Frequently Asked Questions
 
Where do you get your items from?
 
We get our items from a variety of places including auctions, estate sales, resellers, store closeouts, wholesalers, factory overstock, store overstock and individuals.  Looking to sell your antiques, collectibles or even certain homemade crafts and gifts?  We may be interested.  You can email us at grandmasattic@live.ca
 
Do you accept donations?
 
While we appreciate the thought but we typically do not accept donations.  We may make exceptions for clean, small donations or collections on a case by case basis.  No clothing, worn out or excessively dirty items will be considered.  We would love to thank you all for your generosity!

How can I support Grandma? 

The best way to support Grandma and the business is to stop by and say hi!  Even if you're not in the market for anything specific, you never know what you'll find.
 
Can I work there?
 
Sorry but we are not currently hiring as our business is completely staffed by family.  Thank you for your interest!
 
I seen something I would like but I don't live in Edmonton - do you guys ship?
 
Yes!  For most items (based on size) we would be happy to provide you with a shipping quote.  We do NOT make money on shipping - you will pay exactly what we pay.
 
Can you hold this for me until __________?
 
We only do holds for up to 14 days and ONLY with a deposit.  No deposit, no holds.  Most of our items are one of a kind and unique and as a small business - we simply can't risk losing out on a sale to a no-show.
 
Where do you get your prices from?
 
We do our absolute best to research each and every item in our store.  We are certain that every item in our store is priced honestly and fair.  We have a number of sources of which we get our prices including local stores, antique malls, price guides, eBay - both sold listings and present asking prices, Amazon, Worthpoint and other local and online appraisers.  Grandma also has a license to appraise certain items however we do not do public appraisals.

I saw this item at another store, thrift shop, pawn shop, etc for cheaper - why are you charging X?
 
The price you see is based on our cost.  We do spend countless hours researching, testing, cleaning and ensuring our product is as good as it gets before we put it out for sale.  We search out the best deals we can find and keep our margins reasonable.
 
Yes there are cases where a department stores buy items in bulk and undersell small businesses.
 
Yes there are thrift stores that get their items for free and price less.

We can't and won't ever be able to change that.  What we can do is promise to put in every ounce of effort to get you the best, top quality giftware and vintage treasure we can find at what we believe are affordable prices.  We can promise that we aren't simply pulling items out of a donation bin and loading up dusty shelves but rather looking at every piece for chips and cleaning thoroughly.  We can promise that if we are charging X for an item its because it cost Y, not because we are trying to make a higher profit than a department store. 

Its up to you as a customer to pick who you support and we absolutely appreciate that!
 

Do you accept offers?
 
We do not barter, we are a retail store.   We have spent the time and love ensuring each item is priced fairly and we do offer sales throughout the year so that you can get a deal.
 
I found an item for sale at a lower price on eBay, why is yours more expensive?  I found my item for sale on eBay for X dollars - why can't you pay me X dollars?
 
Comparing prices to eBay is typically a fools game, or at least when done improperly. 
 
Some things to keep in mind are as follows:
 
-  eBay sellers may not have any overhead and may not require to make a profit but are rather just selling things they have laying around their house.  This can either result in a low price point or, in some cases, an absurdly high on.
 
- eBay items are purchased at buyers risk - you are taking a sellers' word that the item you are buying is in the shape that they describe.  If not, you're likely in for a long process working to get a return.  You can't put a price on being able to physically hold an item and inspect it for yourself.
 
- eBay completed listings do not disclose the actual shipping cost.  An item showing that it sold for $5 may have charged $50 shipping or have had FREE shipping.  You can only see what your shipping cost is.  This means that we will never know the full price that the buyer actually paid.
 
- You can ask any price you want on eBay.  There is no limit on what you ask - you can ask $5,000 for a strand of your hair if you wanted.  It doesn't mean it's worth $5,000.

- eBay research has to be taken at face value.  We do search up items and try to undercut price plus shipping on items we find.  That being said, an item may be listed AFTER we had originally priced the product in store.  We don't continuously monitor this and we understand if you want to save a few bucks.  So buy it off of eBay and ours will look even better for the next buyer in line!