Showing posts with label tparty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tparty. Show all posts
Jul 19, 2011
Fresh Picks: So Sew!
Around this time every year, Mom began sewing my back-to-school dresses. Beginning in 7th grade, I created my own new fall outfits. Today my sewing machine is hidden in a dark closet corner, but seeing these fabulous vintage patterns and notions…I’m itching to go again. Even if you don’t sew, the addition of vintage buttons or trim gives a ho hum piece fresh vintage style!
Feb 21, 2011
It's The Small Things That Count!
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| How did the little die get into the Miniature Bottle? You'll have to ask 'Vintage In Bloom'. |
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| Tiny Pixie Shoe from Such And Sort is a nice fit for your collection of miniatures! |
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| Vintage Japan Tiny Porcelain Birds from TParty will bring a song to your shadow box! |
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| Dandelion Girl offers wee sips from this pair of Vintage Miniature Amber Bottles Wheaton Glass Tonic Bitters. |
Feb 18, 2011
Foodie Friday: K Is For KITCHEN GADGET
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| Kitchenware lot from tparty |
When it comes to kitchen prep, I am a "less is more" kinda gal. I generally get by with a sharp knife, cutting board, and maybe a manual can opener. Hubby, however, is "Inspector Gadget". Bring on any widget, thing-a-ma-bob or do-hickey, and he is happy to help in the kitchen!!
Here are some "gadgets" from days past that are too cool to forget:
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| Sifter from ReBopShop |
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| Masher from calloohcallay |
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| Kitchen scale from TheFancyLamb |
What are your favorite "can't live without" gadgets???
Feb 16, 2011
How to Jump Vintage Hurdles
The Psychology of selling is a fascinating thing. We've all experienced it in one form or another. The trick is how to master it and get ahead. Take for example, lots. If you were to see 3 pieces of Metlox Poppytrail china in a sale for the right price, you'd snap it up. But if you ran across an estate with 150 pieces, would you? Maybe you would. But I'll bet once you got it home and stared at it awhile, it would lose its luster.
Another example are items that you can't find anything out about. You list it for a price that suits the unique nature of it and it just sits there. You lower the price. Nada. You try to price it so it's a give away. Nothing. You decide you hate it and pack it away for another day. Days, weeks or years later, you discover that the widget you have is a blankety blank and worth bucks! You unpack it lovingly and list it again with total enthusiasm.
What about boring items? I mean items that sound good in theory but end up looking very intimidating. Piles of postcards. Boxes of linens. Photographs. You get the idea. Buying those 500 postcards seemed like such a great idea at the time! But now they look daunting as you consider scanning every single one.
So we like what's new and different. We like selling to be interesting. The best days are those when the items in the box are all different, unique & easy to photograph. But that isn't the way it works most of the time.
I've suffered from these maladies in various guises over the years. All that red and white enamelware was so adorable at the flea market. Now I know why the dealer had such a gleam in her eye!
There are a few ways to master it. One: develop a will of iron and overcome any petty mental issues like fear of boredom, monotony and ironing. I admire you greatly if you can do this. I know some of you are doing it-I've seen your shops. Kudos to you.
Two: ignore your instincts. Meaning, it makes total sense to want to list like items at the same time. If a buyer comes in that likes one piece of enamelware, chances are they'll buy two! But if you have a pile of thingamabobs staring you down, ignore that instinct. Parse the items out. Tell yourself you'll list x number of them every day, or every other day. Do a little bit at a time and you'll get a great sense of achievement. And you'll also make more progress than you would have.
Three: sell it in different ways. Put the ten best on Etsy, a lot of them on Craigslist and a lot on an auction site. Sell some of it locally. Do whatever you can to break the mental lock.
Now that I've written all this down, I'm motivated. This week I have committed to washing, ironing and listing my gazillions of vintage linens. If I've inspired you at all, join me. Let's see what we can accomplish!
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| Lot of Victorian Ephemera by tparty |
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| Antique Aurora Dater Machine by jenzee09 |
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| Lot of Antique Photographs by FancysVintageStore |
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| Vintage Street Sign by TheFancyLamb |
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| Antique Folk Art Primitive by birdie1 |
There are a few ways to master it. One: develop a will of iron and overcome any petty mental issues like fear of boredom, monotony and ironing. I admire you greatly if you can do this. I know some of you are doing it-I've seen your shops. Kudos to you.
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| Vintage Cow Milk Kitchen Towel by in2vintagecloths |
Two: ignore your instincts. Meaning, it makes total sense to want to list like items at the same time. If a buyer comes in that likes one piece of enamelware, chances are they'll buy two! But if you have a pile of thingamabobs staring you down, ignore that instinct. Parse the items out. Tell yourself you'll list x number of them every day, or every other day. Do a little bit at a time and you'll get a great sense of achievement. And you'll also make more progress than you would have.
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| Vintage Red & White Enamelware by calloohcallay |
Three: sell it in different ways. Put the ten best on Etsy, a lot of them on Craigslist and a lot on an auction site. Sell some of it locally. Do whatever you can to break the mental lock.
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| Vintage Tablecloth by DoadandStelley |
Now that I've written all this down, I'm motivated. This week I have committed to washing, ironing and listing my gazillions of vintage linens. If I've inspired you at all, join me. Let's see what we can accomplish!
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.
Jan 26, 2011
Promotions, Free Advertising & Building Your Brand
What is your brand? Knowing that is the jumping off point for all future advertising and promotion.
As I've said before, a consistent logo is key to identifying with customers. Something clear to see that somehow ties in with your store or name is ideal. I chose a turquoise teapot because it was one color (easy to view), a color that has strong vintage associations, and photographed cleanly. I don't offer that teapot-but it's similar to what I do offer and customers remember it.
I consider that teapot my logo. It is THE identity of Nachokitty. In order for it to work as my branding, I need to keep the same across Facebook, Twitter, Etsy, my business cards and the cards I include in every package.
Once you have a clear identity established, be consistent. I don't recommend using one name for your user id and different shop name on your banner. Customers can't search for you under that banner ad name, but it is the largest text on the page in most cases, calling out, Look at Me! Remember Me!
Okay, so you know who you are and how you want to be remembered. How will you get your name out there-not just once, but over and over again? Marketers have studied human behavior for eons and one thing is sure-viral marketing works best. Meaning, word of mouth.
This is where your single most effective FREE tool comes in. Treasuries. You find things you like, you post them and notify the sellers. What could be easier? Yet it's a free tool most of us aren't paying enough attention to. If people like the treasury, they'll likely check out your store. Now that we have activity feed, I am able to watch activity spike after certain treasuries are created. My New Years business resolution was to make 1-2 a day.
Other forms of free or low cost promotion: Facebook and Twitter. To boost my numbers on Facebook, I paid for an ad. It was cheap. It brought in hundreds of people. Now I have a core audience I can advertise directly to, involve by asking questions, and use as my word of mouth advertisers. You certainly don't need to pay for an ad-I see plenty of Etsy sellers with strong Facebook pages who didn't. It was just a quick way to get where I wanted to be.
There are other ways to promote that we'll discuss another time. Brand your store, use the tools that are free, and promote yourself. You have nothing to lose and much to gain.
As I've said before, a consistent logo is key to identifying with customers. Something clear to see that somehow ties in with your store or name is ideal. I chose a turquoise teapot because it was one color (easy to view), a color that has strong vintage associations, and photographed cleanly. I don't offer that teapot-but it's similar to what I do offer and customers remember it.
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| Vintage Mechanical Valentine by Wonderdiva |
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| An unforgettable avatar: she looks like her username! |
I consider that teapot my logo. It is THE identity of Nachokitty. In order for it to work as my branding, I need to keep the same across Facebook, Twitter, Etsy, my business cards and the cards I include in every package.
Once you have a clear identity established, be consistent. I don't recommend using one name for your user id and different shop name on your banner. Customers can't search for you under that banner ad name, but it is the largest text on the page in most cases, calling out, Look at Me! Remember Me!
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| Vintage Enamel Daisy Set by Jenscloset |
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| Her avatar is a small piece of this banner-excellent tie in |
Okay, so you know who you are and how you want to be remembered. How will you get your name out there-not just once, but over and over again? Marketers have studied human behavior for eons and one thing is sure-viral marketing works best. Meaning, word of mouth.
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| 1940's Toy Sewing Machine by tparty |
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| Great logo. Ties into username & matches banner |
This is where your single most effective FREE tool comes in. Treasuries. You find things you like, you post them and notify the sellers. What could be easier? Yet it's a free tool most of us aren't paying enough attention to. If people like the treasury, they'll likely check out your store. Now that we have activity feed, I am able to watch activity spike after certain treasuries are created. My New Years business resolution was to make 1-2 a day.
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| Vintage Tea Length Nightgown by FancyPantsAndMore |
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| Excellent avatar-ties right in with the product line & it's very eye catching |
Other forms of free or low cost promotion: Facebook and Twitter. To boost my numbers on Facebook, I paid for an ad. It was cheap. It brought in hundreds of people. Now I have a core audience I can advertise directly to, involve by asking questions, and use as my word of mouth advertisers. You certainly don't need to pay for an ad-I see plenty of Etsy sellers with strong Facebook pages who didn't. It was just a quick way to get where I wanted to be.
There are other ways to promote that we'll discuss another time. Brand your store, use the tools that are free, and promote yourself. You have nothing to lose and much to gain.
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.
Dec 31, 2010
FOODIE FRIDAY -- H is for HANGOVER
from tparty.etsy.com
Perhaps it's NOT a pleasant subject, but apropos for New Year's Eve, eh? It is quite possible that more than a few of us will over-indulge whilst ringing in 2011. Parties often involve rich foods, open bars (or bottomless bottles) and it's all too easy to wake up the next day feeling anything but ready to take on a New Year! In my experience, only time and lots of water really "cure" a hangover, but here are some interesting folk remedies:
~~~~ In Poland, drinking pickle juice is a common remedy. (um, YUCK!)
~~~~ In Ireland it was said that the cure for a hangover is to bury the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand. (not very practical)
~~~~ In Japan, eating Umeboshi Pickled Plums is recommended. (are these readily available?)
If all else fails, have a "hair of the dog that bit ya", in the form of a BLOODY MARY, which was, btw created by Parisian barman Pete Petiot in 1921 as an “eye-opener”. It was touted as a hangover cure or preventer. This legendary cocktail is filled with all kinds of strange ingredients.
Recipe:
1 to 2 oz. vodka (or substitute tequila, and it's called a BLOODY BULL)
8 OZ Tomato or V-8 juice
2 dashes Worcester sauce
Tabasco sauce, Salt and pepper, Pure horseradish to taste.
Mix in shaker. Pour over ice into cocktail glass. Add a large squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish with a stick of celery, olives, asparagus spears or my favorite--chilled cooked shrimp!
HAPPY NEW YEAR, and BEST WISHES for HEALTH AND PEACE in 2011!!!
from DandelionGirl.etsy.com
Dec 26, 2010
Welcome New Member: T-Party Antiques
T-Party Antiques is an online shop that started as a brick-and-mortar endeavor. Susan from Connecticut was an antiques collector who partnered with two friends to create T-Party Antiques and Tea Room in 2003. They had a successful five-year run until the 1890 farmhouse they rented was demolished. And so her Etsy shop was born.In addition to an array of vintage home decor, ephemera and more, Susan also creates with vintage components. Her tack boards using vintage bark cloth are wonderful! And I just adore her vintage button bouquets, one of which is shown here.
A visit T-Party Antiques provides a nostalgic escape, and just the right finishing touches to make your house a warm vintage home. Welcome to the Team!
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