Holiday Extravaganza Continues

It is now Sunday evening, I started this week's blog later than usual because I decided to post some "new" items to the online store first. In preparation for the Holiday Extravaganza, I decided to present the collection of vintage Native American jewelry for the first time but that meant having to price everything! I got to about 90% of it which is pretty good. I still have three lots here at home so I added the remaining items for the lot originally posted September 26 to the online store, eBay and Etsy today. This was a really cool lot featuring Royston turquoise and many of the items did sell but there are awesome items remaining. I made a photo collage:

All of these items now are in the Shopify store, click on the photo to access the collections page. They are located in the New and Vintage Native American Jewelry collections.

I did not post a "new" lot of jewelry last Sunday, instead I decided to make mini collections of the new Native American jewelry and make quick postings without the individual item photos and descriptions. I believe I posted four lots total. I did sell four items so overall it was worth the time.

We have decided to extend our Holiday Extravaganza sale in Glenview to Monday. Most items from the household and many of the consignment items will be 75% off. The jewelry from the caravan and our clothing, shoes, purses and accessories will be 50% off. Insider tip - we probably will continue to Tuesday as well. Mother had decided to sell her Franciscan fine china and Waterford Crystal from the '60s at the sale. Today the set of wine goblets sold and we have an offer on the champagne flutes that my parents used as water goblets. The main photo is of my grandma's holiday china from Bavaria and punch bowl set and tumblers in cranberry glass. I am sure most people have a similar story but I am sentimental about these pieces. My grandma brought them out every Christmas and they were always in her china cabinet. Our lifestyle is totally different so it is time for them to go to a new home. I hope we can find that new home tomorrow. If not we will pack them up and try again at our holiday pop-up sale next year.

It is hard to believe but this coming week will be our last sale weekend of 2021. We will have our best year in history thanks to more blockbuster sales than ever. I am looking forward to the upcoming sale break - the only two weeks of the year when we do not conduct sales. Because of the paperwork schedule, I continue to work every day but things will be way more peaceful. Then the paperwork break will come in January.

Right now we have a sale scheduled in Park Ridge the weekend of January 20 and plan to hold our second sale in Palatine the weekend of January 6. It will depend upon how things go at our second sale in McHenry next week but we probably will have a final blowout sale there as well as in Crystal Lake.

Friday was the day for the folks who purchased the kitchen in Scottsdale to remove everything. They are a very nice young couple from the Tuscon area, so it is a two hour drive each way. I thought they were going to do the job over a period of two days but the next morning I found out they pushed through and were there until 3:00 AM. The home has been vacant (therefore totally silent) for eight months but the "lovely" people who called the police about Vivi last winter because she barked at the couple who picked up IKEA bookshelves must have been the same who called the police again about the kitchen removal. I sure would like to know who it is so I could give them a piece of my mind. Although it is probably better if I do not know, it makes me wary of everyone I come across in the neighborhood. Our new caretaker Deb has been so helpful, she hooked the kitchen people up with the neighborhood handyman and although it was a difficult job, things did go smoothly.

Yesterday Mother and I went to Abt to look at potential kitchen appliances for Scottsdale. The construction cannot begin with the official model numbers and specs for the appliances. It was my first outing with Mother in the wheelchair. Abt is just too large for her to walk without the oxygen machine. We went upstairs for the first time to look at the kitchen showrooms and all I can say is wow! They literally must cost hundreds of thousands of dollars but boy are they are beautiful. It was a long walk because we could not take the escalator but it was worth it. I got a good arm workout too!

I figured Abt must help many snowbirds from the Chicago area and beyond. They do but they cannot give any special discounts because of the added shipping cost which they pay. We need a very specific range, it has to be 36" and electric. No gas at the Scottsdale house! Abt only has one range which fits the bill, a regular stainless steel model by Bertazzoni. We were going to select KitchenAid for the remaining appliances but looking online the sales rep and I found there was a Bertazzoni deal - buy the range and get the range hood for free and buy a refrigerator and get the dishwasher for 50% off. This was a way better deal than what KitchenAid was offering and I could not get their range. The color was not my choice, I would have preferred black stainless steel but I am sure they will look great. I have to keep telling myself light and bright works way better there. Luckily I only have to make a 10% deposit now and everything will ship once it all comes into stock. A couple of pieces have an unknown arrival date. The sales rep said I was very smart to plan this way in advance, he said so many people come in and say they need the appliances in a week or two. Sounds like some of the calls we get about estate sales! Technically we will not need the appliances until we go back next winter so I am not worried.

Tonight is the Bears-Packers game so I am going to take a break and watch. Here is hoping they do not get to badly beaten. See you next time!