ShoppersMap

Vintage Furniture and Clothing Shopping Tips

Have you ever wanted to go shopping for vintage clothing or vintage furniture but don’t know where to begin? We’ll have you shopping like a pro in no time with our vintage shopping tips.  Here are some tips on how to find deals, find clothing that fits and when it’s the best time to buy.

Go Often

New merchandise arrives daily in vintage and antique stores.  Go often to spot the new arrivals before anyone else does.  Multi-dealer antique malls have savvy dealers who are constantly bringing in new merchandise.   The Olde Towne Pomona Antique Mall in Pomona, Calif. has about 70 dealers.  That is a lot of dealers and a lot of items arriving on a daily basis.

What the Heck is that?

Antique stores especially, have many unusual items that are difficult for the average person to identify.  Don’t’ be shy; just ask the dealers “What the heck is this thing and what does it do?” Dealers and shopkeepers are usually excited to talk about their items and explain the history or use of unusual finds. 

Get a Bargain

Sign up for email lists.  Some antique malls and stores send out newsletters to announce sales or specials.  Visit stores on the first day of sales to get the best items. Go to warehouse1333.com to join their mailing list.

Vintage furniture from Warehouse 1333 in Long Beach, Calif.

Be impulsive

Antique stores have one of-a-kind items that you can’t find anywhere else. If you find something that you love but are not completely sure if you want to buy it; you should because it may not be there when you get back.  You may not get another opportunity to find that item again or find it at that price.

Disregard Sizes

Vintage clothing sizes are not the same as today’s standard sizes.  Make sure to measure or try on the clothing.  If you find a great piece that is too large, go ahead and buy it.  Vintage clothing can usually be taken in depending on the seam allowance.  Find quality vintage styles at Villains Vintage Clothing in Orange, Calif. 

Quality vintage clothing from Villains Vintage Clothing in Orange, Calif.

 

Reuse and Repurpose for the New Year

by Sasha Milena

Make a New Year's resolution to reuse and repurpose this year.  Buy antique or vintage goods instead of new, or find new and creative ways to use old items.  It's easier than you think and you can find hundreds of stores and dealers on shoppersmap.com to start your new year off right.

Inretrospect in Long Beach, CA

You can start small or big with your new resolution. Add small items like glasses or vases, or larger pieces like dressers and tables for your home. If you find a piece of furniture in rough shape but you don't know how or have the time to restore, there are specialist to help. Gledhill's in San Diego restores furniture back to it's original state, giving old pieces a new life and a second chance.

Gledhill's Vintage Furniture in San Diego, CA

Agoura Antique Mart in Agoura Hills, CA

Find new ways to use old items. Lockers make great clothing or toy storage for children's rooms.  Agoura Antique Mart in Agoura Hills, CA has 9,000 square feet and more than 40 dealers where you can find old items that can be new to you.

Inretrospect.co

 

 

Last minute holiday gifts from Urban Barn in Escondido

Numbered glass bottles

Urban Barn in Escondido, CA has more than 30 vendors with a variety of vintage goods that make great holiday gifts. Find some last minute and unique gifts today for that special person or try giving an Urban Barn Gift Certificate.

When giving vintage gifts for the holidays, you can be sure that your gifts will have character and stand out above the rest!

Urban Barn was recently featured in Romantic Homes Magazine as one of the top 10 Romantic Flea Markets.  Their monthly outdoor flea market draws many quality vendors along with their usual indoor vendors. Visit the Urban Barn Blog to find out when their next flea market will be held.

Visit Urban Barn in Escondido 155 W. Crest. or grab a San Diego Shopper's Map to find more shops in the area.

All photos from Urban Barn Blog

Grab a map at the San Diego Visitor Information Center

 San Diego Convention Center

Antique and Retro Shopper's Maps are conveniently found all over southern California including hotels, shops, restaurants, and special event locations.  Now you can also find Shopper's Maps at the International Visitor Information Center downtown which is operated by the San Diego Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

 Shopping for antique and retro finds in San Diego is now easier with our Maps and visiting and discovering San Diego is an incredible and fun experience in itself.  Get a feel for the San Diego vibe in the video below and start discovering.

Pick up a San Diego Shopper's Map  at the International Visitor Information Center and start your San Diego adventure now!

 

 

California's Central Coast: A Stunning Backdrop for Antique Hunting

by Sasha Milena

 Antiques on Main in Cambria, Calif.

Driving up and down the central coast of California is an experience everyone should have at least once in their lifetime.  Crashing waves along shoreline cliffs, sunny skies and friendly towns are just a few reasons to visit the central coast.  Along with the stunning backdrop of this dream-like coast, there is an even better reason to visit: hunting for antique treasures!

 The new Central Coast Antique and Retro Shopper's Mapwill help you find the special treasure you are looking for.  The new map starts just north of Santa Barbara and reveals the best places to shop in cities like Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, and Morro Bay.  This comprehensive directory gives you the address, phone number and description of what the store has to offer.

  
 
Whether you are looking for vintage clothing, architectural salvage, antique toys, art pottery, or vintage furniture, you will be sure to find your treasure cruising through California's central coast.

View more photos:

Click on a photo below to view the Central Coast Photo Gallery.

   




 

Shopping for Antiques in San Luis Obispo

by Sasha Milena

Vintage Cabinet from Ruby Rose in San Luis Obispo

San Louis Obispo is a beautiful town and according to Oprah Winfrey, The Happiest City in the USA. Easy to agree with Oprah after discovering six antique, retro, and vintage malls and shops there. Ruby Rose, Brooks Woodcraft and Antiques, The Antique Center, Antique Boutique, Antiques on Monterey, and SLO Antique Treasures are all just a stones throw away from each other.

 Vintage Globes and Boots from Ruby Rose

Stephanie, Ruby, and John from Ruby Rose in San Luis Obispo

We found a variety of arts and crafts, art nuveau, mission, and mid century items in San Luis Obispo. No sooner than George Martines signed his Antique Center up for the map, Omega cinema Props called us while we were still in the shop. We picked up a pair of vintage mid century Isophone Hi-fi speakers for their inventory as a favor.

 A Glance into the Past Antiques in San Luis Obispo

Minutes down Highway 101 is Arroyo Grande. This quaint town has a number of fine shops to discover.  Be sure and check out A Glance Into the Past where you'll find items ranging from fine antique furniture to vintage toys. Ask to see dealer Larry Turner's Hot wheels room, and his wife's antique children's and Victorian clothing display. 

 California's Central Coast Landscape

These are only a few of the many stores that will be part of the new California Central Coast Shopper's Map. The new map is expected to be ready in the next few weeks so check back soon and be the first to print the new Shopper's Map.

The Collector Magazine Now Online: Feature Stories, Event Coverage, Videos, and Dealer Tips &Trends

by Sasha Milena

 

November 2010 issue of Collector Network Magazine

The Collector Network Magazine is now online with the same great feature stories, special event coverage, and antique dealer tips and trends.

 

Feature Story from the Collector Network Magazine

The story above announced the arrival of a Parisian designer, author, and entrepenuer who has created an App for Flea Market Shopping in Paris.  Vignettes in San Diego held thier 15 year anniversary and hosted her book signing event.

 
 
Special events like the one above, stories about dealers, and the latest trends are all in the Collector Magazine. Stay connected with Frank every day with the Collector Network Magazine Blog!  In addition to the monthly magazine, the blog is updated several times a week with new information, stories, and videos.

Contact Frank: 909-593-1018         www.collectornetwork.net/Blog

Vignettes    4828 Newport Ave, Ocean Beach   (619) 222-9244   vignettesantiques.com French Inspired Antiques & Vintage Home Decor. Estate Jewelry, Paris Memorabilia & French Seaside Souveniers. Architectual & Garden. Antique & Vintage Decorative Lighting.

Collecting: Continuing a Tradition and The Ultimate Collectors

by Sasha Milena

 The Young Collector

I believe there is a collector in all of us.  To collect according to the Webster Dictionary is to "gather together, acquire as a hobby, or regain command of (oneself)".  As children we have a natural tendency to collect because certain things became valuable to us at a certain point and we realize the more we have the better.  I would collect Barbie dolls because the more dolls I had with matching Barbie mansions and Barbie cars meant that I could show off my dolls to the neighbor girls and hopefully impress them.  Other collections I had were more personal, like my coin collection. The idea was not to show everyone my collection but it was more about opening up my little white cardboard box, holding each foreign coin in my hand and envisioning the foreign land where this coin had come from.  As a child I really had no clue of the actual monetary value of the coins and I simply didn't care.  Having the coins was about personal gratification and the hunt.

 
Street Sign Collection via Neatorama.com

The Hunt

The hunt is when you go out to search for items to add to your collection.  As a child maybe you collected baseball cards and the hunt meant you gathered with other friends to compare collections and if someone had that hard-to-find card your goal was to get them to trade.  The hunt as an adult does not differ much and many people add items to their collections by going to stores, attending auctions or checking online if somebody has what they are looking for to add to their collection. 

 

Babe Ruth Baseball Card via http://baseballcardpriceguide.blogspot.com/

Current Trends

There is a very strong interest in antique and vintage collection. Not only interest but in recent years there has been incredible demand!  Certain pieces of furniture can sell for thousands, even millions and more rare items become more valuable over time. 

Collecting For Years To Come

The items we collect now may be very different from items we personally collected in our past and probably very different than items people collected in the past.   Although the type of items we collect have changed the desire to collect will always exist.

Notable Collectors

 
Books written by Thomas Jefferson 

Thomas Jefferson:

• Third President of the United States
• Book Collector
• In 1815 Congress purchased 6,487 books from Jefferson's 10,000 book collection after the British burned down the Capitol and the Library of Congress 

Michael Jackson:

• Pop Star of the 20th and 21st century
• Collected unique and bazaar antiques for his Neverland Ranch
• He loved to collect anything Disney
• Read the story about Michael purchasing  a Zoetrope from one of our stores in the early 1980's: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00e54ed0407288330120a526e43a970c

Strange Collections

Check out this post on the 25 Strangest Collections from Neatorama.com Collections range from napkins, Soviet Calculators, sugar packets to street signs

 

Step Away From the New Overpriced Cookie Jar!

by Sasha Milena

Four-piece Vintage Range Set from Antiques on Kettner

The weather today here in Southern California was amazing and staying couped up inside would have been just plain wrong. I decided to drive to a local upscale outdoor mall and do some window shopping. 

Vintage Mexican Pottery from the Bungalow Store

I strolled into a store that carries new bohemian-type clothing and home decor and found an adorable owl cookie jar.  I flipped it over to check the price and my jaw almost dropped to the ground!  I said to myself that I could find the same kind of jar only with more character and vintage for a quarter of the price.  At that point I put the jar down and practically ran to my car in disgust.

Vintage Pottery: Water Pitcher from Antiques on Kettner
Finding items like cookie jars, bowls, pitchers, and other kitchen accessories in an antique or vintage store is the best way to go. You pay a fraction of the price and have a one of a kind item that will add character to your kitchen and home.

I found a Kitten Cookie Jar at the Great Exchange Consignment in Laguna Beach and featured it in one of my previous posts.  Vintage finds like this is the reason why I had to put that overpriced, mediocre, ceramic owl cookie jar down.

After my visit to the mall I decided to visit a couple stores in San Diego from our map and found these fun pots pictured above.  If you don't live in the area don't stress because these item are all available through their online stores.

Antiques on Kettner

The Bungalow Store

New ways to use Vintage Scarves

by Sasha Milena

Vintage Scarves: Photo via Christmas Wrapped

There are certain types of accessories that one cannot have enough of and I believe scarves fall into this category.  From the 1940's to the 1980's designers such as Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, Valentino, Pucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Vera produced gorgeous scarves with bold colors and a variety of designs.  

 My Vintage Vera Scarf

I have a colorful vintage Vera scarf my mother gave me many years ago which I use frequently to accessorize my home.  I hang it on lamps or if I need more color in a room I drape it over an end table.  I searched around the web and found out what other people are doing with their vintage scarves.

Photo from Country Living via Little Green Notebook

Frame It  If you have a favorite colorful scarf or a rare vintage designer scarf folded up in a drawer, framing it is a great way to show off a unique scarf in your home!

 
Photo via White Apricot

Wrap It  Use your vintage scarves to wrap gifts.  Wrapping paper gets thrown away and why not wrap a gift with something that can be reused. It's like two gifts in one!

Vintage Vera Scarf tied in a bow: Via chictopia.com

Wear It  Tie a vintage scarf around your neck or try tying it around the strap of a purse.  Check out the Vera Blog to learn scarf tying techniques and more ideas on how to wear scarves.

Need to buy some vintage scarves??  Print out a Shopper's Map guide and find stores in your area. 

• LAGUNA/NEWPORT BEACH
• LONG BEACH
• LOS ANGELES
• ORANGE COUNTY
• PALM SPRINGS/RIVERSIDE COUNTY
• PASADENA
• SAN DIEGO
• SANTA BARBARA/VENTURA COUNTY