Antique booth update

August had me worried for a while.  It was our first month with two booths (Barry’s Bonanza and Ella’s Eclectic Emporium) at the local antique mall, and with nearly $500 in rent due on September 1, I was sure that I was going to have to swipe my debit card to make up the difference between sales and money owed.

Thankfully, though, there were five weekends in August, and by 6 p.m. Sunday evening, the mall’s closing time, we not only had surpassed our rent, but also we received a check for $301.  Granted, that’s only about $150 profit, but given that most of the month was spent bringing Ella’s booth up to speed, with one lost weekend due to my broken ribs, I’ll take it.

DVDs continue to sell well, and buyers loved the $1 cookbooks on our small library cart.  We picked up the cookbooks for free thanks to a local Craiglist ad.  Signs also are flying off the walls, with our best sale being this large Interstate Battery/Atlanta Falcons sign that sold for $60.

Speaking of football, on Saturday, I found several vintage sports posters, including this old-style Atlanta Falcons poster, for $4 each.  I put it in the booth early Monday afternoon, and it was gone before closing time to the tune of $20.  I've learned over the years that vintage sports items sell well. 

I also put this “Dawg House” sign on the wall; it’s a little beat up, but I hope Georgia’s big win this weekend will spur some Bulldog fan to decorate his wall with it.  I picked it up at an auction on Saturday.

In slightly more interesting news, at least to me, Ella and I walked (OK, I sort of limped … my back was hurting) into a thrift-type store in Macon last week, and I came face to face with a candid picture of Elvis Presley that I thought only I had. 

Back in the 1970s, Elvis performed in Macon frequently, and my father, who was on the police force, was friends with the local officer in charge of Elvis’ security.  After Elvis had left the building, so to speak, this particular officer made the mistake of telling my mom that dad could have brought her up to Elvis’ room at the Hilton for a meet and greet. Mom was furious at dad for a long time.

Realizing his faux pas, the officer later gave mom an 8X10 candid photo of Elvis wearing a Macon police badge.  It was this particular picture, in a cheap plastic frame, that I saw at the thrift shop.  It had a $10 price tag.

The owner of the shop, a long time local antiques dealer, saw me staring at the photo, and asked if it looked familiar.    Before answering, I asked him where he got the photo.  He said that he buys a lot of items from a gentleman who cleans out estates, and that the photo was one of the last pieces from a small collection that he recently acquired.  I then related the whole story about mom, dad, and the photo.  

Realizing the value of the photo, at least from a local perspective, he removed the photo, and said that he wasn’t going to sell it after all.    I really doubt that, though, and probably will see it in his shop in a nicer frame, with a heftier price tag, in the near future.

With September upon us, I really hope the weather cools down a bit.  I’m getting tired of yard sales in 95 degree heat. 

Have a good week. Work hard.  Sell something.