This Weeks Picks!

Wow! That is all I can say about this weeks Picks.  One was from a series of barns that I had already picked and the other was an auction where the pickings were over the top! Now, I don't know about you but the thought of climbing around in an old, dirty, dusty, junky barn or house just excites me to no end. You never know what you are going to find and it seems that the more you look, the more that just seems to magically appear. If there are multiple barns or units I like to go to one after another and then do another round in each of them. I don't know why but I always seem to find something on the second or third trip.
That is exactly what happened on the first great pick this week. I had already done a pretty thorough pick of this wonderful lady's barns and home (or at least I thought I had) when they called me to come back out. This is one of my favorite clients and yes...I am wearing an invisible woman shirt because I knew it would tickle her to no end!
We dug around and found a ton of cast iron and industrial items that are super hot in decorating right now. I even had the guys crawling under workbenches to get 3 1930's license plates that Mr. Baber had put on the walls over 60 years ago to keep the rats out!

To your right is a 200 year old tree trunk that Mrs. Babers father used for feed storage. This would make a great table and can be found in our shop. We also have his old tool box, a hay loader and tons of pieces of cast iron and old tools are hidden away in the trunk itself. I kept grabbing things to take with me and Mr. Baber would say "Kris, you really think that is going to sell?" and I would say "Yes, Sir I do" and he would just shake his head and chuckle and say "Well let's get on with it then"!

To your left is a bunch of old ladders, tables, cast iron, a fantastic handmade cubby cabinet and a cast iron McCormick Deering Mower that is just to die for!There is also an older John Deere Windmill in there along with lots of tools and shovels that you can't really see. We had corn shellers and the rollers that old barn doors were mounted on and so much more.  We pulled a trailer and a truckload out that day and felt blessed to have been able to have spent some time with these great people that are not only clients but friends.

Making sure we didn't have any thing flying off!

A little higher at the second auction!

Now this next pick, well I don't know how to explain it...I could just let the pictures of my truck do the talking but I think I should elaborate some on what you are seeing. We went to the most amazing of auctions and just loaded the truck. We really did not think that we needed the trailer that day...boy were we mistaken...we could have filled that bad boy as well. The junk went on as far as the eye could see and we came away with a ton of it.

What to do with these?

This was pretty sweet!

We found old cast iron tractor seats, antique wood tool boxes, cast iron wheels from old industrial carts, carousel, cast iron cobbler shoe sets, mid century/Eames era stools, hay loaders, beveled glass lanterns and a ton of other things. It was all old and dirty and rusty...it was a bear to load and we were dirty as all get out but we loved every minute of it!
Here are some more pictures for you to enjoy!

There were old wagons like these all over the place as well as tons of wheels, wood, steel, metal, trains, glass and just a ton of things. I got an incredibly cool art deco japanese
lamp that I do not have pictured yet. I did not know the gentleman personally who had collected all of these things but I feel as if I got to know him a bit that day. Sometimes you can tell alot about folks by the things that they surround themselves with. He must have been an incredibly eclectic man who had an eye for all that is popular and hot in the decorating world right now. I was honored to have been able to acquire the few things that we did.

More Wagons

Reminds me of Little House on the Prarie

Incredible History

Lots of Industrial

Tons of great old circus stuff

Helpful eBay Tips and Information!

Hi there! It has been a bit since my last blog post so thanks for hangin' in there. We have been so busy it just seems like there is not enough time in the day to get all of the things done that we would like to. Ever feel that way....I know I do! This post is here to offer a bit of help if you are an eBayer with questions that you can't seem to find the answers to or you just don't have time to look.

Whether you are an experienced eBayer or someone who is just starting, questions are always popping up and finding the answer can be a bit tough at times. The idea for this blog post came about because a few of the vendors in my Antique Mall are just delving into the world of eBay and came in asking a few questions that I did not have the answers to. Since they are new and eBay has changed so much since we started selling, the obstacles they were trying to overcome were ones that I have not dealt with for many years. BUT ALAS! I knew where to lead them for help and that is what I am going to do. So hang on tight, get ready to open a few new links and meet some great and knowledge filled people! Be sure to check out the bottom where I am adding several more helpful links!

eBay is a wonderful community that we have had the pleasure of being a part of for over 6 years now. It has supplemented our income and led us to take it on full time.  I have had the wonderful opportunity to find some groups online, and to even meet some of them in person,  that I highly recommend. They are always there to answer questions, vent about customers with whom we do not always see eye to eye (we all have those in every business!), and to offer a helping hand when one needs it.

The eBay Site Map is a GODSEND and should be in your bookmarks!

First let me introduce Danna Crawford founder of the Power Selling Mom Network. This is a lady whom I greatly admire and who has given me some wonderful advice. She invited me to be apart of something that we are getting ready to launch....I PROMISE, Danna, but that is for another blog post! Anyway, back to Danna. She is the founder of two great sites, just to name a few, that are sure to be of help to you. The first one is  The Power Of The eBay Community  and the second is AskDanna.com. Danna is patient and kind and just has a WEALTH of eBay knowledge that she can share with you in a funny and delightful way.

Another great source of information and fun is Griff! Known"the old man of eBay, "Griff started with eBay in 1996 as eBay's first customer support rep. Today he lives in San Jose and works on the Seller Experience team with small business sellers on eBay, helping them build and grow their businesses on eBay and making sure they have a voice inside the company. Griff hosts eBay Radio and is the author of The Official eBay Bible. I had the pleasure of seeing him at two eBay on Location Conferences and he is a great and down to earth guy. eBay Radio covers a wealth of information and the topics are as varied as the items you can find listed on eBay.


There is a great group that I am a part of on Facebook and it is Working eBay-Tips and Conversations and it just that. The topics are varied and is a great place to learn and vent both. Here is a blurb from their about page on Facebook that says it all: Working sales on eBay, what we are all about, sharing ideas, issues, basic to advanced, we are all in the same eBay boat with one listing at a time. So if you have a questions, idea or how do I, whether a beginning seller or one with years of experience....Simply stated, we're here to help each other. Check them out and ask any questions you may have!

These are just a few of the great people and places that you can find answers so take a little time, bookmark this blog and the pages in it. Like the Facebook pages and join the groups....it is a great way to learn! By meeting new people, the problems that we think are at times insurmountable become small instead! Remember! You are not the first to have that question nor will you be the last!

Here are a few more info links to help you out! And the mugs to your right are me, Kris, and my husband Sean!

eBay Selling 101 by Danna Crawford

eBay Shows You How Series

eBay Selling Basics

Shipping Made Easy

eBay Announcments

OK! We are behind the times in blogging and so are going to take off with a bang by introducing all of us here at Timeless Pieces.

Let me first introduce you to Sean & I by sharing this picture with you. We were at an eBay conference in Denver when this picture was taken. We have been doing eBay for nearly 7 years here in Kokomo, IN and have enjoyed serving our community each and every day. I will save the story of our opening and the roads that have led us to where we are now for the next post. Let me get on with introducing you to Sean. 

Sean is originally from Southern California and moved here 8 years ago. He was a life insurance agent with New York Life for 10 years before retiring 3 years ago in order to devote himself fully to our business. He is one of the funniest, smartest and most caring men I have ever met in my life and is the best business partner I could ask for. He is the Chief Financial Officer of Timeless Pieces, the eBay Shipping Guru, our in house Comic, Baseball, Toy, Glass....well...just about any topic expert. The running joke around here is "Ask Sean, he'll know". Not only does he play those roles but he is a master at the front of the house, he moves furniture, he buys and sells and he gives his heart to all who walk in the door.

Kris is a born and bred Hoosier.  Having spent her whole life here in Kokomo, Kris' knowledge of the community's history leaves her expertly positioned to take care of all the folks who come in.  Kris has an extensive history in different arenas here locally so many recognize her face upon entering the store or her voice when she does our weekly radio shows.  Kris is the heart and soul of the auction and fundraising arms of the business.  Her loving smile and rapier wit are characteristics to enjoy as you peruse the store looking for your treasures.  She is always quick to look something up for you on eBay or talk to you about one of our upcoming onsite auctions.  You can usually see her behind her big desk in the front of the house until she leaps to her feet to assist you.

Let's take a moment and meet Kris's brother Bill Biehle who moved back to Kokomo, IN from Atlanta, GA after having lived there for nearly 25 years. He came back to help care for their parents and to become a part of the business with Sean and Kris once they started in their newest 11,000 sq ft location. Bill pretty much runs the floor of the antique mall meaning his duties are pretty varied. He takes care of a large amount of the paperwork for the front of the building, he handles the staging in the store and he is the best at customer service. He is a great salesman with an even greater sense of humor and is a fantastic addition to the team. Everyone who comes in gets great service and care from Bill because he wants to make sure your trip to Timeless Pieces is the best it can be!

Next on the hit parade is Gregg Schlie who is a recent graduate of Purdue University and has been a wonderful addition to the team. He came on board to do eBay for us 9 months ago and to be our video/photography go to guy. We always tease about him because it looks like he is never moving, never getting his feathers ruffled but MAN can the man work some magic on eBay! He does all of our video for auctions and whatever else we need we seem to need. He is adaptable, flexible, funny and a great worker. You may see him from time to time at the front of the house helping out with sales and booth dealers but mostly you will find him in the back offices and you can always find his work in our eBay store.

Last but not least is Andy Eicholz (with the shop bunny, Houdini) who has been with us longer than anyone. He actually has his office in our shop which can be found right here at Andy's Computers. Now Andy will tell you that when Sean and Kris hired him he was brought on for data entry....but considering his first day with us was loading a U haul in the middle of a thunderstorm....well...enough said about that. Andy is our all around go to guy and has become a great friend as well. If you need computer services he comes highly recommended from not only the staff at Timeless Pieces but also many, many satisfied customers.

And there you have it, the staff at Timeless Pieces! We are here to serve you in all of your eBay, Auction and Antique Needs. Stay tuned for the next post where we will go into a bit more depth about what we all do here!