Shop Talk with My Salvaged Treasures

  I wanted to do a regular series on my blog, something unique that hasn't been done before. I came up with an idea to feature small shops, that are located throughout the country. So, every Friday you can stop by and check out a new shop, and at the same time meet the owner. Some weeks, I will be sharing some wonderful vendors that set up at vintage style shows. I am hoping that this series will introduce you to some shops and shows, that you might not already know about, and better yet, they might be in driving distance for you, wouldn't that be nice? This week it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to my longtime blog friend Betsy from My Salvaged Treasures. Betsy and I go way back. She was one of my first friends out here in blogland, and I truly cherish our friendship. I hope to one day meet her in person, now that would really be nice. Since she lives on the west coast and I live on the gulf coast, maybe we can meet up in middle, okay maybe I am onto something. When you finish shopping Betsy's booth, be sure to check out her blog here. Happy to have you here today and I hope you enjoy shopping with my good friend Betsy.

  Thank you so much Linda for inviting me to be part of your Shop Talk series.  I'm thrilled to be here and really enjoyed putting this post together to share with your readers.

I'm Betsy and you can find me at My Salvaged Treasures where I blog about my road trip junking adventures, yard sale finds, jewelry creations, and my trash to treasure repurposing projects.  I started selling my treasures at antique/vintage markets and artisan fairs in the early to mid 1990s, and I still enjoy it despite the long days and weather related challenges.  I used to participate in 16-18 shows a year, but because my back isn't getting any younger, I had to narrow it down to about 10.  These days I'm trying to work smarter, not harder.

The first three pictures are from small indoor shows where I only bring my repurposed jewelry and stamped silverware.  Most of the time I only have room for a six foot table, so making good use of the vertical space is so important and always a challenge.

Lincoln Hills Community Church, November 2013

I'm always in the same space, but my table looks a little different every year.

Lincoln Hills, November 2012
I could have sold my helpers table top mannequins dozens of times, but they do such a great job showing off my jewelry.

I always have a fun time at The Big White House for the annual Holidays in the Vineyards event held in the Livermore Valley.  This event is held the first weekend in December and attracts tourists and locals from all over the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding valleys.

This year the owners of The Big White House winery set all eight vendors up in a large tent next to the tasting room.  Unfortunately we nearly froze to death on Saturday while all the customers were inside the tasting room where it was nice and cozy.  They were kind enough to squeeze us all inside on Sunday, so we kept quiet about how hot it was in there.

In May of 2013 I joined the team of talented and creative ladies at The Paris Flea Market in Livermore, Ca.  The Paris Flea Market is only open the first Thursday - Sunday of every month, but we sure pack a ton of fabulous treasures into one long weekend.

My little corner includes about 4' of floor and wall real estate, along with a hutch for displaying my jewelry and smalls. It's all conveniently located just to the right of the CeCe Caldwell paint display.  (Green cabinet hiding in the left side of this picture).

They feature several rooms full of home decor and accessories, vintage treasures and loads of painted furniture.  Painting classes are held in the paint studio next door where CeCe Caldwell herself and several other artists will be holding a paint workshop on May 3.

Karen from Redoux Interiors is on the other side of the room from me.  It's always fun to see what she's been up to.

During the monthly opening most of the consignors restock their inventory on a daily basis.  

In addition to my smaller shows, I load up the back of my truck and take my show on
the road several times a year.

Mes Amis Vintage Antique Show, April 2013

 This is one of my favorite shows; it's held twice a year in April and September.  I've been enjoying this same  large 15' x 20' spot under the trees for a few years now, but the show will be moving indoors to the Placer County Fairgrounds in September.  I think it will be a nice change and I definitely won't miss the 3am set up time.

I've become a master packer after all these years.  I don't have a trailer to tow all my merchandise and displays, so everything needs to be collapsible.  It doesn't matter how much I sell during the show, trying to pack it all back in the truck at the end of the day is always a struggle.  

Family and friends gather here.  They sure do!!

Mes Amis, September 2012

Mes Amis, April 2012

This table was a real labor of love and was eventually sold to a lady who wanted to hang
it on the wall.

This is about 3/4 of my booth from the Mes Amis Vintage Antique Show just this last Saturday, April 26.

That cute pink house makes a nice backdrop don't you think?

Vintage in the Vines, June 2013
This was the first show I did in my home town of Tracy and it won't be the last.  

 It was the first year for this fabulous show sponsored by The Owl Box and Scarlata Farms.  The booths were 10' x 10' with plenty of room to spread out in the front and on one side.

 It doesn't get much better than this.  It was so nice to set up at a winery, in the shade, under the trees, and on the cool grass in the middle of the summer.  Unfortunately customer parking was a problem, so they'll be moving the show just down the street this year.  I'm looking forward to being a vendor again on June 21.

Pleasanton Antiques and Collectibles Faire, October 2013

This outdoor street faire is held twice a year in May and October; I've been in the same location since 2003.  It sure doesn't take much to fill up the 10.5' x 10.5' spaces now that they want us sitting IN our spaces and not on the sidewalk.  

Typewriters and anything with numbers are big sellers.

Noel - A Vintage Holiday Market, November 2013

This was a new location at the Placer County Fairgrounds for the second annual Noel market. This amazing two day event was packed full of holiday treasures and vintage charm.  I'm looking forward to doing it again this year on November 21 and 22.

Thank you so much Linda for having me over to be part of your Shop Talk series.  I've really enjoyed your series so far and love being able to take a peek into the fabulous and creative spaces shared by your readers.  I wish I could visit all of them in person, but this has been the next best thing.