What a Weekend!!!!

This entry should be better named as ranting and raving! I have spent the best part of the memorial weekend trying to work around a major problem with Yahoo's software again. There is something major wrong with their auction clock and it is preventing us from listing or relisting auctions in the normal fashion. This is an ongoing problem but as usual (with a lot of help from the Yahoo Sellers Group) we have figured out a temporary fix and I have finally caught up with my relisting. Unfortunately the fix takes 5 times the time of the normal procedure. I probably won't be able to get new listings on until they have this problem fixed.

This may cause my newsletter to be a little late this month. I don't know where the time goes. Hang in there folks I have a lot more Quality Junk to show you so don't give up on me yet.

thanks for listening - the old guy

Poetry 101 - The Only Day

The Only Day

are you concerned about the past

be glad it's done and gone at last

or does the future make you blue

why? no one can have a clue

unless you wish for constant strife

let past nor future rule your life

look around!! What can you do

This is the only day for you

If you owe some long gone debt

don't waste your time, don't sit and fret

do what you can don't try for more

take your best shot then close the door

release your past and future hell

use your time to live life well

act here and now and please don't miss

for the only day you have is this

the old guy

11 mar 2005

Back To The Grind !!!

Well it's a fairly quiet Saturday before Easter and I am trying to recover from the trauma of having my taxes finished. As usual Uncle got most of what I had and then some. At least it's over for another year and I can get back to trying to pay off the rest of the world.

Thanks to you good folks who keep buying my quality junk I am getting the old bills paid a little at a time.

I have finally reached 900 auction listings and I am certain I will reach my New Years goal of 1000 soon.

I am changing my format totally away from bidding and gradually changing all of my auctions back to the buy it now format. In two years I have only had three auctions with more than one bid so why waste your time and mine waiting for auctions to close. I really believe that many folks look at an item and just don't want to bid on it because there's a number of days before the auction closes. It is much simpler to just buy it now. I price my auctions at what I need to get from them and so I'm not really interested in these so called bidding wars. My philosophy is going to be this. If you must fight to spend your hard earned money, go somewhere where the sellers need your money to pay their fees. E bay is the place to be if your anxious to fight other people for the right to buy things. I always close bids for my repeat customers anyway so this really isn't much of a change.

OK enough about business. I hope all of you folks have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. I'm going to take what's left of it and put some more "Quality Junk" on the net.

thanks for listening.... the old guy!!

Updated for content 06/09

Ramblings

I thought I'd better take this opportunity to let you know where I'm at these days because I will be tied up from now until the 15th doing what I should have done months ago. My taxes. I don't know why but I have a phobia about taxes and always put them off until the last minute. They always seem to work out alright, it's just the way I am.


One of my New Years resolutions that I addressed in this blog was to reach 1000 listings this year without listing each cup and plate individually. This morning I reached 900 so I'll probably make it. It's a slow process because you good folks keep buying my "Quality Junk" and I have to play catch up a lot. (Don't get me wrong I definitely want you to keep on bidding).

Now that summer is approaching I have started taking most of my photos outside in natural light and this is giving me a much better picture quality for you. (This was another one of my New Years Resolutions).

Well I think that's enough rambling for now, wish me luck with the taxes.

thanks for listening... the old guy

Updated for content 06/09.

Gifts For Sale

I am going to start a new category of merchandise for my store called gifts. My spouse has been a preschool teacher for almost 20 years and she has been rewarded by her students and parents with dozens of gifts over the years. She loves the kids and their gifts but the time has come to move some out to make room for more. Most of these items are in Brand New condition and have never been used. I will title all of these with the word GIFT so you can find them in an alphabetical title search under the Letter "G". I will list them as I have time along with all my Quality Junk.
Keep your eyes open for these as they will be bargains compared to store retail prices.

thanks for listening...the old guy

Updated for content 06/09.

Poetry 101 - Choices

I wrote this during a period when I knew that I had to make some dramatic changes in my life and I knew that many choices had to be made. Only God knows whether I made the right ones. I certainly don't.

I apologize to anyone who may be offended by my choice of words.

CHOICES

life is full of choices
advised by many voices.

should we laugh or should we cry
should we shout or should we sigh.

shall we rise or stay in bed
live by heart or by head.

eat our food sweet or tart
suffer pain or let a fart.

do we walk or will we run
making choices is no fun.

will we sleep or lust this night
bake a cake or fly a kite.

go to school or play some pool
make wrong choices play the fool.

will we dress or naked stay
make a choice straight or gay.

all day long i strive to see
what choices are alright for me.

The old guy
11 mar 2001

thanks for listening....the old guy

Poetry 101 - The Lonely Mailbox

I wrote this for myself one day while I was on my pity pot waiting for a letter from a friend.

I now dedicate it to all of our servicemen and women and to those at home who wait anxiously for mail.

in my front yard there sits an object so forlorn
it very often wonders why that it was ever born

every day it stands & waits its door is always open
and deep inside its metal hide its heart is always hopin'

it knows that somewhere out in space a missive is enroute
someday soon it will arrive and slide right down its chute

but alas it seems as if that day will never come
But if it does there is no doubt that it will really hum

every day i speak to it and bid it not to cry
i tell it that our friend will write and that is not a lie

now the man has stopped in front he's looking in his bag
he looks at us and shakes his head our spirits they do sag

where are the words That we have waited long for
the news that she's still happy & that her spirits soar

when they do come the little mailbox sitting all alone
will sing and dance and leap about never more to moan.

More from the old guy

thanks for listening .........

Is Anyone Out There???

For sometime now I have been writing feverishly and often in this blog. Hopefully putting out information that is interesting, informative and even entertaining. All of this is aimed at supporting my efforts with online sales. I have placed a link to this blog in almost every e mail I have sent in the last two months. Since most of these e mails have been to people who would almost certainly be interested in most of my rambling rantings, I have been more than a little puzzled by the almost total lack of comments. In order to try and solve this rather perplexing problem, I did the last thing that most of us men want to do. I ask a few people why they didn't seem to be reading this great blog and perhaps making constructive or even destructive comments. The consensus was overwhelming. Very few had any idea how to post their comments. I tried myself and it was very confusing to me also.

First of all not many people really want to sign up for blogger. At least not until they have some idea of what it is all about. The answer to that would be to make anonymous comments, but the radio button says clearly that they must log in and publish. Most folks, not being as bull headed as I am quit at this step and either let it go or in a few cases e mailed me with their thoughts.

The reality is that if you choose to comment anonymously, when you click on the dreaded log in and publish button It simply sends your comment directly to me by e mail and I publish it. Please don't be afraid of the log-in button. If you have checked the anonymous block on your comment page there is no log-in. Your comment comes straight to me for censorship (another dreaded word).

I have opted to check all comments before they are published in order to keep out spam advertisers who are endlessly assaulting everything and everyone on the Internet with their childish, stupid and often dangerous messages. I will not censor any comment that is pertinent to the article even if it is critical of what I said.

Hopefully this will encourage some of you to comment, if for no other reason than to let me know that someone is reading my rantings.

thanks for listening....

Updated for content o6/09.

Poetry 101 - The Watcher in Your Soul

Another one of my feeble attempts at creativity. this one was for a friend who was going through a tough time in her life. I debated over the title, I was going to use "The Guardian Angel" , but somehow this seemed more appropriate. (Don't ask me why because I don't have the slightest idea).

THE WATCHER IN YOUR SOUL

thoughts and feelings you may hide

but there is one who's at your side.

it knows you well, this loving spirit.

it speaks not words, but you can hear it.

when things you do might bring you shame,

it tries to keep your actions tame.

with love it's been there many years

through joy and sadness, smiles and tears.

it shares your pain when you do wrong

and when you're good breaks out in song.

though you can't see this guardian sprite,

it's waits down deep to still your fright.

the warmth that comes from this sweet guide

will keep you safe and turn the tide

to help you find your lifelong goal

you have a watcher in your soul.

the old guy

to the light

09 May 2005

Feel free to share.

thanks for listening.....

Military History in Black and White

Buy Vintage Military Prints at Quality Junk on Atomic Mall





About ten years ago I stumbled across a large quantity of military prints that came from a bankruptcy sale by a large military dealer. I have sold most of them over the years but still have a couple of hundred left. They were originally distributed (according to my source) by a west coast company called "Prints of Wales" right after the Korean War in the late 50's. I know from the numbers that I did get that there were probably100 prints in the set. I have never seen all of them as there were only about 80 numbers when I got them. With very few exceptions they are all in their original shrink wrap packaging. I have around thirty different left and have just finished putting them all in my Atomic Mall store. In many cases I have duplicates available but some of the more incredible shots have now become one of a kind. Almost all of these are Navy and span the period from WWI to the Korean War. Get 'em while they're hot. when they're gone they're gone.

Updated for content 06/09.

Feedback - Pros and Cons

Lately there has been a lot of discussion in various Sellers Groups that I subscribe to about buyers leaving negative feedback on sellers when it wasn't deserved. The general feeling among sellers is that even a single negative feedback causes some buyers to look elsewhere and they become very upset when this happens. Doubly so if they feel that said negative feedback has no basis in fact. There is no court of appeals on many sites to decide who's right and who's wrong. Once a feedback report is entered it stays. The only recourse that a seller has is to rebut this feedback by stating the facts from the sellers point of view. This almost inevitably leads to back and forth chain of nasty notes that definitely scares people away.

I have stated many times that I will never give negative feedback and so far I have stuck to this like superglue. I am a staunch believer in the old adage that the customer is always right, even when he is wrong. Any experienced businessman knows that there is absolutely nothing to be gained by debating issues with customers. My belief is apologize and move on. As far as people who are genuine frauds, most sellers do not send merchandise until it's paid for and lose nothing except a little time if a seller backs out of the deal for any reason. My philosophy is deal with it. Move on to the next sale.

Most of the negative feedback that I have seen leading to endless circles of heated accusations are started by sellers who (after waiting a reasonable length of time) and receiving no correspondence or money tag the buyer with a negative statement. This starts the war. A war which no one wins. My recommendation is let it go and move on.

Does this mean that the feedback system is totally useless. Not really. Sellers and buyers alike are more likely to trust and deal with someone who has a high positive feedback rating and few if any negatives. The feedback system is a supplementary communications method. If you give me feedback, I assume that you have received the merchandise and if you get feedback from me you can assume that I have received your payment. It puts a final closure on a good transaction. Please give feedback if the person has satisfied his end of the transaction. If they haven't and you are unhappy with something use e mail. 99% of the time you are going to resolve misunderstandings without going to war.

One last word, to buyers and sellers alike. Double check your feedback before you submit it. It is easy to fill in the wrong dot and put a permanent blemish on someones record by mistake. Even if a site allows you to revise the words by subsequently submitting good feedback, you have if nothing else created bad feelings. Unfortunately there are people who only look at numbers and don't read any further.

thanks for listening...

Updated for content 06/09.

Dinnerware - Use?Collect?Display?

As most of you know the largest component of my listings is what many people (myself included) refer to as replacement china. Actually this is a little misleading because dinnerware (especially china and porcelain) are bought for three primary uses depending on the buyer.

First. many people do buy pieces as replacements for broken or missing items from a pattern that they actually use at their dinner tables. Others may have purchased or been given starter sets and are trying to expand them as their families grow or they start entertaining at home. In other words they are going to use them!

The second group of buyers are of course collectors. Some of these folks collect specific patterns, manufacturers. lines, or shapes. Others are only interested in a certain colors. There are a few who are only interested in a specific item, for example, coffee cups, creamers, butter pats, etc, etc.

Finally there is a use for dinnerware that is often overlooked by sellers and buyers alike. This is display for purely decorative purposes. I am very interested in targeting this market both for homes and commercially (restaurants, offices, etc,etc). There is no question about it china, porcelain, pottery, glass or even metal dinnerware pieces are often works of art. Using them to create a certain ambiance in a room can be a very inexpensive way of decorating.

When I look for items to put in my Atomic Mall store, I keep all of these uses in mind and I weigh them all in setting my prices. Perhaps some of you will take another look at them when you are looking to buy.

thanks for listening...

Updated for content 06/09.

Poetry 101 - English Breakfast Tea

---

I wrote and dedicated this poem to a group of ladies who were living together in a substance abuse rehabilitation center trying desperately to find a new way of life. I gave it to them with the tea and hope that it made at least one day a little brighter.

---

When the sun comes up and I awake
my vision blurs and my head does ache
i know the cure, which i do need
it's warm and sweet and does the deed
To the kitchen i must drag
this body sore, face like a hag
in the cupboards do i search
moving slowly with a lurch
Then there it is, right in my eye
"thank you lord" My mouth does cry
now to the stove i swiftly stride
to warm this brew and save my hide
i sip it slow and feel the heat
my dormant heart begins to beat
a mix of love and soothing be
this cup of English Breakfast Tea

the old guy 7 May 2005

thanks for listening...

Poetry 101 - A Moment In Time

I'm afraid I feel the urge to entertain you with another of my rare ventures in creativity. This one was intended to describe my feelings about a few short moments I would often share with a dear friend after closing up the Antique Mall for the day. It was a quiet calming time that usually washed the day trials and tribulations from my mind. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

A MOMENT IN TIME

Between My work and nightly sleep
a time of comfort seems to creep.

just 30 minutes - one half hour
serves to calm and offer power.

speaking with a friend at ease
we sat together in the breeze.

we sipped hot drinks and watched the crowd.
Occasionally we thought out loud.

i talked and talked and rambled on
i would have kept her to the dawn.

i know not what i said to her
the time went by just like a blur.

i sensed her need to run and play
i knew i'd lose her anyway.

with heavy heart and racing mind
i said farewell i would not bind.

my friend she raced across the street
into the crowd a need to meet.

The Old Guy
18 Mar 2001

Feel free to share it if you like, thanks for listening.

A Touch Of The Flu

Well folks, once again I've been bit by the flu bug and have not been able to do much since a day before Christmas. I am just now getting to the point where I can sit down at the computer long enough to try and catch up with things. As far as I know I didn't miss any Christmas deadlines. but for a few of you who may have experienced shipping delays, my deepest apologies. I have been very fortunate that this is a very rare experience for me and I am extremely sympathetic to those who seem to go through this every year. I should be back up to speed in a day or two, so please bear with me.

Thanks for listening.

Has It Really Been a Year!!!

Has it really been a year since we closed our last Brick and Mortar storefront. I guess it's really true. December 24 was actually our last day of business at the store. I'd be lying to you if I said that I didn't miss it, but the truth is that it was no longer economically feasible to keep going. I miss the neighborhood and the customers. I don't miss the constant and usually futile struggle to pay the bills. I have spent this entire year just trying to get life back on an even keel. Thanks to the support of my family and friends both on and off line it has been a tough but good year. I certainly want to thank all of you who have helped by purchasing my "Quality Junk" during the past year. Especially those where I made mistakes, for being understanding and allowing me to correct them. I have learned from all of you and hopefully will continue to do so. If at any time you feel I am ignoring your legitimate needs as a buyer please do not hesitate to let me know.

It is my fervent hope to continue the wonderful relationships that I have found through my participation in on line sales and to make many new ones in the coming years. As I tie up more of the loose ends from my previous business ventures, I hope to be able to bring you lots of additional "Quality Junk". I want to assure you that my objective is to create Win-Win situations in every case. A fair profit for me and a great deal for you.

Again I thank all of you for being there this year and I welcome those who visit in the future. Feel free to comment or criticize. Here's wishing you a great Holiday Season and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Thanks for listening.

Content updated 06/09.

Condition Codes - The Theory of Relativity

Somewhere in every store and auction listing is a word that supposedly gives the buyer an idea of the condition of the merchandise being sold. This one little word often makes or breaks the sale in the eyes of the buyer. There are three major problems with regard to this single word description that I feel warrant a little clarification. Once you realize what you are looking at you may want to look a little further into the auction before you make a decision on whether the item is worth bidding on.


The most important issue here is that all of these words are pure speculation and quite honestly Sales sites would do well to drop this code from the submission forms entirely. Having been a stamp collector and also dealt for years with trading cards, I have seen some real knock down battles over the difference between good, very good and excellent. The same goes for a lot of other speculative and subjective adjectives. Also entering into this arena of confusion is the fact that many older pieces in every category can be said to be in excellent condition(considering age and what's available on the market), if they were newer you might call them poor.

You are probably asking yourselves about now - What is this guy talking about? My point here is to encourage you to ignore the almost inevitably confusing condition code and look carefully at the picture, read the sellers description and above all when in doubt about something please ask. If you don't get an answer, pass it by. LET THE BUYER BEWARE!!!

Thanks for listening.

(Updated for relevance 06/09)

Does Time Really Fly?

Where oh where does the time go? Despite my best intentions I have not been able to get back here this weekend. I finally had to breakdown and take care of some personal issues. Like my own Christmas shopping. Now you would think that would be fairly simple for a guy who has a warehouse full of "Quality Junk". WRONG!!! My family knows what I have and if there is anything there that they wanted they would have confiscated it a long time ago. So I have to do what all the rest of you human beings have to do. SHOP. I will admit I started early for me. It isn't even Christmas eve yet. I have bought all of three things so I am way ahead of the game.
Thanks for listening. the old guy

On the Subject of Bottles

(Updated Info 06/09) Most of the info in this post are still valid. The same 15 cases of bottles are still sitting on my back patio waiting for me to do something with them. LOL

I was on my back patio today and found myself staring at 15 cases of bottles that I had acquired in a trade with another dealer about two years ago. There are well over 1000 bottles in those cases. They are mostly food, medicinal and cosmetic bottles that came out of a Los Angeles area dump years ago and had been in storage in a Hollywood garage. (The bottles in the picture are not mine). I don't have time to try and catalog them so I pull out a few interesting ones every now and then, clean them up and put them on auction. In addition to these I have about 100 soda, beer and liquor bottles left that I will also slowly introduce to the auction circuit. I have very few dairy bottles left from a large lot that I purchased several years ago, but I am keeping my eyes open for more of these at a price I can afford to buy.

During the time that I had my own brick and mortar store, I learned that bottle collectors, regardless of what type of bottles they collect, fall into three groups. There are those who are only interested in bottles from their own local area. There is another group who collect a specific type, for example dairy, liquor,etc,etc. Finally there is a small but dedicated group who collect for the shapes and designs that the mineral deposits, heat and pressure from being underground or underwater leave on the bottles. I have seen some astonishingly beautiful collections in this later category.

I have a fairly wide selection of bottles in storage from all of these areas and gradually intend to put them into my auction mix. I have a very limited knowledge of value, primarily based only on sales experience. When these bottles are posted and you happen to be interested in one or more of them, do not hesitate to email me with an offer if you think I am being ridiculous. I am not here to make anybody mad. I am here to make you happy. Also I appreciate being educated, so I don't mind trading negotiated discounts for expanding my knowledge base. Just a few thoughts to chew on.

Thanks for listening.

Poetry 101 - Circles of Life

I warned you that I would make some personal posts here from time to time. I am an occasional poet (I'll let you decide how good). This is a poem I wrote a few years ago for a friend whose cancer had just came back out of remission. She's still around and as far as I know doing OK. I just have an urge to share it with you. If you find some meaning that you enjoy feel free to copy it or share it with someone who it might help feel better.

Circles Of Life

Around each of us a circle flows.
It touches others as it grows.
All around its border line
Other circles try to dine.

Some join us in some little way
Others we see every day.
Some we never let inside
From a few we try to hide.

Constantly the circles spin
Some roll out and others in.
As life goes on some circles bust
Becoming ashes in the dust.

With a few we coincide
Then with others we collide.
Parts of our circle sacred are
In others rest some hidden scar.

Each circle must stand well alone
In order to another clone.
To want another circle”s fine
To need it though's a shaky line.

No circle should another chain
The more you touch the less you drain.
Some circles seem to come to you
Others you may need pursue.

Lose a few, win one or two
Always some will cling to you.
In every one does wisdom ride
Take what is good cast rest aside.

Fear not the day that you may die
For parts of you in others lie.

The Old Guy
23 Mar 2001

Thanks for listening.