Meet our Members - Susan of T Party Antiques

Can you tell us how you came to sell vintage?
It all started with a large and lovely collection of Lu-Ray Pastel dinnerware. Before we had children, my husband and I used those vintage relics as our everyday dishes. After the birth of our first child, we needed something more practical. Plus, space was at a premium in our tiny first home, so I decided to rent a small space at a local antiques shop. My huge Lu-Ray stash sold quickly and before I knew it, I was looking for more items to fill the space. Fast forward 10 years to when I opened my very own antiques shop and tea room which had a successful 5-year run from 2003-2008.

How did your Etsy shop begin?
When my tea room closed (my landlord planned to tear down the 1890 farmhouse that I rented and I was unable to find a suitable new location), I had a small amount of remaining inventory. So in October 2008, I decided to open an Etsy shop.

  What is your favorite era?
I gravitate toward colorful, whimsical items from the 1930s and 40s.

What is your current favorite Vintage find?
My favorite vintage find is a Home Sweet Home embroidered picture of a sweet little cottage and garden. (I'm partial to cottages as I live in one myself!) I use the piece on the header photo of my Etsy shop, blog, and even on my website's home page. Plus, I had a friend draw up an embroidery pattern for the picture that I sell on Etsy.

Where do you like to hunt for your treasures?
Here, there, and everywhere! I love to go to estate sales where the house is chock full of a messy jumble of old stuff. It's such fun to root around and find a treasure! I also like to go to the Elephant's Trunk Flea Market in New Milford, CT on summer Sunday mornings. 

What advice would you wish someone had told you when you first started selling vintage?
Hmmm, good question. I wish someone would have warned me how addicting it can be! ;)

and anything else you want to add??
Just that items filled with vintage goodness have good karma and imperfections that come from being well loved. They have loads of life left and I am thrilled to be able to pass them along to someone who will enjoy and appreciate them.

Meet Our Members - Carla from Nuggest of Goodness

I began collecting vintage jewelry and handbags when I was in high school. Time went by and there so many pieces that I didn't wear, I decided to rework them into something new! As a jewelry maker it was a natural transition to combine the two passions, and Nuggets of Goodness was born!

My favorite era? I adore Art Deco, but my true love is Mid-century Modern! *swoon*
My current favorite Vintage find is a stash of 1950s French fashion magazines. The ads are AMAZING!

Where do you like to hunt for your treasures?

 Thrift stores, antique malls, flea markets...every once in a while I run across a surprise at a garage sale. I'm not patient enough for auctions, although I've gotten some really great pieces that way!
What advice would you give anyone starting out?

 Educate yourself. I worked for an appraiser for many years and he encouraged me to go to antique stores every chance I had just to look at everything and learn. Notice the decorative details, study in person how pieces are made. If you keep at it, eventually you will begin to recognize styles and spot reproductions.

And it's really fun :)

Meet Our Members - Second Hand News

My love for vintage started at a very early age. I spent a lot of time with my Grandmother who had quite the collection of antiques and was constantly on the look out for unique pieces to add to her collection. She so patiently taught me by example and instilled in me a passion and respect for the finer things of our past. Years later, I was introduced to Etsy through a friend and found the perfect way to share my passion with others globally.

My favorite era is the 1950s-1960s. The vibrant colors, styles, culture and the overall way of life during this particular time period are so fascinating to me.
It's difficult for me to choose just one favorite vintage find but I'd have to say that coming across a set of pink chenille twin bedspreads (in perfect condition) and purchasing them for $1.00 a piece was my all time score of the century.

The hunt for vintage treasures gives me the biggest rush. The adrenaline really gets flowing when I hit a 50% off sale at the local Thrift Store, attend a flea market or even a neighborhood yard sale. I've also been blessed with the friendship of a man who is an antique dealer and often supplies me with wonderful vintage inventory to add to my shop. My attic is packed full of items that I need to list!
Research is the key to successfully selling vintage items. I spend a lot of time on the internet conducting research in order to price my items competitively and according to the market. I also spend a considerable amount of time photographing my items as presentation is everything and a good picture speaks volumes. What I find most difficult is focusing my product line. My advice is to find that niche, that one particular area that you are passionate about and offer items that reflect your personality.

Meet our Members

1)Can you tell us how you came to sell vintage? and 2) And how your Etsy shop began?

  Many years ago, my husband-to-be introduced me to the world of antiquing. He had been going to yard sales and flea markets since he was a teenager and by his early thirties had amassed quite a collection of primitives. Two decades later, our home is jam-packed with our mutual love of all things distressed, crazed, and chipped. But we can't keep everything we find -- we do NOT want to be featured on a Hoarder's show! My husband had a booth at an antique store at one time and we do local vintage shows in addition to my two online shops. 

3) How did you find your shop name? I brainstormed a long time to come up with my shop's name. I wanted something fun and it always gets a giggle, but sometimes I think it's too long!

4) What is your favorite era? I love the look of the 1920s-1940s, although being addicted to Mad Men has given me a new appreciation of the (early) 1960s.

5) What is your current favorite Vintage find? My favorite current vintage find are typewriters. I seem to be the typewriter whisperer, as I find many of them at yard sales. I've always loved them, and we've had two or three displayed in the house most times, but there really isn't much room for a collection. My husband wonders why I can't collect postcards! ;)

6) Where do you like to hunt for your treasures?  My favorite place to hunt for treasures are outdoor flea markets and yard sales. Before we sold we used to go to antique stores all the time but I find it harder and harder to shop retail now. I don't usually have much luck at the thrift stores in my area, but yard sales are my happy place. Although I worry we may have shopped every house in the neighborhood!

7) is there any single item you have found that you can not list - what do you love about it-  I listed one of my antique dress forms (there are 4 displayed in my home) and it eventually sold. As I struggled with the shipping issues, the buyer asked me to cancel the transaction. I gratefully did so and immediately deactivated the listing. I had seller's remorse and was relieved I could keep it! (There is one that is less old than the others and will be coming with us to our next show).  

8) What advice would you wish someone had told you when you first started selling vintage? My advice to new vintage sellers -- don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Even though I don't naturally gravitate towards the look of the 1960s/1970s, that era is very popular to collect now and sells big. If I see something I personally wouldn't buy but I know a lot of people like, I will take a chance on it. And I don't have to worry about buyer's remorse!