a guide to all things vintage
Tips and tricks on how to thrift for different items, plus reviews of thrift stores in Northern California, particularly thrift stores in the Bay Area and the Central Valley.
As a vintage jewelry reseller, I often come across broken jewelry when I buy in bulk. Usually, I create junk lots to sell or simply donate craft bags to my local thrift store, but I sometimes harvest pieces for my personal projects. When it comes to DIY endeavors, my latest hyperfixation is making adjustable rings … Read more
The idea of a vintage trend, in a way, feels like a contradiction. “Vintage” is often either synonymous with “timeless” or “outdated,” rarely ever “trendy.” But as fashion insiders know, trends tend to follow a 10-to-15-year cycle, and microtrends have brought even more past styles into the fray. And if experience—both as a vintage reseller … Read more
Somewhere along my vintage jewelry journey, I fell in love with chunky — some might even say yummy — Lucite jewelry. Early during my foray into the vast world of costume jewelry, I flat-out rejected Lucite pieces. After all, Lucite is essentially another fancy word for plastic, right? Well, that’s somewhat true, but there’s no … Read more
sLately, I’ve been itching to craft again. A few years ago, I got really into painting and cross stitching, but I found myself greatly overwhelmed by the acrylic paint tubes and cotton floss overtaking my bedroom. After donating boxes upon boxes of hobby supplies, I still have an abundance of jewelry making supplies and junk … Read more
The delightfully sparkly and borderline gaudy holiday season is officially upon us. Whether they’re donning Renaissance-esque pleated silver skirts or ironically ugly sweaters, the festive and fashion forward are hunting down the perfect jewelry pieces to embellish their Christmas outfits. When it comes to Christmas accessories, my area of expertise lies in vintage costume jewelry … Read more
I’ve long been a proponent of thrifting for Christmas gifts and decor, but I very, very desperately want to avoid buying anything new for the holidays this winter. Blame it on the economy, baby. It’s unsettling to see how many Christmas shelves line stores this time of year. This sinking feeling falls deeper towards the … Read more
I’ve had pierced ears since my wee baby days, when my aunt marched into my parents’ apartment armed with a piercing gun. It wasn’t until fourth grade when I came across a pair of highlighter orange flower clip-on earrings from Claire’s, which, in its heyday, was a purplish utopia of fun, affordable costume earrings for … Read more
For me, there are few things more exciting than a chance encounter with a jewelry jar or grab bag at the thrift store. Thrift stores occasionally toss miscellaneous jewelry pieces into gallon-sized Ziploc bags or glass jars when they don’t have the personnel to sort jewelry by the piece. From 14K gold lockets to high-end … Read more
Have you seen the price of ANYTHING these days? It’s a real doozy just trying to make ends meet in this economy. For me, it feels wasteful to buy things new unless I absolutely need them, not only because I’m frugal but also because our planet is warming up faster than Bagel Bites in the … Read more
On my vintage Etsy shop, I divide my brooch offerings into four main categories: flowers, animals, Christmas, and the obligatory and oh-so-broad miscellaneous. Of course, these sections don’t even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to different brooch styles. Many vintage brooches feature some sort of flower or animal design on the front … Read more
