Yesterday’s rehearsal (at least my part in it) ended around 4:00, so I hightailed it to my car and headed home. Don was not expecting me until around 7 and I walked in before 6, completely surprising him. It is always so good to be home. He was sitting with his leg elevated, which is no surprise. It’s looking so much better now and I think it will only be a few more days until he can get back to normal.
He made dinner (Thank goodness I no longer have to make dinner every night as I did during his convalescence! He’s much better at it.) and we had a nice snuggle on the sofa before I fell into bed, exhausted and exhilarated. Work is a good thing for me right now. It’s something to focus on in a place I know like the back of my hand. It doesn’t matter where it is, on Broadway or off, in a regional theater or elsewhere, a rehearsal room is a rehearsal room. I remember getting ready to work on a musical headed to Broadway several years ago. I nervously walked into the rehearsal room and immediately relaxed. It was no different than any other rehearsal room. Work is work. Labels are just that – labels.
There was a package waiting for me on the kitchen table. I asked Don if he had wondered if it was more Roseville and he responded, “I don’t even think about it.” Wise, my husband, wise.
Because it was Roseville.
This is Ixia, a lovely Roseville pattern that doesn’t crop up in auctions nearly as often as some of the other patterns. First produced in 1937, the Ixia (from the Iris family) was a symbol of happiness to Victorian gardeners. I love this particular shade of green (it also comes in yellow and pink-green) and the delicate flowers. I really love the Art Deco-style handles.
The back. One of the things I love about Roseville is that front and back are always different.
And the details are always there, as in this touch:
Do you see the way the stem on the left extends onto the handle and the center stem extends onto the base? I love that.
These are the little things that make this collector’s heart go pitter-pat.
This vase is 8 inches high. I’m not sure where I’m going to put it yet. Upstairs? Downstairs? Hmmm.
I learned a little eBay bidding lesson with this one. For some reason (though I think I now have an idea why) I was the only bidder. The opening bid price was a fair one and I pondered bidding for a couple of days before I finally pulled the trigger. I was very happy when I won because this vase had cast a little spell on me. I got ready to pay and I noticed the shipping charge listed was $50.
What????
Are you kidding me? Well, I thought, I’m going to have to eat that cost because I didn’t take the time to check out the shipping charge before I bid, which was unlike me. I knew it was an outrageous price for shipping – which might be why nobody other than myself bid. I took a deep breath and wrote to the seller, explaining that I was the winner and thrilled to be so (this vase had belonged to the seller’s great-aunt) but why was the shipping so high? I mentioned other shipping charges that I had paid in past Roseville transactions of similar size and weight and that they were at least 1/4 of what she was charging.
This is where I learned something new. She immediately and graciously wrote me back, explaining that eBay had figured out the charges, not her, and that she herself was shocked at the amount. She then went on to say that she would look into it and she did; boxing up the vase and taking it to the post office to get a better idea. Bless her heart, she came back and reposted the shipping charge, which was now $11 instead of $50. And I received it within 3 days.
Always check the shipping charge in the auction. And always ask the seller about it if you think it’s too much.
I’m taking it easy today, puttering around the house, taking care of some laundry, vacuuming, and maybe some wandering outside to see what’s happening in the garden.
Tomorrow I have to get going very early in order to get into Manhattan for a 10:00 rehearsal.
Happy Sunday,
Claudia, that is a gorgeous piece. I love the handles. Wow $50 so glad that worked out. I always try to look at the shipping since it does make a difference to the price I’m willing to pay. Your collection is growing as is mine!
I am so happy to hear the work brings you some distraction and enjoyment now. It’s healing.
hugs,
Linda
I do, too, but for some reason, I didn’t look this time. I don’t know why! I’m relieved that it was resolved positively.
It is an easy thing to miss the shipping costs in the excitement of finding such a gorgeous piece! I’m buying more of the small pieces to display in my cubbies. They are making me very very happy!
Oh good! The flower frogs, etc., are perfect for the cubbies, Linda.
Good morning Claudia, your new vase is beautiful! Enjoy your day.
Thank you, Doris. You, as well!
glad that worked out for you on the shipping cost! thanks for sharing your lesson with us.
glad that you could add to your collection. do you ever use them as actual vases or just keep them near so you can look at them?
kathy in iowa
Rarely. I display them because they are so beautiful, I think all but the most artful flower arrangement would take away from their beauty. I use my McCoy vases more often because they are usually a solid color. But I ALWAYS make sure they’re still water-tight!
I like your new Roseville very much, especially the handles. Thank you for the helpful tip! Ive been buying quite a bit of vintage 1:16 scale dollhouse furniture lately on eBay and often the associated costs and not the price become the deciding factor. Most of the vendors are in America, so I have to pay import duty as well as shipping. (I wonder if 1:16 Tomy or Lundby would work in the loft..)
I’m glad to read that Don is on the mend. That must have been a worry while you were away. If the clever poster for Anatasia is any indication, the sets and costumes must be lovely.
The designs are gorgeous. There are so many costumes, they are being made in over 15 or 16 shops in NYC. It will be stunning, of that I am sure.
Thanks for giving me a head’s up! I do a fair amount of shopping on eBay and I sometimes see those absurdly expensive shipping charges too. Didn’t realize that eBay could be setting those prices. I have avoided some items that seemed well priced, yet the shipping costs were out of sight. I like your new Roseville piece. You have found some very pretty ones recently.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Luck has been with me, and also a willingness to explore other patterns. Thanks, Susan.
Pretty vase! Now…where Will you put it? You’ve had quite good luck on eBay…glad you were able to get the shipping charge changed! Enjoy your day! ;)
I’ve put it in the china cabinet in the den for the time being. It looks nice there, although the glass is a barrier that I don’t especially like. But then again, dusting each piece wouldn’t be fun either.
I love the little details of your new Roseville too. Whew!n about the shipping. Glad you dealt with a reasonable seller. Hope you have a restful evening to recharge for tomorrow’s gig.
Yes, I plan to have a lovely dinner, watch a series we’ve been loving on Netflix, and go to bed fairly early.
What a great vase and how nice that the seller helped you with the shipping cost. I never knew eBay set them, but I’m glad you let us know this.
I love seeing your purchases. It is fun to see what you add to your collection.
So glad Don feels better and so happy for these jobs for you!
xo
Sheila
PS. — We are watching the Masters. I am rooting for a young man in his 20’s. He and his brother sponsored a charity event in their youth to raise money for cancer research because they were concerned about so many people they knew who were battling it, and i think they raised $65,000! He is a fine young man named for another amazing athlete . I’m so impressed with his character as well as his talent. I always rooted for Payne Stewart until he died in a plane crash . I confess I rooted for him because I loved his clothes. A tad shallow, but he was talented, too. And I once got to walk a course with Arnold Palmer who was so sweet. He didn’t tee off today as it appears his health wouldn’t permit it, but he still came out. Good for him!
Off to watch…
I don’t know if they always set them, but I imagine there’s an option to have eBay set them. Have fun with the Masters, Sheila.
I don’t believe ebay does set the shipping costs. You can use a shipping calculater when you list and you can also add to that cost. Since ebay started charging the seller much more to list and sell than it used to and these fees are a percentage of the selling price not including shipping, we have seen and heard of sellers overcharging for shipping to ” make up” for the high fees. This especially happens if there is no reserve on the piece and it is something they don’t want to take a chance loosing money on. You were fortunate to get someone who would cooperate. Most sellers, if they have done much selling on ebay, know what their package weighs and check out the shipping prices before they list.
Lovely piece! I can see why you wanted it.
I wasn’t saying they set the costs as a rule.
And I’m sure it was the shipping calculator, based on whatever information she provided. I looked at her other listings and the shipping charges were reasonable. She didn’t know what the package weighed as she doesn’t usually list pottery. She wouldn’t have lost money on it because she started at a legitimate final price, not a low starter price.
She was very helpful and she certainly would have had the right to hold me to that price. She didn’t.
But certainly raising the listing fees doesn’t help the seller, does it? I sell occasionally on Etsy and all of that has to be factored in, though their prices are very reasonable.
I have [rarely] run into this on Amazon itself in a firsthand transaction between me and them but mostly from a secondhand seller where the shipping was much more than the cost of the item. It’s meant I either got burned or I simply then didn’t order the item(s). I’ve noticed it on repro miniatures and decorative scrapbook stickers (smallest of items and nothing weighty!). I’m glad you wrote this post. From now on, if I ever run into that again, I’ll inquire with the secondhand marketplace seller before I do anything. I have a tendency to limit contact with the seller. Some of them want to become your new best friend.
Do you have a goal of how many and what type of Roseville you still want to acquire, to complete your collection, or is completing it not an issue and you’ll consider it ongoing? How are you dealing with the lack-of-space conundrum which so many of us out here must confront? That’s my Number One big problem…a continuing problem…with downsizing (to a smaller home; less square footage). I’m running out of nooks. I’ve had to really curb my collecting/collections (very recently actually; I collect A LOT of different things) and, in fact…and sadly…am starting to cull because I am resembling a warehouse/store and not a home (and it’s driving my minimalist husband to distraction; we’ve had very serious conversations over it; it seems the older he gets, the less he wants what he considers clutter and too much for the weary eye to settle on[distracting to him] and, of course, with retirement/fixed income looming, excess spending has to stop although the majority of what I collect isn’t TOO pricey…but, you know, one more dollar not spent…).
One thing that does contain me is that I can’t have a lot of stuff perched on (or on the edge of) windowsills, table tops, open shelves, counter tops, above doorways, over the headboard, etc. ( as we’ve discussed before)…because of earthquakes. I use museum wax to hold a lot of things in place but I’ve had problems with it leaving permanent residue; I’ve ruined wood with it. We just recently had some rumblings/tremors and it’s made me quite aware that in the chaos of moving-relocating/remodeling, I still have furniture that’s not fastened properly to the wall studs and I don’t want the pieces to tip over…clearly to minimize injury but also not to lose all the contents (of hutches, china closet, glass cases, etc.) although much of it is still packed. I’ve now known too many Californians who have lost precious, precious things although, at some point, you either enjoy and take the risk or bury it in cupboards, wrapped in protective packaging, never to see it. Mom did that to a large degree, which sort of bothered me although she did ‘save’ (keep safe) her great-grandmother’s china by doing so.
You don’t look cluttered to me; the things in your house are artfully arranged. So, what’s your plan (your secret!)? Do you do what some people do in terms of rotating their collections so that not so many are displayed all at one time (sort of like only getting out the Christmas decorations once a year). This hasn’t seemed to work well for me. I saw something on TV about a person who collects thousands of salt/pepper shakers but her husband makes attached-to-the-wall display cases for all of them (effectively corral-ed and top-drawer [beautiful] cases but it still looked to me like a museum).
Well, collecting is such a joy to me that the Roseville collecting will be ongoing – though at some point, like you say, I’ll run out of room. I collect a LOT of different kinds of pottery and china and, since we have a storage space, I’m thinking of packing some of the pieces that I’m not as crazy about and putting them in storage. Odd pieces, etc., that aren’t part of a collection.
I don’t rotate collections in and out. Never have. First of all I don’t have a spare bedroom or attic to keep them in. And I’m not about to do that with the storage space. If I pack something away it will be because I have no plans for it. And if I don’t miss it, I’ll sell it, most likely. Besides, I like seeing my collections! I want them in sight. Isn’t that the joy of collecting? Having the things you love around you?
That being said, I do think there’s an eventual end point in any collection for me. I love my egg cups – all of them. But the ones I love most are the figural egg cups that I started out collecting, and if I had to get rid of some of them, it would be the basic egg cups. Figural egg cups are harder and harder to find – vintage ones, which is what I collect – so I’ve slowed WAY down on that collection. Likewise with McCoy. I have about 70 different pieces and there are very few left that I feel the need to have. Maybe every once in a while, but I’ve slowed down there as well. Roseville? I’m going to collect what I like and what I can afford. I’m not about to pay huge prices, because the fun of it is discovering a piece and getting it for a good price! That’s the challenge. I’ve stopped bidding many a time because the price was going out of my comfort zone. There will always be another piece like it, another opportunity.
I used to use museum wax, and still use it occasionally. Since I’ve been collecting for years, some of them in San Diego, I think it’s a good idea. Not just in California, by the way. I once had someone fall into a shelf holding my grandmother’s tea cups, which I inherited, and they all went crashing to the floor. Ruined. I would have loved some museum wax and this was in Michigan!
You have better discipline than I do; you self-edit well!
I was on a home tour once (benefit for a fave charity) and accidentally backed into a table holding a large vase of Bird of Paradise. I knocked over the vase and it made a mess on a gorgeous wood floor and equally-gorgeous wood table (an antique) and we all scrambled; thank God I didn’t break the vintage vase. I felt just horrible about it. So embarrassing. Stuff happens. But to lose those teacups! What a heartbreak for you. How could you have not been raging?!
Like I’m sure is the case with most collectors as yourself (unless you’re a bazillionaire, and I’m the opposite…an amateur on a budget!), I too have a cap. For instance, there’s a type of doll I’ve been collecting for many years and there’s a new one I’m coveting but I’m not about to pay its price. I have to be content with photos and hope someday I can see one in person. With this particular type of doll, I’ve also set a limit that I will only buy one specific type of the many that are made, since it’s a way to control myself AND my little collection. I worry that I could too easily border on hoarding tendencies so am acutely aware of my gathering/accumulating. I have a mantra I repeat, “You have enough.” Often when I say that, it’s liberating. There are endless quests for things and even information that need to conclude or never even begin! I can be quickly overtaken. For instance, I could/did get in the habit of going to one particular thrift store every day. I quickly recognized that as an addiction to avoid. Or, like beginning a journey into research about the family tree; it became so involved, all the layers (all the branches!) even pre-internet, that it overwhelmed me (which is why I, to date, will not join Ancestry.com!). I realized the gravity of the obsession when, at the time (this was 35 years ago), I put off seeing my boyfriend one weekend because of some pressing need to do family history research (I was on the trail of something). I’ve always wished I was a person who lived somewhere in the middle!
Claudia, I love the new vase. How very d of the lady to get you the better shipping price. Glad you had time with Don. Bless you both xoxo,Susie
Thank you, Susie.
Such a cute vase Claudia..I like those cute little flowers and also like the way the stems extend on to the base and handle…Enjoy your trip to the city tomorrow!
Thanks, Nancy!
Glad to hear that Don is doing well and that you had such a nice seller to deal with, that is the sort of person that is a pleasure to be in contact with isn’t it! xx
It is. Thanks, Amy!