Welcome to our new weekly newsletter…

Watch for it every Thursday!
Volume I  Issue 2

Hi!  Welcome BACK to our new “Lynn’s Consignments” newsletter.   This is Issue 2! As many of you know this is a family business…that’s my daughter Indiana (Indy), me, and my mom!

Thank you to all of you who wrote in with such nice comments after the first edition last Thursday!  I appreciate all of you and did try to respond to each email personally.

We still don’t have a catchy title for this publication…..Let’s make it into a contest…whoever comes up with the winning moniker will receive a $25 Gift Certificate to the store…..

Think along the lines of “Everyone Wins When they Shop at Lynn’s” but something shorter like Lynn’s Letter (too boring)

So far we have
Lynn’s Lovelies….. from Anita
Lynn’s Latest…… from Wayne.
Havaheart to heart with Lynn….from Audrey
Lynn’s Look at Life/Lynn’s Loving Life….from Mary Pat

Can’t wait to hear more suggestions!  We will have a vote in a few weeks 🙂

For those of you who don’t know, my grandmother was Cheryl Leaf of Cheryl Leaf Antiques & Gifts…a Bellingham, WA Antiques & Gifts store that she owned & operated for over 52 years.  She was AMAZING!

In each of these first few newsletters, I will be sharing fun tidbits about my grandmother because she is a big reason I opened this crazy fun store!  She is also the one who taught me so much about business and antiques, but most important lessons about life!

How cute is she?

OK, let’s jump into some history…..After my grandmother passed away in 2000, we spent the next two years liquidating the store before finally closing it in 2002.  There was still so much stock left that we ended up dividing it into 4 parts (of about 100 huge boxes each), one for my mom, one for me, one for my sister, Kiki, and one for my brother, Lee.  I have spent the last 20+ years selling that merchandise on eBay!  In fact, you might be lucky enough to purchase something in my store that was originally in hers.  I will be sure to point it out to you!

I have written seven books about eBay for publishers like McGraw Hill and Wiley.  But my favorite of those books, are the first four self-published ones that I wrote to honor my grandmother.  I will share one of those stories here to illustrate just how crazy my grandmother was about her “beads”!  Cheryl Leaf loved jewelry and beads.  The more beads, the better!

OK, but back to me & Lynn’s Consignments….LOL!

After years (literally about 20) of writing an eBay ezine (newsletter) that went out to 20,000 subscribers, I am ready to focus on my new brick and mortar store (est. March 1st, 2018)….I hope many of my former ezine readers decide to join us and re-subscribe!

I am not sure how this newsletter will evolve over the years, but here is to seeing what happens!

As I write this, a memory just popped up on my Timehop Feed from two years ago.  We had just gotten the keys to 1975 E. Main Street and my kids and their Pepperdine friends had fun checking out the empty shell of a store.  This picture is of my mom, Indy with her back to us and her friend Carmen.

The carpets had been ripped up, some pegboard had been hung, but you can still see some of the original blue walls….a lot would happen in those next six weeks before we opened on March 1st, 2018.  This picture is Reily, Houston, Indiana, Carmen, and Syd.

Time for an eBay score!  My eBay business was down about 50% last year….ughhh!  Not good!  I am happy to report that it has finally picked back up.  I think this is in large part due to the fact that I am actually listing 100 new items at auction each week and they are NOT all flatware.  To get through 2019 I was listing mainly flatware AND this year, I am focusing on more OOAK (One of a Kind) items.

Check out this very UNIQUE item that recently sold that I discussed on the eBay for Business Podcast with Griff.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/401930038091

If you missed that eBay for Business Podcast I start at minute 9:00 and go to minute 20:00. Although the theme is “shipping” my segment is about sooooo much more. As we wrap up, Griff and I decide that our theme should have been “Egg” cups! LOL 🙂 I LOVE Griff!

https://community.ebay.com/t5/The-eBay-for-Business-Podcast/Episode-66-Shipping-Best-Practices/ba-p/30408191

I have known Griff for over 15 years! Here are a couple of pictures of the kids and me with Griff over the years. Can you believe how little Goose and Indy are? This first photo is circa 2007 and the next one is circa 2012. We have all changed soooo much!

I do mention my eBay helper/shipper in that segment and her name is Cindy!  Time to meet Cindy for those of you who have seen her working in the back of the store in our eBay area.

Cindy lives in Ventura (very close to where I live) and she originally got this job by stalking me on Next Door…just kidding kind of 🙂  Cindy is married to a former UPS driver (that is why she is soooo good at packing and shipping) and they have two sons, David and Alex.  They are great to have around as David is the best cat sitter and Christmas Light putter upper EVER.

Cindy tells it like it is and is not afraid to speak her mind.  I am very lucky to have Cindy on my team at Lynn’s Consignments.  Fun fact about Cindy…..She enjoys jigsaw puzzles and snorkeling vacations!

Next time you are in the store, pop your head in my eBay office and say “Hi” to Cindy!

Our next Annie Sloan basics-only paint class for 2020 will be held on Saturday, February 8th from 10:30 to 12:30 ish.  The cost is $69.  We found that it was almost impossible to get you out for an evening paint class so we have now moved it to the day.  Way more fun!  Spaces are limited so sign up here now.

If you have any questions please call the store at 805-628-3289…

http://www.kickstartcart.com/SecureCart/SecureCart.aspx?mid=7FF2CB21-8A24-49FC-9294-87759EA393E1&pid=efe98f6b99584f1a87e510b15acb1d41&bn=1

This is the Basic Course offering an Introduction to the Annie Sloan Method of Chalk Painting…Furniture, Lamp Shades, Fabric, and just about anything!

Come learn four techniques during this 2-hour hands-on workshop. We will cover painting, waxing, buffing, mixing, blending,
distressing, and so much more!!!

You will create 3 Sample Boards with different finishes to take with you and all the confidence and knowledge you need to go home and tackle any project!!!

Please wear painting clothes and aprons will be provided…..you don’t need to bring anything except maybe a friend!

Can’t wait to see you and help you learn about the…..
BEST PAINT IN THE WORLD!!!

Check out this before shot of two black glass front Ikea cabinets that were for sale in the store.

Here is the after…I eventually bought them and repurposed them with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Louis Blue and an IOD decor transfer. Voila!  Don’t miss our first chalk paint class of 2020!

Now, let’s check out some of the new fun furnishings that came into the store recently.

This beautiful chaise lounge and ottoman are priced at $495.00.  The Papasan chair came in at $195 and is currently at $156.  If it is still here on January 25th it will go down to $117.  That is a bargain!

And NOW……drumroll, please…I am pleased to announce a new section written by a guest writer!  This article was written by Emma (my son Houston’s girlfriend)

Why I Love Baggu: The reusable bag I never leave the house without

A few years ago, the overwhelming stress from college (Pepperdine), the sorrow of a recent shooting nearby (Borderline), and the threat of climate change and the Woolsey Fire meant that I lived in a state of anxiety and dread. But there were a few things that made my experience more bearable:

1. Blenders in the Grass (their peanut butter banana smoothies ran through my veins)
2. Main Street Ventura (I could walk up and down the street for hours and always find something new)
3. The Morongo Casino gas station on the way into the Coachella Valley (I have bought way too many mood rings there)
4. Baggu…

What is Baggu? you are thinking. I could go into a long monologue about how these compact, reusable bags have taken over my life and filled my bags/pockets with colors and fun prints. Or how every conversation I have somehow includes a long-winded encouragement to buy these bags.
But, all I will say is that Baggu is life-changing.

They are the perfect bag to stuff in your back pocket, purse, suitcase, etc in case you’re like me and tend to buy things on a regular basis that I was not expecting to purchase (especially here in Ventura).

And the best part? We sell them here at Lynn’s Consignments! Seriously, we have Baggus out the wazoo (hey, that rhymes).
Some of my favorite styles at the moment (they constantly retire and come out with new styles) are the Lox Plate pattern that is the bag equivalent of Trader Joe’s “Everything But The Bagel” seasoning and the Cantalope Slice pattern that reminds me of the sherbet I used to eat in the summer. You know you could never show me a plastic bag that looks that good!

Come check Baggu out and see if they change your life as much as they did mine.

-Emma

P.S.  I am looking for my forever job…It is my dream to work at Patagonia.  Do you know anyone?

Thanks, Emma!  Great guest column 🙂  And these amazing bags hold between 30 and 50 pounds each and sell for $10, $12, and $16 depending upon the size.  The bags that Emma is holding sell for $12.  What a great gift!  And they are the new trend in Hollywood…I just saw Jeff Goldblum carrying one 🙂

If you are not local to Ventura (and even if you are), we have just launched our shopping website and they can be purchased here!

We are still working on tweaking the shipping costs so if they seem out of line, please call us at 805-628-3289.  Also, for you locals, you can order and pay online for easy and fast pick-up.  Just like Grub Hub!!!

https://lynnsconsignment.ricoconsign.com/

OK! Now for an eBay score. Y’all (that Y’all comes from visiting Houston in Oklahoma City this past October where he is doing his Masters Ed teaching this year–I LOVE saying Y’all) know that I will always sell on eBay. It is part of my DNA….apparently.

So, check out this score! I bought this at a very “sketchy” estate sale in Palm Desert about 3 years ago. I got three pieces of this rare pottery that was made to look like Native American baskets. Pretty cool, huh?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/401248021140

Welcome to our new weekly newsletter…
Watch for it every Thursday!

Hi! Welcome to our new “Lynn’s Consignments” newsletter. As many of you know this is a family business…that’s my daughter Indiana (Indy), me, and my mom! Many of you have asked who the kids are in the huge beach photo behind the counter and I have always played dumb….but not anymore! Wow, I am already spilling the tea….but yes that really is my son Houston & daughter Indy pictured with their backs to us in that back & white photo.

For those of you who don’t know, my grandmother was Cheryl Leaf of Cheryl Leaf Antiques & Gifts…a Bellingham, WA Antiques & Gifts store that she owned & operated for over 52 years. She was AMAZING!

Here is a newspaper article about my Grandmother in the 1950’s I think…WOW! How cute is she?

OK but back to me….LOL!

After years (literally about 20) of writing an eBay ezine (newsletter) that went out to 20,000 subscribers, I am ready to focus on my new brick and mortar store (est. March 1st, 2018)….I hope many of my former ezine readers decide to join us and re-subscribe!

I am not sure how this newsletter will evolve over the years, but here is to seeing what happens!

I do hope to show you lots of the new merchandise that comes in each week…However, as many of you know, it often sells before even making its way into the store.

Here is a new display that Val, Emma (my son’s girlfriend), and I put together the other evening.

What I love about this mini-vignette is that it epitomizes the way we mix old, vintage, gently used and brand new in the store. The Victorian Fireplace Screen with the man in needlepoint is circa 1880’s and is priced at $395.00.

The Luxe Velvet Arm Chair with Gold Accents by Kulus is brand new and priced at $295.00. I believe the throw pillows are also brand new and reasonably priced. The lamps are both vintage and so much fun. One is circa 1950’s and the other circa 1990’s. What is so awesome is being able to mix so many different decades together!

We will also be sharing our upcoming Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Classes in this newsletter. Our first basics only paint class for 2020 will be held on Saturday, February 8th from 10:30 to 12:30 ish. Cost is $69. We found that it was almost impossible to get you out for an evening paint class so we have now moved it to the day. Way more fun! Spaces are limited so sign up here now.

If you have any questions please call the store at 805-628-3289…

http://www.kickstartcart.com/SecureCart/SecureCart.aspx?mid=7FF2CB21-8A24-49FC-9294-87759EA393E1&pid=efe98f6b99584f1a87e510b15acb1d41&bn=1

This is the Basic Course offering an Introduction to the Annie Sloan Method of Chalk Painting….Furniture, Lamp Shades, Fabric, and just about anything!

Come learn four techniques during this 2-hour hands-on workshop. We will cover painting, waxing, buffing, mixing, blending,
distressing, and so much more!!!

You will create 3 Sample Boards with different finishes to take with you and all the confidence and knowledge you need to go home and tackle any project!!!

Please wear painting clothes and aprons will be provided…..you don’t need to bring anything except maybe a friend!

Can’t wait to see you and help you learn about the…..

BEST PAINT IN THE WORLD!!!

Check out this before shot of a worn-out and tired dresser……Keep in mind it is still functional, just not “in style”…

Here is the after…with just a little Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White and a part of an Iron Orchid Design Transfer.  Voila!  Don’t miss our first chalk paint class of 2020!

For those of you who have been following me and my family for the past (almost) 20 years, here is an update from where my most recent eBay ezine (from March of 2019) left off right after our 1st year anniversary. Here is a link to that if you missed it.

http://www.thequeenofauctions.com/articlepages/ezinev15is01.html

Zach and Kai (Kiki’s boys–my nephews) came to visit us for Spring break in April and it was epic. Right boys? We did Pepperdine, Hearst Castle, Pismo Beach, Universal Studios, and the Danger House (Houston’s apartment with the Milch Men in Calabassas). Can’t wait for their next visit!

The biggest news of this past year was my little Goosie (aka Houston) graduated Magna Cum Laude from Pepperdine with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Film History.  So proud of this kid!  Do any of you remember when he was about 10 years old and he went up to a table of my students at a Live Boot Camp and said: “Hello Ladies”?  LOL!

And btw,  this photo of him on Instagram was my most liked photo for 2019!  Please follow me at both LynnDralle and LynnsConsignments!  I spend most of my time on Instagram and hardly ever visit Facebook.

And to top that off, he was accepted into Notre Dame’s ACE Teaching Fellows M Ed Program.  What this means is that he attends Notre Dame in the summer, teaches at Mt. St Mary’s Catholic High School in Oklahoma City during the school year and in just two short years he earns a Masters in Education that is tuition FREE.  WOW!

We had a graduation party for him at the house and it was amazing.  About 50 people attended and many of them were our new friends from Ventura.  We love our new home town.  As my brother says….it is Bellingham, CA.  Perfection!

Indy finished her Sophomore year at Pepperdine at the end of April and came home for a few weeks before heading off to Buenos Aires for her summer abroad to study Spanish.  It was such an incredible opportunity for her.  She came back with lots of great stories and a darling boyfriend, Brandon (a Chemistry Major at Pepperdine), who we love!

Here is a photo of Indiana and Brandon at Cafe Nouveau in Ventura when we celebrated her 21st Birthday.  Can you believe my little Indy is 21?  Me either!

After everyone went their separate ways this Spring, we were fortunate to meet up for the 4^th of July at my mom’s beach house.  Houston from Notre Dame, Emma from Portland, Indy, and I from Ventura and it was awesome!

The craziest part of that visit was that we stopped by my grandmother’s old shop/house and were given a tour of the remodel.  I hadn’t been able to step inside that place for over 17 years because it would have been too painful, but this visit was therapeutic and brought back great memories of working for my grandma.  Here we are taking a selfie in front of the old shop at 2828 Northwest Avenue.

I took the Lynn’s Consignment Girls up to Bellingham in August and it was a blast and then the Palm Desert Girls spent a weekend with my mom in September.  So much fun travel and great memories.

In September we had a 50^th birthday party for my sister Kiki on my mom’s beach deck.  Only my sister could rally about 30 people to celebrate her birthday 8 years after she passed away.  She was something special!  And Zach, Kai, and John were able to join us!

In October, my mom and I flew to OKC to check out Houston’s new digs as a history and economics teacher at Mt. Saint Mary’s Catholic High School. It was so fun, but the weather was crazy. My mom and I watched him help coach a football game in a down-pour. Yes, we are dedicated. I am so proud of him. He is a true adult and my dad would be proud.

Indy had a role in the Pepperdine fall musical (Ragtime) and it was so much fun to watch! She was also accepted into the extremely competitive Edinburg Scotland program to perform at the Fringe Festival in the summer of 2020. I am going! Can’t wait to see this European musical!

Both my kids were home for Thanksgiving–in addition to my mom and brother being in town! Yay! And Houston’s girlfriend Emma turned 21 in our new “hometown” of Ventura. We had a blast making her feel special.

2019 was an incredible year with so many blessings. The store is doing great, my kids are both happy, and I have great friends, customers, consignors, and employees at the store. Couldn’t ask for anything more! Here is a photo from our 2019 Christmas Card and we want to wish you and yours a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!

OK! That was a lot to update you on and now back to the “Lynn’s Consignments” newsletter….our inaugural issue!

Does anyone have a catchy title for it?.. I would love to hear your suggestions! We have the best catchphrase for the store

“Everyone Wins When They Shop at Lynn’s”…

Now we just need one for this newsletter! Lynn’s Letter?…No boring! Lynn’s Lecture?….Too stuffy! Can’t wait to hear what you think…now let’s wrap this up!
OK, you know me…I can never just wrap this up that quickly. Let’s take this time to share an eBay score! Houston went through his room last Christmas and did a Marie Kondo on it…for those of you who don’t know she is a “minimalist” to put it bluntly. Lucky for me, I got this train book for free! Well, probably not for free since I bought it for him originally…LOL.

I listed it on eBay back in January of 2019 and I just took the best offer of $140! I am doing the happy dance 🙂 Here is a link to the listing on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/312417653846

One more thing…I surprised the kids with a rescue orange tabby kitten this Christmas!  Talk about an awesome experience.  Houston and Indy were both so surprised and we just absolutely LOVE Carlos (yep that is the name they gave him at the shelter)!  He has brought so much love and joy to our lives.  We love this little knucklehead.

OK, one last photo share of the store before I end this first newsletter.

Our new front window is done in red, black, grey, and white to celebrate the Chinese New Year….when is that anyway?  Just kidding, it is Saturday, January 25th, 2020 on what would have been my grandmother, Cheryl Leaf’s, 108th birthday!  I wish she was still alive, but I do know that her spirit lives on in my store.  Here is to 2020, a great new wonderful decade and the year of the RAT!.

That red couch is a brand new Klaussner that retails for over $1,700…our price is $695.  You have got to love that curly willow and black room divider/screen…current price is only $177…Seriously?  It came in at $295 but has had its two markdowns.

Happy New Year from Lynn’s Consignments team to you and your family!   We hope to see you soon!

Pictured…Sandy, Adolio, Val, Sharon (Mor Mor), me, Indiana, Peggy, and Ktea!

Thanks for reading my ezines!  I appreciate it….as always!

eBay with Heart & Design with Heart……Lynn

Just want to take a moment and say how thankful we are for YOU!  Our consignors and our customers for supporting us through these tough few years!

We appreciate you more than you will ever know and we are soooooo grateful for you in our lives!!!!

Excited to announce a

Black Friday & Shop Small Business Saturday SALE….
10% off the ENTIRE STORE!

New Gift items included!  11/26 & 11/27!

AND make an offer on any CONSIGNED ITEM that has been here over 95 days!

There will be a PARKING LOT SALE as well!  Don’t miss this 🙂  Shop LOCAL!

I would also like to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I am feeling extremely blessed to have my mom, Houston, and Indiana all in town to celebrate with Cha Cha, Carlos and me!  Emma is back in Chicago with her family and we miss her!

Here we are at Gigi’s Cocktail Bar last night to celebrate our move into the new house!  It has been an amazing ride and we are so blessed and grateful to be in our new home for the holidays!

From left to right, Houston, Indiana, me and my mom (Mor Mor)!

Our HOLIDAY HOURS will be as follows:

Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 5pm
Sundays 11 am to 3pm

We will also be open on Monday, December 20th from 11 am to 5 pm

We will be closed the following days:

Thursday, November 25th Thanksgiving
Saturday, December 25th Christmas
Saturday, January 1st New Years

CLOSING EARLY at 3 pm on Christmas Eve Friday December 24th

CLOSING EARLY at 3 pm on New Year’s Eve Friday January 30th
Take care and SEE YOU SOON!

Lynn, Indiana and Houston!

O.K., one last adorable photo of Cha Cha and Carlos!  I LOVE these two as much as I LOVE my kids!  Well, maybe a little less than I LOVE my “real” kids.  LOL!

OK, one last funny photo of the Cha.  She is exhausted from the MOVE.  I am not kidding.  She doesn’t really understand what went down, but she knows it was A LOT.

On the other hand, Carlos knew exactly what was going on and he is freaked out!  He is currently sequestered in Houston’s new room (dubbed the Villa) for two weeks so that he doesn’t try to get back to the old house.  My poor pets!  But back to the exhausted Cha Cha photo!

Thanks for reading my ezines! I appreciate it….as always!

See YOU on Black Friday! And/or Small Business Saturday!

eBay with Heart & Design with Heart……Lynn

Past Newsletters

1  https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest1
2  https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest2
3  https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest3
4  https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest4
5  https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest5
6  https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest6
7  https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest7
8  https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest8
9  https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest9
10 https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest10
11 https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest11
12 https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest12
13 https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest13
14 https://tinyurl.com/lynnslatest14
15 https://tinyurl.com/Lynnslatest15
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P.S.  All of the professional photos I use on Instagram, Facebook and in these newsletters were taken by my friend Denise’s daughter, Jaclyn Sabo.  She is amazing!   To learn more about Jaclyn….https://www.jaclynszabo.com/

P.P.S.  If you have a friend who wants to sign up for this newsletter.