Gear

Oct22 - create a slideshow with music

I've got it all for you this week, friends. Adventures, merchandise, owls, shameless "look at me" photographs, bragging about how much money I make and flea market shopping tips.

I had an adventure... I've been driving questionable vehicles back and forth to New York City nearly every weekend for about 10 years now. I had car trouble for the first time ever two weeks ago. By trouble, I mean, my van went kerplooowy. Fortunately I was all unloaded and selling my brains out by the time I found out. I'm not really sure how it all went down, but Young Ronald, who helps me unload my van and parks it for me, called me at 3:00 PM telling me my van wouldn't start but everything was under control because he got it to his cousin's garage, right up Myrtle. So, thinking fast, I get Chris (Industrial guy, nice fella), to pack my stuff in his box truck and bring it to Hanson the next day. One problem solved. The next morning I unload, set up, pay Ronald the Elder to sit in my booth, and go see about my van. Well it turns out that "right up Myrtle," meant "Queens." It was a $30 car service. I still don't know how Ronald got my van to Queens. His heart was in the right place, but I would have preferred to call AAA. I got there, and I still had to get the van towed around the block to Young Ronald's cousin's garage. The tow truck driver did not tell me that I was going to ride around the block right there in the driver's seat, on top of the flat bed. That was fun. See photos. The mechanic named the price, I thought about the oil leaks, the cracked windshield, the ugliness, how much I hate answering questions about the "Rent-a-Ride" logo on the side, and how well it has served me in just the last month. I made the call. Junk the van and rent a U-Haul. Now, how pleased was I when I went to uhaul.com on my iPhone and I got a "Use current location?" button? Very very very pleased. Cruz, my new friend, the tow truck driver, dropped me off at the Uhaul rental place about half a mile away. Cruz and I made plans to take the Rent-a-Ride to the scrap yard the next morning. I drove the UHaul back to Brooklyn, carefully avoiding hipsters texting their way through every crosswalk in Williamsburg. Ronald the Elder handed me a wad of cash when I got back to the bank, and everything was just lovely. I finished out the day, got to enjoy an extra night in Fort Greene, junked my van to the tune of $300 (I was thrilled), and drove my pretty panda UHaul home. I'll be outbacking it for a while, so I hope you enjoyed the furniture while it lasted.

OK, about the product... I'm not a textile girl, but I had to buy a car full of 50s fabrics. $20-$30 a roll. I'm not selling it by the yard. A marquetry pirate table top? Yes, you need that. The slide show starts with me basking in the glow of the coolest vintage necklace ever. It's on eBay. The ebays are all pretty choice this week. Dior, YSL, a Trifari necklace you should watch. That's the good Trifari. The chair is cool. We can make delivery arrangements if you bid on that. I thought you would all appreciate a photograph demonstrating the full spectrum of owl necklaces.

Hey, this is cool. It's the first Zippo lighter ever issued. I bought it for $5. Yeah, I bat one out of the park once in a while. It has a factory refurbished repair on the hinge. In perfect shape, you can ask $1200.

As promised, I have some tips for shopping at the Flea. If you have a piece that you want to buy and you can't find the vendor, here's what you do: 1. hold the piece up high if possible; 2. take out your wallet, maybe flash a bill or two; 3. look around with a confused expression. This ought to get the attention of the person taking the money. Although you really only need this strategy with a quiet, low-key vendor like myself. If you're dealing with the type who barks the second you pick up an item, you shouldn't have any trouble figuring out who to pay. Although whenever I have tried that approach, the customer runs away the second I open my mouth. So chances are you're not trying to pay a vendor who makes themselves known to you the second you approach their table. Personally, I've never been able to sell a thing by informing a customer, "That's sterling," "That's signed," "That's vintage," "Make me an offer," or, "I can do better on the price." I never assume that the shopper does not know what they are looking at. You people are smart! And I never assume that you would buy something for any price just because you picked it up for 15 seconds. You're there to have fun. So I just sit there until you take your wallet out.