Our Vintage Etsy Shop is Freshly Stocked!

My Mom, Mummu and I have been running our hobby vintage Etsy shop, Minden Shop, for years.  We expanded to selling vintage wares locally, on Instagram and we've even dabbled with eBay.  I really want to get into doing some local antique shows because seeing and touching vintage items in the best way to buy them.  Etsy is a great substitute, though, if you can't find what you want locally.  Running the shop is a lot of fun (and, surprisingly, a lot of hard work!), but it's been really rewarding.  We enjoy connecting with fellow vintage collectors and seeing photos of the goodies we've sold in their new homes always makes us smile!  Plus it's something the three of us do together.



I let the store get pretty empty this spring while we decided what to let go of and sell locally.  We don't want to be those people that hang onto something for years, waiting for the right buyer, so we did some local sales, slashed prices and sold a lot of inventory.  It helps keep things exciting for us!  Recently I photographed some fresh finds and have re-stocked the shop.  I'll be listing more and more, but the nearly 50 items we have now is a pretty good start.

We enjoy running the shop, but we're not sure how much longer we'll keep it open.  We kind of waffle between going all in and adding tons more vintage finds, or switching gears and finally selling the handmade items we intended to?  But then life gets busy and we think, maybe closing up while it's still fun and not stressful is the way to go.  Quit while we're ahead.  We're going to just have fun with it this summer and fall and see where the road takes us!  We'll reevaluate in December and see what the new year has in store for us (pun intended). 

For now, here's a peek at what's new - including some of my favorites.

I love this set of Butterfly gold vintage Pyrex Cinderella mixing bowls (UPDATE: SOLD) but I've seriously downsized my Pyrex collection in the last couple of years.  I had some big sales on Instagram and sold a lot locally.  I'm hoping to find this set a new home!  I also have some fridgies for sale.

When we spotted this pair of Lotte fiberglass and jute lamp shades we were so thrilled.  Once we got them home, we realized they're too small for my yellow Lotte lamps!  Womp, womp, womp.  I know these will make some Lotte lamp collector VERY happy, although I'm so, so nervous about shipping them!

With the living room Besta dismantled, my vintage McCoy pottery collection has been displaced!  The pinks went to my Mom, the creams are currently in the basement, and I'm slowly spreading the turquoise ones around the house.  A few pieces, including these green basket weave planters and also a gorgeous yellow McCoy planter, have found their way into the Etsy shop!  There MIGHT be some really great turquoise ones that find themselves in need of a new home, so favorite the shop to be the first to know.

Do you remember the start of my FAB trays collection?  I loved the history of these kitschy Canadian-made resin trays.  I ended up collecting quite a few, but since moving to the lakehouse I find myself short on space!  Any new trays I find are shop-bound and even the aquas and blues (gasp) are up for grabs...like this one!

We'll be listing some more jewelry, too - including a stunning Baltic amber necklace.  Ack, it's so gorgeous.  But these huge Lapis Lazuli earrings (UPDATE: SOLD) are pretty darn stunning too - look at that gorgeous veining.  Drool.

SO shocked these Caribbean themed high ball glasses have not been scooped up yet (UPDATE: SOLD).  They are one item I could not part with in our big spring purge.  I am seriously in love with them and every day I'm tempted to deactivate the listing.

This aqua vase was made in Canada!  I just love the subtle glaze at the top - it pairs so well with the soft, minty-aqua hue.

We have vintage dollhouse furniture for sale!  I always meant to make a cute vintage dollhouse so I scooped up some pieces from a local antique seller.  But really, the kids will be asking me for help applying to university before I get a dollhouse done.  With so many folks making them these days, I thought I'd release these back into the wild.

I've got a pink bathroom dollhouse set for sale, retro plastic dollhouse arm chairs, plus a brass miniature dollhouse furniture set with a birdcage (UPDATE: SOLD) - complete with mini bird inside.  The last photo of this listing for dollhouse kitchen appliances (UPDATE: SOLD) has a photo with the set in use - too cute!

I lowered the price on this green Red Wing pottery vase (the design is Tropicana Bird of Paradise).  I love this vase so much - the emerald green interior is so clever, because it hides discoloration from flower water.

Somehow we ended up with quite a few petite figurines, but they're all so adorable!  This little goat would look so cool tucked into a larger planter or terrarium for a little quirkiness.

Check out the rest of the shop inventory here, and favorite us on Etsy to get a first look at the new things I'll be listing soon!  If you collect anything or are on the hunt for something special, let me know because I'll be happy to keep my eyes peeled for you - just leave me a note in the comments with your wish list.

Shop Talk: What's New

Speaking of our ambitious shop goals, I'm pleased to report that we've had the shop stocked non-stop (say that ten times fast), since re-opening last September!  I joked on Monday about what a feat that is.  When we first opened, about three years ago, we got into this terrible habit of running it for a few months, making a few sales, then shutting down for a year or more, then re-opening and running it for a few months, then shuttering it again.  We've been closed more than we've been open!  It wasn't lack of interest - when we closed corresponded with time I spent in Budapest for my PhD research, first a month long language course, then a four month research stint.  Then Hubs and I moved across the province, so the shop was put on the back burner again.  It's made it decidedly less fun because getting started is usually the hardest part of any task, so this system was really terrible.  But we've now been open steadily eight months or so.  Yay!  I know we should be embarrassed by celebrating this incredibly small feat, but for us - me especially - it feels like a really big deal.

In addition to our shop sales, we've held a few successful Instagram sales, sold some larger vintage items locally, and we took part in a great flea market recently - which was surprisingly lucrative.  We're actually thinking of doing more vintage shows/flea markets, and the pop-up shop I've casually mentioned is looking even better now (we have the perfect venue, but it means performing a Herculean task in 36 hours).  We've even decided to dabble with eBay!  Have any of you listed items on eBay?  It took forever - simply because everything was new to me -  but we put up our first listing the other day.

I have no idea how to eBay, but I'm determined to keep trying.  It's just easier using Etsy, because it's so familiar.  I listed a bunch of new items, actually, and wanted to share my currents favorites...

This gorgeous bowl is West German pottery.   It caught our eyes because it boasts a gleaming green glaze coupled with a brown, faux bois exterior.  Both my Mom and I wanted to keep it, and we might still, but neither of us has the room (if we're being honest).

I had barely reached for these quirky solid wood egg cups when Hubby said, "No."  Wet blanket.  I think they are adorable and they will brighten someone's brunch.  I'm spreading joy, here.

You know me, brass isn't my thing, but that doesn't stop me from loving it in other people's homes!  This brass wall pocket, made in Italy, is a sturdy little guy, ready to hold a small cactus or air plant.  I'm probably going to bite it on the shipping because he's a beast. 

Similarly, "Western," is not how one would describe my style, but when I'm picking for the shop I try to narrow in on things that are unusual, beautiful, or on trend.  Certainly leather is having a moment.  Even if it wasn't, these Western glasses are awesome.

They need to be paired with these bakelite steak knives.  Or this whole bakelite cutlery set.  I have had a number of International folks want to buy them, but I am avoiding shipping to Europe for the time being.  Last time around I spent weeks chasing down a parcel to Italy, although other International shipments went smoothly - now I am a bit nervous.  But I guess this bakelite set speaks to Europeans...

Much more my speed, this Rosenthal vase (designed by Bjørn Wiinblad) has been super difficult to part with, but since moving to a smaller home I've already had to make some tough choices and sell some of my own vintage collection, so I can't really be adding anything new.  Seems counter-productive.  Can't say I'll be bummed if this doesn't sell, though.  This polka dot coffee pot is from Germany, too.  So is this Bareuther Waldsassen vase, which is really striking - like it was sliced from a glacier.  Those Germans have style!

Speaking of vases from my own collection for sale, this teal glass vase was originally for the shop but I scooped it, petted it for a bit, and have decided to set it free.  Hope it finds a loving home, because it's such a substantial piece.  I'm feeling good about it, because my aqua cased glass vase already sold, and so did these aqua shot glasses and these ones. 

Oh, and this teal one is for sale too.  It's identical to a swatch of paint in Bert's painting - but I have one the same size in a more blue teal and, frankly, I'm not much of a gardener so there's no way I'll ever produce multiple vases worth of blooms.

We're in agreement that the "atomic flower" on this Federal Glass luncheon set is a pot leaf, right?

But this is just a puppy.  Well, he's not just a puppy, he's a puppy with a polka dot shoe.  I bought him last summer but I stashed him with the Etsy stuff and only recently listed him.

I WANT these glasses, but I cannot commit to two new colours in the kitchen.  Orange was a big enough step for me.  Baby steps.

Quatrefoil is a fun word.  I've been enjoying typing it again and again.  But the longer I look at it, the more incorrectly it seems spelled.  This pottery piece was made in California - it just feels sunny, doesn't it?

I have reluctantly listed some Iittala - you know my passion for it!  I am still waiting for the right buyer for the whole Kastehelmi set, but I also found a matching ashtray, small plate, and I listed the solid glass polar bear.  I know, he is adorable.  

How could I not buy this milk glass silhouette vase?  It's got everything.  Speaking of milk glass, I love that this Federal Glass set is a full set of six! 

In the wake of my rock casualties, you can understand why I kind of want to keep this hunk of gorgeousness.  But my desk is so littered with junk, you'd never see it, anyway.  Seriously, within reach I've got a pirate pencil sharpener, a camera battery charger, a mason jar, holiday cards (holiday cards) I haven't put away, a book on hat making, a garbage bag tag for the dump, a huge pile or receipts and bills, and a swipe card from when I worked at the University of Ottawa.  Was I supposed to return that?  More importantly, where the heck did it come from?

I have an eerily similar round box on my nightstand, filled with dog treats for Szuka.  Mine is Hungarian Kalocsa, but I think the familiar shape and ethnic handpainted floral design of this sweet box lured me in.  Plus the lacquer is so shiny.

It's been awhile since I shared my shop favorites (February? Where does the time go??), so thanks for indulging me - there are 110 items for sale right now, so it was tough to choose.  Although it's so much more work than I ever imagined, I really enjoy our Etsy shop.  Connecting with people who finally found what they were looking for is the most fun part, and I especially love getting feedback from people who have bought items as gifts.  I've got some fun stories, for sure. 

Read more »

Quilted Coffee Bean Mug Mats

Since re-opeing the Etsy shop I operate with my Mom and Mummu, I have had two very lofty goals:

1. Keep it running all year round
2. Add handmade items!

So far, we've met both goals!  Pretty incredible feats, no? ;)

During the holidays, I finally listed some of my Christmas spiders, but this summer my Mom and I are hoping to add many more handmade items.  We're really going to buckle down.  It's not for lack of inspiration that we aren't as productive, creatively, as we'd like: we have more ideas than time - as I'm sure many of you do.  I have to admit, I'd be a lot more amenable to having children if I could be guaranteed a crafty/handy son or daughter who could help me sew, build, and paint.  Knowing my luck, I'd end up with a kid who whines, "can't we just buy it at Walmart?"

"No, now load the bobbin and get to work".

My Mom, as you might have gleaned, is fabulously talented - although she shrugs off any compliments.  She's also incredibly creative, and I can't wait to showcase her talent.  For now, the shop has one teeny, tiny handmade listing: these adorable sets of handmade mug mats.  They are reversible and machine washable cotton (throw them in the dryer, too!), with thermal fleece inside to protect surfaces from the heat of a steamy cuppa.  I don't know what's more adorable: the quilted coffee bean or the polka dot backing? 

So cute, right?  She's been selling these locally, but I convinced her to let me list two.  As we make more items for the shop, we'll post some more sewing tutorials too. 

Read more »

Sale, Sale, Sale!

My Mom and I have been toying with the idea of opening up a vintage pop-up shop in our city this spring - the perfect location presented itself to us, so it seems serendipitous.  For this reason, we've put off having a sale in the Etsy shop (and have been slow to add more listings).  It felt a little silly, though, to stockpile wares because the mission is ultimately to make sales.  

We finally decided that, in the spirit of Valentine's Day and looooove, we would put some items on sale, because the motto of our shop is: "everything we hope you love".  It's a stretch, I know.  (Some of these sale items won't be re-listed when they expire Feb 17th, just FYI).  Below you'll find photos and links to all of the items that have been reduced.  On top of discounting some items, we're offering a sale code for friends and readers.  Use: WINTER15 to get 15% off your entire purchase - including sale items!  The sale will run until February 14th.  Also, please feel free to contact me through Etsy for a customized shipping quote - I'm normally able to save folks a few more bucks!  Also, I accept turquoise Pyrex as currency ;)

FIRST ROW:
Fondue Pot with Alcohol Burner and  12 Bonus Skewers ($5.00 off)
Set of 8 Culver Medallion Glasses, Mint Condition ($10 off)
Vintage Coret Handbag ($7.00)
Set of 10 Yellow Blown Glass Drinking Glasses ($5 off)
SECOND ROW:
Solid Brass and Wood MCM Tray ($10 off)
Set of 4 Glass Fish Plates and Solid Wood Bowls ($10 off)
Canape Making Widget ($3 off)
1970s Signed Pottery Piece ($4 off)
THIRD ROW:
Tundra Earthenware Set, Made in Canada ($10 off)
McCoy Plates ($10 off)
West German Vase ($3 off)
Pair of 1960s Belgian Planters ($3 off)
FOURTH ROW:
German-made Black and White Cake Stand ($5 off)
Vintage Japanese Lacquerware Serving Set, New in Box ($5 off)
Figgjo Norway Lotte Souffle Dishes ($15 off)
Figgjo Norway Lotte Platter ($13 off)

Some of my favorite items have recently gone out the door (and with each one, that internal debate: "Oooo, I liked that," "yeah, but you don't have room," "but maybe I should have kept it anyway?"), but there are still plenty of gems left.  If you're feeling very meh about our current offerings, we decided to stop the madness and focus on Etsy first, pop-up shop second.  With that in mind, we'll be listing brand new items mid-late February, including some very springy pieces.  Expect some cheery colours to lift the winter blahs.

Before I toddle off (we're doing some very exciting bath reno recon  - which is something that will be filling our calendars for months to come, I'm sure), I wanted to say "thanks".  I never expect a purchase from any of my readers!  I'm just so thankful you encouraged me to open a shop in the first place, and that you've all been so supportive and encouraging since.  So thank you!    

Read more »

Chrismas Spiders Available for Sale Again!

Yay, my handmade Christmas spiders have sold online!  Whew.  But what I didn't realize was that when one spider sells from a listing with the option to choose from five different spiders, the entire listing disappears - not just the sold spider.  There is still so much to learn about Etsy!  If you clicked over to my Etsy shop to buy one, only to see the "sorry, this listing is sold," my apologies!

I've got three fresh sets of spider listings up - including some you didn't see last time.

Click here for blues, greens, and purples
Click here for pinks and reds
Click here for gold and jewel hues

Unfortunately, I discovered that Canadian shipping - even a packet - is astronomical.  I shipped a spider for $13 when I had only charged $5 for shipping (oops), so I'm not sure any Canadian friends will be buying any more.  (But they ship free with another purchase - even another spider!).  Happily, shipping in the U.S. is what I expected it to be (a bargain, comparatively!) and with handy dandy priority ship (1-3 business days), there's still plenty of time to get one before Christmas!  Take a peek at my new listings if you missed out the first time around, and be sure to let me know if you're on the hunt for a certain colour combo and I can let you know what else I have.

Thanks to everyone who has purchased something from my Etsy shop - especially my handmade Christmas spiders!  Next year I know I need to get them listed earlier - and list MORE.  But I'm feeling encouraged, so I'll be adding more handmade goodies to the shop in the new year...fun, fun!

P.S. If you're new and wondering what the heck a Christmas spider is, check out this post for the sweet story about why every tree needs a spider (and there's a DIY tutorial there too, if you're so inclined). 

Read more »

Shop Update and Spider News

The Etsy shop I run with my Mom and Grandma has been chugging along, and I'm so thrilled that we made some great sales in our first month of being open again:

Some of my favorites were out the door first!  Every time I packaged something up I thought, "maybe I should have kept this?"  Our spendy new furnace has made it much easier to part with treasures, though...

In addition to the shop, I've held two Instagram sales.  For the first sale, a vintage hodge podge with enteraining goodies, I listed about 25 things and sold 10.  For the second sale, I listed just over 30 items (mostly Pyrex, some Fire King and Hazel Atlas) and sold nearly everything.  The women at the post office fought over who had to help me with my truckload of packages (1-2-3 not it!).  I've been so surprised by the underground economy of vintage selling/trading on Instagram - it's like the Wild Wild West over there.  It's nice, though, because you get to know sellers personally.  I've even bought/traded some vintage Pyrex that way.  But I do love Etsy.  I like being able to list lots of photos and pen supremely lengthy descriptions.  You might have guessed that I'm a bit chatty!  Plus, I downloaded the Etsy app onto my phone and I hear a little "Cha-CHING" when I sell something.

I recently added some new listings to the shop and thought I'd give you a peek.  I like to make jobs more difficult than they need to be, so I've continued to try to list items in colour groupings.  It looks so good that way that I can't stop.  Behold my reds and greens:

Those green anchor hocking tumblers gleam like emerald!  I love those, but I think the mint condition red polka dot Fire King grease jar is my favorite.  The vintage medical jars are really neat and I'd love to see them in a vintage-inspired bathroom.  The red and white coffee set has the word "coffee" written in a bunch of different language, from Finnish to Spanish, French and German.  And no winter is complete without a fondue pot ;) - I saved the most incredible fondue recipe as a sweet surprise for the purchaser.

I also added some vintage jewellery, including some rhinestone stunners, a sweet pair of 14k gold half moon studs, and a really striking pair of enamel earrings in mint, gold, and black.  Perfect for holiday parties.

Finally, some exciting news (get ready to pat me on the head!): I've added three listings, each with bunches of my handmade Christmas spiders.  See them here, here, and here. 

UPDATE: This listings above sold, but I've got three new listings, with five choices in each:
Click here for blues, greens, and purples
Click here for pinks and reds
Click here for gold and jewel hues

I've been meaning to list them on Etsy for years (I want to say 2011...), but I always sell out locally.  This year I started making them very early and set aside some for the shop.  I can't custom make them for Etsy buyers at this time, but for YOU folks I will happily make one in a certain colour(s), or snag one from my local inventory.  If you want one and don't see one that's perfect, just let me know (in the comments here, through Etsy convos, or feel free to email dans.le.townhouse@gmail.com) and I can send photos of more options. I can also use your zip or postal code to see if the shipping to you would be less expensive than the estimate - I offer this to anyone, for any listing.

Even if I don't sell a single one on Etsy (weep), I'm feeling really good because I've finally fulfilled a four year old goal.  I've been working on getting stuff done (as you might have gleaned).  No excuses, no more delays, and no distractions. 

Truthfully, it was a pleasure making extra spiders this year.  It was so relaxing to hunker down on cold days and just create - and not feel guilty about doing it (like I should be cleaning or doing laundry).  I also love a good excuse to binge watch Gilmore Girls (for the millionth time, but it's on Netflix now and who can resist?).  The process is kind of adorable.  I make the bodies first, so I have a big batch of these weird looking guys:



Then I bead the legs and they still look like little octopi until the legs gets formed and shaped into spider legs.

Hubby actually shapes most of them for me - he is eerily skilled at forming the legs.  Mine always look a little frightened and/or squashed, but his look so elegant.

I can't help myself, the photo below is just perfect for this: "get 'em before they're gone..."  

That's my shop update!! Take a peek at our Minden Shop here if you're curious.  Thanks so much for your encouragement and support.  I know some of you have even bought things, recently and over the years, and that's just so kind of you.  Thank you!  I never expect a purchase from readers, but it's really touching when I'm able to send a vintage treasure to someone I know here. 

Read more »