Re-stocking Our Antiques Spaces!

Just a quick post today to share some pictures of what it looks like around here when we're getting ready to take "fresh" merchandise into "the shop" (the Corner Nest, Elizabethton, TN). We have three large spaces there. If you have thought about going into the business of antique selling but have never quite gotten your toes inside, let me tell you that it IS a lot of fun and is quite addictive. However, it's also a LOT of work! I love these little doll-sized teacups and saucers! (I set our sugar bowl next to them so you could see their size) My kitchen counter this afternoon is lined with kitchen towels so I'd have a place for them to sit while they air-dried. (Vintage pieces really shouldn't be put in the dishwasher.) This is a closeup of the detail on this sweet pin holder: It is unsigned (no marks on the bottom) so I have no idea where it was made, etc., but I love it. And here is the mark on the bottom of this plate: I haven't finished researching this "signature". I've seen it before but can't remember the manufacturer's name. It's easy to see that it's a very old piece (can you see the crackling on the plate?). The plate will make a nice decorative piece for someone's wall or china cabinet; I doubt if it will be purchased to hold someone's dinner. Here's a partial view of my kitchen table. Lots of stuff goes on here except dining. Once everything is washed it needs to be priced. If it's not priced and tagged with your name, it can't be sold. What a mess, huh? Underneath the items in this basket are pages of old magazine ads. Yep, they are individually packaged in clear pages and priced, too! The shop we're in has not only antiques, but gift items and handmade goods. I learned very early that if you're going to sell your arts and/or crafts you still have to have lots of other items mingled in! Booths with nothing but crafts will unfortunately often get passed by! This is a pitcher-shaped basket that holds a bouquet I made last year. I brought it home at the end of the season and have been storing it but just recently un-buried it, gave it a redo and am getting it ready to go back to the shop. Hubby worked on these shelves - I've had so many problems lately with RA (Rheumatoid arthritis) that I couldn't get my fingers and hands to do anything without major pain. Thank Goodness for prednisone "dose packs" that are helping me get through a severe flareup. If it wasn't for the additional meds, I wouldn't be able to clean glassware or get these olde hats ready to go! This isn't, by the way, how the hats will be displayed when they get to the shop. They are just enjoying a temporary resting place after I tagged them. (Don't ya just love 'em???) You've seen lots of "before" and "after" shots of much of the furniture we've sold. (If you're new to this blog, just scroll back and you'll easily find them!) If it's a piece in really bad condition, I let my husband fix it up. (Isn't that sweet of me?) He does a super job of repair and restoration. THAT'S where the major work is! Then, of course, once you get everything to the shop you still have to maintain the space, keep it clean and organized, etc. By the way, it will be a couple more days before everything is ready to take to the shop so if you see anything here you might be interested in, let me know! God bless you all!!!