More Barters, Blunders & Bumps In The Road-The Pawning Planners On “Flops & Fumbles”

With a weekend of fun and adventure planned, Cindy and I started out Friday morning at an Appraisal Appointment and although the home wasn’t what we expected with trash in the yard strewn about an SUV that was wrecked on two sides greeted us- we wearily got out, introduced ourselves and began digging through some trash to find a treasure!  I was seeking antiques and furniture and coming up empty when Cindy spotted something and grabbed my attention.

Buried beneath a pile of backpacks, blankets and boxes- 
spotted a unique Louis Vuttin purse with ostrich trim and lizard detail so we both “whipped out our iPhones!”  The search term “Louis Vutton ostrich”  popped right up and we quickly celebrated what we expected to be a real find we found out later, wasn’t.

The problem on the best “fake” we’ve ever come across was the missing authentication number located on the inside zipper area but after years of “foraging for a flip” we’ve had a few “hits and misses” so we aren’t always lucky enough to effectively- hit a lick!

The beautiful handcrafted step stool was quite a find and signed by the artist and since the young lady retaining us for a wedding in April also had cash to cover the rest of the expense, “we took it on the chin” and moved on to our next appointment.

It’s our fifth month on a weight loss journey and although running around all day to meet clients and appraise items keeps us pretty busy, we pass up the drive through restaurants in our efforts to “stay on track” of our weight loss.  It’s isn’t easy to find healthy alternatives and we occasionally grab cheese sticks and water to keep from blowing our diets. 

To date, I’ve lost 25 of my 40lb goal and Cindy 19 but we hit a plateau last month and had to “get crafty” by adding excercise at home along to our 5 day workouts at Planet Fitness.  Cindy has a trampoline and we both have dogs that we walk everyday but I’ve got to admit walking the dog is far easier than jumping on the trampoline ya all!  

At 12 years old, my dog acts like a “wild Indian” on our afternoon walks and runs me ragged but Cindy’s dog, Bentley Daniel usually sits down and “takes a break” on their walks.  With Foxy you practically run behind him and with Bentley- it’s a hurry up and sit down escapade. 

On top of the gym, walking the dog, jumping on the trampoline, riding bikes and falling off our “fit boards,” losing weight isn’t nearly as easy in our fifties as it was in our 20’s but we continue to do whatever it takes because “we are in it to win it” with our weight loss goal.

Saturday was a birthday planning event for our Little Pawners and their friend Apple.  It was decided to go to Main Event and I’m going to admit that the location reminded me of Chuck E Cheese with kids running wild in every direction.  Just keeping up with our own kids was an adventure on its own. 

  

 
Since we are planning my brother in law, Steve Daniels birthday today, I scheduled a client meeting this morning to keep my afternoon free and will be meeting a prospective buyer for a Drexel Heritage Wingback Leather recliner I listed immediately after the client meeting.

I’m really looking forward to this client meeting because my team had so much fun at the wedding with her sister a few months ago at Willow Lake Event Center.  Whenever we do an event by referral, we look forward to it. 

  

 
Last season, I wrote about a family that nearly had me walking out at a rehearsal due to a drunken mother in law who didn’t want the wedding in a park.  The problem?  No money for a venue.  Believe it or not, Inlaws & Outlaws continue to be a problem with their “ideas” or “suggestions,” but my role is to accommodate the couple not their parents or friends so when I encounter a problem on location- addressing it is necessary in order to “move on.” 

This family was a hurdle because the mother was swigging Mad Dog 20/20 while arguing that we needed chairs & a building along with not “liking” the idea of the train tracks in the background and wanting to keep her bouquet (belonging to me and on loan for the event) because “I need a Souvenier of this wedding and I’ve decided this bouquet should be given to me.”  Oh brother!  
When I tell you we’ve had a few “incidents” I’m really not kidding and just reviewed an email from the mother in law about wanting a wedding.  I may just decline after enduring her behavior but will discuss it with my team before making a decision because if she’s drinking again- I’m out on this.  Sometimes though, a picture is worth a thousands words so I’m adding the photos to give you a better idea of the “drama.” 

 

I don’t offer objections at wedding ceremonies because my belief is if you are there to object- you shouldn’t be there!  Joanna Magee’s brother tried to interject objections too but I stopped him too.

I’m going to “step out on a limb here” and strongly suggest that if you know someone in your family has a drinking problem, please don’t invite them to your event or encourage drinking.  If your relatives aka Inlaws and Outlaws are uncontrollable sober- they will be far more uncontrollable when they are drunk! 

On a Skype interview last week, a production company contacted me to “verify” my blogs were based on facts because a few of them were surprisingly hilarious.  I don’t plan on hilarity- it comes to me because I meet people from all walks of life.  

My blogs from Texas Twins Events, The Pawning Planners, Texas Twins TV and Texas Twins Treasures are actually a “diary” and how I keep up with my memoirs.

Since one of my readers asked an important question regarding items offered “not equal to the value of services rendered” we also take cash, check or charge to level out the variation or mark off items to bring the cost down for clients when necessary.

The reason I attach photos is to give you a better idea of the wide scope of families from Texas Twins Events & The Pawning Planners because both businesses are so incredibly different from the location to the families themselves.

Bringing three businesses together to pull it all off wasn’t easy or an overnight decision.  Texas Twins Events families have money, Pawning Planners families don’t.  Taking trades, I needed the knowledge and skill to refurbish and flip items along with basic product knowledge of the market to sell them here at Texas Twins Treasures.  

Often the money from Texas Twins Events clients fund the expense of upholstery fabric for flips of items taken in trade through The Pawning Planners that are sold at Texas Twins Treasures.

I “think in a circle” but my businesses actually “work in a circle” and compliment each other. A few of The Pawning Planners clients are “characters” all on their own which is why I never embellish my blogs- I don’t need to and never will because my “story” is one of honesty and occasionally (through no fault of my own) hilarious too. 

 The house full of cats became a sponsored event because let’s face it-I wasn’t taking any furniture out of there!  Items offered at Texas Twins Treasures are the finest quality because I would never sell anything that I wouldn’t buy.

I’ve spent over 20 years in retail sales so I have a better understanding of what sells or doesn’t.  From merchandising to brand marketing- my history and experience give me insight on buying trends. 

  

Although everything in my Texas Twins Treasures Inventory may or may not be new, a few of my treasures didn’t need refurbishing and became “quick flips” like the leather recliners or the gothic hall tree stand.  What I’m actually looking for at an Appraisal Appointment is something weird, different or unexpected.
I’m actually searching for something I’ve never seen before-these type of items are far more valuable than everyday or “run of the mill” types of furniture.

 

This hall tree is from a church and over 100 years old- I immediately loved it! 

  

We don’t always “pick a winner” and the Louis Vutton purse may not have been authentic but we know someone who will love it just the same.

Learning as you go in the Bartering Business is essential and from this point forward, we now know what to look for but I’ve got a friend who is really excited to get her “new to her purse” next week so all is well that ends well.

My autobiography will be based on facts and my unique journey with my family to “change the wedding and events industry one family at a time from Fort Worth, Texas” and no one could make anything up that would be nearly as interesting as Real Life and Real People- their stories and our journey are 100% authentic.

To find out more, read this blog-Wendy Wortham & Our Unique Journey To Help Over 600 Families In Six Years-The Pawning Planners many of these families were thankful we were “Friends Of The Friendless” and a few of them not what we expected but that’s life and what actually happened… 

     Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.  Every family is a different as their Dream Event and (believe it or not) most of these families have a few Inlaws & Outlaws too.

After years of taking trades, we’ve met some pretty funny people who (even today) volunteer to “help out” at events and (inadvertently) walked away with a few funny stories-Flips, Flops & Funny Stories- The Pawning Planners.

Throughout our journey, every family is as unique as their Dream Event.

Wendy M Wortham No Money? No Problem- The Pawning Planners Take Trades!