Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Collecting Vintage Pieces While Traveling

In today's economy, especially if you're retired and on a limited income, here's an idea on how you can not only travel in style, but also shop in style.

Full-time RV-ing In Comfort

After retiring, we purchased an RV that would be a piece of wheel estate that we could comfortably travel full time in. After selling our house, the only thing I could not leave behind was my passion for collecting vintage jewelry so I had to figure out a way to not only travel in our RV in comfort, but also have enough space in it to store my beloved treasures. Since our RV is already filled to the max, I purchase, enjoy, and then sell. I take high quality pictures of each item and then list them on my online store. I not only have the fun of keeping these treasures until they are sold, but my inventory is consistently replenished with newer vintage treasures after the others have been sold.

Finding Vintage Jewelry

As I embark on each trip, I research our destination and locate any trade fairs, festivals, flea markets, vintage stores, Salvation Army, Goodwill Stores, and estate sales. I found that the older more dishevelled looking stores are the most willing to barter with you; and to my surprise I have found the best vintage treasures and lowest prices at these places.


Research Your
Vintage Jewelry

Always look for jewelry or special items with inscriptions and designer names. These pieces will always be the most valuable.When I return to my RV after a full day of treasure hunting, I head straight to my computer and research all my treasures with designer names. In order to price my treasures accordingly, a trick that I use to quickly find items of value is to do a search using the word images; such as "images for sterling silver bouquet of flowers brooch" or "images of Keisler jewelry." I usually find hundreds of images that I peruse through to find either the exact piece, or close to it, and then price and list my pieces accordingly.

This is a great way to satisfy your passion for collecting while easily storing these small treasures so that you can touch and enjoy them until they are sold.

Happy Trails!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Nacogdoches, The Oldest Town in Texas

Nacogdoches, Texas, the oldest town in Texas and located on Highways 59 and 21, surprised us with its rich history, quaintness, and many antique shops.

As you stroll down the streets you will discover the importance of the people who lived here and the history that was made.

"Nacogdoches has a soul, a spirit, an atmosphere. She is no raw product of today or yesterday. There are ghosts on her streets...Gentle Franciscan fathers and curious, credulous rediment; lordly Mexican alcaldes and courtly French adventurers...stubborn, spirited, courageous American Empressarios;...men like Rusk,...Crocket,...Houston...Travis."

~Karle Wilson Baker, local poetess and First Lady of Texas Letters~

We started our day at the Olde Towne General Store where we enjoyed a chicken salad sandwich on home made bread and topped it off with a delicious specialty desert.

While walking down the beautiful red brick streets, you are awe-struck by the equally beautiful old brick buildings with their majestic balconies. The antique shops had something to offer for everyone. I was able to purchase some hidden treasures that the shop owner let go of after some heavy bargaining......my cup of tea, loved it.

Had a beautiful day at Nacogdoches - truly one ofthe best kept tourist secrets in the state. Now where's my stagecoach, I need to get back to my RV at Paradise Lake Resort.

Happy Trails!