Hop on the Bus Gus- shipping updates.

Greyhound shipping updates.

Shipping on the bus can be a big drag for the ones doing the shipping. (sure, there is a bit of a hassle on the pick up end of things too, but it is worth it to save some money….in many cases ALOT of money…over hiring a legit shipper. You always have to be willing to roll with the punches. I have had a few shipments go in the last few weeks and here are the latest quirks with the bus.

My closest station (about 1/2 hour away) is Allentown. They were removed from the Greyhound computer as a shipping station because we recently had a local bus company go out of business. I cannot order a label on Greyhound’s website originating out of this station. I can, however, drop off there and pay cash for shipping. This means in order to ship with a courier on your end, I need to drive it to Philadelphia to ship. I do not mind doing this but in most cases, but I will be implementing a flat charge to cover that expense. If I need to go to Philadelphia at your request, I will tack that on your shipping price. I recently shipped to a small station in Idaho and spent 2 days driving it around to get shipped. Needless to say it’s well on it’s way, but just another dose of bus shipping reality. I see lots of folks on fb groups telling people to have the seller bus ship. I think these folks think it magically packs itself and drives itself to the station? Not sure but there is a lot of work involved and for those of us not in a major metropolitan area, it is a big expense. This shipping option is a SERVICE and in most cases, will save you a bit of money over hiring a USHIP driver. Believe me when I tell you finding cheap shipping is not an easy task and sometimes my hands are tied. If you are in California and need a large item shipped, we are at the mercy of uship unless we can fit it under the bus safely. If you are shopping for something that might be a candidate for bus shipping and want to know more, please reach out. I can explain how the process will work. We are not insured for damages going this route but I do my best to pack the item well and usually am including new moving blankets I buy from harbor freight. I also take responsibility for calling and tracking items or dealing with Greyhound Corporate. This could be a day of time if an issue arises but I take my position very seriously and this for me is part of exceptional customer service. Don’t by shy, reach out if you are looking for a larger item and I will get to work trying to calculate your best options! This is another reason to shop with a PROFESSIONAL SELLER! Hobbyists don’t really care about you or your budget.

NEW ITEMS

I just picked up some great new items from Primitives by Kathy! Camping themed kitchen towels, restocked Indian kantha placemats and grabbed a few kantha buntings (pennants) which are totally awesome for your camper or van awning! I listed 2 on etsy and dropped one off at my booth. The new towels are also at my booth and I will be adding the others to my eBay I guess. I have other towels on there right now as well. I also grabbed more of the pillowcases with the vintage camper. I had one left out at the mall but had sold a bunch on eBay. I will relist there in the coming days.

New item! Kantha bunting (pennant) for home or camp!  2 in my Etsy shop, 1 in my local retail space. So fun!  So bohemian! 

HOLY MOLY!

So my last day at the tax office is tomorrow. I will be working on some classes over the summer (unpaid) but otherwise, I am done until January. That said, thanks to all who bought from me in the last month or so! I am so thrilled as I plan on trying to make it without a legit job until next tax season! Your support has floored me and I think if I can keep this up for a while, I may be able to do it. I have lots more things to list and will be working on that in the coming weeks as I reorganize my office and storage and pack to do some flea markets and the big extravaganza coming up in a few weeks. I will announce where I will be set up and mainly plan on packing items I want to blow out. Basically, the more you buy the better the deal and I will be priced for resellers in most cases. I have a lot of stale or bulk items I bought over the last year and just want to clear out and start fresh. Thanks for shopping with me and please the best compliment you can pay me is sharing your favorite (I hope!) vintage seller with your friends. Don’t worry, it’s not a competition and I will find more so don’t keep me as a secret!!! <3 I need all the help I can get right now!

Have a great week and I will post more soon!

xo Malissa

Fun kitchen towels! I could not resist the vintage ones!  In my retail space and will be adding to my eBay soon. 

Restocked colorful Kantha placemats! These are a consistent seller on Etsy and I have given some sets out recently as gifts and they are loved! I have 3 sets (of 4) available and listed on Etsy.   

Just stating to list the fencing swords or foils on Etsy. I have a few more to list this week. Makes Great Wall decor but all appear to be in usable condition.  We were unaware if the now 97 year old participated in the sport, or just collected them! There are examples of French grip, Italian grip and a pistol grip in this lot.  These pieces probably date to the 1970s based on what I have seen.  

Today is my last day of Tax Season work!  Thanks for your continued support as I enter a new phase of my life and business!  

XO MALISSA

Grand finale! Wave Lounge Restoration Complete!

After weeks of coordination, some work on my part and some at the upholsterer, this beautiful piece is now complete and waiting delivery next weekend.  I was beyond thrilled when I showed up to pick up at the upholsterer.  He did an amazing job!  Here are some pics.

I arrived at the time we arranged and just in time to watch him close it up.  I think he may want me to be there so I could see his work that would shortly be sealed up.  You can see his strapping which is all brand new as well as all the foam and stuffing.  It is a very firm seat but very comfy and will last another lifetime!  I particularly enjoyed his double stitch technique on the seams that create almost a faux piped edge.  Super classy without all the piping work!

The Upholsterer works to add the dust cover, the final finishing touch!  You can see in the background he does some amazing pieces and I have seen him working on more than one Victorian piece.  They always look fabulous!

Meanwhile, I was at home working on the legs.  They were pretty nicked up, had a bad repair on one of them and were in need of a fresh start.  I sanded them down, did some repair work on the bad repair and then gave them stain and poly top coat.  The final detail was all new floor glides. 

The final result is a stunning piece with all new guts and a total fresh start.  My client is looking forward to relaxing with a good book and I would be lying to say that doesn't make me a bit jealous!  

Sorry about my living room as the background.....it was so rainy this weekend I just could not get any decent pics in natural lighting outdoors, which is my favorite place to photograph. 

The color is stunning as well!!! Such a fabulous accent piece that will steal the show!

The tufting adds so much to this larger piece. It really needs some details to break up the piece visually.  If you search for this piece on an image search, you will see them done in many ways.  I enjoy the tufted pieces best and ones with thicker foam like this one. 

Overall, the finished price of this piece is well under retail in my markets.  Had I taken this on myself and invested my own money into the restoration, I would have priced it accordingly.  However, I was able to save my client money and she was able to call the shots on the important things like fabric selection and stain color.  I guess with any restoration you have to have a bit of flexibility on the final product, but generally, that's my job to pull the details together and present a gorgeous finished product you can enjoy for hopefully the rest of your life!  The pieces I select for restorations are always something with significant design or collectability status but in reality, the sky is the limit if you are willing to invest in the piece. 

I will be looking to pick up some more Pearsall items shortly that will all need complete restorations and I would love to coordinate restoration on them.  Please keep me in mind when you are looking for something for your home!  I would gladly source something for you that needs a makeover and follow through the process with you, advising you along the way.   All custom restorations will require 50% deposit to start the work.  If you have me purchase your fabrics for you, I will offer you my wholesale rates as well.  Fabric is a tricky thing but I do have some sources for discounted close outs as well.  It can be overwhelming!  Definitely order a current JOYBIRD swatch kit before you start your search!  This week I found a sale at Norwalk Furniture at $8/9 a yard for closeout fabrics they had available.  I bought 15 yards of an orange I have earmarked for my Pearsall couch coming!  $100 for 15 yards is INSANE!  Even if I have to have the strapping and structure redone by the upholsterer, I will still be well under retail on the piece.  And since it will be going in my own living room, this excites me a lot!  hahaha  You can see my current sectional in the pics above and I am so over it!!!!  My husband loves it and has fought me about replacing it.  I finally found a large 9' couch that I think will be great and we will even have room for a chair!  <3  Here is the link to the NORWALK FABRIC SALE. Norwalk, by the way, had some great Mid Century offerings back in the day!  They are still manufacturing furniture today!

These cuties will be available to customize shortly!  

I also have a quote for the X benches that are going to be redone.  I need to disassemble the second one which is extremely labor intensive.  Once I get that done (shooting for spring) they will be ready to head to the upholsterer.  I loved the fabric on the wave lounger so much I am thinking of staying with it.....possibly blush...but there is a great moss green too.  If you are interested in having me customize them for you, please reach out before I get started.  Final pricing on them will be in the $700-800 range depending on if bought direct or through one of my online markets.  They will be amazing at the foot of a bed.  I am thinking they need some tufting up top as well, so will be running with that! 

Other quick notes:  The gold tufted couch/chair set is off the hook.  It is currently in 6 shopper's carts on etsy.  I have quoted shipping to California (from PA) and checked my plycon rates in the chairish shop.  This set is going to cost $500-1000 to ship.  Seriously.  I need a regional buyer for this set unless you have a fat shipping budget.  I will drive far to find it the right home, but you would need to reach out so we can talk about it.  I prefer NOT to split the set.  The chair by itself to me is not really worth selling on it's own and honestly, I priced the set LOW on purpose.....like throwing the chair in for free anyway and factoring in the wear on the arms.  If you are considering the set, reach out!  It is a beautiful set and very current with what is trending.  I do think you can match the velvet you could have some arm covers made up to cover the wear. A quick check on etsy confirms that there are MANY options for useful and decorative arm covers!  Plus I found someone selling velvet that may match.   That is really the worst of the issues.  I can help you with that if you would like. 

ALBUM SALE on my facebook page is still going on!  Grab some goodies from my wholesaler, Primitives by Kathy AT COST!  That's right!  I am selling a bunch of cute gift items at my wholesale price!  Sure, they aren't everyone's style, but they make great gifts for mother's day, easter and more!  Please stop by and check them out at facebook.com/madformodmalissa.  The album is pinned to the top of my wall.  I will send you a paypal invoice with shipping added.  Fill a box!  Click the link above to visit!

Thanks for popping in!  I have noticed an issue with my mailchimp list and it appears that some email followers MAY have been added without their consent.  This seems nuts to me as not only do you need to complete the form on my website, you then need to follow through and respond to the email they send you to confirm you really want to be there.  I do not randomly add anyone to this list!  Not my friends, not my family, not even people who follow me on facebook.  SO, with that said, if you got on my list without your consent, please contact me via email!  Mailchimp seems to be spamming people and it makes me mad.  So I apologize if anyone is getting my updates that did not sign up for them! 

xo Malissa

New Items, In the Home Stretch.

Interesting tidbit....the wave couch designed by Adrian Pearsall was not only produced by Craft Associates, it also was made by his later company, Comfort Designs (Kingston, PA).  I found no marks on this piece to attribute it positively to Pearsall, but most things I have read say the size is indicative of the origin, which this one checks out.  Regardless, these wave couches are fantastic and super comfy! 

The Wave couch is in the final stages and is scheduled to be complete at the end of the week.  I cannot wait to see it!  I just finished the legs.  They were sanded down, restained and new poly top coat.  I just have to install the floor glides that get hammered in.  So excited to see this beauty and the fabric is to die for!  I will get some pics when she is home waiting delivery. I got prices to have my X benches put back together (I still have to tear apart the 2nd bench....this will take me a while!) so I am ready to get them done as soon as I finish the tedious tear down.  I was thinking of using the same joybird fabric as the wave couch but in blush or a moss green.  They are both beauties!  I will need 6 yards.  If anyone wants to jump in and claim them I will work a little faster and it's not too late to choose the fabric! I estimate finish price for the pair to be $650-800 depending on if you buy direct from me or if they get listed in my online markets and are subject to fees, etc.  They are extremely tedious and labor intensive. They look awesome at the foot of a bed and they are VERY hot in today's decorating trends!

2 couches are now available! This is listed as a set and priced to sell at $500 with delivery or meets in my region included.  They are HOT.  Generally in good shape with some wear on the arms.  Will be cleaned and sanitized prior to delivery. 

Super sexy convertible couch is available.  Price negotiable for cash/regional shoppers.  Reach out if you are in the market.  It is a great piece!!! Will be cleaned/sanitized prior to delivery.  Super springy supports bounce like an old car seat. Under seat storage and back reclines flat for snoozing.   

The gold velvet couch and chair has been a very hot item for me and sadly, they are not going to be cheap to ship.  I have been working with a west coaster and quite frankly, the quotes are coming back $1000-2000.  This set needs a closer home.  Preferably one I can deliver to.  If you are in the region or would be willing to meet and can transport, this set will be stunning in the right décor.  I might be able to get more reasonable shipping east coast or even Dallas TX as I have a ushipper that goes there a few times a year.  I spend a lot of time pricing shipping and it makes me sad when I can't find something that works for my buyer, but it is what it is.  I have this set priced to MOVE so if you love it, message me right away and we can see if we can make it work.  It is in multiple carts on etsy right now.  Don't forgot, PLYCON quotes instantly in my chairish.com/shop/madmodworldvintage shop.....add the item to your cart like you are buying it, make sure your zip code shows up and you will see the shipping and fees.  FIRST TIME SHOPPERS can get a coupon for signing up for an account or message me with your email and I can have one sent to you!  I do occasionally beat this shipping price but it really depends on where you are.  USHIP for me is less than impressive.  I do not get bids most of the time which is seriously depressing!

This lovely vintage dress form adorned with beautiful scarves and bags will arrive in my space at Fleetwood Antique Mall later this week!  (Dress form is priced and available!)  I plan on Wednesday but we have snow coming so no promises!  Will try to have her there before we leave for the weekend!  That said....I will not be available this weekend for quotes/inventory related questions I cannot answer off the top of my head or shipping.  Please make all purchases by Thursday evening so I can get shipped before I leave!  Othewise, will ship early next week!

In other NEWS, I just got to my wholesaler to restock some goodies for my booth that I like to use as filler and fit my eclectic/boho/camping theme.  Not only did I come home with some cute items like MORE PLACEMATS!  These never stick around long!  I have 2 sets (of 4) of mixed Kantha mats and 3 sets of matching blue/white patterns so come check them out in the etsy shop!  $30 each set plus ship.  They are always popular and do not last long.  Perfect for your dining table or use when you are camping!  They are so fun.  Also with Kantha items, I picked up scarves and 2 cute cross body bags.  I am picky about my bags and selected these because they have leather straps, are adjustable, lined inside with zipper pocket and an open pocket for stashing important items.  They are super cute and perfect for going out, shopping and festival season!  I am adding a dress form to the booth this week and didn't want her to be naked so filled her with scarves and bags!  Hope you can stop by as this cute stuff would make great Valentine's gifts!  All NEW with tags!

I am a savvy shopper and was able to score 2 boxes of goodies in a deal Primitive's by Kathy had going on.  These are all items I do not typically buy to resell but are fabulous gifts and I decided to offer them at WHOLESALE pricing!  That means, these are the prices I would be paying for them, retail is marking them up 50% more!  I hope you stop by my facebook page facebook.com/madformodmalissa and have a look! There is a video of me going through the box and telling you about the items, I suggest you take the time to watch it as you get my opinion and specs.  Then see the album which is pinned to the top of my wall where you can comment and claim items.  FILL A BOX!  These are all small items so I can pack a box for you and price shipping.  You will be invoiced via PAYPAL so all I need is your email address to send the invoice, which will be done as soon as I pack your items and calculate the shipping.  This is so fun and I am thrilled to be able to let you guys WHOLESALE shop with me!  You will find GREAT GIFTS for Valentine's Day/Easter and Mother's Day!  Let me know if you have any questions!  I will leave the album up for a month or two.  Unclaimed items will either be used for giveaways or may be priced and put in my booth.  I hope you can find some things you love.  **My best shipping rates are east coast/mid west.  I will not have access to Fed Ex discounts via paypal but I do have a UPS account so if you are in my worst prices USPS zones, I will price at the cheaper rate for you. I always check for the most cost effective way to get you the goods! 

Box signs, small pillows, mugs and pottery, new from my wholesaler! Check out on my Facebook page and claim what you love! Gifts galore!

Philanthropy:  If you have been following me a while, you know I LOVE to give back to places I use for research and other art preservation causes.  I recently found out that the American Art Archives in DC is allowing folks to pay to have items digitized.  So, you pay for the digitizing and get a copy of the files and then they get uploaded to their online system so ALL can enjoy them online.  It is kind of like sponsoring the records.  I decided I would like to sponsor Bruno Mankowski's records.  I am pretty certain he has no living spouse or children at this point and I feel like it will help share his story.  Plus, there are enough of my naked lady sculptures out there and by the folks contacting me direct or seeing them on ebay, I know it will be found!  It will cost approx. $1200 to have the two totes I reviewed digitized.  I want you guys to know I will be working towards raising the funds for this so you know supporting me is not only supporting my small business, but I also give back to the organizations I work with!

STAY TUNED for final pics of the wave couch!  I will send an interim update when I pick up and can get some better pics taken....snow coming so that might hinder it a bit.  Have a great week!

xo Malissa

I have 6 pillow cases. $16 shipped each, add $13 if you'd like a pair. Advertised on my instagram page, email if you’d like one and I will send invoice via PayPal.