Okay, so I had just over an Hour to 'Speed Pick' our Parking Lot Sale to Source Inventory, Photograph and cover it for a Blog Post before my Shift began at Work this Morning...
Not nearly enough Time... but, hey, I'm up for a Good Challenge and to see how efficiently and expediently I can Negotiate my Best Deals... so Game On...
I'm not typically a Speed Picker, that's not my preferred M.O. on a 'Pick'... though some in my Picker Posse do have that particular Speed Pickin' M.O. and I stand in Awe of how fast they can do a once-over on an entire Event and then settle down to 'Pick' the spoils. Friends, you know who you are!!! *LOL*
No... for Yours Truly I prefer and usually take my Time... and some may say that you miss out on some of the Good Stuff with that Style of Pickin' as the Quicker Pickers snatch a lot of it up *LOL*. But I'm in a Zen Zone when I'm Enjoying the Thrill of the Hunt and seeking out my Found Treasures, reveling in it and usually Photographing as I go... so no Hurries, no Worries and I don't want to Rush if I don't have to.
I also like to Socialize as I go... chatting with the Friends that are Vendors and getting to know the Vendors I just met and don't already know. The Art of the Deal for me isn't a Process I want to Hurry... it's all a part of the Enjoyment and Fun of going on these Scavenger Hunts for Found Treasures being offered for Sale!
I figure what I didn't see or 'Score' I won't miss anyway... I always Discover enough that Delights me and I Negotiate Good Deals on to satisfy my Lust for 'Pickin' and the Enjoyment of Hunting. *Winks*
But I was alas, on a Time Constraint for this 'Pick' and Event since I'd been Called Up for Hotdog Duty at 9:30 am and accepted the Gig. Luckily the Vendors had been setting up all Morning and when I arrived just after 8:00 am I could begin. I started with my Friend Brett's Space since I knew he had some Awesome Boxed Lots he'd recently 'Picked'. But I had to hurry 'cause uh oh... my Friend Sal was already there {on the left}... and we totally dig the same Good Stuff! So Sal is Friendly Competition and I always bust his chops about that! *LOL*
Just some of what I 'Scored' and Negotiated with Brett for... this Awesome Slag Glass Tulip Chandie for a mere Five Bucks... LOVE IT!!! Haven't decided yet whether this one will stay at Bohemian Valhalla since it's just My Style... I'd find it hard to part with this Beauty!
Yes... I was buzzing around like a Blue Bum Fly... trying to take it all in at least once, Photograph and cover it so that you could come along Virtually... whilst also Scouting out what I wanted to Source for Inventory or Personal Styling and strike a Deal on??!!!! Decisions... Decisions... so much to do... so little Time!
And I knew I had to keep some Energy in Reserve for the Set-Up, Grilling, Packaging and Selling of about 400 Hotdogs at a Quarter apiece with my Friend 'Dan The Man' as Grillmaster and Sweet Sue as Cashier. I was the Assembly Line of a Trio of Workers Setting Up, Packaging and Delivering, then Taking Down... so it was quite the Workout as we kept up with the pace the hungry Customers set! *LOL*
Suffice to say that we Sold Out the first batch in less than 30 Minutes and had to make a Supply Run for a second batch... you folks were HUNGRY!!! *Smiles* And to let you all know how Hand's On and what a Great Sport our General Manager Dan Briddle is... he was one of the Trio on the Assembly Line with us so that we didn't fall behind the huge demand for delicious Hotdogs that the other Dan was Grilling to Perfection! THANK'S TO THE DANS, you Guys ROCKED!!! Sorry folks... no Images of the Hotdog Crew in Action... we were MUCH too busy for Photo Ops!
But it was a lot of Fun to be on the Hotdog Crew... we had a great time, Bar-B-Ques are always a blast and a sure Sign that Spring has arrived once the Grills get fired up! The Weather was absolutely Glorious and couldn't have been better. ******* Now... back to the 'Pick'... because you're wanting to see more and know what other 'Scores' I Negotiated right? Well... aren't you??? *Winks* At my Friend 'Wheeler Dealer Hugh's' Space I fell in Love with, Negotiated and 'Scored' this Mantique Trio of Metal Storage Containers for Five Bucks apiece... LOVE the Hues and Patina... and that they weren't all Army Green! *LOL*
And even though I was Scouting for what I wanted... I didn't forget to Photograph some of the Inventory that I thought you all would Appreciate and might Love, want to see or find Interesting and Creative too my Friends... because I knew you'd be along Virtually... so this one's for you {and our Wild Feathered Friends too}... a cute Bird Feeder China Cup Chandie!
And some things take and need no Negotiation Skills at all because they're already at a Price Point I don't need or want to Haggle over... such as this Awesome original Hue of Caribbean Blue Hardware Storage Container with great Original Paper Graphics for only Five Bucks!
You've probably already noticed that recurrent Five Buck Theme I had going on with my 'Pickin' Budget didn't ya? *LOL* Except for ONE Major Purchase... that was still a Killer Deal and I'll 'sorta' Reveal Later... Five Bucks was my Set Price Point to Haggle down to in today's Pickin' Challenge. I always make my Money on the 'Buy' you see... rather than on the 'Sell'... because I too Love to Haggle with my Merchandise and that gives me plenty of Negotiation and Wiggle room with my Awesome Customers. 'Cause if you Buy well on the Front End of the Deal then you always make Money on the Back End of the Deal. That's one of Dawn's Tidbit's of Advice... Gratis and just for YOU... you're Welcome!!! *Winks*
I've never had Buyer's Remorse because I won't Buy unless I'm totally Comfortable with the Deal, the Product and the Transaction. So here comes another one of Dawn's Tidbits of Advice... if you're Thinking and Considering too long on a Purchase and having ANY Second Thoughts... better to just Pass because you're not really diggin' it and it could be an Impulse Buy you might Regret or have total Second Thoughts on later and not in a good way. And no matter how cheap it is... if I'm not absolutely diggin' it... or have to Think Twice about poppin' on it... or it's not really my 'Thing' or maybe I'm not 'Feelin' it... PASS and on to the next. Case in point... this Green Industrial Box with Art Deco Design... only Two Bucks so I Paused because it IS a Good Deal, no doubt and would likely Sell for a Profit. But... for all the reasons I just listed above, it was a 'Pass' Item for me personally.
But, by the same token, if you absolutely Love it and CAN AFFORD IT... don't walk away... 'cause that's Second Thoughts and Regrets in a totally polar opposite direction and we've all been there and done that before haven't we for whatever reasons?
Yeah, I KNEW you wanted to take a closer look at those Killer Architectural Salvage Screen Door and Window... *Winks* See... I 'Read' you as if you're really along on the 'Pick'... *LOL*
But if I cannot Afford something... and it's beyond a Budget I've set for myself... doesn't matter how I Feel about it or have had a Forbidden Love Affair with it... I just hafta fall out of Love fast or Hope it's Available when I CAN Afford it... that's just how I Roll. I won't go into Debt 'Pickin' or Collecting. But if you can strike a Mutually Agreeable Deal with the Vendor for Payments or lump sum Pay Later Agreement when it's do-able for ya and they're Okay with waiting on Payment 'cause they know you're good for it... go for it I say! Just make sure you don't keep 'em waiting too long... I don't like owing folks Money so I usually ascertain I can make good rather quickly on paying it off.
My Lil Bro' would have Loved this Section... as a Retired Professional Photographer he has an off the hook Collection of Vintage Cameras of all types and Eras.
Today's Mission also included Scouting for Mantiques for my Showroom so that was what I was gravitating to in order to stick with the Game Plan I'd pre-established. I always make a Mental List of Items I'm seeking... and then Voice it beforehand... so that the Laws of Attraction are set into Motion and Manifest just what I Want and/or Need.
But that does mean having to Resist some Items that ARE Attracting me Strongly... but I will have to Pass on in order to Maintain the Budget for the List I Intended to 'Pick'!!! Such as this Great Find... which was marked down to only Ten Bucks and surely wouldn't have been able to be Negotiated down to Five since it was already a very deep Discounted Price.
A HUGE framed European Vintage 3-Dimensional Card with Divine Graphics and Sparkle!!! *Swoon* But here's another of Dawn's Tidbits... if I know that I would have Trouble not forming Emotional Attachments with a piece so that I would Sell it... or feel there's just not enough meat on the bone left for the Price Point I'd want to set... or it's not really something I'm actively looking for to Keep, Want or Need for my Personal Collection or Home, Studio or Garden Decorating Projects... or I'm not looking for a Perfect Gift for Family or Friends... then I 'Pass'. BTW: This was such a Good Deal it Sold to someone who WAS the Right Buyer for it.
This Awesome Chevy Sign Sold for only Eight Bucks... to a Man who said he had a Vintage Chevy and Collects Chevrolet Memorabilia.
So I Wonder if he spied this Awesome Bench made from a Vintage Chevy Truck Tailgate?
Even though I wasn't in the Market today for Bohemian Bling and Boudoir Accessories I can't help but at least oogle the Spaces that had an abundance of them and at least come away with a Photograph!!! *Smiles*
Now here's a Fabulous piece of Antique Furniture that I couldn't Believe was still there after my Shift and at the Close of the Parking Lot Sale... it was extremely Ornate with Carvings Galore on the Legs, Feet, Pedestal and both Ends... the Wood was Beautiful and would Refinish well... and it was definitely Priced to Sell at only $45!!! Had I not already used up my 'Pickin' Budget I would have popped on this, but I was ready to go Home and loading up my Sweetest and Largest Item 'Picked' today. I know... I'm keepin' you in Suspense 'til the End... and then a Teaser on top of that... I'm Wicked that way! *Winks*
Way Cool Lamps abounded at today's Parking Lot Sale... so if you were Lamp Hunting, you would definitely have hit the Motherlode of 'Scores'!
And my Friend Shelly had a LOT of Great Items that had me salivating... and having to Resist...
Okay... so the Semi-Reveal... but not really Revealing... *Wicked Laugh*... under that Gypsy Afghan in my Showroom is now a Totally Awesome Retro 'I Love Lucy' Style Chrome and Formica folding leaf Diner Table that I Negotiated and 'Scored' from my Good Friends Debbie and Roy at the close of the Parking Lot Sale!!! I won't totally Reveal it 'til I've Sourced some matching Retro or Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs to accompany it and put it up for Sale. Mostly because I had several peeps Interested as I was trying to wheel it to the Showroom... and I'm not ready to Re-Sell it just yet and want it for Display 'til I can offer it as a Complete Retro Dining Experience. So stay Tuned... and give me any Leads if you know where some Lucy Chairs might be? Any Color since the Formica Top is Thankfully a Neutral Hue which gives me LOADS of Options!
And there's still Time my Friends for you to get into THE BRASS ARMADILLO WEST to Experience the Antique Garden and Design Weekend AND Enter the Drawings... which will run through tomorrow Night! And perhaps take a Peek under the Afghan if you just can't wait to see my Sweet Retro Diner Table Revealed here in the Land of Blog?! *LOL* Hey, you KNOW you would!!! *Winks*
Need a nifty Blue Sledgehammer and matching Garden Trowel? Got it!!! *Smiles*
How about a Tower of Storage Containers or a Canvas Popcorn Company Tote Bag? Got em too...
And of coarse you'll Vote for me, right? *Winks* So that we both have the potential to be Winners in the Dealer Incentive Spring Styling Give-Away?!!!?
Dealers will continue to bring in Inventory throughout the Event... so each day there will be Thousands of New Treasures waiting for you to Discover!!!
If it doesn't Sell right away I Plan to use this Diner Napkin Holder on my Retro Diner Table Vignette when it's Complete... along with a Vintage Tablecloth and authentic Retro Diner Set. Once some of the Inventory clears out I want to go with a Cheerful Flashback Retro Theme in my Styling for a little while and Indulge some Fantasies. *Winks*
No... this isn't a Cool Lamp actually... it's just an Awesome Goth Shade perched on top of a Vintage Washing Thingy-majig so that the Tassles could showcase better than it laying around... looks Cool together as a potential Lamp Idea though doesn't it?
And I'm FINALLY done with my Planting Projects... that was a lot of Fun too... but I think I have enough now in Inventory to give you all a good Selection and give an Ambiance of Spring, Garden Style and Natural Elements to the Showroom...
I do Hope if you have a chance you can make it down... I'll be Showcasing some of the other Dealer's Displays in my next Post... this one already went Epic Length so we'll wait a day or so shall we? *LOL*
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian