Vintage Hattie Carnegie jewelry, rhinestone swan brooch pin

At my local Goodwill there is a lady who is a jewelry dealer who goes there every morning right after they open to look for the new jewelry put out that morning.

One morning I decided to go there at 9:01 right after they open to see if I could get anything good.  Not just the jewelry. But anything.  So when I go in I go to the jewelry case and there are a number of different pieces of jewelry I like.  There was a sterling silver marcasite bracelet, a few other pieces of jewelry and then there was a rhinestone swan brooch.  It was very nice looking and I saw the name on the back.  I didn't know who the jewelry designer was, but I was guessing it was a valuable piece.

So I picked out all of the pieces I wanted and as I am standing there at the jewelry case looking over the pieces the jewelry lady walks in. lol.  She comes and stands next to me and I can see her looking over at the pieces I have set out for myself.  So I ask the lady working the jewelry if she could give me a deal since I only had so much cash on me.  She gave me a very good deal.  I was very happy when I left that day.

It was when I got home and looked up the name that I learned what a great piece this Hattie Carnegie swan is:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/78055719/antique-brooch-vintage-hattie-carnegie?ref=shop_home_active

I have had it in my shop for a while.  I actually sold it on ebay, but I had misplaced it and didn't find it in time.  The buyer asked to cancel the sale and get a refund, which I did.

Now I am waiting for that perfect buyer. I think it is priced fairly compared to other Carnegie brooches.  Priced low, in fact, compared to the price of this same brooch on an antique site.

My fingers are crossed.

Vintage McCoy pottery cookie jar, napping bear with bee hive

I was with a female friend when she suggested we go to a thrift store she had been to a number of times and always found great things.  We pull up to the parking lot and it was crowded as you'd expect.  We go in and as I am browsing I see the place is pretty busy and even though it is big there was not much on the shelves. And the decent things there were kind of high.

She kept telling me this is the first time she's been there and there wasn't anything good.  I told her that it was their sale day. Every week they have a 50% colored tag sale.  This was that day.  And we had also gotten there late in the afternoon.  So the good stuff was gone.

I did find some decent things I thought I could put in my shop.  A nice art deco glass vase that I did sell. Some books. One was a Steelers book that I sold.  And this McCoy cookie jar. When I picked it up and saw the USA on the bottom I thought it was a decent one.  I was also surprised it was still there.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/103354959/vintage-mccoy-cookie-jar-ceramic-napping?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=mccoy

 

When I got it home and searched for it is when I learned it is a 1980's McCoy.

That was last summer.  Since then it has gotten some views. Some favorites. And 2 people asked about it.  I thought it might sell by now. I think it will sell eventually. Maybe for Christmas?

Big Brother Season 15, episode 1

So I watched the first episode on wed and here are some thoughts:
-I thought the guys are meatheads.
-I also thought there are professional women in the house, but uneducated, unemployed men.  And I am wondering how they will interact this season??
-How are the real estate agent in the upscale Miami market and the oriental woman in politics going to conduct themselves?????
-The Jersey girl would be annoying, if I were there.    
-The females are almost all hot and sexy.  That's a surprise.
-And no old/older people??
-See how the black guy plays the game after he says his Christian beliefs are everything to him.
-I did not like any of the guys because they all seem like liars and backstabbers. So far, that is.
-I am rooting for the hot, sexy real estate agent or the young blonde girl.

Episode 2 is on tonight.

Vintage Hull pottery green drip planters set

I have these listed in my vintage Etsy shop.  The section I had them listed in was titled "antique potter".  Now it is just "pottery". I found these at the local Goodwill for a low price.  They look brand new, too.  I think the person that eventually buys them will love them. They are much better looking in person than I was able to capture in pics:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/89236735/vintage-1970s-hull-pottery-planters-set?ref=shop_home_active

Time for bed!

Low Views again

I ended saturday with only 246 views from Etsy search.  The lowest in a long time. I did sell some of my most searched items.

Now here at the midnight hour I had only 2 views from Etsy search at 12:26 am and made it to 11 right before 1am.

Recently I had 35 views from Etsy search at 12:30.  But the first 4 months of the year I was averaging in the teens, 20's and even the 30's the first hour of the new day.

Andrea Bocelli - Canto Della Terra

Vintage Weiss jewelry, yellow & green rhinestone brooch

I found this great piece of costume jewelry on my first search in a long time for a Weiss brooch on the internet.  I believe it was priced low and I got a very good deal.  I usually search for costume jewelry by maker and I have been searching for alot of Monet, Coro or Trifari jewelry.  The last time I searched for a piece of Weiss jewelry I didn't find any good deals.  I think it was good timing to find it on that search.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/97579624/antique-rhinestone-brooch-pin-vintage?ref=shop_home_active

Well, now it is time to watch the first episode of Big Brother.  I have liked the past 3 seasons I've watched.  It has actually been entertaining. I didn't think it would be.  So I didn't watch the first seasons.

Etsy brass table lamps update

I was surprised.  I actually shipped the 2 Stiffel brass lamps for about the $35 I had guessed and put in the listing.  I was thinking it would be $50 or more.  With insurance it came to just less than $38.  Not bad. I can live with that.  NOW, I am just hoping they will make it safely.

Today has been an ok day. Only got the lamps shipped. No other pics taken.  Went to goodwill.  Spent almost $30, but really only got 1 good thing. A 1960's football board game. I should stop buying for now and spend money on other priorities.

I also bought some nice tea cups on ebay last night and today.  i am very happy with them.  Especially the 2 pink ones from last night for which the seller accepted my offers.  I will good profits on both.

Tonight I am going to watch tv.  Watch Big Brother. And use my hands.

I have to get some things done tomorrow.  At least some organizing.

darn, the brass lamps

The pair of brass lamps are heavy and I made a pretty significant mistake in putting only $35 for shipping.  They will probably cost $50-70 to Idaho.  Oh well.

A Solitary Cherub watching over the Garden

Today at my grounds keeping job I captured a pic of the cherub by the pool.  They filled the pool and turned the fountains on last month.  But the cherub was just placed there in the past week or so:

Here is what the cherub sees?

I took many more pics in the garden today.  I will post some of the flowers I captured

Vintage Hammersley china tea cup, gold roses tea cup

I love this tea cup.  I got it, too, for a bargain price.  It has so much gold on it and it is easy to see that it is a quality piece of china.  I love the gold roses.  So much detail and realism to them.  I think it will find a new home with the perfect buyer:

  https://www.etsy.com/listing/110895037/vintage-gold-tea-cup-set-hammersley

Maybe take some pics outside??  Or even try to box up the lamps?

Rare antique Fishel Nessler FN Co jewelry, cobalt blue glass women's buckle

I got so lucky to find this online.  I was searching for some nice jewelry for my shop when I found a bargain piece.  So I checked the rest of that shop and found 4 more things.  This great buckle was one of them.  I didn't know that it was as good a piece as it is when I saw it, but I could see that it was a high quality piece and worth more than the list price.  So I bought it.

Once I got it I saw that it was marked FN Co on the back.  That was not mentioned in the seller's listing.
And it was as great looking as I thought it would be:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/80801382/rare-antique-fn-co-fishel-nessler-brass?ref=shop_home_active

It was a nice, very warm day at work today. I got some things done. Don't think I completed everything though.  I came home to sale of my pair Stiffel brass lamps.  Now I have to get them to the buyer safely.  I think I can do that.  Can I do it for the amount of shipping I put in the listing???  That's the question.

It's a warm evening.  I might try to take some pics outside.  Should use my hands on me too.

It has been an ok day.

Vintage Unicorn incolay stone women's buckle, pink and white

I got this from one of my favorite shops on Etsy.  The shop has low prices and regularly gets some very nice things.  She buys at auction and sells on Etsy.  So she must be getting her things so low at auction, too.  She has to have record sales on Etsy, too.

This was nicer than I thought it was.  I didn't realize it was incolay stone until I got it:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/82038363/vintage-unicorn-belt-buckle-pink-and?ref=shop_home_active

It is pretty popular too.  I will see what happens with it.

Time for work.

wow, views are low this morning

After 356 views from etsy search 2 days ago, this morning I wake up at 5:30 to 47 from Etsy search. Been having in the 70's or 80's by now.

It is a hot day here in Pittsburgh.  I slept outside in the backyard last night.  I liked it.  It was cool and comfortable.  There was a nice breeze   Maybe I will do that tonight, too.

Chem trails over Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Last thursday I went into my backyard about 3:30 pm and there were trails in the sky:

A little to the left of that pic you can see another one just starting in the lower center:

It is a shame.

Yesterdays views

So I ended yesterday with 356 views from Etsy search.  The most since april. Google views were still only 61.  That is disappointing.  Total views were over 1,000 and I did make a sale.  Just have to keep working at it and see what happens and what I can do....

A beautiful Aynsley tea cup, gold and white

I found this on ebay and loved it when I saw it.  I thought the price was very low, too.It is the wide rim athena shape and looks like new.  Even though it was made in the '50's:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/106562756/antique-gold-china-tea-cup-set-vintage?ref=shop_home_active

Now it is off to work!

Old Jewelry, Monet dragonfly brooch, yellow glass

I have this brooch listed in my vintage Etsy shop.  I found it online.  I paid a fair price, but I still believe it is worth more.  I think it is a great piece:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/154104693/old-jewelry-vintage-monet-yellow-glass?ref=shop_home_feat

Today is a warm day.  I wish I could take more pics, but I have alot of orders to pack and ship. I wish I could get some furniture photographed and listed and some of the projects photographed too. I need to get better organized and take advantage of this warm summer weather.  Winter will be here fast and last winter from dec-march there were literally only 3 clear days.

Off to work!

A Virgin Mary coincidence

I was downstairs walking to the kitchen to take some pics when the Marriage Blessing print I had on the floor caught my attention.  So I decided to take it in with me and take pics and list it.

After spending time trying to get the right pics I came back upstairs to a convo by a lady named "Mary Madonna" telling me she included a listing of mine in a treasury......

 
They shouldn't waste their time on me.....

Vintage Baker furniture, a cane bench project

I was on the way to the store when a block from my house I saw this setting on the sidewalk for the next mornings garbage pick-up.  I looked and saw the Baker Furniture plate and got excited.

Then when I brought it home I saw that both of the top side rails are damaged.

I see why it was put out for the trash.  It is very dusty though.  I bet they put it away and planned on repairing it at some point, but never did.  So they finally let go of it (wish I could let go of things so easily lol) and put it out for the garbage.

I see the asking prices for newer Baker benches is very high.  I see them from over $400 to over $1,000. Darn. I wish this weren't broken.

I may try to do something with this.  I may use wood glue, wood screws and support plates and try to sell it like that.  OR....I may still do that, but paint it and then put it in my shop?  I would have full disclosure that it was a repaired piece and I'd show the repairs.

I will think about that......

Vintage Kilncraft coffee mug, Mikhail Gorbachev Westminster College speech, 1992

I found this cool coffee mug at the local Goodwill.  I had gotten in line to checkout when I decided to go to the back of the store and check the other section.  Right next to that section were a couple shelves of things I hadn't seen the first time around.  On the top shelf was this cool mug in a box:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/154744126/vintage-kilncraft-england-coffee-mug?ref=shop_home_active

It was at Westminster College on may 6, 1992 that Mikhail Gorbachev gave the speech in which he effectively ended the Cold War.  The speech The River of Time and the Imperative of Action"

It has been a hot day here in Pittsburgh.  Didn't get much accomplished for my shop.  Did make a good tea cup sale.

Well, back to watching some tv....

It is a beautiful, sunny day here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

It is a clear blue sky with low humidity and nice, warm temps.  I wanted to go out and capture how nice it was today in the park down the street from my house, West Park.  From there it has one of the best views in the city.

I went down by lake Elizabeth and on my first pic I had a couple visitors....ducks have been at the lake this year and people feed them. So they thought I had food:

I took some more from the same side of the lake showing the skyline and the clear blue sky:

I sat on the edge of the lake and try to capture a few pics:

I turned to my left:

Then back toward the skyline:

I walked over to the right side of the lake and sat in the grass to catch some pics of the ducks lounging with the bridge and skylilne behind them:

Then I started walking around the right side of the lake

I turned and took a pic of where I started:

 Here is a pic from the opposite end of Lake Elizabeth from where I started:

And walking up the other side:

On the walk back home I stopped at the George Washington statute in the park at the bottom of my street, Sherman Avenue in the Mexican War Sts:

I took some pics of the street sign at the bottom of Sherman even though the tree behind it does not look good.  I wish it would grow leaves so I can take another pic for my shop.

Now, I have to pack some orders.  I should try to get the tea cups shipped.

It is a nice, sunny evening.  I will end up just watching tv.