Stacey Nguyen

After publishing a piece about cleaning vintage brass a few weeks ago, I wanted to take a step back and write up a quickie companion blog about finding vintage brass.  I suspect that the reason why brass is so highly coveted as home decor is because it’s very versatile. Art Deco, Hollywood Regency, and mid-century … Read more

Polishing off the patina on brass is somewhat controversial—a patina can look unpleasantly grody, but sometimes the buildup is desirable on older pieces. I’ll usually leave the patina on for antique brass pieces (like this hamsa bird finial) and go in with a good scrub for more modern figurines and statues. Personally, I love that … Read more

The vintage costume brooch is a small luxury like lipstick, affordable and accessible even when it’s high end. It’s incredibly versatile as an accessory, since you can stick it on a collar, scarf, belt, or coat lapel—really anywhere if you let your imagination run wild. It can be a simple embellishment that ties an outfit … Read more

You’d think there wouldn’t be much going on in a city named after lard, but Manteca knows how to put on an event. This sleepy town throws a couple of fun festivals and markets throughout the year, including a watermelon festival, Christmas parade, and book fest. A while back, I inadvertently came across the Manteca … Read more

As a singleton over the last few years, I haven’t given Valentine’s Day much thought. But lately, I’ve been finding myself getting a little gooey over the hearts and reds that have been permeating store displays in January. It’s my Venus in Libra calling to me, I think. I simply adore the cutesy, frilly symbols … Read more

Not to brag, but I’ve been shopping secondhand since my time in the womb. When my mom was pregnant with me in the early ‘90s, she’d wander the booths at the West Wind Capitol Flea Market in San Jose with $5 to stock up on craft tools and costume jewelry.  As a kid, I’d explore … Read more

This holiday season, I’ve been cutting down boxes as much as I’ve been clickety-clacking away on a laptop writing articles. One of the scariest things about starting an online vintage wares business was figuring out shipping and packaging, but I’ve managed to survive these past few months. I learned a lot of tricks of the … Read more

As the patron saint of germaphobes, it’s kind of a miracle that I more or less exclusively own a secondhand wardrobe. Let’s be real: There’s kind of an ick factor with thrifting clothes. But we’re only humans—we eat, we excrete, we get things dirty. While I skip pieces with obvious stains at the thrift store, … Read more

Throughout my thrifty adventures over the years, there’s been one sweater material that I’ve actively avoided: wool. It’s scratchy, it’s hot, and it’s notoriously difficult to take care of. But I also hate how stretched out and odor-trapping acrylic sweaters get, so my go-to layers for sweater weather have always been cotton knits and crewnecks.  … Read more