The Savvy Picker travels around the Southeast looking for vintage merchandise to stock her brick-and-mortar and online shops. She recently visited the North Georgia Mountains, where she stopped in at Time After Time in Commerce, Georgia. Keep reading to check out her hauls and pick up a few tricks of the trade.
The town of Commerce, Georgia, offers a special kind of vintage charm, and that charm is reflected in Time After Time Antiques, a boutique on North Elm Street that marries vintage and modern aesthetics. Here you can purchase newly made jewelry and artisan pottery alongside carefully curated vintage furniture and smalls, all at the same cash register.
Time After Time is artfully staged, and it is clear from the cheerful, artistic vibe that vendors are expected to maintain well-displayed spaces. While the offerings from each vendor differ – some embracing a more specific look than others – all maintain a sense of style and coordination. The result is a shop that was a feast for my eyes as I perused the shelves looking for vintage treasures nestled among the newer items.
Luckily, my treasure hunting was so successful that I found myself tromping back to the register several times to put items on hold so that my hands would be free to pick up more items and carry them to the register to put them on hold. It was a gratifying cycle.
One such item that required a trip to the register was this Brandy snifter full of exotic shells. It held some beautiful, larger shells I was able to sell individually, as well as other pretty shells I divided into several smaller jars in order to triple my investment.
When I visited Time After Time, several booths were running sales, so this is something to look for. Just note that sale signs were posted in individual booths and were generally no larger than a sheet of paper. So, if you visit this shop, be sure to look in each booth for these discounts among the vendors, which differed; some signs were easy to miss, but you don’t want to miss out on significant savings. This sweet little doll hutch was found in a booth running a 30% off sale, bringing the price down to only $14. I always pick up cute wooden doll furniture when it is reasonably priced so I can use it for videos or displays. Of course, I price all of my displays, too, so this hutch ended up selling for twice what I paid for it.
My other findings from Time After Time included several sure-sellers: a gorgeous Christmas book for children, a blue-and-white ginger jar, and a classic brass owl. If you are a reseller, it’s good to know owls always sell. More people collect them than you think! Also, I’ve never purchased a blue-and-white ginger jar that I didn’t make a profit on. Blue and White is very popular in my region.
The store was clean and easy to navigate, and with so much great eye candy, I found it a very pleasant shopping experience.
Speaking of eye candy, I absolutely loved this bank! Alas, it didn’t come home with me, but how cute is it?
TSP Takeaway
The shop alone makes it worth a stop at 1777 North Elm Street, where storefront parking is free and convenient. But when you consider the fact that there’s an antique store just two doors down, it makes the trip doubly worth it. More about that unique antique store in my next article.
Who should visit: This shop will be especially appealing to folks who like an attractive mix of something old and something new.
Score of the day: Brandy snifter with shells
Predicted profit on shells: $40
Re-seller takeaway: Look for sale signs in each and every booth.
Click here for more great reads and finds. For additional tips on tracking vintage treasures, visit The Savvy Picker website.
