Etsy clearance sale!

If you go see 21 bridges let me know you find it and what scene! I hope to go this weekend! 💗

I am motivated to down size my inventory as I get ready to work some full time contract work. Plus I could use some Christmas money as I don’t see me starting much before January at this point. I am slowly moving more inventory over to my SALE. I have a CLEARANCE category on Etsy and that is where you will find the markdowns. 20% off and many have free shipping. I have started featuring items in my social media and honestly, I have some cool stuff, My long term goal at this point is to downsize and get out of Smalls. I have not been to a thrift store in months and have not bought any Smalls at estate sales. I have backstock to add and will be taking things out to my space in the mall as things leave out there. If I have something not on sale and you want to negotiate, that is fine. I like bulk buys so if you want a few things that will get you a better price. I am planning to continue on with furniture and restorations but end the franticness of trying to ‘make a living’. I can’t physically process and sell what I need to do that I can make a respectable wage. Teenagers are crazy expensive. Every time I turn around my kids need hundred of dollars for this field trip or that band trip and guess what, I am only a few years away from 2 kids in college and I am starting to panic. This can not sustain our family and I need to get a real, paying job. And bonus if I can stockpile some money in a retirement fund while I am at it. So here I am, making a plan. Will see how this full time temp job goes cause if we all can handle it (including my mom who has to step up to be kid Uber after school), I may start my quest earlier than the year and a half I have given myself (kid #1 will be driving and then I am free). I love what I do. I am hoping and praying I can get a job related to what I am doing…..in some capacity. I have created a wonderful thing here and this year, I will probably beat $40,000 in sales, my biggest year yet. But it’s time to get off the hamster wheel and work for someone who values my time and compensates me for it. Self employment is not for the faint of heart or for those of us who need a steady income. It’s a constant juggling act. The good thing here is I can still operate in whatever capacity I choose! I choose to specialized in furniture restoration and will continue. I won’t care if a piece I pumped hundreds of dollars into is still waiting for a forever home in two years if I have a paycheck paying my bills. Things have changed. Etsy is far from reliable. Chairish is still growing but not as I have hoped. eBay has no respect for sellers. Making it alone is just impossible and selling local for me is not profitable. So here’s some things to tempt you. Come buy your gifts with me. I appreciate you! Check back often for updates as I may add more items as the month rolls on! Thanks as always for your support and for helping me be the best I can be! You guys trusting me to restore, source, ship and deliver your items have given me a wealth of experiences and expertise. 💗 Malissa

I am featuring sale items daily on my social media! Stay tuned for more as the days go on!

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. 

The MCM Inventor, Robert Karoff of Karoff Originals

Typical tags that would be found on a Karoff item. 

Hope everyone had a great holiday!  I am happy to get back on track with an informative post as I just picked up a fabulous foldable cocktail table that was so unique, I knew I had to add it to my inventory!  It has it's original label from Karoff Originals, NY.  A quick search showed me that Karoff Originals was well known as a purveyor of hostess gifts and other kitchen and knick knack tchotchkes.  The company also was known for a line of perfume packaged in unique bottles similar to the collectable Avon varieties. These perfumes were sold as early as the 1930s and into the 1950s for sure. The amazing discovery was that Robert Karoff boasts a slew of patents to his inventions and designs during his years and even patented the process to cut and fry carrots  to turn them into a crunchy chip like snack!  This was in the 1980's by the way, so he must have been competing with the famous Ron Popiel, infomercial King.  

A selection of clever perfume packaging designed my Robert Karoff for Karoff Originals. 

I quickly found the patent to my table, officially registered as "HANDHOLD ACTUATED FOLDABLE TABLE".  It appears that there are 2 different styles as the first page looked like my metal legs, and a 2nd page showed what looks like wood legs.  The metal legs swing together and fit inside when the sides are dropped.  Very clever.  The woman I bought the table from said it was her mother's so my guess is she used it as a permanent table and quickly decided the eyelet bolt that was to serve as the carry handle was an eyesore and in the way as it was clipped off.  Because this appears to be a custom fabricated item, there is no way we can replace it, but perhaps a determined collector could attempt to have one made.  The good news is the veneer top is in excellent condition with only the most minor wear and does not have any stains, eyesores and or finish issues. I do think the boards are solid walnut.  The legs have some oxidation on the gold tone finish so I will be painting them to make them attractive again.  All feet glides are in tact which is always exciting!  This table folds into a very manageable size and is perfect for me to ship to far away places as the majority of my inventory gets shipped.  I have extensively searched for days and have not located any photos or write-ups on any in existence.  Mr. Karoff's obituary also states he was an 'inventor of foldable furnishings' but besides a collapsible bar cart entitled 'VERSA', and this table design, I have found no other references to furniture he designed.  There is a small table top folding buffet server which seems to pop up most in the secondary market and the bar carts are available.  This table, however, is a gem and appears to be quite elusive.  Would definitely love to hear from folks who may remember this table from their past or even have one of the 2 types of designs that show up in the patent!  

Meanwhile, this beauty will be finished up and listed in my shops.  If you are interested in it please reach out and I could give you first offer before I list. 

Blueprint sketch of the table as submitted with the patent. 

The table as found.  The metal disk in the center functions as the bolt that is also the swivel point for the legs.  Sadly the owner had clipped the eyelit loop that would serve as the carry handle when the table is folded. 

The horizontal leg set is on a center pivot and will sit tight on the wood wedges when in position.  Then swivel back next to the fixed legs so the table top can be folded for transport. 

A view of the legs swung ready to collapse the top. 

Folded up in a cute and tiny package for transport or storage.  

Original label intact.  Yes, this could easily have been lost over the years.  I will spray adhesive on this one to make sure it stays attached. I did search generically knowing that others may not know the maker and still no luck finding another!   

Keep your eyes peeled for Karoff Originals in your hunts!  I bet now that we know about them, we will find more items in the wild!

XO Malissa