OMG I'm Becoming My Mother #1 or What the ? With the International Symbols on the Oscillating Fan

It is truly an infinitesimal moment when you clearly realize you have become your mother.  I think I may have had mine this morning.  I've had glimpses, brushes with, vague discomfort at possibly sounding like her, but this was a true I am my mother moment.

Another hot summer in Texas with heat indexes nearing and hitting 110 in the afternoons.  The a/c works, poor thing, it never stops working, the ceiling fans never stop, but it can still get pretty warm.  So the other half brings me a new fangled tower fan.  Bless her technology enabled brain, we have the newest cutting edge design in oscillating fans.  This morning, about 6 am, after letting dogs in and out and the rest of my morning routine, I sit down with my coffee.  It's just a little stuffy, early enough that the temp is probably in the low 70's, the heat index in the low to mid 80s, high humidity but the sun isn't hitting the roof full force yet.  The a/c is taking it's one and only break time of the day.   It's just a little still and sticky so I decide to turn my new fan on. 

This fan has a timer, an ionizer, it oscillates AND it does some sort of pulsing with the air - all of these options are controlled by little push buttons at the top of the fan.  All the buttons have some sort of international symbols for their function.  OK - the clock button is easy, that's the timer.  Now I'm looking for the I and O for off and on - nope, not there.  We have all new symbols - they look like astrology mark ups at a psychic fair.  What in the sam hill, how do I get this gosh dern thing to work and why in Hades couldn't they have just put what was what in plain old English - if they're want to sell it in America than it needs to be in English!!!

That's it - OMG, I'm my mother.

Stop-Look-Think - A Few Timely Online Safety Tips from the Old Broad

We older folk seem to be really enjoying Facebook. I know this old broad is! There are some definite safety and security issues though, and not just with FB, but with any online site you may register with. Since Facebook is turning into a stepping stone for many older baby boomers to become truly active on the web, now might be the time to make sure the experience stays good. So here's a few tips to get started with.

TIP #1: NEVER, EVER, EVER sign in with your user name and/or password after clicking on a link in an email. Better yet - my personal advice - never click on a link in an email. If it's a site you go to frequently, use the link you probably have on your desktop or in a file. If it's a site you have seldom or never used, type the basic address into your browser bar (the http: or www. thru .com,net,org, etc.) and visit that way. Your spyware and/or virus protection should alert you if it's a dangerous site (and if you don't have spyware/virus protection, there's some decent free software out there - GET SOME ASAP!!).

I've received emails saying that "so & so" wants to be your friend on FB! They look totally legitimate and are almost exact copies of the legitimate FB emails. For anyone that has spent some time on FB, you do get contacted by people whose name you may not immediately recognize, so it is tempting to click, sign in and "see" who this person might be. Only none of these people are in my Friend Requests when I sign into FB on my own!! Those emails are simply ways to access any information you have entered into FB plus your FB friends list.

TIP #2: When registering with a site, give only the REQUIRED information. Leave all OPTIONAL fields blank, you can always add more info at a later date. If you feel that the site is requiring too much information or don't see why they would need that information (i.e. A forum to discuss organic gardening does not need your SS#, a credit card, or your birth date), DO NOT GIVE IT TO THEM.

TIP #3: Take the time to check unknown or unvisited urls/addresses out. Simply copy and paste them into a search engine like Google or Bing, and see what comes up. Lots of gobbly-gook entries that make no sense? or just chains of words alphabetically related? Sounds like a phishing site to me, at the least it wants to plant a cookie on you so they can follow you around the web, at the worst will go after any and all info it can get. Or there might be results from other searchers that have posted to boards or forums with info that may clue you into the legitimacy or the fraudulence of the site.

TIP #4: Curiousity killed the cat BUT satisfaction brought it back. I'm pretty sure we all have avenues we might want to explore on the web that could put us in contact with some fringe elements. Be it a curiousity about ufo's, singles chat rooms, vampires, corsets, - yes, corsets. Acutally any antique dealer who has done any detailed online research into vintage clothing has probably found themselves clicking into some sites that were by no means educational in a fashion/design/historical sense!

So you want to peek down some unknown alleys? you want to register your email address so you can get thru the door? no problem. That's right - no problem. JUST SET UP A NEW EMAIL ACCOUNT TO EXPLORE WITH!!!! Whether by cable or phone line, if you have an internet provider you have 5 to 10 available online email addresses. That's not counting all the places you can set up free email accounts - gmail, hotmail, yahoo, aol. Open a new email address and explore - you can always go back and re-register with your legitimate account if you like or become involved with a site. And it a site turns out to be a real horror story - I registered for one site and the next morning had 150 emails waiting - you just cancel that email account. I probably opened and closed about a dozen or so email addresses in the first few years of wandering online. Never transfer your address book over, set up any profiles or provide any of your own personal links when setting up these addresses. Remember - surf safely.

TIP #5: Be aware of Facebook apps!!! and what they do!!!! Every "heart", "teddy bear", "dragon", "mafia", "game", "iq/personality quiz", etc. that shows up on your FB page from a friend - every one, when you click it - EVERY ONE has this little disclaimer saying that accepting this gift, joining this, whatever, means that you ALLOW THIS APP TOTAL ACCESS TO ALL THE PEOPLE ON YOUR FRIENDS LIST AND ALL THE INFO THEY ALLOW YOU TO SEE. I'm glad they let you know, I just don't know how many folk read and understand that little disclaimer? In any case - I say no to apps that are going to crawl thru my friends list; you, as well as me, are none of their business!

TIP #6: Do you use tabs? I use them like crazy and recently read a warning concerning them. If you are at your bank, Paypal, broker, or other online financial site, be wary of opening new tabs, even within the site. A way to "get into" open tabs not in use, has been used by hackers. Say you sign in to your bank account, then you want to check something out under History. If you are like me you are lible to just right click on History and then click Open In New Tab, find what you're looking for, close the tab and still have your home page open. Tabs are safe and fine to use, but it's probably a good idea to not use them on sites rich with confidential info. Windows has issued a patch for this with their regular updates, but the possibilities are still open to questions. Once again - better safe than sorry!

My Assumptions Once Again Remind Me to Get My Head Out of My Assumptions

The old broad is ranting again!  education, academia, the younger generation, and OMG I'm my mother - all wrapped up in one.

Don't ever tell me astrology is a hoax - the only thing that can explain my stubborn idealism is that I'm an aquarian.  I'm 60, have no computer training whatsoever, literally finger picked my way around computers and the web and I can do more stuff and comprehend more hows/whys/whats than the 20 year olds I'm talking to who have been around computers all their lives!!

I Have a Stalker and She is SMOKING - Get Thee Behind Me Cigarette Sin

Ms. Pearl Aufrere, pictured to the left, 1915, is thought to be an ex English chorus girl who traveled to America, was widely photographed, graced many cigarette cards, was engaged to royality at some point and is thought to have married "very well" and thereafter blended herself into the obscurity that the "very well" of the time demanded.  Would that cigarettes and their devious hold on me fade as obscurely and as well!  Lawsy - I still want to light one up.

Old Broad Attitude - Positives and Negatives of Facebook

2009 was the year I ventured into "social networking" with Twitter and Facebook. Going into 2010, the old broad already has some attitudes - big surprise there, right folks? - about both. Going to talk about Facebook today and will save Twitter for later.

Facebook could turn into a real love hate relationship for me, can see it already. It has reconnected me with some dynamite people that I'm really happy about being reconnected with! From the 1970's thru the last few years. We haven't become born again bff's, but it's been great to touch base, see where life has taken them and maybe, build on foundations already in place.

On the otherhand, my old hippy idealist side is a bit aghast again.

Thank You Joseph Heller for Writing "Catch 22"

It is one of those books I am seriously glad to have read when younger.  The more years that go by, the more appreciation for the book and it's message.  It really helps to see the absurdity right off the bat and be able to enjoy the actual silliness all along, rather than suffer all the negative emotions from running in circles or hitting brick walls.

Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters Sounding Good - Must Be Getting Better! Finally!

Don't know about you but the music playing in the background says a whole lot about my mental and physical health.  Lately it's been a pretty continuous backdrop of low volume big band, elevator light jazz, or generic oldies.  Translation = either the pain meds are keeping me in a nice unfeeling limbo or I'm trying to keep myself there while biting the bullet.

While cruising around my little internet radio this morning, found myself turning up the volumne on Buddy Guy's "She Got the Devel In Her", then a bit more for Muddy Waters "Rollin' and Tumblin'", then cranked it up some more for Popa Chubby doing "San Catri" - who I'ld never heard of but wow, that's some nice guitar playing - and now am drifting on Aynsley Lister doing some pure blues with "Need Her So Bad".  

Okay - finally - back to my Montana Radio Cafe and, as they say, "we play the music you won't hear anywhere else" and all my other off the wall stations!  I must really, really, finally be getting better - can tell by the music! 

And in case you'ld like to check out the station mentioned above? Here's the link - !

http://www.montanaradiocafe.org/

My First "John Wayne" Moment - A True Sign of Getting Old?

The news this morning has hit a  depressing milestone for me.   For goodness sake - the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, if thought about for any length of time with even minimal intelligence, should be enough to shut down anyone's sanity all on it's own!   Never mind the other tidbits all the tv stations have thrown out for nibbling on!  So I wildly punch the remote, hoping for some hidden pearl.  A 10 year old antique roadshow? An arts documentary? Some religious, historical, conspiracy threaded piece of fluff?

Hip Replacement Update from a Vintage Cyborg Old Broad

Figured I better play a bit of catch up here. About one month since surgery and 3 weeks since leaving hospital. Just had my last in home therapy session - one step finished!! Start out patient therapy this week and am looking forward to that. If nothing else, it will get me out of the house 2 or 3 times a week!!


The hip replacement appears to have gone well - so far so good. My delay in recovery time is not from the hip but from having to repair damage done to nerves and muscle by the hip being bad for so long.

More Old Broad Attitude - The Good Old Days? Bah Humbug!

I always enjoy the "remember when", "the good old days", "the golden years", threads on forums. Usually baby boomers post with their memories of growing up in the 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's. They always make me smile as I think "oh, I remember that", but, to be totally honest, there is always a part of me that wants to slap a few faces and say "wake up".

Antique Vintage Dealers!! Collectors!! Have you read this book?

Antique, Vintage and Collectible dealers and collectors - Have you ever read Cadillac Jack by Larry McMurtry? If you haven't, you should. My neighbor and friend Denice turned me on to it and now I want to share. A good book on a subject you've actually lived to a certain degree, is always a good read.

As a thank you to Denice, here's a link to her shop on etsy http://www.blogger.com/www.etsy.com/shop/VioletCrownEmporium

It's a very different book for Mr. McMurtry, but as he states in the forward, he wanted it to be.

A tip of the hat to steampunk.

Please keep in mind that I'm an old broad, okay? Going to be 60 shortly, and am the first to admit that I am no longer up to par on the major interests of the youth culture. Not really sure I was all that up to date on it when I was one of the youth culture! Found myself mingled in with the hippy flower child wave and must admit that parts of it were a very comfortable fit. Have the feeling though that the way my mind tends to work, in other generations the labels might have been bluestocking, bohemian, witch or even village idiot.

Paula's Perspective of New Year's Resolutions

To celebrate my first year of "social networking" I've decided to share the same resolutions I make every year. And yes, I do have a pretty good track record of keeping them. Not perfect, but decent. They are easier than diets and work out plans, they only take a few seconds a day, and they don't cost anything. They do take a bit of commitment and effort in the beginning but they soon become natural. And best of all, they're usually fun and they make me feel good!

• Paula's Perspective on New Year's Resolutions:
  
  Smile at people. Most of them will smile back. Besides, if you're the first to smile and they respond, it makes you the alpha!
  
  Laugh first thing in the morning. Smile for tomorrow last thing at night.
  
  Do one nice thing, no matter how small, for another person AND for yourself each day.
  
  Give a compliment to someone AND to yourself every day.
  
  Learn one thing or try something new every day. Look up a word, ask old ladies in supermarkets how to cook something, read an article in a section of the paper you never look at, watch a show on one of the documentary channels, listen to music by someone you've never heard of, sign up for ballroom dance lessons, try sushi - anything!
  
  Put a dollar in a jar every time you say "I can't", "I will never", and "I don't like that" (when said in reference to something you've never tried).
  
  Once a day, each and every day, stop for one moment and think of what you have to be thankful for. From the basics of a roof over your head, food to eat, clothes to wear, a car to drive to the unbelievable advances in technology and science. Compare your life to others in the world and/or to how your life may have been 50 years ago, and say thanks.
  

Oh - and one more for this year - to write in my blog more often!!

Proudly Introducing My Bonanzle Widgit as the Newest Addition to My Blog! Thank you boyz!

See my widgit? It's on the right under About Me. I'm tickled pink and ready to pass out cigars.

I'm not going to tell anyone that it only took me all day to do!! Making it was easy, the boyz at Bonanzle got it set up to where it's literally a couple of clicks to accomplish and then they give you the code to copy and paste.

Figuring out how in the sam hill to get the thing on here was the hard part!!!! For the other tech challenged, middle aged computer befuddled, and hot flashing with minimal patience folk out there - go to your Dashboard, then Layout, then click on Add a Gadget, then under Basics, click on the HTML/Java Script one, put in a title - I used "A Peek at My Bonanzle Booth", paste the code you copied from bonanzle in the content block, hit SAVE and voila - you got a widget, I got a widget - everybody got widgits!!

Ron McCoy's Antiques Newsletter, Flicker and the Library of Congress

One of the few regular newsletters that I receive is the Antiques & Collecting Newsletter, Ron McCoy, editor. It comes once a month and rather than articles about what is this, how much is it worth, what is this mark - Mr. McCoy offers a variety of interesting and very eclectic links to sites that folk interested in antiques, vintage and collecting, might find fascinating. Since these same folk tend to think a bit outside of the box, the sites offered are the same. A selection of original pin-up girls painted on World War II planes, mens' tie fashions over the years, Route 66 history with photos, various strange landmarks or man made oddities found off the beaten track, vintage TV collections, etc. Even if you're not a dealer or a collector, if you like the unique to the absurd, you'll enjoy this newsletter! You can check out past issues, read some articles or sign up for the newsletter here: Ron McCoy Newsletter

Awhile back he posted a link with some info about a large collection of of old photographs from the archives of the Library of Congress now being shared on Flickr.com. This is a pilot project begun in 2008 to share some of the most popular images from the Library with a wider community and to encourage actual interactions among viewers. The photos come from the Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Bain News Service, selected panoramic photos, and other photos from different collections. Most of the photos range in age from the late 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. The photos have no known restrictions on publication or distribution and they have high resolution scans. Here are a few that I really like. I've added names to these because they were available either in the photo, from the Library's notes or from added comments from others.

Library of Congress on Flicker Many came to the Library with no descriptions or background, and the Library encourages tags, comments and any identifying information. Warning, you can get lost in there! The range of photos is fantastic, and reading some of the comments makes them even better. People are actually identifying many of the people in these photos as family members or long ago local celebraties, politicians or characters still remembered in their communities. Even some of the unidentified photos, like the ones taken of female carnival performers from the early 1900's, have started online conversations about the emotions and thoughts the photos stir in people.And you can search for different types of photos, women, fashion, cars, sports.

Vintage Aluminum Ware or More Correctly, Antique Aluminum Ware

Aluminum was discovered in 1845 and for a few years was valued as and used as a fine precious metal. In 1886, all that changed. Electricity had made the extraction process quick and inexpensive and aluminum became everyman's metal. Designers from all styles loved it. The arts and crafts people made tree branch handles, hand hammered utilitarian pieces, and placed decorated sheets on wood furniture; the art nouveau group swirled it, vined it and flowered it; the deco crowd loved the simple angles and curves easily obtained, and the matte to shiny surface options especially for dining, cocktail and entertaining pieces; the modernist and bauhaus designers jumped on it creating tubular furniture and solid pieces in waves or with sharp angles. Barclay McClelland was producing colored "spun" aluminum decorative serving pieces before WWII. The war slowed down the decorative and housware production, but after the war, the new colored ware with smooth or brushed surfaces became very popular. Granted there are some very generic aluminum pieces, especially those produced during the depression as a poor man's replacement for silver. But there are some truly fantastic pieces also, highlights of their particular design period from the late 1800's to the present.

Meissen Dancing Girl and Made in Japan Lady with Parrot Porcelain Figurines

This dancing girl is so finely made she appears to be ready to step off the base and skip across the table. A lovely Meissen piece from the 18th or 19th century I believe. Not being an expert, I'm not sure how to date her, but her marks and her quality, establish her as Meissen. Although I'm not particularly drawn to figurines, the movement in this little lady drew me from across a room. She was tucked in the corner of a large case used to display jewelry at a local thrift and she caught my eye when I walked in the door.

But, have to admit that the following lady also caught my eye. Another thrift, another day - but she grabbed my attention in the same way.



Made in Japan by Trico, Nagoya, Japan, she's rather crude compared to the Meissen piece. What should be a hair comb is painted the same color as her hair and you can almost imagine the color of her gown was chosen so they could paint the parrot and her gown all at once! She may be no match quality wise, but I find her just as charming. Her original mold was done well catching her perfectly in a small step forward, almost as if she was attempting to hear something or looking to see who her visitor was. And strangely painted hair or not, the fact that she's a red head makes her rather unusual.

These ladies are why I will probably never be a serious antique dealer. Definitely have the "eye", but that same eye is just as drawn to the low end treasures as it is the high end ones!

Antiques Vintage Collectibles - Where Are the Buyers?

I see this question constantly in the Bonanzle forums and every other forum, board, network, etc. I visit/participate in concerning on-line sales of antiques, vintage, collectibles on the web. And since this is my blog and I get to say what I want - I'm going to tell you what this old broad really thinks the answer is.

Again, this post has to do with selling in the Antique, Vintage and Collectible categories.

Ninety percent of the time when this question or one similar is the lead post, I bite my tongue - or should I say my fingers? - and leave the thread without posting. Why? Well, mainly cause I always go to the poster of the question's store or booth and guess what - there's not much there and what is there isn't presented very well either visually or verbally. Sorry but it's often the truth. Just because stuff is old - just because you saw one sell on ebay 3 years ago for a lot of money - just because your friend after his 4th beer said he'ld pay a bunch of money, if he had any money, for one like that - just because you saw one in an antique store "just like this one" for a 3 figure price tag - DOES NOT MEAN THE ONE YOU HAVE IS WORTH ANY MONEY!!!!! And if it is worth money - no one is going to give you that money until you have shown them a picture of every surface, plus the interior if possible and close-ups of any marks. Good clear photos not one fuzzy shot taken from across the room. There needs to be a description that includes colors, materials, measurements, condition, condition, condition!! And close-up photos of any flaws!

The other ten percent of the time the people have wonderful items for sale. Once again, often there is only one photo (which always makes me wonder why you don't want me to see the rest of it), no measurements, a one or two sentence description that says nothing, and no photos or details of any marks, lettering, etc., none of which makes me feel secure in buying something from you. Then there are those that do have great photos and descriptions but the titles and set up aren't search engine friendly or optimized for search. Beautiful Vintage McCoy Vase With Flowers Like Grandma's as a title isn't going to get you too many hits because your only good keywords are mccoy vase and even using advanced search (which many people still don't), there are 194,000 results! But, using advanced search, blue handles iris "mccoy vase" turns up only 140 results. Chances are a buyer is going to have a much better chance of finding your vase among 140 compared to 194,000.

Serious collectors and dealers are getting very savvy about using search. Give them what they are looking for and they will find you! And read google's policies, help pages, tutorials and all the help available on Bonanzle's forums. Titles entirely or with words in all caps will not do well, symbols like !?*"':; will not do well - and yes that means you actually have to type the word inches instead of just adding " to the number. Putting Free Shipping in your title or the first part of your description will not get you noticed, it will get you spit out of the search engine!

So where are the buyers? My personal opinion again - They are where they have always been - out looking for things to buy. If you've got the same thing everybody else has, yours had better look better and seem better than the rest. If you've got unique higher end pieces, they should be standing out of the crowd not lost in it. If you want to sell your stuff, you'll do what every salesperson has done since retail started, you'll figure out where your market goes to shop, you'll make sure they can see your stuff when they get there, you'll present your merchandise in the best possible light, you'll know your merchandise in order to present all the points being sought after, and you'll work to make the shopper feel safe and valued.

As sellers we need to learn how to best optimize our merchandise for feeds to search engines. We need to read more tech and business articles about how on-line shopping is changing. We need to listen to the people we know who do shop on-line. We need to keep the selling venues of our "old stuff" up to date. Basically, we need to do what we've always done: figure out where the serious, good buyers are going to shop, make sure we're noticed positively when they get there, present our wares attractively, and be knowledgeable dealers who value their reputations. Fifty years ago a shopper might look under Antiques in the yellow pages, then call around to see which shops carried items of interest to them. Back then, you spent time and money to make sure your shop was listed and stood out in those listings. Now shoppers go to the internet and immediately shop for a specific item. The good news is that unless you pay someone to do it for you, getting your inventory into the searchable listings is free. The bad news is that those listings are also open to everyone else in the world and their inventory. You have to spend the time to learn and the time to actually do what is needed to come out in front of the pack.

Paris Apartment Paris Apt. - Search Keywords I Love When Shopping

Here's a link to a Hand Picked List called Paris Apartment Accents that I put together on Bonanzle. The link will only be active until June 4, 2009. Will try to keep it in my menopausal memory bank to come back and replace it with some photos then.

http://www.bonanzle.com/hand_picked_lists/18538

Paris Apartment or Paris Apt., are keywords occasionally used to describe a certain "look" and "feel". Like shabby chic, it got way overused at one point with the resulting search results overwhelming you with stuff that in no way related to what your were looking for. Unlike the example used though, it seems to be quietly making a return and lets hope it stays quiet! Since I don't think I have many readers here, am going to say that searching Paris Apartment is becoming interesting again.

I know that interior designers and decorators often use it to search for accent pieces, and I know that some buyers use it. How do I know? Because some of my best repeat customers found me thru those keywords. BUT before you use them, be as sure as you can be that your item would be considered Paris Apt. decor. Those same buyers will probably never look at your items again if they click on one by the sound of the title and the item itself is not true to the keywords.

This is a tricky one because it can be used for Asian made and Asian inspired, overdone rococo and vintage industrial, deco, nouveau, Victorian, Edwardian and folk art, and so forth and so on. Antique and vintage items are preferred but there are new, contemporary ones that also fit. It really is more of a feel than a look on the deciding end.

I always try to imagine myself as a person living in Paris sometime between 1920 and 1960, there to pursue the arts and literary energy, past and present, that the city is known for. Somehow, it is my dream after all, I am invited regularly to salons, dinners, teas, cocktail parties and other social events held at the homes of people with their thumbs on the pulse of Parisian intellect and arts. Then I ask myself: Would this item look right in one of those homes?

It makes sense to me and actually works for me. But - my thought processes, as the other half tries to occasionally remind me, do not work along the same lines as the majority.

My Shabbi Chic has a booth on Bonanzle! Finally!

My booth is open with 69 items listed so far. I'll be adding more items every week. Spent several months checking out, watching, and getting a feel for all the new selling sites on the web. With a large number of former ebay sellers, especially those selling antiques, collectibles and vintage clothing/accessories/jewelry, looking for a 'better fit' for their treasures, the market for selling sites has expanded and is still growing.

Bonanzle is the one I chose for me. One of my first priorities, wrong or right, was how the homepage looked and how the category pages were presented. Bonanzle has a clean, professional look with no pop ups, no adds with large bosumed ladies wanting to talk to lonely people, and NO ads or links to other sites. Just the Bonanzle logo, their rallying cry of "everything but the ordinary" and, on the home page, an ever changing grouping of photos chosen from actual items found in the booths on the site. These are called hand picked lists and are created by Bonanzle members. The lists are put together around a theme and the best are chosen to rotate on the home page. There are usually up to 25 different lists rotating every day. If you don't do anything else on Bonanzle, go to Bonanzle.com and check the lists out - you can see the different ones by clicking on the logo in the upper left corner. Some are based on colors, eras, seasons, categories; some are classy; some are tongue in cheek; some are plays on words; and all of them are really attractive!

The owners of Bonanzle, Bill Harding and Mark Dorsey, wanted to create a site for people wanting to sell unique or one off items rather than wholesale, 1000 to a box, inventory. There are new items to be found there, but on the majority you'll find antiques, vintage, collectibles of yesterday and ones that will be tomorrow, and some great bargains on gently used but still good merchandise. Every seller has an opportunity to fill out a Profile and a More Booth Details section. Thru these you can see where the seller lives, how long they've been on Bonanzle, any feedback received, and information about what they sell and why. And there's a real time chat box in every booth! So if the seller is online and you have questions or want more info on an item, you can just type it in. Even if the seller is listing or elsewhere on the site, they'll be notified that someone has posted to their chat box and can get with you very quickly. Payment options are up to the seller, so checks, cash, money orders, Paypal and Google Checkout are all found and some sellers even process credit cards on their own.

Here's the link to my booth: http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/myshabbichic

And here's the link to Bonanzle's home page: http://www.bonanzle.com/

Please come visit me or just visit Bonanzle. I'll be posting more here as I add more treasures. May not have been selling much online the last few months but that doesn't mean I haven't been treasure hunting! and I have some really neat stuff to share!