So, I will admit that I have been away from this for a bit, and I can explain. This is done solely as a hobby for me, and I tend to get bored with things that are too time consuming. I want to blame it on the man inside of me, but who knows. I sit and work on blog posts for hours, and it is disheartening to see that the main views I get are from scanners/spammers from Russia. Then again, who knows! They may just really like my antique finds. Anyway, I feel that it is time to leave the blog.
I plan to maintain the Facebook account. If you have followed us on Facebook, you probably noticed that our photos are the same from the blog. The goal is to keep our Facebook page light and breezy. We want to share the locations and finds with you, but I don't want to build in too much of a personal opinion. The only issue will be when a store does not have an online presence... but that's out of our control. We will do what we can do, and that's all we... can do?
I also plan to maintain the Yelp account. If you want to know my true feelings about a location, Yelp does it. However, I must leave this disclaimer about Yelp. If you own a shop or know someone who owns a shop, don't read my reviews and get your feelings hurt. It isn't worth it. If I say something bad about your favorite shop, do your own review. Don't try to cause a fight with me because you won't get it. I will laugh, show your ignorance to friends, and move on. If you get to me too deeply, you will get a strongly worded e-mail. As I said before, I do this as a hobby. I am not making money from this in any fashion or form. I find antique stores by going out and looking for them, so I am not endorsed by anyone. (However, I might think about it if you want to help fuel my antique obsession...) I understand that opinions differ on places. There are places that I absolutely hate, but my parents and the wife love them. I try to include the wife's opinions in some of the reviews, but they are all coming from me as a person. We do not own a shop or sell antiques, so we are not competition to any of these places. So... If I talk trash on your place, have your loyal customers talk it up (not talk trash on me)!!
School is starting up again next month, so most of my time will be shot with studying. In fact, most of my summer has been shot with studying as well. However, we will still be looking for awesome stores to visit, and we will probably be spending money even though we told ourselves we needed to save more. I will try to convince the wife to help me get some awesome photographs of some of our new finds. Since the last post, I have been all over Iowa and Nebraska. Also, we went to another craft/antique festival. We have stuff to share, we are just lacking the time to share it. We will get there eventually.... I think.
As always, Happy Hunting, and please keep up with us.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
eBay: To Bid or Not To Bid
Everyone should know what eBay is unless you have been living under a rock. If you have been living under a rock, welcome to the new age of shopping.
So, if you have read many of the posts on here, you will have seen the trend of things I collect. I am huge on promotional glasses. Why? I'm not sure. I think they are neat, and it is something of the past that most companies are not using today. I decided I was going to start collecting the Super Series glasses from Pepsi last year. My parents started me off by buying me several for my last birthday. While they were looking for them, they found the entire set of the Superman movie glasses from 1978. Well, that started an interest. That's why most of the posts show at least one glass.
What does this have to do with eBay? I use eBay for various things, and I feel that eBay is a great source for a lot information and opportunity to a collector. However, I feel that most people, who do not use technology often, can be ignorant about some of the risks of eBay, especially when it comes to antiques.
Know Your Product - When you are looking for antiques on eBay, know what you are looking for. There is nothing wrong with going out and browsing. I like to cruise through eBay to see what I can find. That's normal and sometimes interesting. But, when it comes to making the purchase, know what you are looking for and what you are attempting to purchase. Do a little research, so you aren't buying something you aren't expecting. For instance, with the glasses, there are a lot of reproductions out there. You can go to department stores and find superhero glasses that closely resemble the glasses from the 1970s. However, you could spend a higher amount on a 1970s glass reproduction that could have picked up at the local store for $10.
Read The Description - The description is the best way for the seller to give the buyers an idea of what is actually being sold. I remember when the XBox gaming console first came out, and there were people selling cardboard boxes cut into the shape of a X and various other scams. However, the description said exactly what it was. Make sure you read the description. I have also seen people have a picture of a complete set of something and state in the description that only one of the items pictured is for sale. It is lazy way of doing things, but you need to protect yourself against such things with all of the resources provided.
Pictures, Pictures, Pictures - The best thing about antique stores is you get to touch the merchandise. If you are shopping for glass, you can look it over for chips, cracks, or flaws. On eBay, you don't have that option. You have to rely on what the seller gives you. Some of the sellers are great sellers and honest. Others are not that great. I tend to lean towards a seller which shows several photos of the item they are trying to sell. The more photos, the better. Sometimes, a photo might unintentionally reveal something that the seller isn't mentioning. But watch for fake photos. Once, I saw an auction for Happy Birthday, Mickey glasses, and the photo showed the Pepsi logo. The issue was that the logo had Warner Brothers 1973 above it. Disney has never, and probably will never, be owned by Warner Brothers. Also, Happy Birthday, Mickey was released in 1977 and 1978. If you ever notice anything like this, walk away. It might be a good deal, but you are going into some potentially troublesome waters.
Ask - eBay gives the option to ask the seller questions about the product. Granted, nothing says that the seller will be honest with you. Usually though... you will be getting pretty straight answers. This will allow you to make sense of some of the photos. Most of the sellers, especially the ones with high ratings, are going to be honest and nice like a vendor at a store. Most of them operate as a business, so they treat you like a customer.
Shipping - Watch your shipping. You might be getting something for a dollar and paying $11 for shipping. Some sellers are notorious for supplementing their winnings by adding outrageous shipping prices since it is not commissioned to eBay for the sale.
Not everything about eBay is bad. There are a lot of good things that come from eBay.
Price Checking - Everyone has a smartphone now, and the internet is accessible almost everywhere we go. So, say you see something at your local junk store, and you have no idea what price is a decent price. What do you do? You could get a buyer's guide and attempt to find it (usually not a good method since buyer guides only list certain things and don't account for fluctuation in pricing). Or, you could search for it on eBay. Since there are people all over the world using the site, you are bound to find the item or something similar. eBay pricing is usually pretty accurate when it is the bidders who are determining the price. If it is a Buy Now option, it is what the seller is thinking it is worth (which puts you back where you started in the first place). A Buy Now option is not accurate pricing!
Hard to Find Items - eBay also allows a collector to find things that are not common in his/her area. For instance, I was looking for some glasses that were put out by 7-Eleven. In Kansas City, 7-Elevens are few and far between. I have only seen one in my life, and my parents claim they were around more in the '70s. However, they were offering Marvel glasses in the '70s, and I had never seen one in person. Through eBay, I was able to find the complete set.
Discover New Items - This ties into the previous point. While you are looking for your item on eBay, you might discover something you never knew existed. When I was looking for the Super Series glasses, I found a Supergirl glass that I wanted. I noticed that she was being sold with two other glasses. The glasses looked like ones I already had, but I noticed that the bottoms were rounded. After some research, I learned that the set was released at the exact same time and the round-bottom glasses tended to be rarer than the set I had been collecting. Without the search, I would have never known the glasses existed.
Bargain Central - Another great deal about eBay is the pricing. Most sellers start low and hope to sell high, but some of the auctions don't ever get to the high side. This makes it a buyer's heaven since the buyer will be able to get some great stuff at really cheap prices. If eBay is over saturated with an item, it is likely that people will overlook stuff. Also, are you looking for a seasonal item? Search for it off season. You would be surprised how expensive Christmas items get during Christmas but can be picked up in auctions during non-Christmas seasons for dirt-cheap prices. I have benefited from this bargain central several time. I bought a near-complete set of Happy Birthday, Mickey glasses for the price of one glass.
There are a lot of pros and cons about online auctions. Everyone has their own personal views on them as well. So, if you are nervous about it or new to it, test the waters. Don't dive in, and spend a lot of money the first time. I'm always skeptical about new things, so I started off small. Also, even though I have the world's variety at my fingertips, it is hard to beat a good antique store. Antique hunting is about discovery, and it is easier to get excited about something you found in a store than something you found while casually browsing the internet. However, there are treasures to be found online as well.
Until next time... Happy Hunting!
So, if you have read many of the posts on here, you will have seen the trend of things I collect. I am huge on promotional glasses. Why? I'm not sure. I think they are neat, and it is something of the past that most companies are not using today. I decided I was going to start collecting the Super Series glasses from Pepsi last year. My parents started me off by buying me several for my last birthday. While they were looking for them, they found the entire set of the Superman movie glasses from 1978. Well, that started an interest. That's why most of the posts show at least one glass.
What does this have to do with eBay? I use eBay for various things, and I feel that eBay is a great source for a lot information and opportunity to a collector. However, I feel that most people, who do not use technology often, can be ignorant about some of the risks of eBay, especially when it comes to antiques.
Know Your Product - When you are looking for antiques on eBay, know what you are looking for. There is nothing wrong with going out and browsing. I like to cruise through eBay to see what I can find. That's normal and sometimes interesting. But, when it comes to making the purchase, know what you are looking for and what you are attempting to purchase. Do a little research, so you aren't buying something you aren't expecting. For instance, with the glasses, there are a lot of reproductions out there. You can go to department stores and find superhero glasses that closely resemble the glasses from the 1970s. However, you could spend a higher amount on a 1970s glass reproduction that could have picked up at the local store for $10.
Read The Description - The description is the best way for the seller to give the buyers an idea of what is actually being sold. I remember when the XBox gaming console first came out, and there were people selling cardboard boxes cut into the shape of a X and various other scams. However, the description said exactly what it was. Make sure you read the description. I have also seen people have a picture of a complete set of something and state in the description that only one of the items pictured is for sale. It is lazy way of doing things, but you need to protect yourself against such things with all of the resources provided.
Pictures, Pictures, Pictures - The best thing about antique stores is you get to touch the merchandise. If you are shopping for glass, you can look it over for chips, cracks, or flaws. On eBay, you don't have that option. You have to rely on what the seller gives you. Some of the sellers are great sellers and honest. Others are not that great. I tend to lean towards a seller which shows several photos of the item they are trying to sell. The more photos, the better. Sometimes, a photo might unintentionally reveal something that the seller isn't mentioning. But watch for fake photos. Once, I saw an auction for Happy Birthday, Mickey glasses, and the photo showed the Pepsi logo. The issue was that the logo had Warner Brothers 1973 above it. Disney has never, and probably will never, be owned by Warner Brothers. Also, Happy Birthday, Mickey was released in 1977 and 1978. If you ever notice anything like this, walk away. It might be a good deal, but you are going into some potentially troublesome waters.
Ask - eBay gives the option to ask the seller questions about the product. Granted, nothing says that the seller will be honest with you. Usually though... you will be getting pretty straight answers. This will allow you to make sense of some of the photos. Most of the sellers, especially the ones with high ratings, are going to be honest and nice like a vendor at a store. Most of them operate as a business, so they treat you like a customer.
Shipping - Watch your shipping. You might be getting something for a dollar and paying $11 for shipping. Some sellers are notorious for supplementing their winnings by adding outrageous shipping prices since it is not commissioned to eBay for the sale.
Not everything about eBay is bad. There are a lot of good things that come from eBay.
Price Checking - Everyone has a smartphone now, and the internet is accessible almost everywhere we go. So, say you see something at your local junk store, and you have no idea what price is a decent price. What do you do? You could get a buyer's guide and attempt to find it (usually not a good method since buyer guides only list certain things and don't account for fluctuation in pricing). Or, you could search for it on eBay. Since there are people all over the world using the site, you are bound to find the item or something similar. eBay pricing is usually pretty accurate when it is the bidders who are determining the price. If it is a Buy Now option, it is what the seller is thinking it is worth (which puts you back where you started in the first place). A Buy Now option is not accurate pricing!
Hard to Find Items - eBay also allows a collector to find things that are not common in his/her area. For instance, I was looking for some glasses that were put out by 7-Eleven. In Kansas City, 7-Elevens are few and far between. I have only seen one in my life, and my parents claim they were around more in the '70s. However, they were offering Marvel glasses in the '70s, and I had never seen one in person. Through eBay, I was able to find the complete set.
Discover New Items - This ties into the previous point. While you are looking for your item on eBay, you might discover something you never knew existed. When I was looking for the Super Series glasses, I found a Supergirl glass that I wanted. I noticed that she was being sold with two other glasses. The glasses looked like ones I already had, but I noticed that the bottoms were rounded. After some research, I learned that the set was released at the exact same time and the round-bottom glasses tended to be rarer than the set I had been collecting. Without the search, I would have never known the glasses existed.
Bargain Central - Another great deal about eBay is the pricing. Most sellers start low and hope to sell high, but some of the auctions don't ever get to the high side. This makes it a buyer's heaven since the buyer will be able to get some great stuff at really cheap prices. If eBay is over saturated with an item, it is likely that people will overlook stuff. Also, are you looking for a seasonal item? Search for it off season. You would be surprised how expensive Christmas items get during Christmas but can be picked up in auctions during non-Christmas seasons for dirt-cheap prices. I have benefited from this bargain central several time. I bought a near-complete set of Happy Birthday, Mickey glasses for the price of one glass.
There are a lot of pros and cons about online auctions. Everyone has their own personal views on them as well. So, if you are nervous about it or new to it, test the waters. Don't dive in, and spend a lot of money the first time. I'm always skeptical about new things, so I started off small. Also, even though I have the world's variety at my fingertips, it is hard to beat a good antique store. Antique hunting is about discovery, and it is easier to get excited about something you found in a store than something you found while casually browsing the internet. However, there are treasures to be found online as well.
Until next time... Happy Hunting!
Labels:
eBay
Thursday, June 13, 2013
2013 Anniversary Antiques: Day 3 (Final Day)
The final day was spent in Topeka. We had a few stores on our list, and there were a few we wanted to go to but couldn't since they were closed on Mondays.
The first place we stopped was Brickhouse Antiques. This is a brick house, and I expected it to be a small place. Nope! They utilized the area well, and there is a lot of great stuff. There are a couple of rooms for the guys and a "back yard" with some outdoor items. We got there earlier than opening time, and they opened 10 minutes early for us. We definitely found some stuff to purchase, which was not hard with the prices being super cheap!
The wife bought a Walt Disney tray.
I bought some cups which are similar to the cups my family used when I was growing up. Cold liquid in these cups on a hot day.... it is hard to beat!
We then headed down the road and found Washburn View Antique Mall. This mall is in the lower level of a building, so it could easily be missed. Honestly, I expected it to be a really small place, but that expectation was destroyed. It isn't a huge place but it is good size. Another place with a lot of stuff to look at. The prices are up and down, but there are some bargains to be found.
We bought a pot to place by the well for when we finally buy our country home.
The wife bought two handkerchiefs.
I bought a Peanuts lunchbox with the thermos.
I bought a record set called Mood Music for Dining. I am a sucker for Reader's Digest compilation records because they always have an interesting selection (not to mention they usually have at least 40 tracks). This is ten records in one set.
Next, we went to Wheatland Antique Mall. This is a smaller store, and the selection did not seem great. However, they do have several cases with small items. There are several knives, belt buckles, and jewelry booths to look through. We did not find anything this time around.
We decided to go to Lawrence. We had been there before, but it had been during our first year of marriage.
The first stop in Lawrence was Kief's Downtown Music. The original plan was to wait to include Kief's in an entire post about record stores, but I read that they were working on liquidating their stock of music. That's very sad for me since I have spent many hours (and dollars) in that store. They currently have records for as low as $.91. Here are some of the records I purchased.
Lawrence Antique Mall was the final stop on our trip. The store has two levels. There is an upstairs (making a third level) called Fun and Games or something along those lines. I have not been up there in a long time, so I really don't remember what is up there. I do not think it is antique stuff though. There are some very interesting items at this store. There are booths with vintage clothing and some with Beanie Babies locked up tight.
The first place we stopped was Brickhouse Antiques. This is a brick house, and I expected it to be a small place. Nope! They utilized the area well, and there is a lot of great stuff. There are a couple of rooms for the guys and a "back yard" with some outdoor items. We got there earlier than opening time, and they opened 10 minutes early for us. We definitely found some stuff to purchase, which was not hard with the prices being super cheap!
The wife bought a Walt Disney tray.
I bought some cups which are similar to the cups my family used when I was growing up. Cold liquid in these cups on a hot day.... it is hard to beat!
We then headed down the road and found Washburn View Antique Mall. This mall is in the lower level of a building, so it could easily be missed. Honestly, I expected it to be a really small place, but that expectation was destroyed. It isn't a huge place but it is good size. Another place with a lot of stuff to look at. The prices are up and down, but there are some bargains to be found.
We bought a pot to place by the well for when we finally buy our country home.
The wife bought two handkerchiefs.
I bought a Peanuts lunchbox with the thermos.
I bought a record set called Mood Music for Dining. I am a sucker for Reader's Digest compilation records because they always have an interesting selection (not to mention they usually have at least 40 tracks). This is ten records in one set.
Next, we went to Wheatland Antique Mall. This is a smaller store, and the selection did not seem great. However, they do have several cases with small items. There are several knives, belt buckles, and jewelry booths to look through. We did not find anything this time around.
We decided to go to Lawrence. We had been there before, but it had been during our first year of marriage.
The first stop in Lawrence was Kief's Downtown Music. The original plan was to wait to include Kief's in an entire post about record stores, but I read that they were working on liquidating their stock of music. That's very sad for me since I have spent many hours (and dollars) in that store. They currently have records for as low as $.91. Here are some of the records I purchased.
Lawrence Antique Mall was the final stop on our trip. The store has two levels. There is an upstairs (making a third level) called Fun and Games or something along those lines. I have not been up there in a long time, so I really don't remember what is up there. I do not think it is antique stuff though. There are some very interesting items at this store. There are booths with vintage clothing and some with Beanie Babies locked up tight.
With that, our anniversary trip was completed. We headed home and tried to get back into the swing of things.
Until next time... Happy Hunting!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
2013 Anniversary Antiques: Day 2
Without thinking about it too hard, I assumed that it was Saturday. Therefore, all of the shops would be opening at 10:00am, and our plan would be running full steam ahead bright and early. I'm an idiot, and it was actually Sunday. Therefore, the shops didn't open until 12:00pm. What to do, what to do!
So, the first thing on the list was to find some breakfast. We found a diner through Yelp called Jimmie's Diner. Now, I don't usually do this since the blog is all about antiques, but hear me out on this one. Jimmie's Diner has a theme of the old diners. Therefore, it is kind of like an antique. The lady who served us had on a poodle skirt and a name tag for "Suzie Q". Oh yes, we were in deep. The food was pretty good, and the service was quick.
We then managed to kill more time until Paramount Antique Mall opened. This is the original one, but it is affiliated with Paramount East Antique Mall, which we visited the day before. The sign outside the door stated "Voted Best Antique Mall in Mid-America." I'm not sure who voted and what other stores were in the voting pool, but the store did not really let us down. We were some of the first people in the store, and the store quickly filled up with customers. The layout is a little whacky, but I think we managed to look at everything. The store has a lower level (three or four steps) to the right of the entrance. There is also a separate room off of the far right of the building. The store had a little bit of everything. In fact, there were some booths that seemed too knick-knacky for the location, but it all had its niche in the store.
The wife found a lemon juicer for cheap, and she wanted one to start making homemade lemonade.
She also found a stool which she tried to talk herself out of getting.
She also found a set of pots for our flowers.
And this scarf/bow... which her crafty mind has a plan for but it is over my head to understand. I just smile and nod.
I found the complete series of MLB star glasses, including George Brett.
And, I found a The Legend of the Lone Ranger lunchbox with the thermos.
We then went to Flying Moose Antique Mall. They have some items outside the store, and the wife would have taken some of it home if we had room in the car. The store feels bigger than it looks, and there are some really fun booths. We looked, and I drooled over some items that I could not afford. There is one booth that I would have purchased everything if I could afford it. The only thing we walked out of there with was another bucket that the wife purchased to use as a flower pot.
So, the first thing on the list was to find some breakfast. We found a diner through Yelp called Jimmie's Diner. Now, I don't usually do this since the blog is all about antiques, but hear me out on this one. Jimmie's Diner has a theme of the old diners. Therefore, it is kind of like an antique. The lady who served us had on a poodle skirt and a name tag for "Suzie Q". Oh yes, we were in deep. The food was pretty good, and the service was quick.
We then managed to kill more time until Paramount Antique Mall opened. This is the original one, but it is affiliated with Paramount East Antique Mall, which we visited the day before. The sign outside the door stated "Voted Best Antique Mall in Mid-America." I'm not sure who voted and what other stores were in the voting pool, but the store did not really let us down. We were some of the first people in the store, and the store quickly filled up with customers. The layout is a little whacky, but I think we managed to look at everything. The store has a lower level (three or four steps) to the right of the entrance. There is also a separate room off of the far right of the building. The store had a little bit of everything. In fact, there were some booths that seemed too knick-knacky for the location, but it all had its niche in the store.
The wife found a lemon juicer for cheap, and she wanted one to start making homemade lemonade.
She also found a stool which she tried to talk herself out of getting.
She also found a set of pots for our flowers.
And this scarf/bow... which her crafty mind has a plan for but it is over my head to understand. I just smile and nod.
I found the complete series of MLB star glasses, including George Brett.
And, I found a The Legend of the Lone Ranger lunchbox with the thermos.
We then went to Flying Moose Antique Mall. They have some items outside the store, and the wife would have taken some of it home if we had room in the car. The store feels bigger than it looks, and there are some really fun booths. We looked, and I drooled over some items that I could not afford. There is one booth that I would have purchased everything if I could afford it. The only thing we walked out of there with was another bucket that the wife purchased to use as a flower pot.
Since we got a late start and both antique stores were large, our day was shot. So, we headed towards Topeka to finish off our trip.
2013 Anniversary Antiques: Day 1
The wife and I shared our third anniversary together over the weekend. We always try to plan a little trip in order to break up the day-to-day schedule of our lives. This year we decided to go to Kansas to find an antique shop the wife has read about on a blog. So, we planned some stops and headed that way.
Central Park Antiques was down the street from Bearly Makin-It Antiques, across from the park. This is a smaller shop with several rooms to explore. It is a mix of the old and new. I felt that it was more geared towards the female shopper, but it was still fun to see what they had.
Then it was off to the Old Alfalfa Mill. We really did not know what to expect on this, but we had high hopes for something. When we pulled in, we were greeted by rows of junk. They have placed sheeting in the grass and piled stuff on the sheeting. The same organization from the store is present here as well. There are wagon wheels, wash tubs, wire baskets, bicycles, and so much more. There are two buildings with stuff in them. One building has architectural salvage in it. The other building had boxes of stuff in it and funiture. You would have to literally dig to find something. I was not feeling adventurous enough to start throwing boxes, so we let them be. We did find some stuff to buy, and the guy was willing to bargain.
The wife found an old watering can.
She also found an old wire basket that she is going to use for a gift.
I found an old military gas can that I have eyed every time I see one, but this one was priced to sell.
I also found a wire bicycle basket for my bicycle.
We then went to 2 Attics Antique Mall and Estate Liquidations. The shop has some outdoor items (items perfect for a junker). The store is separated into two sections. There is the main section and a section down some stairs to the left. There is a huge variety of items, and it does have an attic feeling to it. However, that feeling can usually mean some awesome bargains. The wife found a little bucket.
She also found a cake plate for half of the price usually seen in antique stores.
We had the intentions of finding one more shop before going to the hotel, but we ran into some trouble.
So, the rest of our time was spent running around the city, trying to find some adhesive to fix the issue. We finally found some and made it to our hotel. We fixed the mirror and turned in for the evening. However, we were going to get up early to hit some other locations.
The first stop was the shop we went to the middle of nowhere to find called Bearly Makin-It Antiques. This shop is placed in the downtown of Marion, Kansas. There is the main shop and a second area six or so blocks away from the main shop called the Alfalfa Mill. American Pickers (we don't have cable so we don't know much about the show) went to the Alfalfa Mill for the show.
So, we stopped at the main shop in the little downtown, and we were surprised at the organization of the place. There is a lot of stuff, but you will find it organized well. Salt and pepper shakers, on the wall all together. Glasses, on a different wall all together. Toys, tools, quilts, all in separate locations but together with each kind of item. The place was cluttered but the organization helped it from being overwhelming. Also, the prices were spot-on. If you find something you liked, you are going to buy it because of the amazing price. The wife found a small blue bottle and bought it. That's all we found at the main shop.
Central Park Antiques was down the street from Bearly Makin-It Antiques, across from the park. This is a smaller shop with several rooms to explore. It is a mix of the old and new. I felt that it was more geared towards the female shopper, but it was still fun to see what they had.
Then it was off to the Old Alfalfa Mill. We really did not know what to expect on this, but we had high hopes for something. When we pulled in, we were greeted by rows of junk. They have placed sheeting in the grass and piled stuff on the sheeting. The same organization from the store is present here as well. There are wagon wheels, wash tubs, wire baskets, bicycles, and so much more. There are two buildings with stuff in them. One building has architectural salvage in it. The other building had boxes of stuff in it and funiture. You would have to literally dig to find something. I was not feeling adventurous enough to start throwing boxes, so we let them be. We did find some stuff to buy, and the guy was willing to bargain.
The wife found an old watering can.
She also found an old wire basket that she is going to use for a gift.
I found an old military gas can that I have eyed every time I see one, but this one was priced to sell.
We were hungry and ate in town. When we first came into town, there was a sign that said "Marion: Rhino Capital of Kansas." I was hoping for someone owning a rhino farm, but I was informed that it was because they had rhino statues that were sold as a fund raiser for the town. While we were in town, we saw several of these little guys!
After lunch, we went up the hill and found TC's What Not Shop. When we walked in, I noticed the wooden signs and homemade jewelry. I was disappointed but decided to continue. TC's is a long shop. There is the option to go to the left into a large room or go to the right which leads down a hall with several smaller rooms on each side. We went left first, and TC's was redeemed. There are kitchen antiques, books, and a several other items in this room. The prices were really fair, and it was a lot of fun stuff. The rooms on the left are hit and miss, but you really never know what you might find. I found some items that I passed on buying. I can't spend all of my money in the first day. The hallway opens up at the end to several other rooms. One room is crystal. We did not buy anything here, but we did have a lot of fun looking.
We left Marion and headed towards Wichita. We had a hotel room in Wichita, and we had seen several shops that looked like they would be fun to explore.
The first shop we found was Paramount East Antique Mall. The shop is technically in Augusta, and there is a sister shop in Wichita. The shop is very large with a lot of items. The shop has a good variety since they use booths. The best part is the "Last Blast" corner, a small corner in the second room with discounted merchandise. The wife found an outdoor chair set with a small table in this section for a steal of a deal!
She also found a cake plate for half of the price usually seen in antique stores.
We had the intentions of finding one more shop before going to the hotel, but we ran into some trouble.
So, the rest of our time was spent running around the city, trying to find some adhesive to fix the issue. We finally found some and made it to our hotel. We fixed the mirror and turned in for the evening. However, we were going to get up early to hit some other locations.
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