With the earworm which will not die burning a hole in my brain, I couldn’t help but dig up clips to study of the rock n’ roll master himself, Mick Jagger. His twirls, thrusts, and pain-filled facial expressions are something I might not yet be bringing to the local club just yet. Time to grab the tightest jeans humanly possible, slap on a crop top, and pump up the volume. Let the lesson begin…

The video is flipped, which is strange…but the moves are still there (:

Of course, a cape.

hot stuff

Beginning during WWII with parachute silk from an army surplus store, Vera Neumann created scarves worth coveting. Her vintage creations are aglow with pops of color, friendly florals and eye-widening geometric prints. She passed in 1993, but her legacy and creations live on in the hearts of vintage lovers.

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.

I’m in love with the 1970′s throwback of high-waisted, wide-leg jeans. Those wide-legs make one heck of a statement, but keep it comfy and casual at the same time. I found a vintage pair at The Foundrie that magically fit + I may never take them off. (This never happens as I’m on the “vertically-challenged” end of things and tend to hem it up quite often) I thought the wide legs would shorten me even more, but instead- the high waist makes my legs look longer. I can assure you, my legs are delighted to escape the tight clutches of my skinny jeans.

Good quality + affordable vintage denim seems often difficult to find. Have you had luck scoring your own or re-making denim styles of the past?

[denim pictured available via lostboysandlovers on etsy]

Our latest addiction in our efforts to feed you all things vintage: Pinterest! We’ve only been “pinning” for a few days now, but we’re already hooked. Pinterest is a virtual pinboard, used to organize your favorite things across the web and share them with others. MVA has discovered a few fantastic vintage fiends + shops you love already using Pinterest to share their fabulous finds from multiple locations across the web. If you haven’t already, check it out and request an invite.

If you are already using Pinterest to share your finds, let us know what you think + post your links in the comments below!

[About Pinterest]

It’s that time of year again…time to shop for school supplies! No worries. My Vintage Addiction has you covered. Check out a small collection of our favorite vintage school supplies via Etsy. Make sure you + yours stand out from the crowd with these one-of-a-kind finds.

1. vintage virco stacking child size chair :: ionesattic

2. 1970s school girl’s uniform from the land of Aus (s-m) :: TAWNIWOLD

3. industrial simplex school wall clock :: AMradio

4. Don’t forget your lunch Vintage lunchbox with plaid thermos bottle :: DivaInTheDell

5. SALE vintage varsity jacket, maroon and gold school in classic high school style, fall weather wool. snap front, size 48 :: Luncheonettevintage

6. Vintage Aqua Luggage Bag Tote Overnight Shoulder Bookbag Jupiter Key :: PeachyChicBoutique

7. Late 1950′s 12″ Reference World Globe by Replogle :: RetroNina

8. Vintage Childrens School Books, Alice and Jerry 1955 (2) – Green Gate and Day In and Day Out :: emmylucy

Have a few great vintage back-to-school finds? Add them to our Flickr group!

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.

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.