Monday Market Trends

 I am getting back to posting regularly with summer winding down and school starting back up I have some more free time to post.

On Poshmark I am noticing selling:

Brass items (home decor)

Vintage linens 

Vintage clear and colored glass items

Vintage holiday themed items

Vintage wood items (home decor)

Vintage natural wicker items

Vintage tins

Vintage coffee mugs

Vintage lots of buttons

Vintage Coach purses

Vintage chunky statement necklaces

Vintage 50's, 60's evening bags

On Etsy, via a google search, trending sales are:

Chateaucore, items with a French country flare, glassware, linens, clothing, and textiles

Nostalgia items related to picnics, gingham check table clothes, enamelware, fruit themed items

Island Lux, items like light linens, raffia accessories, fruit themed jewelry, resort ware

Vintage glassware

Trending sales on Ebay:

Vintage fashion especially Y2K, grunge

Pop culture items, band tees, movies, music

Trading Cards; Pokemon, sports, comics, 

Vintage toys

Asian antiques

Friday Finds

 I am a day late getting this posted.  

I have not posted Friday Finds for a several weeks.  Between vacation and drivers education I don't have much time to share my finds.  This is a recap of my finds over the last few weeks.  Here are few finds I purchased. 

Unmarked blown glass orb blue and green, I paid $2 for it.  I will probably list it for $14.

A grab bag of Pillsbury dough boys, 2 are plush, 1 rubber, and one that is probably a magnet.  I paid $3 for the bag, I will list them individually and figure out pricing after researching them.

Vintage wicker snowman, paid $2 for it.  I need to research it more.

Green Westmoreland Glass petal candle stick.  I paid $2 for it and I need to research it more.

Vintage Lusterware cat tea cup and saucer, paid $1.69 each.  I need to do more research.

Disney Alani resort mug, paid $2 for it, still need to research it more.

Anthropology Initial coffee mug. paid $1 for it.  Still need to research it.

Wednesday Work: Listing

When I get ready to list an item, I have a process for listing. 

First, I examine each item for damage since I purchasing.  Cleaning, drying, researching, making post it note with key information, and photographing.  

Not everything makes it to my listing box.  When I research the item I always begin with Google Lens, it is quick.  I wrote about researching here. When I look into sold comps and I find there are no reasonable comps I will add those pieces to my donate box.  Sometimes I get lucky and comps will have increased since I purchased it.  When I discover an item is damaged, I will either repurpose it, donate it, or I will throw it away.  Throwing away an item is a last option and I only don't for an item that is damaged beyond repair or unusable.  

Once I have items photographed, I begin creating the listings, which takes time.  I take any information I have from research to write a title and then a description. I try to photograph every side, angles, any flaws, and anything that will help the item standout.  Etsy limits the number of photos you can use in the listing to 10.  Poshmark allows more than 10, I think it is 15 photos.  Etsy and Poshmark allow for a short video to be added to the listings, which I will sometimes add.  The video can only be 15 seconds and there is no audio.

On a side note, both Etsy and Poshmark have the option to leave your listing as a draft until your ready to make the listing live.  

I try to set aside a few hours each week to work creating listings and a few hours to photograph items.  My current average to create a listing is about 1 hour, I usually end up with multiple interruptions and my internet can be very slow.  I may only get 2 new listings created as drafts during my allotted time.

I try to add at least 3 new listings a week, though I sometimes only add 1 new listing a week.  It really depends on how busy my personal life, as to how many new items I get listed.

Work to establish a routine that works best for you.  You can always adjust your routine to fit your needs.

Friday Finds

I did manage to stop into the thrift store this week.  I picked up three items.

Two sterling silver weighted candle sticks, by Duchin Creations. I paid $2.99 each, I plan to list them as a pair for $25 on Etsy.

I picked of an avocado green paperweight possibly Blenko I will need to research it more to figure out if it is Blenko or not.  

My Post Will Be Limited For The Remainder of July and August.

 Just an update for you, it will be tough for me to post regularly for the rest of July and all of August.  I do not have much free time to post through out the week.  My youngest started driver's education, I will be traveling, and then heading into back to school mode.  I will post when I can and as soon as school starts back I can get back to posting regularly.    

Monday Market Trends

 Here is what I am seeing selling on Poshmark this past week.

1.  Vintage glass clear and colored

2.  Vintage Tupperware in excellent condition

3.  Vintage Pepsi Advertising items 

4.  Brass decor items

5.  Ceramic, porcelain figurines, salt and pepper shakers, serving pieces

6.  Vintage Kitchen items, colanders, ice cream scoops, measuring cups, most are aluminum

7.  Vintage PYREX baking dishes

8.  Christmas collectibles

9.  Vintage jeans and jean shorts

10.  Vintage Designer goods, purses, belts,  jewelry, and shoes

11.  Vintage Coach leather purses,

eBay vintage trending items are:

Vintage Band t-shirts

High End Designer dresses

Jewelry

Denim Jackets

1970's furniture and decor 

Vintage Bathroom fixtures

Vintage Rugs

Vintage Lithographs and Prints

20th Century Swedish Antiques

Oxblood furniture and decorative items

Mahjong sets

Vinyl records

Vintage Toys and Dolls

I hope this list helps in your search for items to buy and flip for a profit.

Friday Finds

 Happy 4th of July!  Sorry I am very late posting.

I managed to find a bunch of vintage and collectible items for resale this week.   

Above is my first haul of the week.  I picked up a Lu Fuller signed and numbered print from her studio in Kentucky for $.99.  I am keeping this one for awhile, I love floral prints.  Second is a Harrods of London bone china tea mug light blue with assorted dog breeds made in England, paid $.99 for it plan on listing it for $20.  Third is a ceramic tile/trivet with Trondelag Rosemaling by Gayle Oram.  I paid $2 and will list it for $12.  Fourth is a Artesania Rinconada racoon, he has a small chip on his face and some wear on its back, I paid $2 for it.  I will be holding on to this one for awhile it is a bucket list item for me.  Last I got a Takahashi San Francisco small square red floral dish with gold trim for $2 and will be listing it for $12.

My second haul for the week is much bigger.  

In the photo above I picked up 8 pieces of Gregorian Copper, 1 pedestal bowl, 3 candle holders, 4 square ash trays/dishes, Jim Shore cat, Swedish purple art glass vase, a small Jim Shore angel, a bag of mercury glass small ornaments, a olive wood nativity, a studio pottery dish, Iittala Finland candle holder, art glass dichroic tree, and a vintage toothpick holder that looks like corn with plain and  parrot topped tooth picks. I almost forgot a round woven basket purse.  I paid $47 for all of it.  I will have to go through them individually and figure out what I will sell them for.  The purple art glass vase is going into my collection of Swedish art glass for now.  

The copper pieces all but the bowl where priced at $1.99, the bowl was $4.99.  The studio pottery was $.99, the Jim Shore cat was $4.99, the angel $.99, the glass ornament bag was $1.99, the nativity was $3.99, the glass tree was $2.99, the Iittala Finland candle holder was $1.99, the purple art glass vase was $1.99, and the basket purse was $4.99.  This haul I need to go through piece by piece and research.  

Thrift Flips

 

This thrift flip is actually a garage sale flip.  Years ago I picked up several old granite wear pots at a garage sale, all had rusty areas on the bottoms and I knew these would not be good for reselling.  I turned them into planters.  

In the bottoms of each pot I punched drainage hole through the rusted areas.  I place broke pieces of terra cotta pots over each hole then filled the pots with a good quality potting soil.  

Once I filled the pot I then planted my flowers in each pot.  The larger pots have petunias and large snapdragons I bought on clearance at the store last month.  My small pot I planted petunias as well.  

I really like repurposing old pots or any old vessel into a planter.  In the larger pot you could plant a vegetable in it too.  I think my pots are to small of tomato plant.  I have planted herbs in the larger pots before.  

Wednesday Work-Listing

 When it comes to reselling, listing can be very time consuming.  I take a couple of hours two to three nights each week just to create listings on my phone.  Before I start listing I pull together 5-10 items I want to get listed.  I will clean the ones I can clean, I will set aside several hours either or a Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon to photograph the items. I shoot the item from every angle, I take up close photos of logos, maker marks, any flaws,  measurements, and I will sometime film a fifteen second video of the item as well.   

Once I have all photos taken and I have my notes about each item, I decide which platform would be best for listing the item.  To help make this decision I will search for the item on the platform and if I can I will filter the results to see sold listings.  Side note, Etsy does not have this option when searching the website.  I can find sold comps when I use Google Lens to look up an item, the item will appear in the results.  When I go to the listing it will show that it sold and I can look at the listing showing what it was listed for. This luck is not always the case.  Going back to deciding a platform, I take into consideration what the item or similar items have sold for, the sold comps can vary from platform to platform.  I consider how many of my item are currently listed and how many have sold.  I look at what listed comps are priced at, the condition of that item, and sometimes how long it has been listed.  

Once I pick the platform, I use the platforms app to create my listings.  Etsy has an app just for selling, Poshmark's app is a one stop shop app you can buy and sell with it.  Both apps allow you to use the photos you have already taken or you can take photos with the app.  Both allow you to save your listings as drafts as well.  Poshmark has a built in AI to create your listing for you based off of the photos  used.  I do not like the AI listing tool, it never gives important information about the item, just vague catchy info, an example for you.  I upload photos of a art glass vase with handle, unmarked, Google Lens returns not exact where for Israeli Neker Studio Art Glass or Scavo style art glass.  When I used the AI tool it gave the title as "Pretty Iridescent Vase with Handle"  the description was "Pretty Iridescent vase with handle.  Perfect for any home decor."  I had to delete it all and write my own title and description for it.  I prefer not to use the AI tools for listings.

I try to make my titles reflect the item including any maker information, style, age, etc., and I add READ to items with flaws .  I give more detail information in the description.  I want to give any buyer all the information I can to help them in deciding whether or not to buy it.  Many customers buying vintage items are collectors them selves and are very knowledgeable on those items they collect.  I especially point out any and all flaws on my items.  I feel the item is less likely to be returned because of condition.  Now some buyers do not read through the entire description, that is why I add READ to my titles on items not in prefect condition.  I feel it is important to also add in my description of items with flaws to SEE PHOTOS.  I think it draws a potential buyer to examine the listing and photos more carefully.  

Once I have my listings title and description done I add in my listing price, and then it is on to shipping.  Shipping can be tricky to figure out as well.  On Poshmark there is a flat shipping rate of $8.72 up to 5 pounds and is USPS priority mail.  There is a additional charge for items over 5 pounds and Poshmark has a chart on the websites FAQ section, it is hard to find.  This additional shipping cost comes out of the sellers profit.  I keep my Posh items to smalls and clothing so to not exceed the 5 pounds.  On  Etsy you have to give a weight of the item, I weigh my items in a box with packing materials or in a poly bubble mailer with packing materials to get a weight.  I round up the weight either by 2 or even 5, some items take more packing material than others.  This allows for any miscalculated weight.  On Etsy I have to include the dimensions of the shipping box or envelope, this allows for a more accurate shipping cost to the buyer.  

A few things to consider adding to your listing is a sku, I have started adding a sku to my listings as a code for where the item is located, when listed, and what i paid for it.  I do have this information in a spreadsheet on my computer, but it helps me in locating the item once it sells.  Poshmark has a place for this kind of information on the listing that only you can see, however when it sells you cannot see this information anymore unless you open the listing and go to edit, even then the website will try to stop you from editing the listing.  

Once I have my draft listing completed, I double check spelling in the title and description.  I then decide when I want to take it live.  I try to only add one listing a day on Poshmark, for some reason Poshmark will block you from listing multiple items a day, I know it has happened to my on a few occasions.  This may have something to do with bot listings, though I do not have any confirmation or information on it.  I have never had that happen on Etsy.  

Lastly, some platforms have listing fees, Etsy charges $.20 a listing, Poshmark has no listing fee.  Etsy listings are only good for 4 or 5 months, Poshmark has no expiration date, I usually give my listing 6 months then I mark them as not for sale.  Now Poshmark is cracking down on sellers who are deleting and relisting items.  I am not sure how or why this is happening nor any details on it, just seeing other resellers complaining about it.  I hope this bit of information helps you in reselling.  

The Cost of Learning As You Go.

Not every item you find for resale will be a successful sale.  Not every quality brand item will sell.  Yes, you will be paying to learn what to buy and not buy.  I try to keep by buy items at a low price, in the hope of selling them for at least 4 times what I paid.  This is not always the case.  I will share some of my lessons learned as I an in my second year of reselling full time.

One good example fresh in my mind, is a Spode Christmas tree coffee mug.  Who hasn't heard of Spode.  Spode the English porcelain, especially the Christmas tree pattern.  This pattern is well known and highly collectible.  I found an unusual Spode green stripped Christmas tree coffee mug from the early 2000's, it was only $1.  I figured I couldn't go wrong with it, right.  Wrong, after I bought it and began researching it I discovered this design is not highly sought after.  There are not a ton listed and zero have sold.  What does consistently sell is the traditional white Christmas Tree pattern with the Santa topper.   I now know that this mug I purchase is a bust, all is not lost on it.  I will be setting aside to hopefully one day add to inventory for a booth in an antique mall.

Another lesson learned, I purchased a Mexican Tonala pottery cup for $4.  The cup has a blue flower design on it, very pretty.  I did not have cell service in the shop I was in, dead zone.  I know Tonala pottery can sell.  However, this cup would do better with a mate.   I found no listings for a single cup, I found listing of pairs or multiple cups.  On its own it will be shelf sitter.

Another lesson is items with to much damage do not usually sell.  A minor chip of flaw most buyers will take it in to consideration.  I take it into consideration when I price it, I price it below the average sold comps.  I for one would not want to pay a higher price for an item that has flaws/damage.  The only caveat for this the age and rarity of the item. 

Lastly, you will come across items that seem to good to be true or items that are not original, they are reproduction.  There are tons of reproduction out there and some are good reproductions.  You really have to educate yourself on what your buying for resale.  For instance, in the years I have been buying vintage glass.  I noticed, depression glass tends to be thin and light weight on the older pieces.  Pieces of depression glass made a bit later, can be a little thicker and a lighter weight glass.  The reproductions tend to be thick and heavier glass weight.  This is my observation and not scientifically proven.  Take it as you will, but using your own observations, studying, learning will help you when buying for resale.   

Happy Tuesday!

Market Trend Monday

 Good Monday Afternoon to everyone.

Here is a list of items I am seeing in sold comps on Poshmark.

1. Clear Glass/Crystal Cups and Mugs.

2.  Vintage PYREX baking dishes and bowls, colored with and without patterns.

3.  Brass decor items, candle sticks, vases, figurines, etc.\

4.  I spotted quiet a few Country Duck/Geese white with blue bows items sold on Poshmark

5.  Spotted Disney items, M&M's items, Tobacco themed items like Joe Camel, Winston

6.  Colored vintage glass and uranium glass

7.  Vintage Leather purses/bags like Brahmin, Juicy, Coach

8.  90's and Y2K clothing

9.  Vintage Polly Pocket toys

10.  Disney character plush toys

11.  Plastic Dollhouse toy sets, like Fisher Price and Little Tykes

12.  Care Bears, 1980's.

13.  First generation LPS, MLP

14.  Fisher Price Puffalump stuffed toy

15.  1960's, 70's. and 80' Barbie toys and accessories

While sourcing items always look up the items your considering on eBay and filter listings to Sold so you can get a rough idea of what the piece sells for or if there are no sold comps I tend to leave those pieces behind.

Don't wait on listing any Holiday items you have, they do sell year round, for some reason Christmas in July is becoming a thing.  Probably has to do with it being 6 months to go until Christmas.  

Friday Finds.....From My Inventory Stash.

Since I did not source anything this week, I went into my stash of thrifted items for resale.  Below is a picture of several items I pulled out.

I pulled out a vintage PYREX white milk glass covered butter dish with blue snowflake pattern.  I paid $2, comps are between $20-$30.  I plan on listing it for $30.  

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I pulled out 3 pieces of  Bakelite handle serve ware, each cost $1 each. One is a meat fork, a knife sharpener, and a steak knife.  I am not sure on how to price these, comps include a slicing knife which I don't have.  I need to research these pieces more comps for a single knife sharpener were $4-$10, these may end up in future antique booth.

 

I have a 1995 Longaberger kiddie basket purse with floral fabric liner, I paid $4, comps were from $10-$55, I plan on listing it for $30.

I picked up the Pampered Chef  bread tubes, star and flower.  I paid $2 for each.  Comps are all over the board from $1-$20.  I only have the two tubes one with its box, the other no box.  I am going to list them together for $12.

Along with the Pampered Chef bread tubes, is a Pancake shaker bottle, a sandwich crimper, and a corn on the cob butterer  Pancake shaker comps are $10-$12.  The sandwich cutter comps $10-$15, the corn on the cob butterer comps are about $1-$5.  I plan on listing as a group for $20.

Not in the photograph above, I pulled out a vintage PYREX covered divided glass baker oval, Blue Horizon pattern milk glass lid with a blue flower pattern garland.  I paid $2 for it years ago, comps are between $25-$35, I plan on listing it for $30.  I added a photo below.

Lastly I have a gallon size zip lock bag of vintage aluminum cookie cutters, I paid a $1 for the bag.  I am going to sort them out, there are doubles of the cutters, and create smaller lots.  These I will need to research a bit more, I saw sold comps with similar cutters ranging from $25-$40  I did not realize these old cookie cutters could be worth that much.  

My Bucket List Of Items I Want To Find In The Wild

Since I don't have a thrift flip ready to share, I will share my treasure hunt bucket list.  My list consist of  items I hope to find in the wild, meaning at a thrift store, garage sale, etc.  I noticed many of the resellers I follow have bucket list of items they hope to one day find in the wild.   Here is my current bucket list.

1.  Fenton Glass Hand Painted and Signed.  I have found Fenton in the wild just not any of the hand painted and signed pieces.  Like the glass birds, the cats, or vases.

2.  Burmese glass

3.  Fenton Fairy Lamp.  I have found a fair lamp, it is an Indiana Glass large amber stars and bars fairy lamp.  I am admiring it for now.  It will eventually be listed.

4. Victorian Glass bridal basket with its metal base

5. Victorian Glass Pickle castor

6.  Tiffany & Co, where its jewelry, crystal, art glass any would be a welcomed find.

7.  Waterford Crystal

8.  Lalique

9.  Baccarat antique glass

10.  Miriam Haskell jewelry

11.  Weiss jewelry

12.  Czech glass

13.  Murano glass, I did find a Murano paperweight.  Not 100% sure it's a real Murano Italy one or not. 

14.  Belleek 

15.  Sterling Silver Candle sticks

16.  Sterling Silver serving dishes

17.  Art Pottery, Weller, Van Briggle, Roseville, Moorcroft

18.  Rose Medallion

19.  Copper Cookware English or French

20.  Le Creuset cookware

21.  Lundberg studio art glass

22. Lucite candle holders.  I did find Lucite candles a matching pair at Goodwill.  I sold them for $35.

23.  Lucite flowers and napkin holder.  I have found Lucite trivets.  I sold one for $10.

24. Eickholt art glass vase.  I found an Eickholt paperweight at an indoor flea market.  I still am admiring it, it too will eventually end up being listed.

25. Larson pottery animal

26. Eldrith salt glazed pottery baby Jesus and animals for the nativity, I have the rest of the figures.

27.  Artesania Rinconada ceramic animal figurine

28.  Wade pottery

29.  Rosemaling, Norwegian folk art.  I have a decorative wooden spoon and a set of candle sticks.  I collect Scandinavian folk art, glass, and pewter.

30.  Fire and Ice 

31.  Glassy Baby

As I check off an item, I will add something new to the mix.  

What's on your bucket list, leave a comment below!

Wednesday Work: Tackling Inventory Not Yet Listed

 Let's focus on inventory for reselling.  My inventory has gotten out of hand. I only buy a few pieces each which have added up to storage totes full of inventory to process.  I currently have to many totes more than 10, of items to resell, not yet listed.  

I have sorted 2 totes so far, I pulled everything out.  I Googled Lensed each piece, wrote on a post it note what I found about about it, what the piece is selling for, what I paid for it, and assigned it a number.  While I am doing this I am writing down each piece on a sheet of paper with the corresponding number, including a brief description, price and purchase price.  This helps me when I go back to the tote and I can see what exactly is in there.  My goal is to get through the remaining totes this summer.  I also note whether the item will be on Etsy or Poshmark.  My paper list will come in handy when I list the item and then added to my spreadsheet of listed items.  My spreadsheet is broken down by platform, it helps me keep track of what is currently listed and which items have sold.  I am learning what does better on each platform.  During this sort I am pulling out anything damaged as well.

As I am going through my inventory I take this time to really decide if it is worth the time to list the piece.  Not every item I buy ends up being listed.  I will make multiple purges of inventory as I work through it.  These purged items could ended up being donated back to the thrift store, put on a garage sale, or offered online a bulk lot.  For instance, I have 10 to 15 Vera Bradley purses and bags, some I purchased to resell and some are from my closet.  Vera's do not sell well unless they are brand new with tags, retired, or the vintage originals made in the USA from the 80's and 90's.  I know there are platforms just for selling bulk lots to other resellers.  I will need to research this option before jumping in.  As I sort through my inventory, I keep empty boxes near by for sorting, one box is just for pieces I want to list soon, one for damaged and one for items I am not sure about anymore.  If I am lucky, I will have an empty tote when I am done.  When I ended up with a box for donating, I take it right away to the thrift store.  

Inventory can easily get out of control.  I am on the verge of that happening, I really want to move stagnant inventory out and fresh in to my listings.  For this reason I have cut my sourcing to only the best of the best, which I have not found much of lately.  Yesterday I had several paper weights I found thrifting, I put all of them back.  All where priced at $6.99.  Only one I could identify the maker, and sold comps where anywhere from $12 to $40, it was not a $40 or $30 paper weight.  These really where not worth it to me right now to buy.  I have two paper weights in my inventory not yet listed.

You may not see any thrift finds being posted once a week.  You may see a weekly post on finds from inventory.  I may have to start a  coming soon to my Etsy or Poshmark weekly post.

As a reseller you have to decide what is right for you.  I do not have a lot room for large amounts of inventory, I have to keep it to a smaller manageable amount.  I am working on being more selective on what I pick up for resale.  Remember you have to do what is best for you.

How Do I Identify Makers Of Items.

 Identifying who made a vintage or antique item can be difficult.  I would say fifty percent of items I pick up in the thrift store are unmarked.  Researching any unmarked item is time consuming and often leads to dead ends and the item is still unidentified.

My first go to is Google Lens on my phone, it always with me and is pretty simple to give me a quick idea of what the items and potentially a maker.  I try not use Google Lens to get an idea of what the item is worth, some returns may included the list price.  If I see several returns with a similar list price I then go on my mobile browser and look on eBay or Poshmark.  I will search for the item and then filter the results to sold or completed listings.  This step gives me a rough idea of what the item is actually selling for, it is easy to fall for listings with high asking prices.  Take a screenshot of any listings that give you the information your looking for, this helps when creating a listing.

After all the quick research on my phone, I have to decide if I am going buy it.  If I decide to buy it, I will do a deeper dive into the piece at home on the computer.  For instance, I bought a milk glass collection in May. figured all of the pieces where Fenton the pattern, hobnail, all matched from piece to piece.  The research showed me, before 1970 Fenton hobnail milk glass did not have any imprinted mark in the glass.  They used paper sticker labels.  The piece made 1970 and later all have a Fenton mark in the glass.  Many of the older colored glass piece that were hand painted are generally signed on the bottoms and dated.  This helped me to decern that all the pieces are indeed Fenton. 

When I am researching at home I will look through the listings of the item on eBay, Etsy, and Poshmark.  I will compare the measurements with my item, condition, color, etc.  If I am lucky to find a listing with the maker identified, I then use Google to research it even more.  

When Google strikes out, there are websites for glass, pottery, porcelain collectors and identification.  There are also Facebook groups for identifying and some will even give valuations.

There are paid subscription websites like Worth Point to help identify and even give what the item has sold for online.  According to Google, a monthly subscription can cost between $28.99 to $46.99, it is tier based and the higher tier gives full access to all features on the website. There is also an option for annual membership.  

You may never find out who made an item or even when it was made.  I look every now and again with Google Lens, you never know when you will have success.  You can still make money selling items with unknown maker, it may take a bit longer to sell.  

Monday Market Trends

 Good Monday Morning!

Here is a look at what is trending over the past 7 days.  I am going to start of with googles results of what is trending in searches.

1. Men's vintage boot cut jeans

2. Nike track pants vintage

3. Vintage shower curtains

4. Vintage mine dress

5. Vintage sideboard buffet

6. Vintage outdoor lighting

7. Vintage women's watches

8. Vintage fabric by the yard

9. Vintage Halloween sweater

10. Vintage chest of drawers

Now two of the above are furniture, however you can sell furniture on Facebook marketplace and eBay with local pick up.  The shipping on these items would be outrageous.

Now on to what I see trending on Poshmark.

1. Cowboy boots both modern and vintage.

2.  Vintage nick knacks

3.  Vintage wall art/wall hangings

4.  Vintage jackets

5.  Native American Sterling Silver jewelry

6.  Vintage sunglasses

7.  Vintage belts

8.  Vintage coffee mugs

9.  Vintage Corning Ware Coffee Percolators, Spice of life, Blue cornflower, Country festival, and Wildflower patterns.

10.  Vintage Brass, art glass, and ceramics still selling

I hope these help you in your reselling, I have a few of the above I need to get photographed and listed.  

Friday Finds The Week of June 15th 2025

Sorry I am a day late posting, to much going on yesterday.  Here is what I found this week while thrifting.  

First is this Michael Kors Gansevoort large sig nature monogram should bag, I paid $4 for it.  I have not decided where or not to sell it, I like this style of shoulder bags.  Sold comps are at $30-$42.

2.  Is this Andy Warhol clutch style bag with three stands of beads handle.  I didn't know Andy Warhol had purses.  I paid $1 for it, I have not found in comparable sold comps I will probably list it for $24 and see what happens.

Lastly, is a studio pottery candle stick and a vintage pumpkin clip on plush.  I paid $2 for the pottery and $1 for the pumpkin plush clip on, it is probably from the 1990's early 2000's. The pottery candle stick is signed, I plan on listing it for $14 and the pumpkin clip I need to do some research on it before I list it.

Happy Hunting!

Thrift Flip/Upcycling

 

Milk glass hand painted Bridal boxes

I come across bridal/wedding cake glass boxes from time to time at the thrift store. The two pictured above are Westmoreland milk glass.  I picked these up at Goodwill in the past year.  

front view

To create this planter, I used a Styrofoam block from Dollar Tree and several succulent stems from the Dollar Tree along with a few I had on hand.   You can find faux succulents at the craft stores and at Walmart.  I had to cut the block down about 1 inch to fit into the short box.  The taller box I had to cut of a little bit of each side to fit into it.  

 

block and succulent stems

Once I had the foam fit into the box, I took the succulents and removed them from their picks.  Some had wire on them and some had plastic.  I pushed the ends into the foam, rearranging until I liked their look.  I add one small hanging one to cascade over the edge of the box. You could add some deer moss or Spanish moss first over the top of the foam, this will hide the foam from peeking through.

front view

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top view

With the taller box I added the foam to it, I ended up using a greenery candle wreath.  A candle can be added to the piece.  You could use any candle wreath to fit your decor or season.  If faux plants are not your thing you could use wet foam for fresh flower arrangements.

front view

These cake boxes can be used to hold candles, small potted plants, or even a knickknack. You could plant real succulents in one.  They make great serving pieces for candy or nuts.  You will need to hand wash them if you use them for food or planting.  I don't recommend submerging these old glass boxes in soapy water.  I gentle wipe the inside with a damp soft cloth with a mild soap and I wipe again with a clean damp soft cloth with water only to remove the soap.  I usually let them air dry or I dry them off with a clean dish towel.

These bridal/cake boxes come in different colors, sizes, and designs.  If you see one, rescue it, added it to your home decor and enjoy it.

Wednesday Work: Research

 One of the hardest aspects of reselling is research.   Figuring out where to being your research can be a struggle.  My first step is using google lens on my phone.  It is a good place to start in identifying the item.  Once I know what it is or who made it, allows for a deeper look into the item.  Google has been my go to source for research.  Sometimes I get lucky and I am able to obtain a general idea on when it was made, where it was made, what material it is made from.  This information is helpful in creating a listing.  When Google does not give me any additional information I look for the item on eBay, Etsy, Poshmark, or Mercari.  When I spot listings I look through each one for details about the item, sometimes other sellers will list the maker, age, etc., you will find listing with no additional information too.  When this happens I move on to Pinterest.  

Pinterest has been somewhat successful for me in research an item, pins will show up in Google lens returns.  Pinterest can also be hit or miss with information about vintage/antique items too.  I have had success in unlocking information about items.  One thing to note is on Pinterest the pins I have looked at are predominately listings from reselling sites like Etsy, eBay, Cherish, Ruby Lane to name a few.  I still look at them, you never know when one listing will give you what your looking for.  You may even find old catalog pages showing the item, for instance Fenton glass or Viking glass, there are old catalog images from the manufacturer and department stores on Pinterest.  The Stretch Glass Society has Fenton catalogs, I linked the catalogs from 1970-1989 on their website.  Which I found on Pinterest.  I found Viking catalog pages being shared by Vintage Glass Identification Library on Pinterest, which has boards for the different glass companies.  Pinterest is great for identifying vintage costume jewelry too.  You can find old advertisements and catalog pages for Coro and others.

You can search Facebook for groups offering identification help with glass, jewelry, pottery, ceramics, and more.  Most of the groups are private and will require you to join.  Most have strict rules about posting and requirements for how to photograph the item, even the age of the item.  These groups will have a limit to the number of post you can share each day.  The post will go through an approval process before it will be added to the group.  Be aware your item may not get any responses, I would say half the post go unanswered.  I have only had two items be identified by a group for vintage and antique glass, pottery, and ceramics.  I posted a photo of my Bauer Pottery strawberry pattern recipe box on a group.  The piece was not marked, google lens return identified it as Bauer, the group confirmed it was Bauer.  The other item was a pair of candle sticks, poured ceramics, with a matte finished.  I could not tell if the design was leaves or shells.  Turns out the candle sticks are Rumrill pottery, sea shell design, made sometime between 1933 and 1940, before Red Wing began making Rumrill pottery.

When your striking out on the internet and you know who made your item, your local library may be an option.  Most library have books on antiques, collectibles, and more.  I have looked through identification books on Roseville art pottery, Hull pottery, even a book on mid century glass identification.  You will find books covering vintage and antique jewelry, porcelains, crystal, and even clothing.  This resource books maybe limited depending upon the size of the library, it can't hurt to look.  

Good luck in your detective work!

What Should I Price My Flips?

 When it comes to reselling pricing can be tricky and time consuming.  What I do first is research the item on eBay, I look at what sellers have the item listed at.  Then I filter the results to completed and sold.  This gives me an idea of what the item had sold for.  Now the sold prices usually are in a range of dollar amounts.  I make note of the range and then look on Poshmark.  On Poshmark I search the item and see what sellers are currently asking for the item.  I then filter to sold listings.  There will also be an range of sold prices, I make a note of the range.  One thing I have noticed is some items sell for a higher amount on one platform verse the other platform.  One example is milk glass, some milk glass sells for a higher amount on Poshmark than it does on eBay.  You may find that to be the case with your items.  I will set my price generally in the middle or towards the highest price.  I can always drop the price as time goes on or consider offers.  

You have to consider all your cost, like packing materials paper, bubble wrap, tape, and boxes.  Sometimes going 4x or 5x what was paid will help is covering the additional cost of supplies.  You could always break down what it costs you for each sheet of packing paper, each sheet of bubble wrap used, each box, etc, this is a lot to remember.  When selling on Poshmark, everything ships USPS Priority mail, which you can get the boxes for free from the post office.  I order mine online and they deliver them for free too.  With Poshmark you can use either regular priority or flat rate priority boxes or envelopes.  With Etsy buyer has the option to ship regular first class if it fits the requirements, priority, or ground.  I keep a small stash of boxes and padded mailers on  hand just for Etsy.  You can pick up packing materials at Dollar Tree, I buy my packing paper sheets there, bubble mailers, and sometimes bubble wrap, $1.25.  Sometimes you can find small boxes too.  For boxes I will buy them at Walmart.  The prices are low on small boxes there.  I will buy bubble wrap there too, it tends to be the lowest price locally.  

Now if your pricing to sell in a local mall or at a market, you can consider the amount x a number, like $1 x4, meaning the price would be $4, you could do 5x the amount paid.  Some resellers will look at what the item is selling for online and price it for less than online.  Pricing is a tricky game, there may be someone else selling the same item for a much different price. Take a look at what items are going for locally in the antique malls.  It helps in figuring out what to price your item.

Monday Market Trends.

 Happy Monday!  Here is a short list of what I am seeing selling on Poshmark.

1.  I am still seeing vintage clothing, dresses from the 1950's through the 1990's.  Denim is still showing up in the sold listings.  I noticed some western themed clothing and jewelry selling as well.  For men I spotted vintage button up shirts, western themed pearl snap shirts, cowboy boots, and sterling sliver rings with a southwest style.

2. I spotted vintage holiday decor, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter to name a few.  Holiday decorations usually sell all year long.

3.  I am still seeing brass home accents, MCM colored art glass, Fenton art glass, and clear glass.

4.  I noticed several sales of country geese/ducks decor items.  This was popular in the late 80's into the 90's.  Usually you will see two white geese wearing a blue ribbons around their necks.  I have seen this mostly in kitchen items and decor.

5.  I am still seeing ceramic and porcelain figurines selling.

6.  I noticed a few decorative collectors plates in the sold listings.  The majority where of wolves, and few floral prints. 

7.  I saw several vintage wall hangings, art prints, wall decor.

This is just a small overview of what I am noticing on Poshmark.  Poshmark's home page has a Today's Trends, which today is noting crotched clothing and bags as trending on the site.  I didn't see those items in the sold listings, I don't know how they come up with the trends noted.  

Be sure to search the different platforms to see what is selling there, most have a filter for sold items to search.  Etsy does not have this feature.  

Friday Finds

I did get manage to stop by two thrift stores on Wednesday.  The first stop had some selves packed, I picked up a bunch of items.  I did find quiet a few items for reselling, I did have to edit my cart down to a manageable amount of pieces.  I narrowed my selection down to the four items.

First is a Shibata Japan Ceramic square serving bowl, pattern is "China Garden", paid $2.99 will list it for $34. In the last photo.

Second, is a Boxing Kangaroo Dresser/Vanity caddy by Fine Ent. Inc, USA, 1956.  When I got it home I discovered a little chip in the glaze on it's one ear. I paid $1 for it, comps range from $30 to $100 depending on the platform.  I plan on listing it for $34.  Google lens said this particular piece was seen in the movie "Pulp Fiction".  I saw in listings Fine Ent. Inc maybe a part of McCoy pottery.

Third is a ceramic/redware folk art cat, with a speckled spongeware finish.  I paid $1 and plan on listing it for $14  No makers mark on it, price sticker did pull away some of the glaze along the bottom edge.  

The fourth piece is a small redware mini pitcher or creamer by Prinknash Pottery England, luster gun metal finish, paid $1.  I found a few comps on Poshmark, different shape at $20.  I will be listing it at $20. 

Fifth item I picked up was a vintage 1950's white Santa with rosy cheeks mug, I paid $1 for it and will list it for $26. I only found one like it that had sold on eBay for $24 and one on Etsy for $28.  Both sold with some flaws to it, this one also has some flaws.

At the second thrift store I found a cute pair of white ceramic kittens with colorful bows by Homeco.  I paid $1 each.  I will list them as a pair for $15.  

I found a new Hydro flask 10 oz Rocks tumbler for $1.  I will be keeping it, its perfect for keeping my cup of tea warm.

I picked up a Disney Hallmark Winnie the Pooh mug for $1.  I am not sure if I will be selling this one or not, my sister asked me to get it.  She collects Winnie the Pooh coffee mugs.  Comps on eBay were from $9 to $23.  

Happy Hunting! 

Learning As I Go

Just completed a full year of reselling online I am still learning the ins and outs.  I am learning how to use social media to grow sales.  I just recently started an Instagram account for Big Woods Vintage.  Learning how to use it to share listings, share recent finds, and growing my business.   I am not comfortable in front of  camera, I do not know how to edit videos, I am still learning how to use my camera and my phone camera is a work in progress.  If you have any recommendations or suggestions for learning these skills leave links in the comments.

Reselling is a constant learning curve.  Not everything you pick will sell nor sell for a profit.  Not everything has a fast sell through rate.  Not everything picked is worth what you paid for it, a constant learning curve.  Also, learning to really exam each item carefully for defects, I still miss a chip or crack.

Learning how to price items effectively based on platform performance and sold comparisons.  I have heard from other resellers, never list an items for less than what your willing to take for it.  Meaning if you have an item you paid $5 for it, don't run an auction starting at $1, especially if it usually sells for $50, start it at $20 or more if that is the lowest amount you are willing to let it go for.  Same is can be said for listing on a non auction selling site.  I am learning to price items to keep them competitive with other listings. 

I am learning to find the right amount of items listed that is manageable for me.  I don't have a ton of room to store lots and lots of items.  I have a storage tote for my Etsy listings and I have 2 18 gallon totes and a smaller tote for my Poshmark listings, so far this has been manageable.  What has become unmanageable is the new inventory I have purchased, I am closing in on 6 totes of items I have sourced, which has slowed my sourcing to only a few items.  

Lastly, learning all about profits and hidden costs.  Hidden costs cut into profits, packing materials/shipping supplies, additional transaction fees i.e. credit card payments.  I am learning to include the cost of packing materials into my pricing.  How may sheets of packing paper do I need, how many sheets of bubble wrap do I need, will I need an additional box for added protection.  Cannot forget about boxes, I sometimes have to buy a box to fit an items. I am learning to keep better track of my expenses, I have designated accordion folder just for receipts.  Receipt's for my finds and receipt's for my shipping materials.  

  

Thrifted Refresh

I few years ago I picked up this wicker shelves at the thrift store, cost $2.  I knew I wanted to eventually add it to one of our bathrooms.  The piece was dusty and dirty.  I put it up in the garage until this past weekend.  The time had come to give it a refresh.

First I vacuumed the piece with a brush attachment, and I used the can of compressed air to loosen the dust in the twist of the wicker.  

Next I took a fine grit sanding block to it, this help remove chipping paint and smoothing out the bumps from a previous paint job. 

Then I used warm water and a squirt of ECOS dish soap unscented and a old soft rag.  I made sure to wring out all the excess water from the rag, you do not want to saturate the wicker.  I proceeded to wipe down the shelves, trying to get into all the twists and folds of the wicker.  After which I repeated the process with just clean water and a clean rag, wringing out all the excess water.  Wiping down the piece to remove any remaining dust and soap residue.  I left it to dry in the sun for several hours.

Lastly, I applied Rust-Oleum American Accents 2x Ultra Coverage Paint + Primer, Flat White spray paint to it, outside using disposable gloves and mask. I allowed the piece to dry between applications of spray paint. It took 2 coats to fully cover it.  I need to apply a little glue to one piece of the lattice piece at the top, it came loose during the cleaning process.

I can't wait to get it hanging up.

I will have to update when it is finally hanging on the wall.

Wednesday Work and What Not

Have you ever been to an estate sale?  I have been a to a few, I had to get past an awkward feeling of walking around some else home and picking up and looking at other people's belongings.   Estate sales are a way for liquidating a loved ones personal belongs whether due to downsizing, nursing care, or death.  

I have been to an estate sale being run by family members trying to sell the contents of the home and I have been to estate sales run by a company who comes in and prices all the items, organizes it, and runs the sale.  Some maybe cash only and some will take cards too.  Be on the lookout for signs with this information on it and any other details, if you don't see anything ask.

In my area, most estate sales run Friday through Sunday.  Sunday everything is usually discounted up to 50% off.  Always check with the people working the sale about how long will it run and if the last day is discounted.  To find estate sales in your area check out estatesales.net.  

Keep in mind the prices will be all over the board and they have done their homework on the value of most items.  I saw once items with eBay listings printed out next to it.  Just be prepared for the pricing you will encounter.

At an estate sale you can find everything from holiday decorations, to kitchenware, to linens, to clothing, shoes, and tools, plus everything in between.  Look around in every space, dig through the piles.  Carefully look over the items you want to get for damage.  Estate sales are usually all sales final.  You may find a hidden treasure.

Lastly, bring a reusable shopping bag with you for your purchases.  There may not be in bags or boxes available at the sale.  Happy Hunting!