 vintage OSHKOSH Blue SUITCAS... $150.00 |  Circa 1880 Box, Suitcase Lea... $58.00 |  Vintage Leather Trimmed Mend... $55.00 |
 Vintage Vacationer Suitcase ... $24.95 |  CHRISTMAS IN JULY Vintage 19... $45.00 |  Vintage Roller Skate Metal C... $39.99 |
Showing posts with label justbecauseshecan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label justbecauseshecan. Show all posts
Jul 30, 2011
Fresh Picks: Loud Luggage
Check out the stereo speakers retrofitted into a vintage suitcase in the upper corner of this Chicago Tribune Photo. What a brilliant DIY project! Here are some swell vintage cases to get you started, or Follow This Link for dozens more choices.
Jul 11, 2011
Welcome New Members: Jinxxy, Zip Zap Kap, Just Because She Can, and AlexSandras
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| Vintage Bobblehead Elephant |
Wonderful vintage fruit jars, kitchen and décor items, toys, prints from children’s books, and creative supplies such as doll heads mix beautifully at jinxxy, a new EVT member from Salem, Oregon. “I don't really consider most things under 40 years old vintage,” says Kat, the store’s owner. “There are a few exceptions, but most of my stuff will be pre-disco. Or at least, pre-New Wave.”
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| 1960s McCalls Dress Pattern |
ZipZapKap offers more than 300 of the most wonderful patterns, from the 1930s through the 1990s--all wonderfully presented and with all the details you need. Based in Evanston, Indiana, the shop is "the work of a British girl who upped sticks for a Kentucky boy and became a weird English/American hybrid who can coexist peaceably with both iced tea and hot tea with milk."
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| Brass ink wells |
Justbecauseshecan offers such an elegant mix of vintage and antiques--everything from a rustic wooden spool cabinet, to vintage jewelry and clothing, to glassware. The owner lives in North Carolina but sometimes travels as far as New York for the right estate sale.
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| Vintage 1950s Playsuit or Swimsuit |
A self-proclaimed "vintage Dame," the owner of alexsandras wears "classy bits and bobs from the closets of local ladies of a time gone by" and is invited into homes to buy some of the most fantastic vintage clothes, jewelry, and accessories. She's a seamstress specializing in historical and bridal restoration, "breathing new life into old things."
Two kids. Freelance writer and editor. Etsy shop. Love vintage. Love reading, art, music, hiking, travel. Political junkie. Big lazy lab.
Apr 6, 2011
The Nuts & Bolts of Owning a Business
Is selling on Etsy just a hobby or is it your business? Do you do it for enjoyment with little regard to year end profits or are you concerned about boosting revenue? Are you keeping records that will help out in case of an audit?
These questions matter, especially at tax time. Unless you're trying to keep your business under the table and operate on a cash only basis (Which I highly discourage), you'll need to keep records. Keep in mind that Paypal will report their records if you're audited.
The first question is hobby or business? It's an important distinction. If you are planning on calling your Etsy shop a hobby, read up on the restrictions. Let's assume for the sake of this discussion that you're a business.
Are you keeping track of your expenses? Are you keeping records? Here's a few of things I keep track of:
A. Receipts from thrift stores, estate sales, etc.
B. Mileage to estates, thrift stores, etc.
C. Excel Spreadsheets of what it is, what it cost, where I got it, what it sold for, and any shipping losses.
D. Excel Spreadsheets of all my consignment sales.
E. Costs of business insurance.
That's all I worry about. I could get into deducting costs associated with my home office, but I've heard those kind of gray area deductions can trigger further investigations.
Some ways in which I practice sound business management:
I keep a separate bank account for my business. It's a business account, not a personal one.
I keep records about each consignment client and keep them up to date on their sales for their own tax records.
I keep detailed inventory lists to stay organized, to know who owns what and in order to find things quickly once they've sold.
I keep track of all my in state customers for sales tax. Check with your state and see what your requirements are.
I keep track of the rules surrounding Self Employment tax & Social Security and pay accordingly.
While I'd prefer to just focus on finding the next cool item, I've found that taking a little time each day to maintain records saves me a lot of wailing and gnashing later on. Now while this is what I do, please know I'm not a tax expert, I don't claim to be and I'm just sharing my personal experience.
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| 15 Quart Pyrex Bowl by beppiebags |
These questions matter, especially at tax time. Unless you're trying to keep your business under the table and operate on a cash only basis (Which I highly discourage), you'll need to keep records. Keep in mind that Paypal will report their records if you're audited.
 |
| 1970s Hummingbirds Dress by PersonalPursuits |
The first question is hobby or business? It's an important distinction. If you are planning on calling your Etsy shop a hobby, read up on the restrictions. Let's assume for the sake of this discussion that you're a business.
 |
| The Skin of Our Teeth offered by TheOldBarnDoor |
Are you keeping track of your expenses? Are you keeping records? Here's a few of things I keep track of:
A. Receipts from thrift stores, estate sales, etc.
B. Mileage to estates, thrift stores, etc.
C. Excel Spreadsheets of what it is, what it cost, where I got it, what it sold for, and any shipping losses.
D. Excel Spreadsheets of all my consignment sales.
E. Costs of business insurance.
That's all I worry about. I could get into deducting costs associated with my home office, but I've heard those kind of gray area deductions can trigger further investigations.
 |
| Vintage Wall Mirror by moxiethrift |
Some ways in which I practice sound business management:
I keep a separate bank account for my business. It's a business account, not a personal one.
I keep records about each consignment client and keep them up to date on their sales for their own tax records.
I keep detailed inventory lists to stay organized, to know who owns what and in order to find things quickly once they've sold.
I keep track of all my in state customers for sales tax. Check with your state and see what your requirements are.
I keep track of the rules surrounding Self Employment tax & Social Security and pay accordingly.
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| Victorian German Silver Purse by justbecauseshecan |
While I'd prefer to just focus on finding the next cool item, I've found that taking a little time each day to maintain records saves me a lot of wailing and gnashing later on. Now while this is what I do, please know I'm not a tax expert, I don't claim to be and I'm just sharing my personal experience.
My name is Heidi and I live in beautiful Northern California gold country. I am an estate liquidator. I love antiques! I am married to my high school hunk and have 3 amazing daughters, all under the age of 8.
Mar 9, 2011
Customer Impressions
Packing up items, shipping them, getting them to the post office and finding shipping supplies. Probably not your most favorite part of selling online. Interestingly though, it is to your customer. Receiving their etsy package in the mail is a moment filled with anticipation and hopefully happiness. How you handle it on your end can greatly affect their perception of your item and service.
To start with: shipping supplies. Are you using old Corona boxes that have Sharpie marker scratched all over them? Are you using old newspapers, plastic bags from Target and other such sundries? I'm all for being green and recycling, but don't take it to extremes. Remember that moment when your customer opens the package. Looking professional is vital.
You can get almost all of your shipping supplies for free (I get tape off Amazon through their Subscribe & Save program). I put ads up on my local freecycle group and I get flooded. Insist on boxes being in good shape, no big wrinkles or dents, no major Sharpie attacks, and no major logos (except for the Amazon.com swoop). It's not hard to find good boxes, bubble and peanuts these days.
How you package your item is critical. A while ago I bought a figurine set on Etsy with plans to resell it. I bought it for $35 and it was worth $400+. I failed to note the seller was new. When the package arrived, the box was a tight fit and my beautiful set was smashed into millions of pieces. The seller had wrapped each large bisque figurine in one single sheet of newspaper (never mind that newspaper stains bisque!).
It's important to allow for space around your items. Machines are handling your packages most of the time now-not people. Fragile stickers don't mean squat to a giant conveyor belt. Wrap in bubble. If your item has a door/lid, wrap the door separate and leave it open so it doesn't rattle and break. Bury items in peanuts to protect them from impact falls (crashing 10 feet down into a pile of other packages). I make sure everything is secure and attach a business card with a future discount to the top of the bubbled item.
I ship generally USPS and if it's really heavy UPS. My local post office has a quick fingered worker that has hit me a few times. I've learned-if I insure an item, it's likely to go missing. If I don't insure, it'll get there. With the insurance printed right on the outside, I can see how this happens. I'm a big fan of insurance and do require it for my major sales-but then I ship those things UPS just to be sure. I want the items to arrive-that will definitely keep the customer happy!
The more care you take to use great looking and feeling supplies, the more professional you'll appear. You likely already do this-but this is a good reminder to stick to it. Look at your feedback-good shipping is almost always mentioned. How you package and ship will also greatly affect if your new customer becomes a repeat customer. Have fun wrapping!
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| Set of Wedgwood Pimpernel China by HamiltonBay |
To start with: shipping supplies. Are you using old Corona boxes that have Sharpie marker scratched all over them? Are you using old newspapers, plastic bags from Target and other such sundries? I'm all for being green and recycling, but don't take it to extremes. Remember that moment when your customer opens the package. Looking professional is vital.
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| 1940's Lamps by justbecauseshecan |
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| Herman Miller Chair by TheFancyLamb |
How you package your item is critical. A while ago I bought a figurine set on Etsy with plans to resell it. I bought it for $35 and it was worth $400+. I failed to note the seller was new. When the package arrived, the box was a tight fit and my beautiful set was smashed into millions of pieces. The seller had wrapped each large bisque figurine in one single sheet of newspaper (never mind that newspaper stains bisque!).
 |
| Huge Bread Sign by marybethhale |
It's important to allow for space around your items. Machines are handling your packages most of the time now-not people. Fragile stickers don't mean squat to a giant conveyor belt. Wrap in bubble. If your item has a door/lid, wrap the door separate and leave it open so it doesn't rattle and break. Bury items in peanuts to protect them from impact falls (crashing 10 feet down into a pile of other packages). I make sure everything is secure and attach a business card with a future discount to the top of the bubbled item.
 |
| Dressmaker Class Sewing Machine by SurrenderDorothy |
I ship generally USPS and if it's really heavy UPS. My local post office has a quick fingered worker that has hit me a few times. I've learned-if I insure an item, it's likely to go missing. If I don't insure, it'll get there. With the insurance printed right on the outside, I can see how this happens. I'm a big fan of insurance and do require it for my major sales-but then I ship those things UPS just to be sure. I want the items to arrive-that will definitely keep the customer happy!
 |
| Pink Lamps w/ Fiberglass Shades by jenzee09 |
The more care you take to use great looking and feeling supplies, the more professional you'll appear. You likely already do this-but this is a good reminder to stick to it. Look at your feedback-good shipping is almost always mentioned. How you package and ship will also greatly affect if your new customer becomes a repeat customer. Have fun wrapping!
My name is Heidi and I live in beautiful Northern California gold country. I am an estate liquidator. I love antiques! I am married to my high school hunk and have 3 amazing daughters, all under the age of 8.
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