Vintage Finds from Hartville Flea Market!!!!

I went antique shopping a few weeks ago at Hartville Flea Market and walked away with some pretty nice vintage finds! I bought all the pieces separately, as in I bought the chains and created these two necklaces myself!

Here's a close-up of the flower pendant/brooch which I payed $4 for. The piece is indeed a pendant, however, the chain I purchased didn't fit through the hole so I added two large jump rings and put the chain through that way. You can purchase jump rings at any craft supply store, but I've actually had very good luck with ones I purchased at Walmart. They are high quality and super cheap.

The chain was purchased at a permanent vendor inside the building at the flea market. The vendor had thousands of vintage jewelry items, including about a hundred vintage chains. This particular chain cost me $5. Not too bad considering it matched the brooch perfectly! Personally, I love having an almost entirely (besides the jump rings) vintage piece as opposed to just buying a chain at a craft store with a faux vintage patina. 

And here's a tip! Use a few drops of clear nail polish to seal the pin shut so you're not unexpectedly stabbed in the throat if the pin opens.










The reason I used two jump rings to assemble this piece is so the pendant faces forward when the necklace is worn - basic logic! However, there are times when pendants are stubborn and they just don't seem to want to face forward. In that case, try what I've done below with a new (meaning non-vintage) owl pendant and chain I purchased a while back and assembled myself. Basically, use jump rings to form a triangle! Easy peasy.

This next flea market find consists of a vintage key and another vintage chain from that same vendor. Note: A chain with this patina is RARE. This is the only one I have seen in all my years of antique shopping and it was the only one out of those one hundred chains the vendor had. So if you see one, buy it! You'll regret it if you don't. Both the key and chain costed $4 each. I only needed one jump ring to assemble this beauty!

My last find at the flea market was this darling little ring. Yes, I already have four rings in this style, but they're all different colors and fit on different fingers so it's okay I bought another one, right??? None of the rings I have like this are gold so this one's special! (This is an example of a shopaholic trying to justify her purchases...)

Overall, I enjoyed my day at Hartville Flea Market. This wasn't my first time there and I really do enjoy it every time I go there!

Here's my advice for going to Hartville Flea Market:

1. GET THERE EARLY!!!! I cannot stress this enough. Many of the outdoor vendors start to pack up around noon or possibly sooner (they get there at 6 a.m. or earlier so you can't really blame them). If I see something I'm interested in buying at a vendor, I've gotten into the habit of asking them how long they'll be there so I could always go back for the item later if I decide I want to buy it.
2. As with any flea market, bring cash. It just makes things easier.
3. If you want to shop hardcore, go on a holiday/special event. I went on Memorial Day once and it was absolutely insane. Not only were there significantly more vendors than usual, but there were many unique items that I hadn't seen before at the market.
4. Stock up on produce. The produce in my experience is of great quality and prices are competitive with the West Side Market. Also, the crowds are smaller at Hartville compared to the West Side Market.
5. Don't be afraid to negotiate for vintage items, especially if it's a big-ticket item. The vendors expect it; you're not being rude, I promise!
6. Shop smart. My tactic when shopping anywhere is to look at everything first, then go back and buy items that are still on my mind, because if it's something I can't stop thinking about, then it's probably worthwhile. However, I do buy items in a heartbeat at times if all of the following conditions apply...
• It's the only one of it's kind at that vendor/market
• It's something you've been specifically searching for and it fits your vision exactly
• It's a good price
• It speaks to me!! If I have any doubt at all, then whether or not I buy the item depends on the three aforementioned factors. But as a wise friend said to me recently, it's better to buy a few things you love than many things that are just okay.
7. By shop smart, I also mean you can literally use your smartphone to see if you're getting a good deal. Antique stores where it's one vendor who owns the store and all the merchandise usually know what their items are worth. Antique stores that consist of vendor booths & vendors at flea markets sometimes know what their merchandise is worth - it depends on how much the vendor cares about what they're selling. Thrift stores in my opinion are the best place to find valuable items because the seller has no attachment to the items and they get such a large amount of goods that they don't have time to go through every item and see what it's worth. For example, I bought a book at a thrift store for 25 cents. As it turns out, the book is worth about $55 according to Ebay. A caveat though - just because an item is listed at a certain price online doesn't mean it will sell for that. Find out what the item actually sold for or how much it or a similar item has been appraised for.

Good luck and have fun!!!!

Click HERE for more information about Hartville Flea Market!

Another Vintage Find!!!!

I recently went antique shopping and I found this little beauty of a necklace for just $1!!! The piece features a 1/2 inch long pale pink daisy pendant on a 16 inch gold chain. Sadly, this is the only vintage item I bought for a whole day's worth of shopping, but my new way of thinking is that I rather buy a few things I love than many things that are just average. :)

Recent Vintage Finds!!!!

So I went vintage clothes shopping a few days ago and here's what I found...

Fab Find #1: Loose mid-thigh length blue and white pinstripe shorts. Cute, right?!

Here's a good example of how shorts like this should be styled to capture that retro look.

Taken from www.chictopia.com

Taken from www.etsy.com

And just to show you that I'm not making this stuff up, here's a pattern from the 80s featuring shorts like the ones I found. Similar, no?










Fab Find #2: Navy blue/red/white patterned scarf

Personally, I love to wear scarves as headbands, but a thin, brightly colored one like this would also look great with a blouse or if the scarf in long enough, you can even use it as a sash around your waist. 

Here's the first look that came to mind when I saw this scarf while shopping. For this vintage hairstyle and more, check out this web page! 












For other ways of how to use scarves in your hair, check out these two videos!

Taken from www.alittledashofdarling.com

This is probably my favorite way of wearing a scarf with a blouse.










Wanna learn how to tie the perfect bow? Watch this video!

Fab Find #3: Blue scarf with daisies. Because what's more vintage than daisies?

Please let me know if you have any questions or need styling advice!
I'm here for you!! ;)

Always,
Beth

Retro Play of the Week: Sugar Town by Nancy Sinatra

So in honor of "Throwback Thursday" and because I used to have an oldies radio show on Thursdays, I thought I'd post one of my favorite retro songs every week!

This song seems to always be stuck in my head, especially when the weather is nice. I think it's just perfect for summer driving!

AND... There's a fabulous cover by Zooey Deschanel!!!

Vintage Sneakers

For those who know me, you know I'm a Keds girl all the way. No Converse. No Vans. Just Keds. They're super comfortable and of course, adorable! Keds has been around since 1916 and with such a classic look, they've never gone out of style!

Here's a pair of beautiful teal Keds from the 1960s being sold on Etsy for $48.

My grandma actually had sneakers quite similar to these that she handed-down to me, but alas, my feet are too big. Knowing this, I've been looking for something similar for quite some time now. 


However, Keds today can be rather expensive... Just your basic Keds (Champion Originals) will cost you $45 I'm afraid.

Example of the modern-day classic Ked.
Taken from www.keds.com.

But... there's good news! I just got this pair of adorable retro-style white sneakers at Walmart for $5.97. That's right! Just $5.97!!! Can you believe it?! Compared with the similar sneakers shown above, I think I got a pretty good bargain.

Just to compare the two brands...

• Both don't have arch support so if you have high arches like myself, either way, you're going to need an insert if you plan on wearing the shoes for an extended period of time.

• The basic Keds come in five colors (Red, Navy, Stone, Black and White); the Walmart brand comes in three colors, at least that's what was available in the store where I bought them (Pink, Denim, and White). At Walmart.com, however, it seems you can only get pink.

• The Keds come in half sizes, with sizes ranging from 4 to 13. The Walmart brand only comes in whole sizes, ranging from size 6 through 11. Both are available in wide width.

• I can't speak much on quality because I just got the shoes so I don't know how durable they are. I can tell you that with regular wear, the pair of Keds I do own lasts about a year (I have bought roughly the same design of Keds every year and they each prove to last about a year).

My advice??? If you're looking for a quality shoe in a specific size and have expendable income, go with the Keds. If you're just looking for some cheap retro-style sneakers to capture the vintage look, go with the ones from Walmart. 

New Tires!!!!

I picked up my beautiful vintage bicycle from the local bike shop today after dropping her off yesterday to have new tires put on! Doesn't she look snazzy?

Zooey (I named my bike after Zooey Deschanel ;p) is a gorgeous Columbia Sterling that I got at a thrift store near Malvern, Ohio. The owner of the thrift store told me that this bike used to be his, even though it is a "girls" bicycle, at least according to the fact that it has a step-through frame which in the olden days would accommodate skirts and dresses.

The bike shop owner informed me that Zooey is from either the '60s or '70s and that depending on condition, can be worth anywhere from $700-$1,400. Apparently, I struck gold because I only paid 20 bucks for this beauty! And to think that the thrift store owner's mother was just going to throw her away...

Overall, I invested less than $100 into this bike.
Here's the breakdown:

Bicycle & basket: $20
Seat: $20
New tires & labor: $36
Bell: $3
Light: $2
Zip ties (for the basket): $2

TOTAL = $83.00
(Not too bad for a genuine vintage bicycle!)


Looking to get a vintage bike???

Here are some tips:

• Check out local thrift stores, especially ones that are small and don't have a lot of room for large items. Stores like this want to keep floor room available for highly desirable items that can bring in quite the profit, like furniture and large electronics.

• Don't forget about garage/yard/moving sales. These people are usually pretty desperate to get rid of their unwanted items. Be sure to go in the last hour of the last day of the sale. Sure, you risk losing your potential purchase to another buyer, but if the coveted item is still there, the seller will be extremely desperate to get rid of unsold items.

• Customize, customize, customize! When I bought my bike, the thrift store owner had put on a $20 modern-looking seat to try to make a quick sale. The seat didn't really match the style of the bike so I asked the store owner if I could get the bike without the seat. Not only was $20 for the bike (as opposed to $40 with the new seat) more affordable for me, but I was then able to find a seat that more closely matched the bike. When customizing your bike with accessories, go to local bike shops first before checking out the chain retailers. These specialty stores often offer a much greater selection than chain stores and the prices are usually pretty competitive.

• To get the bike home in one piece, if you purchase the bike out of town somewhere or if it is not in the condition to ride home, be sure you have a reliable method of transporting the bike BEFORE you buy it. I almost made this mistake as I eventually shoved my bike into my boyfriend's car, after of course severely scratching the inside of his new car as well as breaking one of the reflectors off of my bike...

• If buying the bike online, don't be afraid to ask the seller questions or ask to see additional photos of the bicycle. Also, take into account any shipping costs and policies. Sometimes the seller requires that you pick up the bike in person so make sure it's a doable drive. NEVER buy from a seller with a bad reputation or someone who isn't willing to help you.

• And of course, never be afraid to negotiate!

Cleaning Your Vintage Bike

Now, Zooey wasn't that shiny when I first got her. It took a lot of work from my wonderful boyfriend to remove all the rust to get my bicycle to look almost new. 

Tools Used:

• Wire Wheel Brush - The handlebars were covered in extremely deep-set rust and required the use of a wire wheel brush on a drill to remove the rust.
• Get a 6 piece set for $3.99 HERE!

• Aluminum Foil - Believe it or not, aluminum foil works great in gently removing rust from objects. We used this method on the foot pedals and the wheel rims. Simply form a piece of it into a ball and scrub away!

Rosie the Riveter

Taken from www.npr.org/blogs

Ever since her debut during World War II, "Rosie the Riveter" is now a cultural icon of the United States and is often used to represent feminism. As the passionate feminist I am, naturally, I adore the "Rosie the Riveter" concept, and I refer to it as a concept because there wasn't actually a single "Rosie" that became the famous icon. What we know today as "Rosie the Riveter" is actually a mix of a few different Rosies and that famous poster (that's right! this one...) that together formed the concept of an empowered female factory worker.


News:

• Rosie The Riveter's World War II-Era Plant Saved (May 1, 2014)
• Michigan Woman Who Inspired WWII 'Rosie' Poster Has Died (December 30, 2010)
• Listen to the story here

Capture the iconic look with these tutorials!

• Hair (I really like this woman's tutorials! This is more of a play on the classic look.)
• Makeup