I love anything old. Old photos, old books, old paper, old clothing, old coats, and, even for a while, older men (but - shh! - that's all changed since I married my young husband a few years ago!) I also confess I love to shop. Not at the mall, but, at places where most mall shoppers would never dare to go. Consignment shops, flea markets, yard sales, rummage sales and church sales are my favorite haunts. In fact, it was while shopping at a local consignment shop that I met my friend Michelle from The Red Velvet Shoe; a fellow old-stuff addicted vintage seller (rumor has it she has a thing for older guys too!).
For me, it runs in the family. Above, for example, is a photo of my dad, my aunt and my mom all diligently rummaging through items at a family-outing, um, I mean flea market last fall!
When I was laid-off from my full-time job in November of 2008, I turned to vintage selling to help pay the bills. I had sold off and on on eBay for years but had been away from it for a while. I opened an Etsy shop and was excited when I had a few "hearts" and my sales hit 10 in the first month! Now, my sales are 1780+ and climbing daily! I have over 2200 followers and a blog to support the shop as well. It has gone from a little idea to a BIG bear but I still enjoy it. Above you can get a glimpse into my storage area where I constantly try to keep things neat and organized.
Although on-line selling has its merits, and, I "talk" to people from all over the world on a weekly basis, I confess that nothing can replace the fun of selling to customers directly. This is why I LOVE to participate in the Top Shelf Flea! It is so much fun to enable customers to stop by and look at the items first-hand. They can try on jewelry, hats, dresses and anything else that strikes them! They can model for friends and family and make considered decisions about gifts for others. I get to meet them in person and help them to find exactly the vintage piece they are looking for. Everyone has fun and everyone leaves happy. What's better than that?
I will post some more detailed photos as we get closer-to the date of this year's show (October 24, pass it along!) but for now will leave you with this enticing photo of some vintage coats. Last May, of course, it was unseasonably warm and coats were certainly not on anyone's mind. This fall, however, I will have a plethora of real and faux-fur coats, capes, leather jackets, boucle beauties and many, many more! So save your pennies, bookmark this page, mark your calendars and tell your friends - the second Top Shelf Flea is coming!
