retroda

You Can't Go Home Again...

2012-05-22T23:29:00.000-07:00

I go to a lot of estate sales and sometimes it's hard to decide if one is going to be worth my time and effort to attend. Where is it located? What kind of items are they advertising? How do the photos of the sale look? There are a lot of variables that affect my decision to go to a specific sale or pass it by.

This past Sunday at the Long Beach Flea Market, the owner of one of the area's estate sale companies stopped by my booth and told me I needed to come to his sale this week as he thought there were a lot of things I would be interested in. Before I spoke with him, I had seen his ad and decided it was going to be a "pass" on this sale. I'm glad I changed my mind!

It turns out that the house the sale was held at was my parents' first house! Driving over to the sale, I knew the house was on the same street I lived on until I was four years old, but when I pulled up to the address I knew it was our old house! I don't think I have any actual memories from living there, but I recognized a few things from old family photos - the banquette in the kitchen, the patio where I played with my sister, the stoop where my grandma sat, my mom in the front yard by the succulent plants, and my dad in the backyard showing off his deep-sea fishing catch. While I was positive it was the same house, I was able to confirm it with the son of the home's owner as he was at the home during the sale. He told me it was his mother's home and she is the one who purchased it from my parents many years ago. As the song goes, it's a small world after all...

I did end up purchasing some furniture and other things from the sale but since they are not my family's they will not be hard for me to sell. However, I did recently receive some furniture from my uncle's estate that my parents had given to him when they furnished their new home - living room tables that came from the house I visited today. They may not be "heirlooms" but they do have some sentimental value for me. At least I can validate their mid-century authenticity!

Who says "you can't go home again"? Today, I did!

Dark Shadows

2012-05-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

My wife and I are big Tim Burton fans and were really looking forward to seeing his latest film, Dark Shadows. While the movie is entertaining and the special effects are pretty amazing, it left us wanting more. Even Johnny Depp's performance felt a little reserved compared to his other over-the-top characters. Maybe the subject matter is too grim, but we wanted more fun out of the movie.

Since most of the story occurs in 1972, there are fun retro references - bright Samsonite luggage, cool cars, vintage board games, and owl macrame. There's also a fun bit with The Carpenter's on TV singing "Top Of The World". We wanted more vintage product nostalgia and more music!

Fun? Yes. Entertaining? Yes. Worth going to? You decide. Based on our expectations going in, maybe the movie we really wanted to see was Light Shadows...

"HOARDERS" Show Filming At My House!

2012-05-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

Just Kidding! I think... No, really we're just getting ready for our semi-annual yard sale. This is the biggest one yet - the photo above doesn't even show six more tables around the side yard or what's on the patio or driveway! retroda is teaming up with Sweet Treasures Home and another ex-vintage dealer to hold a mother lode of a yard sale. It looks like we will get nice weather for the next couple of days - wish us luck!

You Spin Me Round Like A Record

2012-05-07T23:06:00.000-07:00

Ever since I decided to write this post, I have had this earworm of a song stuck in my head! Yes, an iconic hit from the '80s, but definitely not one of my favorites! The "Big Eighties" are definitely on their way back - the music and clothes are already here...next up? Home furnishings! I even had a customer ask me for black lacquered furniture and a lucite table just a few days ago. Are you ready for an American Gigolo home makeover?

Here's what caused all of this eighties madness:

It's a vintage spin display case. All of the shelves rotate around so you can easily view items up close - no squatting or kneeling, just rotate the shelf to the top of the case to view. This type of case is hard to find since they are perfect for showing so many different things. I was lucky enough to find one last month and I just installed and loaded it at Long Beach Antique Mall II. Come on out and take it for a spin - big hair is optional!

Orange Crush!

2012-05-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

I'm posting photos today from my dealer space at Orange Avenue Estate, Salvage & Garden. It made me remember one of my favorite sodas when I was a kid - Orange Crush! These days I am more likely to be drinking an Orangina though.

Located in the historic Long Beach neighborhood of California Heights, Orange Avenue ES&G opened last September and has quickly built up a loyal customer base of local residents and beyond. As the name implies, the store features vintage finds for your home, salvaged and re-purposed/up-cycled items, and an outdoor garden area. It's not your typical antique mall, but there are multiple dealers represented and you never know what treasure you might find. Stop by and take a look!

Orange Avenue Estate, Salvage & Garden
3414 Orange Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90807
(562) 427-6928

website: http://www.orangeaveestatesalvageandgarden.com/#!
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/orangeaveESandG?ref=ts

Here's a look at some of what I'm offering there right now:

Wicker furniture - just in time for patio season!

Kitchen hutch full of canning jars, cookbooks, pottery serving dishes, and more.

A vintage baker's table with metal drawers for flour and sugar! Loads of enamelware, milk bottles, and a ton of great old kitchen gadgets.

Vintage linens - tablecloths, napkins, aprons, dishtowels.

Shells!

Vintage buttons - fill a cup for $6!

Vintage dog planters and figurines and a great metal greenhouse - perfect for a terrarium.

An assortment of clear glass jars - selling lots of these, especially the old candy jars.

A black wrought iron entertainment wall unit - It would also be great on a patio filled with plant pots. Also available are vintage biscuit tins, water and milk bottles, glass insulators and a thermos collection. For the wee vintage collectors, some Fisher-Price toddler toys, board games and books are here to keep them busy while you shop...of course they are all available to purchase!

Shout It Out!

2012-04-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

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

2012-04-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

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

2012-04-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

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

2012-04-25T00:26:00.000-07:00

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!

2012-04-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

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!

Super 8...Vintage fun!

2011-06-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

My wife and I actually went out to a movie without the kids last weekend! I have been looking forward to seeing Super 8 for a long time...It did not disappoint! How could it coming from Steven Spielberg and J. J. Abrams who is probably best known for the TV show Lost - one of my all-time favorites. The movie is set in 1979 and the look and feel is pure vintage, the music soundtrack is spot-on! A great popcorn flick that is very reminiscent of classics like Close Encounters and E.T., but with a little more action and suspense. Highly recommended!

retroda is expanding!

2011-06-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

I just bought a display case and had it delivered next to my existing dealer space at the LB Antique Mall II. This will allow me to offer higher-priced collectibles as well as some smaller items as the case will be secured with a lock. Look for some Disney collectibles and memorabilia, Frankoma and other pottery, some Nambe, and lots more miscellaneous and random fun stuff. Photos of the fully-loaded case coming soon!

Vintage Snacks

2011-05-23T18:02:00.001-07:00

My favorite chips from when I was a kid are back! Taco flavor...complete with vintage packaging!

Scenes From A Mall...

2011-05-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

Thought I would post some photos I took of my space at the Long Beach Antique Mall II. The mall is almost fully rented now and all of the dealers have great stuff filling the entire mall. Stop by and check it out when you have time - The store hours are 11:00 - 7:00 everyday.

Lots of 1950's pottery, glassware, and serving pieces. I'm always drawn to anything turquoise:

Barware, cookware, serving pieces. I just sold the suitcases in the background!

Lots of kitchen items: cake plates, Fire King, Pyrex, pottery, rolling pins and baking items

Lots of decorative glass, canister sets, lacquered trays, a ceramic owl lamp, and a really great daisy table with a resin top and a flower pot base

A great wrought iron swing. It's in great condition and rare to find one with the canopy extension

A wooden room divider/screen. The colored panels are glass!

A vintage medical cabinet. This one is in super good condition...I almost kept it for my house!

Lots of cookbooks, mostly from the 50's and 60's. There's some cool ones from the 30's and 40's and a White House cookbook from the 1890's!

Lots of tablecloths - the ones shown here are mostly hand-printed ones from the 1950's

Lots of stuff from the 60's and 70's

A great BBQ cart! This looks like it was custom built. It holds a Weber kettle grill and has a ton of storage space. It's on wheels so its easy to move. A great Father's Day gift!

A rustic cart on industrial iron wheels. I think this would be perfect on a porch or patio filled with plant pots

Star Spotting!

2011-05-18T21:18:00.001-07:00

Emily Henderson, host of HGTV's Secrets From A Stylist, flanked by her posse Rebecca and Orlando. They were my best customers of the day at last Sunday's LB Antique Market. Thanks Guys!

Hello Blogosphere!

2011-05-17T23:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings!
Welcome to my new blog. I am a first-timer so please go easy on me! If you have any tips or tricks on how to do this the Steve Austin way (Better, Stronger, Faster!), please let me know.

I am hoping to use this forum to focus on my vintage business, retroda. I have been "on hiatus" (not my choice!) from the fashion industry and have been developing my business with my spare time...of which I have none anymore! retroda allows me to utilize my fashion buying sense and hopefully make a little money in the process...someday?

I currently sell at the Long Beach Antique/Flea Market which is held every third Sunday at Veteran's Stadium at Long Beach City College http://www.longbeachantiquemarket.com/index.shtml I am located every month in space D-560, straight through the entrance on the right hand side very close to the front of the show. This month there's an extra "Super Sunday" sale on May 29th where we will be located in space D-545.

I also have a dealer space at the new Long Beach Antique Mall II located across the street from Long Beach Antique Mall on Pacific Coast Highway http://www.longbeachantiquemall.com/page1.php I am dealer #64 and you can ask anyone working there to show you where my space is located. It also has a retroda sign on the front!

For the past few months I have been running a trunk show during Bixby Knolls First Fridays in Long Beach at the Bella Cosa boutique on Atlantic Avenue http://www.bellacosaboutique.com/ We'll be there again on Friday, June 3rd and the product will be there throughout the weekend.

Please "follow" me and I'll do my best to keep you up-to-date with what's happening in and around my business. I'm sure there will be plenty of random rants and raves as well. Please help grow my follower base by forwarding to anyone who you think might be interested...Many Thanks!

Blog ya later,
G