Featured Covid-19 impact on antiques business

Much good luck with the calculators Peggy. I took a look, nice!

I have a big ziploc bag filled with Anri Bottle Stoppers that I bought at a sale last spring.

It is within eye shot and every time I see it, I get overwhelmed because there are so many and I have to go one by one to see if any are worth selling alone or if perhaps I should make lots. They always get pushed back for something easier to list.

I have that same argument in my head when I am out at yard sales. Am I going to one more or am I going to head back and call it a day.

 

...& when it gets semi or totally buried in another part of the office, it gets easier & easier to ignore for something simpler to deal with.

Something tells me we are not the only ones on this forum who have that argument with themselves. Sometimes it is a toss up as to who wins regardless if we go on home or give in to the temptation.

 

Update on the Cape Cod outdoor antique show...

SUCCESS

The weather was hot, the gate was not bad for a small show, but the topper was almost everyone who came bought something. As usual, one or two dealers just did OK, but most of us had a very good day.

Shoppers were very good following the one-way traffic pattern, social distancing and wearing masks. They seemed so happy to be able to come to a show.

The Historical Society did a great job of working with our town to come up with a plan that followed state regulations for a safe outdoor show.

YEA!

 

WOOT ! Gotta love when that happens!

 

So glad for you Marie.

 

DINGDINGDING! Oh, yeah, late afternoon, hot, back seat almost full ------ one more sale or home? OOOH! LOOKY ALL THAT STUFF!
Only thing that saved me today was a lunch date with my daughter!

Linda

 

Told you. People are happy to be out and are supporting small sellers.
Congrats on a good day.

 

I'll be covering my first shift at the thrift shop since we reopened on Wednesday. (I've been there twice to shop, but those visits don't count.) From what I've heard the traffic has been good and the money flowing in reasonable amounts.

 

lol, so glad to read others have that same argument in their head

 

People don't have that argument with themselves??? (LOL) It's gotten easier to drive past the Ill Will since they started sending almost anything I'd want to on line sale. Some stuff has started showing back up in the case, but it's stuff like trading cards and overpriced shoes.

 

That's a good way to do it!

Instead of arguing with myself about one more sale or one more stop, I say "do you really want to risk your health and that of your family for another piece of "stuff". I doubt that the retirement piece is even worth that. Covid was on the rise again in my state and is just now starting to go down again. Stay safe everyone! Don't stop being very careful out there.

 

The shop did well by our charity sponsor yesterday! And not a one of the many customers complained about wearing a mask or not being able to try on clothing before purchase (for the first time ever, we allow returns of clothing for store credit and we sell more clothing than any other category.) It's still the first week of reopening so I've got my fingers crossed that the traffic and sales continue at this pace at least.

The backlog of donations is insane!!

 

I'd imagine the donations have to sit for a week to "go cold" before you mess with them. But dang... problems to have!

 

I am very happy as are almost all the dealers that day!

I think we were lucky the show happened when it did. We have started to have a rise of cases here due to stupid, idiot young people having “COVID parties”. Yes, they have parties with 30+ people, no distancing, no masks. One party the kids had a pool, everyone who came in put in some money, the first person who tested positive won the pot. That party now has 13 who have tested positive. A few of those kids work in local restaurants, that means those places had to close down and completely sanitize.

I won’t go on talking about what the hell they were thinking and where were their parents, I don’t want to bring down the positive that was out antique show.

 

How are they handling this? Do they have enough storage or are they having to turn donations away.

One of the thrifts I frequent has been getting more crowded by the week and almost looks like a hoarders house at this point. I wish they would do some more sales or cull some of the unsaleable stuff.

 

Or put the no-hopers out in front in boxes that say "free". Let the customers do the work for them!

 

We had been closed for 6 weeks before the COVID situation arose - remodeling the space, new fixtures, new floor plan and just generally more efficient use of the space. In anticipation of that, we had huge "getting ready to remodel" sale events to reduce potential storage needs and sent the leftovers to Goodwill and the shelters. depending on what it was. AND we had stopped taking in donations then too. When we finally opened post-remodel we were only open 1 week before the county shutdown. So it really isn't as bad as it might have been.

The processing and organizing area of the shop can handle a fair amount more than it used to. There is still some space available "on the floor," but we are trying to be careful about keeping our "look" from becoming obscured by having too much out at once. Sales have been good and we can supplement if necessary by having "special events" to boost things we have too much of.

There's always a certain amount of stuff that goes right out to the shelters or GW because our sorting standards are fairly strict.

So all in all, I think we'll be in good shape.

 

I feel far safer at car boots than in enclosed shops. Still doing online food shopping.

 

I'm in No/Ctrl Florida, USA, in a rural area but with small lively towns spread out in it. NOT a tourist area whatsoever although there are a few old socalled sport fishing compounds popular in the winter with snowbirds who rent cottages, trailers there.

The local housing mark dropped dead in February, 2020, had been just barely alive before then for several years. By end of April, nothing was moving. Slow start in May and come June, 4 houses sold quickly, all within 12 mi from ours. Nice homes, two were on the market a very short time. Houses are selling HERE anyway.

Whether that is faster than at this time last year I don't know. But I think some people still have hope for the future. Something to be grateful for.