My Litmus Test for Inventory when I'm 'Pickin' for the Showroom is... "Do I like it so much I'm Tempted to keep it myself?" If the Answer to that Important Question is Yes, then I've done my Job and met the Criteria for what I want to Sell. I fell in Love with this pair of Framed Art... one of a Lovely Cottage Garden...
And the other of a Serene Conservatory Style Porch. Both have Furnishings and a Style that I Decorate with, so it was mighty Tempting to want to keep them... Luckily I'm limited on available wall space and so after re-painting the Frames {which were a hideous flat Pewter color} off to the Showroom them went.
I've Sold almost everything I'd re-painted with my Five Dollar Discount Can of Turquoise Paint so I had to paint up some more Inventory with this Delightful Color. Hard to Believe someone had the Store Custom mix it and then refuse to buy it.. But that's why I always look on the Discount Paint Racks at the Stores... usually loaded up with On-Trend Colors that Picky or Finicky Customers claimed wasn't just right.
I have heard that the Stores always change it just a bit before putting it on the Discount Rack, just in case a Customer was trying to deliberately get a deep discounted markdown by refusing it after a Custom Mix even if it was Just Right... I can see the logic in the Store making certain they're not being Conned. I've gotten my Fav Paint Colors from what other Customers Refused... even Black Paint... seriously... how can BLACK PAINT be the Wrong Shade of Black, Honestly?!? *LOL* Would have Loved to hear that Customer's Lame Excuse for Refusal!?! I wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face!!!
In fact, the Spring Inventory has been Selling so quickly already that I can hardly keep up with
re-stocking since I haven't been out Sourcing Inventory very much lately... and so I've been looking around the House for what I can slap a Price Tag on that has the look of Spring to it?!? *LOL* Good thing the Great Edit & Purge is still in full swing and I'm ready to 'Let Go' of so much now.
The Son even said something I NEVER thought I'd hear him say in this Lifetime, being that he's a Minimalist and has often accused me of being a Hoarder and having too much. *Winks* He recently saw me Organizing milk crates of what I was Editing and Purging, sorting it into Donate and Sell piles... then Pricing what I intended to Sell. And he floors me by saying, "Mom, what's gonna happen when you run out of your stuff to Sell?" *LOL*
What! Suddenly you're concerned that I'm getting rid of too much or that I don't have enough to flip?! *Smiles* Maybe he never thought I'd actually do it and he's in Shock, I dunno... maybe he and the G-Force are suddenly realizing I might be Selling Off their Inheritance and recognize that people are actually Desiring and paying good Money for my stuff and it isn't just Junque?!? *LOL*
So picture this Incredible Scene that had me in Shock... The Son, my Minimalist Child, when he sees me going thru Storage Boxes from the Outbuildings, is suddenly wanting to see what I'm intending to 'Let Go' of first, just in case he wants to ask for something to keep!!! *Bwahahaha!!!* And I'm hearing unbelievable comments like, "What? You're gonna get rid of THAT?!? Can I have it?!" And he carts it off to his Cottage! {AKA: My Art Studio Cottage that he never seems to be moving out of! LOL}
And I have to remind him that now I've got a Showroom to fill... and that before I can even download the last series of Images of the Inventory that I want to Blog about... half of it or more is already GONE! So, Yes, I'm getting rid of THAT... and THIS... and THE OTHER! *Winks* And pretty soon perhaps I'll be a Minimalist of sorts too because I will have Sold off most of my Stuff. *Smiles*
And then maybe I can go back to a Nomadic Lifestyle that I was always used to... Pimp my Pull and hit the Open Road... leaving no Forwarding Address for any of the Kids to follow or find me?!? Well... I can Dream can't I?! *LOL*
Check out the Cool Vintage Military Hat I found... inside it says made in London and New York, but The Man says its not a Branch of the American Military.
The Man and I aren't certain what Country's Military or Branch it is from though... large Military Manufacturers often Contract to several Countries Branches of the Armed Services... and this looks Older and was with a Fab 1960's Era Vintage Ladies' Hats from Austria that I'm keeping for myself!
Well, do you blame me, it's SO ME right?!? I was Gaga over it, ultra 60's European Hippie Boheme' Style and as soft as a Baby Duck in a Bold Lucious Magenta Hue!
I'm totally Channeling Twiggie with this one... or maybe Bardot or Faye Dunaway! And don't you dare say Huggy Bear from 'Starsky & Hutch'... I know he probably came to mind too?! *Winks*
Though I must say it would be Striking with Huggy Bear's Ensemble of practically the same Hue in this Classic Image! *LOL*
Source: Bing Images
The Floppy Hat was Iconic in the 60's and Early 70's... and I only wish I'd kept the ones I wore during that Psychedelic Era!
But I was a broke Hippie in them days so my Floppy Hats certainly weren't European Couture and Fabulous Austrian Luxuriousness like this one!!! Yeah, before Pimps were Sporting these, Hippies and High Fashion Models were! *LOL*
And I couldn't Believe someone had Donated it and I 'Scored' it whilst Goodwill Hunting!!!
You can't even Imagine how Soft this Hat feels, I find myself stroking it like a Kitten!!! *LOL*
And the Price... less than Three Bucks!!! *Gasp!!!* Yeah, my Heart was beating like a Hummingbird's!
And check out this precursor to the Washing Machine! Holy Crap, I thought doing my Laundry was rough... if I had to do all of it with one of these I think I'd just throw the dirty clothes away! *LOL*
Though the underside is quite Ornate and Attractive I must say.
And it would make a Cool Display Piece in a Laundry Room don't you think? I use a Laundromat since we have so much Laundry all the time, so no Temptation to keep or Decorate with it... and certainly no Temptation to USE it! *LOL*
And this Vintage Piece I initially bought for the Cool Old Case... I have a 'Thing' for Old Cases and sometimes I don't even bother to look inside if the exterior is Cool enough because I've already made up my mind to buy it anyway... specially if the Price is right.
And then the Contents is just an added Bonus. So... Imagine how Jazzed I was when I finally opened this up to discover this!!! Yep, a complete 1950's Era Portable Cocktail Set!!! Only thing missing was the Liquor! *Winks*
And in remarkable Condition... Loving the Faux Tortoiseshell handles on the Bottle Opener and Corkscrew. Just reminds me of the Brat Pack Old Hollywood Movies where Sinatra and Crew were Mixing Cocktails at some Glam Vegas Party Spot!
And this Sweet little Golden Swallow Wall Hanging is so Cute... Smalls always Sell well because they can be Priced to Move!
And since I'd Sold all my Mirrors I was glad to 'Score' another that has a Shabby Chic element to it's Design and doubles as a Display Tray since it has little feet as well as a wall hanger attached.
I actually Collect this Style of Opaline Vintage China because I just Love it and how Ornate and Opaque it is... but this Set had been an Artist's Project and they'd Painted a Victorian Man...
And Woman on the pair of Plates... so initially I was going to scrape the Paintings off one day... but that day never came. And though they're kinda Kitsch, they've grown on me so I didn't have the Heart to remove them now... and they've spent too many Years Stored away, so off to the Showroom they went. Had they not been Painted I wouldn't have parted with the Plates because I'm slowly building a Set.
In fact, over the Years I'd Collected so much Vintage China and Milk Glass that I'm Editing and Purging my Collections down to what I can Display and Use.
And since I got most of it Decades ago for a Song, before most folks were Serving on mismatched Vintage and Antique China on Purpose, or Displaying disparate Collections of it, I can Price it low enough that it's Selling fast.
And it seems my own Lil Bohemian Princess has crept up behind me as I'm Blogging this all...
She wanted me to see that she'd Dressed her walking Baby Doll in her Matching Style...
In fact she almost always undresses her New Dolls and throws the clothes away because she says their Store Bought Clothes are so Ugly... and Re-Styles them Gypsy Chic so that they match her Sensibilities and Style. *LOL*
She definitely has her own Point Of View... and that Little Apple didn't fall far from her Trees... so she does her Mommy and Gramma Dawn Proud! Living by our Family's Matriarch Mantra that it's better to be looked over than overlooked!
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian