few good thrift stores and the library book sale, the trip should already be paid for once I list and sell the items.

This post is a day late because we couldn't get the wireless password to work and yesterday was very busy with visits to my mother at the convalescent home. Thankfully she is improving every day. She was so happy to see us.

Between her visits yesterday we went to a Thrift Store and happened upon their President's Day 50% off sale.

Did you go thrifting this weekend?

Thrift Share Monday celebrates the Art of Thrifting. As a community of readers and bloggers we are able to connect through the process of buying second hand, selling and sharing.

We Thrift  - We Share

Here are some guidelines if you would like to join Thrift Share:

• Your Thrift Share Monday blog post should include your thrifted finds from the weekend.
• Create a blog post with photos of your items.
• Link your Thrift Share Monday post back to Apron Thrift Girl.
• Link to your Thrift Share Monday post on Apron Thrift Girl using inlinkz below.
• If you participate with Thrift Share Monday regularly, please add a button to your side bar so that we can build our Thrift Share Community.

Don't forget to visit Her Library Adventures for Flea Market Finds.

February ReSellers Listing Challenge Week 2

February ReSellers Listing Challenge

How did you do in week two of ATG's - ReSellers Listing Challenge?

My week went really well. As I began to list inventory, inventory began to sell. You really can't sell what isn't listed.

I listed 28 store items.

I sold 11 of those items for $412.91.

I sold an additional items that were listed before last week for $337.15

I don't feel that I worked too hard to list these items either. I grouped them together by theme and got through them rather quickly. Listing soon became habit again. It felt really good to be working.

The hardest thing for me now is having to put my store on vacation today. The children and I are heading North tomorrow to visit my mom who has been moved from hospital to a convalescent home. I need to get all my transactions sorted and completed before we go. I'd love to leave Dave in charge of my business while I'm away but I don't think he'd appreciate that very much. I plan on taking some work with me and write listings in the early morning on Ink Frog. I can schedule them to go live at a later date. I'll probably move my eBay store off vacation mode on the Friday before we head back home in order to take advantage of weekend sales.

I can't wait to hear how you did this week in the challenge.

Here's what I'd like you to do in order to take part in the challenge:

1. Comment today and tell us your Listing Challenge Goal.
2. Add a link to your ReSelling Venue/Store (optional)
3. Continue to tally up your listings since items hopefully will start to sell and disappear from your active listings.
4. Grab the Button above and spread the word. We want to motivate & inspire.
5. Check in every Wednesday until February 29th. Share your progress in the comments.
6. Share your link here every Wednesday to show us how busy you've been. (optional)
7. On February 29th, share whether you've reached your goal and if you wish, share how many of your Listing Challenge items have sold.

Let's share our motivation.

Let's share our inspiration.

This challenge is open to any ReSelling venue whether it's Etsy, eBay, Flea Markets or Antique Mall. My main focus will be eBay.

If you are joining the Listing Challenge you have an option to share your ReSelling Venue with us. Links should be to a venue where you sell 2nd hand items.

Thrift Share Monday - Mid Century Modern Lamps

Hanging Teak Lamp

Last Friday my friend Jacki texted me while she stood in line for an estate sale to start in Washington. I didn't go out on Friday because the two estate sales in our area sounded rather dull and I wanted to work on the ReSellers Listing Challenge. I did get distracted as I found the estate sale online that Jacki was going to attend and then of course I got sucked into looking at the photos. Have you ever vicariously experienced an estate sale that someone else is planning to attend? It was so much fun to look at the photos, text her and later hear the story of the sale by phone. She picked up the most fabulous orange Mid Century Modern lamps for $1 a piece. By the end of the day I was really craving a good sale on Saturday.

One of my favorite Estate Sale companies had a sale planned in Petaluma. I was there very early, arriving around 5:30. I had my breakfast in the car as well as coffee. I read the paper, researched items on the iPad and eventually stood in line and visited with the other dealers. The sale wasn't as good as I had liked but I did get some good inventory to sell. This made my effort to be there early worth it.

I headed south to Novato to try some garage sales there. I hit 5 sales and bought nothing. Not a thing. I had one sale left in my GPS which advertised 1960's and 1970's items. I completely read the time wrong and thought it started at noon. Instead it had started at 10 a.m. and was ending at noon which is just about when I was arriving. In the end it was the perfect time because I could negotiate better on the pair of lamps that I bought.

Faux Arc Lamp

The house was nearly empty and I later discovered they have had the sale for the last three weeks. Oops. For some reason this lamp and the teak lamp above hadn't sold. I made an offer for both of them. I paid $100 for the arc lamp. The teak lamp is going to be listed on eBay.

I have a large goal this year in regards to building our savings. Lamp purchases don't typically fit into this, especially at that price. I don't know if you recall the amazing estate sale that I went to on Dave's birthday in July. I fondly call it the Crafter's Estate Sale. I filled the van for $400 and bought at least $4000.00 in inventory if not more. I'm still selling items from that sale. Last fall I finally pulled out the sterling silver belt buckles and belts. I realized that one had a zippered pocket on the inside. I opened it and discovered that previous owner had place two very crisp $100 bills inside! The neighbors could probably here my woots that morning. I placed the bills in my wallet and told myself that I would keep them there for an emergency purchase. I finally used one of them on Saturday to buy the lamp. So in a strange-thrift-math sort of way, the lamp was free.

the lamp at night

Sunday I told Dave that I would be enjoying lunch in the living room with my lamp. He gave me a strange look but understood. I can't tell you how much I adore it. The shade and curved pole are aluminum and the base weighs over a hundred pounds.

My vintage lamp was copied from this: the original Achille Castiglioni lamp. My base is certainly not marble and everything else is a little different. I'm hoping to eventually discover who made and sold this lamp.

While I didn't bring a lot home this weekend, I did find the faux arc lamp which is probably going to be on my list of top ten finds of 2012. The thrifted life is good.

Did you go thrifting this weekend?

Thrift Share Monday celebrates the Art of Thrifting. As a community of readers and bloggers we are able to connect through the process of buying second hand, selling and sharing.

We Thrift  - We Share

Here are some guidelines if you would like to join Thrift Share:

• Your Thrift Share Monday blog post should include your thrifted finds from the weekend.
• Create a blog post with photos of your items.
• Link your Thrift Share Monday post back to Apron Thrift Girl.
• Link to your Thrift Share Monday post on Apron Thrift Girl using inlinkz below.
• If you participate with Thrift Share Monday regularly, please add a button to your side bar so that we can build our Thrift Share Community.

Don't forget to visit Her Library Adventures for Flea Market Finds.

February ReSellers Listing Challenge Week 1

February ReSellers Listing Challenge

Are you ready for week one of ATG's - ReSellers Listing Challenge?

The first official post is today. I can't wait to hear how your first week went, what your current goals are and to see the links to your fabulous stores.

How did my week go? This challenge got me working again. It was the right inspiration to get me to open up Inkfrog and start my first ebay listing. I listed 18 auctions and store listing. 3 of those items sold. My goal was much higher but that is okay. I like having a goal in my mind that is difficult to reach.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers regarding my mother. She is still quite sick but seems to be getting past the worst of it. The doctors gave us some very discouraging information but my mom is a fighter. We are planning to drive to Washington this month to see her which may alter my own listing goals. As Suze Orman says, "People first."

This next week, I'm going to continue listing on eBay. I've decided to tackle the countless mugs and cups that I have been collecting and get them listed. I just listed the most darling English fine bone china mugs this week and two of them sold. They were so sweet that I had to keep one of them. I typically pick up Far Side and Sandra Boynton mugs and of course the Starbucks City Mugs. They can sell for as little as 25¢ at a yard sale which makes a nice easy profit when selling them on eBay. My goal next week is to list 20 items. My month goal is to reach 200 items in my store.

Here's what I'd like you to do in order to take part in the challenge:

1. Comment today and tell us your Listing Challenge Goal.
2. Add a link to your ReSelling Venue/Store (optional)
3. Continue to tally up your listings since items hopefully will start to sell and disappear from your active listings.
4. Grab the Button above and spread the word. We want to motivate & inspire.
5. Check in every Wednesday until February 29th. Share your progress in the comments.
6. Share your link here every Wednesday to show us how busy you've been. (optional)
7. On February 29th, share whether you've reached your goal and if you wish, share how many of your Listing Challenge items have sold.

Let's share our motivation.

Let's share our inspiration.

This challenge is open to any ReSelling venue whether it's Etsy, eBay, Flea Markets or Antique Mall. My main focus will be eBay.

Thrift Share Monday - Feb 6

Wooden Flower Shop

A couple weeks ago I popped into a thrift store that I typically try to avoid. It's overpriced, it prints out prices from the internet and sticks it to the item and when they do have sales they are not very enticing. Still, my love of thrift is overpowering and I try to ignore why I don't like a thrift store. I went in and was planning to leave after shaking my head at the expensive, antique store prices when I came upon this wooden flower shop. Some of you may recognize it from my Little Shop banner. It's nearly identical except for the colors. Ironically it was priced well and I left the shop with this sweet piece in hand.

freezer

2 1/2 years ago we left most of our furniture and items behind in Washington. We wanted to move as lightly as we could because I knew that I could replace it all. The only item that I regretted leaving was our chest freezer. For some reason, the price of freezers rose drastically from the time we originally purchased it to present day. I didn't want to buy one new. Week after week would go by and our local supermarket Oliver's would have fantastic sales on food that I'd normally buy and freeze. Finally I found a freezer on Friday at an estate sale for $60. My favorite gluten free bread, Udi's is on sale at Oliver's until April 1st so I'm going to buy a few loaves every time I shop.

Saturday was my parents 51st wedding anniversary. They have been such an inspiration to me as to what a marriage should be about. I knew that when I walked down that aisle in 1997 that I was marrying for life. I watched my parents laugh together, save money together, build houses together and work as a partnership. It shaped everything that I wanted in a marriage. It was with great sadness though that my mother was taken to hospital on the evening of her anniversary by ambulance. She is currently in intensive care due to complications with her cancer. If you have a moment to send a thought or prayer our way, I'd appreciate it. I may be heading north this week and will keep you updated.

Did you go thrifting this weekend?

Thrift Share Monday celebrates the Art of Thrifting. As a community of readers and bloggers we are able to connect through the process of buying second hand, selling and sharing.

We Thrift  - We Share

Here are some guidelines if you would like to join Thrift Share:

• Your Thrift Share Monday blog post should include your thrifted finds from the weekend.
• Create a blog post with photos of your items.
• Link your Thrift Share Monday post back to Apron Thrift Girl.
• Link to your Thrift Share Monday post on Apron Thrift Girl using inlinkz below.
• If you participate with Thrift Share Monday regularly, please add a button to your side bar so that we can build our Thrift Share Community.

Don't forget to visit Her Library Adventures for Flea Market Finds.