Tea Cozies Part 2

Today I felt very lucky because I sold one of my old hand crafted pieces.

A week ago I met a lady at the thrift shop who was asking for a tea cozy. The model that fits over the pot and that you could put on your head as well, haha. The fun is nine out of ten guys that ever looked at my creations wanted to put it on their head. Coming to the point she needed it for a sketch to put on as a hat. Not finding anything anywhere she came to the shop. Well in ten years I've seen maybe two coming in. So I told her about my old hobby and promised to look at home at what I still had. Not really sure. To my surprise I found this one in the first corner I tried, including the pot but without the lid. Can't remember but likely broken at a market or transporting back from one. She came back today and was thrilled! I asked €5 and she offered €7,50. 

I stuck €1 on the pot and left it for the shop to sell.

Not much for my work, (imagine, I used to sell little flowers like this €2,50 a piece as brooches or hair clips) but on the other hand an item 15 years old is financially written off. And the thing is this was really made from unraveled curb found knitwear. 

Then when walking the lady out and wishing her success with the show I spotted the shop/volunteer coordinator and wanted to show him my item. What did he say? 'I want to see how that looks on my head!'

Now read more about my tea cozies here: https://trashcollector.blogspot.com/2010/01/tea-pots-and-tea-cozies.html

How I loved to design and make them. But it's just not a product people want. Sold one on Etsy, custom made. Soooo long ago. The model 'pagode' that I talk about in the post sold to my brother. Photo so old it's not in my laptop. Hopefully maybe still on a diskette. If I find it will show later. This one here I found in an old file called 'sold'. Just can't remember when or where!            

And then to my surprise I found this one. Same model, made for same pot, same material but with a knitted bow. Where did it go? I can't remember. But if file says sold it must have been sold.

Watches

Looking for the old party hats photo's from my last post I stumbled upon these watches that I never showed before. A find from 2016 but I remember it well. In clear day light a young expat leaving the country unplanned (I guess) to go home or move on left some very nice stuff on the curb. I know because while loooking at the music books (that I did post about before) he came back to bring more. One thing I remember was an electric screwdriver, but I let a neighbour also looking have it.

However it's not so easy to sell watches. On the Dutch 'Ebay' you have to pay for the listing and you need to know enough about them. I managed once on anoher selling site where it is without costs, but I think that one came from giveaway shop. Among these I decided in the end only the gold plated Casio would be worth trying (as the silver coloured is incomplete). But I never did. Through the years I sent the other four to the thrift shop. The Casio somehow collected dirt while lying around and when I finally cleaned it the gold plate was slightly damaged. And so that one went to thrift shop as well somewhere last year. Sure fire I made someone very happy.

King's Day Hats

I must have found these somewhere 2016.  In the colours of our Dutch flag, red, white and blue, but with the orange brim they are a typical thing to wear on the national celabration, King's Day. I photographed them in december to sell for the celbration in 2017. Without success. Yet I sold one on a market once, but forgot when or where. It can't have been on the free market on the day itself as shifting a few days earlier after Queens Day April 30since 2013, it had always been too cold for me and my friend to go for it. Sure thing is I got no more than €0,50.

With the day coming up this Saturday I dug up the remaining three and brought them to the thrift shop. Happy to make place. Though from moving around and storage their condition has slightly deteriorated, I saw one regular customer falling for their specialty. It's real straw, hand made, vintage and nothing like Chinese cheap plastic that is sold commercially. He happily walked out with two paying €1 each.

Now I'm going to post a Facebook message for the shop hoping the last one will go tomorrow. If not so be it. But the the sale made my day today.