January 2014 Trip to Atlanta....Better Late than Never

Well, as usual this post is long over due.  I have had a jam packed schedule this year and am behind in all things, once again!  The last I blabbed/you read  I was headed to Atlanta for the Gift Show.  The Robin's Nest was in search of hand-crafted products to add to the shop. Another goal of heading down to "Market", as it's known in the biz is see what's trending in the decor world.  I think myself a trend spotter, you see. (hehehehe) Seriously though, even though I focus on vintage in my shop, I want to make sure that my displays and products align with current trends. (Bustin' out some of my marketing garble for you!) So I'll share some of what I saw down in Atlanta.
P.S. Gotta give a shout out to one of my besties, Kelly, from Madison & Mabel. Drop by her site and take a look at her custom furniture...amazing!

Color is still king.....

Lots of color to be seen all throughout the showrooms in Atlanta.  The bold hues that we saw last year are still going strong.  Of course, I am drawn to the aqua and robin's egg blues that I saw.  uh duh!

Taxidermy lives on........

One of my favorite trends!  Let's just say.....if it has a head it was mounted on a wall.  Whimsical, realistic, colorful everywhere I looked in Atlanta I saw a mounted head.  Long gown are the days of just deer and moose.  Hedgehogs, rams, raccoons, gerbils......check in the box.

Unconventional Materials and Style.....

Creative use of materials and style continues to dominate the market.  Either a "knock-off" found in a department store or the real vintage "deal" out of the box design is strong.  Since this arena is my first love, it was a lot of fun seeing what small companies were showing.  I'm not a huge fan of the knock-offs.

Ethnic Style and Texture....

Again....loving this trend.  Although you might not want to build a room around this trend. It's fun to pick a few elements to add to your existing style.  I believe style is simply surrounding yourself with things that make you happy.  Don't be afraid to color outside the lines.

A few pics that made me smile.....

I hope you enjoyed this little snippet from my time in Atlanta, GA during the Jan. 2014 Home and Gift Show.  Make sure to keep your eyes peeled this year as you shop to see if you spot the trends that I found.

Have a good one,

Robin

Traveling in January, Trip #1

Confession time:

Well, first I gotta be honest........The Pinterest experiment is a bust!  Really a pin for a year??? What was I thinking?  Did I really put that on my "to do" list?  I'm gonna shoot for doing one "pin project" a week.  Let's face it....52 projects, so do-able....365???!!!!


As I said in my last post, I've got a couple trips this month.  The first trip is to Atlanta, GA to the Home & Gift Show.  Imagine 3 massive 26 floor buildings with thousands of vendor all vying for your attention and $$$$.  Quite an adventure to pack into less than 48 hours.  But hey, I'm up to the task! (Small complications...) First, the broken toe.  Think 28,000 steps in 2 days. Second, sharing a bed with friend.
The rooms were so booked up that only one bed in all of Atlanta was available. Hey, I didn't make the reservations, just sayin'. Hoping it's not a double....

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Now the real question....Why does a vintage lifestyle store owner go to a wholesale market???? Good Question! Let me tell you why I go.

1.  What are the trends?  This is a great way to figure out what's going to be out there in the department stores.  And more importantly, what's NOT!!!  Even though I primarily sell vintage items, as a retail store I realize that I still need to stay up to date with design trends and colors to stay fresh and exciting for my customers.

2.  My way of shopping "wholesale".  Let's face it, I can't make, buy, clean, build, fix all the vintage products I need for my shop.  Enter my two favorite categories at market Made in America and Handmade Designs & Handmade Jewelry.

I do my best to support American companies and artist/designer made products.  Market is a great way to see a very large selection of products that fit this category.  My now crazy popular vintage book letters were found last year in Atlanta.

3. Inspiration!  It's nice to see all the showrooms decked out with brand new products.  The displays are so inventive.  I always come home brimming with ideas on ways to refresh my shop.  I really think it's important change up my space.  I don't want to shop in a store that looks the same every time I go in.....my customer don't either!

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4. It's a trip, duh!!!  Who doesn't wanna have a quick get away!  As much as I love hubby and the birdies, it's nice to focus solely on my business and not have to play the balancing act of wife/mother/business owner.  

I'll looking forward to posting pics of my adventures!  

Have a good one,

Robin