We want to know -> what vintage item are you hunting for this week? Are you desperately seeking something of a certain era or is it a summery shade of yellow calling your name at the nearest thrift store? I know I have a very big vintage wish list. Share yours + we hope to help!

Currently, I’m dreaming of the perfect vintage swimsuit (as you probably noticed!) + a small collection of old wooden chairs for the kitchen. I’m easy to please, that is, until I hit that thrift store/estate sale and something else catches my eye…

Post your vintage wishes + dreams in the comments, below. I bet we will all have a few in common!

My Mom is the best thrifting partner I’ve ever had. So, to celebrate my 30th, we went on an all-day thrifting mission across the river in Illinois. Evidently, the goal was to buy anything and everything we liked and pack the car so tightly we could barely fit back inside. We scored some really fun finds! My favorite find of the day was the BeeGees turntable (with microphone) for only $5! Insanity. Now, I can finally sing Jive Talkin’ in style…

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.

Ahh thriftin’ memories…

I can still recall the very first time I went thrifting with my mother. It was a tiny little shop on the west side of town called “Kid’s Closet” (long gone, now). A combination consignment shop + thrift shop, this place was run by June- a woman I would come to see so often, she was thought of as my second grandmother.

Lucky for me, June and my mother really hit it off. She started calling my mom when a rich woman from Chicago would send her the Oilily outfits I was dying for, as her daughter was my exact size (hello Punky Brewster wannabe!). Most of the clothes still had the tags attached and I always wondered how the Rich Chicago Lady’s daughter could turn down neon pink and yellow striped dresses.

My thrifting + vintage addiction launched that Saturday and became a weekly tradition with my mother after dance class. Although my mother would die to hear this, I think of her every time I walk into a vintage shop and get a nice wiff of moth balls. (;

How did your vintage addiction begin?

1. laura dols, 2. Yashica 01▸18, 3. 60/365, 4. IMG_2947, 5. Attica, 6. vêtements, 7. Attica 30/365, 8. Untitled, 9. FauxBrit at Village Vintage, 10. Chicagoland Vintage Clothing & Jewelry Show – 2/26-27/2010, 11. Emporium, 12. The Attic

In the 60′s and 70′s, women everywhere rocked handwoven basket purses. Whether woven with fabric, reeds, or even made to look like a basket, these bags make you feel like you’re headed for a picnic anytime. Check out some more basketry wonders found via Etsy.

Oblong VintageTwoTone Woven Straw :: Atticgoods
Vintage 1950′s METAL and Leather STARLET Lucite BOX Purse :: CheekyVintageCloset
vintage 50s Pegi Paris White Basket Weave Accordion Fold Clutch :: SkinnyandBernie
1970s A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT Creel Purse :: The Church of Vintage
basket case :: 5gardenias

After yesterday’s blinding show of yellow inspiration, we thought we should arm you with funky + one-of-a-kind vintage shades. We dug through hundreds of Etsy listings to nab our favorites from decades past. Show your unique style with a pair of vintage sunglasses!

80′s Vintage Sunglasses with Funky Frame :: whatthefunk
60s Vintage Paris France Turquoise Stripped Cool Sunglasses :: Vintage50sEyeWear
70′s Vintage Oversized Sunglasses made in Italy :: BestofthePast
70′s Vintage Sunglasses—German Marwitz ‘Yves Chantal’ Deadstock Shades :: whatthefunk
70′s Vintage PUCCINI Camel Brown Oversized Plastic Sunglasses :: SustaluxEyewear

Karen LaPorte recently visited my hometown (St. Louis, MO) for some good old-fashioned vintage hunting. Seeing your city through someone else’s eyes is always an interesting experience- especially when they are planning to hit your vintage hunting hot spots! We checked in with Karen after her trip to find out how St. Louis’s vintage hunting grounds hit her.

Tell us about yourself!
My name is Karen and I’ve been collecting and wearing vintage clothing for 20 years! I am a former indie designer and vintage boutique owner. I now sell my designs and vintage on Etsy.( TheSparklingCocktail.etsy.com and FemmeFataleVintage.etsy.com). I also write the blog Bobbins and Bombshells. I live in Brooklyn and recently traveled to St.Louis while visiting my boyfriend’s family for Easter! Obviously, vintage hunting is one of my favorite pastimes so I plan it in everywhere I go.

What STL vintage spots did you visit while you were here?
Unfortunately some shops were closed the days we were there due to the holiday. Let’s see…Retro 101, Binge and Purge, Ruth’s Vintage Clothing, The Vintage Haberdashery, Remember Me Vintage, and TFA. Oh and I found some great vintage at Avalon Exchange.

Which vintage finds from your visit were your favorite?
Retro 101 had some great furs and coats with fur collars. I had no room in my suitcase or in my budget for those and had to leave them behind. They also had an amazing pair of white kid gloves with rhinestones around the wrist. Unfortunately they were way too small for me. TFA was a lot of fun for house wares especially for a vintage kitchen that I also couldn’t travel back with. I also found an amazing pair of 1940’s black suede shoes at TFA that were just a little too small. That was heartbreaking!

Which vintage finds went home with you?
I did manage to score a few things! I bought a wonderful cherry red straw bag that is perfect for summer, and a rhinestone necklace from Avalon Exchange. At TFA I found a blue quilted glove box to add to my collection. At Ruth’s I found a vintage lipstick holder with a mirror tray. And at Binge & Purge I found a fantastic pair of red Spring-o-lators that the collector in me couldn’t help but purchase! They don’t fit me so I know I can’t keep them. They will soon be listed for sale in my shop, Femme Fatale Vintage.

In your hometown, what vintage shop would you recommend our Vintage Addicts visit?
There are a lot of great vintage shops here in Brooklyn to suit any style and budget. I really lean towards affordable Mid-Century and old Hollywood glam so Odd Twin in Park Slope would be my recommendation.

[Photo courtesy of MyVintageVogue]

We want to know, what’s your favorite Etsy vintage shop…other than your own? Here’s your chance to pimp your pals and share the wealth with your fellow vintage addicts. Your favorite Etsy vintage shop may become a future-featured Fave Shop of the week right here at My Vintage Addiction!

Time to spill folks! Tell us who they are & why you love ‘em in the comments, below.

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Spring Has Sprung! Break out your sandals (and sunscreen) and put away the dismal black and grey you have been wearing for the last few months. Your wardrobe is in need of color and what better way to start than with accessories! Bring some bounce back into your life with Springtime vintage from around the world!

From Top Left:

Vintage Woven Plastic Bracelets: $16 Skinny and Bernie

Vintage Celluloid and Lucite Clip-On Earrings: $7 Vintage Fabulous

Vintage White Beaded Purse with Flowers: $36 Skinny and Bernie

Vintage Woo Hoo Turban: $16 Finders Keepers Shop

70s Floppy Hat with Feather Rose: $30 Huzzah Vintage

70s Aloha Dreams Tote: $22 Second Wind Vintage

60s Wooden Hinged Bracelet: $55 Posh Girl Vintage

My Find, A Lovely Rose Pink Shawl: $4 Value Village

We have gorgeous vintage clothing and accessories to lust over this week, my dear friends! Say an advance apology to your checking accounts, and read on to learn about how Desirée, the shop owner behind Prance And Swagger, found herself selling vintage clothing full-time on Etsy.

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: Hello lovely readers!!! My name is Desirée and I am a full time vintage clothing seller. It started as a hobby and a way to supplement my income in my early 20′s. In 2004, when I was 24, I spent a summer working a very demanding, unfulfilling waitressing job in Grand Teton National Park. I was worn out when I came back to Portland. I didn’t want to work for anyone ever again. I started wondering if I could make selling vintage clothing into my full time job….. and I haven’t worked for anyone but myself ever since. I tried so many different avenues for selling vintage clothing in the six years since I made the decision to work for myself…. Etsy has been the best outlet yet.

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

A: Top secret of course! And I’m sure any vintage clothing seller will tell you the same. It’s a very competitive and secretive business. I’m not really the competitive type, but a girl’s always got to have her secrets!! My not-so-top-secret favorite spots are Value Villages. So much better than Goodwills and still very well priced. They also give you a 20% off coupon when you make a donation.

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 want to maintain a certain level of quality in my shop that my customers can rely on. There’s a ton of vintage out there, but only a small percentage of it is well made and lovingly, thoughtfully designed. That small percentage is what I want. I’ll generally pass on anything that seems cheap or just plain ordinary. I don’t want to fill my shop with things that anyone can go into a thrift store any day of the week and find for their selves. That is my job. That is why people come to my store. I spend a huge amount of my life in thrift stores sifting through all the garbage to find those rare, extraordinary pieces so that they don’t have to!

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 really don’t keep much of what I find. I used to, but at some point my closet and house reached maximum overload. Now I only keep things that are really nice quality, perfect condition, and fit me perfectly. As far as collections go, I definitely have a huge collection of records and shoes!

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

A: Oh, SO many. A lot from when I was younger and had much less money. I’d sell really amazing stuff just to make rent. And the real crime is that Etsy wasn’t around back then, so I was selling to vintage resale stores who gave me very little money for some of the most valuable stuff I had…… and because I was young, dumb, and broke, I had to accept it! One sweet story I have is from when I was 22…. I was really REALLY into the early Who albums at the time and I found a really amazing Who concert shirt with this incredible graphic on the front of it of the 4 boys all asleep under a Union Jack flag. Again, because I was broke, I sold it for rent money because I knew it was pretty valuable. I regretted it (and regretted it, and regretted it) so bad. I wouldn’t shut up about it. On my birthday I opened up a present from my best friend… it was the shirt! She had gone back to the store and bought it for me. So sweet. I never wear it anymore, but I will keep that one forever.

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

A: I once turned a $1 pair of vintage 1942 Levis into $1,200! That was years ago… I wish that would happen again! One really amazing find was a pair of Peter Max tennis shoes from the early 60′s. I had no idea Peter Max had been commissioned to design shoes back then. They were really incredible, just totally covered in Peter Max’s signature psychedelic paintings.

Thanks, Desirée! I think we’re all going to be dreaming about turning $1 into $1,200 now! Stop by Prance and Swagger to check out some of Desirée’s latest finds.

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.