Having worked for and with my mom when we had an antique shop many years ago, old 'stuff' was all I knew in the way of house furnishings. Mom loved primitives...the older the piece the more she desired them. Old beat up boxes, crock jugs and old oak furniture that had to be stripped, glued back together and refinished or left in its antique state to add to her collection, Mom loved old!
By default almost, I fell into the same trap and in early years, collected the 'seconds'...things that were too junky for Mom to want, old jugs with LOTS of hairlines, chips and cracks, graniteware that was rusted through and chipped....I just didn't have the money to invest in 'good' pieces like Mom did.
As the years passed and finances changed, I began seriously collecting and my home began resembling Moms home...very nice 100+ yr old primitive style antiques, I never got into the more fancier antiques except I did have a pink glass/pottery collection that since has gone to auction.
A BIG move was in my future, a 1300 mile move, and I found myself giving up most of my antiques, leaving family and friends to make this move happen. For eleven years I lived with new furnishings, not even unpacking the few antiques I couldn't part with when leaving.
And then I found out about ETSY :) My daughter was buying baby clothes from shops on here and I was curious. What IS this Etsy? Do they have anything I'd like? And so I explored and something deep down in me caught fire...maybe I could have a shop...maybe? Would it be hard, I've been out of the work force quite a while, not dealt with selling for many years, etc....I had fears and questions.
The questions were pretty much answered by reading the Etsy site's thorough information provided for new shop owners, the fears...well, I'm here, I'm selling, and have learned so much! Truly, Etsy isn't just about selling, it's the fun, unique and interesting relationships made during sales and with other shop owners, it's the thrill of the hunt for fun items to offer those who 'find' us here, it's in running into the exact same item we'd had as a child...an old cereal bowl, a handmade potholder, maybe a bed sheet that was exactly like the ones Mom had...that's Etsy! It's all of this and much, much more!
I'd encourage anyone who has the desire to have a shop here to give yourself the gift of that shop! Take the plunge, dive in and enjoy making your dream come true.
"Delight yourself also in the LORD: and he shall give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4
Our new shop is dedicated to my precious friend Sandra Dainty who recently passed away. You can visit this shop which specializes in vintage scarves (something Sandra loved!) at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DaintyDishyAndDivine Thanks!