What Vintage & Antiques Are Selling? [December 2019]

Hi there! I hope your New Year is off to a good start. Mine is and I’m excited about what 2020 holds for all of us, especially in the way of antiques. Today I’ll be talking about what vintage and antiques are selling based on my personal sales from last month–December 2019. Total sales via all venues amounted to $906.27. 

My report reveals that a number of interesting items sold, including seventeen from my recently opened Etsy shop alone. To see the full listing of all my sales in December, be sure to subscribe and look for that report in the Member Library under “What’s Selling.”

Related posts: What’s Selling November 2019, October 2019, September 2019

What Vintage & Antiques are Selling: Antique Booth

Total booth sales = $393.47

My suggestion to you is buy up every single enamelware pitcher you see (if priced well) because they literally fly out of my booth. This one sold for $25 (cost: $4) after barely being in my booth for two weeks.

Other pieces that sell well include coffee pots, berry buckets, and anything unusual or patterned. You can get some help pricing your enamelware with my free price guide.

I bought this quilt a few years ago in Lancaster, PA when we were passing through to visit my sweet husband’s family in Pittsburgh. I regretted buying it almost immediately because it’s not in great shape and not terribly vibrant.

Because of that regret, I simply hung onto it until I got sick of looking at it! Last month I finally brought it to my booth, priced at $75 and the owner sold it at a discount for $68 (cost: $20). I couldn’t have been more pleased. I made my money back and then some 🙂

A delightfully embroidered, balsam-filled pillow sold for $15 (cost: $1) and a strawberry-embroidered tablecloth sold for $10 (cost: $1).

I often find Wade figurines at garage sales for a quarter or less and have even found collections of them in free boxes on a couple of occasions. Crazy, I know! I sold 3 for $6 (cost: 50¢).

The Little Golden Book, My Christmas Story (1957) sold for just $2 as it was in pretty poor condition (cost: 50¢).

NOTE: When you subscribe to my blog, you’ll get access to my free Little Golden Book price guide 🙂

This “dancing Santa” Christmas ornament sold for $4 (cost: 50¢), while the fruity Christmas tree sold for $9 (cost: $1).

This set of Japanese Santa Claus salt & pepper shakers sold for $10 (cost: $1), while four of these Christmas tree pins sold for $5 each (cost: 50¢ each).

A pair of silver plated ice tongs sold for $10 (cost: $1), while one of the antique salt cellars sold for $4 (cost: 50¢).

An antique wooden shoe last (form) sold for $12 (cost: $3). You can see how I decorate shoe lasts to sell at my Christmas Craft Show every year.

The ivory planter, signed “Brush” sold for $8 (cost: $1). This mark was used by the Brush Pottery Co., which had bought out the McCoy family’s interest in the Brush-McCoy Pottery in 1925. The Brush mark was used from that time until the company closed in 1982.

This half-melon willow basket sold for $18, marked down from $25 (cost: $3).

An plastic ring presentation box with velvet lining and some issues sold for $10 (cost: $1), while this galvanized box sold for $20 (cost: $2).

The mortar and pestle sold for $15 (cost: $1) and the copper-colored oil can sold for $9 (cost: $1).

What’s Selling in Vintage & Antiques: Etsy

Total Etsy sales = $365.85

Did you happen to catch my post from a couple of weeks ago? I wrote my picks for  vintage and antique trends in 2020. I included vintage and antique jewelry presentation boxes, like this heart-shaped example that sold for $22 (cost: $2), on the list.

In the post I admitted that while presentation boxes aren’t exactly trending, they are selling extremely well for me on Etsy, so I wanted to pass that info onto everyone. I sold a total of five this month, three on Etsy and two via my antique booth.

Find the full report for December, as I mentioned is in my Member Library. Not subscribed yet? You can subscribe here and get access to everything that’s inside: price guides, project tutorials, vintage printables, and more!  

I’ve been selling quite a lot of jewelry on Etsy lately, this being one of seven pieces that sold last month–for $37.69, after a 20% discount (cost: $5).

Made of sterling silver (with a gold wash), it wears a jade cabochon decoration and is in what I would call an organic leaf-like shape in the MCM style. It reminds me of Matisse’s paper cut-out designs made toward the end of his life.

I sold a total of three Putz houses this month, and one last month. At 11″ high, it is the largest Putz “house” (and only electrified one) I’ve ever sold. It went for $31.79, after a 20% discount (cost: $5). Putz houses remain extremely popular with Christmas collectors, and the prices I achieved show a bit of an uptick in values.

In my new course, A Very Vintage Christmas, I do a deep dive into Putz houses. I’m running it in Beta (testing) mode right now with 22 students but will be opening it up to the public soon. Let me know if you’re interested!

What’s Selling in Vintage & Antiques: eBay

Total eBay sales = $45

Because we live very near GE, I occasionally find GE-related goods while vintage shopping, but I seem to have better luck selling them online than from my antique booth.

This appointment calendar and mechanical pencil sold for $11 after I marked it down a couple of times (cost: $1). The low selling price surprised me.

Mercury glass beaded garlands sell extremely well for me on eBay, and I noticed this season that I realized higher prices on them than last year.

This Japanese double-beaded strand sold for $24 (cost: $1). I included them in my eGuide 50 of My Bestselling Vintage & Antiques, and I cover it in my soon-to-be-released Christmas course as well.

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What’s Selling in Vintage & Antiques: Vintage Blog Shop

Total Vintage Blog Shop sales = $91.95

This pretty Sterling silver bracelet is one of several items that sold from my Vintage Blog Shop in December, and one which I highlighted in my Christmas Gift Guide. 

I’ve loaded up the Jewelry and Man Cave departments of the shop with a number of Valentine’s Day-themed items that would make lovely gifts for the one you love.

I’m going to be honest with you: Because I love ironstone so much, I haven’t sold many pieces of it. Well, I’ve sold quite a few platters (though they are slow sellers) because one can only have so many platters.

But my ironstone corner cupboard is simply stuffed; I can barely close it. So from this point on, if I want to keep something new, I’m going to have to sell something old. In other words, at this point, I can no longer ADD to my collection, I can only REPLACE something in my collection. Can I hear an amen?!!

So this antique canister, made by Royal Maddock & Co. got the heave ho, but a lucky reader can now add it to her collection (or resell it). She paid $35 (cost: $5).

Be sure to check out my full December income report in the Member Library or click the SUBSCRIBE button below if you’re not yet a subscriber 🙂

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What’s Selling in Vintage & Antiques for last month: