01/18/2024 I Have The BEST NEWS & Finally A New Ezine….Lynn’s Latest #00001

First and foremost Happy New Year! And I am so excited to turn the page on 2023.

I am not going to lie, last year was rough. And the last two months have been the worst. I had to make a really tough decision regarding the store and now that the decision has been made, I am moving forward and so excited for what the future holds!

I hope you will continue to follow along with me through my ezines as they make me smile to write them. I also look at it as a way for my kids to have a story of their life…although, Houston did admit to me that he won’t be reading them all until I am dead. Thanks Goose. Whatever ? LOL!

My most recent ezine came out on Thanksgiving…doesn’t that feel like a lifetime ago? Well, here is a fun pic that we took in the kitchen after all of the festivities.

From left to right in that photo….Houston, Donna, Larissa, Indiana, me, Emma and Mor Mor.

Welcome to Lynn’s Latest #00010

Thursday, January 18, 2024
Volume V Issue 00001

Thanksgiving was really special because I had both of my kids home, plus their significant others and my mom and her friend Donna. It was a really nice day and we took our annual Christmas card photo. We edited that card and I ordered 440 copies that night…..although…..

I have not sent out my Christmas cards yet….once I know what is what and the dust settles from this huge decision, I will send them out with my usual Christmas card letter. It was so much fun to brainstorm and come up with a quirky unique card that we do every year.

Two weeks after I ordered the cards and I saw how business had NOT improved over the holidays made me realize that I needed to close the store. My focus was not on sending out Christmas cards…LOL. So for those of you who usually receive one, watch for it in February :).

Sneak peek!

OK! More about that later…or not….but it’s time for an eBay score! So, I bought this original oil painting out in the desert about 3 years ago and paid about $100. I listed it on eBay for $2,000 with a best offer feature.

When I realized that I was going to have to move my eBay business (and 20,000 listed items) to new warehouse space right around Christmas time, I knew that I needed to do something drastic to reduce the inventory that I needed to move.

I put my entire eBay store on sale at 50% off. The results have been staggeringly profitable…Yay! Whenever I put an eBay item up for sale in my store, I always price it at double what I hope to get. This new strategy made perfect sense and we have sold a record amount in the past 30 days.

The painting was on sale for $999 and I got an offer of $800 a few weeks ago. Took it! Check out the listing here.

Before I forget, I have to share the coolest thing that happened in the store recently. As you know, we are closing in the next month or so…last day could be February 15th or March 1st (which would make it 6 full years and we would go out on a bang on what should have been my dad’s 90th birthday). What do you vote for? 2/15 or 3/1?

But anyway, I digress (as I usually do) LOL. A gal and her mom, Ali and Maria, were in the store a few days ago and they came up to the counter with the cutest Frog figurine EVER and two packages of ribbon. I started ringing them up and said “Do you collect Frogs?” and Maria was like “Kind of”….and her daughter Ali was like “YES”! So much fun doing what we do at Lynn’s Consignments .

As I looked at the receipt I couldn’t believe my eyes…The frog rang up, but then the name of the ribbon was “Toadstool 5 yards Aged Ribbon”. OMG! “Did you know that out of the 75 colors of ribbon that we sell, you actually picked one that is named after a frog? What the heck?” This was a meant to be sale! LOL!

And here are the darling Mother and Daughter duo that actually made the frog/toad purchase!

A few days after Thanksgiving, Indiana and Larissa came back out to Ventura. Fun Fun! Mor Mor, me and the girls went to Big Wave Dave’s to pick out a Christmas Tree. This year I vowed to actually get lights on it and decorate. Last year I didn’t even put lights on my tree! This year it turned out super cute. I think! And Ca Cha and Carlos only took about 5 ornaments off to chew up. Win-Win!

Time for an eBay score I do believe. Since we are on the subject of Christmas, let’s share a Christmas score. I have had this German Smoker listed since December of 2014. OMG! That is almost 10 years and I am embarrassed to admit that out loud. But whatever, there will be an eventual buyer for EVERYTHING.

Sold for a best offer of $58.46 and by the time it had been moved 4 times over the past 9 years, one of his buttons had fallen off. Luckily, Sandy (the fixer) was able to make one out of clay and the buyer was happy! Thank you Sandy!

Here is a link to that “ancient” listing. LOL.

I have the most INCREDIBLE news! I just got off the phone with one of Val & Ron’s best friends who owns an amazing warehouse here in Ventura and we came to an agreement for my new space. I am beyond excited for this new chapter! It is one great room with high ceilings and tile floors and then a professional photo studio behind. Sandy is going to follow me to this new Venture in Ventura and we may rent out the photo studio by the day/hour and/or do a Vignette of the month.

Think a themed entire room each month where everything is for sale….the furniture, the accent pieces, artwork, decor and lighting. Maybe one month I will do a Moroccan theme and next month a Ralph Lauren inspired room. It will culminate with a pop up sale complete with wine & cheese.

Just watch for my emails requesting merch from you! I may just buy outright this time instead of consignment. But as my entire staff has said this past month…”watch out her wheels are turning”….LOL.

So much has been going on in my life. December was a blur with the Wine Walk, quite a few dates, a trip to Palm Desert, a Christmas store party at Sendias and lots of Fit Buddha!

Christmas was special even though Emma wasn’t with us as she was in Las Vegas with her mom. The night the kids arrived we celebrated Indy’s 25th birthday. How do I even have a kid that is 25? Went way too fast. Instead of a cake I got her Krispy Creme Donuts to put the candles in…she approved!

My kids are sooooo goofy! Here they are in Santa Hats with their pets also in costume. It was a fun Christmas, but I was dreading having to send out the store closing email the next morning.

I just didn’t want to let you all down by closing. The beautiful thing was how Ventura just came to rally around us and I realized it was soooooo the right decision. Thank you for all the support, love and grace you have shown us and I am very excited to move onto my next chapter.

I couldn’t have moved to a new city and made so many amazing friends in such a short time without the store. It will always be one of my greatest accomplishments and I am so grateful for my new life here. So THANK Y’ALL!

Ironically, I attended the Visit Ventura Launch party for the Inspiration guide last night. I had purchased an ad in the guide way back in March, before closing was even on my radar. Check out this year’s cover and our ad. Bitter Sweet!

My friends have soooo rallied around me during this crazy time. Marc Kettles took me out for the best dinner at the beginning of January. He said “pick a place that you have never been to that you would like to try.” I had no ideas, but he mentioned that he wanted to try Cafe Zack because Sherri from Fit Buddha loves that place. OK!

We had the best time and the food and service was excellent. I highly recommend it.

The night after dinner with Marc, I had a sushi lunch date and then Sandy and I headed into LA for Indiana’s Groundling show. So much fun! Indy had taken a long improv Groundling’s class that culminated with the show. I LOVED it! Here she is on stage.

The show was a big deal and Indy & Houston’s dad even drove in from Palm Desert for it. Here we all are after the show. From left to right….Houston, Jeremy, Matthew Bach Lambardo (who also works at Cafe Luxxe with the kids), Jonah, Larissa, Bella, Sandy (is behind Indy and you can’t see her :)), Indiana, Emma, William and me….Such a great night!

Time for another eBay score! This past summer when I was in Bellingham, I found this awesome dinner set by Blue Ridge Southern Pottery. It was only $65 at the Assistance League. I bought it, but then thought I can’t pay to ship this huge set back to Ventura and some of it will probably get broken.

Then I remembered that my high school friend Marty was driving back to Ventura from Bellingham. I asked him if he would bring it down for me and he said yes….sweet! I dropped it off at his Web Locker at the harbor. I took a picture of the box in front of his locker to make sure I had the right one…LOL. Well, actually the box is hidden over to the left because all of my mom’s friends were telling her about a lot of theft from the web lockers at the harbor. Anyway, long story short it all arrived safe and sound to Ventura.

I sold about $400 to the same buyer. Here are the listings he purchased.

In more great news, I still have about $800 of this pattern left in stock. Remember, when selling on eBay, I want to make at least 10 times my purchase price. Well on my way!

Here is a link to what I have left to sell in this pattern.

When I announced an in person eBay class last month, I couldn’t believe the response! There are so many of you who want to learn more about selling online. I will be announcing a course in the new space soon and also offering some online options for those of you out of the area. The new warehouse even has space for me to teach again. I am so excited!

Check out the new teaching space.

My friend Chris Wade called me this past Monday with the most hysterical news. He was cleaning out his closet and found his journal from the USC Madrid Spain Semester. I am sure you don’t remember, but we were both on that same program back in 1984 and it has been so fun to hang out again….40 years later. OMG! I need to plan a 40th reunion party…let me put that on my to do list LOL.

I am kind of joking about that, but still serious. I LOVE a challenge! Anyway, he called to say that the weekend that he and I, along with Debbie and Alden traveled to Benidorm had a special section in his journal.

First of all, he wrote that “Lynn was fun & interesting” Yes, that would be me. And that Debbie was a pain in the butt….so true. And that he and Alden were so cheap they only gave us $13 each towards the rental car. Not cool, Chris Wade.

The funniest part was when he wrote that “Lynn told me that I was too normal and not distinguishable”. OMG! I can soooooo see me saying that. I was young and could give a shit. I guess I still don’t give a shit. Anyway, he wrapped up the journal entry with “Great time and memorable”. Especially, the part where we tried to sleep in the tiniest rental car EVER until 6 am to save money on a hotel.

Here is a picture from back in the day of Alden, Debbie, Chris and me. Oh what fun we had!

Here is recent photo of Chris and me when he stopped in Ventura to take me to lunch.

OK, so a few more fun stories about the store before I get to new arrivals. Yes, we do have new arrivals…there were some things in storage that had never been put together that we are FINALLY getting into the store. So, please come check us out. Again, we are planning to be there until 2/15 if not 3/1.

We recently sold the arbor in the back of the store and the most adorable couple carried it home to their place about 2 blocks from the store. Check out Chris and Evan carrying it out the back door. LOL. I’m gonna miss this place….

In another fun Lynn’s Consignments story, check out this darling baby who already knows how to use her mama’s credit card to make a purchase. OMG! I was cracking up!

Just to show you how amazing our eBay business has been, check out this photo of the 45 things Cindy shipped last Monday. Can’t wait to devote more time to the online portion of my business.

Indiana went to Chicago this past weekend with Larissa and I so wanted them to eat at Gene & Georgetti’s. G & G’s is one of the oldest steak houses in Chicago and we went there 2 years ago to celebrate Houston’s graduation from Notre Dame and his and my birthdays. Here is a link to the ezine from that trip if you want to read more about it. What a great time we had!

Here is a photo of us from two years ago.

Here is a photo of the girls from last weekend at the same table…although the original table was round and the girl’s table was square…still the same corner of the restaurant! I LOVE shit like this.

Larissa took the cutest photo EVER of Indy in the snow in Chicago. Love this!

One last fun store story and then on to the new arrivals. Gina Cole (my first friend other than Val when I moved to Ventura) came into the store today with her DARLINIG grandson Desi. Always makes me smile. Whenever I see Gina I say “Gina Cole Bless my Soul” and ironically enough, I was moving into my rental house on Fairfax across from Gina exactly 6 years ago today. Life works in mysterious ways. Doesn’t it?