EBAY: How To Price and List to Sell on Ebay

I thought I'd share some of my ebay wisdom, I've occasionally done things like this on the blog in the past, but it's high time for a bit of an in depth look on how to word and list your items so that they actually sell. To give you some background I run an ebay store and generally spend hours on the site daily listing, researching to relisting items, I've come across ways and means to get the most from your listings and hopefully they'll help you regardless of if you're an active ebay seller or you just list when ebay throws some free listing safter you've had a clear out.

So many times people share or I see listings that just lack the key information buyers are actively searching for they basically tell you nothing and it's any wonder the item sells. There are millions upon millions of listings upon ebay at any one time, you need to know how to make yours stand out through great photographs, full descriptions or free shipping.

So let's start at the beginning with the listings title. 

Full, concise key word heavy descriptions are your way to get your items into the search results. You need to cram everything in - colour, size, brand, date (if applicable), fabric, company. Take for example your selling an Old Navy tee - simply saying "Old Navy tee" might get you some views, but "Old Navy Tee Green Striped Medium 36" Bust Cotton" probably will get you more.

Next up are photographs, you can never have to many. Photograph the front and back of everything, tags and all flaws or issues - all of which need to be noted in your selling pitch - the description. You're photographs should be taken in a well lit place, keeping the item as true to the real colour as possible, this isn't the place for showing off your photograph editing and effect skills.

So you have your photographs and you're ready to get to the meaty part of the listing itself.

Ebays made a push the last couple of months to make sure sellers are filling out the category listings. While they can be a pain to fill out and ebay often forgets them when you're relisting, they are basically the mini searches buyers can click (say colour, used/new) to narrow down their searching for a specific item. Sometimes there will be categories you just can't fill out because you don't have the information, just do all that you can or type in unknown.

Now the description - you'll find some sellers cram this with every piece of information, some barely say anything. What I do is repeat and elaborate what's in the title, but what else should you include? Well think about;

• Measurements - not just the clothes size, actually measure and mention the length, waist- actual figures are better then just saying "medium" as as all know how much store size differs
• Colour - now colours don't always sure up true in photographs so describe the colour as best you can - not need to be all fancy just pale, dark, medium
• Issues - noting any issue is super important, it pays to be honest - mention tears, scuffs, stains etc
• Extra details - is it still sealed? New in it's original box? New with tags? Heavily used? With or without instructions?

While I know it's super tempting to start everything at 99p/c or lower, you really might be underpricing your items, especially when you factor in both ebay and paypal fees alongside the cost of buying your shipping materials - you might end up loosing money. And do you really want that dress going for 99c/p?! Make sure to use the search facilities yourself that ebay provides to check the price of what an item, or similar items have sold for in the past, or if they sell at all. Start the bids at a price you would be truly comfortable at parting with the item.

If you're in it for the long haul, becoming a top rated seller is another way to grab a buyers attention by getting your listings higher in the "best match" offerings, but that takes time and is also dependent upon your return policy (you have to expect returns), feedback scores and your handling time. Free shipping can attract some buyers however you need to factor in the costs in the selling price, but in honesty, if you have high price items you might be better off considering selling via the buy it now option. That's probably too much of a gloss over with regards to stores and buy it now options but if you're interested I can whip out a post about those alone just let me know!

Do you sell on ebay? What are your tips and experiences? Feel free to ask me any questions below or through twitter!

CHRISTMAS: When Money is Tight, Santa is on a Budget

Source

Money for us, like many is tight. It especially was in my first year of living in America when we were getting a little too comfy with our overdraft. Things have picked up, especially with my ebay store but the tips and tricks for getting Christmas in the red pays true regardless of the size of your wallet. 

Challenge yourself to keeping to a budget

Me and Joe challenge ourselves to buying each other's presents within a set budget - this year $100. Buying presents for Joe would be fun regardless of a budget but having that limit makes myself really think about just how best and how cost effectively I can spend the money. Take note of deals, free shipping, online coupons and you can get a lot more for your money than you might imagine. 

Ebay

The online auction site can be great for selling your old junk that you can get some extra spending money from, but it's also great for buying presents from. If you choose to sell make sure to mention tags in the title like "Christmas" "party" etc etc and you're good to go. There's a tonne of new items on ebay - it's not all used and abused and you can find some great deals if you know how to search that site - in honesty most of my Christmas presents for Joe has come from ebay and I have no issues admitting that. 

Do make sure to note your countries postal deadlines though! 

Eating

Christmas is as much about the food as anything else, but if you're keeping to a budget, eat to your budget. It's so easy to over buy and over bake too much food, food that sadly gets thrown out. Work out from recipes exactly what you need and stick to it. Ask guests to bring a dish, a bottle. If it's just the two of you - eat to your needs, consider cheaper options - frozen vegetables, ham instead of turkey. Eat what you like, not what you're meant to like.

Vintage Christmas

Stocking up at estate sales/garages sales or second hand stores and even online you can store some perfect Christmas items - especially decorations. You can find Christmas decorations at estate sales year around, just as long as you can remember where you stored said pieces and you're good to go!

Buy Out of Season

Prices rocket when Christmas is around the corner, but as soon as January comes around Christmas stocks gets reduced so grab your bargains. It's a great time to stock up on your wrapping paper, cards to decorations and even a new tree - that's when most of our Christmas decorations and even the tree was purchased as huge discounted prices.

It's easy to be distracted by all the shiny items that seem to appear at Christmas, it's easy to give in and want it all.

How do you manage your money at Christmas time?

If 2012 taught me one thing ...

It showed me that I can find a way of getting a job - even if I have to make that job myself. Moving to America I had the wild dreams of actually being able to do something with my degrees - to get out of retail and start a "career". Yeah couple my lack of experience and not being able to sell myself and it wasn't looking good. While I was job hunting I'd been selling and playing on ebay on the side selling a mixture of things from Transformer Toys to Pokemon cards then I randomly started selling some crochet patterns and I've never looked back. I'm slowly building confidence in selling other pieces, vintage postcards, vintage recipe books to model train pieces and dolls house accessories.

Ebay rolled into Etsy which rolled into creating the Hook, Stitch, Treasure brand and we've additionally started selling on Amazon too. After building up ebay for a good couple of months I took the time in December to start working on my Etsy brand, I found some old letter stamps at an estate sale and started making my own postcard thank you come business cards. As Etsy has grown slowly bigger it's getting there - it certainly doesn't compare to ebay in the slightest when it comes to sales - but it does work better for older, quirkier items.

Non of this could of happened without having Joe to back and believe in me and drive me around to estate sales and post office whatever the weather and generally put up with me. Secondly without Detroit and the metro region being the second largest area for estate sales in the whole of the US this wouldn't be occurring either.

I've managed to prove to myself I can make my dreams a reality, and I do it all on a very low budget. Granted I don't make loads, certainly not enough to live off but it's growing and so are the profits and it's more then paying it's way and I'm going into 2013 with a whole new confidence and plans to really expand and work hard at it. But working it as a job it takes up a lot of hours, I often do 12 hour days taking pictures, writing up stock to parcelling up items but I don't mind, I love it, I love knowing old vintage patterns especially are finding new homes rather then being thrown away.

I think I got by and really got into it because of being a crafter myself, I knew a little about crocheting and knitting to be able to judge and resell items, I knew what I was talking about. If you have a passion or a hobby then turning and using it has part of your job is an amazing feeling and hopefully this post might encourage any of you to follow your own dreams.

How did 2012 fair for you? I'll be seeing you on the other side!

*    *    *

To say thank you and to welcome everyone into 2013 I'm offering a 25% discount off all items (patterns, recipe books, postcards) on my Etsy store with the code NewYear until the end of the week.

So yeah, life

Sometimes life just gets in the way, I've been immensely busy (in a good way) with my ebay auctions since thanks giving to the point that the only time I'm leaving my front door is for trips to the post office but it's proving to myself I could and can make a success of the reselling lark. Then our internet went down for two days which led to late night trips to starbucks just to do work. Anyway's bloggings been a bit of a second thought so I haven't had the time nor the will to catch up myself. So i'm rolling myself back out there with some of the more quirky vintage finds i've come across lately. 

This was a real find - a "Tool Kit for the Bride" a mini, say doll house sized package of versions a bride needs to keep her husband in line. It wasn't even opened and was too funny to pass up - it comes with a rolling pin, washing powder, iron, broom and cook book. It found its new home within hours of going online. 

While not sure how rare or even useful this piece is but it's certainly a quirky piece for a sewer to have. It's basically called a "Dial-a-gram", which designed to bring "sewing to your fingertips" dates from 1955 which spins around depending on the fabric your sewing with giving suggestions for the best threads, needles and stitches to use. 

Vogue sewing books and magazines really are a delight to come across, I could hours just pouring over the stylised images within them. Take this 1958 Vogue Sewing Book for example - aren't just dresses just lovely? It even convinces me to try use get my sewing machine even more.

Now this last item is one I'm giving you a sneak peek at as I haven't got around to uploading it to either of my stores. Elbows Off was a pamphlet published (if I remember rightly) in the 1950's for the Men and Women of General Motors addressing the ways and means when it comes to table manners. It covers everything from what a guest should bring their hosts to topics of conversion and table settings. If you're interested in this then drop me a message one way or another.

It's finds like all of the above that keep me searching and selling.

The Adventure of a Cat & a 1950's Cat Lady

Getting eBay prepared for the craziness which may be Thanksgiving and the accompanying Black Friday and Cyber Monday means I've been spending this week getting new stock written up. All these new items need images which I'm still yet to find any better way then sitting on the floor and taking. But Ed - one of our cats is nosy, she likes to be in your face and know what's going on. But, she also hates cameras, or at least the cord that's attached to them. Stick it too close and she'll either come and sit on the stock or attack my camera .... 

I'm sure she thinks in Ed's world she's helping ...

Speaking of kitties and stock - I came across this gorgeous image within a 1950's edition of the home and craft magazine McCall's Needlework that in it's time was very popular. Their pattern and inspiration magazines originally retailed for 50 cents and are amazing time capsules for vintage crafts and fashion inspiration and as social history documents. This particular fashion shoot image is from a showcase entitled "Spring fashions catch the glow down to sunset colors" from Spring - Summer 1952 - the magazine providing you the pattern to make the pieces yourself. Why can't I look this glam and stylish with my cats?

I'm not sure which I'm attracted to more, the one piece knitted dress in a lush pink or the kitty?!

LIFE: Lately ...

I haven't really been around on blogger and or social media. Well not so much as normal. They've both somewhat taken a bit of a step back - everything else is going on and I'm not finding the need or the drive to spend that extra time blogging - which is kinda lame on my part. But I'm busy, busy busy with trying to expand and grow my online selling. You see not being able to find someone out there willing to hire me to the point where it was making me very down I've taken matters into my own hands and I'm just throwing myself head and feet into my eBay reselling and additionally with my Etsy to make my own way in the world. Granted it's slow, it takes up a lot of my time from Saturdays and Sundays 9 to 4 hunting estate sales, writing up listings and posting and doesn't make me millions but it's making me happy and I finally feel like I'm paying my way a little in our relationship. 

One of my favorite items up on Etsy right now - a 1950's guide to letter writing entitled It's time to write letters! [now sold]. It's a great reminder to step away from the email and get out a pen, some nice stationary and start penning out a personal hand written letter to your nearest and dearest. Shame etsy isn't pulling as much weight as Ebay is right now though.

On all our estate sale hunting's lately I've been grabbed cheap boxes and assortments of vintage Christmas baubles, I've had plans and been pinning wildly bauble wreaths and I'm determined to make my own this year. Trying to fight off the urge to make it right now and hold off a little closer to December but I hope to get it done and posted up on here!

So that's my life lately. Crazy to think I've been here three weeks short of a year, and hopefully my reselling is heading in the right direction, certainly getting busier week by week!

My tips for selling on eBay

As you know I spend most weeks listing items on eBay. It's actually the start of my mission of making a living from it. It's hard work but it's growing. I know a lot of of us have those clear outs and throw a load of items on eBay in the hope of earning a little extra cash but there's ways and means of making sure you're actually making a profit. There's two things I'm going to talk about today - fees and why you should open non payment cases.

When you start out on eBay it's all to easy to fling things on and start them at really low prices which they may or may not get huge amounts of bids on. But if your selling them for say 0.99 and not considering all the eBay and paypal fees alongside how much it costs you to buy your envelopes you might actually be loosing money. You certainly need to be mindful of those hidden charges. 

So lets talk first about fees. While I obviously use the American version of eBay the same applies to the UK [although the pricing will be different]. Every time you list and item on eBay your charged a listing fee - the charge of which is determined by how low or high you start your pricing at. In the US any item listed with a starting price of $0.99 is charged at $0.10, $1.00-$9.99 at $0.25 and so on and so on. Your additionally charged for certain time lengths your listing too, plus extra for adding buy it now - so if your not careful you can add up a fair whack in fees before it's even sold. Even if your listing on FREE listing events you will still pay those fees if it sells. Next there's the final eBay closing fee which is charged [in the US at least] 9% of the final closing figure which includes the amount the item sold for plus what your charging for shipping. Then add paypal fees and you're charged 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction received into your account. It all adds up.

This is why I use a spreadsheet before I list anything on eBay to make sure that i'm not making a loss from the off. I also include the pricing of envelope and the buying price of an item. 

Obviously if your just selling the odd item upon eBay you don't need anything as insanely crazy as this but you do need to be mindful of all those fees or you won't be going anywhere. As eBay is my way of making money so I have columns calculating all the fees for me, places to add in shipping costs and how much money i'm actually making. 

You should never guess the weight of an item in calculating shipping costs. When i'm filling out my spreadsheet I work alongside my postage scales [or you can just use good old kitchen scales] and the USPS  website. Weigh your item inside an envelope and work out your price - I add a $1 shipping and handling fee for each pattern. If your guessing weights you'll probably end up undercharging and loosing out. 

Now most of your items when you sell them the buyers will pay up. But increasingly you might be coming across people bid on something and then never pay up or what I call eBay trolls - people who bid with no intention of ever paying. I know people find it a hassle opening unpaid cases against people but you really should - why because not only does it inform eBay of those non payers but, even if the payer didn't pay up eBay will still charge you the final closing fee. If you open an non payment case, and the buyer still doesn't respond you can close the case and eBay will refund you. When your trying to make money you should always claim back what is due to you. 

So I hope this helps - these are to the two biggie parts I've really tried to focus on in my own selling and use of eBay lately and hopefully it might help you too!

If you have any eBay tips or items you would like me to focus more on when it comes to eBay just leave a comment below!

A Letter From America

It's crazy to think 1999 was 13 years ago. It was the year I started senior school, I remember it being a year of wearing a horrid bottle green uniform, hating cross country and making French teachers cry [not by me personally, but the class collective]. I only released this when I was bidding on a postage scale for my ebay selling. There's no way I'd call it vintage - but I only want to say that about things from before the 80s. Maybe it's retro? Or just mature.

Either way I needed a set of scales. If you know anything about the difference between American and British baking/cooking you know Americans prefer to measure in cups. There's no scales in sight. Which makes it hard when your living in a scale-less apartment to weight items your selling to get the shipping charges spot on. The area we're we've failed a couple of times on eBay is loosing all our profits because we undercharged - those darn Transformers Toys can be pretty heavy you'd be surprised. After months of complaining about me guessing weights I finally took to eBay to buy some scales. I wanted vintage [or course] but I wanted big proper old kitchen scales. Until Joe pointed me in the direction of postage scales and sadly most were Chinese and digital. That made me sad. The oldest going was this 1999 pelouze 16oz scale which for 0.99 cents you can't really complain about. And when it turned up I was weighing everything.

Apparently a first class stamp through the United States Postage Service [or as we more loving call it USPS] in 1999 cost you a mere 33 cents and in 13 years its only gone up 12c to 45c but lets see how that compares to the UK pricing.

• One first class stamp - in the UK the "aim' is for it be delivered the next day and costs 60p [90c] compared to the US first class stamp costing 45c [30p] which is actually cheaper then the UK's second class post and offers delivery within three days - which when you compare the size of the county is probably a good deal.
• Second class - the UK has a second class postage option which costs 50p [75c] and is a three day service, which as an option doesn't exist in the US.
• Sending a postcard - if you were to send a holiday postcard to the US from the UK you'd be spending 87p [$1.31], in reverse you'd be only paying $1.05 [70p]. 

You can really see how different the prices are when it comes to something as standard as posting a letter. And it's not like the USPS system doesn't have competition in the US - it has loads. There's FedEx shops, UPS and DHL available everywhere [well within cities] the American post system doesn't have the run of the mill and control the postage arena like the Post Office in the UK does.

The only problems I've found is when it comes to international mailing, more so when it's coming into the US from the UK. At times it's taken anywhere between three days to three months - no joke. I have no idea where the said parcels go, visit, end up in before they arrive with me but they certainly must go on some journey. 

What do you think about the old price of posting these days? I know it's always a hot topic in the UK!

New Compact Additions

Even though I have a blog now dedicated just to writing about compacts, I always said I was still going to share my compact adventures here on LOTS. The compacts above are both a mixture of ones I've added to my collection and ones that we have or are selling via eBay - as you all know I've been trying to step up my collection to the next level and selling them has been a great way of finding more compacts and learning about them.

1) This pink and gold Rex 5th Avenue compact was an eBay goodie which was in the same lot as the Stratton butterfly compact I last blogged about. It's oversized and unused. You can read more about it here.

2) An adorable black plastic compact came from a lot we brought on eBay to resell. I grabbed this one out for keeps because as you know I'm a cat lady at heart. The figure of a curled up kitty is shaped out of the moulded plastic of the top of the compact. It's probably rather new but it's unused and too cute to sell. You can find more about the kitty here.

3) Additionally out of the aforementioned lot was this Coty Airspun Rogue mini compact which we sold last week on eBay. It came not only with it's original red Coty branded puff but additionally the refill clasp which was patented to 1929. I wrote a blog piece about the history behind the patent.

4) Sunday was the 37th Antique and Garage Sale in Royal Oak and we went for a wander and grabbed these two compacts. The silver and gold circular compact is from the British compact manufacture Kigu and the square blue flowered compact is a double compacted mirror. For $5 and $3 respectively you can't say no and or go wrong - these both are for keeps. 

5) Finally another compact we have on sale via eBay this week - a Dorset 5th Avenue compact. This compact has great little attentions to detail and is unused. As a compact Dorset manufactured compacts between the 1930s to 1950s so it's a great piece of it's era.

Find out more via;

compacts blog // ebay // pinterest

Still chance to advertise on my blog space for August - just leave your details if your interested!

Collectors Club: Transformers

Now this collector is an addict and because it was his birthday yesterday I thought he more then deserved the last slot in this collecting series. I call him an addict frequently but it's allowed because I'm married to him. So I admit Joe isn't a blogger, but I felt my guys collection was worthy of being included because I share my life with it. Plus it lets us have an insight into a man's collection!

Close up of Cheetor from the Beast Wars line

In 1996 an 11 year old boy got hooked into a new cartoon called Transformers: Beast Wars which was based on robots which transform into animals on an Earth far into the future. Divided into two factions - the maximals [goodies] and the predicons [badies] they are the descendants of the Transformers we see in the films, from which countless toy lines were manufactured. At one point his mum threw out a garbage bag, little did she know she was throwing out his entire Transformers collection. 15 years later that boy is recollecting and still obsessed with the show.

When I first started dating Joe I knew of his love for Transformers but I was amazed at how many he actually owned. Currently the total stands at 109 [I think, excluding the ones awaiting being put on eBay] and predominately they are from the Beast Wars, Beast Machines [both old cartons from the 1990s] and the Transformers Prime [film and the contemporary cartoon] lines. Yet it involves more then collecting toys, it involves cartoons, films, searching eBay, membership to the official club, getting member only toys and trips around countless stores to try and grab them. Even I could name your Optimus from your Cheetor to Soundwave to your Snapper. Date a guy with a collection like this and you get interested too. 

Comic within the official Transformers members magazine and Optimus Prime from the film line.

Joe's was always one step ahead of me when it came to collecting, he can part with, and sell them on eBay if he's buying in a lot and there's some he doesn't want or he already has. We don't make lots of money but we hope they go to a decent home. It always come down to condition just like compacts. Paint and chrome-ware all come into account, missing parts and missiles all affect the price. We never keep them in their original boxes [unless selling them], they are toys and they are meant to be played with so that's what we do. But it's why we need an extra bedroom, just so I can contain them into one room. It always surprises me how many grown men are buying Transformers in stores and bid on them on eBay, there's many more Transformers widows out there. The things you do for love!

*  *  *

This looks to be the final post in the bloggers who collect series - although i'll gladly accept any more posts if you want to fling them my way. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that took the time out to make this little series happen. I hope you all enjoyed it just as much as I did putting it together!

VINTAGE: Wooden Maxine Compact

Sometimes you come across compacts that just surprise you, you were never expecting them too, but there's something about them that just make you fall in love with collecting all over again. That can be said of this little compact. I brought it in a lot with two others, I'll be honest in admitting from the look of the pictures it didn't look anything exciting. The minute I opened it up, this compact became a firm favourite.

What makes this compact different is that it's casing is made of wood in a somewhat horseshoe shape, edged in metal with a metal interior. As a material, wood was often used as an alternative to metal particularly during WWII when metal was short - and there are several things to suggest that this compact could be old.

There is a lot of machine etched detailing to the powder well flap with a fancy rogue compact in the bottom quarter of the mirror hidden behind a little flap, it takes a delicate finger nail to lift it up. It came complete with a cotton based puff, delicately edged with thread and a little hook to pick it up by. All these little bits of attention to detail make me think it's old, made before compacts became highly commericalised. When lifted the powder well lid is even edged with material to keep the powder in place - something I've never seen before, only ever on the bottom of the powder well. This compact is certainly something different.

Upon the wooden top Maxine is marked. First I thought this was a brand mark now I think it's some form of personalization yet I'm unsure if this occurred before or after the compact was purchased. While it's very neat it certainly looks hand drawn and looking even closer it looks like to have been marked with a pen running over it. Either way, to me it's pretty and totally looks right for the compact. Compacts to me are all about their history, their life and their use and if someone took it upon themselves to dedicate and personalize it - then it makes it all the more special to me.

I've also finally got around to putting my first compacts up for sale on eBay, they are both doubles from my collection so I'm willing to let them go to a nice new home.  If you're interested in having some of our own - have a little peek.

VINTAGE: 1933 Century of Progress Chicago Compact

As anyone knows I have a secret love for the city of Chicago - I get the same great feeling I had about moving to and living in Newcastle [and it's the city I hint most about moving to]. Chicago was also where we had our honeymoon, so a compact that was designed to commemorate the 1933 World Fair that the city hosted was always going to be a winner.

The World Fair 1933-34

The first World Fair was held in Crystal Palace and hosted by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. This fair, also known as the Century of Progress was held between 1933 to 1934 to celebrate Chicago's centenary with technological innovation as it's main theme, held around where the main museum campus of Chicago is today.

The compact itself is a double compact - holding what remains of the rogue in the top compartment and pressed powder in the bottom, with a double hinged mirror separating the two. It is in fact a very small compact being 2.1" x 1.7" wide - a scale representative of it's era. The famous Century of Progress logo appears upon it's blue enameled top. Overall it's in a brilliant condition for being so old - with only slight marking on the bottom - the hinges and the clasps work perfectly and comes complete with both puffs. While these commemorative compacts aren't rare [there's always a few in varying conditions on Ebay for various prices ranging from $30-100] they still command a strong selling price even though they are actually unmarked as to whom manufactured them. Nevertheless I love being able to own something from one of my favorite places especially now that the compact has entered it's 79th year.

On a related note the blog might get a bit compact heavy shortly, in addition to the two other Christmas compacts from the husband i'm currently bidding my way through Ebay. I jokingly laughed that the boy could buy the transformers lot he had his eye on if I could spend the same amount on compacts - deal done! So with $60 on my side i'm trying to get my hands on a wide range of compacts. Compacts and transformers [as in the toy not train transformers] are the only things I ever bid for on ebay - what do you lovelies end up buying there?

Vintage wooden sewing box

Having a good sewing box is part and parcel of being an organised and dedicated sewer. With a base to organise and sort your skeins, your needles your bits and pieces will allow the crafty girl more time to past time in her hobby rather then rooting and hunting out that needle.

My own sewing box is one that my gran use to use, complete with her old threads, needles - everything really a girl could ever need. In addition I was brought a Celia Birtwell sewing organiser for Christmas but in turn its made a very handy jewellery box.

But being vintage at heart I could never turn down a vintage sewing box something like this that I stumbled on upon that magical delight of Ebay;

Images lost to cyberspace

Even complete with old safety pins, fasteners, thimbles, bobbins and silks this is the perfect little wooden storage case for your sewing pleasure. With 6 bids currently resting on £12.66, I really hope it goes to a home where its loved.

Kigu tapestry compact

I somehow managed to find some Christmas, festive luck and won a delightful Kigu compact on eBay. I've blogged about my love for matching my two interests of compacts and needlepoint and this compact hits the nail on the head by far! I've managed to date this 3 inch in diameter compact to the mid 1950s, designed and patented by Kigu of London, with a cover holding lovely rose patterned flowers still bright and cheerful even fifty years after its production. And, with a sliding clasp to the powder holder its unique in this respect in my collection. "Used" however does match its state yet with a good scrub and polish it radiates a warmth and shine nearly equal to its original state.

Probably from the series 2 Kigu of London compact design, its golden casing offering a plastic protected pink and red rose patterned tapestry.

A closer peek upon the top...

With a good scrub and polish the insides are shining and gorgeous - with an engine turned pattern on the powder cover, one decorated with the symbol and lettering of "Kigu" of London

A closer glance at the turned and decorated cover of the compact in addition with the "Kigu" mark reflecting in the mirror.

Handbags, ebay and autumn light

Random handbags

We found a random handbag while sorting out my Gran's. Where its from or how old it is has become an intriguing mystery especially when my Gran rarely kept or used handbags, she had two favourites and that was that, this one was merely hidden upon a wardrobe shelf.

A soft leather, the handbag material itself is now rather blotchy, with a small strap which hooks at either side, they are slightly rusty and old. With a small and well working clasp upon the front a pocket runs along it's length at the back. The handbag opens to reveal a purple (rather then the blue the camera has depicted) inlay - its colour is so vibrant and bright - far from a colour matching any of its modern contemporaries. A selection of small pockets align across the front, one holding what seems its original vanity mirror so neatly slotted into its pocket. Opening to three compartments, the middle one is tightly held by a clasp, to open it is to reveal something I've never come across in contemporary handbags - an internal hinged pocket, its colour the same as the inlay with a leatherette brown insides - perfect for loose chain.

Yet with no known history of it and with no information provided inside the handbag itself - no marks or names are presented its a little lost item of the past. Its possibly too worn to use but its a perfect accompaniment to my compact collection for a shiny vintage compact would be a fitting partner to slot into this handbag.

Is there even a way of dating handbags?! - all ideas and thoughts are kindly welcome

The eBay find

Somehow I've managed to keep away, or never really stumble across using eBay, even my parents managed to beat me to using that website. Even through the site is well established and used by the millions I've never really had a need to bid for anything. Until I thought of eBay as the perfect site and place to expand my recent collection of powder compacts. It's a hobby, well a collection I'm not going to get into just for economic or monetary value, more for the history, the shapes and designs of these individual cases. Somehow I'm even stopping myself from bidding for everything beautiful on there, my self control seems to have found new boundaries.

So to get the virtual ball rolling, a round Stratton compact caught my eye. With its blue top with paler blue and white flowers, their shapes outlined in the gold matching the casing, it is the classic Stratton compact with it's infamous stars on the bottom. Inside a clear mirror with the Stratton name is engraved into the upper casing. Going on to flick up the cover which keeps in place the powder case, its bottom is showing and is somewhat marked - but its nothing a cheap powder inlay couldn't fix.

It was the colour that got me, especially when the sun catches its top, its blueness is so bright and after going for 99p (plus the old postage) and a good little dust and rub this afternoon its a perfect little addition to my collection.

And a final little dressing table picture

I'm still missing my digital camera after it got landed into the bin after the white screen of death so I still have to resort to using the camera phone. For a 3MP LG camera phone it does a rather good job - the girl is just hoping she gets a proper camera for her birthday next week! Anyway, I was playing around with my phone while I was taking the above pictures of my compact and eyed up my mirror (also use to be my Gran's) which after a good fix of mending the hinges it now sits nice and proud on my dressing table. I just love how the autumnal evening sunshine casts its rays onto the mirror and how it creates an airy, hazy atmosphere into the room. It seems to give the mirror a kind of power, ancestral somewhat fitting to its heritage.