A Room With A Past

How could I forget my camera!  Ugh.  100 miles from home on a Treasure Hunt and no camera to share pictures of the goodies.  Oh well, I shot a bit on my phone and took some pix of my finds after....



Picture pulled from
A Room With a Past Blog

Lucky me, a visit to my Sis in PH was on the same weekend that A Room With A Past in Walnut Creek was having not only one of their once monthly open weekends but also their annual sidewalk sale.  Gold mine for a Treasure Broker.  One of the nice things about being in the Bay Area is the proximity of the family (thanks AB and Mom), I got two chances to shop (be still my beating heart).  I was there in line for the Thursday evening opening and then went back for the weekend sidewalk sale.

A Room With A Past has a very interesting and successful business model.  The location is in a warehouse type building on a side street in Walnut Creek.  Marketing is key to getting customers there and they sure do a great job!  They only open one weekend a month, so it's not just a shopping trip, it's an experience.  Customers mark their calendars well in advance and plan to be there.  Each month they redo the interior of the space and bring in lots of fabulous treasures (shabby chic, cottage, antiques, whimsy), so it's a new experience each time you go.  They open the doors to a line of waiting customers Thursday  evening and are open through Sunday and then they close and redo for the next month.  There are a handful of different vendors with spaces and they are all really lovely, creative, helpful ladies (aka "Roomies"). 

When the clock strikes 6pm on Thursday, the "Roomies" come out in their aprons and fun hats to greet the customers as we all pile in to scout for fabulous finds.  The "Roomies" work very hard to help, answering questions and taking items up to the front so your hands are free to keep shopping. 

Their unconventional business model fosters a sense of loyalty, attendance planning, urgency to be there and to pick and purchase quickly or the line of people behind you will grab it before you decide.  They sell through fast and then reload and restock for the next day.  Where most shops take months to sell through most of their goods, they sell through in one weekend.  Customers are rewarded with a fun experience, camaraderie, fabulous finds and fair prices! 

Since I pick and resell, I have to buy items that are priced low enough that I can add a little margin - especially since our prices at the shop are also low.  Obviously the best way to do this is to buy antiques and then restore them but it's hard to keep up with the projects all the time and when I can find great prices on items that need little to no work that I can sell for a fair price, I'm on it!  I bought a few things the first night of the sale but I came back for the sidewalk sale on Sat and bought lots more! 



I LOVE this Parisian chair



Here's a sampling of the bootie I brought back from my treasure hunt in Walnut Creek....

This sweet porcelain lamp had a plain white lamp shade. 

I added some burlap strap and it warmed it up just right.

  

 

I admit, I have a bit of a chair fetish.  Some ladies collect shoes or purses, I collect chairs.  I could not resist this beautiful one (now in our front window).  The Bergere style chair is a favorite at the shop and they go out as fast as they come in.  

Old clocks, barometers, and metal globes are finding their ways back to the mantelpieces and shelf tops of modern homes.  Mixing modern and contemporary with  a few key antique statements is a very rich look.  It's also nice to own things that have a story and a past.

Thanks "Roomies" for a great weekend!  Next time, I'll visit their sister store, Paris Flea Market in Livermore.