What’s Selling in Vintage & Antiques [February 2020]
Hi there! How was your weekend? I headed out to my antique booth on Friday with my sweet husband, after stopping by a couple of estate sales first (of course!), to restock. If you pop over to my Facebook group–Your Vintage Headquarters–you’ll see some of my recent vintage finds. Meanwhile, today, we’ll be looking at what’s selling in vintage and antiques [February 2020].
But before we rush ahead, I wanted to take a moment to address the virus pandemic. I live in New York state, where the governor is holding daily press conferences and dealing with the situation aggressively. My sweet daughter and son are home from college indefinitely and whole aisles of food and household products (yes, like toilet paper!) are surreally empty.
It’s been a while since I’ve gotten into anything too philosophical or spiritual, but I wanted to share two devotionals that I wrote a few years ago. One talks about anxiety and the other about love:
And let’s join together to pray for the medically compromised and the elderly who are at risk from the virus, along with medical professionals and others who are on the front lines. I think that’s absolutely the best way we can help during this trying time, don’t you.
Now, how to transition to today’s blog post?? I guess we just do it: here are February sales, which weren’t too shabby…
What’s Selling in Vintage & Antiques: Antique Booth
Total Sales = $390.75
An interesting Swedish language cutting board that reads, “Butter and bread make the cheeks red,” similar to the idea that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” sold for $18 (cost: $2).
This little cook book is one of a series with great mid-century graphic block prints throughout. While I did NOT sell this particular one, I did sell one from the series called Simple New England Cookery for $7 (cost: 50¢).
Anything Pennsylvania Dutch sells well for me, so I always pick up these fairly common cooking pamphlets, which typically sell for $5 (cost: $1).
Collectors love Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book for its decorative cover almost as much as for its contents. It sold for $10 (cost: $1)–lower than usual because of its condition (note the tape on the upper binding).
A vintage edition of Webster’s dictionary sold for $8 (cost: 50¢).
An imperfect, © 1972 edition of the Little Golden Book, A Friendly Book, sold for $3 (cost: 50¢).
An imperfect © 1956 edition of Captain Kangaroo (another Little Golden Book) sold for $2 (cost: 25¢). Not to totally date myself, but I vividly remember watching Captain Kangaroo as a child. I feel like his reading of picture books to his audience stirred in me a love of reading at an early age.
You can get access to a FREE Little Golden Book price guide in my Member Library, when you subscribe HERE. The Library also contains other free price guides, tutorials, and printables that I think you’d enjoy 🙂
The center pair of vintage Austrian skis sold for $60 (cost: $3).
The “Market” sign stenciled on old scrap wood at the bottom of the photo sold for $15 (cost: $1).
This interesting wrought iron hook attached to an handsome old piece of wood sold for $18 (cost: $2).
A Japanese china vanity jar sold for $4–marked down from $8 (cost: $1).
A stained glass mirror sold for $18–down from $28 (cost: $3). Frustratingly, it took quite a while to sell, which I find true of many “pretty” antiques. As a result, I try to avoid buying things like this, but when the price is so low, well, you know–it’s hard to resist!
No photos available:
Antique dark green, 1870’s-80’s demi-john bottle sold for $80–down from $95 (cost: $10)
Milk glass scale with two brass pans for weighing sold for $20–down from $35 (cost: $2)
Large cylindrical corn straw broom sold for $25 (cost: $5)
Pair of rough condition, newer skis sold for $20 (cost: free)
Antique chocolate box with bunnies sold for $10 (cost: $1.50)
Clear glass batter pitcher sold for $10 (cost: $1)
Wood planer sold for $8 (cost: 50¢)
What’s Selling in Vintage & Antiques: My Vintage Blog Shop
Total Sales = $37.47
The turtle pin sold for $9–on sale from $11.99 (cost: $2). (The other two sold previously.)
A mother-of-pearl “Sister” pin in the shape of a heart sold for $11.25 on sale from $14.99 (cost: $2).
A gold Scottie pin sold for $6–on sale from $7.99 (cost: 50¢). I just added a few new pins to the jewelry section of my Vintage Blog Shop that you might want to take a look at.
A half-pint Ball canning jar sold for $11.25–on sale from $14.99 (cost: $1).
What’s Selling in Vintage & Antiques: eBay
Total Sales = $18.99
An electric calculator that came in a “box lot” that I purchased for other reasons sold for $18–down from $28 (cost: free).
What’s Selling in Vintage & Antiques: Etsy
Total Sales = $85.98
A clam shell jewelry presentation box signed “Trifari” on the inside of the lid sold for $23.99 (cost: $5).
A set of sixteen appliqued butterflies made of pretty flour sack fabric sold for $37 (cost: $5).
A set of seven butterflies that had not yet been appliqued sold for $10 (cost: $2) to the same buyer of the butterflies above.
A Winnie the Pooh figurine sold for $14.99 (cost: $1).
Expert Sales Insights
- Cook Books (and pamphlets) sell very well! They made it into my recent eBook: What to Sell on eBay.
- Vintage & antique skis always sell–sometimes fast, sometimes slow, but dependably.
- Presentation boxes continue to sell well on Etsy, and I’ve got a blog post about them planned soon. You should definitely look for them while vintage shopping because they sell for good money.
- Little Golden Books sell every month!
- Lowering prices on items that have been in your booth for 6 months or longer is a good idea. It gets the item out of your sight and frees up space for better items.
- Costume jewelry sells well from my Vintage Blog Shop.
- Quality tools sell! They made it to my list of 25 Items Often Overlooked & Undervalued at Garage Sales where I go into detail on what to look for and how to find them.
- Calipers are good sellers.
Thanks so much for stopping by–
If you enjoyed your visit, I hope you’ll subscribe and never miss a post.
You’ll receive access to my MEMBER LIBRARY and get loads of FREEBIES!
Thanks so much for stopping by–
Bye for now,
I’d love it if you’d pin me for later!
Hi Diana,
As usual, very sweet post, how kind of you to suggest sites to provide comfort to your readers. As always, enjoy seeing your treasures and what sold and what the original prices were. Since we all will have to curtail our thrifting, seeing what others have in their stash is a way to scratch that thrifting itch.
Thank you for the encouragement Susan! Glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
Nice going, Diana! The presentation boxes have really piqued my attention. I know what you mean about the art glass mirror. It’s sad to have to drop a price so low when you feel the value is more, no matter how little you might’ve paid. My sisters and I all had a good February, the primitives selling sister particularly! She sold a lot of wares just recently brought in. Funny how the correlation of putting more things in the booth is directly related to the volume of sales, lol.
I am SO glad to hear that your February was better than your January, Rita!! This business is a crazy one. Who knows what the future holds for us now…
As always, love seeing what you sold. I am suprised, however, to see that you managed to part with that unique breadboard. I hope it sat with your others for at least a little while!
I wish we could see the final product of the butterfly quilt squares (and if she can imitate the embroidery on the unfinished ones)! I expect that I am gonna do some simple sewing (pillows, pillow tops, catnip mats, etc) if I have to hunker down here in Maine.
I threatened to teach my SO to crochet as his TV sports are gone; he vehemently refused! He has helped me with several craft projects over the years, but it is nothing he has any interest in!
You’re right, the breadboard would have looked good with mine, but sometimes I’m more interested in the “green” if you know what I mean! I’m impressed that you got any craft help at all from your SO, LOL. My husband is the same–zero interest in any sort of handcraft, even the traditionally male sort like woodworking. Stay safe in Maine, friend!
So glad I get your blog! You’re pretty special! Stay safe!
Very sweet of you to say, Shawn–you too!
Hi Diana ..love reading your blog (& other things you Write!) … and was so happy to see you are a woman of faith! Hard to understand how those who have no faith can stay sane in times like these!
I love your blog. Am trying to get my old one re-launched after taking a couple of online blogging classes … which were excellent, but I am having a hard time as the technology part of all of it is impossible for me. I have a friend helping, but she’s run into some glitches, too. Anyway, when I do re-launch, I’d love to chat about some possible sort of collaboration. I think we could be great “complements” to each other! Thanks for your fun & interesting offerings.
Good luck with the re-launch of your blog Janice. Often the blogging classes have FB groups that you can join and get some help with technical questions. You might want to try that. I’m not great with the technical side myself 🙁 I would enjoy talking with you about ways we collaborate, whenever you’re ready 🙂
Hi Diana!
I always enjoy your blogs! You are so generous with sharing ideas to make extra income. I have used a few! Thank you! I’m always amazed at the low prices you pay for items! I live in the Midwest and the thrift stores here sell things so high, I think. Especially since I only buy to resell on my Etsy shop or FB marketplace.
I had a booth for several years in Kansas City but have downsized some and moved. I’m still creating all of the time so I do need to look into another shop or another booth or craft shows. Waiting on the Lord to direct me! Blessings to you!
Nancy
I’m so glad some of my ideas have helped you Nancy–thanks for letting me know. That’s really encouraging. I also find that thrift store prices are too high for resale; I make most of my purchases at garage and estate sales. Best wishes on expanding your business 🙂
Thank you for sharing! I have seriously been thinking about changing my booth from painted furniture to Antiques. Maybe a piece of furniture of course but i have really been getting into antiques. i just need to learn how to stage my booth. Its all about presentation i think.
You’re welcome Cheryl! A lot of what sells (or doesn’t sell) depends on the type of shop you’re in. My shop is almost exclusively vintage and antiques with very little hand-crafted and no new. So I only offer one or two pieces of painted furniture at a time. I wish you well in whatever direction you choose!
Love the old waterski!!
These are my favorite posts! Wish I had the eye that you do to know what will sell! I do have your books which are extremely helpful. It’s just hard to remember all that info when I’m at yard sales! Lol!
I’m so glad you like these posts Janna and that my books have been useful. I do have one page checklists at the back of some of them that could be printed out and slipped in your purse 🙂
thank you for the links, Diana. I am definitely stressed. Thrifting related reading and photos help get my mind off of it for a few minutes. One of these days, if we ever get back to normal, I might like to try etsy. I guess everyone who has ebay and etsy know how the financial part of it works. I do not. I’d like to see you write something about what you have to do to get paid from these websites. How the whole system is set up to work for the seller.
I hear you Patty–saying a prayer for you right now for peace. It’s a hard time for so many of us. I’m glad you’ve found a couple of ways to distract yourself.
As far as getting paid, Etsy and eBay both use PayPal, so your earnings are directly deposited into your PayPal account. It’s very straight-forward and super easy 🙂
I’m running an Ebay Challenge right now to teach people how to select an item to sell, photograph it, and create an eBay listing for it. I plan to run a similar challenge for Etsy. Now seems like a good time to learn a new skill and perhaps make some money, too.