A Broker of Sorts

Much like a "meetup" or an online message board, people just need a central place to share their common hobby, business or interest. The Internet, of course, has been the great connector in this century -- Facebook pages created for class reunions, ancestry sites for genealogy buffs, etc. But the point of a brick-and-mortar store, we've found, is to connect local individuals in the same way. People approach us for advice about distribution of merchandise, as well as wish lists with items that keep them on the hunt. There is a range of motivations that keep people coming to our shop. We have met two sisters who are liquidating grandma's house on Sunset Boulevard (they have some amazing furniture). A woman came in this week who had just moved into the area and is hunting a number of pieces to furnish her house. We are happy to help, of course. For some of our customers we are the go-to gals for their antiques fetish or for a shabby chic look. It is always interesting to see what floats each person's boat (so to speak). Some of the people we have gotten to know are suckers for chairs, for example. They can't own enough chairs. There are others who want to know every time we get another assortment of vintage jewelry. Brokering has been part of this process. Often someone will let us know he/she is looking for a particular something-or-other and the next day someone will come in telling us about theirs. This is how we have been able to effect a meetup, of sorts, between buyer and seller. It is really fun. Probably because we like making people happy.