Shout It Out!

Yesterday was a special "5th Sunday" show at the Long Beach Flea Market so we packed the U-Haul again and headed out in the pre-dawn hours to get set-up for the show.  We were the featured dealer for this show and got "shout-outs" on the LB Flea Market website and Facebook pages:
http://www.longbeachantiquemarket.com/index.cfm/blog/featured-dealer1/retroda-at-the-long-beach-flea-market/
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150787287494452.421745.28409134451&type=1
It was fun meeting new people that recognized retroda from the coverage - our 15 minutes of fame!


We also saw a lot of our regular customers too.  Our friends Bonnie & Justin came by and we had a nice visit.  Bonnie writes an amazing blog http://thisamericanhome.blogspot.com/ and is a great photographer too.  She just posted a story about the flea market and posted a fun photo recap of their day at the show.  She also gave us a "shout-out" and took a picture of one of my wife's favorite items in our booth - An orange ceramic bunny bank!


We had a great corner location yesterday and featured a lot of industrial items including these wooden molds from the estate of Bud Hurlbut, one of the creative forces who built up Knott's Berry Farm from berry stand into a full-blown theme park.

They got a lot of attention as they are striking pieces of architectural interest.  I think the best part about them though is the historical connection to Knott's.  Some of the pieces are even stamped "HURLBUT AMUSEMENT COMPANY".  Other people thought they were cool as well and carried some of them home!


We'll be back at the LB Flea on the regular third Sunday schedule, May 20th.  We have moved our regular show selling space and will be located further down the same aisle in space E434, into the center of the show, closer to the restrooms...the snack bar...the beer!  Come out and see us!

Scenes From A Mall...The Sequel

It's been exactly one year since I was one of the first dealers to move in at the Long Beach Antique Mall II.  My space has had many iterations since then...Here's a photo album of what it looks like now:

A large mid-century bookcase features loads of kitchen/dining items, and owl lamp, and a mushroom lamp with a shade made out of coral.

A great green & white formica dresser, room dividers and wall decor.  Also, a nice assortment of vintage greeting cards.

More wall decor and a peek at some of the many lighting options.

Sewing headquarters - Adjustable-height dress fitting form, sewing books, vintage fabrics, loads of vintage patterns - most from the '80s

A fantastic picnic suitcase featuring bakelite flatware for six people, a metal container to hold your food, an aluminum ribbed thermos and aluminum drink tumblers.  Underneath the suitcase, an assortment of Pyrex, Fire King, and Federal glassware.

 Tons of glassware - from juice glasses to barware.  Many different sets to choose from.

Vintage military, vintage industrial. Also, a set of antique post office boxes - this would be an awesome nightstand or end table.

Pepsi Character collector glasses (also available at Inretrospect)

Vintage LP's - most are from Disney movie soundtracks, but there are other Disney albums as well as some Sesame Street and Captain Kangaroo discs.

Inside the showcase, lots of collectible items from the Queen Mary and vintage airline memorabilia.

Vintage medical items - great books, pestle & mortar sets, vintage medicine bottles, and some educational slides for microscopes.

Viva Las Vegas!

Lots of great Disney and Disneyland collectibles.

What to expect...at Inretrospect

Opening its doors in October, 2011, Inretrospect offers "vintageware with contemporary flair".  The store replaced a previous antique mall on Long Beach's famous "Retro Row", a section of Fourth Street packed with vintage stores offering the best mid-century furniture, home furnishings and accessories, vintage clothing, and even a roller skating shop. The store's owners, Dave and Chris, built a strong team of dealers which has resulted in an impressive offering of vintage goods.  Business has been brisk and the feedback overwhelmingly positive.  Stop by and check out the store - you're bound to go home with some vintage awesomeness!


Here's a look at my space at Inretrospect:

Amazing teak dual sided bookshelf - perfect as a room divider.

Teak modular wall unit shown in an "L" set-up.  Can also extend flat against a wall for over 15 feet! Also, a great wooden daisy chair and a unique floor lamp with display shelves.

"Back" view of wall unit.  This piece would also be a great room/space divider as it is finished on all surfaces.

A selection of vintage board games and playing cards.

Vintage jewelry, both costume and sterling silver items.  Lots of turquoise to coordinate with the Native American trend happening in apparel right now.

The mother lode of glass - art glass, canister sets, Pepsi character collector glasses, vintage Georges Briard and Couroc barware, and other serving and entertaining pieces.  Vintage luggage - both pullmans and popular train cases available.

A large selection of vintage glazed plant pots - perfect vessels to showcase succulent plants.  The industrial wire stacking baskets are also available - they come atop a rolling base.

A couple of swingin' swivel barstools in white leather.  These look like they are straight out of an episode of Charlie's Angels!  The accent pillows are made from vintage OP knit fabric from the 1970's.

 owls, Owls, OWLS!  My best selling category at Inretrospect.  It's hard to keep up with the demand so I am always on the lookout for more!

Moving in at Warehouse 1333

I just opened a new dealer space this month at Warehouse 1333 in Long Beach. The store's owners, March and Bob, have done a great job of mixing their dealers offering "Antique / Vintage / Modern" home furnishings. You can check out the store's website at www.warehouse1333.com and connect with them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Warehouse-1333/156543934382243.  Better yet, stop in and say hi to Bambi...That's right, Bambi was a boy!  Here's a quick photo tour of my space:

A great formica table with leaf and four paisley-print chairs

A nice mid-century dining room table + 6 chairs.  Also, everything you need to set it properly including floral dinnerware by designer, Vera, and an amazing stainless steel flatware service for 12!

Loads of industrial milk crates and bottles, apothecary bottles and vintage first-aid kits, and an English riding saddle.  The super-cool wood workbench/table sold this past weekend!

Everything you need to prepare for a great picnic season including a vintage redwood table and two benches, vintage Coleman and Igloo coolers, picnic baskets with pie shelves, and a nice assortment of wool blankets.  That's a wooden weaver's yarn-drying rack on top of the table - I think it would make an awesome wine rack.

Loads of vintage enamelware, tool boxes, industrial wire racks and shelving, and salvage items - lots of great windows, a couple of rare 12-paned doors, and even an old chain-link gate.

 A great metal tool bin with rotating shelves - this thing has so many possibilities!

Tons of vintage office stuff - a large tanker desk, metal filing cabinets, great desk chairs, typewriter and table, and vintage office supplies.  Some great decor items as well - an antique switchboard, unicycle, and old wooden industrial molds and machinery parts.

Lots of great wall decor items - paintings, brass sculptures, and don't forget Bambi!

A collection of vintage alarm and travel clocks, and Brady Bunch-era Pyrex and Tupperware.

Loads of glassware, barware, entertaining and decor items. Vintage luggage up on top.

A lot to see - some stuff is not even pictured.  Stop by when you have a chance and check it out!

Hello Again!

After a false start of my blog last year, I'm ready to give it another go.  I was looking for a pop-culture reference to tie-in and all I could come up with was a 1987 movie called "Hello Again" starring Shelley Long, or the song "Hello Again" by Neil Diamond:

All I can say is could the '80s have been any cheesier?  I'm ready for boomboxes again but not so sure about those shoulder pads!

Since my last post, my vintage business has grown fast and furiously and am now selling in dealer spaces at four Antique/Vintage stores in Long Beach as well as continuing to sell each month at the Long Beach Flea Market.  Here's the info for all five locations:

Long Beach Flea Market - opened dealer space in October, 2010
Veterans Stadium @ Long Beach City College
Third Sunday each month
Open 5:30 - 3:00

Long Beach Antique Mall II - opened dealer space in April, 2011
1851 Freeman Avenue
Signal Hill, CA  90755
(562) 498-3500
Open 11:00 - 7:00 Daily

Orange Avenue Estate, Salvage & Garden - opened dealer space in September, 2011
3414 Orange Avenue
Long Beach, CA  90807
(562) 427-6928
Open Tues-Sat 11:00 - 6:00, Sun 11:00 - 4:00

Inretrospect - opened dealer space in October, 2011
2122 E. 4th Street
Long Beach, CA  90814
(562) 433-6600
Open Tues-Thurs 12:00 - 6:00, Fri-Sat 11:00 - 8:00, Sun 11:00 - 6:00

Warehouse 1333 - Opened dealer space in April 2012
1347 Redondo Avenue
Long Beach, CA  90807
(562) 494-1333
Open 11:00 - 7:00 Daily

Each store has a different flavor and customer mix and I have tried to reflect that in what I offer in each of the locations. I will post more about all of the stores with photos this week. If you're in the Long Beach area, stop in and check them out - just ask for the retroda space.

Please follow my blog and "like" my page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/retroda to stay in the loop with all the news on my business and random stuff I encounter along the way. Help spread the vintage love and tell your friends, too.

Thanks!