SALESPERSON OF THE WEEK

A chap called in to the shop, wanting to sell us 3 pieces. I didn’t like any of the items which, of course, meant I didn’t want to buy any of them.

“Well, I’ve bought load off of you over the years, I think the least you can do is buy something off of me” he said (his English, not mine).

This may, or may not, have been true – I certainly didn’t recognise him.

Still, after he left in a huff with his unwanted items still in his car, I did think maybe I should try this. Should I go to Waitrose with a broken television and make them buy it off of me (!) because, well, I’ve spent some money with them over the years!

Would that work?

PRECIOUS THINGS CABINET

I may have mentioned previously that we wanted to put a ‘precious things’ display cabinet in the shop at some point. Well, that time has come and there is now one sitting proudly in Nest!

There is one small problem – we have very few ‘precious things’ to put in said cabinet. We’re sort of hoping that having a cabinet that needs filling will inspire us while out buying. At the moment, all that we have is a stuffed puffer fish, some dolls house furniture and a rare ELY toffee tin!

Hardly a display....when I say precious, I don’t necessarily mean expensive either. It’s more a case of keeping little wandering hands away from items that would otherwise get touched a lot (again, I refer you to the puffer fish – which you can’t help but touch even though it is repeatedly painful!). It should be fun, though, when out buying, to be wearing a slightly different buying hat to normal.

Yes, this is me out in my normal buying hat!

STRANGE PURCHASE OF THE DAY AWARD

6 bars of soap and 2 fossilised sharks’ teeth....I think Christmas shopping may have started!

POST APPLE DAY...

I’ve been a bit quiet as I had post-apple day illness. I spent all day outside in the ‘fresh’ air running the Tonka toy challenge for children....who are always full of bugs and clearly decided to pass some on!

Still, the challenge went very well. The record for the tractor and trailer was 22 apples across the course and for the yellow truck -24. I have to say that the competitive child that set the record of 24 apples may have bent the rules a little (if not also the Tonka toy).

The best ‘crash’ was from a small French child who managed to roll the dumper truck. I’m still not sure how because I tried to make the course ‘do-able’ for virtually anyone – still, that’s the French for you!

The picture is not of the Tonka challenge...but a rather bigger challenge that was also taking place at Burwash on Apple Day – the vintage ploughing match!

WANT TO SELL US SOMETHING?

We’ve recently had lots of people in the shop, all trying to sell us things. We need people to buy stuff, not sell us it!

We do buy a fair amount from the public but please remember the commercial reality of our situation. If you have an old spoon you think I might like, please don’t phone us up and expect us to drive to Ely to look at it!

We used to spend (or waste) a lot of time driving round to private houses. Furniture was rarely as described on the phone. I remember a ‘Victorian table and chairs’ still having its plastic barcode stuck to the leg. “Well, it’s still old” the guy said...’old’ meaning over 2 years by his definition.

And an ‘antique dresser’ made from laminated chipboard.

And a ‘Victorian cast iron garden bench’ from B&Q.

Well, the list goes on! So – if it’s large send us a photo. If it’s small, phone us and arrange a time to bring it in.

Just remember that we are not going to travel all the way to Peterborough to look at your antique TV cabinet!

And relax...rant over...

APPLE DAY...

It’s that time of year again – 13th October – BURWASH MANOR APPLE DAY!

As usual, I will be outside Nest running the ‘Tonka Toy Challenge’. For those of you that haven’t experienced the hysteria of a bunch of children watching a peer (not a pear) coaxing an apple laden vintage tonka truck across an obstacle course by means of a string and pulley...well, you just haven’t lived!

The idea is to transport as many apples safely to the finish as possible because apples means lollies (or some other appropriate prize!). There is a small fee that goes to charity, but in terms of excitement to sterling value, it’s pretty good!

MORE FURNITURE FUN

I headed off to Norfolk to try and get some more furniture the other week, on my own. Steve, the owner of the particular house clearance company I was visiting, was delighted because I usually spend more money without Kathryn editing me! And so it proved! He had quite a lot of interesting pine which of late has been scarce in the trade so I was chuffed to get my hands on some.

A few days later we headed up north and bought a load more Hungarian furniture (including a very red wardrobe) and some interesting ‘Americana’. We didn’t buy the chair they had for sale, but Martha found it very handy for a mid-day nap...

Luckily our new workshop is proving very helpful in ‘turning around’ furniture and getting it to the shop a bit faster. The only trouble is a more efficient workshop needs more efficient buyers...more coffee please!

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the...”

“Excuse me, could I buy that mirror please?” the customer interrupted.

So, no mirror on the wall – stop buying mirrors! I have no one to speak to!

I need cake.

Who said that?

SALESPERSON OF THE WEEK

We are always getting people coming into the shop trying to sell us things. I’m not complaining – we often get some really interesting things that way.




One particular regular turned up this week with a load of wooden fruit crates. I picked one up and the bottom fell out:

“Err, this is probably not quite sturdy enough to sell,” I said.

“Yes, quite right, I wouldn’t buy them,” he replied.

I award him Salesperson of the Week!