Ever wonder where all that lost luggage goes to? Well, a great number are never found until after the airlines have compensated their owners monetarily for their loss. Do you ever wish to find a specialty store where every member of your family can enjoy shopping? Enter the emergence of a new term to our technical age shopping vocabulary: Extreme Stores. Extreme Superstores are megastores/markets where you can find almost anything and everything from designer apparel, electronics, food, antiques, home decor, and more at great prices…plus be entertained. Their claim to fame is that they are the world’s largest in their field. Check out these sites for the bargains:

Jungle Jim’s International Market (Farfield, Ohio)

• 50,000 customers/day
• Guided tours available
• Rows upon rows of food from around the world
• Several unique food items, food company displays, and events
• Trams, giraffes, cooking school, and more–oh my!

Archie McPhee® (Seattle, WA)

• Collectibles, silly gag gifts
• Most popular items: devil duckie, largest pair of underwear (100 inch waist), bacon-themed items, pirates, and action figures.
• They have a bridal registry, games, contests and prizes
• 80,000 visitors/year

Rei®

• 1.5 million visitors/year
• Sports exporium, bike repair shop, and indoor and outdoor real-life trails in one
• Motto: “Try before you buy”-they have an indoor hike trail, 65 ft (7 story high) indoor climbing wall and outdoor bicycle course
• Find the right outdoor sport’s gear here
• Bonus: Check out Rei-Outlet.com for extra savings

Unclaimed Baggage Center™ (Scottsborough, Alabama)

• 800,000 visitors/year
• 80% markdowns
• Airlines have 90 days to give back lost luggage, then they refund individual’s money, so this store buys stuff from airline companies
• More than 7,000 stock items: jewelry, wallets, luggage, scuba gear, golf items, and more!

Bonanza Gift Shop-World’s Largest Gift Shop (Las Vegas, NV)

• Largest gift store in the world
• Vegas trinkets, nasty items and kitch
• T-shirts, magnets, postcards, key chains, clocks, casino gear, Elvis sunglasses and memorabilia, music, etc…
• Wedding area inside
• Best gag gift: Insulting Parrot Polly. $19.99
• 0.5 million customers/year

Daffin’s Candy (Sharon, Pennsylvania)

• Largest candy store (20,000 sq feet)
• 320 barrels of hard candy throughout the world
• 1,000 different items
• Chocolate factory nearby produces 1.2 million lbs chocolate/year
• Customers get to sample everything in the store
• Cocoa Display: large dioramas and animals, e.g. 400 lb solid chocolate turtle
• 10,000 people in one day (on busiest)

San Jose Flea Market (San Jose, California)

• 8-mile long, 120 acres
• Vendors, Farmer’s market, Auto dealership, Entertainment Showroom: arcade games, Mariachi band
• 4 million people/yr come

Have you ever gone through a relative’s s jewelry stash to discover old pearls? Not necklaces, but individual pearls that once made up a necklace or bracelet, but now are rattling individually in a box? One of the tests of quality in any bead necklace is to see if they are individually strung and knotted after each pearl or bead. Antique jewelry oftentimes ended up in a drawer or box because the string broke. Wouldn’t it be nice to recycle these precious beads by reading a book, either recreating a vintage piece of jewelry or creating your own design?

The Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist is a great site to learn step-by-step the art of restringing pearls and more using the Tri-Cord Knotter™ . For jewelry artisans and hobbyists and for all of us with jewelry in disrepair, this site has loads of information.

Don’t Get Strung Out Or Be Strung Along!

Sooner or later, you will find almost everything for sale even in the most unlikely places. Recently, Markdown Mom found this pair “lion” around next to a local ramp off an interstate bridge. These are the cats meow if you have a large estate or are renovating a library. Marble and impressive, they could add to your pride and joy.

The owner of this pair obviously was thinking out of the box or cage by placing this impressive duo next to a high traffic area. It’s quite apparent that exposure is key to this sale since potential buyers are limited by the size of this statuary.

Location, location, location is important to any sale and this location certainly gave MDM “paws.”

Sometimes doing an estate sale by yourself can be overwhelming, physically and emotionally. Estate sales are not just for handling the items of a deceased person, but can be used to downsize when a parent moves to an assisted-living facility or to a smaller, more accessible home. When should you consider hiring some else to handle your parents estate sale?

1. If you are overwhelmed and simply do not know where to begin. Calling in experts can alleviate the time and effort it takes to put on an estate sale.

2. Professionals can make the hard organizational decisions such as what to keep, what to sell, and what to give away. During this initial inventory be sure to remove items that family members/beneficiaries want to keep or items to be given to charity–although in some states donations will not be considered in the final accounting of owed estate taxes. Generally, after the professional inventory, the contract made with the estate company will prevent removal of any item after a certain date.

3. Experts can better determine asking prices for estate items. Besides their expert knowledge, pros also have reference materials and catalogs to assist them in pricing items. Identify length of sale and potential price reductions. A 2-Day estate sale will usually have the final day set for markdowns and/or bid awards.

4. Make sure that the estate sale experts are licensed and bonded. Liability issues including fair pricing practices can arise.

5. Free initial interview. Additionally, at the initial “free” interview and walk through, the experts should be able to give you a rough estimate of what the sale could net.

6. Any contract should stipulate the costs of the expert services. A minimum amount charge for their sale can either be a flat fee, say of $1500, or a percentage of the sale, usually 25%-40% depending upon the size of the estate sale and the number and size of objects to be priced and sold.

7. What You Pay For. Services rendered by the pros should include set-up, pricing, after sale clean-up and and disposal of unsold items to charity, etc. If any of these services have additional charges attached to them, make sure that is established and listed in the contract.

8. Set-up. An estate pro should be able to organize the sale by room, and should provide additional tables and linens for displaying your items advantageously. Small valuables items like jewelry should be displayed in locked glass display boxes.

9. Ask How Sale Will Be Advertised. Advertisement should include advertising in the classified, on the internet, signs, and fliers. Ideally advertising should include pictures and an inventory of items for sale. These costs should be indicated in the final accounting.

10. Final Accounting. Make sure that you get an itemized accounting that should include gross sales, all fees and services, value of donated items with net amount made out to the estate.

TIP: You can lower your costs by being involved in the process; however, some pros will prefer that family not be at the sale.

*photo courtesy of city data.com

A new style of thrift store is responding to the economic and popular need of bargain hunters to find items both practical and decorative at great prices.  MDM has found that in the larger cities like the Twin Cities, one entity manages several thrift stores under one non-profit umbrella similar to a department store chain.  Valu Thrift, and Valu Stores are some of the names that belong to the same nonprofit entity. 

Pricing is uniformed  within a category.  For example, a pictures, prints,  regardless of size and quality will be priced the same unless it is a true antique.  Designer purses such as Coach and Gucci are priced from $19.99-$24.99.  Glassware from a handblown apple to an antique liquor bottle will run you $1.80. 

If you find a spectacular buy, you could buy it at the time, or wait for the weekly Customer Appreciation Day that varies from store to store and save an additional 25% off all purchases.   The inventory is extensive and includes both new and used merchandise.  MDM found beautiful gowns and suits in the apparel areas, rugs and area rugs, jewelry, furniture, electronics, accessories, home decor items, and more.  Plan on spending 1-2 hours, depending upon the size of the store and an organized attack plan of shopping the stores.  Items for sale go first to a central location and then evenly distributed among the stores, but due to supply, you will not see the exact same merchandise at each store.   MDM recommends that you make a list of each store according to their customer appreciation day and shop them on that day to maximize your savings. 

Tip: Come across an item you are not sure about, put it in your cart and edit your selections right before checking out.  It’s easier to discard an item than it is to retrace your steps to find an item you have reconsidered. 

These stores do not provide a complimentary wheelchair, but generally have doors that open automatically.

Many items today that are made of brass come with a sealant, so that polishing is a thing of the past. On sealed brass with a lacquered finish, simply wipe with a clean, damp cloth. However antique brass is another story. If you do not want to keep the patina that comes with age, then you must use elbow grease and polish the brass. Anyone who has polished brass the old way knows that it’s a hit and miss to find an effective polisher, but one polish to do the trick is right in your kitchen cupboard. Catsup or Ketchup, no matter how you spell it, will clean, brighten, and polish antique brass. Use a soft cloth to apply the ketchup, followed by a damp cloth to remove the residue, and then a dry cloth to buff and remove any remaining liquid. Handy, economical, and eco-friendly, what more could you ask for?

Have you noticed a change in the look at your favorite thrift store? The fact that thrift stores have a new middle class clientele has dispensed the belief that these stores catered only to the economically challenged or for junkers and dealers. And with many items being recycled department store markdowns, the apparel selection is not out of fashion, but up-to-date styles. Subsequently, thrift stores is expanding out of the inner city and into suburban neighborhoods, and even the physical layout of the stores has been updated and now are taking on the look of popular consignment shops.

Recently Markdown Mom visited one of her favorite thrift stores that has recently annexed two neighboring stores. This has provided not only needed space, but storefront display. Inventory has increased to include a larger selection of furniture, modern and antique, and to organize the merchandise more effectively, oftentimes creating theme display areas. These stores now are competitors not only for the consignment shops, but closeout stores. Although prices have gone up, they are still extremely reasonable. However, for the collector or antique hunter pricing is more savvy, and, therefore, it is more difficult to uncover a “find.” Plus mattresses and box springs banned before, now are being sold; however, this is new merchandise in their original wrappings. Additionally, thrift stores are now offering promos such as Senior Day each week when 55+ individuals can receive 25% off their purchases.

The main tip in finding a great bargain is to shop early, and shop often. Merchandise can change daily and timing is everything. Remember, you have more competition nowadays!

There was an item for every kind of hobby and collection:

• Antique Ceramics: e.g. McCoy, Wagner
• Antique Furniture: e.g. Mahogany or yellow birch furniture, Mission, motion lamps
• Books: e.g. signed copies of first-edition classics, antique children’s books
  
• Ethnic artistry
• Kitchenware: e.g. Fire King, bakkelite
• Prints, portraits, and old photography (both signed and unsigned)
  
• Toys & Trinkets: e.g. antique cars, dolls, games, and Star Wars, Star Trek, and old monster movies paraphenalia and posters
  
• Vintage clothes, handbags, hats, shoes, and accessories
• Vintage jewelry, and more!
  

Click Here to View Mark Down Mom’s Flea Market Finds!

The next flea show will be held at the Minnesota Fairgrounds, Grandstand September 27-28, so mark your calendars!

List of selected retailers from flea market:

Abby’s Vintage
Unforgettable Vintage Clothes & Accessories
Ebay ID: abbysvintage1
(952) 836-6701

Antiques & Collectibles-Memories for You
Cash Paid-Appraisals Made
Marlys & Chris Munkelwitz
(651) 459-8031

Heirloom Jewelry

Saho & Brothers African Imports
Baskets*Beads*Wood Carvings*Clothing
David Esako
521 Indiana SE #B2
Albuquerque, NM 87108
(505) 259-9238
(505) 270-6694

Silver Eagle Indian Crafts

Sisters Antiques
Buy*Jewelry, Antiques and Collectibles*Sell
PO Box 48742
Minneapolis, MN 55448
(612) 281-2096

T & M Antiques and Collectibles
Buy*Sell*Appraisals*Estate Sales
Mary Gaspers
(651) 636-7112

Twins’ Treasures
Vintage Costume Jewelry & Hats
Sandra ‘Bjorndahl (651) 429-6042
Susan Jorgerson (651) 777-4778
11th Avenue Antique Mall
North St. Paul, MN

Whether you inherit vintage linens or they are your personal sale "finds," they not only represent the workmanship of a bygone era, but can be incorporated beautifully within any design concept.  Even those pieces that are not in pristine condition can be rehabilitated and used for unique looks. 

For example, damaged chenille bedspreads are great sources of fabric for slipcovers, lampshades, bedroom and decorative pillows, and more.  Crochet edges can be taken from old, damaged pillow cases and sheets and reused as embellishments on today’s sheets, pillowcases, sheets, and apparel.  The options are boundless for recycling.  Plus, many linens only require treating stains from age.  There are several items you can use for removing yellow age spots on linens. 

A new one found by MDM is from JunkMarket, an online American junk club, is the Star Spangled Sampler & Company  Vintage Textile Soak, for $19.95 sold in set of 2.  This product  helps remove yellow and brown age spots from vintage quilts and textiles of all kinds.

Another one that MDM has used is the delicate OxiClean ®  Baby Stain Soaker, 3.5 lb. tub msrp $9.99,  and new Baby Stain Remover, 22 oz. bottle, msrp $4.99.

As with any products, MDM recommends you first test fabric in an inconspicuous area for color fastness.

Lladró®  known by its’ subtle colors of blues, greys,  taupe, and other pastels has long held the position of one of the finest ceramic produced in Valencia, Spain.  Experiments in reviving methods of porcelain making in 1953, the Lladró brothers using a Moorish furnace and reviving 18th century porcelain styles, expanded with innovations in style of the figurines, firing techniques, and application of pastel glazes.   At one time, this upscale decorative art was only available by going to Spain or other  European countries, or at high-end retail, china, or  jewelry stores.  In more recent years, you can find popular figurines being offered at Sam’s Club stores and Ebay®, including vintage pieces.

Their values keep increasing especially when a mold is retired.  Markdown Mom especially likes the figurines that reflect Spanish history or lore, like large pieces of Don Quixote and Sancho.  Additionally, the larger and more intricate the design, the more expensive it is.

This porcelain provides an opportunity for the collector and gift-giver.  With so many selections, a piece of Lladró is a wonderful way to commemorate an event, such as a wedding, engagement, graduation, or birthday–and one that will increase in value and memories through the ensuing years. 

Especially varied are the many choices to celebrate a wedding and  would make a wonderful and elegant wedding cake topper.

Lladró has joined the Operation Smile organization to cure facial deformities of underprivileged children around the world.

Whatever the occasion, either to commemorate an event, or add to the ambiance of your home’s decor,  Lladró is a great investment choice.

SAVERS® is one of America’s largest thrift stores.  The first store opened in San Francisco in 1954 by William O. Ellison, grandson and nephew of
Ben and Orlo Ellison who helped build the Salvation Army Thrift Organization during the 1930s and 1940s. Ellison’s vision of recycling and helping the
 community grew into a national chain which now also has locations in Canada and Australia.

MarkDownMom’s recent excursion to Savers in Minneapolis, MN came with a number of wonderful surprises!

The amount of merchandise literally spans several rooms, so be prepared to bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes and spend at least 2 hours to uncover Savers many gems.   Savers has a wide array of clothing (many top notch brand names: Perry Ellis, The Gap, Aeropostale, Worthington, Lands End ), shoes, kitchenware, paintings/pictures, books/magazines, and other unique household goods. 

Don’t let the store overwhelm you and don’t be too shy.  You really need to dig in areas to find the best bargains.  Markdownmom took twenty minutes looking at Savers many pictures and almost missed two framed shadow boxes containing mounted butterflies for her daughter’s entomology collection, hidden in a corner amongst larger photos.  MDM snatched them up right away– a steal at $2.99!
 

In addition to the mounted butterflies, MDM sleuthed a large mahogany shadowbox lined in blue velvet for $7.99.  Shadow boxes like the one can cost online from $26.00-$48.00.  What a fantastic gift to display any collections! 

MDM found a few treasures for herself like this lovely crane in housewares for $6.99.

Donations come from private donors, non-profit alliances, and store closeouts which cycles frequently so every store will have a different selection and no two days will be alike.

 Items are priced higher than comparable thrift stores like GoodWill, St. Vincent de Paul’s, or Salvation Army, but proceeds help to support over 10,000 team members and help to fund community non-profits while promoting recycling efforts.

In this era of wearable art consider barkcloth.  Bordering somewhere between vintage and collectible, barkcloth is very utilitarian with its’ tactile design and, because of wearable art in apparel and its’ many applications, is experiencing a design renaissance.  The added bonus is that it can fit into most decors since barkcloth was made during several design periods in the 20th century.

Starting in the 1920’s, the cloth with origins attached to the tribal design movement in France, had a nubby texture with noticeable slubs since it was made of densely woven cotton fibers.   Most of the barkcloth of this era are floral designs. 

In the 1930’s, barkcloth began to be made in the United States. Early motifs centered around tropical designs and were indicative of the growing interest in hawaiian and japanese designs. Barkcloth  became a staple in home design and was used for drapes and curtains, upholstery, and slipcovers.

In the 1940’s,  sailors saw these brightly colored barkcloth curtains and other home furnishings and shirts and brought or sent them home.

In the following decades — the late 1940’s through the 1960’s, barkcloth became a popular fabric in the home interior textiles market. Usually the process from 1930’s-1950’s involved  vat dyeing. 

The most collectible of these barkcloths are the atomic "Eames era" prints popular in the 1950’s and early 1960’s due to interest in science and the race to the moon. 

In the 1960’s barkcloth reflected a hawaiian floral motif, and in the 1970’s took on a more modernist optical look–almost psychedelic.

Barkcloth comes in many fibers, predominantly cotton, but also in linen, to rayon, polyester and fiberglass, depending on the age of the fabric.  Vintage large pieces can be found in drapes and prices will vary according to condition, quantity, and popularity.

Where to look for barkcloth? Retro outlets and shops, and Ebay™ are your best sources for variety and selection; however, you may get lucky from time to time at an estate or garage sale.

The many uses of barkcloth include draperies and curtains, furniture upholstery, slipcovers, pillows, headboards, lamp shades, accessories and apparel. 

 One great pattern for an apparel application and utilization of smaller pieces of barkcloth Markdown Mom found is the Pacific Rim Vest & Coat  at Nancy’s Notions®.  Beautiful and durable, a coat made from barkcloth material could easily go from day wear to evening wear!

For the person who has everything, or for that Beatlephile, here is the perfect gift offered by ShopatHometv.  A commemorative certified English stamp set of 6 for $69.96, with 2 stretch pays of $34.98 +sh.  Wonderful photos and prints of albums and the Beatles including "Let It Be,"  "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely HeartsClub Band," and others.  A great cross collectible for stamp and Beatle memorabilia collectors.  Unusual gift idea and future investment. While you are browsing site, check the jewelry offerings in Clearance.  ShopatHometv has returned to offering gemstone and jade jewelry at prices that Markdown Mom says warrant a look-see.

One of the busiest redecorating periods is right before the holidays.  It’s a good time to clear out the clutter and make sroom for the holiday decorations and family festivities.  Plus, need a few extra dollars for the holidays?   Who doesn’t!  Incorporate the desire for extra cash and ridding the house of clutter by reviewing your collectibles and deciding what to keep and what to sell.   The main deterrent Markdown Mom has found in getting started is deciding the worth both in sentiment and actual $ value of the collectibles.  There are several ways to get the most money for your collectibles:

1.  Take advantage of "free appraisals" by local antique experts.  Many cities and towns periodically offer this service in at local historical sites.  Much like the Antiques Roadshow, these experts will evaluate your collectibles in terms of rarity, popularity, condition, and age to give you a ballpark estimate of the value of the item. 

2.   Local Antique Shops.  In a hurry, take the item to your local antique shop dealer.  However, be sure to go to several dealers in order to get a sense of the actual value of the item.  Resist the urge to sell the item at this time since antique dealers will generally offer a lower price in order to calculate a profit into its’ resale. 

3.  Visit Local Library or Book Store.  Some libraries carry antique and collectible guides that list items by genre or popular brands like depression ware, McCoy, toys, kitchenware, Roseville, etc.  Be sure to check the date of publication of these books since that will play a part in determining an item’s value. 

4.  Check Online Auctions. Sites like Ebay™, Amazon®, and Shopgoodwill are good reference points since they  will give you a better idea in real time of the value and popularity of your item or similar items. 

5.  Check Online Experts.  The Kovels are renowned experts in this field and publish several indices for price comparisons.  Also, online you can locate appraisers that will place a value on your item for a fee.  Check  sites like antiques appraisers. org and  antique appraisers online, plus others.

Tools are important for DIYers.  They not only are important in producing professional results, but are necessary to obtain an expert outcome.  It is no different for jewelry bargain hunters.  You need the right tools to find the real bargains.  In evaluating the worth of jewelry pieces and other antiques the tools of the trade are centered around knowledge of the product.  Oftentimes this includes honing our senses such as sight to view gems, smell to find chemical makeup of a piece as in bakelite, touch to disclose any chips, and sometimes taste to ascertain glass from plastic beads by rubbing them against your teeth.  MDM found that Jewelry Television™$19.99  has a couple of items to assist the jewelry bargain hunters. Kits start at and include jeweler’s loop, gauge and tweezers, and individual tools from $9.99-$76.81.

  As MDM repeatedly pointed out the importance of gaining knowledge through expert reference booksabout antiques and collectibles and at Jewelry Television™, a site to find some real bargains on pearls, MDM found great books on pearls especially this one for $15.99.  Additionally, check out this site’ free  Learning Library for  information on gemstones, jewelry making and more in video format, articles and guides.   Get the lowdown online from the experts on characteristics, care of,  and history absolutely FREE! 

Then with tools in-hand, go forth jewelry bargain hunters confidently,  with the knowledge that you will find those bargains waiting for you at garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, estate sales, pawn shops, and more!!!