Karin - I don't pot anything. Before I place my ad, I divide everything I want to sell, replant the divisions somewhere in the garden and then when people come over simply pop the plants out of the ground and bag them. I save plastic bags for months before and even have friends and neighbors save them for me. After bagging, I slap a label on the bag so people know what they have when they get home. By doing it this way, if something doesn't sell, you don't have to replant all those pots of plants. Plants in the ground also don't dry out as fast as potted plants, so they're easier to keep watered. Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of thinking you'll divide the plant on the spot. I tried that once and it was a nightmare. It just takes too long to do while someone is standing there looking over your shoulder. Pricing can be tricky, but you have to make it worth your effort. I rarely sold anything for less than $4 - usually in the $5-6 range and for something like a nice sized division of a Cimicifuga - $8. In the fall when I sold Peony divisions, I charged $12 for an 8 eye division. I had no problems getting $25 for a division of one of my fern leafed peonies. I also propagate various Colocasia and sold those for something like $7-8 for a 3-4 inch pot. Customers constantly told me, they would much rather buy from someone like me rather than one of the garden centers because the plants were healthier, well cared for and locally grown. They also liked to see what the plant looked like growing in the garden. Kevin

I'm going to agree with Palimp with this one. It isn't quite right for an older piece but really no one can honestly tell without different pictures :) A picture of the back from the inside and the outside, and a picture of the bottom might help. The underside of the shelfs would also perhaps help. To me, the carving isn't fine enough for a piece of this style from the art noveau period...it's nice, but not quite nice enough for a piece that would be planned with this type of detail. The detail isn't right for an old french or german piece either. Almost not heavy enough :) A close up of the lock might help, but not just the outside (which is easily reproduced) but the workings on the door frame as well as the back inside the cabinet. One big clue to me is the mitered corners where you see carved details. Where you see the separation. It's not really "normal" for a piece with any significant age on it. (You'd see separations but not at miters and likely you wouldn't even see miters there if it was carved with any attention to detail). You see joins done differently so that the carving won't split with climate changes. That typically happens when wood is used that's not dried properly (given the even splitting around the piece) or if it's made in one extreme climate and shipped to another (ie an aisan piece shipped to a dry climate). There's a reason you don't see the Keno brothers give values on pieces until they've twisted them up and down and turned them inside out :) The details that give the best clues are hidden in the construction more often than not, both on decorative items, and furnishings :) It is however a lovely piece! I would have to see a lot of convincing evidence to want to put it in a collection of specific period pieces...but to use it and enjoy it :) I think you did well for your money. (Another clue...if it were a highly craved piece from the art noveau period...i'd think the cost would be significantly MORE!)

Craig's List hides your email address by default. Now if you respond to an email, your address will show. I do a lot of advertising on Craig's List and there is some spam but it's generally pretty easy to identify and delete. Actually my Mom was just trying to sell something and got some story from a guy who wanted to send her a cashier's check for the full price of the item (sight unseen) and then send movers to pick it up. Uh huh. /delete/ As for posting pictures, it's pretty easy to do. Craig's List uses a fairly basic, abbreviated form of HTML. You just use the HTML image tag (just use Google for plenty of examples). Craig's List also has a list of the HTML tags it does support on their help pages. You can use any online hosting service or upload them directly to Craig's List. With the latter method the images are pretty small and you are limited to 4. Good luck!

I think this is a candidate for the paint store to tell you but personally I would not use spray paint. Spray paint is going to give you a glossy look. Therefore, you will need to keep working until you get the furniture very, very smooth for a very good high gloss look, which will scratch easily on chairs whose rungs, most likely, people will prop their feet onto. That would not be what I would want, a bunch of scratched up chairs that I worked hard on. I do not think I would invest the money in the AS Chalk Paint. That's a lot of bread to shell out. This is JMHO, I would finish cleaning with the Dawn. I would wash down with hose briskly (just enough to remove any residual soap) and allow to dry, dry, dry for a few days just to make sure the very porous wood was totally dry. Otherwise, the moisture level could interfere with a water based paint, which is what I would use: a latex. I would slap a coat or two (depending on the color I wanted) on this suite (latex dries fast if the wood is very dry). You do not have to be very precise with latex. You can just slap it on. Once that dries, you can/cannot (depending on your preference) glaze it to bring it down in color, soften the color. Once that is completed, put a poly or verathane coat of sealer on it. That is JMHO and we are all entitled to our opinion. This is stated in an attempt at preempting the flamers.