Fellow antiquing and vintage-hunting lovers out there?

Hey guys! Laura and Micheline's recent Memphis shopping videos got me wondering.. are there any other gals out there who like to shop vintage and antique stores not only for clothes but for decorating their homes too?
 
I got started at an early age shopping antique stores for Victorian through 50s era furnishings and decorations with my Grandma and Mom when I was a kid. Usually 20s furniture and 30s decor being what we looked for. A love for antiquing and hunting for retro decor is something that stuck with me. Growing up in southern CA we mostly went to old town Orange and some higher-end antique stores in the beach cities. Being used to those prices, moving over to VA it still doesn't cease to amaze me how many lovely things are hidden away in little back road antique and vintage shops, and the prices are 1/5th of what they would have been in CA. There's a few stores nearby that have boudoir type things- 50s compacts and lipstick containers, vintage perfume bottles, bakelite bracelets and brooches, lamps, sweater clasps, loads of celluloid vanity sets, lucite, chalk-ware, mirrors, combs, ladyhead vases, gloves, stocking still in the packaging.. It's like a 20s - 50s screen siren's dressing room was frozen in time. They also have a HUGE brooch selection, and my favourite thing about it is almost everything is under $10.
 
There's another store in town that sales mostly vintage clothes, and accessories like gloves and silk scarves and purses, but everything is all piled up, old lady attic style. It takes some digging but I've found some vanity accessories there and my sister found a Christian Dior hat for $5, and another time I found a 1890s (so the shop owner thought, I think it's 20s) velvet cape. At the time I didn't know this but I was told after I bought it that the trim is monkey fur... I don't know how I feel about that :/
 
I also recently bought a very fancy silk velvet floor length coat. It has a wide beaded collar that folds up into a hood. It's such an unusual design that I knew if I didn't get it I'd never be able to find one like it again. It was owned by the woman who modeled it for the department store in the late 40s and she just stored it all these years, so it's like new. I've bought chandeliers there, and at a nearby Goodwill I found my pre 1900s vanity for $64
 
I think one reason why there is such an abundance of wonderful finds out here in The Small Town South is that there are hardly any younger girls into retro and vintage items, at least none that I've seen. Whenever my sister and I go to these stores the only other people shopping are very old ladies.
 
Does anyone else have good luck in small towns? I love reading about other people's good finds. Here are some of the most recent things I found last week:
Little empty black and gold compact for my sister. She's going to put her powder refill in it. French kitty and rhinestone brooches in the back.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The back of the compact is meant to look like a little record. How cool it that?!

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Permalink Reply by Cari Egnew on July 19, 2012 at 2:48pm

The doll and it's high chair were both my Mom's when she was a little girl.  :)  Before I got this tree I used to put a giant piece of plywood in that window and turn it into an antique 'display' window with a small 3ft tree, vintage train and lots of old toys.

Permalink Reply by Lissie Bee on July 24, 2012 at 10:36am

How cool!! Owning retro things are 100x better when they belonged to a relative first :)  Your window display sounds awesome... That is such a cool idea. Do you have any pictures? I wish people on my block would do cool things like that for Christmas.

Permalink Reply by Cari Egnew on July 30, 2012 at 8:18am

Somewhere I do have a picture.  I'll have to look for it.  The Mr. & Mrs. Claus under the tree were made by my Grandma back when painting ceramics was all the rage...lol  I was thrilled when my mom gave them to me our first Christmas in our home :)

Everyone puts up lights on our block but thats as far as it goes.  I'd love to do more outside stuff but hubby hates putting up the lights and we're out of storage space for the stuff that I do have.  My dream would be to have a full size Leg Lamp to put in my living room window!  My neighbors already think I'm crazy so I figure a step further wouldn't hurt ;)

Permalink Reply by Lissie Bee on August 1, 2012 at 11:34am

That's so cool that your Grandma painted those. Haha YES a leg lamp would be awesome!!

Permalink Reply by Cari Egnew on August 3, 2012 at 9:21am

Not the best picture but the only one I could find.  Had to put the little fence around it to keep the dog from jumping up to see out the window...lol.  The tree was my parent's first Christmas tree when they got married.  They just celebrated their 45th anniversary.

Permalink Reply by Pin Up Cinema on May 21, 2015 at 8:50pm

Ha!! I love your Atomic tree!! I have one as well! Don't they make Christmas so much more festive!?!? :) My father in law has a forrest of these...literally....a forrest!...in all different colors!! I'm dying to get a pink one some day, but man they are expensive!! Do you have the color wheel?

Permalink Reply by Lissie Bee on July 19, 2012 at 12:45pm

Here I think you guys will like this. Dita Von Teese certainly knows how to decorate. I have major house envy! <3

 

You can read the article here: http://inspirationsdeco.blogspot.com/2011/04/la-maison-de-dita-von-...

Look at the pictures... Velvet flocked wallpaper?... her hat collection?... Her vanity?!... Her pink kitchen?!?! Sigh!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Lissie Bee on July 20, 2012 at 12:48am

Yeah for sure, they even include Dita's recipe for "mouse cookies" ...so cute

Also in this article she says how she'll buy antique lipstick tubes, but replace the old lipstick with new fresh lipstick. Such a clever idea!

Permalink Reply by Kelly Davis on July 20, 2012 at 4:00am

I'm in lust with that bed!

Permalink Reply by Della Rae on July 22, 2012 at 11:35pm

I'm in a fairly small town right on the canada/usa border into Washington.
We have 6 thrift stores & I thank all the little Grandmas and Grandpas for filling them up with their old junk.
I have found some pretty interesting things over my thrifting career.
I have a Baby Blue flapper hat & matching gloves.
Hand made bright pink and white rose 60s dress.
The big thing i go looking for is vinyl though.
10cents-49cents is the going rate around here.
I have found everything from a Dion and the Belmonts box set for 10 cents
to a Fats Waller Lp for 49cents.
And all the elvis and buddy holly a girl could ask for in between!

I completely prefer thrifting over going to "vintage" stores. Throwing that word around just gives the shop and excuse to up prices to no avail.

Permalink Reply by Lisa O'Brien on July 23, 2012 at 5:05pm

I love vintage so much that I opened my own shop five years ago!  I can't get enough of it.  I love vintage shops, thrift shops, flea markets, antique shows...you name it!

Permalink Reply by Lexi Free on July 26, 2012 at 10:35am

That's so awesome!! (^____^) I can't get enough either!! <3

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