Fresh Picks: Baby It's Cold Outside

Curl up with these cozy finds for a fabulous vintage home, sure to warm your heart and hearth!

by ReBopShop

Vintage Teapot Blue Lustrewa... PoetryofObject... $25.00	Vintage Baby Afghan, Crochet... MagnoliasAttic $24.00	Vintage Dru Holland Enamel C... rovervintage $26.00
vintage 70's bow tie qui... beguilingvinta... $68.00	Two Lanterns with Glass Glob... Dentwood $19.50	Antique Gibsons Staffordsire... AnnaLeesAttic $22.50

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Fresh Picks: Tend to Your Table

Before the holiday menu planning and guest lists, be sure your table is ready to entertain! Mixing vintage china, serving pieces, linens and glassware is so much fun and sure to garner rave reviews from your guests. Each piece has a story, making it an instant conversation starter.

6 Vintage Central American N... nickhaus $31.00	Vintage Silverplate Paul Rev... Whimzies $15.00	Thanksgiving Turkey Plate susantique $125.00
Vintage Yellow Floral Austri... thechinagirl $24.50	Antique Demitasse Cups and S... moddities $28.00	Dorothy Thorpe style silver ... VioletQVintage $200.00

Treasury tool by whalesharkwebsites

Welcome New Member: The Vintage Green

The Vintage Green is a sweet little Etsy shop where you will find yourself saying, "I'll take one of each!." Pam offers an eclectic variety of goods for body and soul, carefully selected and wonderfully presented.

Check out the pristine condition of this vintage Wheary train case, complete with the key in its original envelope! And she also has a matching overnight suitcase to make your romantic weekend via the City of New Orleans complete!

We're happy to include The Vintage Green among the new members of the Etsy Vintage Team. Welcome!

Welcome New Member: Shoptastic

What can I say, but that Shoptastic is fantabulous! This Etsy shop from New Jersey is a treasure trove of vintage housewares, china and pottery in particular. You will also find clothing, accessories, games and more. But it is the delightful selection of books, especially children's books, that will make you want to linger.

Check out this "Tall Tales of Cape Cod" published in 1959. I want to dive into it right now!

We're pleased to have Shoptastic join the Etsy Vintage Team. Welcome!

Welcome New Member: Ye Olde Vintage Shoppe

Hailing from Texas, Ye Olde Vintage Shoppe is a haven for lovers of the primitive side of vintage, specializing in rustic, country and industrial treasures from the 19th Century through Mid-20th Century. These include home decor, housewares, kitchenware and much more.

Check out this sweet 1930s electric fan with bakelite base! Whether you want to bring a little farmhouse to your urban loft, or take MCM out to the country, you just might find the perfect piece to fall in love with at Ye Olde Vintage Shoppe.

Welcome to the Etsy Vintage Team!

Vintage Buzz: Red Hot Metal

Fabulous Christmas Red Vintage Bundt Cake & Jello Mold from Moon Over Marilyn 

Vintage metal doesn't have to be rusty, dinged and dented (although some of us LOVE it that way too!) - if you are patient, you can find well-cared for pieces still adorned in their original bright paint and enamel. Whether you make a jello mold, serve homemade goodies, create a powerful brew or just hang it on the wall for good looks, vintage metal is a RED HOT commodity both for home decor and vintage inspired home cooking.

These vintage Danish Metal Trays With Rosewood Handles from Kitsch Cafe make a cheerful statement, whether serving friends or set around the house as little catch-alls. 

Make a potent brew or a savory sauce in this vintage Red Enamel Turkish Coffee and Sauce Pot from Dandelion Girl.

This gorgeous Tin  Toleware Tray from Callooh Callay is the perfect touch of vintage for a shabby chic decor.

Take a Walk in Your Customer's Shoes for a Few Minutes

Match your Photo "Staging" to The Most Likely Potential Buyers

A few years ago, I got a crash course in staging houses. I was helping a friend of mine, a local realtor, with homes that weren't selling (and this was during the real-estate boom time). Rather than just hanging fresh towels and baking cookies to make the home smell good, I anticipated who the most likely buyer could be. Then all the house staging mapped to that type of buyer.

For example, I had one house deep in the mountains above Silicon Valley. It was a rustic dark wood sided home, a perfect example of the 1970's style and was surrounded by huge redwood trees. It felt rather gloomy and damp. But it also had some modern touches. I knew that the high asking price for the house would probably most appeal to a two income high tech family that wanted to escape city life when they got home each night but also stay connected to technology.

I thought about the kinds of cars they may drive, where they shopped, what kind of style they may have and much more. Then I brought in staging props or pieces to play to that-upscale 'modern cabin in the woods' feel. I used modern retro furniture, a laptop casually left running with hip family photos cycling through on the kitchen breakfast table, vintage ceramic mixing bowls, a huge blue Kitchenaid mixer, bright white linens, etc. I made it feel like a Williams Sonoma catalog shoot. It sold within 1 week for over the asking price. The real buyers did not exactly match the profile I had in my mind, but they told me that they actually wanted that type of lifestyle, they aspired to what they saw inside the house, and that is why they bought the house.

Ok. Now on to Etsy. The same applies to selling vintage. Who is going to buy your item? How can you attract them to your item, when there are dozens more like it on the web?

Have a look at these vintage scales. Do you see the appeal to someone that likes country decor for example? We could also see more here. You could see the sculptural angle. You could see a professional restauranteur who wants to express the confidence of experience and ability it conveys from decades of use.

You may decide to market that same item to the fresh young homeowner who likes vintage. A good bet, but it does cut down on the potential customers a bit: anyone who doesn't like vintage green, (even though the scale has little, it's really emphasized here by the surrounding items), anyone not into country/farmhouse decorating, etc. 

Perhaps you take your photos outside for the best light. This photo gives it the feel of having just been found out in the back forty, dusted off and photographed. (note the planting pots stacked on the side) Also a good bet, but it also cuts down on your potential audience: those who cannot stand dirt, those who want it for their bright kitchen (unless they have vision) and those not into the country look.





This photograph uses a rustic table, but this is upscale rustic. (Like the Sundance Catalog that Robert Redford publishes) The scale is centered and balanced with 3 vibrant oranges. This appeals to your New York/Chicago/San Francisco urban loft dweller, anyone who enjoys looking at Pottery Barn catalogs, and both genders.

The one that fits the bill of appealing to the widest audience is the simplest. While I love props and use them myself, I find that clear, bright white photos convey the feeling of cleanliness, flexibility, and allow the viewer to place the item freely within their imagination. Your male shopping for his modern apartment is going to love the clear, sculptural lines of this. I love it-I'd love my kitchen to feel this clean all the time!

Walk in your customers shoes. Look at your item with fresh eyes. Can this item be sculpture? Can it stand on its own? Who would want this? Who hasn't seen it before and would be thrilled with it? Market to them. Photograph for them. That loft dweller in Chicago: where do they work? Where do they eat? What are their hobbies? Step into their lives and photograph for them.

Etsy, A Mental Shift Towards Vintage

I’ve been buying on Etsy for years, but switched over to selling early this summer. I’ve been amazed at the differences I’ve observed about selling on Etsy vs other mainstream vintage sites.

1.     My brain was wired to what had value as a vintage collectible. I didn’t buy a book to sell unless it was a known antique one with value. Every book required extensive research. I’ve had to switch that entirely since being on Etsy. Books are also valued as good reads, decorative elements and/or the base for an art project, not just for their collectible value.

Upcycled Floating Bookself by komunications

2.     Everyday objects are sculptural reminders of the past. I have walked right past old 1960s sprinkler heads in yard sales. Since being on Etsy, I’ve seen dozens sell quickly. Mason jars, rusty metal tools, wooden letters from old games all are snapped up. These objects can be displayed or altered and enjoyed now as reminders of the buyers past. I love to see simple beauty being found in everyday vintage objects.

Ever so Practical but beautiful Mason Jar by Dandelion Girl

3.     Vintage isn’t just for decorating-it’s for everyday practical uses. Buyers on Etsy appreciate an items working value, not just its beauty. Many people are choosing to replace the modern box store items in their homes with vintage substitutes. If Grandma used it, why not me? 

Vintage Wall Clock by bitofbutter

I like that Etsy buyers have forced me to think more creatively about my treasure hunting. I’m now looking for objects based on their decorative, practical, artistic and whimsical angles. While I still have a lot of just very collectible items to sell, this new viewpoint is making my job so much more interesting and fun!