Coutureallure
Alumni
I was thinking about this post last night, Maggie, and came to the conclusion that I would post about NETWORKING, and you've already figured it out.
My best advice would be to cultivate a business relationship with auctioneers and estate sale people in your area. The best way to do that is to get in their faces. Attend those estate sales each and every time, even if no clothing is advertised, and each time be sure to say hello, hand over your card and tell them what you're looking for. You may not always find things to buy, but you'll get noticed and you'll be in the back of their minds when they do the prep work. They'll start thinking, "Don't throw that away, I'll bet Maggie will like that.". One of my best estate sale buys ever was at a home where the closets were filled with 40's and 50's clothing. When I went to pay, the woman running the sale told me that the heirs forced her to offer the clothing for sale. Normally she would have thrown it out as she thought it had no value. You have to educate your contacts!
In my area, there is an auctioneer who holds an auction almost every week. He does estate cleanouts and offers all kinds of stuff, but his ads always list the furniture, art, glass, pottery, etc. with never any reference to textiles. But there is almost always something in these auctions that I am interested in and will bid on. Last week I came home with three box lots of linens that include hankys, gloves, and shawls along with lots of kitchen linens. I don't sell the linens on E-Bay, but I have developed a relationship with someone who does, and she will purchase this stuff from me, usually at a nice profit. And I have the hankys and other things to sell myself. I also came home with 4 wonderful 19th century paisleys, a large box lot of vintage hats, a jewelry lot, and a button lot. So you see, even though he didn't advertise vintage clothing, there were things at the auction that I can use. Also, because I have developed a working relationship with the auctioneer, and he knows he will see my face every week in the audience, I am convinced that he now brings my type of merchandise to auction rather than dumping it.
I guess I can sum it up best by saying, don't be shy! You've got to toot your own horn in this business, cause no one else will!
Good luck!
Jody
My best advice would be to cultivate a business relationship with auctioneers and estate sale people in your area. The best way to do that is to get in their faces. Attend those estate sales each and every time, even if no clothing is advertised, and each time be sure to say hello, hand over your card and tell them what you're looking for. You may not always find things to buy, but you'll get noticed and you'll be in the back of their minds when they do the prep work. They'll start thinking, "Don't throw that away, I'll bet Maggie will like that.". One of my best estate sale buys ever was at a home where the closets were filled with 40's and 50's clothing. When I went to pay, the woman running the sale told me that the heirs forced her to offer the clothing for sale. Normally she would have thrown it out as she thought it had no value. You have to educate your contacts!
In my area, there is an auctioneer who holds an auction almost every week. He does estate cleanouts and offers all kinds of stuff, but his ads always list the furniture, art, glass, pottery, etc. with never any reference to textiles. But there is almost always something in these auctions that I am interested in and will bid on. Last week I came home with three box lots of linens that include hankys, gloves, and shawls along with lots of kitchen linens. I don't sell the linens on E-Bay, but I have developed a relationship with someone who does, and she will purchase this stuff from me, usually at a nice profit. And I have the hankys and other things to sell myself. I also came home with 4 wonderful 19th century paisleys, a large box lot of vintage hats, a jewelry lot, and a button lot. So you see, even though he didn't advertise vintage clothing, there were things at the auction that I can use. Also, because I have developed a working relationship with the auctioneer, and he knows he will see my face every week in the audience, I am convinced that he now brings my type of merchandise to auction rather than dumping it.
I guess I can sum it up best by saying, don't be shy! You've got to toot your own horn in this business, cause no one else will!
Good luck!
Jody
