A part of my life that I don’t talk much about is that I have been an antique dealer for many years. Forty-one to be exact since that’s how long I’ve been married to Ray and he’s the one who is responsible for luring me into the wild and wonderful world of antiques and collectibles.

When we first started, Ray and I sold our wares (well, Ray’s wares) at flea markets. We headed off to Canton Trade Days in Canton, Texas and also to the Fair Park Antique Market in Dallas, both of which were held every month. It took about ten minutes before I realized that this was a life full of intriguing characters who were inspired by the visual, and who were also warm and welcoming. We made friends in that first year that have been long-standing, and then added a few more buddies when we expanded to the Northeast and began selling (and buying) at the famous Brimfield Flea Market in Brimfield, Massachusetts.

During this time we shifted from buying and selling antiques to supplying restaurant decor to the Chili’s chain. We were the primary vendor for Chili’s for fifteen years, supplying over 750 restaurants internationally with a variety of collectibles. That’s what took us to Brimfield. where we went three times a year for fifteen years to buy trailer-loads of items to bring back and sell to Chili’s. It was a wonderful life, full of adventure, and we both enjoyed it very much, bringing our kids along for the ride as well.

Once we settled in Los Angeles, life shifted and so did the antique market. Chili’s went to a different decor concept, and antique dealers moved from selling at flea markets and antique shows to eBay. At this point, Ray and I (and now daughter Rachael) have a thriving eBay business, selling our wares online. Not quite as social as Canton or Fair Park, but we do venture out to the Rose Bowl Flea Market from time to time and we still have lots of fun learning about and selling antiques to people all over the world.

In fact, tomorrow, Rachael and I will spend all morning adding more items to our eBay store so we can keep our inventory fresh and interesting. We have over 2000 items so far and are adding more everyday. Who knew when I married Ray that I would be so captivated by antiques and collectibles? I’m happy that I am. My life is full of color, texture and design as a result, and many good (and colorful) friends

I’ll talk again with you tomorrow.

Have a good night.