13 years of Accumulation Means March Madness

In July, i will have been "officially" selling on line 13 years. It was a complete accident in 1998, but i fell i love with it. Completely. All aspects of it. I loved learning the computer, and HTML since you couldn't even post pictures back then. I loved the emails, the packing and socializing with the post office ladies during shipping.

Most of all, i enjoyed my customers. Back then, each one became a pen pal and a friend. Christmas cards were exchanged, family pictures, and even precious gifts. I still have every single present, all of the cards and even some of the emails. They all are so special!




I started selling my kids clothing they outgrew. ebay was fun, and i could "recover" more of the initial investment of some pricier things than i could having a garage sale.

A life long passion for antiques prompted me to progress to a second ebay account ~ "chochkeys" the phonetic spelling of Tchotchke, which is polish for knick knacks. No. I'm not polish, just love the word! lol.

At the same time, i had spaces at local antique malls, selling the chochkeys ~ pottery, glassware, collectibles as well as vintage clothing.

Falling into vintage lingerie, i knew i had discovered my passion. Of course i love a cute 50s skirt, love the dresses of the 30s and 40s, wild about vintage shoes and everything else. But my passion is vintage lingerie.






So the years went by. Ebay began their quest of the most ridiculous rules, and sanctions, forced paypal, prohibited checks and imposed just too much on us little guys. Customers were no longer friendly, instead each order I shipped in fear, despite tons of pictures and honest, accurate descriptions. Was I shipping to an HONEST customer, or one that ebay had taught to be dishonest and cheat the seller. enabling them to keep the item and the money via deceit? ( NO.. i know not ALL ebay customers are dishonest!! please don't take that statement the wrong way.)

The fun was gone. So i moved on. Opened a shop on RubyLane in 2005. As Rubylane doesn't allow swimsuits, panties, or vintage clothing without labels, i opened another site on ecrater.






Then along came etsy! Wow! A fun, hip site. Sadly, within the last year they too are changing. They are becoming too social. They have circles and hearts and all kinds of silly things. If i want social, i can go to their forums or just play on facebook with my friends. I don't need etsy for that, and most recently making personal information public. buh-bye etsy!.

And we can't neglect the "shipping factor" ~ as much as i love the pottery, i am embarrassed to even charge my customers actual shipping costs, even though i don't dictate it ~ the post office does. Sadly, i have a garage stacked to the ceiling with items from the antique malls, all moved back home. Cost prohibitive shipping items.





Then there are the personal issues in my life. A daughter out of state who already has grabbed everything she liked, from pickle dishes to purses. My son passed away recently, so things i were saving for him i will pack and save for his son, but i definitely have a new perspective to life and accumulations.

So, i have made an "executive decision" to downsize and follow my passion. I'm going to clear out anything not nylon. And I'm following my own advice i've given to my children for years ~ do what you love, and i love selling lingerie.



Daily, I am going to post specials on Facebook. you must "like" me on facebook to be eligible for my "crazy lady" prices. I'll do everything from a 50s Roy Rogers ring, to Dick Clark American Bandstand cards, pottery, majolica, early American press glass and of course non lingerie clothing.

I promise the prices will be insane. They will even be below my original cost. The garage is too full, i have taken over my children's two story playhouse as well as a section of my dining room and my office. It has to go, i must simplify my life, focus on my passion, and you my dear friends can benefit. If you don't need it, perhaps a friend will, or you can stick it on a gift shelf for a housewarming or a wedding present for someone else.

I used to tease my children that they were going to have to "earn their inheritance" by having to sell everything.. and i just can't be that mean. Hopefully, when the time comes, all they'll have to deal with is totes of lingerie. So.. the rest of it all has to go!!

So ~ "like" me on Facebook, and stay tuned for daily (or more) wild sales!

VintagePretties on Facebook