Saturday, November 6, 2010

Street Fair Photos

My bad about not posting but I'm trying hard to put as much stuff as possible into the antique mall booth AND into my Etsy shop.  Many thanks to those of you who have purchased from me--and if you see something you like, ask about it.  Who  knows what deals might be made?

Some photos from the recent Slidell, LA Antiques & Crafts Street Fair.  Next time I'll do something about the mess on the ground, but we needed to have wrapping materials handy.  I had about two years' worth of saved plastic bags, paper, and bubble wrap.  At the end of the fair, it all went in the trash.  I now regret that, but at the time all we could think about was packing up and getting the f**k outta Dodge!


On Saturday, the first day of the fair, about five different women wanted to buy the hutch.  This previously resided for years in the breezeway at my mother's "farm" and held all manner of tools, paint cans, several bird's nests and an entire sub-continent's worth of spiders.  And for some weird reason the back legs were shorter than the front legs!  I didn't want to sell the hutch, my cousin kept telling me I could get a lot of money for it, and finally on Sunday when a young girl desperately wanted it we told her $200 and then came down to $100.  She had a specific spot in her home for the piece but didn't know if it would fit, so she took measurements and a photograph and went home to talk to her husband.  She promised she'd call back whether or not she was going to get it, and about an  hour later the phone rang.  It was her husband, nearly apoplectic that ANYONE would pay $100 for what looked to him like something going to the burn pile!  But oh, would we take $50 for it?  Needless to say the hutch is back in my garage. 
 I may take it to the antique mall booth where I know someone will snatch it up.  In the world of Shabby Chic decorating, this is a major prize.  Plus we made all four legs the same length.  The hutch isn't crooked--the street slopes a bit. 


If you enlarge this photo you'll see all my beautiful Fenton glass plus so much more.  On the bottom shelf are my three vintage (not Pottery Barn) Eva Zeisel platters, Ben Seibel gravy boat, and four Ben Seibel coupe soup bowls.  No interest from the hordes.  I did sell the "Rustic Line" McCoy vase (on the shelf with the lime green Fenton) that was marked at $15--but of course the buyer asked for a price reduction and I nearly spit in her face.  I mean, come ON!  She put it back but returned a bit later and paid the $15.  Jeeeeeeeez.


More people than I care to count tried on these glasses--Lowly Trooper Sally was in charge of the jewelry/small items showcase and she spent half her time showing the sunglasses.  Women would try them on, look at themselves in the washstand mirror, their friends/family would tell them they look adorable . . . and then they'd say, "Oh, I don't think so.  They're just so WILD, you know."  Um, yeah.  You couldn't ascertain that BEFORE you tried them on?  They've got great big honkin' butterflies and rhinestones for pete's sake!

That's a very old McKee Glass jadeite fridge dish, vintage aluminum tray, Hull figurine, Sierra Vista Chinese man planter, Sascha Brastoff ashtray, Blendo cocktail pitcher and six small glasses, Fire-King Peach Lustre mugs, atomic ashtray . . . none of this sold.  Let me assure you that the prices were waaaaaaay cheap.  Unfortunately, the fact that I wasn't giving everything away deterred many shoppers. 

Antique glass oil lamp, two Siamese cats (one with rhinestone eyes!), barkcloth panels, antique bookshelf, very heavy glass cake stand with cover.  None of this sold either.

I do have to say that I actually came out of this experience at a profit and many of the other vendors didn't.  Between the weather (hot, humid, threatening to rain), the LSU game on Saturday and the Saints game on Sunday, we were lucky we had the crowds we did.  My friend Barry told me it was THE WORST street fair they'd had since they started!  This is also due to the economy, the oil spill, and--of course--Obama.  Or as they like to refer to him down here, "that asshole in the White House".

Do NOT get me started!  Well, here's one little thing more--my sister (you know, Lowly Trooper Sally) and I are confirmed, committed, loyal liberal Democrats.  We've been liberals since college and unlike many people our age (old) we have pretty much stayed the course.  So here it was, with 100% humidity and a heat index in the 90's, and we were offered paper fans, which Cousin Gwen grabbed and started to distribute to us.  When we saw what was printed on the fans, however, we shrank back in horror and refused them.  Cousin Gwen is like my husband--she hates all politicians--but if they're giving away free cooling devices, she's in.  Needless to say she was amazed that we refused the fans, and when we explained to her that they were from DAVID VITTER, one of Louisiana's senators and a politician for whom the term "far right conservative" could have been coined, she looked at us like we were out of our minds.

Lowly Trooper Sally lives in Alabama and wasn't all that familiar with David Vitter, but thanks to the fan she was able to see what he stands for and what he's against.  Pretty much everything that he was against we're for, and vice versa.

So, there we stood, sweat dripping from our brows, down our backs and onto the pavement, making little sweaty puddles.  Cousin Gwen just sat in her lawn chair, laughing at us and fanning away.

Friends, sometimes ya gotta sweat a little bit (or in our case, A LOT) to maintain the courage of your convictions.

12 comments:

  1. Christine I'm not surprised more didn't sell with all that going on. The A-hole in the white house has not helped. Makes my life miserable every day. Oh enough of that but proud of you for sweatin instead of fanning away your convictions. I wish I could browse your wares! :0 and I might! lol. Maybe more will sell in the shop. Glad you did not giveaway that hutch! It truly is awesome. Ok going back to shop your leftovers! hugs, Linda

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  2. I'm right with ya as an absolute fanatic left-wing liberal!! Going to check out your Etsy shop.

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  3. I finally threw in the towel and said "I'm tired of paying to sell my stuff free" at that antique mall booth I shared with my sis. Who wants to sell $80 worth of merchandise for $15 profit? And the economy is so bad. I'm selling on Etsy now, and making better return, but believe me things aren't flying outta the stock room. The competition is fierce, and I mean FIERCE, and your photos need to look artsy or they're passed on. I can list one item and within one hour it's gone from page one to page 6...that's how much stuff is put on Etsy minute by minute. Have to be careful, too, or you'll get hosed on shipping! I'll go visit your shop and mark it a favorite right now. Good luck, Chris!

    Liz

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  4. So great to 'see' people with convictions!!! Not too popular nowadays to be so bold!
    Love your stuff Chris. Is that a Manhattan vase on the top shelf at the Fair? If so I know a lady who collects this and she may be interested. Let me know if it is for sale and Manhattan.
    Good to read about Etsy in your comments. I am still considering going this route. But shipping from Canada is out of control. I don't know if people would pay for it.
    Enjoyed this post. Thanks.
    Jim

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  5. Damn you! You keep posting and I keep buying!

    How much for the little blue planter next to the pointy orange dish? (Top shelf, 3rd pic).

    I think its funny that everyone blames Obama - like we didn't have these problems when Bush was in office. At least Obama didn't start a fake war!

    Do NOT ship to Canada. They break things and the cost is quite unreasonable. Sorry Canadians, I love you!

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  6. Haha, those glasses are just both terrible and wonderful. Of course one would have to try them on, but if one can really pull them off is a whole other story.. :)

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  7. Sounds like it was as hot as it is here. I find these types of fairs very hard work, especially in summer, and every item is a hard sell, no matter what stock I take. How much do you want for the butterfly glasses and the atomic ashtray? Serious interest here!

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  8. Ooo I have admired that black and white atomic ashtray since I saw it in a photo months ago =D

    Email me, what you want for it...

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  9. And glad you didn't sell the hutch for $50? geeez...

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  10. I'll solve the mystery your hutch's legs for you. Since it was a porch, I'll bet the porch floor sloped away from the house ... they used to build them like that for drainage. The legs of the hutch were trimmed so the hutch itself would be level on the sloping floor.

    The floor of the kitchen and bathroom in my great-grandmother's house in Oklahoma was like this ... the two rooms were made out of what had once been a large back porch.
    Connie

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  11. Good for you! I mean this. I am very proud to know you. I admire you and your convictions. It must be scary down there these days.

    (cool ashtray and kitty with rhinestone eyes, by the way).

    Hiya, Missus C!

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  12. Oh, how I love those sunglasses--and I would actually wear them! The butterflies would likely annoy me (hitting my bangs), but the gemstone ones would rock!

    Barbara: I TOTALLY agree with shipping to Canada thing. Heck--it takes 3 weeks for mail to get here from a town I can drive to in 20 minutes. 0_o And I can't count how many times I've received broken merchandise, and Canada Post won't take responsibility for it!!!

    Hedgewitch Hollow

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