A few weekends ago, the Thrift Chick and her equally thrifty friend decided to meander on down to McIntosh, FL via US HWY 441.  Our plan was to hit a few estate sales in the afternoon, when prices are low, and then check out some antique stores in McIntosh.  Our first estate sale, in Gainesville, was kind of a bust, being the last few hours on the second day of the sale.  Our faces fell when we saw a pickup truck filled to overflowing with leftover furniture. Ah well, there’s always another sale! As we drove down 441, we came across a sign for an estate sale just north of McIntosh, a little off the beaten track down one of those wonderful country roads that are so prevalent in this area. About a half-mile down, we found the estate sale. As we drove in, we realized that “estate” was not the word we would have chosen to describe this small shack like home.  I nearly did a one-eighty in the driveway, thinking that somehow we had astroprojected into the movie “Deliverance”.  However, all was well as we entered the home and met the friendly lady that lived there. Whew! She is a bigger collector than I am, and needed to trim down a little. We found quite a few nice pieces of costume jewelry, a purse, three tiny Occupied Japan figurines, and a nifty little teapot. A fellow thrifter filled a box with vintage toys, dolls and lamps (he got there first and was well on his way).  Word to the wise: don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t dismiss a sale based on the condition of the house its in- you just never know what fine treasures you’ll find once you step inside.

Feeling content with our booty, we jumped back in the car and headed toward McIntosh. A few minutes later we pulled into Winters Past, a marvelous vintage jewelry and clothing shop. If you can’t find it there, keep looking around, because there is just so much good stuff.  Sheila Winters has the best collection of vintage jewelry and hats in this area, and the prices are quite reasonable. She also has a back room where deeply discounted vintage clothes (perhaps in need of repair) and broken jewelry suitable for re-purposing can be found. If you like Bakelite bracelets, you will find a superb collection at Winter’s Past. If  little cute vintage dresses are your thing, there are plenty to choose from. Best of all is the excellent collection of vintage hats of all kinds.  Thrift Chick treated herself to a very pretty pair of orange flowered earrings for $5. Nice.

Winters Past Hwy 441 and Avenue E, McIntosh, FL 32664

(352) 591-1455   Open Monday through Saturday 11 to 5

http://www.winterspast.com

Next stop on our itinerary was Olde Tyme Florida.  Located in a giant barn-like structure that was a fruit packing house in former days, this huge shop is chock full of antiques and collectibles in all price ranges, and is one of the most fun antique stores around. You will find amongst other items, vintage advertising, books, art, bottles, cast iron, clocks, collector plates, paperweights, furniture of all kinds, jewelry, toys, tools, trains,  a vintage Coke machine, a vintage phone booth, and a full size vintage fire truck! Truly amazing! Thrift Chick and her thrifty friend spent the best part of a pleasant hour chatting with the owners and wandering around the many rooms in this building.

Open September through May, Thursday through Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and by appointment

Old Tyme Florida

20656 9th St. (US HWY 441) McIntosh, FL 32664

352-591-1991

http://www.OldTymeFlorida.com

If armchair shopping is more to your liking,  please check out my Etsy Shop, Soleil Vintage.

 

 

Here is a gallery of photos from  my trip to Winter’s Past and Old Tyme Florida. Click on the thumbnail for a larger view!

 

 

Last week I took a little trip to Jacksonville, FL to explore some of my favorite haunts and do a little interviewing. What a great time I had in Five Points! If you’ve never been there, and live close enough to drive, it’s well worth it. For vintage clothes lovers, there are no less than two vintage clothing shops, and various antique stores with a few (or even many) vintage clothing items from the 80′s on back to the early 1900′s.  Coming from Gainesville,  I took the route that avoided I10 and so got to drive through Riverside, a beautiful historic community on the St. Johns River. Gorgeous houses, antique stores, and the best little hot dog restaurant ever located on Park Place- the hamburgers are to die for! So, after drooling over some furniture that I couldn’t afford, and a delicious hamburger lunch that I could afford, I made my way down to Five Points for my interview with Jason Chancey of Vintage Recalled.

Just for the record, Vintage Recalled is not a thrift store, but an upbeat recycled clothing and vintage fashion clothing store with very reasonable prices and a great selection of ladies and mens clothing and shoes. You can find great broken in cowboy boots, which are a big seller, for under $40. Plenty of used Levi’s, vintage sweaters, comfortably worn in t-shirts, and a big selection of vintage dresses , my favorite, mostly from the 1970′s onward are found here too.

Jason opened his store one week before Halloween in 2010. His idea was to have a “fashion based vintage store” but since discovering what a big hit the 70′s vintage items were at Halloween, and for 70′s theme parties as well,  Vintage Recalled went all out for Halloween 2011 and doubled their sales as compared to their first year’s Halloween. So, whenever you feel the need for gogo boots, Wayfarer style sunglasses, polyester scooter dresses, broomstick skirts or platform shoes, you know where to go.

Vintage Recalled has a strong internet presence, with a website, Facebook page, and Twitter tweets.

Website

http://www.vintagerecalled.com

Brick and Mortar location in Five Points:

Vintage Recalled

817 Lomax St., Jacksonville FL

 

 

Click on the thumbnail for a larger picture.

 

 

 

 

Now that Christmas is over, you can use your Christmas money to purchase a little something just for yourself! Just west of I75, on state road 200, I found some wonderful antiques and gently used furniture shops during my sojourn to Ocala, Florida. Although not strictly thrift shopping, I love to explore the antique stores to find that perfect bit of costume jewelry or  unique decoration for my home.

If you get a chance, Reader, stop by Anything and Everything, a truly wonderful vintage and collectible shop housed in a genuine hunting lodge built in 1928. The owner, Marty, has been in business in this location for about 2 years. I found lots of china, oak furniture, glassware, figurines, vintage jewelry and coins. This shop buys as well as sells, and takes items on consignment. They will buy an entire estate or individual items, including guns, coins, trucks, golf carts (!) vintage art, old watches, military items, bronze statues, jewelry, tools, primitives and SUVs ( of all things).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside this shoppe is repair shop, C&B Clock, specializing in repair of all types of clocks, including pocket watches, wall clocks, grandfather clocks.  You name it, they fix it. Owners Bill and Cliff have been repairing time pieces since the 1940′s – I guess they could be called “Father Time”!

 

Anything and Everything, and C&B Clock

6240 SW Hwy 200, Ocala FL 34476

 Phone 352-237-0555,     or 352-208-5868

 

Nearby, just slightly east of Anything and Everything, a great furniture resale shop awaits! The Renaissance Room has been in business for 18 years and in its current location for 8 years. This very large, 7000 square foot shop boasts gently used furniture, all in good to excellent condition, housewares, glassware, pictures and other decorative things. You will find a lot to hold your attention in this shop. Owners  Debbie and Bob Holshue accept consignments of furniture and other household items.  Check out their new website for consignment information.

 

 

Renaissance Room
7380 SW 60th Ave

Ocala, FL 34476

Phone 352-854-7022

Open Monday through Saturday 9:30 -6

http://www.renroomocala.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One last note: February is Spring Savings Month at Soleil Vintage!

Save up to 30% on selected items. Sale starts February 1st!

My Etsy Shop, Soleil Vintage

 

Thanks for reading! New post soon!

The Thrift Chick

In a world filled with easily obtained massed-produced clothing and accessories, you may be wondering ” Why should I purchase a vintage (i.e. “used”) item? “It’s a good question, so let me entertain you with my thoughts on this subject.

Vintage clothing is unique.

Most items of vintage clothing are “one of kind” or more accurately, one of a few left that have stood the test of time. These dresses, sweaters, pants, shirts, shoes, hats etc. have made it through decades. Movie stars, celebrities, and other famous types often choose vintage over new items, simply because they don’t want to be seen in the same dress as the next up and coming starlet.  These items make great investments as they have been carefully preserved in somebody’s closet or drawer, because they were expensive or special occasion wear and actually meant something to the original owner.  Which takes us to the second reason why vintage is a good buy…

Vintage has History behind it.

That beautiful dress or beaded sweater you just purchased may have been worn at somebody’s wedding 25 or more years ago.  Those vintage shoes may have walked the streets of Paris, Miami or New York in the 1960′s.  Those hippy blue jeans may have been worn at Woodstock. You just never know.

Vintage is great for petite women

When I was younger, skinnier, poorer and in college, I just could not afford those fashionable clothes in the mall very often. My friends and I culled through thrift stores on a regular basis to find nifty outfits to wear out clubbing. I was also a “petite” which meant there were fewer choices in my size, and back then it seemed like the petite size clothes were made for little old ladies and  did not appeal to me in my 20′s. Years ago I was visiting my Grandma in Punta Gorda, Florida, over Christmas break,  and went out one day on my bicycle to check out the thrift store at the Methodist church. Wow did I cash in that day! I remember finding black baby cord pedal pusher pants, button down “Grampa” sweaters, vintage pumps from the 60′s, a little black “Jackie O” dress that I wore until it was threadbare, a pink coat with a multi-colored striped lining and a bunch of other things. I had two paper department store handle bags packed with my treasures, looped over my handle bars, riding back to Grandma’s on my bike. Funny thing is, some elderly lady in a car stopped me and asked me if I was running away from home on my bicycle with my bags of clothes. I guess I looked young then!

Buying vintage builds excellent karma

Yes, I know, it could get a bit preachy, but hear me out peeps. Vintage clothes, housewares, shoes, furniture, jewelry, etc. have already “paid off” their burden to the environment. In short, since these items are being bought for the second or more time around, they no longer carry the associated costs  to the environment of production and shipping that brand new items have. When you purchase these  vintage items, you are essentially re-purposing and recycling in an environmentally friendly way. Go you!

The vintage shopper can also build “good karma” by patronizing second hand shops that support charities. Haven Hospice Thrift Store, The Salvation Army, The Humane Society Thrift store and various church thrifts are all on my “shopping circuit”.  I find that the shop keepers are friendly and the daily discount specials at some of these shops make already inexpensive items amazingly affordable.

In Conclusion…

All in all, shopping for, collecting, wearing, and gifting vintage items is a great opportunity to do some good for the environment, preserve some history, and show your unique  individuality. But, just in case culling through thrift store merchandise is not for you, may I suggest checking out my Etsy shop.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/jmyoho