OH my...

I knew it was coming, and should have clarified, my comments about, 'new' stuff. I have deleted any and all comments I wrote concerning them...and I will try and be more specific, when I write... I visited with one of my Iowa customers today, concerning the 'New' stuff, she carries. She is very selective, and much of it is made here, in the United States. She hand selects everything, and does a great job. And, without her sales of the 'new', she wouldn't be able to buy as many antiques, which are her first love. The people I personally deal with, do carry wonderful, new items, they are all careful, not to fill their stores with the stuff, everyone else has. Nor do they buy reproductions of good old stuff, it is new, but works well with the old. And is mostly made in the United States. I had a friend, years ago, try and get me to sell his Iron Stuff, that he brought in, in containers...I couldn't do it...He has done very, very well. I had another friend, who talked me into trading some antiques, for a load of new Iron Urns... I couldn't sell them... I practically gave them away...And I had people asking me for three years after, if my 'Old' urns, are old.... I don't understand this stuff... My beef is this, I can go to Ben Franklin, Drug Town, Major Antique Malls, and chain stores, and find sections of new, imported pieces, that are difficult for me to tell the difference,{ from a distance...} that I do see on garage sales... These things have truly wounded the market for authentic wooden ware, garden ware, iron fencing, Ironstone, transfer ware, jadeite, cake stands, apothecary jars, quilts, the list could go on and on. These are the things I carry. I could buy this stuff cheaper, but at retail, it would be as much, or more, than the old... This is a market I cannot compete with... The new stuff, my friends carry are not the reproductions of what I carry. It's the retail stores, that have hurt me, and others the most. It is that simple. My customers, that used to buy, the above mentioned pieces, don't much anymore, because they have been reproduced... and are everywhere. I could buy new apothecary jars, and ironstone, but it leaves me cold, tho, I could have an unlimited quantity, for the folks who just want the look. I look back, and I also ruffled a lot of feathers, when I started selling chipped, cracked and damaged pieces. The high end dealers thought it was terrible, but there is a market for those things, and I love them. Now I know how they felt... I am sorry that I barked at my friend, Ed... He is one of those, who does everything right... They have some new, but are very selective, and don't carry things you can find anywhere, they work very, very hard to make everything perfect. And succeed. They are owners of one of the few stores, that care, and represent things appropriately. If you want to see how it is done RIGHT, check out { leftoversantiques.net }But I am hearing it from so many, including my friend, today, that it takes both, to survive, and be diverse... My friend agreed with me, about me carrying new stuff... She thought if I did, maybe a candle line... That I could do. I truly wouldn't begin to know how to buy 'new' stuff... I don't even buy new clothes, most of the time... Barb C. P.S. I went to bed, and started thinking, for me to try and pin any short comings, I have, on anything, accept myself, is wrong....If things are not moving in the direction they should be, it's my own fault, and my judgement, or lack there of, sets squarely on my shoulders. No excuses...