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.

Welcome New Members: Menzo Collection, Mom Walds Place, Whimzies, and Kranzelic

Floral nut dish by James Kent Ltd.

A self-described "crazy Cajun," the owner of Menzo Collection has lived all over--including Germany--but now comes to us from Houston. The shop is a fresh mix of housewares and home decor items, from a needlepoint parrot to Hull Madonna. This sweet little floral nut dish is almost too pretty to use.

Rosenthal Selb-Bavaria soup bowl

Chock full of vintage goodies, Mom Walds Place specializes in dishes, glassware, and pottery. I've chosen this exquisite Rosenthal soup bowl to show you, but at Mom Walds you're just as likely to find stoneware mugs, mid-century plates, or patterned glasses--well researched, beautifully presented.

Antique books from 1891 and 1913

Whimzies offers another type of treasure--supplies and unusual items accumulated in more than 30 years of work as a folk artist. Ephemera, vintage lace, patterns, books, photos, postcards, and unique bits and pieces make for some tasty leftovers.

1980s floral minidress

Another tasty shop, Kranzelic, comes to us from Los Angeles with clothing, shoes, accessories, housewares, and more. They have some wonderful items just right for the season, including this stunning floral minidress from the 1980s.

Welcome to these wonderful shops!

Welcome New Member: Tipple & Snack

My first impression upon visiting Tipple & Snack was, "What an eye!" The inventory of this well-established Etsy vintage shop includes beautiful jewelry, silver, china, glass and kitchenware. But it's the industrial salvage and fascinating metal pieces that entice a new breed of vintage fans as well.

This rustic metal pharmacy script box is a perfect example. And if you're an artisan, crafter or steampunk aficionado, there are plenty of metal bits and bobs to inspire your creativity.

Everyone wants to know about the name, right? From her Profile: My shop name is taken from a little green book I found a few years ago at the 26th Street flea market in NYC. I love it's jaunty title: "Tipple and Snack". Published in 1931, it's a book full of "good things to eat, and better things to drink". It's written with a great sense of style and a touch of humor, both qualities I admire and aspire to. I just had to use the name for my Etsy shop.

We're so happy to have Tipple & Snack of Vermont join the Etsy Vintage Team. Welcome!

Use Your Good Stuff!

I love vintage China!  It took me awhile to get up the nerve to actually use my eclectic set of vintage china on an everyday basis, but I am now hooked!

I love to mix and match my china pieces.  You can have a different place setting everyday, and it's never boring!

Whether you have pieces passed down from your dear Grandmother, or you check out the great vintage china selection on Etsy (use the handy dandy search feature, click vintage, and enter etsyvintageteam), enjoy your china everyday, show it off! 

For even more fun, when you're having a dinner party, set the table so all of your guests have their own unique place setting!  This will definitely be a conversation starter!

So use the good stuff!  Get it out of that cabinet and enjoy!


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I love the aqua and green them!

I'm a big fan of pink!

Classic blue and white!