Luckyjunk's Blog

July

luckyjunk — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:16:25 +0000

Sorry. No updates for July.

Boy, are they wrong!

luckyjunk — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:23:03 +0000

When you read about the state of the economy the news is not promising or encouraging. The news for the antique dealers is even worse. Shops are closing and dealers are moving on to other adventures. I have not done a big show in a while so I was not sure what people are buying or if they are even buying. Last weekend I did the Sacramento Antique Faire in California. Let me tell you, people were out and they were buying. A lot of the dealers I talked to said that this was one of there best shows. It was a beautiful day. Cool and sunny. It was a great day to hunt for some treasures. I wasn’t sure what to bring so I brought a variety. I guess I brought the right stuff.

This Weekend!

luckyjunk — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:52:52 +0000

Wow! This year is speeding right along. It is time for my first sale of the year. On Saturday, May 23 in Gardiner, WA. Click here for more info. Hope to see you there.

Sigh

luckyjunk — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:46:26 +0000

The monthly Market Trends are a little late this month. Sorry about that. I have started taking some classes and they have been keeping me busy. I will also be redesigning the look of the site in the next couple of months. Keep an eye out for the new look. It is that time of year again. The sales are starting! Good Luck out there and hope you find some treasures.

Used vs New

luckyjunk — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:34:35 +0000

We consume huge quantities of stuff. A big percentage of that is new. Spankin’, sparklin’ new with tags (NWT). Someone makes it. We want it. We buy it. Are we happy? For a short time. But then they roll out the bright, shiny, new version. And we want that now. So once again. Someone makes it…etc…etc.. The cycle starts all over. More resources are used and the environment is taxed. We shell out more money for something we just bought and still works. We really want the new one though. It’s shiny and who can resist new and shiny. Right?

It is time to RETHINK how we consume ‘stuff’. Yes, it is capitalized and, yes, that means I want your attention. I am not saying that everything that you purchase has to be ‘used’ but you can take some steps to reduce the percentage of NWT purchases you make. And there are things that should be bought new. Underwear without tags…. eeewww.

Your old white toaster works fine. Why do you need that new shiny chrome one? Just so it matches your refrigerator? If you just have to have the chrome one, find one used. Yard sales, thrift stores or maybe a friend or a family member has an extra one. Ask. Someone may have one. It could happen. Do small things. Find clothes at the thrift stores. They are a fraction of the cost and, at some thrift stores, your purchases go towards organizations in your community. Win. Win.

Don’t let the word ‘used’ deter you. Rethink how you define the word. It doesn’t have to mean dirty, ragged or broken. It just means it has had a life between you and when it was in a retail store. Antiques are technically ‘used’. But they don’t have a negative connotation. When you tell people your new coat is vintage (also used), they don’t scrunch up their noses in disgust. They think it’s fab and want to know where you got it. Look at used as a positive thing.

Still not quite convinced? Here are a few more things to consider. Used is cheaper. It is a fraction of the cost of new. Used may also mean it is made better. I really do not like new staplers. They are plastic and they don’t work well. The vintage metal staplers work like a dream and they are indestructible. Plus they look cool on your desk.

Start to think how your purchases effect the world around you. Buying used saves resources, the environment, money, and can make you all warm and fuzzy. Whew. Enough for now. I’m getting off my little box. Gnaw on this a while. Make the choice to make a difference.

Yipee

luckyjunk — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:20:39 +0000

The whining paid off. The two weekends after the previous post were fairly good. I actually fund some good stuff at estate and yard sales. Check out the Finds to see some pics of what I found.

Itchy

luckyjunk — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:06:35 +0000

Winter is not the best season for a junker. No shows, yard sales are few and the thrift stores are low on inventory. Yes, it is a great time to curl up with a warm blanket, interesting literary morsel and to surround yourself with various fuzzy beasts but what we really want is to be out there on the hunt.

I admit it. I miss the early morning searches for yard sales (Please do not tell anyone about this. I really don’t like mornings.) Sorting through the finds at the end of the day. I miss the big community, organization or church sales. Waiting in line, scoping out the treasures through the windows and talking to the people in line.

Maybe that is what I miss the most. Talking and visiting with friends. How did they think the sales have been? Find anything good or interesting? Anything coming up? It’s the little local network.

It will be sometime for things to get jumping here. In the meantime there is the internet and magazines to tease us. Doing research and starting this blog (which will hopefully soon turn into its own website) to distract me. It doesn’t quite scratch the itch but will have to do.