And the Story Begins: Furniture with a new story to tell.

Things are going to start picking back up here at Vintage Indie. Now that we're getting settled into our new place, and learning what is like to live in a 89 year old farm house. We are enjoying the charm and wide open space here. 

Today, I'd like to introduce you to And the Story Begins. Local to Northern Kentucky; furniture artist Holly Carpenter, is creating new stories for once disregarded furniture. 

She specializes in using Annie Sloan's coveted Chalk Paint. 

Buffet in progress above. 

To learn more about And the Story Begins and to see more of Holly's work, please like her new Facbook page. 

 

Support Independent Small Businesses! 

 

Shop Local: Bath & Body from WinsomeGreen in Manchester Kentucky

Have you thought about supporting your local community with everyday products? There is a handmade small business out there for almost anything you could ever want.

Let's start today with WinsomeGreen in my home state of Kentucky. 

 

WinsomeGreen

 

Bath Tea 

Outdoors Survival Kit 

Milk Bath Soak 

Small Business Saturday: Wooden Wonders' Hobbit Holes

Upon some research I was doing with my son on small "kids cottages" we came across Wooden Wonders and just had to share their Hobbit Holes with you. 

                     

Watch the video to take a tour of some of these fabulous buildings. 

Visit Wooden Wonders to find out more about their Hobbit Holes for kids, chickens, garden sheds and more. We love you're creativity Wooden Wonders! 

Tasty Treats: Vintage Confections

Looking for some sweet treats for your next party? Vintage Confections may have just the thing for you. 

Vintage Confections is doing up sweets the old fashioned way. Handmade to order, you can get yummy flavors like honey coconut pudding, mint chocolate chip ice cream and more!  

Guest Reporter Malia at The Farm Chicks Antique Show 2010: Interview with Jo Packham of Where Women Create

Malia Karlinsky from Yesterday On Tuesday is back with another great Farm Chicks show highlight!

 The lovely Jo Packham was there, signing her book "Where Women Create" and copies of her "Where Women Create" Magazines.  Jo also has a beautiful "Where Women Create" Blog 

I was able to get a cute picture of Jo with Serena Thompson from Farm Chicks.  I also got to meet Jo and ask her about what advice she has for women who are inspired to create, but are having a hard time taking the next step:

Jo Packham Founder Where Women Create

Jo was so encouraging and kind.  She's a gorgeous person inside and out.

Malia Karlinsky is a wife and a Mom to two cute kids.  She enjoys elegant upcycling, finding vintage treasures, sewing, photography and writing.  Oh and tap dancing which she isn't good at but really loves.  In her previous career, Malia was a television writer and producer. Visit her on her blog Yesterday On Tuesday.

Small Business: "If you don't earn it, someone else will." by Mitzi Curi

Vintage Indie would like to welcome shop owner Mitzi Curi for her inside tips for making some cash this spring and summer with antiques, refurbished housewares and more.

Photo Copyright © JavaJaneDesigns

Now that spring is in the air, at least in this hemisphere, go outside and take a deep breath.  Can you smell something different in the air, besides the the perfume of spring flowers?  It's the smell of money, honey!  There is money out there, floating about with the pollen.  If you don't earn it, someone else will.  How can you earn it?  By buying and re-selling antiques and vintage goods.  You can get started pretty easily in a part-time antique business without much initial investment.  Today, I'd like to suggest three different ways to get your foot in the door of this fun and exciting world!

Photo Copyright © Blandy Snorhal

Becoming a Picker:

Just like in the natural world, there is a "food chain" of sorts in the antique selling world.  Close to the bottom of the chain are the "pickers".  Pickers are folks who comb the countryside looking for antiques.  This doesn't have to include cold-calling on residences, asking owners if they have things to sell.  Pickers can also acquire their goods from garage sales, Salvation Army or secondhand stores, Craig's List, or even eBay.  The trick is "flipping" your acquisitions quickly to antique dealers and making a profit.  Basically, if you are a picker you are a supplier, and you have total flexibility in terms of how much or how little time you put into your business., and you won't be tied down to a bricks-and-mortar shop waiting for customers to show up.

If you are able to "pick" a cache of goods, you need to call upon some antique dealers to show them your wares.  Contact an antique mall or antique store, preferably during a slow time such as a weekday morning.  You might want to call first, just to make sure you will be welcome.  Simply tell them you have a selection of goods to sell and show up with your treasures.  If you have very large items, such as a dining room suite, you might bring pictures instead, and maybe one part of the set as an example.  Be prepared to deliver the items when convenient for the buyer.  When a picker shows an antique dealer their wares, they should have an asking price ready for each item, leaving a bit of room for negotiation.  Don't be offended if the dealers don't bite.  There are many reasons why they might not be in a buying mode.  They might be strapped for cash, or simply uninterested in the items you brought.  Simply leave your business card and move on to another antique store.

I think it goes without saying that it helps to have some basic knowledge about the stuff you are trying to sell.  You don't want to make a costly mistake such as "flipping" a  piece of pottery you purchased for $4 at a garage sale to a dealer for $8, then later seeing the pottery priced at $125.  Even though you made a 100% markup on the piece, you want to avoid that sick feeling that a situation like this might elicit.  So do your research and learn as much as you can as you go.

Photo Copyright © DOTTO

Occasional Sales:

  If becoming a picker doesn't appeal to you, perhaps conducting "occasional sales" by yourself or with a group will be a better option.  This can be as simple as having a sale at your house, which you can advertise as you would a garage sale with an emphasis on antiques, or as elaborate as a group sale at a special venue such as someone's barn.  Be certain you obtain any necessary permits from the city for holding a sale such as this, and plan for the parking so customers can safely and easily visit your location. 

Refinishing and Rehabbing Furniture:

  Another business idea without investing a lot of money is to buy furniture in the rough, refinishing or painting it, and then selling it to dealers or directly to the public via occasional sales or shows.  I can think of one gal that rented a booth at an antique mall and sold her painted furniture quite briskly there. 

If you have some furniture repair skills, you can put them to use by purchasing furniture that needs "help", getting it back in shape, then giving it your special paint treatment.  You might need to learn how to re-glue rickety chairs, replace missing hardware, or find other solutions to bring old furniture back to life.  My suggestion would be to perfect a "Shabby & Chic" inspired paint treatment.  The shabby look is still quite popular, and painting furniture is easier than stripping off the old finish and staining and sealing it. 

Personally, I like colorful furniture, but in my experience white sells the best.  Consider adding special details such as glass drawer pulls on the dressers, or maybe painting floral designs on a headboard.  One invaluable resource for the furniture repair person is the Rockler Woodworking catalog.  They have everything you need to get furniture up to speed.  You can really feel good about "furniture rehab", because you are rescuing things that might have ended up in a landfill and are giving them a second life.

These three ideas should help get the wheels turning and maybe inspire you to get involved in a new small business.   Even if your dream is to someday own your own store, these are easy ways to dip you toe in the water without investing the large amount of money that starting up a store would require.  You will meet other dealers, learn something new every day, and be on your way to joining a group of folks that have already discovered a fulfilling hobby/business that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. 

My name is Mitzi Curi and I am striving to become the "New Face of Antique Dealers"!  I think the time is right for us to incorporate vintage goods into our modern lifestyle and appreciate things that have a history and story to tell.  Re-purposing antiques and crafting with vintage materials are my favorite pastimes, and I love to share my passion and enthusiasm with readers at my blog Mitzi Collectibles 

Business Series - Selling Your Vintage & Antiques Online Part One with Bonanzle

We hope you've enjoyed our Business Series so far. If you need to catch up feel free to visit our archives. If you've been thinking of starting your own business selling your vintage or antique goods online we hope to show you a few options during the next few sections of our series.

Opening your own website with a shopping cart can seem daunting, so we are here to help with a few different options including opening your own website when you are ready to take that step.  First in our series is selling your wares on a website where you hold a "shop" or "booth". Similar to the Vintage Indie Market that we held in December. (Stay tuned for our announcement for the Spring Summer Market).

 We are starting with the fairly new site Bonanzle We've heard a lot of buzz surrounding this new site and think they hold their own when it comes to vintage and antiques. Although you can sell almost anything on Bonanzle, vintage and antiques plays a large role there. We've recently interviewed with Mark Dorsey, the Co-Founder of Bonanzle.com, on why he thinks Bonanzle is the place to set up shop and start selling.

It is important to note we are not associated with any of the sites that we'll be featuring in series but hope to offer informative details about each site so that you can decide which is best for your business.

Why Bonanzle?

How did Bonanzle come about?

Bonanzle had been designed and developed for a year and a half before it went online in beta form in June of 2008.  We officially launched to the public in September 2008.  The name "Bonanzle" is a derivation of the word "Bonanza," which is our site's signature event, as mentioned below.  We felt that there was an audience who would appreciate a buying and selling experience where the people mattered.  The seller paradigm established by eBay is one where the seller lists their items and checks back in a week to see if they sold.  From an interaction standpoint, this isn't much different than listing items in the news paper. 

We think the people on the site are just as important as the items.  On Bonanzle, the user's profile picture is shown alongside their items, as is a map of the user's general region (postal code).  You can chat with your buyer and sellers in real time to get questions answered or negotiate prices or get the story behind the item you're interested in.  You can host a "Bonanza," which is a sale of your items where you wheel and deal with buyers to quickly sell as many items as possible (Bonanzas are limited to 3 hours maximum).  Or you can add a personal endorsement of a user that you have had a particularly good experience with.  The theme of these and our many other Bonanzle-first features is that buyers and sellers are more than their user name. 

This feature focus reflects our core belief:  that a more human (and less anonymous) experience is a more satisfying one. 

What types of items can be sold at Bonanzle?
We have branded Bonanzle as the online marketplace where you can "Find Everything but the Ordinary."  We believe that Amazon already does a fine job with shiny new electronics and mass produced items.  However if you have a vintage "Atari Video Game" or something similar then you would probably fit in nicely at Bonanzle.  That is not to say that we do not allow ordinary items at Bonanzle. 

What makes Bonanzle stand out from eBay or other sites who seem to barely include vintage?
We involve our community.  Our community showcases the unique items via our "Tagging" system to highlight "Exceptional" items (Most Bizarre, Most Beautiful, Funniest, Coolest and Best Priced) at Bonanzle.   We also have "Hand Picked Lists" that our community creates in different themes.  They are creative and really fun to browse.

How is Bonanzle handling the new CPSIA law about to go into affect?
To be completely honest we have not really addressed this at all.  It seems that there are many misconceptions and overreactions to the new CPSIA law and given our time constraints we felt it was better to see where the chips fall and then take the necessary actions.

A special thanks to Mark Dorsey for his time.

We don't have a booth set up on Bonanzle, but we have joined and found it a very easy process.

Tomorrow we'll be back with a fairly newcomer to Bonanzle getting a first hand glimpse on creating a booth at Bonanzle.

Business Series Part 5 - Taking Your Business on the Road - Shows, Special Events & More

Starting your own business can seem like a daunting task, but what about taking your business on the road? Does the thought of this scare you back into your office? Well if so, we are here to help. Have you ever thought about taking your business on the road to places like The Farm Chicks Antique Show or the Bust Holiday Craftacular?

We've been working with small business owner Pamela Anthony of Beehind Thyme to give us an insiders look at taking your business on the road. She recently took her business on the road and has graciously shared with us her expertise and help. (Click images to enlarge)

(Beehind Thyme Display)

Can you tell us what you do to prepare for taking your business on the road.

 First of all, if you are fortunate enough to know a party that attends the show or actually has sold at the show, start by asking them questions such as; How is the crowd? What was their best seller, style wise? How where the sales? All of this helps in determining whether you are interested in participating.

 Then inquire with the individual that is in charge of organizing the show, usually is months in advance… so be searching ahead of time to be able to get in, get juried (if required) & to get your stock up to par for a show, especially if it is a 2 day one, for restocking. Ask about how they advertise & the amount of advertising they do, to see if pride is taken in the event. Normally if show has been in affect for awhile there is a round-about head count of attendance. Next, getting all the information on day, time & place… there is a time that is designated for set-up, you need to know this & make sure that you & party in charge are prompt on this, very important. Usually you are assigned a booth location, if available before show date, stress to the individual over the show it would be helpful to get that information & any other needed like is there electricity available, etc. 

 As a brick & mortar shop owner, I have to make preparation for the duty that is being left behind, whether that be scheduling someone to stay at the shop or would it be better to close the doors, if so; a sign with returning hours is good.  

What are some important items to remember to pack for a business road trip?

 Well, I start making my list weeks ahead, knowing if I don’t there will be something forgotten. Just as I think of things, I jot them down. My mind is racing & as time is running out, you get a little careless, and not to say… rushed. I have been known to write on my hand until I get to my list… Here are a few that you will find jotted down: receipt books, business cards, brochures, any advertising material that you may have for an up-coming event or gathering, tissue paper for wrapping, bags, cloth/material for covering boxes/crates when building up displays, etc. Now for set-up: cordless drill, screws, hammer, nails, glue gun/glue sticks, my paints & brushes… and something I always seem to leave behind… chair/stool for sitting in when needing a break.

 Now… my husband always has his list of things to pack… battery charger, tools, cables, flashlight, ropes/bungee cords, etc  

How much time do you allow getting everything ready to go?

 A least 2 days ~ 1 day to make a visual of what I will be taking, sometimes that includes actually drawing on paper how I want my layout to look like or do I have a theme. Second day we begin to load the truck & trailer. 

(This is the beginning of loading our trailer We start with the large items filling every hole and crannies. Pictured : Old Original Goat Cart.)

When you arrive at the show location what is to be expected of you?

 First off, we normally register; get badges, signs & location of our booth. I like to meet & greet old & new friends that are vendors while I find my way to the spot we will be spending the next few days.

 We then find the nearest entrance to unload. Of course, the furniture & all the big pieces come off the trailer first. After unloading, it is very kind & polite of you to pull your vehicle to a parking spot or a least give room for someone else to unload, “Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you”. Now is the time I start working my displays.

(Loaded and ready to hit the road. 2.5 hour drive to our destination)

Can you share with us a little about setting up, the time involved?

 Wow!!! This is the time that I get a wrench, tighten feeling in my stomach, no matter how many times… it is still there, probably due to the fact, I want the displays looking there best, I really fret about it. It normally takes me around… 4-5 hours for a 12 x 12 size booth to really do what I feel comfortable with for the customers.

(Arrived at the show. Larger pieces are unloaded first)

Is this an overnight multiple day show? If so, how do you prepare and plan for accommodations?

 Yes, this is a 2 day show, with us leaving out the day before, making it 3 days for us being gone. Of course, finding hotel accommodations ahead of time is the very smart thing to do. But with this show, we didn’t & we were blessed to find one about 10 minutes from the show location. I highly recommend that you do make reservations, a lot of times there are so many events going on in larger cities that hotels are filled.

 There is light packing when it comes to your personal needs. All the room is taken with merchandise & treasures, so we pack the bare necessities. It is needful to bring a cooler along for those days when it will be hard to get away from your booth & customers.

(Our space before organizing and completing set up)

Any advice you can give to businesses thinking of taking their business on the road for shows?

 Plan ~ do your planning, especially when going a distance. It is hard to turn back when you are on a strict schedule & time waits for no one.

 I say… go for it! It is an awesome tool for marketing your item or items & promoting your business. After EVERY show I have done… I always came back pumped up & excited about what is happening at Beehind Thyme.

(Everything is complete, we had pleanty of room and didn't bring our walls)

A Special thank you to Pamela and her husband for sharing this insiders look at taking your business on the road. Please take a moment to visit Beehind Thyme
Beehind Thyme Garden & Wares

353 Lone Valley Rd

Campbellsville, KY 42718

270-789-3143 / 270-469-0026

Web Site coming soon!
Shop & Garden Hours: Tuesday thru Friday 10am-5pm EST / Saturday 10am-4pm EST… Open by appointment OR by chance at other thymes.