Lamps to love...

I'm loving the new lamps I have in my River Market Antique Mall booth.  (Third floor, #518). 

I gave my tired space a new look. 

Now, it's time to go paint furniture for Restoration Emporium.  It's the 1st Friday weekend in the West Bottoms. 

I will be painting a child's dresser and 2 side tables with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Florence.  Pics to follow!

Remember to "like" my facebook page - Annie Mason.

A Challenge to Antique Dealers

I call myself an antique dealer, loosely, apologetically. 

Truthfully, most of what I try to sell falls in the "vintage" category.  Not 100 years old.  Yet at least 20 years old.

We are all trying to sell the same stuff, the same junk, the same.  All across my city, Kansas City, there are hundreds of dealers.  We are all competing for a very small piece of the pie.  We run 30% off sales in our booth, only to have the dealer around the corner having a 50% off sale.  Competition drives down prices.  That's why Kansas City is probably the best city for finding vintage/antique items at the cheapest prices. 

My point is, we've lost our creativity.  When a dealer uses a different technique and comes up with a new twist on, let's say painting a dresser, then within the month, that technique is copied around our city at rapid pace, springing up in the West Bottom's famous First Friday Weekend sales.  Each shop is offering the same stuff the shop around the corner offers.

I am talking to myself here - preaching at myself.  Because I'm as guilty as anybody.  In the quest for increased sales, we feel this is necessary. 

I don't know how to solve this problem, except to do something different than others.  But be assured, the "bubble will burst" when you are shortly thereafter copied, time and time again. 

Part of the answer sounds harsh, but dealers who are hobbyists, who don't have the true need to make money for their household, are competing and adding to the pool of dealers.  Consequently, we have to sell goods at lower prices. 

Another answer is to NOT GIVE IN TO THE GREEDY DEMAND FOR CHEAPER GOODS!  I mean, who really wants to fill up their house with $19 side tables?  We've gotta face it - we wind up with lesser quality. 

I had an antique dresser in my booth at River Market Antique Mall for 8 months.  It's very old - unique dovetailing, and the woman who sold it to me said that it came through the wagon trains.  No one would pay me $395 for it.  Everyone wants an $89 dresser that has white paint on it.  I was told to paint it to get it noticed.  What did I do?  I brought it home to keep for myself and hauled to the mall a painted antique, which I had in my entry but grew tired off - not the best quality but it will probably sell soon because it's not as expensive. 

Yes, I'm ranting.  And I value comments. 

When a Dealer is Glad for Missed Sales

When is a dealer glad for missed sales?...Glad when an item doesn't sale?...Glad to be hanging onto a piece of inventory?

Answer:  When the hanging wicker chair and stand from the 70's are found at Pier One Imports, as a repro, for $500!

I have held onto my hanging chair and stand, after no one paid me $59 for the set at Liberty Belle.  Now I am so thankful that I didn't sell it there.  It might get moved to River Market Antique Mall, where I can command a bigger price, but I've grown attached to it on my screened porch. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are great bargains to be had at the first Friday weekend sales in the KC West Bottoms.  I will be shopping there in a couple of weeks.  Never know what you'll find!

Liberty Belle This Weekend

What do these things have in common:  Punch & Judy puppets, pair of rose lamps, Cortez statue, and a President Lincoln picture?  They're all in my space at Liberty Belle this weekend. 

Hope to see you all there, if you're in the area!  I will be working there Saturday afternoon.  Come by and say "Hi!"

Liberty Belle this weekend!

If you live in the Kansas City area, don't forget that this is the first-Friday weekend in the West Bottoms. 

At Liberty Belle, we are having lots of vintage clothing for sale this month, complete with models!

There are also 2 other vintage venues this weekend by us - Good Juju and Bottoms Up Antiques.

I will take a picture of the location for you who don't live around here - you won't believe the part of town that these markets are.  Originally the stockyards of this beautiful "cowtown", this previously-blighted area is now booming with businesses - studios, lofts, eateries, antique venues and all sorts of businesses.  Actually there is a lot of history and Kansas City had an important role in the settlement of the western US.  Okay, history lesson over!

Christmas Decorating with Casualties

Yesterday was a day for decorating for Christmas.  Of course, the trees won't go up until after Thanksgiving.  But I spent fifteen hours dragging tubs out of the attic and pulling out decorations from the upstairs hall closet. 

I had three major casualties:  my fav antique brown transferware plate, a Clothtique santa, and a Snow Village Christmas tree farm shack.  The plate, I'll save for the mosaic graveyard, possibly never to be seen again.  The shack was beyond repair.  Santa might be saved with glue, though.

On a more serious note, I am vacating my space at Vintage Market at Zona Rosa the end of this month.  But I am still at Liberty Belle - first Friday weekend of every month in the West Bottoms.  There are 2 other venues in the same area - it won't disappoint.  All the decorators, collectors, dealers, and designers from the area attend every month.  It's a feeding frenzy! 

The best part of being a dealer is the other dealers!  It's a terrific community with all its' quirks and glitches.  Of that, I am thankful to be a part.

...for the Love of Ironstone...

I love ironstone.  I refuse to part with most of it.  Here are some of my favorite pieces around my home. 

Later in the week, I'll post pics of my space at Liberty Belle in the West Bottoms.  The sale starts Friday at 9am.  You won't be disappointed.  I've been working on an antique walnut buffet, a matching antique dining table, and 6 lyre-back chairs, which I will paint and recover the seats in burlap. 

Appealing Arbors

Arbors are so mysterious and appealing in shops, filled with splendid finds...I plan on duplicating this someday, putting my own touches on it.  It won't look the same but I mentally picked it apart and realized I might actually have some of the materials I need.  I will put it in my space at Vintage Market. 

News flash:  I am going to sell in a 2nd venue - Liberty Belle - located in the West Bottoms of Kansas City and open the first Friday-Sunday of each month.  A couple of vendors from Vintage Market have been there a while - Antweaked and Vintage Boyz of ReDeux.  My soul sister Cristie M. has generously offered to help me stage it.  Yikes!  I need to get home from my trip and get busy.