RoseAbbey, of course art that you choose should be loved by you, a lot, and if madly loved-even better)) My advice-go to the aforementioned sites, search art or narrow it to certain topic or technique if you already know what you prefer.. immerse yourself in looking..soon you'll see where your heart is, and which artists' work you feel connected to. Many artists explore several themes that are close to them somehow..people, or cities, or nature..you might very well be able to find two paintings or drawings or watercolors that share a lot, but still are distinct works of art. I was very, very wary of buying art through Internet, site unseen..but as I did that more and more, I became calmer..it usually works. Of course nothing beats a personal encounter with an artist, that's true. But you can still find something that you love a lot. I stumbled upon a pastel drawing once, on Etsy..it pictured a little girl on the beach, very concentrated on building a sand castle. She was a copy of my daughter, that was teenager by the time I saw this drawing. The resemblance was uncanny. It was like some sort of magic. I bought it from the artist, and gifted it to my daughter. It is in her room. After couple of years I'm almost sure that this unknown girl is her)) So you see, even without seeing the artist, you can have the most amazing experience..it happens. Now, sorry for my long ramble)) Good luck! I am exited for you. Almost nothing that can be in your home is as exiting as a work of art that really speaks to you.

The crack appears to be at the joint of two different pieces of wood. Perhaps it has come loose and isn't just the paint. I also questioned the screw in the hings, but the working part of the hinge is straight -- I really don't understand what is going on there. These things are impossible to access with words alone and difficult with only a couple of photos. You really need to see it and be able to check it out. Wait -- is the hinge broken and separated from the backplate? I am a fixer. I realize many people here hire out everything, so at least see if you can get it repaired. No, you shouldn't have to, but even when you order new furniture (custom or not) that is made and delivered within the US, some kind of adjustment or touch up may be needed after shipping. Ordering overseas increases the chances of having issues -- just from shipping. I just can't see tossing the cabinet out and demanding a full refund for the cabinet and shipping without trying anything. If you decide to start over with a resale cabinet that you have redone, refinishing does not mean it has to be shabby-chic paint. You can't always do a stained finish due to the condition of the wood, but if the wood is good, you should be able to stain or paint -- and paint in any style. You just need to get the right person. And one detail to come back too? Seriously, I've never lived in a house that was a "DONE." Anytime I get close, there is more to do. I'd be grateful there was one detail and not three new problems. Hang in there.... Whatever you decide, you will get it worked out. It's a process, not a race.

Good luck with it, Su! I think traffic will pick up as people become aware of it as a resource. But do be sure once you have it as fully stocked as you can get it in a few weeks, to advertise it on Facebook or other forums as much as you can. I've also used Etsy's promoted listings and it does help increase traffic hits, but I haven't actually made any additional sales due to it. Also make sure you check out the Etsy forums because people are friendly and happy to help you with tags, descriptions, general advise. And of course I'm happy to help, too!

eBay, I think, has hurt some vendors but the ones who have truly been devasted are those stores which have no online presence at all. (Sears, though not a plant vendor, comes immediately to mind.) Some vendors have been able to,make great use of eBay. I know one gent who caters to poison dart frog hobbyists. He has an online store but also posts items on eBay. He finds it amusing how many times someone buys one of his plants on eBay for 3 or 4X what they would pay for the same plant if they were to simply take the time to follow the link to his online store and buy it there. "the commercial growers we are lamenting were the for runners of the violet movement from waaaaaay back. And eventually no one will want to carry on the name." I assume you meant "forerunners"? ;-) Possibly. But then there is something to be said for a name that one can reliably associate with "quality". That can't be said for the "fly by nights"/"flash in the pans". Should a younger entrepreneur take over the business and name of a Lyons or VB and be able to develop new, "fresh" hybrids of quality, then there is the chance that some of those old names will live on. The ease of internet communication has been a two edged sword for plant clubs. On the downside, as has been mentioned, it is very easy to communicate with other hobbyists without ever leaving one's home. Also, one can leave messages at one's convenience. On the other hand, the internet has made it easier to locate clubs for those who enjoy face to face interaction. (And considering how lacking many of the "millennials" seem to be in the area of face-to-face interpersonal communication skills, attending club meetings in real time might be beneficial there as well.) A big impediment to the survival of many plant clubs is, unfortunately, the membership. In many plant clubs, the membership appears to be predominantly folks in their golden years. Whether this is the result of their having more free time or instead simply a greater interest in growing said plants, it can make the situation .... awkward ... for the young'uns. It is not unusual for people to be most comfortable around people in their own age bracket. Also, many oldsters are seemingly out of touch or intimidated by today's tech. This presents issues with building new membership. Whether one likes it or not, the reality is that social media platforms like Facebook have become -- in many cases -- THE means by which the younger generation discovers and learns about events and social organizations. If today's clubs wish to have a chance of attracting new membership (particularly of the younger set), having a good, up-to-date Facebook page can be vital. Not only should contact information, location and time of club meetings be regularly updated, but also any information about club events like speakers (and the topics they will be discussing), or dates, times, and locations of plant shows which members and would-be members might like to attend. And finally, there absolutely needs to an active presence replete with photos show casing things such as pictures of plants members have brought in for "show and tell," shots taken at shows, and even a photo now and then of things or people at meetings or the society picnic. (And, yes, when taking such pictures in the latter cases, try to surreptitiously include a bunch of folks in the photo so it looks like it is well attended. :-D ) Then there is the issue of attitude. If new people show up at a meeting, they must be made to feel welcomed. I have attended society meetings in which no one made any attempt to greet me and I actually would have gone the entire meeting without a single person speaking to me if I hadn't made the attempt to "break the ice". They were all in their little cliques. Needless to say, I did not bother returning. (Some of these same groups I have heard of late are bemoaning the lack of new members and are mystified as to why.) In contrast, at the orchid society I experienced years ago, a new person was greeted within the first couple minutes of having walked through the door. Whoever greeted them would welcome them and make some polite chit chat ("Are you growing any orchids yet, and if so what kind?" "How did you hear about us? Any problems finding the place?" "Today we'll be having a speaker talking about ____." Et cetera) Then the new person might be directed to the refreshments table or introduced to another member. By the time that person had left, they would have met and chatted with at least 4-5 members. It was a much warmer, welcoming environment. I joined and was a member until I moved to a city 2.5hrs away. As it is, not only do those members still stop to chat with me if we run into each other at shows, they also keep me on their electronic newsletter list and invite me to the annual summer picnic. Additionally, there sometimes is the attitude amongst the oldsters that they know everything and these new people -- particularly if the newbies are really young, in their late teens or early 20's, for example -- know nothing. And while this may indeed be the case, there are times the oldster couldn't be more wrong. (Though such individuals are rather rare, I have met people who had been growing plants since before they hit their teens. As such, they were already far more knowledgeable than one would expect for a person of their years.) Unfortunately, the aforementioned attitude often manifests as condescension which most on the receiving end will indubitably find to be a major "turn off." This is a shame on many fronts. Firstly, it can be the factor which causes the newbie to never return. Second, even if they come back, they will be far less likely to associate with those members which can be a loss to both parties. Even people as knowledgeable as Hyn or Irina, if they were to come across as snooty/condescending know-it-alls (fortunately, they don't), would certainly cause some people to ignore the advice they have to offer. For that matter, there is always the possibility that a newbie might actually have some worthwhile insight to give them.