We Don't Sell Food or Toilet Paper

My sales at the April occasional sale in Buffalo continued to be spotty. Some furniture seems to be selling, the number of shoppers has increased substantially and interest has heated up from the depths of winter. My sales were higher in volume but capped by an $89 upholstered chair. I sold a ton of smalls. $15-20 frames and paintings sold out. But my $395 brass bed bench generated little interest. It appears that the customers wanted to buy, but were limiting their purchases to my cheaper items.

I have never really understood the antiques business. The one thing that I have learned is that as soon as I think I have it worked out, I am wrong. Then there is the undeniable truth that we don't sell necessities. There is no food or toilet paper for sale in the shop. There is an inverse relationship between gasoline prices and sales. The more gasoline costs the less discretionary money there is for my shabotaged pieces.

I am going to gut my spot at the Porch before the May occasional sale. I need to shake it up completely. I will add many more smalls. Smaller tables, cheaper furniture and many more frames, prints and paintings. I want to have a more Spring look. More things for the garden. More color. And I do have the turquoise, teal and aqua memo in hand for the shabotaging. Maybe some nice weather will permit me to rework my inventory and freshen my look.

And I am very happy that I have a real job to support this habit.

Mr. Flannery

Streamline Moderne

I like the post-Art Deco, Streamline Moderne style. I love the 1936 Chrysler Airflow, the streamline Zephyr of the Burlington Route and the murals of Diego Rivera at Ford Motors. I have a couple of 1950's spaceship modern lights that are superb. I guess that I can work with Urban Chic but I will define it my way. It will be warehouse loft meets Ralph Lauren with a touch of Arts & Crafts. Not much urban about that definition. I will just stay bewildered by what is going to sell and what is a workable style.

I live out in the country. I have been looking for a rural loft space. Problem is that there just isn't much need for a loft building in the rural area. Restyling a barn would be interesting but most are still connected to a working farm or are too decrepit to refurbish. Maybe I will find a way to build a new place that resembles this old stable that was associated with a mansion on Lake Minnetonka.

Not very urban and not very chic. But the interior can be barn and industrial and open and cozy all at the same time. I've got it! I need to pull a sleek Airstream trailer into a nice barn. The best of both worlds.

Mr. Flannery