Running a Small Business and Time Management

About that title - it's hard!  Recently, I was asked to give a short bit of advice to small business owners, opening up for the first time.  We'll, running a small business means that the successes, or failures, fall on your shoulders alone.  When I first started my vintage jewelry shop, I was centrally focused on having a great stock from which customers could pull…whatever…from.  That’s good.  That's great, really. It is something every business owner should do.  But it’s certainly not enough.  If I could only offer two bits advice,  here they are:

-Know your stock.  Specialize in a certain niche market and learn everything you can about it. You must be a master of your area. You should be the reference point, and no question should stump you.  If you find that one does, stop.  Don’t talk yourself into a corner and please, don’t make up anything you can’t verify.  Instead, a simple “Let me get back to you,” will suffice.  THEN GET BACK TO THEM.  Follow up!

-Be organized. Your entire day should be mapped out.  Sorry. Owning your own business is not a free pass to do what you want all day, especially if you’re owner, manager, clerk, expediter, press manager, etc.  Have planner - I like to go old school with the Moleskines (expensive, but good!)

 Break up the early part of your day into a few sections: marketing, responding to client calls/emails, inventory, etc.  Set aside at least 15 solid minutes each, without interruption, to do all of these things.  If you work from home, that means going to a room, locking the door and hoping the kids/dogs/cats/pirates don't kill each other in the meantime.  If you don't have a shop, or office, or an extra room in your house, go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy a readymade garage.  You can insulate it for next to nothing and have a space that belongs only to you and your business.  A shed like this, already built and primed costs less than $2500

There's a finished one on the right.  Don't you love with they've done with it? The point is to have a space and a time to get done, what needs to be done in order for your business to succeed.  Hope this helps and feel free to email me with any questions!



Mad at the auction house

Guys, I have a deep and powerful sadness today and I'm not even sure it's justified. When I went to the auction, I picked up a couple of these:

Challenge coins. Now, here's the thing about them. You don't just get them for sitting on your butt all day. Somewhere along the line, someone did something pretty awesome to have been given one. Challenge coins are given by commanding officers for a job well done. So I, as always, started wondering about them. Who had them first? Who was the man who received this and why? How did it end up here? Did something happen to him and if so, why in world did his family let it go?

Made me mad.

Should it?  Probably not.

Anyway, I see myself as a savior of these things. Every time I see one at an auction or carelessly tossed aside at a yard sale, I pick up and bring it home. Someone worked hard to get it and if only for that, it's worth keeping safe.

Be on the look out for: Asparagus holders!

Asparagus has always been a costly fruit. Many years ago, IF you could afford it, then you certainly could afford something to take care of it with.  Enter instruments like these:

You see, asparagus was not meant to be pierced. So, you'd see all sorts of servers used to pick them up without breaking the skin.

So the next time you see a weird piece of tableware with a flat edge, perhaps a hood, pick it up!  It just might be worth something!



Life on Mars and I'm a Published Author!

Why am I singing Life on Mars by David Bowie, you ask? 
Well, I'll tell you. One of my works was recently accepted into a Science Fiction anthology about life on Mars!  I'm excited - terribly excited - the kind of excited where your face hurts from grinning so much and your own momma hates you.

(I'm kidding, Ma!)

I write because it's fun.  That's it and knowing that someone else likes enough of my fun stuff to include it in their book sends me though the freaking roof.

I think I may just have to reward myself with a bit of geeky space jewelry. Here's to awesome Mondays!

Gretna Green Vintage Charm

Confession: as a kid, I loved historical romance novels. The first one I ever read was called Man of My Dreams by Johanna Lindsey and I only got it from the library for two reason.  One, the cover. Two, they finally said I was old enough to get it a book from that section.

I can hear you judging me, but hey - I was only in 5th grade!  Cut me some slack. I have since progressed to more pithy things, but let me just say, my eyes were opened.

Anyway, it seemed like every novel I read seemed to have the same storyline: guy meets girl and they have to escape to Gretna Green. It became a running joke in my middle school book club. How many books can we find with men picking up women for quickie marriages just over the Scottish border in Gretna Green?  We found a lot.

Which brings me to this!

This vintage sterling silver charm is soooooo on my charm bracelet now. It reminds me of everything: middle school, the books we used the read, the shared giggles over still undetermined lunch food and the day I got that book from the library. 

Mmmmm....independent/handmade stationary!

There's something terribly tragic about plain pieces of paper. Thank goodness we don't have to live in such a world where we must face that great evil.  Magical people have created beautiful works of art meant to be marred, stapled, hung and folded. Here are some bits of stationary and invitations that caught my eye while dancing across the interwebs:

Orange Crush by Lasso'd Moon http://www.lassodmoondesigns.com/

Vintage Couture by Love, Jessica http://www.lovejessica.com/

57L22 by Renaissance Writings http://www.renaissancewritings.com/

They're pretty cool, right? Now, I don't know these folks, but the work speaks for itself. One of my May goals is to support small and independent businesses and with companies like these around, I don't have to go into a big box store for stationary ever again.

My Traditional Vintage Charm Bracelet

I've officially run out of space on my charm bracelet. Mostly. Here it is in all it's glory. Last time I counted, I had 50 something charms up there...that was about a year ago.

I've been adding to it for about 15 years (half of my life) and it has all of my memories from jungles in India, tea in Athens to my graduation from grad school. I've decided to start another one when I get married.

You'll see a mixture of new and vintage charms. When I go some where for the first time, I usually get the first charm I can find, then take a more leisurely pace to find vintage ones of the location. I devote an entire day of vacation to scouring antique and vintage stores in every country...every city I go to. Once I get home, I review them all and find the one that will represent my trip/event best and put it on my bracelet.  The others I display in a clear jewelry box or put up for sale in my shop, Vintage Charms and Bracelets.

Most are sterling silver, though I have a few lesser silvers (.800, .900) and a handful of pewter ones.  My favorites are the vintage tea cup charm from the 1940s, the Portugal/Lisbon shield charm, the Swiss chalet (opened in the picture to reveal a 'sleeping' couple), and the fruit cart that represents my time living in the Mediterranean.

Here you can see that I don't solder my charms to have them permanently attached to the bracelet. Rather, I use split rings.  They last forever and ensure that the charms will only come off IF I make them. Jump rings work fine for most folks, but this thing is too big and if I were to lose a charm, I wouldn't know it soon enough to look for it...this I know tragically all too well.

Anyway, If you have questions about any of the charms you see, just ask in the comment section below. If you have pictures of your own charm bracelet, feel free to post the link - I'm ADDICTED to charm bracelets and can look at (drool over) them all day!

Vintage Opera Glasses

At a mega $1 for everything church fundraising sale, I spied these vintage opera glasses (spied...get it...ehh).

Cute, right? This tiny thing fits in the palm of my hand and is so effective that I've just decided to keep it in my purse at all times (I'm not entirely sure how of that is necessity vs show-and-tell). Anyway, to protect this thing, I'm keeping it in an old Sephora cloth case – the kind they send your orders in. Love those things. The come in all sizes and I've used them to protect and house everything from shoes and purses to lipsticks and mechanical pencils.

Oh, speaking of mechanical pencils, I've just found one from the 1950s, that I intend to put on a chatelaine that I'm making. Hope to have it completed soon. I'll post pics as soon as I do.

Happy Sunday!

Antique Hand Warmer

Just in time for summer, right?  Ah well...I can wait. Maybe. On the other hand, I'm probably dorky enough to fire this thing in April.

The way these things work is pretty cool. Basically, you just put some lighter fluid inside, and light it.  Replace the top, put it in a velvet wrapper and hold it in your hands.  Fire hazard? Fo sho,' but it is cool.   This one in particular comes from occupied Japan and dates from the late 1940s-mid 1950s.

OK, fine  I have no real need for this. But I liked it (see post below) and that's enough. Right? I love it...see I can use this as a prop in my classes when discussing Post War Japan. See?  That's called 'shopping for fun and education,' and that is a noble thing.

Vintage Sweater Guard and Auction Houses

Last weeks goodies are things I'm not sure I'll ever wear, but could never give away: a sweater chain and these ginormous earrings.

The gold sweater guard has mother of pearl finishings and is unmarked.  The earrings are unmarked as well.  Ok, now that I look at them on the screeen...really look at them, I think maybe I could rock those earrings with jeans and a t-shirt on one of my "I'm trying, but really trying to pretend not to" days.
Anyway on to the second half of my post.  Recently I've noticed a ton of new folks in the auction houses I hang out. Shows like Auction Kings, Pawn Stars and the like are getting people shopping in new places. AWESOME! Not everyone who shows up is a bidder, but still it's good to see folks getting out there.  On the other hand, some of those who are bidding are placing insane amounts of money on everyday stuff, while the real goodies fly beneath the radar.  Dude!  If it's your fancy, go for it.  I know what it's like to see something you want, even though you know you'll never use it (erm...see the paragraph above), but I can't see dropping $2120 on an old book, just because it is old without having done any prior research.

That particular book sold was not rare, pretty easily found in antique book circles for around $500-$650, but I guess he got wrapped up in the thrill of the chase.  On the other hand, he felt like a king for having won it and I guess that's pretty awesome too.

Vintage Mexican Silver Bracelet

Here is the (handmade?) Mexican bracelet that I can't stop wearing this week:

I ended up having to remove a link so it wouldn't be too lose on my wrist, but it rocks.

 

Rocks hard.

Lady Jane Grey agrees.

Old Wooden Boxes and Filigree Earrings

Something about these handmade things just makes them jump into my hands.  Here's a primitive found at a church sale for $5. I took no time cleaning it up and putting some of my non silver necklaces and pendants inside.

And the curse of the blue earrings continues!  These blue filigree earrings were nearly perfect for me. Nearly.

The only thing throwing me off is the screwback. A little surgery was needed. I removed the bulb to place it with a hook post.  This mostly preserves it's vintage look, while giving me that lobe comfort I need. 

Hello Spring!!!!

Ah, it's finally nice out - hitting 80 degrees here and I'm so happy to see winter go!  I'm one of those who gets glum and plump during the cold months so the change is definitely needed. Here are some funsies I found during the last week.

The earrings with coins from Guatemala have to be my favorite, with the filigree coming in a close second.  I'm having a hard time dating the third set - the ones with the dangly bits (that sounds naughty, no?).  There aren't any markings and the working on the back is such that I know it is machine made.  Hmmm...I think I've found my latest discovery quest.

'Til next time!

Fun Finds of the Week

Her are some pretty awesome things I found during the week.  First up are some costume earrings, with a coin of Queen Elizabeth dated 1974.

Next, a super cute teacup charm from the 1940s. Adorable and soon to be added to my personal charm bracelet.

Finally, some 10k earrings I found in a grab bag. I'm not a fan of yellow gold, but the luck to find them with my initial made them worth the keep!

Art Deco Paris Landmarks Bracelet

Sometimes the way to find something you love, it is tell someone what you're looking for. It works! You'll get books, shoes and the occasional boyfriend that way. This week, it was this bracelet. Backstory: When I was teenager, I went to Paris with my mother and hadn't yet learned to appreciate the Parisian second hand and antique shops. Years later, I'd wanted the perfect antique bracelet from Paris and still hadn't found the right one. But just the week, I did. My mother brought this home and I nearly bowled her over as I crushed into her in thanks. Rock on mom.

This is an Art Deco style Paris tourist bracelet of wide design with articulated, rectangular shaped sections. The back of the dropped charm reads “Filigrane Depose” and has a makers mark, that I cannot decipher. Landmarks include the: Arc D'Triomphe, Sacred Heart, Notre Dame, Invalides and the city seal.

New Love

I found this amazing ring to add to my personal collection at a pawn store last week. Ever since the release of the TV shows Pawn Stars (History Channel) and Hardcore Pawn (A&E), my fascination with these places has only grown. Where I used to only visit one a year, I now hit a few of the larger ones once a month.

Most places around here tend to be heavy on the yellow gold...a color that just doesn't suit me. Rarely will I find a silver toned metal of any grade. So when I saw this sterling piece, I had to pick it up.

The inside reads “925 CC.” And while it does test silver, everything about this screams 'repo'...something new, meant to look old. Still, I haven't been able to take it off! I only wear one ring at a time, and this has been the piece of the week!

Anyone know anything about this? I'm on the hunt to find another for my mother.

Navajo Old Pawn Ring

Yesterday, this beautiful ring arrived in the mail from an online auction. It is a stamped silver, Vintage Old Pawn ring with two decorate leaves, surrounding a pearl. Gorg! Old Pawn is a style of Native American jewelry and as the name would imply, it has a pawn history.

Navajo and Zuni tribes would create the most stunning pieces, usually of turquoise and/or pearl and wear them, not only as a bit of wealth and beauty, but also strength. Whenever one was to be made the buyer would go to a tribal silversmith to have it custom designed and fitted.

But economies are cyclical and what was purchased in a time of plenty, may be needed for cash in less bountiful times. In the absence of a standard banking and loan system, the jewelry would be pawned for cash until the next crop came in and reclaim the piece, usually just in time for ceremonies and tribal gatherings. Unfortunately not everyone would always reclaim their jewelry, thus releasing it into wider circulation. These pieces also left reservations and families when a loved one died and were pawned to raise cash.

So when you run across one of these pieces, please be tender with them. You're holding a bit of someone's life. If these things could talk, they would tell you stories of dinners with family, ceremonial dances, weddings, births and changing of seasons.

Dimensions: 5/8 x ½ inch (top of the ring)

Size: 5.5

Cost: I lucked out getting this well below retail... I don't think the seller knew what she had. These usually run $40 upwards with some Old Pawn bracelets reaching $300+ depending on the size, type and age of the item.

Enamel Travel Shield Charms

Ever had a really kick butt day? I just stumbled across a cache of vintage travel charms dating from the 1950s onwards at an auction.  Unbelievable!

If I had a mind to, I could sell them at $12 – $50 a piece, but these are all keepers. Most of them are of places that I have traveled to in the past and others are just too awesome to let go.  My favorites are Santander and Lucerne...if I ever find duplicates of these, I'm turning them into earrings.

Money tells a story...it always has.

Last week I picked up this coin bracelet from an estate sale! I know...I still can't get over someone willingly giving this up.

It is full of coins from the four corners of the world, minted over the last thirty five years.  This is the fourth such bracelet that I've added to my personal collection. One holds coins I've collected from the countries I've visited, while the other three has coins from the early 1900s-1930s.
The jingle jangle of money can always bring a smile to my face.

Intro

Once a week, I try to find the best deals in town when it comes to old school fashion. My heart lies in designs that are Edwardian, Victorian and Art Deco in nature, as well as traditional charm bracelets. 

My heart...not my wallet. 

The trick then is to find these items at a good price.  Regular haunts of mine are antique shows, estate auctions, thrift stores and (yes) pawn shops. It's a treasure hunt really and I never know just what I'll find.  As a historian, I need something with story.  As an (almost) thirtysomething, I need something fashionable. Here's where it'll all come together.