Shifting Gears

A long time ago, back in the mid 1970s I got interested in the auction scene around our area.  Not really sure why because I wasn't collecting anything particular.  But summer auctions in western NY in the 70s were an entertainment venue for sure!  Hot dogs, coffee, sometimes soup or chili (especially good in fall) filled the day along with farmhouse treasure after treasure.  I was learning something new every minute.  I know my husband had a megga heart palpitation when I came home with a van literally stuffed full of green house clay pots because I bought "the contents of a shed" at one local farm.  Those pots started my very first business venture, called Pots & Knots,  for macrame plant hangers!

Fast forward and Another Time came into being in 1978 as an antiques business!  (That craft market was a tough sell!) Co-ops were the order of the day and I joined a local one in an old grain mill.  I can still taste the grain dust we battled with every time the shops opened for the weekend! Just like with internet malls today, every time a new co-op opened, everyone thought "that was the place to be" for the best antiques sales! Boy did I move around!

Like all good antique dealers, flea markets and shows were a must and boy did I do my share! Besides running shops and raising young children, I did 13-15 antique shows a year at my peak!  My kids still lovingly remember soup and sandwich weekends with Dad!  (He still makes a killer pot of soup!

 

Starting in 1993 I went into the sole proprietor store owner stage!  4 stores in 15 years and all within 10 miles of each other!  Next life I may just hire myself out as a Mover!

Last but not least..... ??  Hey, ya never know!

 These stores will forever remain precious in my heart.  Talk about maximum output in creativity, education and endurance!  Being a single store owner is the best education I ever could have given myself.  The numbers of degrees I earned far outweigh anything I could have earned through the college route!  Talk about student loans!  I have so many skills to play with it's mind boggling.  Work never gets dull.

Also in 1998 I joined into the wild and wooly eBay scene!   Wow - a whole nuther' world and a whole new adventure in antiquing and sales.  It was that venture that made my decision to close down the main street store venture in 2008.  Shortly after though I left eBay sellling around 2010 to try the online store venue.  The clientele truly has become worldwide.  Oh my how "my little corporate" entity has grown!  Same hats to wear but definitely a different desk to sit at and manage from.  But the creativity and education remain, so onward I go.  My passion is fulfilled.  Sometimes I think about retirement, but not too often!

And bottom line ...  recently I went to some good old barn auctions again because I missed all that great entertainment and surprise!  Still some great soups and chili to be had too!  Definitely hot coffee flows.

Last but not least, you guessed it, I decided to give eBay a whirl again.  If I didn't some other young lady might wind up buying "the contents of a shed" at my own estate auction some day! LOL  Amazing how the circles just keep on a keepin' on!