I hope this is not an age thing--I hate admitting that I am coming full throttle on more things in life that best be described as Advancing Age Things--but I think it is just a reaction to an American world that just has too much stuff--too much clutter--too much too fast too over the top. I really have always had this feeling--so I am firmly in the introverted camp of It Is Not An Age Thing.
In our antiques business--at shop and shows--we work really hard at not overstuffing the booths--let people really take a look at what we are selling--the can't see the forest from the trees kind of thing. But many dealers do not subscribe to the minimalist look--if sales are slow--then they need more inventory stuffed in the booth--because the buying continues even if the sales have slowed.
But recently--while looking for a chalk paint to buy to upcycle a piece of brown furniture, some 75W light bulbs, concentrated chicken soup base (sans chemical sand salt), emery boards and a restaurant to have lunch with a friend-- I was struck paralyzed by the excessive choices. The same feeling came over me as I perused a booth in an antique mall that was STUFFED with green glassware. (Note to Dealer: NO ONE wants your mass produced green glassware. No one.) I walked from one end of the aisle to the other, eyes glazed over, unable to make a decision. The three page menu confounded me. Too much too much too much.
I have been doing alot of thinking as to whether there are places to live and be where hardware stores have three kinds of lightbulbs, grocery stores have five brands of ice cream, not 50, and the emery board selection has the choice of five or 10 pack. Aldi comes close. Ace Hardware comes to mind. E and S Seafood (in St. Charles Illinois--fabulous place with choice of four entrees)
And of course our booth at Odana Antiques Mall in Madison WI.
