New stuff to the store

Here are some new things that I just placed in the store this week.

A trio of cool lucite nesting
tables

A pair of uber-cool side tables
very reminiscent of Pierre Jeanneret

A really nice mid-cent. desk
great from the backside (would show a pic. but still figuring out the exposures on my camera)

And whole lotta lighting:

Well maybe not a whole lot
but some are new. I have so many new lamps I want to bring in but won't until I sell some that I've had for awhile. Anyway I will be in the shop for awhile today. Somebody come down and visit.

Feeling Blue and Broke

I don't want to be Debbie Downer; but damn it was a crappy day at the center. In fighting

 between dealers (definately not me) can be a real bitch to be around. NO customers, except the usuals who just come to browse and too much inventory with more coming in can completely drain one's enthusiasm for this biz. I will say this..... owning a shop ain't for p*&sies. It's hard cause you put money into stuff and a lot of times you just don't get it out. Good month, bad month and you just keep going in circles. Sometimes other dealers recount

 the good ole' days when they were making money hand over foot. To this I say,  "huh?" There were days like that? Never experienced them. I mean, I think I started right when the economy started to really TANK.

 This economy shit SUCKS! But hey when I look at a chair

 that I've had for ages I have to remember what many dealers know,

 "There's an ass for every seat." So for me, I need some asses to come in and SIT DOWN.

The Intro.........

This is my second blog post ever. I have been reading blogs for awhile now, and I realized that I had to get in on the mix, so here I am. A coupla things about me. I am a mother of three great kids, one going off to college next year, and have a been happily married for almost 20 years. My husband realized pretty early on that I have always had a tendency to buy direlect pieces of furniture and try to rehabilitate them. It wasn't until...

the garage was overflowing that he said enough!!! and subsequently persuaded me to open a small space at the Pasadena Antique Center.

 Not to be longwinded but over the last two years I have opened more spaces there and finally settled on a very large space upstairs. You know I hear that is has a reputation for being

 old ladyish, you know doilies,

 dark and just old fashiony

  and I am here to say....

It isn't.. it really isn't,there are so many dealers with so much cool stuff. It really helps if you know what kind of look you want to achieve.Because just like choosing paint, all of it can be totally overwhelming.

What I will tell you what it really is (in my opinion), is a bunch of adults in close proximity on a regular basis, and each one of us has our idiosyncrasies(spell-check)  so yeah.......its a big dysfunctional family but a family nonetheless. So if you are rude or ask for discounts that are totally ridiculous( ex:  one guy who comes in and always expects to get a 65% discount) you will get talked about...for real. I also hate playing this game with pricing like if I asked a totally reasonable price people still want a hefty discount so you always have to price up for the discount for which they are inevitably going to ask for. Shit when I first started going there who knew to ask for a discount?  I mean people who are not designers are asking for like BIG discounts,  if people really knew what it takes.....ugh they would STILL ask for a discount. I know there have been times when dealers have not always been on their best behaviour as well, and since I can't speak for them, I will speak for me. I try to do the best I can.....really...but sometimes its hard. I will expound on that subject on other posts..... cause I got some stories.......................

So on Memorial Day after selling uno pillow, my husband said let's go to Silverlake and look around. Of course I thought what a great idea.. Let's go down to Vivier and Bentley,

the uber cool store with uber cool bags.  He had no idea what the hell I was talking about... but yo I did..... all dem bags, with all dem colors. You know I luv to collect stuff .....but I give the guy a break and buy just one.

 One awesome green clutch.

BTW Claire is really nice, mellow, and sweet. I asked if business was good around the area, but you know shit like that is all relative, besides her bags are kinda becoming like a cultish cool status symbol, (I am so not cool)  I really can't compare selling great handbags (at a great price too) with reworked vintage furniture but hell my husband didn't realize that. Honey I was on a convert mission, taking no prisoners.  Looking for a new space was a terrific excuse to buy a kick-ass clutch...by the way...