Reselling Painted Antiques

Let me tell you a little about reselling painted antiques……..   There are so many people everywhere painting and reselling furniture these days that Facebook as become a flea market.  Some of the painted furniture, in my opinion, is very well done and the designer made it there own, some don’t have a sense of design so they just copy others, and some just need to hang up their paint brush and find something they are really good at…..sorry, but as I said,  just MY OPINION…..everybody has one!!  Its hard to find your place in the painted furniture world but making it your own style is what's sets your work apart from just another painted antique.  I usually spend days making sure the antique that I purchased is stable inside and out.  Remember, the most beautiful upscale antiques had no air conditioning in the early 1900's so over time the glue dissolves so its important to check everything.  I am not a carpenter, so I don’t ever buy antiques without drawers, doors, etc.  You DIY’ers out there have to be very good to make it look like it came that way instead of looking like a road side pick up.  I have seen some, not many, that look like it came that way!!  These are professional DIY’ers for sure!!   One thing I have learned over the years is if you put one, only one cheaply done piece in a room with upscale furniture, it stands out like a eye sore and you don’t enjoy the beautiful ambience of the room.  Being a surfer of Facebook, I see pricing from very low to very high.  This is tough!!  Most times, not all, but most……if  the pricing is very low, usually the quality of work is very low.  Meaning -- no quality paints used, no time spend on any repairs, just painted.  Medium to higher prices usually take the time for any repairs,  higher end products used and time spend detailing their finished antique.  Once in a while someone will be moving or reselling and a buyer gets lucky and buys it at a great price, but these finds are few and far between.  I have seen some spray painted antiques, mostly being sold in stores around our area and I bought a sprayer but haven’t used it yet.  It gives the antique a more store bought appearance, but I personally like the personal touch to my pieces.  Especially in the waxing and finishing touches of a hands on painted piece.  I might try spraying on a chair at some point.  Old antique unique chairs are one of my weakness but they are so time consuming to paint!! Ugh!!  Why I keep buying them….crazy I guess!!??  I hope this has helped our clients and potential buyers know a little about the behind the scenes.   

What a week!!

This has been a crazy week.  I always drive my old work truck just in case I find something when I am out running errands.  Monday I decided to drive my car so I hopped in and it would not even turn over….dead, dead, dead.  I love my old beat up truck!!  It doesn’t look beautiful but it is reliable!!   Technology………  so many bells and whistles to go wrong, yet the old auto’s run forever. …….   Just like furniture.

This new furniture is junk and does not holdup to everyday use yet very expensive.  To my surprise even Thomasville and some of the top manufacturers are making junk with big price tags.  I guess that is why people are jumping on the money train to sell their antiques at high prices these days. 

I think of myself as your personally shopper.  I am always trying to find a wonderful unique antique at a bargain price FOR YOU.   Once I find that wonderful piece, then the work begins.  Prepping it and giving it a facelift.  For me it is sometimes an agonizing process …. What color??.   As most everyone that knows me, I think outside the box.   I have never been about plain and simple, so many of my pieces have paisleys designs, etc on them.   I do however keep my furniture colors classic so it is easy to accessorize your room with bold crazy colors even by changing the knobs.  Anyway, got to run…..lots to do to day and I need to get busy!!!!

Its been a long time....hello

I have not been on my blog in a long, long time.  I recently moved back to Patsy’s Attractions in Fountain Inn, SC.  I like being there and its always nice laughing and talking with Patsy’s.  I may or may not be successful there since it’s a distance from Greenville, but hopefully my wonderful customers will feel like it’s worth the trip. Fountain Inn has some nice shops worth checking out plus J Peters Restaurant is right next door and the food is fabulous!! 

I am frequently asked about repainting pieces of furniture and each time I learn that it has been painted in a latex paint.   Using latex on furniture is tricky…….I am not saying it can not be done, but I am saying if it is not properly done, it will easily chip and peel away.  All experienced furniture painters always spend the money to buy and use the best chalk and milk paint available and sealers of choice.  Its expensive but so worth it to our satisfied customers.  So if you are in the market for painted antiques just ask what they use and how is it sealed prior to buying.   You may pay a little more but you will be so happy with years of everyday use and your purchase still looks amazing!!

I use Facebook to let my customers and potential new customers see what’s available, but since I have a working studio / shop at my residence, some pieces are sold before I can get a photo.  I am always open here and working on new pieces so please come look……..do not feel obligated to buy….just look around!!   I enjoy the conversation and it gives me a break.   Its so beautiful out today, I decided to do most of my work feeling the sunshine on my face. 

Enjoy your day and I hope to see ya soon!!   Debra

New Location

I want to make it as convenient as possible for my customers so I found 113 North Main Street, Fountain Inn, SC as my new location.  They are open Tuesday thru Friday 11:00-5:00PM  and Saturday 10:00 – 4:00PM.  I would love to have been closer to downtown Greenville, but the monthly overhead is too costly.  In order for me to continue to give you quality craftsmanship antique furniture, use top quality chalk and milk paint products plus keep my prices low for you, my overhead needs to be low.   So that being said, I hope you don’t mind a short drive to the quaint town of Fountain Inn, SC to shop with me. You will enjoy friendly faces and a charming restaurant right next door.  

 

 

Never enough time

I have been so focused on getting pieces ready for The Vintage Market in the Park, everything else has been neglected. I can get back to showing you some of the pieces I have done....most of them have been sold....some never make it to facebook.  The antique stool available. 

Happy Hunting!!

 

It has become less of a burden since I have moved all of my antiques and accessories back to my home.  Now it allows me more time to design antiques pieces and go on more trips to find unique antiques.  I did not realize how much of my time was spent loading, unloading and hauling furniture to the shop.  I am happy that I started in a shop because so many people could see the quality of the workmanship (detailed painting techniques, embellishments, etc.)  that went into every unique piece and it allowed me to grow in my designs.  There is so much more into painting furniture than putting paint on it.  It was a learning experience dealing with a shop instead of handling my own transactions and talking to my customers.  So many of my closest friends listened to me rant about things happening at the shop and they kept telling me “to get out”, but I didn’t listen soon enough.  So many more negatives and positives, but you learn as you grow!!  My moto is, “you give them a “one of a kind” unique quality piece of history and they will come”.  Some people may feel uneasy about coming to your home, but I have found that my customers don’t mind it at all and it is like a treasure hunt at my house and you never know what you are going to find painted or unpainted.!! LOL   I have things everywhere…..patio, yard, garage and all over my house.  If you want to rummage that’s fine with me and there is lots to see.  I don’t ever want my customers to feel like they have to buy something just because they showed up.  If you don’t love it, don’t buy it!!   I have just one request……..be sure to call me first to make sure I am not out on a treasure hunt.

 

Preparing to haul furniture

Winter is fast approaching us in the South. I am already day dreaming of summer to be here again. I am preparing to haul furniture and accessories to Sweeten Creeks Antiques in Asheville, NC in the next few weeks and I hope and pray the weather will be nice. I have talked to many dealers that travel to Asheville and they all reassure me that I should have a great business there with my fair prices on unique custom painted furniture.  By the way, I base my prices on how much I have to pay for it and not the actual value of it.  I spend a lot of my time searching for good deals on quality pieces. I have, however, paid more for some pieces only because they are a rare find and I will probably never find another one like it.  I always gravitate to the unusual style of an old piece, ornate moldings and don’t forget the legs…. I love legs with rusty old castors. In the early 1900’s people did not have air conditioning so furniture had to withstand the heat. Can you imagine 98 degrees with no air conditioning and you have to cook too?!!!  These antique pieces have withstood many years of weather, a house full of children and everyday use and they are still in great shape.  It amazes and excites me to find a wonderful piece of our history that has traveled across the country and made its home in the South.  Here’s a great example in the photo's above……I found this mid-century modern chest which is a very popular sleek style and a designer told me to price it at $350.00.  It is solid as the day it was built, the drawers open and close like butter and it has the original pulls. It is painted in a pale blue chalk paint, lightly distressed and heavy waxed.....And best of all,  I am selling it for only $185.00.

Its up to YOU!!

I don’t crank out as many custom painted pieces of furniture as I should and some pieces sit in my garages for months until I have a vision of what I would like them to look like finished. That is probably not a good business practice but sometimes it’s not all about the money……it’s about your reputation as a designer.  I want my customers to be excited about buying a custom piece from me and know that it will look beautiful for years to come. All antique furniture has flaws….some more than others, so I take the time to make minor repairs, drill holes for new updated hardware, replace damaged castors, etc. so these pieces will last with everyday use for another 100 years.  I use the best chalk and milk paint I can find along with the waxes and glazes.  Trying to save money in products really shows in the finished piece.  I tried that years ago and it makes a huge difference in the durability of everyday use.  Does it affect your selling price???  Of course it does. I will pay more for a well-built piece and drop my profit margins, than to buy a piece of crap and cover it up with paint.  Don’t forget that old saying, “You get what you pay for”.  Would you rather spend a few dollars more and get a fabulous custom painted antique that will look great for years or would you rather save a few dollars and buy a painted piece that looks good for now.  It’s entirely up to you!!

 

Sometimes we just need a change to move forward

It’s been awhile since I have posted anything. I have been so busy hunting, painting delivering, etc. I just haven’t had the time. I have been trying to find another location for my shop and hopefully if everything goes well, I will be moving to a new location and only selling in Greenville from my home. It is stressful enough trying to keep up with my inventory without having to deal with other issues at my current Greenville location. Here’s a quick rundown of my recent custom designed pieces….most of them have already found forever homes.

On a Mission

I am on a mission to turn part of my garage into a working studio and have many of my finished painted furniture pieces arranged in a display setting. I accept most all major credit cards which makes it so much easier and a convenience for my customers. I will be uploading photo's on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thebluedoorofgreenville?ref=hl) of the pieces I will have available that you can purchased directly from me. So when I get them uploaded and you see something you may be interested in, you can contact me via Facebook and we can set up a time for you to stop by. I live on Woodruff Road so it is sort of in the middle of everything. I will continue to have my shop at Southern Estates Antiques. They have been very good to me. Time permitting, I hope to also participate in some of the market events. PS: A few of these pieces did not last long and have already found new homes but I wanted you to see them anyway.

Tip of the Day

I have been trying for weeks to have the time to write on my blog. I, for the first time, participated in the Vintage Market in the Park in Greer this year and I had so much fun meeting and talking to people. When everything slowed down a little I walked around and spoke to other dealers. Over all, for me anyway, it went well. Of course, I was exhausted so I took a week off from painting anything. That’s a hard task for me. Usually it takes days to prep and finish furniture to my liking so I always try to have a few pieces of furniture ready to go in advance. Retail is unpredictable. I like to keep things moving, so I always try to keep my prices as low as I possibly can, which means I have to search and search myself to buy as low as possible. In the past few years painted antiques are very popular so more and more people are doing it. Keep in mind that paint covers up a multitude of sin such as water damage and falling apart furniture. I think that old saying holds true for this industry……you get what you pay for. I personally had rather pay a few dollars more and get a high end quality antique that will last another hundred years with proper care and maintenance than to go home with a piece of junk. Look for shabby chic not just plain shabby. Lol Well, that’s my tip of the day so go shopping and have fun!!

Sharing Knowledge

I haven’t been on my blog in a while now, so I thought I would pop in and say hello and tell you about my latest news. Working with dark waxes and stains are sometimes tricky, so I am always open to new ways to improve and perfect my techniques. I met an old pro a while back (in painting, not age) that gave me some great advice on how to work with my dark waxes and aging techniques and I tried it on a table this past weekend and it is an amazing transformation!! I just stood back and said “wow”, I love it!! I have learned that a confident successful artist is always happy to share some of their knowledge with others. Of course, if you are in the business it is never wise to share everything you know. I am so excited to use my “new” knowledge on so many more pieces. Stop by my shop at Southern Estates Antiques and let me know what you think. Here is a few pictures …….. I tried to get a close up but you still can’t really see the richness of the colors from the photo’s.

Hurry up Spring....I am ready for you!!

It will soon be Spring!! This weekend was wonderful and Selena and I sat on the patio enjoying the warm sunshine. I went to an estate sale yesterday and that was fun. I usually look for old antiques but not primitive antiques so much, but I lucked up on some great pieces and I went to work. I try to have unique designs on every piece and I was very happy how these turned out. When I am trying to come up with a design I want it to be something that will blend in with todays modern slick lines and be an accent piece to a beautiful space. I don’t have my own shop so the people at Southern Estates meet and talk to all of my customers when I wish I could be there to do it myself so I can give them the background on many of my antiques that have a lot of history. I have been fortune enough to meet some of my repeat customers and its lovely to hear that they are enjoying their purchases from me. Here’s some photo’s of my latest pieces and a few of others, too!!