Things have been a bit crazy here the last two weeks. However, I've still found some fab vintage things!
This weekend is the annual pre-Christmas collector's/antiques fair here in the city, which happens to be held in my part of town. Mom and I went there yesterday. We've been going for years and it's interesting to see it again each year. It's been growing smaller since a few years now, probably also because the booths are so expensive, and yet I see a lot of dealers that are always the same... even some of their wares (which makes me ask myself how they survive...). Our favourite, knowledgeable vintage costume jewelry dealer was there as usual, the overpriced vintage clothes dealer that was there till last year has disappeared, but a new one had come up where I bought a gorgeous dress last year and a sewing pattern this year. Vintage sewing patterns suddenly crept up in a lot of places I noticed - which is new too!
The ones for the dress and for the blouse were just $2 each and are uncut - incredible!
When we started going there, mom had just started collecting vintage powder compacts. At first one found few here and there, then more and more by year, and prices kept rising. Now it was back to what it was like 15 years ago or so, with reasonable prices, and really nice finds. Seems the craze is finally over. I bought this gorgeous unused one, signed "Princess", made in Czechoslovakia:
Isn't it gorgeous?
Barbie-doll-wise, the times of dissheveled vintage dolls being offered at over-the-top prices just because they're vintage has gone too. There weren't many at all, but that's ok, as I never saw this as a good place for good vintage Barbie finds. Most of those dealers had no idea of what's what and what it's really worth. There are so many dealers there who sell everything and often have too little knowledge in these more special areas...
I've been spending time at the Caritas shop too, and been buying a lot - like these sexy ca. 70s boots!
They are unworn and all leather. Beautiful quality and the softest, most supple leather! All they needed were new heel tips, as they had gone with age. For $85 they were a real steal I think. Except the shop assistant told me that a lot of people didn't buy them because they would have had to take them to the shoemaker first. Duh. I guess that's the way people think who are only looking for something "cheap" but that's just such a wrong way of thinking in my book... My super shoemaker who does marvelous work and doesn't charge a lot (these tips were $18). And he's just across the street from the Caritas shop -I told her that he's really good, she hadn't even noticed the shop. Maybe she'll tell the next customer too
. This is already the third pair of boots I bought at the Caritas, and the second pair of unworn 70s boots!
Even more incredible - this elegant dark brown leather handbag. I'm pretty sure it's unused - and cost only $15. I was literally
when I saw it and checked the price! An it's a good size too - perfect for every day use.
I am always amazed at what I find there. It's not always vintage (been lucky with great modern things too lately), but always good. This is not a very "rich" or trendy part of town - and still, the high-end things cropping up here amaze me. I always try them on - too often, they don't fit, like a gorgeous beaded/sequinned (spiderwebs in black beads & sequins on black silk!) Escada evening jacket or like the utterly gorgeous soft woolen coat yesterday. The style was very "early 80s Princess Diana", the label and way it was made screamed high-end - but it just was totally unflattering on me - heartbreaking :(! Anyway, I've come to realise that these kind of things are a great way to actually get a better eye for high-quality stuff. Trying them on I notice how they're made and what interesting techniques were used, and how the material feels. And most of the times, these things have no label or an unknown label like that coat, so one has to look for those other signs. They do have a "designer rack" but I won't try most of the RTW stuff on it - the "unknown" pieces are usually much better. They get a lot of Escada, which I usually pass by because it's always size 40 at least, but that beaded jacket was quite different from the usual Escada stuff. Anyway, so I've found yet another reason why I love shopping at my Caritas store!
Karin
This weekend is the annual pre-Christmas collector's/antiques fair here in the city, which happens to be held in my part of town. Mom and I went there yesterday. We've been going for years and it's interesting to see it again each year. It's been growing smaller since a few years now, probably also because the booths are so expensive, and yet I see a lot of dealers that are always the same... even some of their wares (which makes me ask myself how they survive...). Our favourite, knowledgeable vintage costume jewelry dealer was there as usual, the overpriced vintage clothes dealer that was there till last year has disappeared, but a new one had come up where I bought a gorgeous dress last year and a sewing pattern this year. Vintage sewing patterns suddenly crept up in a lot of places I noticed - which is new too!
The ones for the dress and for the blouse were just $2 each and are uncut - incredible!
When we started going there, mom had just started collecting vintage powder compacts. At first one found few here and there, then more and more by year, and prices kept rising. Now it was back to what it was like 15 years ago or so, with reasonable prices, and really nice finds. Seems the craze is finally over. I bought this gorgeous unused one, signed "Princess", made in Czechoslovakia:
Barbie-doll-wise, the times of dissheveled vintage dolls being offered at over-the-top prices just because they're vintage has gone too. There weren't many at all, but that's ok, as I never saw this as a good place for good vintage Barbie finds. Most of those dealers had no idea of what's what and what it's really worth. There are so many dealers there who sell everything and often have too little knowledge in these more special areas...
I've been spending time at the Caritas shop too, and been buying a lot - like these sexy ca. 70s boots!
They are unworn and all leather. Beautiful quality and the softest, most supple leather! All they needed were new heel tips, as they had gone with age. For $85 they were a real steal I think. Except the shop assistant told me that a lot of people didn't buy them because they would have had to take them to the shoemaker first. Duh. I guess that's the way people think who are only looking for something "cheap" but that's just such a wrong way of thinking in my book... My super shoemaker who does marvelous work and doesn't charge a lot (these tips were $18). And he's just across the street from the Caritas shop -I told her that he's really good, she hadn't even noticed the shop. Maybe she'll tell the next customer too
. This is already the third pair of boots I bought at the Caritas, and the second pair of unworn 70s boots!Even more incredible - this elegant dark brown leather handbag. I'm pretty sure it's unused - and cost only $15. I was literally
when I saw it and checked the price! An it's a good size too - perfect for every day use.I am always amazed at what I find there. It's not always vintage (been lucky with great modern things too lately), but always good. This is not a very "rich" or trendy part of town - and still, the high-end things cropping up here amaze me. I always try them on - too often, they don't fit, like a gorgeous beaded/sequinned (spiderwebs in black beads & sequins on black silk!) Escada evening jacket or like the utterly gorgeous soft woolen coat yesterday. The style was very "early 80s Princess Diana", the label and way it was made screamed high-end - but it just was totally unflattering on me - heartbreaking :(! Anyway, I've come to realise that these kind of things are a great way to actually get a better eye for high-quality stuff. Trying them on I notice how they're made and what interesting techniques were used, and how the material feels. And most of the times, these things have no label or an unknown label like that coat, so one has to look for those other signs. They do have a "designer rack" but I won't try most of the RTW stuff on it - the "unknown" pieces are usually much better. They get a lot of Escada, which I usually pass by because it's always size 40 at least, but that beaded jacket was quite different from the usual Escada stuff. Anyway, so I've found yet another reason why I love shopping at my Caritas store!
Karin
