Antique secrets: Your Shopping List

Create an antique picker’s shopping list.

Here’s one of our favorite secrets: Write down your goals! Make a list of all the things you hope you will find as you are out picking. Once you have wants that are written, something magical happens in your subconscious. Your eyes and ears are programmed and piqued.

For example, I needed a box stapler, to assemble boxes for shipping products on ebay. The stapler is one of those big units with handles that you crunch a large copper colored staple to fasten heavy cardboard. I tried a few fastener places, and asked if they had a used one, because I was not about to pay $200 for a new one. I put it on my “shopping list” I was out and about one day, and actually had a load of stuff I was shipping UPS (The reason I needed a stapler!). I saw a pawn shop. I usually do not go int pawn shops regularly. I do enjoy the show: “Pawn Stars” however! In the back of my mind, I thought, “they usually carry all sorts of tools” Let’s see what they might have. I walked in and because I had it on my list, and knew exactly what it looked like, within five minutes, I found my box stapler! It was $59.00. When talking about the stapler to the pawn shop owner, he said it was the only one he had ever seen. He said if I wanted it, I could have it for $10.00! “Oh, OK, sure!”

Five Minutes, $10.00, better than what I wanted. Put ANYTHING you want on your written shopping list!