Fellow antiquing and vintage-hunting lovers out there?

Hey guys! Laura and Micheline's recent Memphis shopping videos got me wondering.. are there any other gals out there who like to shop vintage and antique stores not only for clothes but for decorating their homes too?
 
I got started at an early age shopping antique stores for Victorian through 50s era furnishings and decorations with my Grandma and Mom when I was a kid. Usually 20s furniture and 30s decor being what we looked for. A love for antiquing and hunting for retro decor is something that stuck with me. Growing up in southern CA we mostly went to old town Orange and some higher-end antique stores in the beach cities. Being used to those prices, moving over to VA it still doesn't cease to amaze me how many lovely things are hidden away in little back road antique and vintage shops, and the prices are 1/5th of what they would have been in CA. There's a few stores nearby that have boudoir type things- 50s compacts and lipstick containers, vintage perfume bottles, bakelite bracelets and brooches, lamps, sweater clasps, loads of celluloid vanity sets, lucite, chalk-ware, mirrors, combs, ladyhead vases, gloves, stocking still in the packaging.. It's like a 20s - 50s screen siren's dressing room was frozen in time. They also have a HUGE brooch selection, and my favourite thing about it is almost everything is under $10.
 
There's another store in town that sales mostly vintage clothes, and accessories like gloves and silk scarves and purses, but everything is all piled up, old lady attic style. It takes some digging but I've found some vanity accessories there and my sister found a Christian Dior hat for $5, and another time I found a 1890s (so the shop owner thought, I think it's 20s) velvet cape. At the time I didn't know this but I was told after I bought it that the trim is monkey fur... I don't know how I feel about that :/
 
I also recently bought a very fancy silk velvet floor length coat. It has a wide beaded collar that folds up into a hood. It's such an unusual design that I knew if I didn't get it I'd never be able to find one like it again. It was owned by the woman who modeled it for the department store in the late 40s and she just stored it all these years, so it's like new. I've bought chandeliers there, and at a nearby Goodwill I found my pre 1900s vanity for $64
 
I think one reason why there is such an abundance of wonderful finds out here in The Small Town South is that there are hardly any younger girls into retro and vintage items, at least none that I've seen. Whenever my sister and I go to these stores the only other people shopping are very old ladies.
 
Does anyone else have good luck in small towns? I love reading about other people's good finds. Here are some of the most recent things I found last week:
Little empty black and gold compact for my sister. She's going to put her powder refill in it. French kitty and rhinestone brooches in the back.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The back of the compact is meant to look like a little record. How cool it that?!

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Permalink Reply by Brandi Shuey on July 14, 2012 at 4:19pm

Pretty cool :) The only thing I have vintage is a black and red hand fan with white blossoms on it. Found it in some random second hand store I came across one day. Posted a close up picture of the fan in another discussion. Although, if you take a look at my profile page there is another picture of me holding it. Everything else I have is vintage inspired. Although there is a consignment shop I went to a few months ago looking to sell some things, and they carry some vintage clothes and accessories. I'm hoping to go back in the near future to take a look at what they have.

Permalink Reply by Kelly Davis on July 14, 2012 at 7:49pm

I've been addicted to vintage stores since I was a kid, too.  My grandmother used to take me with her.  I have so many awesome vintage objects.  I travel around the country now with my job, and one of my thrills is vintage shopping in different cities and towns.  Some of my favorite objects have come from little shops in the middle of nowhere.  I've got everything from jewelry and lipstick cases to fainting sofas to a full set of monogrammed art deco crystal.  Most of my stuff is in storage now, but the last time I was settled in and had a real home, my friends used to joke that it looked like I lived in a movie set or a bordello.  I love vintage!

Permalink Reply by Lissie Bee on July 19, 2012 at 12:25pm

Wow a fainting sofa? I've been in love with those for years but I've never found one even close to what I can afford. The monogrammed crystal sounds to die for!

Permalink Reply by Brandi Shuey on July 19, 2012 at 3:01pm

Those fainting sofas are beautiful.. maybe one day when I have a bigger bedroom, or home for that matter, I'll get one :)

Permalink Reply by Kelly Davis on July 20, 2012 at 3:53am

I could never find affordable ones back home (Memphis), but in the bay area they're pretty cheap.  All those Victorian homes full of awesome stuff and people just want to toss out grandma's crap and update their decor.  I've made so many awesome finds here, including a couple of pieces I've paid 200-300 bucks for then found on 1st dibs for thousands. 

It's funny how things are regional, though.  The mid-century stuff is more expensive out here, but back home, people think it's ugly and toss it.  I love being able to take advantage when I travel with my job.

Permalink Reply by Kristina Cairns on July 15, 2012 at 3:51pm

I am also a vintage and antique lover. I was living in Palm Springs up till a couple weeks ago and they had some great shops to find treasure. Alittle on the pricey side at times. I just recently moved to Riverside, CA and since there are more old homes out here I have come across so many lovely shops. Alot of great furniture and knick knacks (Im currently planning my wedding) so alot of my shopping recently is based on that. I have not come across a place in town that has great Vintage clothing yet tho. About 30 percent of my closet is vintage clothing. I just LOVE it! It makes me feel like a lady. I have dresses mostly from the 50's and 60's, I prefer the clothing from those time frames but I love home items from the Victorian Era. Something about it is so mysterious and romantic. 

Permalink Reply by Vickie Draper on July 18, 2012 at 4:02pm

I love finding antiques and vintage things. We have a store about 2 streets away from me that deals with nothing but vintage clothing furniture, basically anything from the 1920's to the 1970's and it has 2 floors!! I have found the majority of the clothing there and a few accessories, but I have honestly found a lot of things going around to garage sales and estate sales in my surrounding cities and they are usually pretty cheap. I have also found that if I go on the last day of the sale they are willing to part with  of things for very cheap. I once had a lady give me two giant boxes full of her mothers purses, jewelry, hats, scarves, etc. you name it and it was in those boxes! my favorite find has to be my gold lipstick tube from the 50's it even still has the bright red lipstick in it and it has never even been used!!! I have 2 closets in my bedroom and one of them is completley packed with nothing but vintage clothes, hats, shoes, purses, nylons with seems,etc.

Permalink Reply by Lissie Bee on July 19, 2012 at 12:31pm

She just gave you those boxes?! You hit the jackpot that day for sure!

Permalink Reply by Vickie Draper on July 19, 2012 at 3:14pm

She just gave them to me! She was astounded that I was into the "culture" as she put it, I honestly don't think I will forget that day for the rest of my life. I definitely hit the jack pot that day!

Permalink Reply by Annie Ulukou on July 18, 2012 at 6:16pm

I am a vintage addict. I grew up in a house in Daly City, just south of San Francisco, and it is straight out of the 1960's. A lot of the clothes I wore as a child were my mother's old clothes from the 70's. I spent a lot of time thrift shopping with my grandmother as a youth, and once I was older I started in on my own. Half of my closet is vintage, most found in TN. A few years ago I was dating someone who lived out there. We both have an affinity for vintage merchandise, so we went on a trek through the TN backwoods, and found some of the most amazing little shops. The owners are always just the sweetest people, and every boutique was great about pointing me where they thought I'd like to go. 

Here in the bay area, there is tons of vintage shopping, and not just up in the city. There's a little antique shop in San Carlos that's got 2 floors of the most beautiful and well kept vintage/antique items. I bought some red leather boots from the 70's that are just to die for. Empire Vintage in Palo Alto is also reeeaaally great. They have a large selection of fancy dresses. Not as big in the way of shoes, and a bit lacking in the jewelry department, but they carry a wide selection of vintage skirts, which is kinda my thing since its hard to find modern skirts for my body type. 

Rustyzipper.com is pretty incredible as well. 

Permalink Reply by Kelly Davis on July 20, 2012 at 3:58am

Where's the shop in San Carlos?  I go to one back over by the Ross and REI, but I don't know of a 2-story. 

Permalink Reply by Lucy Aguilera on July 18, 2012 at 11:17pm

Wow sounds like you found a some great finds. I usually try to go thrifting when I am in small towns here in CA. But I mostly find hats, gloves, and purses. No luck with clothes :(  So now I just buy vintage patterns and make the dresses myself.

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