The Tossed and Tarnished is a family owned business operated full-time by Head Mama, Susan Byrnes, supported by the rest of our family Bill, Ana, Celeste and Savannah
I'm Susan, and I've been selling online for years, starting on eBay in 1999.
In the 60s. I found thrift shops.& began hunting for Treasures, finding colored & crystal beads, satin & silk chiffon dresses, rhinestone laden bracelets & ear clips, always imagining what young beauty 1st owned these? who did she love? What is the story? I had a passion for the personal history in women's vintage items of style.
Fast forward to 2011, and my online business is waning.
September 26th, is the birthday for 2 of my daughter's!
I get a phone call, that my uncle Jimmy has passed away.
James Bernard Byrnes, Widower to Barbara Cecil Byrnes
Now, here is where the story begins.....
He and my aunt Barbara had a place in the early years of the Modern Art Movement.
In Paris and Rome, famous Artists such as Man Ray, Miro, Alberto Matta, Salvador Dali, were all in the circle they ran in.
Back in Los Angeles, my uncle was the first curator of the Los Angeles County Museum of Modern Art, in 1946. My aunt opened the The American Contemporary Gallery on Hollywood Boulevard. Its exhibitions featured paintings, JEWERLY, and graphics by avant-garde European artists, such as Man Ray,and local Artist Harry Bertoia and Clare Falkenstien,
Both my aunt and uncle lived their lives in the world of art and galleries and museums. My uncle would travel to Mexico to attend "digs" and acquire Pre Columbian artifacts for museum exhibitions, Meanwhile, my aunt would walk the town of Taxco, in the 50s, when the early Maestro's were making the sterling silver pieces, now so sought after.
In the mid fifties, they moved to Colorado Springs and my aunt then traveled about the reservations of the southwest, buying and collecting sterling silver from the Native Navajo Silver smiths.
This began her love and interest in the Art of Jewelry. And she collected up until she became bedridden in the 90s.
Mostly of her stuff is sterling, either tourist Navajo or Mexican jewelry or Studio made pieces from the mid 60s through the 80s.
She also loved the Mardi Gras and attended every year. They lived in New Orleans for 15 years...so masquerade was another passion, so there is also a lot of costume mixed into
Back to September 2011.......I had just gotten my 3 grandkids to raise, 7, 12 and 14! Bill and I are in our fifties and thinking more about retirement. Our Daughter, who is developmentally delayed, is just reaching 16, was getting old enough that we were looking at slowing down, and traveling.
And when my uncle passed, as it turned out, I had an inheritance......there was much, but what what to be Tossed and Tarnished, was found that month.
I was taken to the home, we held the memorial and at the end, I was given, amongst many other items,
22 BOXES.. Taped with masking tape, different markings, all FULL of her jewelry!!!
And so, my new career began.
Now, understand, this is over 60 pounds of jewelry. not sorted, no kind of order and mixed in almost a frenzied haste. I am afraid my aunt started putting this stuff away when she had attendants started coming to the house. I think she got scared.
But, in the end, I have my start at a new business, and it allows me to stay home with my special need grand kids, my husband helps and does the shipping.
We started on eBay and did much. Sold a lot, mostly the sterling. And, it went well, except that eBay became an awful place to work. We stayed and did well, but finally, we have decided to really go BIG.
We moved to Etsy, and opened our New Store!
We are getting are also going to open the rest of the boxes and get all of it sorted and ready for sale.We have teen age girls, who will be modeling and our intention is to get over 1000 pieces up by October 31st!
The idea in our store is to pass on our family heirlooms (we have kept over 1000 pieces) and allow our daughter and grand kids who all have special needs, be included in our family business and teach them ways to become indepndant by working in an ecommerce business. 2 of our girls have Asperger's syndrome, which makes public places and persoanl contact challenging.
Our grandson has sever ADHD and structured schooling is difficult. All of them do well online with specific jobs and all seem to feel the pride in helping to provide a great service and beautiful products to the world.
I teach them the principals we use in our family also apply in business. Tell the truth, be accountable when mistakes are made. Do a good job, take good pictures, give an accurate description and be sure to stand behind everything we sell.
Have empathy for our customers, they are spending thier hard earned money and it matters to them that they feel important and that thier purchase matters. That THEY matter to us.