I am not sure why, but I recently got really into online auctions. Partly because I found out one of the local Antique/Thrift stores actually did online auctions, and partly because I could NOT RESIST the opportunity to browse through antiques, and potential craft supplies from the comfort of my couch and pajamas. I do, of course, have to change if I win something and need to go pick it up, or... I can have it shipped!
First thing I learned... shipping is expensive. And I learned this the hard way. I was so excited about winning a beautiful, sunset over the mountains canvas for $6.00 until I got the email. "Shipping will be $115.00. Do you still want this item?"
Cue heart attack.
Turns out, as I said above, shipping is expensive. It was actually only $50.00 for the canvas, but, I had somehow managed to order a whole shelf of breakable objects for $5 in pursuit of one trinket box that sells online for $250.00 (this will lead into mistakes numbered 2 and 3). So... Basically for paying $11 for all this "stuff" it was going to cost me $115 to have it all shipped.
Thankfully, the auction house worked with me, and they actually bought the canvas back from me for $5 (this is RARE - but the guy thought his GF might like it) and they allowed me to ship the 3 items from the shelf that I really wanted. Two of those items arrived shattered (not just broken, one was shattered), but they were well wrapped. Judging by the state of the box when it arrived, someone had mistaken it for a basketball. The trinket box I was after however, was in perfect shape, and even retained some of the hershey kiss wrappers in the bottom.
So, as that was several auctions in and going forward, I have learned to only try and bid on items that will mail easily. In the meantime, I am anxiously awaiting a couple of boxes of vintage insulators that I hope all show up in one piece as I hav big plans for them.
It occurred to me after this incident, and a couple of others (one box that arrived smelling strongly of cigarette smoke, and another with music sheets arriving in a salami box (that smelled like... salami)) that "re-selling" was veering off the track I had wanted to be on with crafting, and it would be rather difficult to do both. And - it was more fun to craft than to try and figure out how much I should sell that Capodimonte porcelain box for. So, I started trying to limit my online auction buying to craft supplies and items that I could make beautiful again and sell.
In that vein, I jumped on a "Large tote of 100+ pieces of sheet music". Great for putting in frames, and great for junk journals, and... 100 pieces can't be THAT much, right?
They werent' kidding when they said large. I needed a hand truck to get it to my car. And, I would say it's WELL over 100 pieces - I have gone through 200 pieces so far, and still have several books to look at.
But... As I looked through the 200+ pieces of music, I found one that said Funeral March for Abraham Lincoln. My heart skipped a beat. Surely, this could not be authentic. 1865 was a long time ago. The more I looked at it, though, the more excited I became. I have been working with aging paper for almost a year now, and this one was naturally aged. There were no tell tale signs of modern copy methods. And it was old and brittle. Something about it seemed... legit.
I had sent a couple of things to an online appraiser (and youtube personality) and had no luck with one and a bit of luck with the second. Apparently 3rd time is charming, because her opinion was that it was authentic.
How do you like that? My lack of spatial ability and weakness in being able to figure out sizes of things in my head netted me a potential profit - if I can sell it. And I can't keep it - between two dogs and two small granddaughters, it will get destroyed if it stays here. Plus, I can't help but feel that between the subject matter and the victorian printing, its almost a little creepy.
So that one is up, Capodimonte is up, and people aren't buying right now, with good reason - times are tough. I have more sheet music than I could ever wish for to go with the piano rolls - God Forbid there is ever a fire in here. I'd have to put it out with my "Real Mccoy" Water pitcher.
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!