Begging Sure Gets Good Results

Late last week, feeling like we’d lost momentum, I basically decided to beg anyone and everyone to donate items to the MV Big Flea. If I’d know that that was all it would take for a big turnout, it would have started doing it weeks ago.

Where to begin? Ed Getterman donated 15″ and 26″ flat screen televisions. Mark Higgins gave a beautiful farm-style table, four chairs, elegant Windsor bench and leather-topped chest of drawers. Elizabeth Shea gave a 19th century side table and kitchen cart with butcher block top. And Tom Blackwood donated a Victorian table with pink marble top.

And that’s not all! Charlie and Karma Brown gave a gorgeous handmade burl bowl. Josh Turner donated a mountain bike and television set while Bill and Michelle Brandon gave an unusual wicker desk set and cool Mason jar collection. Othes donors include Mary Karstens, Mary Ann Rozzel, Sabrina Detlef, Art and Jennifer Atkins, Troy Hanbury, Shane Manning, Robert Freear, Sophia Hatzigeorgiou, Sara Raak, Joanie Matthews, Liz Johnson, and Hal Cardwell & Devin Reese.

Hal was also among the dads that flexed their muscles on the brisk Saturday morning. Joining him for pickups was the ubiquitous Chris “My Eyes Popped When I Saw Those Flat Screen TV” Ammon and Brian “I Can’t Believe I’ll Be on the Today Show This Wednesday Morning” Reid. Special props are also due to Maria Getoff (who gets the job done), Jack Taylor for loaning us a truck and Salena Zellers Schmidtke for loaning us storage space.

We’re going to collecting items again next Saturday, so please start getting your items together. I just may have to start begging again.

$500 Item Revealed: Rare Audubon Print!

A few weeks ago I coyly announced that we received an item worth more than $500. I’m now happy to report that the item, a rare framed Audubon print from the mid-1800s, sold this weekend on Ebay for $565. This brings our total sales for the MV Big Flea, which will be held on April 26th, to $5,563.

Best known for his works depicting birds, Audubon and his son later published The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America. Featuring native American mammals, the series were published in two sizes: octavo and the larger imperial, of which fewer than 300 sets were made. Hand colored by the artist, they were published in 1848 in Philadelphia.

The print we received was the “Little Nimble Weasels” in the sought after imperial format. One of the artists most charming compositions, two long-tailed weasels intently examine a cicada that has perched on the branch of a dead tree.

As the background for the vignette, Audubon fashioned an elaborate and lovely nineteenth-century rural landscape complete with split-rail fencing, a meandering stream, and farmhouses in the distance. Audubon demonstrates an adeptness at depicting the two weasels in a lively and natural manner, their movements neither wooden nor distorted.

The print, which is professional framed with linen matting, was listed for sale on Ebay earlier this week. Starting with a price of $495, multiple bidders edged the price upward to $565 by the auction’s conclusion. Additional shipping and handling charges will bring the total cost of the print to more than $600.

Unfortunately, we do not know the name of the family that donated this amazing print to the MV Big Flea. Whoever you are, we are deeply indebted to you and great appreciative of your generosity.

Challenge Met! Nearly $5,000 Raised So Far!

I am very happy to report that we successfully met Jack Taylor’s challenge and raised $500 in private contributions for the Mount Vernon Community School.   Jack has agreed to meet these donations dollar-for-dollar, thereby doubling the amount of money raised to $1,000!

These additional contributions bring to nearly $5,000 the amount of revenue we’ve raised through the Big Flea.  Given that the actual event is not until April 26, and that we have two garages full of items to sell, surpassing $10,000 in revenue is not a pipe dream.  But the only way wwe can do that is with more donations of items to sell.

We appreciate the support of everyone that donated to this fund and donated items to sell.  But we are particularly indebted to Jack Taylor for his long-standing generosity not only to the Mount Vernon PTA, but to any number of charitable endeavors in Alexandria.

Location, Location, Location – Our New Storage Unit

Thanks to the generosity of Salena Zellers Schmidtke, we have a new storage unit. It will be open on Saturdays from 9:30am-12:30pm. The unit (a.k.a. her garage)is located at 1122 Madison Street in Alexandria (1 block east of the Braddock Road Metro station).

IMPORTANT: The storage unit is located in the courtyard of the building. Please enter through Fayette Street and look for the open garage door.

If possible, please send an email to joseph.lamountain@gmail.com and let us know that you are coming and what you plan to bring so we can plan accordingly. Also, if possible, please place your items in heavy boxes. Many thanks for your support of this important event.

Jack Taylor’s $500 Challenge

Alexandria resident Jack Taylor has thrown down a challenge. If the MV Big Flea can raise $500 in cash contributions in the next seven days, he will match those donations dollar for dollar. If successful, that means we’ll raise an extra $1,000!

So where does the money go? To the nonprofit Mount Vernon Community School PTA, a public school in the Del Ray section of Alexandria. The money we raise is used for field trips, extra teacher supplies, after-school clubs and extracurricular activities like African-American, Hispanic and Asian Heritage nights. Without this funding, these important programs will end.

You can help by making a 100% tax deductible donation online. Simply click on this link or click below the “Challenge Grant” headline at the top of this site. From here you can make a donation with your credit card or PayPal account. We can also accept personal checks and cash: Please make checks payable to MVCS-PTA and mail to 106 E Cliff Street, Alexandria, VA, 22301. No donation is too small.

This is a fantastic opportunity to double your impact while gaining an important tax break at the same time. But don’t delay. If you have any questions about this effort, please call me at 202.288.5124 or email me at joseph.lamountain@gmail.com. Many thanks, in advance, for your support.

More Goodies & Selena Comes to the Rescue

I’m completely jammed with work, so this is going to be a very short post.  We once again received a number of fantastic items on Saturday.  Most generous was a donation of a matching coffee and side table, IKEA Poang chair in like-new condition, entertainment center and wrought iron lamps by Bari and Kyle Talente of Alexandria.

Several other families stopped by our storage facility in Del Ray and donated items, including CDs, books, tables, chests of drawers, an old framed map of Bermuda, lamps, toys, games, kid and baby gear and so much more.  As a result of all this generosity, our storage unit in Del Ray is now full.

Fortunately, Selena Zellers Schmidtke has come to the rescue.  Selena, a biomedical engineer who “moonlights” at the Daily Planet wine shop in Del Ray, has offered to let us store items in her garage near the Braddock Road Metro station.  I’ll have more details on the exact location and times you can drop off items.

Lastly, we are also starting to plan for the actual event on April 26, 2008.  We have reserved the MV Community Center for Friday, April 25 and will be collecting donations from 10am to 8pm.  We will also be setting up the tables and organizing all of our precious treasures.

We’re in need of volunteers for Friday, April 25 and the event itself on Saturday, April 26.  If you can lend a few hours and help us organize this mess into a coherent whole, it would be very much appreciated.  Just contact me at 202.288.5124 or joseph.lamountain@gmail.com.

An Incredible Furniture Donation!

The Mount Vernon Community School PTA owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Susan Helpler of Alexandria.  Last night she donated to the MV Big Flea an oak china cabinet cupboard that belonged to her grandmother in Noblesville, Indiana.

The cupboard dates from the early 1900s and is primarly oak with pine as a secondary wood.  The piece retains its original finish and has many fine details, such as the scroll at the top and the detailed engraved patterns throughout. It measures 80″ tall, 40.5″ wide, 21″ deep and is a great example of early 19th century American furniture.

This cupboard is currently located in a retail business in Alexandria.  We are attempting to sell it this weekend rather than move it to storage and move it again for the event.  If you are interested in purchasing this piece, please let me know quickly by contacting me at 202.288.5124 or joseph.lamountain@gmail.com.

A $100 Calculator & This Week’s Drop-off Info

Man, am I good.  I don’t know if it’s a sixth sense or just dumb luck, but I seem to have the uncanny ability to identify items that are worth a lot of money.

For years, I used this skill with books.  On dozens of occasions I purchased a book for fifty cents and sold it for fifty dollars or more.  I even pulled books out of the trash, one of which I sold more more than $125.  Not only was it a fun hobby, but it provided a nice little bit of income for a couple years.

Now these skills are being put to work for the MV Big Flea.  At the storage unit two nights ago, I sifted through a box of items someone dropped off when I wasn’t around.  I’m not sure why I noticed it among the other treasures, but an old scientific calculator (with the original owner’s manual) caught my eye.

I brought it home and did a little research.  To my great surprise, I learned that the Hewlett Packard HP-32S from 1988 is still a highly desired.  I’m not sure if it’s a computing collectible or is simply a great machine that’s still in demand.  But I do know that it’s worth about $100; in fact, one sold on Ebay last week for $145!  Whodathunkit?

Do you have any buried treasures to donate?  Then drop them off this Saturday between 930am and 1230pm at our storage space at 409 E Alexandria Avenue.  The garage is nearly full, so this will probably be our last weekend there.  If possible, please bring your items in heavy cardboard boxes with lids as they are easier for us to store.

Thank you again to everyone that is making this event a success.

Mary Jensen’s Big Donation

Buy This Table and Free My Soul!

Do you ever feel as if your possessions are weighing you down? I can do you one better.

We recently received a very nice Queen Anne style cherry dining room table. With its leaf, the oblong-shaped table measures approximately 72″ long. It’s in very nice condition with a few scratches and scuffs that can be easily polished out. It is solidly constructed with detachable legs secured with strong bolts. All in all, it’s a great table and would make a wonderful addition to any home.  The cost is just $149.

The problem? It’s weighing me down, emotionally and physically. And keep in mind, I don’t even own it! I’m just its caretaker! Sure, I’m responsible for thousands of items we’ve collected for the Big Flea. But this table is a different than all the others. That’s why I’ve decided that it must be sold, and my soul set free.

What is it about this table? First of all, because it’s so nice, I’ve been hesitant to keep it with all our other stuff in storage, lest it be irreparably damaged. Second, it has been in the back of my station wagon for the better part of the last two weeks, seizing valuable space and incurring the mild wrath of my dear spouse.

I thought I sold it last week, but the dear buyers (to whom I am related by marriage), bailed at the last second. Please, no more teasing. If you even have a remote need for a fine cherry dining room table (and you know you do), please contact me right away. The time has come.

This Week: Cat Butts, A Historical Print and Everything In Between

It’s not pretty, but that headline sums up what we collected during last Saturday’s donation day for the MV Big Flea.

Once again, about 20 families donated a wide array of items for the April 26 MV Big Flea, including a soon-to-be-revealed item worth at least $500.  Thank you to everyone that made a donation; unfortunately I was overserved the previous evening and was so tired that I forgot to write down names of those who donated.

Without a doubt, the “best” donation came from an anonymous Del Ray donor: a set of magnets depicting, yes, those ever popular feline rectums. “Yuck,” my six year old said succinctly.  Truly tasteless, these magnets retain their original packaging and would make a lovely gift for a cat-crazy ex-girlfriend, mother-in-law or other special someone.

While the Saturday morning crew of Gordon Lubold, Rob Guynn, Rob Carraway and John Delaney chuckled over the magnets (and several other items we received), I was salivating over some of the great artwork and furniture we received (such as the beautiful Art Deco/Asian-influenced chest of drawers at right donated by Shirley Marshall of Del Ray).

Among the artwork, the most exciting addition was a gorgeous 1831 hand-colored print of the United States Capitol (previous to the addition of the dome); A  a similar unframed version of the print is currently being sold online for nearly $100. We also received a very large self-portrait on cardboard (seen below) and several other original oil paintings of South America/Spanish provenance. Total score.

We also received another fantastic old skool collection of 75 vinyl LPs, an art deco chest of drawers and several other great pieces of furniture, an Adirondack chair, steamer chest, several boomboxes and televisions, too many toys to list, a bicycle and tricycle, footlocker, portable space heater, vaccuum and so much more.

Once again, we’ve pretty much filled our storage space and are currently looking for some more. If you have some space to give, or would like to make a donation of items, please contact me at 202.288.5124 or joseph.lamountain@gmail.com. Many thanks to everyone that gave their time and donations this week.

OMG…we got a $500 item!

Are you sitting down (like Mike Wilker last Saturday)? Good.

On Saturday, we held our usual MV Big Flea donation extravaganza. We picked up items from families in Alexandria as well as Fairfax County and Arlington. About a dozen families also dropped off items at our storage facility. We received a lot of great items (about which I will write later), but one among them stood out.

I can’t go into too much detail at this point, but I’ve spent the last few hours in full “Antiques Roadshow” mode. I’ve researched this item on the internet. Authenticated it and found comparables. I even spoke on the phone with a nationally recognized expert in the field. The “consensus”?

Dealers are selling this item online for prices ranging from $1,600 to $2,500. However, because we will want to sell it rather quickly, the expert with whom I consulted estimated that we could sell it rather quickly for $400-$500. Even if it sells at this lower price point, this represents 5% of our total sales last year.

OK, I know I am being a little cagey about this item. But I also want to make absolutely sure before I give more details. I also want to track down who gave this item so we can make sure we offer out profuse thanks.

Over and out.

Rise Up Against the Yard Sale!

Warm weather is upon us. And for many, that means a yard sale is in the works. But have you ever thought about what a hassle a yard sale can be? It’s much easier to donate your items this Saturday, March 15, to the MV Big Flea.

As for yard sales, first you have to collect stuff to sell. Then you have to clean and price them. And don’t forget an ad in the Post. And signs around the neighborhood. Then, on the big day, you sit around and wait for people to show up and haggle with you over 50 cents. And when it’s over, you drag the leftovers back inside. And for what? A lousy hundred bucks (if you’re lucky). You can do better!

Washingtonians!  Rise up against the Yard Sale! Don’t waste your precious Saturday following the herd for a few measly bucks. Instead, collect those items and donate them to a local worthy cause: Alexandria’s public school students. And you? Sit around, read the paper, have another cup of coffee.

The MV Big Flea doesn’t simplify the yard sale process, it ELIMINATES it (this is starting to sound like an infomercial). All you have to do is collect your items and drop them off this Saturday, March 15, at 409 E Alexandria Avenue in Del Ray. No waiting, no haggling, no promoting. Just cold hard cash (in the form of a tax deduction).

What could be better? Seize back your Saturday. If you have questions, or have larger items to donate, please contact me at joseph.lamountain@gmail.com or 202.288.5124.

2500 & 5000 = A Big Success (so far)

The MV Big Flea is happy to report that it has raised $2500 and generated more than 5000 visitors to its website over the last month.

Both figures bode well for the success of the event, which will be held on April 26, 2008 at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center in the Del Ray section of Alexandria.

Unlike last year, the MV Big Flea has decided to sell items prior to the April 26 event. This is mainly due to the lack of space available to store the items we collect from donors in northern Virginia. But the sale of items, mainly through Craiglist, has an added benefit: drawing visitors to the event website.

“Generating more than 5,000 visitors in one month for such a highly local effort is amazing,” said Mimi Carter (above), an MVCS parent and publicist for the DC-based interactive marketing firm Virilion. “I’d go so far as to say that the Big Flea’s success rivals other internet superstars, such as the fabled ‘Will it Blend‘ series or even Tay Zonday’s Chocolate Rain.”

The MV Big Flea will continue to collect items, and sell them, in the weeks leading up to the event. If you have items to donate, or would like to purchase, please contact event organizer Joseph LaMountain at 202.288.5124 or joseph.lamountain@gmail.com.

Saturday’s Furniture Frenzy

Holy smokes did we pick up a lot of furniture this weekend! Thanks to the generosity of more than a dozen Alexandria (and Arlington) families, our second storage facility is nearly 50% filled!

One of the largest donations came from Loraine West of Del Ray. She donated a matching bedroom set that included a headboard, dresser, mirror and nightstand. Donna Gold donated a chest of drawers, bookcase and cabinet; Jen Atkins an entertainment center and huge TV; Linda Robinson and Carol Caldwell each gave a rocking chair. Others donating furniture include Mary Huber and Mike Wilker, Eileen Cassidy Rivera, Laura Castro, Sudie McGahuey and Mary Ann Restuccia. Whew.

While the Mount Vernon Dad Brigade was out picking up all these items, I was collecting items from nearly 10 additional families. We received a boombox, DVD/VHS player lamps, like-new vaccuums, books, toys, computer gear and much more. Many thanks to all those who gave, including Gina Miller, Mary Jensen, Ben Klein, Lori Timan, Ann Figura, Sarah Allen and Wanda Carter, Bill E. Clayton and Betsy Lording.

Even though the MV Big Flea is on April 26, we are selling selected items on Craigslist and, to a lesser degree, Ebay. This not only frees up valuable storage space, it provides us with a great opportunity to promote the event and secure more donations. To see what we currently have for sale, please click on the “For Sale” sign in the upper left section of the site.

Many thanks and happy junking!