Where did that come from?

We're always asked where our items come from.  That question is a difficult one to answer, but one we hope to shed some light on in a two part series this week.

As a "worker girl", I've always been fascinated by where things come from and just what it takes to find, restore, and get something in the shop ready to sell.

I've asked the dealers over the years where they find things, and learned it's not easy restocking each week and coming up with new ideas.


Each dealer has their own secret sources where they find merchandise.  Since we have a mix of old, really old, and new across the buildings and dealers, those sources could be other antique stores, pickers, independent artisans, estate sales or auctions, and home accessory & furniture companies, to name a few.

Here are some items from The Old Lucketts Store and The Lucketts Store Design House, and my {paraphrased} conversations with the dealers about how they "get their stuff."   *Please note items featured in the pictures are already sold and gone.

• What am I looking at?   Vintage seltzer bottles.
  
• Where did you find this?   I shop a lot of local yard sales and flea markets for my smaller accessories.
  
• Why did you pick this up?   These are always a great accessory to have around and look great in displays.  Besides looking great, they appeal to multiple interests ---- the bottle collectors, the soda fountain memorabilia collectors, and people just looking for great vintage decorative accessories.

• What am I looking at?   A hand painted and distressed dresser.
  
• Where did you find this?   Craigslist in Pennsylvania.
  
• What did it take to get this piece ready to sell?   I put on a fresh coat of paint all over and stripped the top to reveal the gorgeous (and very heavy) solid wood underneath.  I then painted the flag on.  I sanded all edges to give it a worn look and then antiqued and sealed it.  I added back the original brass pulls and trucked it to Virginia to sell at the store.
• Why did you pick this up?   There was something about the quality of it, the lines, the masculinity of the turned legs.  The original hardware was in a bag in one of the drawers too!

• What am I looking at?   A vintage car front turned in to wall art.
• Where did you find this?   We found these on a buying trip while traveling deep in the heart of Texas.  There is a welder / artisan down in there who made us very happy the day we discovered these.
• Why did you pick these up?   We loved the patina and the lines on the cars.  The scale is great too.  These really draw your eye and change the look and mood of an entire room.

• What am I looking at?   An ornate iron piece that was over the top of a restaurant's huge double doors.  It's probably from the 1920's or 1930's.
  
• Where did you find this?   I deal in a lot of industrial salvage and have lots of contacts along the East coast.  This came from and old building that was being rehabbed.
  
• Why did you pick this up?   The flowers and ribbon details look so delicate, yet they are made from iron.  It's amazing that this was done in metal.  This is a one of a kind piece of history that you won't see again - it was a must have for me!

• What am I looking at?   A hand made farm table made from an old door and reclaimed wood.
  
• Where did you find this?   I have a great local guy who builds furniture for me, mainly farm tables and console tables.
  
• Why did you pick this up?   When he brought it by, I knew I loved it.  It's very different with the door on top and I thought other people would appreciate its character with the door latch still on the table.

• What am I looking at?   A reproduction French style decorator chair.
  
• Where did you find this?   A furniture company we met at a home furnishings trade show.
  
• Why did you pick this up?   These have a great look and feel and the upholstery job is picture perfect.  I do also sell vintage chairs in this same style, however vintage and antique chairs are notoriously difficult to find, especially in large matching sets and at prices where they can be resold for a profit.  They often take lots of time and money to find, fix up, paint, and reupholster with a quality fabric.  Unless you get a super-duper deal, after all the expenses, they're no longer a steal.  These vintage inspired reproductions fit the bill for some customers, while others prefer to buy my older ones I do fix up, or old ones I sell as-is so customers can put in the TLC.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Part two of this series will be posted later this week.  I'll feature a few more items so you can see what it takes to keep The Old Lucketts Store stocked with great finds.