My October Online Sales Summary

Love these mugs - they always sell quickly!

So, how did October treat you?

Below is a quick summary video of the ebay sales I had last month.  Now, I bet November should be at least as good.  How are YOUR online sales?

Bracing for the slow season

No, we are not Easter chicks. Just yellow grumpy owls!

I went by to tidy up my booth today and add some new merchandise - and yes, to get away from the kids a bit since they were off from school and hubby "volunteered" to watch them as he worked from home today. And no, I did not attempt to decorate for Easter, unless you count the little yellow owls in the large 70s planter, shaped like a tree trunk.  How cool would this look with a potted plant such as a fern or even yellow daffodils?

Anyway, we are apparently approaching the slow season here in Maine since people from April until June let out a sigh of relief from winter losing its grip and head OUTSIDE! Imagine that.  I chatted a bit with the owner today about this, and at least I feel prepared instead of potentially wondering why nobody likes my stuff anymore during the next couple of months.  However, in June the tourists come flooding into Maine, and according to another experienced booth owner, summer is the best season here as we are right on touristy US 1.

Seeing how it's going to slow down in the antique market soon, I think it is even more appropriate to start focusing more on ebay like I discussed yesterday.  I even put up more than 20 items for auction yesterday and today, and I did not feel guilty about it at all. And I already got bids!  I had almost forgotten how fun that part is.

Have you seen that spring slows down sales in your neck of the woods?

Antique Booth versus ebay or Both

As much as I like my antique booth, there are some times where certain items just don't seem to belong there, even though they are old, vintage, retro or whatever else you want to call it.  In my space, it seems like some merchandise will sit and attract dust even though I know from online blogs that they are popular items - anywhere outside of Maine, that is.  Lately I have put some of them on ebay instead (mostly unbreakable stuff since I hate shipping delicates), and they sell!  For a lot more than I priced them in my booth. Case in point, a very small Jens Quistgaard iron candle holder sat untouched in my booth for $15 for a month, then sold for twice the amount on ebay in a week. But why does it feel like I am cheating?

I used to sell a lot of stuff on ebay during my college years, mostly books since I lived in a college town and also close to an amazing thriftshop that had a ton of books for low prices.  I often picked up books for 50 cents and resold them on ebay (and amazon) for $40 or more, especially textbooks and reference books.  Those were the days!  And there were so few people who did what I did, and there were no phone apps to help you out.  You had to go with your guts and knowledge, and I thrived.  Of course, I read way too many books myself and have almost 3,000 in my house (I counted once while moving).  They are nicely arranged on bookcases everywhere, but people with libraries such as mine are really just incurable book hoarders.  But I digress.

My point is that I am now trying to combine selling stuff in my antique booth with selling on ebay without getting distracted or overextended (I do still have my regular day job, so this is not my full-time endeavour).  I should of course be selling on etsy and keep my bonafide vintage label intact, but ebay and I go ways back, and I love the ease and exposure.  My new rule seem to be that if it is Scandinavian teak, collectable, small stuff, easy to ship and not breakable, it will go on ebay.  Breakables, large items, kitschy items, wall art, furniture, etc. will go to my booth.

Do you sell both online and in an antique booth?  Do you spend a lot of time deciding what goes where? Can a happy medium be reached?