My Fifteenth Year │ Selling Vintage on Etsy

If you had told me that I'd still be selling vintage almost fifteen years later after opening a shop on Etsy, well ... actually I would've believed you. 

Because selling, wearing, loving, talking about, reveling in, collecting, and being captivated with vintage clothing (and other things like Pyrex and Coach purses) is a part of my life. And has been with me since I was a teenager.

Today, November 30th, marks the first day I "opened" my shop on Etsy. While it began as a small venue with a handful of things, it has grown substantially and at the highest point this year, had just under 800 items.

For clothing, that number is on the high side because storing clothing is an issue for clothing resellers. I'm lucky to have garage space but that amount was my max. 800 items. And I was bursting at the seams.

While 14 years of selling vintage has had its ups and downs, mostly up, I'm at the point where I would rather have quality items over quantity. In other words, I'd rather work a little smarter than harder, and I'm lowering the number of items in my shop drastically for 2025. For sure, the amount will be cut in half and maybe more.

This means I won't sell as many items per day as I used to but it also means I don't have to. Better items equal higher prices, which evens out in the end. So for example, instead of selling three items at 33 dollars each, my plan is to sell an item a day worth closer to $100. Quality over quantity.

As of right now, I'm letting items sell while I'm having a sale and letting Etsy listings lapse (meaning, I don't renew the item to list for sale in my shop) which means I'll probably be donating some items back to the thrift stores from whence they originally came.

Which is fine. Easy come, easy go. And I have had a wonderful time sourcing and selling vintage so that nothing is lost or wasted. Not even my time. Every day I sell or source vintage is a day living the dream.

So this is the start of my fifteenth year and after a full 14 years of accumulating as much as possible to sell, I'm reversing that action. It will take time to re-learn how to source, but I know this is the direction I want to go. 

It's been a joyous 14 years selling on Etsy and I'm so thankful and grateful for all of my followers who buy my vintage, wear it with love, and tell their friends about my shop.

As a wonderful, engaging, and enlightening era, I can't wait for another 14 sourcing the best vintage I possibly can for you. 

Thank you for being a part of my vintage journey.

-Heather

Black Friday Finds │ Thrift Haul

While Black Friday is overrated, and I didn't need to buy anything for myself, I hit a couple thrift stores for the shop. 

The stores weren't that crowded, and the people were all very nice, so it was a pleasant Black Friday crowd. I found a handful of things, and it helps when the stores are giving us half off of all merchandise!

• a vintage '60s kimono style robe
• a '60s mink fur stole
• a '60s leather coin pouch
• 2 vintage '80s leather belts
• a '50s gooseberry Pyrex bowl (for my collection, only at $7.50!)

It's a fantastic day when I thrift Pyrex from the 1950s! It was missing the lid, but I had an extra one.

There she is, right smack in the middle where she belongs.

Voila! So, that one find was for me, and the rest will be headed to the shop later this week. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.♥

Happy Thanksgiving 2024

Have the most blessed Thanksgiving, my vintage friends.

I'm thankful for the very breath in my lungs. Every day is a gift.

I hope you're spending it with friends, family or both, this year. ♥

Also, my festive look for the day. Burgundies and burnt oranges. Such a fabulous blend of colors. Vintage sweater, vintage jacket, vintage scarf. 

Have a blessed day!

Vintage Pottery Vase for My Thanksgiving Table

In the thrift shop this morning, I came across a lovely pottery vase. She is signed and there are zero flaws, so I knew I had to bring her home.

She is the perfect color for our '60s dining table in our kitchen.

But she is also the perfect color combo for the upcoming holiday, Thanksgiving.

Warm browns, well-crafted, and mid-sized (the right size for the table), I knew I had to have her. And at $4.99, well, let's just say we aren't breaking any banks here.

Happy Thanksgiving, all my vintage friends.♥ Enjoy the holiday.

Vintage Robert Meshekoff Animal Print Coat

I thrift a lot. As in, probably five days a week a lot. One of those days, I squeeze in as many thrift shop stops as possible. That's usually Tuesdays for me. On Thursday, I'll try to stop at two or three. The other days, I frequent my neighborhood thrift shop (which is about a mile from my house). Just that one. 

I only need to spend about 10 minutes there and I'm able to check through all the new merch and find what I'm looking for (or nothing at all which is the case often).

At most stops, I find nothing. That's how it is with thrift stores and looking for specific items. I leave without anything which seems crazy for someone who sources vintage clothing for their shop. But, the odds of finding what I want and coming across it have to work out perfectly. 

Sourcing vintage isn't for the faint of heart. You have to do it even when you don't want to and you have to do it in the hopes of finding what you want even if that means going in and leaving the store with nothing. Over and over again.

But, sometimes I do find something I want or can sell in my shop. And this beautiful faux fur hooded coat was just sitting casually on the rack, swinging a touch forlornly as I picked her up. She wasn't there the day before. I know because I was there! But last Saturday, she was there for me.

She's beautiful, circa '60s, by Robert Meshekoff. I can't find much information about the designer, but it's apparent that he made gorgeous coats. This one is exquisite. I had to replace a pocket liner (it was completely gone), resew the other pocket liner, add a button and steam clean her, but overall, she is in remarkable condition for her age. 

She best fits a petite small. The design and materials are second to none and I'm thrilled to find this beautiful coat that hits all the trends right now. She's in the shop.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and here is a quick reminder that my shop is 25% off through the 3rd of December. Enjoy your weekend too!

-Heather

Sacramento Sunrise in November

We're having a bit of a rain system come through the Sacramento Valley, which to some folks, is a normal thing. Atmospheric flood, bomb cyclone... call it what you will. It's just lots of rain, which surprises us.

For Californians, this is not normal. Instead, it's a relief. We'll take all the rain we can get and then some more.

The current sunrises, because of the clouds, are better than usual. I took this beautiful shot this morning from my house. The clouds ablaze with glory.

Then my husband sent me a view from where he's working as a fire captain and it sort of blew my little sunrise out of the water.

His view of our sky was a riot of fire. Though near the city limits, his fire station is on the rural and pastoral side of town. I'm jealous. He has views of cows, low hills, grasses, and obviously, sunrises and clouds that came straight from God's finger.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? I'm not really sure that I am. With my husband and youngest son's birthdays in November, it always feels like I'm catching up to enjoy the holiday. 

But once I confer with my mom and her planned Thanksgiving meal (she's hosting this year), I'm sure I'll be in the holiday spirit. 

There's no reason not to be thankful, is there. Busyness, birthdays, and all. And with sunrises like these, I am beyond thankful.

Have a wonderful weekend. 

Vintage 501s │ Women's '80s Shrink To Fit Levi's 501s

This Levi's label is one of my favorites. It explains how washing Levi's in hot water shrinks the denim fit to your body and how the "more you wear them, the better they'll look and fit."

This is all true. I own several vintage pairs of 501s and even though they've already been shrunk to fit someone else, I can attest that the "better they'll look and fit" is 100% true.

I've only encountered this label twice in fifteen years. I believe they're very early '80s 501s made for women. The patina and wear on these is fabulous. It takes 40-plus years of wear and washing to get them to have this perfectly worn-in fade and look.

They're in the shop. ♥

 

Vintage Mug Monday | November 18, 2024

 Good morning! Here’s my vintage mug for the day. 

I love the hand-painted design. Circa ‘70s. I spent $3 on it - totally worth it in spite of the price. It blends with my vintage mug collection perfectly.

May your mug be vintage and your coffee hot.

-H

Fall 2024 | The Mulberry Tree in Autumn

I took this photo two days ago at 7:41 in the morning on the walking trails by my house. 

It’s so normal and simple and also so incredibly beautiful.

Have a blessed weekend. My youngest son turns 18 tomorrow. My kids are officially all adults. I’m truly vintage now.

This all happened so fast… Thank God it’s Vintage Friday (TGIVF).

Vintage Coach Bags

A Little History to Coach and Why Vintage Coach is So Superb

I'm venturing into new territory. I'm learning about Coach, the leather handbag, luggage, and accessory company that started in 1941 in New York. 

This leatherworks company began with wallets and billfolds made by Miles and Lillian Cahn by hand. Lillian suggested at some point - probably in the early '60s - that they should start making handbags. And that was the beginning of the rest of their story. The handbags were a hit.

They hired an incredible designer Bonnie Cashin (probably the most unknown famous designer who ever lived) and it changed their company for the better kickstarting the brand into new territory. Basically, a rebranding, if you will. 

My first "real" purse was about twenty-plus years ago. It was a black bucket-style Coach purse and I loved that thing. Because Coach was my first "big girl" bag, I have an affinity towards this brand. Not to mention, I'm much more interested in supporting a (formerly) American-made company. I'll always choose American-made over anything else.

Unfortunately, Coach outsources its materials and production today, which is the way of all good American labels these days. Maybe one day, American manufacturing will return. One can hope. I'd rather pay more for an American-made piece of clothing or accessory than a China-made counterpart.

Louis Vuitton isn't my thing, though I'm inspired by its history and provenance. While I love its vintage pieces from decades ago, I'm not a fan of its new products, mostly because of the leather quality and that coated canvas. I love Gucci, but again, most of its pieces today are trendy, not classic. 

Other high-end couture brands like Versace, Hermes, Balenciaga, and Prada exist as options too. (Again, most are trendy). But, they're not my brand of choice and the quality of their modern pieces is not what they used to be.

I'm a lover of American-made things, as well as traditional pieces, and ultra-quality leather, which brings me back to an American equivalent, and that is Coach. Coach filled a gap in the need for affordable quality purses. 

For women in the '50s '60s, and '70s, there were high-end haute couture bags and there were cheap knockoffs. There wasn't much else. So, what did women buy who wanted something quality without having to sacrifice their entire savings account? What did women buy who didn't want a cheap faux leather bag from K-Mart?

They bought Coach. As is the unwritten rule for all successful businesses, "Find a void and fill it." And that's exactly what they did.

There has been a resurgence in the popularity of Coach bags in the last few years. Something about the vintage look appeals to many millennials today (I don't blame them. Classic pieces never go out of style) but it means they're also in demand and hard to find.

I've been looking for them - while I source vintage for my shop for the last four or five years or so - and hadn't found any. They seemed like unicorn pieces; something other people could easily thrift and yet I still had no idea what they looked like in the wild!

Then two weeks ago happened and I found one, and then a week later, I found another.

Both are beautiful, both are worn to perfection, and both need a little TLC (which I plan on doing - a little cleaning and conditioning). I don't have Coach purses in either of these colors. So, I am thrilled.

Yes, I could easily buy new Coach bags similar to these. They've brought back many of their old styles, because of their popularity. But, as a vintage lover and purist, I just don't want the new stuff. As is normal with many brands of today, vintage leather is of much better quality than their modern counterparts. I hate that this is also true of Coach, but it is. 

This isn't to say their leather is bad. It isn't. But if you compare it to the bags of the '60s or '70s, (full-grain leather) you can literally feel the difference. And I’m going to say it again, vintage Coach was made in the USA whereas the modern pieces are not. Need I say more …

Here are the two I found:

Probably from the late '60s or early '70s. Does not have a creed (early ones don't) - is missing its hang tag. This is the 9530 (I believe it's the Tabac color but it looks very British tan to me.)

Probably from the mid-'90s, this one is called the Fletcher. Which is appropriate. The first time I really began to notice Coach Bags was on Murder, She Wrote reruns with the main character, Jessica Fletcher, wearing them. This was my first thrifted Coach. How apropos.

Here is some fun advertising too. 

Here is one of my bags! The 9530. 

I don’t plan on collecting all of the bags. I just want a few key quality Coach bags that will last another fifty years to mix with my heritage / slow fashion wardrobe. If you're a fan of the newer Coach line, you don't have to go to a Coach store. There are plenty available on Amazon, as well as used and new on eBay.

Most likely, I will be selling them in my Etsy shop as I find them (fingers crossed that I do find them) but just having these two and getting to take care of them is a treat. I’m so grateful to have them. And at thrifting prices? It makes me even happier. 

There are plenty of knowledgeable folks who fully comprehend the Coach company and know every handbag ever made. I'm not one of those people and may never be. But, I want to note their help and I'm thankful there exists such enthusiasts. 

One great website that helped me to identify bags I've found is run by a sweet mother-daughter duo called Your Great Finds. Their single blog post about Coach Bags is incredibly detailed. 

Here's another great piece written for Love to Know. You can also Google “Coach history” and an exorbitant amount of information will pop up.

Also, Vintage Coachie is a superb source of information. She's also on Instagram.

I have a lot to learn about the brand but having sold vintage Coach belts for years, I’m happy to add another quality vintage item to my regular listings of vintage clothing and accessories to my shop. Learning about each piece and when it was made is the cherry on top of the vintage sundae. 

Happy Veteran's Day 2024

We are so grateful to our Veterans who have served our country. 

We are free, we have liberty, and we have safety because of you. Thank you.♥

Vintage Mug Monday │ A Small History of the Otagiri Mercantile Company

Otagiri mugs are among my favorite vintage mugs. They began production in the late '60s, ended in the early '90s, and now, there are hundreds of designs out there to choose from. But, I'm not the only one who thinks they're amazing. Many people collect them and there's a huge, almost cult-like, following behind them. 

While they are vastly popular, varying in designs from teddy bears to nautical scenes to flowers, for me, it's the quality that takes my breath away. They were designed to look like pottery pieces - as if they were created from clay and thrown into a kiln to cook. I've been collecting them for the better part of almost 15 years before it was a trendy thing.

Modern-day mugs look and feel nothing like their vintage counterparts, and it's not just because of materials - it's because Otagiri chose to create a quality product. Meaning, that their creations would outlast most of its competitors.

There isn't a whole lot of information about Otagiri, or the Otagiri Mercantile Company (OMC). They were a San Francisco company, importing from Japan where the products were made (which explains why I find it quite regularly here in the Sacramento Valley), and were in production for 46 years. Enesco bought them out in 1994, which is when the line essentially died out.

This beautiful Otagiri mug appeared to me last week. It is unused and still with its original Otagiri stickers (two of them!) While I can't date this specifically, I do know it was made before 1994, and per the design, probably no later than the late '80s as they seemed to transfer from an etched design to a painted-on or screen-painted design as the collection aged. (I prefer the etched.)

I've never seen this pattern or design before, even the color is unique. I'm thrilled to offer it in my shop.

I do have a mug collection. About 32 mugs (that you can see here.) I rotate through them all month, trying to use a different one every day. Sometimes, I'll find a new one I have to have, and add it into the mug party that is in my cupboard. 

Then I'll find one I own that I don't like as much as I thought I did, and take it out to sell in my Etsy shop (I've sold hundreds of mugs in my shop - 396 to be exact.) I cycle through them, but I almost always have about 32 mugs in my cupboard and no more than that (since I don't have room!) 

Though many of my mugs are unmarked, probably more than half of them are Otagiri. The quality and craftsmanship can't be beat. I also happen to love the size of them. Today's standard coffee cup is large - as in, 12 to 16 ounces large. 

Here's one of my favorites that I found for .50 cents a few years ago. 

Contrary to the very American and popular belief, larger isn't always better. And when it comes to drinking coffee before it gets cold, large mugs are virtually impossible to work with. These Otagiri vintage mugs are almost always eight ounces or smaller. There are a few larger styles, but even then, they were no larger than 12 ounces.

Otagiri mugs are fun, beautiful, and diverse. In most cases, they are an extremely inexpensive collection to acquire (I spend anywhere from 50 cents up to three dollars. It varies from thrift shop to estate sale.) This cost-effective collection is also utilitarian. I use mine every day.

You can't beat a collection you use! It's a win/win in my vintage book.

As a side note, I sell more mugs during the holiday season than at any other time during the year. They make such a great gift and are inexpensive. If you're looking for a unique gift, check out my site for a variety of fun mugs (a good chunk of them being Otagiri, of course.)

Happy Mug Monday. May your mug be vintage and your coffee hot.

Black Friday 2024 Sale at Perennial Vintage

Wanted to give you a heads-up about the sale for this Black Friday of 2024.

25% off everything, with incredibly low shipping of $5.95 or less.

The Black Friday sale at Perennial Vintage starts November 20th and runs through December 4th.

Plenty of time to find exactly what you want. ♥

Vintage Haul │ Tuesday November 5, 2024

I found a little vintage haul the other day and all of the pieces worked together as a whole.

I love it when that happens! It looks like I went out and picked them to all match intentionally, but instead, they all ended up in my arms because I loved each one. The bonus is that they coordinate, I suppose.

• a vintage 90s Ralph Lauren cardigan
• a vintage 90s pair of women's wranglers
• a vintage 80s Leegin belt
• a vintage 70s mug

I may have kept the mug for my collection. And the cardigan. Hee hee.

Have a great week.♥

Vintage Fall and Autumnal Colors

Lots of fall colors everywhere. And what's a good fall day without taking a shot of the leaves and my Redwing boots? Well, obviously, it's not a good day. So, here it is! These are the classic women's Moc Boot in Oro Legacy color. They are so comfortable on my feet. Almost zero break-in period.

And would you look at the leaves colors. You just can't beat God's handiwork. The best colors are everywhere right now.

I came across this tree while I was taking a walk the other day. It was back a ways off the trail, but the flowers caught my attention. This was not an indigenous tree!

After taking a picture and letting Google tell me what it is (it looked like a eucalyptus) I was told it was... a eucalyptus. I haven't seen a flowering eucalyptus before. It's beautiful.

My Chinese Pistache tree out in front of my house is slowly changing. I hope to update you with it's glorious transformation in a few weeks.

A little fall outfit of the day here. My Redwing boots were a part of this too. I'm just so happy it's boots and sweaters season again. My favorite season. This is a vintage turtleneck (from Italy), and a vintage wool cardigan made in Argentina. It is the warmest cardigan I have ever owned. It feels like a blanket.

 Happy fall, my vintage friends...

The Great Plains Clothing Company │ Vintage The Great Plains

Often, I come across a new brand during sourcing that I don't know. Through research, which is always a highlight of selling vintage, I figure out the history, when it was made, the hallmarks of the brand - things like that.

I just came across the brand The Great Plains Clothing Company. I've actually seen them before, and have purchased a couple of their vintage items while sourcing, over the years.

I found this beautiful denim vest last week. Now that I just listed it and did a little digging into its background, I also just found out that there is another Great Plains company, a thirty-five-year-old company, that just closed its doors! What?

Are they the one and the same? I don't think so. I found an article from a few months ago that states the Great Plains company is closing shop and will no longer be manufacturing clothing.

This brand here, in this vest, is equal to the US vintage quality brands of the '80s like Woolrich, L. L Bean, Levi's, Pendleton, and Ralph Lauren. (Note, I said the vintage quality ... these companies of today no longer make their products in the USA. Their quality is obsolete now and can only be found in their vintage counterparts, sad to say.)

So The Great Plains Co. took the quality everyone loved from the '70s and '80s and started their own line that easily rivaled our brands, in the mid-80s. Wish I had known more about them prior to today,.

Look at these two sweaters I saw online. These pieces are of such quality that it makes them an absolute competitor to L.L. Bean of the '80s.

And look at the other two items I sold about 12 years ago.  A  beautiful men's cotton plaid shirt and another super wool sweater. I didn't realize it - until I just looked up what I had sold previously - but this brand is on the rare side. I haven't seen any other Great Plains items in the last 12 years! Until this denim vest.

So, after much research, I still don't know whether they are related. I have a feeling they are two separate companies since the USA version, The Great Plains Clothing Company, was mostly men's and boy's wear with their trademark expired in 2005, whereas Great Plains of the UK seems to only be women's clothing.

It all very interesting and fun to learn about various brands that sound similar but in fact aren't similar at all. And also always sad to hear a thirty-five-year-old company is shutting its doors. Such is life, I suppose.

I hope to find more of the USA The Great Plains company stuff. It looks like it was only in business from 1985 to 2005. It's on the rare side, but that doesn't mean I can't find it.

Have a wonderful week.♥

November by Margaret Tarrant

 

Welcome, November…