Last Sunday I hit up the Donnaland estate sale in the Green Shag Market on Manchester, here in St. Louis. While I was already on vintage overload at the sale, I browsed the booths in the Market and immediately wished I had unlimited funds- I *needed* almost every chair I saw. How many chairs can fit in my little house? I mean, really. I’m going back there soon to really dig into each booth + daydream about my chairs some more. You can check out more photos from the day on our Facebook Fan page + check out Green Shag Market if you’re in the St. Louis area!

After “liking” over twenty of her Instagram posts in a total of thirty seconds, I headed straight for RockAndRollVintage’s Etsy shop. Her fabulous vintage finds span the decades and dreams of my fellow vintage addicts (that’s you!). I had to know more, so RockAndRollVintage is week’s featured shop. Read on!

Q: Tell our lovely readers a bit about yourself. Is buying and selling vintage your full-time gig or a hobby? How and when did you get started in this business?

A: Hey there! Pleased to meet everyone. I’m Veronica. I’m 27. I have a special love for vintage, and this has run through my blood & veins since I was born. I have always been attracted to things that were special, different, or one of a kind, which has always had me vleaning toward vintage & antiques. For most of my life, Vintage was JUST that. Obscure. Rare. It still is, but the internet provides us with all sorts of easier ways to find, buy, and sell it.

Before I started doing this full time, I took care of boys/musicians on tour, allowing me access to thrift stores & goodies all over the world. I collected, collected, collected. I moved to Baltimore, Maryland from San Francisco, California. I began working at an auction house here, which is basically equivalent to an alcoholic working at a bar, or better yet- a brewery! My mind was blown by the access, and I began collecting everything that was awesome, that was somehow perceived as trash to other bidders, interested in WWII or other historical finds. Well, turns out one man’s trash truly is thousands of other people’s treasure. I began collecting things I couldn’t leave behind but really had no use for.

I started selling my treasures on Etsy & in the retail portion of the auction house. My boss turned out to be a total scumbag, so finally, I was free to work for myself. Thus began birth of Rock and Roll Vintage! I’ve been doing this nonstop for almost 4 years now. I also have a 300 square foot retail space with a friend here in Baltimore. For me, it’s about connecting someone with something they really want, need, or love. It makes me feel good.

Q: Do you have any favorite, never-let-you-down, treasure hunting spots? Would you like to share, or are they top-secret?

A:  Lots of my friends live by the “sacred secret thrift code”, but I don’t mind sharing. While I thrift all the time, only about 50% of my shop comes from thrift stores. I find things at the various Value Villages here in Baltimore, but like always, no matter where I am geographically, the Goodwill, Salvation Army, & church thrift stores are my favorites, as far as thrifting goes. Lots of our thrift stores here have pretty inflated prices for genuine “thrift stores”. It’s funny, because it’s always on the things you’d never want, too- some horrible (not even great horrible) prom dress, or suit jabber. But, the Goodwill & Salvation Army always stay true, and I KNOW my money is definitely going toward a charity.

My true secret is always estates. There is nothing like the look of something when it comes out of a closet that has been preserved since 1973. I have actually had a dozen closets that had literally not been touched since the late 60s to mid 70s. That is rare. It is very hard to come across an estate that was so sentimental, that parts of homes have literally not been touched or rearranged since a parent had passed 35 years ago. It’s definitely kind of weird, disturbing, sweet, and therefore, right up my alley! My favorite part of my job is when I spend time with ladies who tell me their stories in exchange for the clothing. I hear the greatest memories of the 30s – 60s.

Also, even though we have the reality television to remind us, I still feel auctions are an undervalued & forgotten market. In turn, to the owner’s of said auctions, vintage clothing is not by any means where the money is to them, so if it’s there, lots of them won’t even mention it. You’ve got to dig for the places to dig.. It’s like thrifting to the extreme!

Q: Is there a certain aesthetic you look for when you’re thrifting? How do you decide what to pick up, or just pass on? Do you wait for an item to speak to you?

A:  Since I began really doing this for a living through auctions and estates, my shift back into thrifting to sell and not just buy for myself was, well.. difficult. I could pick through the estates, and what I would leave behind, was often what I found myself purchasing from thrift stores. It was hard for me to not buy EVERYTHING that was old. Even things people, myself included, would never, ever want. Now, in order to decide what to take or leave, I evaluate whether or not it’s truly special. There is a lot of vintage that can be found in any thrift store, everyday. I am happy to have finally learned what exactly those items are, and how to know when one of those items is slightly better than the average one.

I try to pick things that no one would leave behind, even when they see it in my shop. Since I get to pick things of all sizes, I have a leg up on the girls that shop for themselves. I can grab treasures they couldn’t, because it didn’t fit them. I thrift like a robot. I can fill my cart with missed treasures by thumbing for fabrics & patterns/prints. I am usually always attracted to what’s old. Sometimes, it really amazes me. It’s cool. I look for 1950s – 1970s always, and then anything I think is cute and TRUE vintage. I hate it when people think the Marc Jacobs coat they wore last winter is vintage. It’s not. True vintage is 20+ years old or older. My heart belongs to true vintage. It always speaks to me.

Q: Be honest, do you keep many of your finds, or is it strictly business? And do you have any personal collections that you have built over time through thrifting?

A: I keep a lot of stuff I find and I collect a ton of things. I keep lots of wearable items. I love the 1960s & 1970s stuff that has the quality and character of vintage, but traits of today as well. I am ecstatic when things I like don’t fit me! In my closet alone I possess over 250 dresses, alone. Once an item goes in there, it rarely comes out. It’s my “vault”. It’s not even necessarily comprised of the vintage world’s most valuable things, but I can assure you they are pretty amazing.

My favorite dress being one I purchased off of etsy, that is 1970s red chiffon with a whole southwestern landscape & roaming deer. My shoe collection is pretty insane, lots of vintage boots, but mostly newer trendy or designer pairs. Aside from clothing, I collect everything vintage, but to name a few: 1800s & early 1900s mechanical birdcages, victorian celluloid, early bakelite & plastic jewelry, vintage girl scout memorabilia, medical & dental oddities, miniatures, furniture, & art. I collect lots of jewelry, although I hardly wear it.

Q: Are there any items you’ve regretted selling and wish you would have kept for yourself?

A: Sometimes I wish somehow I could keep everything for myself, haha. But that’s just unrealistic. Most of the things I regret selling stems from the fact that I regret having to sell them in the first place. I’ve never ever sold anything I wanted to keep because I needed the money, but because they wouldn’t ever fit me, or because there is no surgery to make my feet size 6. There are lots of dresses I wish could’ve placed in my current lineup of “dresses to wear to galas”, but I still have about 20 dresses that may never be appropriate for where I go. It’s also a far better feeling relinquishing that dress to the person who will make it the favorite dress they’ve ever had.

Q: Pick one and tell us about it: Weirdest, most valuable, or most satisfying find?

A: I always ignore the rules, so I’ll briefly answer all three.

Most valuable: 1800s Antique Lace Wedding Dress $7,643 (on bay) paid $10 at a flea market.

Most satisfying: recently, Vintage 1970s Authentic Gucci Oxblood Heeled Riding Boots with inner handwritten markings – valued $199+ paid $3. Had to dig through a trough of decaying shoes, and they don’t have any flashy outer markings. I had been having a rough day, and it cheered me up.

Weirdest: Got an estate in from a recently deceased man. He had some very nice antique dressers I was interested in, and when I opened up the top drawers of every one of his dressers there were hundreds of fingernail clippings in each one. Obviously, I did not buy any of them.

For more RockAndRollVintage, follow her via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram (via rockandrollvintage), Tumblr + be sure to visit her shop! Have a favorite vintage shop you would love to share with our readers? Send us a note to finds@myvintageaddiction.com or post a comment on Facebook.

While browsing all of the loverly vintage wares via Etsy, I stumbled upon EllenTenTen Vintage and fell instantly in love with the shop. I love her photos and the way she mixes views of her items (of which I want ALL of them). My favorite is the black leather mini which with it’s high-waistedness is so fantastic. Read on to find out more about EllenTenTen…

Q: Tell our lovely readers a bit about yourself. Is buying and selling vintage your full-time gig or a hobby? How and when did you get started in this business?

A: Unfortunately, it is NOT a full-time gig. I work an office job during the day and really lament all the natural light being lost (when I could be photographing my finds!) I started selling vintage way back in 2007. I’d graduated from college with a degree in English and thought…hmmm…well what the hell can I do with that? (Without going back to school.) In my nervousness, I shopped at consignment and thrift stores, as I had when procrastinating writing papers, and all the way back to middle school. It’s a hobby and a pleasure. I really loved this one consignment store I used to go to in Plattsburgh NY, where I finished school. I felt that store was like my oasis. It was always bathed in afternoon light and had a ton of stuff to look through. Anyway, I thought hey, why don’t I try to open a consignment store? That’s something I really like doing. Then it morphed to an online store I developed for a long time but wasn’t technologically advanced enough to carry out, then e-bay, and then etsy.

Q: Do you have any favorite, never-let-you-down, treasure hunting spots? Would you like to share, or are they top-secret?

A: Hmmm, I don’t think I do have never-let-you-down spots. I make my rounds but never really expect a treasure at any time. I’m always surprised when I find really good stuff, even though now that I think of it I am usually really happy with at least a few things when leaving a place …hmmm, a paradox. In any case, there is one store I can never forget… it’s called “Thrift Town” and it was in North Texas, sharing a plaza with only an out-of business Montgomery Ward store. Thrift Town was huge. All the men’s jeans, which is what I wore at the time, (high school), always had circular imprints from snuff cans in the back pocket. Anyway I’ve always wanted to go back there. But now I live in Rhode Island, so Thrift Town will remain a dream destination.

Q: Is there a certain aesthetic you look for when you’re thrifting? How do you decide what to pick up, or just pass on? Do you wait for an item to speak to you?

A: My decision making process is: if I’m hesitating, then it’s a no. I see a lot of stuff I know would sell, but I really don’t want to sell anything other than what I like, than what really strikes a chord with me. That way my store is really like my collection and also an expression of me. I’ll take anything from fifties to early nineties, my only requirement is that is immediately wows me.

Q: Be honest, do you keep many of your finds, or is it strictly business? And do you have any personal collections that you have built over time through thrifting?

A: That goes with the question above… if it really wows me, then usually I want it for me! But I don’t like to have overflowing closets and so I try to be practical. I don’t really have a lot of formal occasions and I don’t have a dress-up job. I keep the stuff I know I’ll really wear, instead of keeping the stuff I love just as objects. As for collections, I used to have a great collection of vintage bathing suits, from the fifties, sixties and seventies, and I wore all of them. But I’ve moved around a lot and have lost or left behind a lot of stuff. That bathing suit collection is the only thing that haunts me!

Q: Are there any items you’ve regretted selling and wish you would have kept for yourself?

A: Huh, no, I never have thought of that until reading that question. So the answer is no then. Yay! That makes me happy to realize. I really do consider my own closet first :)

Q: Pick one and tell us about it: Weirdest, most valuable, or most satisfying find?

A: Well…a perversion of the question, so I can tell this awesome thrifting story… my weirdest re-find, in a way. SO, when I was 21 I lived in Minneapolis and I often wore a, well, a polyester sleeveless sweater from the seventies. It was black on the top and white on the bottom, with birds fading or morphing into each other in the middle, like an MC Escher drawing. I got the sweater in Texas, I know that because I wore it in my 11th grade school photo. (And I went to high school in Texas.) Anyway, after about a year and a half of living in Minneapolis, I went to New Orleans and sub-let my Minneapolis apartment. But then I just decided to live in New Orleans, and, sadly, I’m still not sure what happened to most of my stuff that was left with the sub-letter. I didn’t care too much at the time. I heard rumors of major cat pee damage. In any case, I left behind a lot, including the Escher sweater, and never saw it again…until!

Years later, I had moved from New Orleans to Texas to Brooklyn, and decided to take a nostalgic road trip from Brooklyn back to Minneapolis (more or less) with my good friend Aneta. We went to eat at French Meadows café, because I remembered I used to love to go there in the winter, walking through the snow under white skies, to pick up a chocolate raspberry bar which weighed like half a pound and was really delicious. Anyway Aneta and I sat down there on this sunny brunch-time about five years since I had seen the place or even been in the city at all. Our waitress came around and …she was wearing the Escher sweater!

Anyway I loved it. I love the continual life of vintage clothes! I’m sure my 11th grade-photo-sleeveless-sweater had gone through at least a few people before the waitress ended up with it that day, and I love to think that an object can be so durable, and yet also so special to many random people who come across it and want to rescue it from oblivion. I really detest the throw-away, wasteful modern attitude! And I tried to get that point across to the waitress, but I feel she thought I was trying to tell her that the shirt was mine, and I wanted it back.

Well anyway that’s my favorite thrifting story! Thank you for reading, thank you to Vintage Addicts for fulfilling my adolescent dream of one day being interviewed, somewhere, for something, and thank for checking out my shop!

For more EllenTenTen, follow her via Twitter + her blog! Have a favorite vintage shop you would love to share with our readers? Send us a note to finds@myvintageaddiction.com.

We asked you to share your favorite vintage shops with us via our Facebook page + you jumped at the chance. Thanks to Nancy from LdyLux Vintage for introducing us to Brande of  Victory Vintage Boutique! Victory Vintage is an Ebay shop featuring Brande’s vintage finds from bygone eras. Find out more about Brande + Victory Vintage by reading on…

Q: Tell our lovely readers a bit about yourself. Is buying and selling vintage your full-time gig or a hobby? How and when did you get started in this business?
A: Buying and selling vintage is what I do full-time. I have small children at home and its a blessing to be able to stay at home with them. I got started about 10 years ago on ebay. My love of vintage started with a few hand me down pieces of vintage chiffon lingerie from my grandmother. I had never seen anything so dreamy as these candy colored peignoirs and I was smitten like a kitten. Always loved vintage dresses, hats and bags too, so it really got a hold of me!

Q: Do you have any favorite, never-let-you-down, treasure hunting spots? Would you like to share, or are they top-secret?
A: Oh yes! I LOVE Goodwills and Salvation Army shops..no secret..they use your money for a good cause and that motivates me to keep returning.

Q: Is there a certain aesthetic you look for when you’re thrifting? How do you decide what to pick up, or just pass on? Do you wait for an item to speak to you?
A: I’m like a well oiled machine anymore..I feel thru fabrics with my fingertips…I go right to colors and prints I like and know instantly if they are what I am looking for by their feel and texture. I know if its a stiff polyester..its a keeper..or a soft cashmere or tweed. I like! I already know in advance what I am after and usually am in and out of a shop within 20 minutes.

Q: Be honest, do you keep many of your finds, or is it strictly business? And do you have any personal collections that you have built over time through thrifting?
A: Of course I keep some..but I take photos in so many of the garments and pieces I sell ( I model for my blog and store) So that’s all I really need is the memory that it passed through my hands into the new owners closet who has been awaiting its arrival. It is so much more of a thrill to me to see someones excitement over a piece I uncovered and made available to them rather than adding to my own personal collection. Most of my personal collection is from my grandmothers and these will be handed down to my daughters. Oh but there are rare pieces that my oldest daughter swoons over and begs me to keep for her and I am happy to do that. She is a big part of my business and has learned how to thrift and shop/hunt for treasures like me. This is such a joy to me!

Q: Are there any items you’ve regretted selling and wish you would have kept for yourself?
A: Yes..I came across a vintage 40′s tortoise shell box purse made in Italy.It sold right away.I regretted it…I still do.It was gorgeous..but you never know if I found it, I could find another similar some day. I am hopeful.

Q: Pick one and tell us about it: Weirdest, most valuable, or most satisfying find?
A: Most Satisfying find to me was a 60′s Emilio Pucci long nylon gown! I have loved and admired these in other sellers shops for years and just came across my 1st ever. And found it here in Arkansas! It was beautiful and in perfect shape!

*Find out more about Brande and Victory Vintage by following her on Twitter + Facebook + YouTube.

Have a favorite vintage shop you would love to share with our readers? Send us a note to finds@myvintageaddiction.com

If you’ve ever wondered how the vintage scene varies in other parts of the world, you’ll enjoy reading today’s Addicted To interview. Zohar from RakShniya Vintage fills us in on thrifting in Israel, and more. Read on!

Q: Tell our lovely readers a bit about yourself. Is buying and selling vintage your full-time gig or a hobby? How and when did you get started in this business?

A: My name is Zohar Avron and I live in the city of Tel Aviv in Israel. RakShniya Vintage is an affiliate shop of “RakShniya” which is one of the most successful vintage and second-hand shops in Israel that is run by my mother and her business partner. “RakShniya” has always worked as a family business and I’ve been involved for many years. Because of my endless love for vintage I felt like there was a market for a lot of items that weren’t finding their right customer base and so after I got to know about Etsy I decided to take things into action – basically RakShniya Vintage is my own personal homage to beautiful vintage clothing and accessories that can reach a worldwide crowd. At this moment, I can’t run my shop full-time but I could never say it’s a hobby since the vintage business is something I’ve been “soaking” in for so many years and my shop is something I constantly try to better.

Q: Do you have any favorite, never-let-you-down, treasure hunting spots? Would you like to share, or are they top-secret?

A: Most of my vintage finds and wardrobe come from “RakShniya”. I’m always on the look for great pieces, however because Israel is only 62 years old we don’t have such a fabulous vintage heritage like, let’s say, the US does. You mostly won’t find clothes and accessories that are over 70 years old and are Israeli made but I try to visit as many markets and shops across the country as I can, in hopes to discover those wonderful finds you don’t come across every day. The best vintage “spots” though, are the houses I get invited into. Every now and then a family lets me explore their closets for treasures and these visits usually result in the best finds.

Q: Is there a certain aesthetic you look for when you’re thrifting? How do you decide what to pick up, or just pass on? Do you wait for an item to speak to you?

A: It’s hard to explain how I pick and choose the vintage that goes into my shop but one of my golden rules is “be true to yourself” – there isn’t one item in my shop I wouldn’t try to incorporate into my own wardrobe and it’s important to me that my shop reflects who I am. The way I dress allows me to express who I am and how I feel at any given time. People often say that it’s only when they got to know me that I really let my personality shine – and because I’m evidently, a little shy or guarded, my clothes allow me to show a lot of Zohar on the exterior. I feel that fashion also means much more than clothes, it’s rather a lifestyle and can reflect your aesthetics as they manifest in different areas of your life – I think it’s important to recognize what you gravitate towards fashion wise and also to allow yourself to mix it up when it comes to fashion influences.

Q: Be honest, do you keep many of your finds, or is it strictly business? And do you have any personal collections that you have built over time through thrifting?

A: Since I’ve started my business I keep less than I used to. The shop has actually helped me learn what suits my body better because I come in close contact with a bigger variety of items. I do have a few collections – I collect slips (which I wear on a daily basis come summer), I collect vintage t-shirts (the really simple loungey ones) and I’ve started collecting clothes by a certain Israeli brand called “ATTA”, they were pretty much the only clothing brand when Israel was established as a state and it’s always exciting to find something of theirs because they are pretty rare by now.

Q: Are there any items you’ve regretted selling and wish you would have kept for yourself?

A: There’s one item I kind of wish I hadn’t sold: a lovely spring skirt set, I don’t know why but I’m obsessed with sets and I guess I only realized how lovely it was only after it sold. I might have overlooked it a bit because it was slightly big on me. Oh well – I hope it’s happy in Australia (where it was sent).

Q: Pick one and tell us about it: Weirdest, most valuable, or most satisfying find?

A: One of the coolest and weirdest items I found (and sold by now) was a rainbow bead and crochet handbag. When I first saw it I was taken aback a little because it’s so “in your face” – it’s so bright and noticeable and I try to make vintage look less costumey and I tend to try and blend it into our current clothes. But the more I looked at it and the crazier it seemed – the more I wanted it. I knew I had to get it especially after I saw it had, amongst all that colors, one single black bead – it was as if the bag maker was trying to break formation if you know what I mean and express themselves within their creation. I love it. It was a very popular bag before it sold not long after I listed it.

Robin Eastwood is a treasure hunter and vintage fanatic. Visit The Fancy Lamb on Etsy to drool over some of her latest finds, and follow Robin on Twitter to hear about her latest thrifting adventures.

Vintage addicts come in all kinds, and this week’s interviewee brings a fresh perspective to our series. Lisa from That Old Blue House creates incredible jewelry with vintage tidbits like lace, quilts, and buttons. Her shop has a distinct point of view, that I must admit I adore.

Q: Tell our lovely readers a bit about yourself. Is this your full-time gig or a hobby? How and when did you get started in this business?

A: I was born in Connecticut, moved my freshman year of high school to Texas, married and settled in my husband’s home state of Illinois. So I went from city, city to country! As a good friend of mine commented on one of my facebook posts…”Back in the day I would never have thought I’d hear Lisa utter either the word “barn” or “demolition” and certainly not in the same sentence!”

My husband and I have 3 kids ranging in age from 24-14. I started selling my stained glass pieces as a way to keep from having to get a real job and to stay at home with my kids. It eventually evolved over the years into combining stained glass and vintage “stuff” into jewelry. At the time I collected vintage postcards, so I figured if I used them in my jewelry I could purchase them without guilt, or my husband complaining about my spending!!!

Q: Do you have any favorite, never-let-you-down, treasure hunting spots? Would you like to share, or are they top-secret?

A: I usually shop at antique malls, auctions (when I have the time to spend the day), and estate sales. One of my favorite spots is the 3rd Sunday Market in Bloomington, IL. I usually rent a space to sell my jewelry, mainly so I can shop all the antique vendors before the show opens!!

Q: Is there a certain aesthetic you look for when you’re hunting for components for your work? How do you decide what to pick up, or just pass on? Do you wait for an item to speak to you?

A: I tend to be drawn to more primitive items, but my tastes do change depending on my mood. I have quilts that I purchased that I don’t use for months and then I pull them out and think, wow, this is really cool and I make quite a few pieces. I also just “fall into” things, for instance, I was selling at a quilt show and there was a lady with a booth selling vintage buttons…..she had these plastic belt buckles and I thought, that would make a fun necklace. This year we did the same show and I saw glass buttons, that started another new idea and now I am on the prowl for glass buttons!!!

Q: Be honest, do you keep many of your finds, or is it strictly business? And do you have any personal collections that you have built over time through thrifting?

A: I definitely keep some items I find. I have a collection of vintage holiday postcards, and am working on a collection of old photographs, and camera related items. I also keep certain pieces of quilts or lace, just for me!!

Q: Are there any items you’ve regretted selling and wish you would have kept for yourself?

A: I am embarrassed to admit to this, but my mother had bowls that she would use to eat her cereal and soup…..I thought they were the ugliest things. Well, after she passed away I kept them for awhile and finally decided to give them to Goodwill. Well, I found some on Etsy one day…..they were green Catherineholm bowls. Yep, I could have died!!!

Q: Pick one and tell us about it: Weirdest, most valuable, or most satisfying find?

A: I have to admit my most satisfying find is my vintage dress form. I found it at an antique show and just had to have it. I do use it to exhibit my jewelry at shows, and it never fails, people always ask if she’s for sale! NO!

Robin Eastwood is a treasure hunter and vintage fanatic. Visit The Fancy Lamb on Etsy to drool over some of her latest finds, and follow Robin on Twitter to hear about her latest thrifting adventures.

With a fantastic eye for vintage, Sadie Rose of SadieDELUXE is definitely a shop to watch. I adore Sadie’s attitude that all vintage pieces are just on the hunt for their perfect owner. For us hopeless romantics, this thought makes for such a sweet love story! Sadie also has a handmade line — Lost Boys & Lovers — giving new life to otherwise forgotten materials. Be sure to stop by her shop to check it out!

Q: Tell our lovely readers a bit about yourself. Is buying and selling vintage your full-time gig or a hobby? How and when did you get started in this business?

A: I’m not selling vintage full-time yet, but I hope to get there soon. Right now I’d say I’m at about half time, and I spend the rest of my time doing ten billion other things – like working another job, making jewelry, raising my son, and holding it down on the homefront (cooking, cleaning… all that good stuff.). I’ve lived in Northern California for just over a year now, after spending nearly 9 years in Oregon.

I started selling vintage when I lived in Portland in 2007 or 2008. My roommate and I rented a spot at the vintage Mecca known as House of Vintage on SE Hawthorne, and sold there for two years. Once I moved to California to this sweet little town – I began to focus more on my online shop since the actual population (and vintage market) here is so vastly different than the one in Portland.

Before I sold vintage, I was an aimless collector and giver. I used to buy amazing things when I found them – feeling certain that one day I would meet someone that it would fit. I was always like, “this is too good to pass up – I have to get it!” My friends were the happy beneficiaries of the product of this habit, and it was a sort of a sad transition for some of them when I started my business (and putting price tags on everything!). However, this is to say that vintage is just in my blood. I’ve always been on the hunt – it was such a relief when I put two and two together and realized I should start selling it.

Q: Do you have any favorite, never-let-you-down, treasure hunting spots? Would you like to share, or are they top-secret?

A: Hmmmm, this is a tough one. I feel like generally, I always find one good treasure at most of my usual haunts. I’m still exploring and discovering the full range of treasure-hunting options in my Northern California location, so I’d have to say that I don’t have a favorite yet (though there are some good ones).

Q: Is there a certain aesthetic you look for when you’re thrifting? How do you decide what to pick up, or just pass on? Do you wait for an item to speak to you?

A: I try to stay open to all options. It’s sort of like skimming a book (wherein you gloss over most of it, except for the keywords). Generally I sort through piles or racks of stuff, and I have a mental buzzer that goes off when I see textiles and fabrics that look promising. This could mean a cool print, or a gorgeous weave, etc. But as far as clothing goes – that’s mostly how I do it – by skimming for materials that catch my eye – then I dig a little deeper into those.

Q: Be honest, do you keep many of your finds, or is it strictly business? And do you have any personal collections that you have built over time through thrifting?

A: Oh, absolutely. I’m constantly finding things that I feel like I MUST have, and then I keep them for a while, and then eventually they end up in my shop. As my personal taste streamlines with age, I’m getting better at determining what I truly want to keep for myself. My favorite collection that I’ve built over the years of thrifting is my collection of “pretty white things” – this consists of various petticoats and tutus, slips and dresses. I have a couple Edwardian pieces in this collection, and a white ballet costume….the whole thing has its own section in my closet and it’s a lot of lace and tulle (this satisfies my inner 6 year-old on a daily basis).

Q: Are there any items you’ve regretted selling and wish you would have kept for yourself?

A: Well, this isn’t technically something I sold – but in high school, I gave away a few amazing items that my mom had given me – one item in particular was a fitted, full-length Icelandic 60s/70s wool coat with this cool zip-front…it was so killer. I STILL can’t believe I just gave it away. On the flip side, I do love the transient nature of vintage – you find amazing pieces, and you pass them on. Sometimes you keep them, but there is always an influx of more beauty, and so it is our job (the sellers) to make sure the beauty keeps flowing onward.

Q: Pick one and tell us about it: Weirdest, most valuable, or most satisfying find?

A: Recently I found these 1940s velvet peeptoe wedges in perfect condition for a crazy low price. The low price, plus the actual materials (red velvet?! rainbow pompoms?!) made me feel sort of like a small girl discovering a giant pile of magical candy. Those moments when you find something so old and so beautiful…that takes my breath away every time.

Robin Eastwood is a treasure hunter and vintage fanatic. Visit The Fancy Lamb on Etsy to drool over some of her latest finds, and follow Robin on Twitter to hear about her latest thrifting adventures.

This week, we bring you a different perspective on vintage — one from a dude! Karl runs the Etsy shop Half Pint Salvage and sells vintage odds and ends plus some amazing upcycled pieces like coat racks and chalkboards. Read on to learn more about the man behind the scenes.

Q: Tell our lovely readers a bit about yourself. Is buying and selling vintage your full-time gig or a hobby? How and when did you get started in this business?

A: I’m a southern boy, by way of Virginia, that transplanted to Seattle back in 2004. I’m 35 years old and haven’t used a razor to consistently shave my face in about 6 years–which means I was rocking this beard before facial hair became the official hipster trademark. Back in 2009, I left a soul-grinding full-time job to pursue self-employment, aka Half Pint Salvage. Currently, it’s my part-time gig. But someday I tell ya, someday!

Q: Do you have any favorite, never-let-you-down, treasure hunting spots? Would you like to share, or are they top-secret?

A: My favorite treasure hunting spot is the local Goodwill. Friday nights are a virtual bonanza–definitely my favorite time to go.

Q: Is there a certain aesthetic you look for when you’re thrifting? How do you decide what to pick up, or just pass on? Do you wait for an item to speak to you?

A: Typically, I start my search in the office supply aisle. Those types of finds are timeless: staplers, metallic filing systems, old papers, scales…you name it, it’s usually there. Sometimes, you can even find items in their original packaging! After I peruse the office aisle, I usually search for items that are small in size or personal in nature. Typically, these pieces tend to sell quicker in my shop.

Q: Be honest, do you keep many of your finds, or is it strictly business? And do you have any personal collections that you have built over time through thrifting?

A: I’d say that I keep about 80% of what I find. And that’s really the main reason why this is still a part-time gig. I simply love being surrounded by vintage finds. It’s just so much cooler than most modern-day home decor. Plus, vintage finds make excellent conversation pieces. I’ve amassed quite the collection of vintage, paper-related items: pastel dot matrix printer paper, 1950′s bridge scoring sheets and 1970′s accounting ledgers to name a few.

Q: Are there any items you’ve regretted selling and wish you would have kept for yourself?

A: I regret selling a 1954, in-box, 3-tiered, chrome, diner-style plate organizer. It had 3 swiveling arms that spun out to hold 3 different sizes of plates. And it even attached to the wall. So amazingly cool! I get sad every time I think about sending that one away.

Q: Pick one and tell us about it: Weirdest, most valuable, or most satisfying find?

A: Recently, an elderly friend of ours gave me her 1970′s Sears Solid-State Personal Record / 8-Track Player — in mint condition. That was by far the coolest vintage item I’ve run across in my entire life, and it was free! Listening to records really gives you an appreciation of how music was intended to sound. Plus, it looks amazing in our living room.

Thanks to Karl for giving us a peek behind the scenes. Come back next week to see who else we’re Addicted To!

Robin Eastwood is a treasure hunter and vintage fanatic. Visit The Fancy Lamb on Etsy to drool over some of her latest finds, and follow Robin on Twitter to hear about her latest thrifting adventures.

After a long hiatus, the Addicted To series is BACK in action! I’ve got some fabulous interviews lined up and I do hope you’ll tag along.

We’re going to kick off the series’ return with an interview with the lovely Anna from Etsy shop Revolving Styles!

Q: Tell our lovely readers a bit about yourself. Is buying and selling vintage your full-time gig or a hobby? How and when did you get started in this business?

A: My name is Anna and I’m a loud, outgoing, 28 year old with one son and a daughter due in mid-May. I received a B.A. in English from UC Berkeley and a M.A. in teaching from UC Irvine (yes, I am a UC product) and taught seventh grade for 4 years before my son was born. My husband and I decided that having me stay at home and raise our son would be more important and beneficial to our family than me teaching, so about 10 months after my son was born, I decided to start my vintage Etsy shop and it has been a blast! I’ve always loved clothes and old Elvis and Audrey Hepburn movies, so this has definitely been fun! The best part is I get to work from home and raise my amazing son. I definitely feel blessed, but don’t be fooled! I have never been more tired in my life!

Q: Do you have any favorite, never-let-you-down, treasure hunting spots? Would you like to share, or are they top-secret?

A: I definitely have a handful of spots that never let me down. I don’t mind sharing 2 of them — the Long Beach flea market and the Alameda Antiques Fair. I live close to Long Beach so I try to make a trip every month. As for the Alameda antiques fair, that’s about 6 hours north of me, but my family lives by there, so I plan trips every 2-3 months or so revolving around when the antique fair occurs. Great daughter, huh? The other treasure hunting spots are my little secret!

Q: Is there a certain aesthetic you look for when you’re thrifting? How do you decide what to pick up, or just pass on? Do you wait for an item to speak to you?

A: I realized a couple of months ago that my shop picks were becoming quite one dimensional — 1950s dresses, which are my favorite. Since then, I decided to broaden my picks to items that are flattering to a woman’s body and can be incorporated with pieces from today because in the end, I do have a business to run and I want to reach as many viewers as possible, while staying true to what I like. (hope that makes sense) But, I still have a weak spot for the 1950s :)

Also, I don’t mind picking items that need a little TLC, especially from the flea market because those items’ prices are more negotiable and such a better deal and I love restoring vintage pieces!

Q: Be honest, do you keep many of your finds, or is it strictly business? And do you have any personal collections that you have built over time through thrifting?

A: Wow, this question makes me feel like I’m in an interrogation room. haha. Honestly, when I wasn’t pregnant, I would keep more finds and not tell my husband, because he sees this as strictly business, but I see it as pleasure and business! Yikes, hope he doesn’t read this. I have built up quite a collection of 1950s, 60s dresses and 70s button up shirts that I’m afraid I will not be able to fit into for a while, or forever!

Q: Are there any items you’ve regretted selling and wish you would have kept for yourself?

A: There are actually 2 little black dresses that I sold in February that I look back on very often and just wonder! But, because I was pregnant at the time and the dress sizes were small, I let them go, but never got to try them on. My big regrets! Here and here.

Q: Pick one and tell us about it: Weirdest, most valuable, or most satisfying find?

A: This question has me stumped! I can’t say I have any weird ones (except for some jumpsuits I modeled when I opened my shop, but let’s not go there) so I am going to describe my most satisfying find. It was this 1920s white lace wedding dress because the previous owner sold it to me at such a low price because it was damaged and she had no idea how to fix it. After a little soaking and restoring, the lace came out remarkably and I sold it to someone who wore it as their wedding dress! I definitely was smiling a lot that day!

Thanks so much to Anna, for letting us get to know you a bit better. And make sure to check back next Monday for the next installment of the Addicted To series!

Robin Eastwood is a treasure hunter and vintage fanatic. Visit The Fancy Lamb on Etsy to drool over some of her latest finds, and follow Robin on Twitter to hear about her latest thrifting adventures.

Becke from The Vintage Cabin is a ball of laughs…just read for yourself! If there’s ever someone who I’ve thought to myself, “I bet thrifting with her would be fun!”, it’s Becke. Learn more about her, then go check out her shop!

Q: Tell our lovely readers a bit about yourself. Is buying and selling vintage your full-time gig or a hobby? How and when did you get started in this business?

A: My name is Becke and I live in a really old wooden house in, what my friends would call, the boonies. I care for 3 geriatric cats, a French Bulldog and a British guy (who is my husband). I sell vintage home decor and housewares on Etsy, which is somewhere between a part-time and full-time job these days. I also have a booth at an antique market in a small town near my house. I am a thrift junkie and have been since about the 8th grade (so that’s, um, kind of a long time ago…). My mom would always drag my sister and I to yard sales, rummage sales and thrift stores and we’d go to each place reluctantly…with a coat over our heads. Back then, it was pretty embarrassing shopping at these places. Vintage clothes were only worn by Cyndi Lauper and the term ‘vintage’ in relation to clothes and home decor wasn’t even a part of the collective dialogue.

Q: Do you have any favorite, never-let-you-down, treasure hunting spots? Would you like to share, or are they top-secret?

A: I do have some ‘old faithful’ treasure hunting spots that I just have to keep secret! I sometimes go to the Waddington’s Sunday auctions but the prices are usually pretty steep there. For the most part, I frequent a lot of one-off sales or church sales that only come around once or twice a year.  Let’s just say, I frequent any store or sale run by seniors who use the “is 10 cents okay, dear?” pricing strategy.

Q: Is there a certain aesthetic you look for when you’re thrifting?

A: I am all over the place when I thrift. I have always looked for weird, creepy, funny and truly original items. I love anything with weird faces on it, funny expressions or weird sayings. I also love vibrant colors and gravitate toward them when I look for fabric, furnishings and knick knacks. That said, I also really love minimalist styles and look for really utilitarian pieces that can stand the test of time. As I get older, my need for useless stuff has been replaced by a need for things that are purposeful and stylish at the same time. My main goal is to never take myself too seriously when thrifting and decorating.

Q: How do you decide what to pick up, or just pass on? Do you wait for an item to speak to you?

A: Some items do more than speak to me, they beckon me to take them home and completely redesign a room around them. Other items are a bit more subtle. I think I have about 5 go-to decor styles that I really love – mid century modern, primitive, cottage style, rustic modern and industrial. I try and find items that fit into these styles and go from there. Once in a while I will take home the strange items that speak to me, maybe in a scary way, like taxidermy frogs, ugly clown paintings and crazy dog portraits.  “Hey lady! Over here! Take me home and stick me with a collection of other ugly gems and I promise you I’ll look amazing!” “…Oh…okay. I guess I can make room for a weird, moustached baby…”

Q: Be honest, do you keep many of your finds, or is it strictly business? And do you have any personal collections that you have built over time through thrifting?

A: I have had many collections come and go and I have kept a lot of my finds…for a while. I eventually change things up and filter things out over time so I don’t have too many items that have stuck around for more than the last 5 years. I have collected everything from Ghostbusters and Peewee Herman toys to weird and wacky foreign language albums to chicken figurines and squirrels. My current collecting obsession involves eagles, ships and The Statue of Liberty. I have a few Lady Liberty statuettes and some ship paintings but I’m trying not to get too out of hand with them. And I LOVE eagles, although they have to be in a certain position and have a certain look of severity to them. No eagles in flight, they look too Harley Davidson. I prefer eagles perched or with their wings outstretched but not actually going anywhere! Wow, this is all making me sound like a maniac! Anyway, let’s just say collecting is a strange compulsion…

Q: Are there any items you’ve regretted selling and wish you would have kept for yourself?

A: I always have one or two items in the shop that make me cringe a bit when I sell them, especially when they sell really fast (not even an hour after it was listed). I recently sold a great, antique wooden eagle that I bought from an old lady who had it in her kitchen for decades. It was so awesome looking but I just couldn’t find a spot for it so…off it went.  It could come back to haunt me but I try not to get too attached to anything that I sell.

Q: Pick one and tell us about it: Weirdest, most valuable, or most satisfying find?

A: Most satisfying and valuable find…Since I started selling on Etsy back in October of 2009, I have found 3 teak peppermills – 2 Dansk and one Nissen (here, here and here). I sold one mill for $150 and the other two for just under $100 a piece. I found the Nissen mill for 50 cents at the Salvation Army and both of the Dansk mills came from one of my favourite church shops. I took one of them up to the cash to ask how much it was and the woman held it as though it was contaminated, she made kind of an ‘ewwww’ face and said, “is 10 cents okay, dear?”

Robin Eastwood is a treasure hunter and vintage fanatic. Visit The Fancy Lamb on Etsy to drool over some of her latest finds, and follow Robin on Twitter to hear about her latest thrifting adventures.