Some Lamps And A New Market Season - And Clearing Out A Bit

Well you must think I’m a terrible blogger! It’s been months again. Now I’ve got some time left as my friend canceled our market plans for today. With two boys moving out she’s got other things on her mind. I wonder what her house is going to look like when they take out all the 'trash' she's collected for them over the years. I hope to clear out a bit more too. Sales are a bit slow as I've been lazy with listing, but I haul in selectively now and less than goes out. 

Here are some lamps I was happy to sell recently and earlier on:

A while ago I woke up to a message about this little lamp foot. Less than two hours later it was picked up. I like it when things go smoothly like that!

But it took almost a year, and not being very big I stored it on a shelf in my lounge where it really started to get in my way.

I had even more trouble getting rid of this retro ceiling lamp.

The oil lamp model is popular with vintage lovers, but I’m afraid the Seventies colours just didn’t appeal to anybody. Listed October 2015, sold June 2017… That was one big box out of my storage.

On the other hand this chandelier was out, early last year, within two months. To my surprise because it wasn’t in great condition. First, it was really left for trash, covered in dust and cobwebs with broken bulbs still in the sockets. I took it home because the model is sought after.

After cleaning it I found rusty bits, the yellowed plastic candles were crumbling at the edges and most of the gold plate shine was off the brass. Somehow it appealed to a young lady who paid a very decent price. Thank god, as the clumsy shape didn't fit anywhere and I had to keep it in my bedroom!

Talking markets again here are some items that didn’t go out on line over winter but sold in April at our first event this year:

A diet recipe book in Dutch translation.

Incomplete set of wooden bricks. Practically gave them away to a six-year old who paid from her pocket money for her three-year old brother.

One straw party hat in our flag's colours. Days before the national Holiday I thought it would be a good idea to bring them along.

A dull French Seventies salad bowl.

Plus all the things I never deemed worthy of photographing. 

So though it was sad we couldn't go today, I filled the one nearly empty market bag with random picks from shelves, cupboards, the yard and even my floor. Restored away I'm ready for the next market and the mess alreay out of sight. Then I had time to list a recent find, and to make an appointment for a sale at the door:

As I woke up to the message I could pull this large candle tray straight out of the market bag, then after my friend's call I made the appointment and it was gone before noon. Not a bad day after all!

Chess, Backgammon, Risk

This week I was very pleased to ship out this luxury wooden chess and backgammon set.  Unfortunately the varnish was in such a bad shape.

Therefore I accepted first reasonable bid, otherwise it’s a fine piece of craftsmanship.

My neighbour brought it in last summer, but I waited to find matching playing pieces at the thrift shop. With my volunteers discount I paid 75 cents EUR.

Though still cold we had some fine weather last week and I profited from that to put it up. I had no idea what to expect as I saw plenty of comparable sets around in the classifieds. I’m really glad it went so fast. One more big thing out of the house!

So let’s see what comparable I sold last year?

Ah, here it is. Risk.

Found in a plastic tote on a rainy day placed by a paper recycling dumpster. Usually that means books and I expected them to be soaked and ruined. Almost passed by but curiosity won and I found this one with another less interesting game in fairly dry boxes.

Good for immediate listing and guess what? Sold the same day!

A Lovely Face

My first trash sale of the year was this plastic frame that I sold for my friend who picked it up in her part of town. It looks really cheap, but by the back side you can see it’s quite vintage. When were things like that still made in Italy?

The print was thin paper on board with a fine structure pressed in, as they used to do in the Seventies. So I listed it just for the frame, but my friend said she loved the girl’s face and enjoyed looking at it for the short period she had it in her house.

Let’s see what else I sold for her.

These two flowery fruit bowls went last year January. Quite horrendous, but they were in great shape and the glass was thick and of good quality. Not pressed glass.

The buyer of the pink one told me she got one from outlet stock on a giant flea market in Holland. After she broke it she was thrilled to have found a replacement. I take it these two came from the same place.

Well, I should go now. But looking forward to show more rescued goodies soon.

Plastic Camping Stuff

Sorry I’ve been away for so long. The thing is I took on a second part time job in October. Even though it’s only eight hours a week - totaling my hours to some maximum of 26 - it sucks al lot of my energy. Sales of rescued goods continue, but at a much slower space. I also don’t pick up a lot because I don’t feel like finding storage place for new things right now. Then winter doesn’t help to take photo’s outdoors and list. But I’m still selling from stock, I have free afternoons, I’m starting to get used of my schedule, and I should finally start covering 2017!

So for the moment I’d better forget about all plans of long themed posts and just show a few items at the time. To begin with what went out of the house recently and combine it with something from last year.

Yesterday I shipped out this small set of camping crockery. The company that makes this high quality unbreakable plastic still exists, but by the colour I judged it Seventies anyway. I’m not a fan of plastic but it made me nostalgic of camping holidays and the pale yellow 1960-s set we used to have. That would have been a real collectible now.

This brings me to camping coolers.

After successfully selling one vintage cooler I dug up this one that was in my shed for over ten years. So forgot where exactly I got it but from but trash for sure. Never used it for anything so it had to go.

Then not much later the dump in my street produced one almost the same. Looking more scratched it was still perfectly usable. At a bit lower price it found a new home quickly as well.

Let me end with my eco tip of the day: did you know camping coolers make great thermal cookers? I considered trying it (or perhaps did I dig up the blue and pink with that in mind? - forgot), but not for me as I rarely cook, but if you’re interested read this post by Gregg Koep at Not Buying Anything. Great blog by the way.

Quick Update

I’ve been away from the blog for a long time now, for which I apologize. Excuses:

Building a grow house. It was a struggle with loads of tiny little screws which took me over two months. Though it was the Man’s wish to have the thing in my garden, I ended up constructing it because he really couldn’t figure it out. As I'm not in favour of buying new things I was always happy to grow my bell peppers and green beans out in the open and in reused planters but we’ll see later on if the investment was worth it.

Then I found around twelve hours a week paid work for the first time in three years. I still depend partly on government aid, but it’s a start. And quite a change! I was pretty exhausted for at least two months but I’m finally getting used to it now.

All in all the growing season started a bit late for me. Thanks to some tomato plants my friend gave me some fruits are growing already. But the replanting in my house gave them a bit of a set back and only days ago finally some new flowers started developing.

The green beans from seeds of my own harvest from last year are doing great. Though sowed just four weeks ago they are shooting up higher already then ever outdoors. No flowers here yet but as for the tomatoes, here’s to hoping the warmth in the house will make up for the shorter day light and I’ll update soon with the results.

Trash finds and sales continue as usual, athough at a little bit lower pace as well for the moment. Lot's of things to show and tell from the before times though, I hope to come back soon with reports about that.

More From 2016 Part VIII - Zadie Smith

The weather last Sunday was way to hot to attract huge crowds to the market, but we came home with a profit nonetheless and I lost a fair load of shoes and some men's clothes.

My only photo is of this H&M vest that I decided not to list after all.

So on with the rest of trash finds sold last year:

An analog Soehnle scale. I thought they were almost obsolete and only took it for the markets. Then found the exact same model is still available retail, though inexpensive. Listed and succeeded. Not everyone wants things with batteries that can go flat.

I thought this newspaper holder was horrendous, but it sold in a week. There are collectors of copper items even though this is just a coat over iron.

Here's a better picture of the scenery.

The expat I spoke about in a previous post also left me a small collection of 1980-s comics. I got silly bids from young kids, but expected that and paid no attention. In the end someone serious wanted the whole lot and I made him a fair price for that.

I forgot if Zadie was in his lot as well, or in the bag next to the board games. Anyway she remained unhandled for a while because the title wasn't in the database of the site where I have my book account. On cold wet days last winter I just sat and scanned piles of such books, trying to get some business in a period where I couldn't do any photography. This was one of the successes that sold within two weeks.

A brand new bamboo mat brought in by the Man. Now I thought this would fly out but it took seven months.

This marble board was near new too, but it had a blob of dried out paint on it that had to be scraped off, which left a matt place. As they are popular to roll out cake toppings I was afraid it might not go, but it was bought to make a memorial tablet so it didn't matter.

That's it, but not all. I found some items I forgot about that sold on the last markets last year to fill up the post.

A skin covered primitive lamp shade. Flogged it but glad I didn't have to take it out twice.

From a different angle. You can see it's not in great shape. I had it since February and really wanted it out of the house.

A jar shaped vase. The text says Mason's Vintage Jars.

And last, a cute door rack. It came with the bamboo mirror.

More From 2016 Part VII - Fish Planks

I hope I packed wisely. I opted for a load of shoes, some clothing and other fairly regular stuff, as last year, on the early markets the Moroccans just bought about anything cheap to bring home to their families. Later on we relied on the Dutch who are more picky and looking for special stuff.  I'm leaving that on line for the moment.

Now I just have to sit and wait so plenty of time to post another dozen of sold curb finds from last year. I'm getting towards the end now.

This antique door window is another one of my favourites. This size they were often in double doors dividing front and back rooms. Those were then removed when people wanted more open space. I sold it for less than what they go for, but it had paint stains and was framed in a peculiar way. Can you see it? It's curtain rails. As I couldn't see the state of the lead underneath I took the first bid that was reasonable. Then the woman almost came running for it and it made me think... Regardless it was a good amount of money for me.

IKEA Trissa boxes are apparently sought after by vinyl collectors. I picked it up with toys in it which attracted my attention first. I sold one plastic truck at a market, donated the rest then found out the box was the most valuable thing of the complete haul.

Another cheap thing someone was prepared to pay shipping for. It keeps amazing me.

Luckily I didn't have to ship this.

Yin yang balls are not hot second hand. I got way less than what I saw others asking and it took eight months. Perhaps they do better with newer looking boxes.

A set of the exact same fold-up chairs I sold two months before.

This is an IKEA PS collection vase. I sold it for my friend. She brought it to a market and I had to sit with the thing between my legs in the car. Told her I wouldn't do that again and to leave it in my house. Got twice what she had asked.

It finally convinced her to bring me more stuff after the end of market season. Now she claims I made a face when she produced these fish shaped planks. Well I thought I'll list the weird things first, and first they went and the money I got stunned both of us. The lady was thrilled and was recently back at my door for a vintage suitcase.

I was sure Oprah would help me sell this book. She did and the bid was way higher than what I normally get for a novel, if at all on line.

The Joska vase from March.

Not all Ikea flies out. Found October 2015, sold November 2016.

Are you getting tired of looking at vases? Here's something more fun. Well the case looks quite nice...

then open it and... I suppose it's for wigs. Not nice enough for displaying my hats and I've got some good enough heads. Sold in about a week.

I'm almost there now. A few more things in the next post and then I'll do a seperate one on baby toys that I skipped so far.