Welcome to the Curb Vulture Podcast
Welcome to the Curb Vulture Podcast, a podcast for vintage resellers of furniture and tchotchkes. I am your host, Elaine @CurbVulture, founder of Curb Vulture. You can check out my website if you’re looking for inventory, or follow me on Instagram at Curb Vulture.
Today, we’re talking to one of my favorite vintage resellers in the Austin area, Bold Vintage. She’ll discuss the sales pipeline and how it has transformed her business. We’ll also hear about her journey, current activities, and future endeavors. Welcome to the podcast, @BoldVntg.
Elaine: Just for the record, can you tell the listeners your name and Instagram handle?
@BoldVntg: My name is Martita Sabatol, and my Instagram is Bold Vintage.
Elaine: How did you come up with the name Bold Vintage?
@BoldVntg: When I started, I was painting furniture with bright, bold colors. I wanted a simple, memorable name. I love bright colors and consider myself to have a bold personality, so Bold Vintage was born.
Elaine: How long have you been reselling vintage furniture?
@BoldVntg: I’ve been reselling for six years.
Elaine: How many followers do you currently have on Instagram?
@BoldVntg: Right now, we’re at 10,000.
Elaine: How did you get into the business of reselling vintage furniture?
@BoldVntg: During a financial hardship, I started flipping thrift store finds for extra money. Eventually, I moved from painting furniture to specializing in mid-century modern pieces.
Elaine: Recently, there was a post on Instagram about the difference between vintage furniture curation and simply picking up items from thrift stores. Can you explain your process?
@BoldVntg: For me, curation is about personal taste and finding unique, high-quality pieces. We ensure items are in the best condition and process all our furniture to meet high standards.
Elaine: Why do people like buying vintage? What’s the draw?
@BoldVntg: Vintage furniture is often of higher quality than new pieces. It also helps the environment by keeping items out of landfills and giving them new life and purpose.
Elaine: Tell us about your process when you get an item.
@BoldVntg: We thoroughly clean and restore each piece to its best condition before posting it for sale.
Elaine: What’s unique about your business?
@BoldVntg: Our mission. We currently employ three single moms, including myself, providing flexible jobs that allow them to be part of their kids’ lives.
Elaine: How do you juggle your business and four boys?
@BoldVntg: It’s challenging, but having an au pair helps immensely. I try to balance work and family time and make the business a part of our daily life.
Elaine: How do your boys feel about your furniture business?
@BoldVntg: They sometimes complain about it, but I try to make it fun by turning trips to pick up furniture into family outings. They also help with unloading and staging sometimes.
Elaine: You’ve given me great advice about sales pipelines. Can you explain what that is?
@BoldVntg: Break down your sales goals into smaller, manageable tasks. Consistently find and post new inventory. Don’t get discouraged by slow sales; just keep filling the pipeline.
Elaine: How did we first meet, and what’s our connection?
@BoldVntg: Last year, I needed to quickly liquidate my inventory. You acquired it, which helped me financially, and we became good friends from there.
Elaine: What’s your favorite item to sell?
@BoldVntg: I love couches, but credenzas and dressers, especially mid-century modern ones, always sell quickly.
Elaine: Do you have a posting schedule on Instagram?
@BoldVntg: I used to post at 8 PM but now notify followers through stories about upcoming inventory.
Elaine: What’s your favorite selling platform?
@BoldVntg: Instagram. My followers are there, and it feels like a little family.
Elaine: Have you done anything special to grow your following?
@BoldVntg: No, I haven’t run ads in a while due to account issues. My growth has been organic.
Elaine: Tell us about your next endeavor, the warehouse space.
@BoldVntg: I’m moving into a warehouse, which will serve as a showroom and give me more space. It’s a bit intimidating but necessary for growth.
Elaine: Will your staging process change with the new warehouse?
@BoldVntg: Staging will be similar, but I’ll do more videos and possibly hold appointments. It’ll be a bit like a showroom.
Elaine: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
@BoldVntg: I feel honored to be on this podcast and excited about the future. I look forward to more opportunities and maybe another interview once the warehouse is set up.
Elaine: Remind our listeners where they can find you.
@BoldVntg: I’m in South Austin, and the best way to contact me is through Instagram.
And that wraps up our podcast with Bold Vintage. Thank you for joining us, and we look forward to the next episode!