So, I'm starting to think this whole "sell your jewellery" thing is a big fat crock.

I don't get why the fad is still going. Selling gold to be melted down is a HUGE rip off, in my opinion, as will be evidence by this little post I'm about to share about my recent experience trying to sell to Toronto's Omni Jewelcrafters at Bathurst & Glencairn.

Here's how it went:

I went to Omni hoping to sell 3 things. These things are as follows:

1) A 14k gold circle pendant (with chain) featuring a ring of small diamonds. (Original price: about $500)
2) A pair of diamond earrings (studs). Smallish, by v. high quality diamonds, set in white gold. (Original price: $750)
3) One 18k gold earring set with six small diamonds (like the ones in the circle pendant) that didn't have a mate. It was real, but I don't know how much it cost, because I found it in Heathrow airport six years ago.

I wasn't expecting that much, but considering that I had original receipts and/or appraisal documents for each item, I figured I might get a nice little chunk of change. Maybe... $200? $250?

Not even close. Omni offered me $110. For all three items combined.

Now, this is jewellery I don't want. It's stuff I don't wear. Besides the found earring, it was all given to me by an ex and is infected with bad juju. I WANTED to sell it, but I just couldn't bring myself to settle for such a crappy pay out.

I had receipts! I had appraisals! But in the world of jewellery hocking, such things mean nothing, I've learned.

Perhaps I should have known. I mean, consider the kinds of ads these outfits run.

_I definitely should have known.

I'd also like to add that the clerk at Omni was a bit smarmy and condescending, which didn't make me want to make a deal. Regarding the pendant necklace, he said "I know it's pretty and it sparkles, but it's not really worth anything." And "these diamonds are sOooo small ... it would cost me as much as they're worth to remove them from the setting."

Um. Yeah right, I thought. You could take apart this setting in five minutes, buster. You're not fooling anyone.

The whole experience was lame. I parted with the one earring and was paid $20 for it. (Six little diamonds, plus the thick gold setting and all I got was $20. But hey... he was doing me a favour, right? The diamonds were soooo small.) I let the earring go because I'd found it. Didn't seem fair to profit too much from someone else's loss. But I took the rest of my pieces home.

After having this experience, I can't understand why people sell jewellery this way at all. You've got to be desperate.

Maybe I'll do some sort of bad juju cleansing and start wearing this stuff again. Maybe I'll regift it. Who knows?

Omni Jewel & Java Café
2793 Bathurst St.
Toronto, ON M6B 3A4
(416) 783-2091

P.S. Also, there's a built in café/restaurant at the Omni location I visited. Because it makes total sense to combine food service and fine jewellery sales? Totally weird.

As some of you guys know, I work in the Queen West area of Toronto, right at the edge of Parkdale. And in nice weather, I like to wander the neighbourhood during my lunch hour. This wandering has lead me to a lot of great vintage stores.

In particular, one I'm loving more and more lately is 69 Vintage.

Back in 2007, Robyn Urback at BlogTO did a piece on the store, but all I really remember about it was her focus on the smell... as in, the smell of vintage stores. She LOVED that 69 Vintage didn't (in her opinion) smell.

People are so weird. Why do so many people think second hand stores smell bad? It's all in your head, weirdos. Do they smell different than new stores? Yes. Do they smell unique in the way that people's houses smell unique? Yes, they do. But don't be a snob, please. It's totally lame. Just because another person's body has touched a piece of clothing, doesn't mean it's going to smell. Geeze.

Anyway, here are some ads and images that capture the 69 Vintage look:

If you like the look of the stuff above, you'll like 69 Vintage. I suggest you check it out.

Okay, so this isn't a review. It is, however, a story that I think might be of value to consumers.

A few weeks ago (on July 7th, specifically), I was driving west along Eglinton Ave. in Toronto. Behind me was a Sleep Country Canada delivery truck. And when I say behind me, I mean RIGHT behind me. The driver was practically stuck to my bumper. Major tailgating.

And yes, it was making me angry.

I don't like tailgaters at the best of times, but when the tailgater in question is driving a huge truck, it makes me even more nervous.

After awhile, fed up, I gestured to the driver to move back. This was not an aggressive gesture. It was a limp-wristed flapping. A sort of non-verbal "shoo!" I wanted the truck to back up.

Did the truck back up? No. The Sleep Country Canada truck did NOT back up. Rather, the Sleep Country Canada truck swerved out to the right and pulled up beside me so that the driver could yell out his window "Stick it up your ass, lady! You fucking cunt!"

That's right. Apparently, Sleep Country Canada delivery men think yelling out "you fucking cunt" is... appropriate? Funny? Intimidating? I'm not sure what the guy thought. Clearly, he thought I was a "fucking cunt" for wanting him to back up, but that seems a bit... excessive, don't you think?

So what did I do? Well, I was startled and frightened so I didn't do much of anything. I kept my eyes on the road and tried not to incite the lunatic driver any further. But I DID take down his license plate. And after getting home, via a Facebook connection, I shared my experience with Sleep Country corporate.

But nothing came of it.

Apparently, my experience was forwarded to the Manager and VP of operations here in Toronto. Those people followed up with the driver and his "helper." Their version of events was, unsurprisingly, different from my own.

What did they say happened, I wonder? What situation did the driver and his helper concoct to make it seem appropriate for him to have called me a cunt? Or did he pretend he hadn't said that at all? I suppose if I were him, I'd lie as well. Still, I wonder what lie he told. Or at least, how he managed to concoct a lie that made sense to his superiors.

"In the absence of evidence, we aren't able to take disciplinary action," said Sleep Country in its email response.

Of course, I hadn't asked for disciplinary action. I hadn't asked for anything at all. I'd simply shared my experience. And considering that I'm a random person on the street, uninterested in discounts, compensation or the like, you'd think someone over at Sleep Country might have twigged to the fact that I have no motivation for making this sort of thing up. But alas, we live in a strange age.

Sleep Country did offer this much: "As well as individual conversations with these individuals, a general review of the Code of Business Conduct will be reviewed with all associates on the delivery team and we will also use your example to demonstrate the swiftness with which negative actions can be disseminated through social media and the negative impact it has on branding."

In other words, Sleep Country will be using what happened as a teaching tool. Hooray.

Here's the thing: the language the driver used was clearly gendered, clearly misogynistic, and definitely threatening. And that's a big deal. But Sleep Country didn't seem to care. Not enough, anyway.

Now, of course, I wasn't a Sleep Country customer. I was just a woman on the street. So perhaps Sleep Country's promise of "professional, courteous and friendly" delivery teams applies only to those who've actually purchased a mattress, but I can tell you one thing, I won't be purchasing ANYTHING from Sleep Country any time soon.

Why buy a mattress anywhere else? Why, indeed.

The Nicholas Hoare book shop is certainly one of the most beautiful and charming independent bookstores in Toronto. There used to be several of these gems (Remember Britnell? It's now a Starbucks.), but big chains like Chapters have put most of them out of business. For that reason alone, I like to pop into Nicolas Hoare every now and again, even though it's out of the way, and even though it often doesn't have what I'm looking for.

I just like supporting the little guy.

The best things about Nicholas Hoare:

• It's beautiful
• It's got comfy chairs and a squashy sofa grouped around a fireplace in the store
• You can browse and read to your heart's content and no one bothers you
• The collection is highly curated
• The gift wrap is free

The worst things about Nicholas Hoare:

• It's too highly curated -- often doesn't have what I'm looking for
• It's way downtown, on Front St., which isn't convenient
• The staff are occasionally snooty
• The store specializes in British books (which is cool, but limiting)
  

I would highly recommend Nicholas Hoare for a holiday visit (it's lovely at Christmas), or as a stop on a tour of the city. It's a shop that will impress the grumpiest of tourists. It's also nice to visit on a lazy Sunday, when you feel like browsing and don't have a specific book in mind.  Or check out a book events there sometime. The shop hosts launches, signings and the like.

All that said, if you ARE looking for something specific, I suggest you call the store first. They will order you something if they don't have it in. But that means waiting. Personally, I don't like waiting. It's annoying, but then again, it's not like it'll kill you.

Found a really cute little local store on my lunch hour the other day. (I work in the Queen West/Parkdale area of Toronto.) It's called Madam Vintage.

It's a tiny little corner shop, located in a space that probably started life as a convenience store.

I was lured in by the flapping cowboy shirts displayed on the front patio. Nathan's been obsessed with plaids and snaps lately, so I thought I might find something for him.

I definitely found a lot of options but decided not to buy anything until he was there to try things on. In addition to the cowboy shirts, boots, and other plaid paraphernalia, I noticed some cute heels, purses and blouses.

According to its website, Madam Vintage carries "cowboy chic" and "80s vintage" for both men and women. The lady working there when I popped in (the owner, I believe, who looked like she was still in her 20s), told me she imports a lot of her stuff directly from Alberta - that is to say, the Canadian hub of cowboy-land. So I think it's all pretty authentic.

The one thing I REALLY wanted to buy was a black and white cow hide rug, but it turns out the rug wasn't for sale and while I asked, the owner was unwilling to part with it.

Madam Vintage is an out-of-the-way place, but I found it (and the owner) to be surprisingly cute, casual and friendly. I'd like to see it succeed. So if you're in the neighbourhood and you have a penchant for plaid, I suggest you stop in.

Madam Vintage
168 Gladstone Ave. (between Dundas and Queen)
(647) 348-2264

So I recently returned from a road trip around the Maritimes and during our last stop (in Fredericton), I came across a lovely bookstore that I just had to write about: The Owl's Nest.

I. Loved. It.

It's a place to get lost in. You walk in, and are immediately confronted with a large room, piled high with used books of every variety. And then you realize that there's another room beyond the front room. And another room beyond that. And ANOTHER room beyond that. AND AN UPSTAIRS. It's intense, man.

Intense and wonderful.

Stylistically speaking, the store is pure kitch. It's filled with odd owl figurines from the '70s, and papered with snarky little notes that say things like "Hardcovers are NEVER $1!" And "There used to be an owl here. Did you steal the owl? Why would you steal the owl?"

I dunno. I thought it was funny.

I took home a few paperback tomes that I loved when I was a girl for about $2 a piece. (Paula Fox - that sort of thing.) And if I ever go back to Fredericton, I'll be buying a whole lot more.

* Store front image from the Owl's Nest Biblio site; Store image from their Facebook page.
* Creative commons owl image by Mikenan1 from Flickr.

Well, my neighbourhood continues to improve.

When I was a kid, the St. Clair West area was a strip of super sketchy store fronts, convenience stores, and fast food restaurants. Now it seems like a bespoke boutique or posh eatery opens every month.

he latest newbie to hit the strip is Clay, a cute little kitchen store from the two couples behind Cocoalatte, a cafe located just three doors down.

(I love CocoaLatte. My only complaint is that their tables are too small and their plates too big... if, like me, you are a glutton. If you're a normal person who orders one thing, you'll be fine.)

The whole family/friend owned business thing is adorable.

Seriously, how cute are they? (By the way, I don't know these people personally. I just like what they're doing. I'm not a creepy stalker, I swear. The photo was right on their Facebook page. Really.)

Anyway. As with the cafe, the place owes much of its decor to IKEA, but that's just fine. The owners have done wonders with the space. Before they took it over, the building was practically derelict. The renovation has improved it massively.

In general, I'm into supporting local businesses like this one, but even if I wasn't enamoured with the the whole Clay/CocoaLatte story and the neat indie aesthetic, there are things about the new boutique that I would love:

1. I no longer have to leave the neighbourhood to drool over Le Creuset! Hurray!

2. If stuck for a hostess/baby gift, they have chic things (from bibs to bowls) to choose from.

3. The punchy orange and green decor is fresh and bright and very different from the soothing blue of CocoaLatte. And I like that vintage orange chair, the floors, and the little brick wall cut-out behind the cash too. 

It's early days for this business and as a result, the store feels a teeny bit bare. I have a feeling that will change as time goes on. I really hope these guys succeed. While I'm bummed that the gentrification of the neighbourhood means I'll probably never be able to afford a house here, it's nice to see young people making cool stuff happen.

As you may know, if I could, I'd start a shop of my own. In the meantime, I'll just have to admire.

Clay
659 St. Clair Ave. W.
Toronto, ON
Phone @ CocoaLatte
(416) 792-8696