I've said for years that those of us who have booths at the Great Lakes Antique Mall should have a reality TV show based on the goings-on in our store. I believe the cops would agree with me. Have I got a story for you...

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Musings

I have said for years that those of us who have booths at the Great Lakes Antique Mall are missing a golden opportunity: we need have a reality TV show based on the dealers and denizens who frequent our establishment. Working title: All That Glitters. It'd be a hit!

I work the front desk at G.L.A.M. on Fridays, and there is rarely a dull moment.

Case in point:

Two Fridays ago, Ray, a dealer, came in and asked for a print-out of his sales so far this month. After scanning it, he remarked, "I don't see a pair of tin snips on here. But they're missing from my booth."

We said we'd keep an eye out for them. (Sometimes portable items find their way out of their native booth and into an alternative dealer's booth.)

As the day wore on, we weren't busy, so I went to check locks. This involves taking a can of disinfectant spray and paper towels and making sure all of the 80 or so locks on the various cases in the mall are, in fact, doing their job.

That's when I discovered the broken hasp.

A dealer's locked case had been tampered with—and several thousand dollars of silver jewelry was missing.

!!!

The lock hasp was cleanly severed...

And under the damaged case was the pair of tin snips someone had used for their nefarious deed.

This set us off on a chorus of "things didn't used to be like this" while we alerted the booth owner and the authorities but, in truth, things have always been like this.

But that's just the teaser trailer. Because last Wednesday, someone broke into the mall at night, smashed up two cases, and absconded with the jewelry that had been inside.

They weren't the brightest of thieves. Oh, sure, one of the cases had some high-dollar art pieces in it.

But the other case only had vintage costume jewelry.

As Owen Meany would say: MADE FOR TELEVISION.

I tell ya, we're missing out on a golden opportunity here.

MuseNews

More hijinks from the Antique Mall:

At the beginning of June, I'm moving my booth from a nice spot in the second aisle to an even nicer spot in the first aisle. (If the mall were Monopoly, I'd be on Boardwalk or Park Place. W00t!)

Because we have a lengthy waiting list for new dealers, moving any booth requires coordination between who is moving out and who is moving in.

The person who is currently in the booth that will eventually be mine is moving to a double booth. She has a single 10 x 10 space at the moment, but will be moving to a 10 x 20 space.

Half of that 10 x 20 space is currently empty.

She could begin moving in at any time...

I reminded her this on Tuesday, when I stopped by to see if my booth needed spiffing up, and to water the plants.

"When do you think you might start moving into the new booth," I asked -- wondering when I can start moving into hers.

"It's not open," she said.

"Half of it is."

"Not the half I'm going to be moving into," she informed me.

(True story.)

?!?!

I offered to move what's currently in the double booth from one side to the other.

"No," she said. "Some of what's in there is mine."

MADE FOR TELEVISION!

We wouldn't even need a laugh track. O.o

Book Report

I re-read Don Miguel Ruiz' The Four Agreements, a tiny gem of a book that reads like one long, quotable affirmation.

This book is like a warm hug. Or a hot cup of tea. Or a soft, cuddly puppy. It's like revisiting an old friend that makes you feel good about having them in your life -- and feel good about life in general.

If you've never read it, I encourage you to do so. And if you've read it in the past, I challenge you to remember your own four agreements and rise to the challenge of meeting them.

Next Week:

Nothing makes me start reminiscing about “the good ol’ days” like tryna find a reliable handyman. Let The Great Plumber Quest commence...

Till next week,

May your words be filled with magic. May all your locks hold, and a pox on those who try to steal your joy.

I love you all!

Ami

Ami Hendrickson
​Book Coach, Author, Editor, and Corgi Mom
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