Ebay...

Subject: Ebay... Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:45 pm

Aah Ebay. Love it or hate it, I bet you've bought something on it on one occasion or another..
Part of me loves it. The rest of me worries that it is doing our beloved little junk shops and antique malls a terrible damage.
As for me I spend far too much money on it and have yet to recoup it in sales of my own because I can't work out how to create one of those scrumptious "About Me" pages and little old perfectionist me won't let me get started without a pretty page...

How daft is that??
_________________
Lots of love, Alison at BrocanteHome.
http://brocantehome.typepad.com/brocante_home/

Age : 34 Joined : 02 Feb 2007 Posts : 7 Name : Janette

I wonder if any one can help me with a bit of advice. My work contract finished at the end of December so I'm a free agent again - wahoo!
For a while I've been thinking about starting my own ebay business selling the beautiful little things I find at brocantes here in France, along with some of my jewellery and maybe a smattering of handmade objects using vintage & found objects.
Does anyone have any tips for starting out on a project like that? How to get up & running, how to get people interested..any advice would be really greatfully received!

Age : 52 Joined : 20 Feb 2007 Posts : 9 Name : carol

hi there
you should go for it ebay is so user friendly and Allison I know what you mean about the me page I do have a pretty ME page (-_^)

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=wawa24
carol

Subject: Re: Ebay... Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:20 pm

Minette

you DEFINITELY should go for it, especially if you can find some way of offering cheaper postage to the UK and if you advertise in the Uk eBay pages.

I've just bought a vintage 19th century quilt for 38 pounds sterling including postage (which was as much again as the quilt!) in eBay France - but the same kind of quilts were going for nearly a hundred pounds in the English eBay. I had a good look round the French one and a lot of gorgeous things are half the price or even less, than in the UK eBay. The postage seems a problem as it's a flat-rate, but if there's a slower-but-cheaper method you could offer, then you'll sell tons of stuff!

I spent 3 months in the Languedoc last spring and will never recover - wonderful place and full of beauty and a slower, older way of life - very Brocante!

Good luck

laura

Subject: Re: Ebay... Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:05 pm

Oh Laura,

I'm jealous of your 3 months in Languedoc! What wonderful memories you must have.

I have only been in France once - way back in the late 80s in high school. But how those 7 days have lived in my memories! I'm determined to get back there one day.

Karla

Subject: Re: Ebay... Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:57 pm

Karla, I think those 3 months were the best of my 38 years! Trust me, I appreciated every moment...

And to be honest, living and working amongst French people taught me so much about being a woman - being Brocante is just normal for most women I met.

I don't know how America compares (apart from the "America" in films and tv), but it was terrible coming home to Britain to see how little British women value themselves (wildly generalising). So many women just show that they would never dream of spending time on themselves, let alone money, and since I came back, although I'm on a limited income, I can still do the things that cost less - like spending time in a bath, taking care of my hands, trying to make more meals from scratch so I don't eat so much junk, wearing nicer clothes everyday even if they're from thrift-stores... all those things seem to have been thrown out in the UK these days by so many people.

Vive les femmes de Brocante!

laura

p.s. what does "Brocante" actually mean???

Subject: Re: Ebay... Sat Mar 10, 2007 12:25 am

Laura,

I would say we Americans are probably the same or even worse than your British experience.

I've still not gotten around to reading the French Women books - I have both of them. Sounds like it's time to read them.

I think we Americans have a long history of martyrdom syndrome that says if we aren't worth it. I guess it depends on how you were raised, but that is definitely how I was raised - everyone else came first. Well, guess what. That stops with my generation. I'm learning to value me and to take time and care of myself. Otherwise, I can't love others effectively or fairly. And I'm much happier to be around when I do care for myself.

Love your little post.

Also, brocante means second-hand trade basically. When you see road-side fleamarkets and boot sales as Alison refers to them, those are brocantes. Trash to treasure is how I like to think of it.

Subject: Re: Ebay... Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:29 am

Thanks for explaining Brocante! A much nicer word than "flea market"!

I think you are spot-on right about "I'm learning to value me and to take time and
care of myself. Otherwise, I can't love others effectively or fairly.
And I'm much happier to be around when I do care for myself."

I think it's like the safety-spiel on aeroplanes - if the oxygen mask drops down and you're travelling with a child, put your own mask on first - because if you don't take care of yourself then you are not able to be the best help to others. I'm not a mother or wife, but I'm definitely a lot easier to live with and nicer to my family and friends and colleagues since I started taking myself seriously and looking after myself.

And it's a lot more fun, wearing pretty clothes instead of slobbing round - even if I wear jeans, they're well-fitting ones that suit my shape (£4 in the sales with a bit of hunting around), and worn with a pretty Old-Rose wrap-around cardigan in fine lambswool (Boden, £8 from eBay) instead of a sagging old sweatshirt; and a little make-up and hey presto, look, there's a smile on my face too, because I look good and feel good!

laura

Subject: Re: Ebay... Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:22 pm

Hi Ladies

I needed to read this today! Life has been hectic this last fortnight and I've hardly been able to read, much less post anything here. It comes as something of a shock to 'look up' and see that the 'me' things have been pushed to one side of late. Thankfully we're away later next week for a few days holiday by the sea - we both need a break and a well-wrapped up beachcomb sounds like heaven.

I'll try and post some more pictures if I can - I scored a fabulous bowl and a vintage hatbox before all the busyness kicked in. The lambswool cardi sounds delicious Laura - cosy and rosy all at once and (for me at least) I think if nothing else - lipstick and a spritz of purfume always make the feel-good thing happen!

Subject: Re: Ebay... Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:56 pm

Elaine,

I agree - your sea holiday sounds like heaven indeed.

Laura - Elaine is right - the cardi sounds absolutely adorable!
And I do feel so much better even around home when I'm not schlepping around in sweats and icky looking stuff. My next search is to find some nice velour or knit pants to wear around home - you know the kind that comes with the matching jacket. I won't wear them out, but it would be nice to have something pretty looking that also feels comfortable around home.

I'm off to go spend some me time in the bedroom with a pot of tea, some magazines and a couple of chocolate covered cookies.

Subject: Re: Ebay... Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:03 pm

Hi Ladies!

Boy, your posts here always make me feel like I've 'come home' to warm, old friends. That's a bit wacky since I don't know any of you, but you're on the same wave-length, and it sure makes me happy to come to Brocante.

Karlanee & LauraElsewhere, I liked your comments on trying to keep yourself up at home. I live in small Texas town, and the women schlep like nobody's business. It's so glum to see ratty old clothes with holes and bits of skin hanging out when I'm buying groceries.

I'd LOVE to go back to the days when ladies dressed up to even get the MAIL out of box! Although it would be a bit overwhelming to gussy up daily, I yearn for a nice 'market' dress of fitted seersucker with a nice little hat and gloves. Wouldn't that be good, silly fun? Darn it all--I'm going to get me a fun, fifties housewife frock. Maybe I'll even make it! I'm going to go put on some lipstick RIGHT this instant, thank you very much, Mrs. Danvers.

Thanks for perking up my morning!
OohLaLaura

Subject: Re: Ebay... Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:04 pm

Another quick question---

What is a 'boot', as in 'boot sale'? Is that a British thing? I picture charming old men selling little elf shoes, but I'm guessing that's not it.

Thanks,
OohLaLaura

Subject: Re: Ebay... Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:08 pm

OohLaLaura - I'm not British, but I am an Anglophile so I think I know what a boot sale is.

The boot is the trunk of a car. These boot sales are where they go and sell things out of their trunks - but not always that literal - sometimes it is just a flea market.

We'd better wait for LauraElsewhere to verify that for us. Or one of the other Brit Gals

Subject: Re: Ebay... Wed Jun 27, 2007 5:32 pm

Hi ladies!

I have no idea what a boot sale is, although I have heard it on tv before.

Hmmm....I am sure the other ladies would know.

Subject: Re: Ebay... Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:44 pm

Oh girls! I'm laughing here because once I worked in Europe for a few weeks with an entirely American team and one guy kept going on about how illogical and stupid the British English language was, but I was giving as good as I got!

It went:

him: why do you call it a boot and a bonnet? they're not clothes!
me: what, a trunk and a hood are any more sensible?

and
him: why do you call it a torch when it's not on fire?
me: well, why do you call ti a flashlight when it's a steady beam?

and we had hysterically funny times when I tried (and failed!!!) to teach him to swear in British english! We can all swear in American English because of all the cop films we get here but he just could NOT get the hang of the complicated British English swearing... poor chap...

Anyway... a boot is indeed the trunk of a car. A boot sale was originally (oh all of 10-15 years ago when they started!) called a car-boot sale - people drove their cars (estate cars (station-wagons) usually) to a field or school playground and parked with the boots facing the same way in a row, and then used the bootspace and tailgate, let down, to display their items for sale, stuff they wanted rid of, junk, and so on. Everyone would wander along the row, buying what they liked.

Why it's called a boot, I've no idea. The only thing I can think of is that old horse-drawn Eighteenth Century carriages had footmen standing on the back, on a little ledge that they stood on, so maybe it was the boot-shelf???

laura (currently wearing my latest eBay purchase: men's stripey heavy-cotton flannel pyjamas from the British Army, stamped "Size 2 1953"! Wonderfully comfortable and worn I hope with a certain feminine panache!)