I am an addict. Yes, I admit it. I need my fix at least once a week, and sometimes even more than that! I am hooked. When I go a long time without, I start to have withdrawal symptoms that you cannot even begin to imagine. Shaking, pacing, mumbling to myself.
Yes, I am addicted.................to AUCTIONS, THRIFT STORES, ESTATE SALES & GARAGE SALES!!! No one ever warned me that going to these things, hunting for those "treasures" could possibly be so addicting, taking up hours & hours of my time! It's not that I LOVE selling online......I mean, I do enjoy it, but the real high is the hunt for those goodies that make me shake like a drug addict!!!
I read the auction listings on Auctionbill.com at least twice a week, for both Iowa & Nebraska. I live in Nebraska, but I am willing to drive a good ways to get those goodies!! If there is a listing with photos of glassware or china, cups & saucers, or hand painted anything, I am making my list, checking my bank account, and planning my attack!!
I have learned one important lesson though. NEVER tell anyone at an auction, what something is or how old it is. I was looking at a piece of EAPG, an old Coin Glass square toothpick holder. This very little, frail old lady, looking so innocent, asked me what it was, and how old it was. She didn't look dangerous!!! She would most likely fall asleep before the auction even started!! So I gave up my secret! Yes, it is old!!! Late 1800's....Coin Glass....I have the salt, pepper & tray that match it at home.....I am so happy to see the toothpick here!! I collect this glass. Well, guess what!!! That little old lady stayed awake during the whole 9 hour auction, until that piece of Coin Glass came up, and she proceeded to OUTBID me!!!! And then, turned around and smiled at me!!! Vicious woman, I tell you!!!
From now on, my lips are sealed. I will give only my name, city & state. I know NOTHING!!! Shhhhhhhhh! ;-)
Showing posts with label glassware. Show all posts
Showing posts with label glassware. Show all posts
Monday, November 3, 2014
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Setting up a packing & shipping station for sellers
Whether you have a whole room, or just a corner, there are some essentials that you must have at hand in order to be effient at packing and shipping the items that you sell on eBay or any other selling site.
The first thing that I suggest is getting yourself a digital scale. These are very accurate, and can be purchased at any office supply store. I purchased mine for about $50 several years ago, but it is worth it.
Set up a table, whether a long 6' table or just a card table, but some place that can be your designated packing station. On this table, or a shelf above or next to it, within easy reach, you should have the scale, tape & tape gun, pen, black marker, FRAGILE stamp,custom forms (for First Class International shipments)and any materials that you include with your shipments like business cards or coupons.
Have a specific tote or place to put your bubble wrap (please don't use newspaper!! (It is SO unprofessional looking!) and packing peanuts. I keep a supply of packing peanuts in a large tote under may packing table, and my roll of bubble wrap is next to the table. If you use the large rolls of bubble wrap, putting it on a clothes rack works wonderfully!!
It helps also, if you have a shelf or extra table to put the items on to be shipped along with the invoice. As I pack each item, I stamp the package with the Fragile stamp in several places, then tape the invoice to the top to keep from mixing up packages.
After they are all packed, I weigh each one, writing the weight on the box where the label will go, and also on the invoice (which I keep). You can include an invoice in the box if you wish. When I am finished weighing the boxes, I then take them to my computer and print the labels.
Below are a few photos of how I have set up my packing station. Keeping this set up helps me get the orders out quicker and keeps everything I need at hand.
Good luck setting up your Packing and Shipping station!!!
The first thing that I suggest is getting yourself a digital scale. These are very accurate, and can be purchased at any office supply store. I purchased mine for about $50 several years ago, but it is worth it.
Set up a table, whether a long 6' table or just a card table, but some place that can be your designated packing station. On this table, or a shelf above or next to it, within easy reach, you should have the scale, tape & tape gun, pen, black marker, FRAGILE stamp,custom forms (for First Class International shipments)and any materials that you include with your shipments like business cards or coupons.
Have a specific tote or place to put your bubble wrap (please don't use newspaper!! (It is SO unprofessional looking!) and packing peanuts. I keep a supply of packing peanuts in a large tote under may packing table, and my roll of bubble wrap is next to the table. If you use the large rolls of bubble wrap, putting it on a clothes rack works wonderfully!!
It helps also, if you have a shelf or extra table to put the items on to be shipped along with the invoice. As I pack each item, I stamp the package with the Fragile stamp in several places, then tape the invoice to the top to keep from mixing up packages.
After they are all packed, I weigh each one, writing the weight on the box where the label will go, and also on the invoice (which I keep). You can include an invoice in the box if you wish. When I am finished weighing the boxes, I then take them to my computer and print the labels.
Below are a few photos of how I have set up my packing station. Keeping this set up helps me get the orders out quicker and keeps everything I need at hand.
Good luck setting up your Packing and Shipping station!!!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Cambridge Glass Company
Cambridge Glass company began its life as the National Glass Company. They made press glass in the early part of the nineteen hundreds.
Cambridge is well known for its glass mark, which is a triangle with a C inside of it. Oddly enough, not all Cambridge pieces get marked with that mark, which makes it difficult to decipher which pieces are actually Cambridge.
Some of the best and most exciting pieces and the better received patterns that were collected were made in the early 30’s and sold amazingly well into the later part of the 1940’s.
It hasn’t been all that many years since any well laid table or perfectly appointed buffet would include very elegant glassware, perfectly etched pieces of stemware or Cambridge glassware accessories. Although the day to day elegance that many people wanted from their lives seems to have passed by the wayside, Cambridge glass is still widely collected and lovingly used by those who desire a return to the elegance of the past.
Do take care to watch what you buy. Cambridge has in fact been produced and reproduced over the years. Largely it was the lady flower frogs which have been brought into reproduction, but wide reproduction of the Caprice glassware pattern also took place. The quality of course is quite inferior so you’re going to be able to recognize one that isn’t genuine by studying those which are.
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Cambridge is well known for its glass mark, which is a triangle with a C inside of it. Oddly enough, not all Cambridge pieces get marked with that mark, which makes it difficult to decipher which pieces are actually Cambridge.
Some of the best and most exciting pieces and the better received patterns that were collected were made in the early 30’s and sold amazingly well into the later part of the 1940’s.
It hasn’t been all that many years since any well laid table or perfectly appointed buffet would include very elegant glassware, perfectly etched pieces of stemware or Cambridge glassware accessories. Although the day to day elegance that many people wanted from their lives seems to have passed by the wayside, Cambridge glass is still widely collected and lovingly used by those who desire a return to the elegance of the past.
Do take care to watch what you buy. Cambridge has in fact been produced and reproduced over the years. Largely it was the lady flower frogs which have been brought into reproduction, but wide reproduction of the Caprice glassware pattern also took place. The quality of course is quite inferior so you’re going to be able to recognize one that isn’t genuine by studying those which are.
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Sunday, January 3, 2010
Makers Marks on Glassware
I found this great site for looking up maker's marks on glassware. It not only has the old marks like Westmoreland, Imperial Glass and others that are recognizable. It has marks of makers I have never heard of before, or didn't realize marked their glassware.
I am a real stickler on knowing what maker and what pattern a piece of glassware is before I will list it on ebay. Those keywords are what brings the buyers to your items that they are looking for. The more relevant keywords you can get into your title, the faster your items will be found.
Check out this site!! When you join, you get 10 free "lookups".
http://www.glasmarken-lexikon.de/
I am a real stickler on knowing what maker and what pattern a piece of glassware is before I will list it on ebay. Those keywords are what brings the buyers to your items that they are looking for. The more relevant keywords you can get into your title, the faster your items will be found.
Check out this site!! When you join, you get 10 free "lookups".
http://www.glasmarken-lexikon.de/
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Introduction to the Glassylady
Hello! I would first like to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about me. My name is Sandy, and I love glassware of all kinds! No, I am CRAZY about glassware!!!! :-) My ebay seller name is Glassylady831, but on here, I am just the Glassylady.
I started selling glassware about 10 years ago, at a local antique mall. It was very profitable at the time, but my biggest joy was the hunt for the pieces!!! I went to every auction I could possibly find, hit all the estate sales, garage sales and even ran an ad saying that I would buy estates or partial estates.
I wanted to know as much as I could about all the different types of glassware, so I spent hours and hours reading through reference books on glassware. Trust me, that is alot of books!!! I would spend every night with a reference book in my lap, even while I watched tv! But in doing this, I learned quickly to identify makers and patterns at site.
I quit selling in the antique malls, and opened an ebay store 5 years ago. I specialize in stemware (crystal & other), but still have other pieces of glassware in my store.
In the blog, I'd like to share some of the things I have learned along the way. Glass collecting can be fun, especially if you use it and not just display it. So, I will begin to post informational and some fun things here in my blog posts.
Until later!
I started selling glassware about 10 years ago, at a local antique mall. It was very profitable at the time, but my biggest joy was the hunt for the pieces!!! I went to every auction I could possibly find, hit all the estate sales, garage sales and even ran an ad saying that I would buy estates or partial estates.
I wanted to know as much as I could about all the different types of glassware, so I spent hours and hours reading through reference books on glassware. Trust me, that is alot of books!!! I would spend every night with a reference book in my lap, even while I watched tv! But in doing this, I learned quickly to identify makers and patterns at site.
I quit selling in the antique malls, and opened an ebay store 5 years ago. I specialize in stemware (crystal & other), but still have other pieces of glassware in my store.
In the blog, I'd like to share some of the things I have learned along the way. Glass collecting can be fun, especially if you use it and not just display it. So, I will begin to post informational and some fun things here in my blog posts.
Until later!
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