1920's - 1930's Vintage Children's Valentines

I'm working with some charming 1920's - 1930's vintage die-cut children's Valentines today, and found some that are too sweet not to share. Above you'll see Little Red Riding Hood and the Woodsman from the fairy tale: "I'm the woodsman big and strong who'll protect you all life long, Valentine." 1935 card.

The little clown or Pierrot above also dates from 1935. What lovely art work on these vintage cards!

The 1931 card above shows a little boy and girl in a hot air balloon. It reads: "I'm up in the air over you! Please be my Valentine."

This undated card (1920's to 1930's vintage) shows a sweet little Dutch girl with a heart. Note her wooden shoes! It reads: "My Valentine. Here is mine heart. Let us together never part."

This card (looks like 1920's from style) shows a boy who is a cheerleader. He has a megaphone and the little flag behind his head looks like it says Yale. "Here's my favorite yell Valentine - rah, rah, rah, I think you're swell!"

If you'd like to see a large -- and always growing -- collection of vintage Valentine cards, 1920's to 1960's vintage -- please stop by my store:

http://stores.ebay.com/Birdhouse-Books__W0QQ_sidZ81052548?_nkw=Valentine

First Steps to Selling on eBay

For the next few days, I'm going to post some tips about starting out as an eBay seller. If you've ever thought about selling online, it is easy and fun ... and I'm looking forward to sharing a few tips with you!

WHY DO YOU WANT TO SELL?

Do you want to sell just a few things you have around the house, or do you want to get into selling as a way to bring in additional income (i.e. selling regularly)? This will make a difference as you plan your first steps.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SELL?

Unless you are selling things that you have around home (and that is a great way to start!), you should think about what you want to sell. I strongly advise picking an area, or 2 or 3, that you know and enjoy, and starting with that area. Examples would include CDs, baseball cards, baby clothes, cosmetics, handcrafted jewelry, or more.

When I first started on eBay, I sold books ... new or used, all different types. I've worked as a bookstore manager and I love books, so it seemed like a good starting place. Over time, I started listing especially in the areas I know and love best -- children's books and cookbooks. Through the children's books, I also developed a love of illustration, and a love of vintage ephemera as well. That's how I started on vintage cards.

HOW MUCH DO YOU PLAN TO SELL?

If you want to sell just a few items a week, you will do well working with the sell your item form at eBay. If you want to sell more, you will want to choose a listing service to keep things organized, to design good looking auctions, and to develop a more professional auction look. I have used the Inkfrog listing service for years and I highly recommend it -- http://www.inkfrog.com/. Inkfrog allows you to make auction templates, so you can "fill in the blanks" for similar types of listings, and it also lets you design an auction look that suits what you are selling. For instance, I use a vintage cherries design that looks a lot like a 1950's stamped tablecloth linen. If you'd like to peek, you can look at one of my auctions here:
Make It With Buttons 'N Beads - 1975 vintage craft book
http://cgi.ebay.com/Make-Buttons-N-Beads-1975-Kap-Krafts-CRAFTS-Bk-/350349766629?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Childrens_Books&hash=item5192792fe5

I'll pick up tomorrow with a new installment on where to find items to sell on eBay. Hope you'll stop back by!

30 Day Blog Challenge -- and Summer Goals

Hi all!

I am excited to begin Day 1 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge. Jeanette Cates is leading a great group at http://jeanettecates.com/blog-challenge/. It's a simple idea; you blog daily for the month of June.

I enjoy blogging, but tend to pop in occasionally (rather than blogging regularly), so this is a great discipline for me.

My blog focuses on vintage treasure hunting, and selling online (eBay and other venues). If you're new to the blog, I hope you'll enjoy it!

Concurrently, I've been working on Summer goals, so the timing of the blog challenge is perfect!

Here's what I have planned for the summer:

JUNE

I'm going to stretch my selling legs a bit and try some new venues, in addition to eBay. I love eBay -- I mean I really love it -- but the Spring 2010 "store in core" changes have not been kind to media sellers, as the market is now flooded and prices on books, music, movies are lower. With this in mind, I plan to import my listings to both Addoway (http://www.addoway.com/birdhousebooks) and update my booth at Bonanzle (http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/birdhousebooks).

I will be listing on my beloved eBay too -- mostly vintage books and ephemera. My eBay store is located at: http://stores.ebay.com/Birdhouse-Books.

I also am planning to blog daily about my online selling adventures, including pictures of great finds. Of course, I will post more about Addoway and Bonanzle as I explore those sites.

JULY

July is about Amazon Marketplace. I will be pulling more of my media items over to my marketplace store (http://www.amazon.com/shops/vintage-books-galore). Once again, this is in addition to eBay.

AUGUST

I will continue adding items to my Amazon Marketplace and listing new items on eBay.

I also plan to make a new "price book" to check my items for current prices on eBay. I will be pulling media items under $9.99 and putting them at a 30 day sale before donating them. I will continue to carry ephemera at a variety of prices (starting at $6.99) because it is such a pleasure and ease to deal with.

So ... blogging should fit in nicely with my summer plans, and I'm looking forward to this new adventure. I hope you'll be coming along!

Favorite Vintage Valentine of the Day

Hi all! I just found this cute little card and wanted to share it with you. It's a 1960's vintage die-cut Valentine card. There's a bright, colorful carousel with the words: Oh Valentine, You've Got Me Going 'Round in Circles! Such a true example of 1960's children's Valentines ... and oh so cute!

Antique German Postcards - Christmas

These vintage postcards are too lovely not to share. They are German and 1900's to 1910's vintage. One card features an old fashioned Christmas tree with gold tinsel, star, and candles. Another features a band of musicians playing in an open air tower. The third is an especially beautiful card featuring angels singing from a book that is held up by little cherubs.