CUTTING TO THE CHASE

Wear Me Out Vintage Jewels: CUTTING TO THE CHASE - What's your best Price?

inVintage Collectibles

September 10, 2010 - 3:42pm

Children and dogs know who you are in a instant, they don't care how your packaged, they respond to your energy. It's the grown up people who are often impossible to read. As sellers, your questions, are monumentally important to us. We will stop all of life's normal functioning just to answer you. Food will burn on stoves. Hair color will drip. Innocent by standers will be told to zip it. Recently, I ignored my 120 pound Doberman puppy Chester, better known now as, "the good will ambassador" to the point where when I later went to pet him, he demanded to see I.D.



Lately there has been a distinct sound similar to that of a time bomb, either that or I'm getting messages straight from emergency room workers pagers. The mail reads like this, What is your best price? No hello, how are you, have a banana, lovely item. Some might find this cutting to the chase refreshing. Personally it reminds me of a construction workers cat call. There is a live human or in my case barely alive, now very hunger, with over processed roots, alienated family members and regressing pet on the other end of that mail. I don't need dinner and a movie, however a quick, hey there, is more helpful then you know.



I will freely admit years ago while in the mist of a fabulous sales blitz and equally depleted electro lights to match. I made the mistake of saying what I was thinking out loud. The answer to the potential buyers question was clearly in the description. My response was, put your glasses on! Frankly, a affectionate phase shared among close friends as a catch all for our ever increasing, even in our thirty's, senior moments. There was not just one, but five ranting emails that followed. I had to call in the spam police. As prior articles have proven, not every one gets my humor. For those who do, please read on.



It got me wondering if maybe this Evelyn wood short hand style of communication might actually work out well in other area's of life that eat into our precious time. For instance if you've ever had to negotiate with a new cable carrier, pretty much by hour five you find yourself agreeing that not paying for 500 repeating channels, 450 of which are in languages you have yet to conquer, would indeed be a crime against humanity. If we could just use the unsettling yet time efficient, "What's your best price?" The conversation could clip along. So for 39.99 I get the actually cable cord to hold and for just 120 more then I'm expecting, you will plug it in and I can watch Television how you dictate for the next two years. Why Yes Ma'm, that's exactly right, but don't forget we also include in this offer an exciting game called, We reserve the right to raise our prices at any time, for any reason and dare you to try and do a thing about it. Well then, said, sold and done and all with time left over to say to our spouse, magic's gone, love you, mean it, see ya!



Some might say, it's Just business, not personal. Most of us have made our commitment here on Ruby Lane and Ruby Plaza because it's centered on building great relationships. What other market place would find you carving out life long bonds with your competitors? A buyer called me, I happened to be on a rare brief vacation but figured it was important, she wanted to let me know a event was made from a bracelet she purchased. She had found one just like it at a flea market, she has two daughters and gave it to the older girl. The younger sister clearly admired it. So my buyer set about a literal world wide internet search for this extremely rare and unusual piece, she couldn't believe I had it and she found me. They got to surprise and delight the other daughter. That's a true example of what happens here in various forms, all the time. This is indeed one of the last places left to do just that. I say good business is very personal. I don't mind if you need to cut to the chase, but when you can take a minute and share yourself now that's priceless.



If you enjoy my Blogs for Notes from the Lane please visit My blog site "Vintage Shari Jewelry Sales and Life Tales"

http://vintageshari.blogspot.com



Wear me out Vintage Jewels

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Wear Me Out Vintage Jewels 2 Now

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If it's not one thing it's your Mother or why am I so drawn to shiny objects?

If it's not one thing it's your Mother or why am I so drawn to shiny objects?

Recently wrote the father knows less article and felt unbelievable pressure to give equal time to my Mom. Why? Because she's pressuring me.

Was thinking about what creates our strong pulls towards what floats our boats. Why am I obsessed with Vintage jewelry and all things Deco. My environment is filled with pictures from the 20's . My furniture is art deco Blonde wood with Bakelite handles and on top of those lovely pieces are yet more lovely vintage perfume bottles and art deco figurines and don’t get me started on the flamingo invasion that began years ago. Inside those drawers are mountains of glorious vintage Jewelry pieces. Do you remember the late show era? Relax, enjoy a snack and watch the late show. Well forget the snack, I was mesmerized by the Jewelry. I now own some of those phenomenal Bracelets, brooches and necklaces that left me breathless even in black and white. On the likes of Harlow, Lombard, Lloyd, Davis, Monroe and yes even Doris Day.



But why? Through the years I have solved a few of the mysteries to my subconscious addiction. When I was a little girl, my Mom had a colored glass bottle collection they adorned a glass bay window, that window was my safe place to view the little block and dream much bigger then my eye line could take me. She also began bringing me home tiny glass animal figures. Lovely and left behind with childhood or so I thought. It wasn't until my oldest brother, a otherwise manly man began collecting glass art work and I began buying him one special piece for each Birthday and holiday that it dawned on me how powerful a imprint those inexpensive glass bottle cheering up my Mom's world truly where.



In my father knows less article I shared how my dad received jewelry from his client for his wife. My Mom still has some of those pieces and just as you try on your Mom's high heels, playing innocent dress up as a girl, my Mom's where fierce. You may not realize how strongly your being suited up in her essence and suddenly find yourself wondering why in the world am I buying a pelican with a egg face?



Maybe it was your grandmothers signature perfume locket whose scent could knock you into next Tuesday that now has you seeking art Nourvou lockets.



Not that long ago my family sat down together and watched some amazing home movies and suddenly there it all was in my parents first apartment that I could not have possible remembered as I was not yet born. The art deco lamps, furniture, wall paper, rugs, and chackes. What else would a poor house hold with a young couple just starting out with loans of furnishings from there parents look like in the early 50's? But I saw those home movies from time to time and it managed to seep deep inside my cortex and influence what comforts me to be amongst.



Might be fun and possible even healing if you stop and think the next time you find yourself shopping hopefully here on Ruby Lane what and or who is really behind your choices.

Father Knows Less

My father who recently passed away had the soul of a true artist with price value issues to match. He owned a beauty salon in the late 50's. Not exactly what he was born for as he really hated subjects that centered around feelings and he was surrounded by women. Some would say, "Can't always get what you want, but you get what you need" theory applies. Instead of tips during the holidays he would receive unbelievable pieces of Jewelry from his clients for his wife. Thus began my fatal attraction and set off my inner "oh my god this is beautiful" meter concerning a vast array of gorgeous jewelry pieces.



My dad considered these sterling rhinestone gemstone trinkets as cheap paste costume jewelry. Being a depression child he wouldn't throw out a candy wrapper, and had a garage stuffed to the gills as proof, so even though he thought it was junk, it was now his junk forever.



When I began in jewelry first crafting it in the 70's, then collecting it, by the way, at a time when you could indeed walk into a thrift store and buy once again what was considered junk by the bagful for $2.00. He deeply respected my craftsmanship, he could work with any material on earth and create a thing of beauty, from clay to water colors, he could also pick up any musical instrument and play it by ear. Like I said, a true artist soul! But when it came to those bags of jewelry he thought it was a waste of money.



When I started selling on line about 8 years ago he just couldn't believe anyone would part with their hard earned dollars for what he deemed "that crap". As my business grew and eventually became very lucrative his negative response became my good luck charm. I'd say I'm going to price this at so and so, which was met with an immediate What? from him. That's how I knew I was on the right path!



He was very ill these last years where in hospice, where he was slated to die every 2 weeks for 2 years, the only dancing, daily food complaining, hospice patient in history. Even then when he would call me to check in, I would get a sale shortly afterward. A couple of months ago I was missing him terribly - who wouldn't! I was frustrated with slow sales and said "come on Dad help me out here" and I swear this is true 3 hours later I had the biggest sale I have ever had before or since. I thanked him and knew he was thinking that buyer must be on crack.



Besides loving to talk about my Dad. I hope this resonates with all who adore and admirer beautiful pieces of old. Having been a designer myself, I always felt that my time and talents where worth every nickel and then some. I will pay crazy high prices for something that makes me purr just by looking at it.

The right pair of eyes is all that ever matters. Use your nay Sayers as your sure guide to success.



Shari Basoff

http://www.rubylane.com/shops/vintageshari

Wear me out vintage Jewels



Photo: My Dad 1940

Brooklyn, New York