Sort of… We are a family of collectors. Flea markets have always been a  great source of entertainment for us; packing our kids into strollers for flea markets and auctions was how we taught the next generation.   Originally The Flea Group was made up of family members and just like other families, put us all together and we sometimes resemble a three ring circus! 

So Why Did the Flea Group Start?  Good Question!

     When the flea finds take over your garage, closets, car trunks, attics and you’re starting to eye the bathtub, it's time to share your fleas with other fle..er...collectors.

So we decided it’s our job to venture out into the heat, cold, and precip to peruse auctions, garage sales, estate sales, flea markets and our neighbor's trash.  It's your job to sit in the comfort of your home to buy our finds. And of course, leave us positive feedback.

      This is where the project took on an element of “work” and you guessed it…that’s when everyone but me went back to their day jobs.  I didn’t have one so thefleagroup became mine.   Since thefleagroup userid has gathered a bit of a following, I decided to keep the name.   And since I wear a lot of hats, I’m sort of a group all by myself: semi-retired little old lady  who is a mom, grandma, sister, friend, collector, seller, buyer and care-taker of all the wonderful collections from previous generations.

What's My Speciality?  I'll get back to you on that!

        In the antiques and collectibles realm, there is very little I  claim to be expert in...in fact, that should probably read nothing. I read a lot,  shop a lot and  talk to other collectors/sellers a lot. One thing  I like about eBay is    listing an item I  know nothing about and watching it take off like it was shot out of a cannon because it's "something". That's one way I  learn. I’ ve had my share of "oops guess that isn't on anyone's top 10 list" too. That's also how I  learn.

If I have a speciality, it's silver...read that speciality, not expert!  I  usually have silver plate flatware and hollowware, sterling silver flatware, coin silver and fine china.  The unique and unusual are always represented in our listings as well as a lot of etc. and miscellaneous.    

The Serious Stuff!  The Meat & Potatoes  

    I've been eBaying since April 1999 and have completed over 4500 successful transactions.  I have a 99.8% positive feedback rating and I'm still thrilled when I make a sale.  Read on for my selling "mantra."

I  believe:

• in writing honest descriptions. 
• having as few “rules” as possible.
• making expectations clear and easy to understand.
• shipping asap after receiving payment.
• packing to avoid breakage and addressing to avoid loss.
• in the value of feedback.
• leaving feedback after the buyer: "it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings."  The fat lady is me; I'll sing your praises when I see your positive feedback.
• leaving negative feedback should be avoided if at all possible.
• in the value of communication to solve problems.
• and even though the customer is almost always right, if I just can't roll over,  I ask for mediation!

I  buy on eBay, too so I  understand that there has to be a certain amount of faith between buyer and seller. In a perfect world, none of us would ever make mistakes; however, I’m not perfect and I’ve made some doozies!  (I sure hope my children don’t read this!)   Three sugar bowls all sent to the wrong people took six weeks to straighten out and a pipe rack that took 6 months to reach Italy because I sent it surface when the buyer paid for air.  I will always make every effort to work problems out to the satisfaction of the buyer.  I believe communication is the key to a flawless transaction and I’ll hold up my end on that and look forward to you  holding up yours. 

     Thanks for taking the time to read About Me.  I hope you'll find something that interests you in my listings.  If not, come back and take another look...I'm always making changes.