Hunters Alley...A New Online Marketplace For Vintage

 

The founders of One Kings Lane have launched a new website for vintage product called Hunters Alley.

Hunters Alley is being touted as a "peer-to-peer" marketplace with literally hundreds and hundreds of items from sellers around the country.  A great way to see tons of unique items from the convenience of your laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

To hunt for specific items there are category options as well as a keyword search function.  There are going to be new listings daily so you will want to check the site out frequently!  You can also take a quick look through some of of the editorial features and product offerings.

A fun new site to add to your online shopping repetoire!

You can view the retroda listings on Hunters Alley here and on One Kings Lane here.  Happy Hunting!

Vintage-Themed Video by Imagine Dragons

The latest video from the white-hot Imagine Dragons pokes some fun at the conspiracy theorists who say the Apollo moon landings from 1969-1972 were a filmed hoax by NASA.  Lots of vintage eye-candy - clothing, home decor, automobiles, and of course, hairstyles!  Fun song with a fun video - check it out!

MixxCentury.com - retroda in the Dealer Spotlight

This week's dealer spotlight at MixxCentury.com features retroda! There is a brief Q&A/interview and links to some of the items I currently have up for sale on the site.  Thanks to site founders Dawn and Holly for the write-up!  Here's a link:

http://www.mixxcentury.com/blog/dealer-spotlight-retroda/

MixxCentury.com - A New Website For Antique & Vintage Hunters

retroda has been selected as a founding dealer on the new website MixxCentury.com.  The site features a curated assortment of antique and vintage items up for sale, including some limited-time "flash sale" events. And the only new product you'll find here is something "new to you"!

Add together some passionate founders and some enthusiatic dealers and you get an amazing offering of antique and vintage product.  Things will get snapped up quickly and there will always be more great items coming through the pipeline...so you'll want to check out the site regularly - make it part of your morning routine!

You can see the retroda storefront by clicking on Dealer Gallery at the bottom of the homepage, then clicking on the retroda logo. Or click here to check it out now. Jump on in and MIXX IT UP!

Hot Off The Press...Flea Market Finds Magazine!

Several months ago, I was shadowed by a writer while I shopped at the Long Beach Antique & Flea Market.  We spent several hours together talking about my business while hunting for treasure. The result?  A feature article about me in this special edition "bookazine", Flea Market Finds.  It is just hitting newsstands now and should be available through mid-September.

Featuring a multitude of great articles about shopping at flea markets, insider tips, projects, and of course, several different stories on dealers in the industry.  The writer of most of the articles is Bonnie McCarthy, a contributor to the Huffington Post blog as well as her own blog, This American Home.  It's quite the compendium on the subject of flea markets and a handy guide to keep for future reference.

In this digital age, sometimes it's still nice to get the tactile feel and glossy finish of a magazine.  An iPad or digital reader can't give you that.  Go pick up a copy at your local newsstand and support a small business!

Meeting David Weidman, Mid-Century Artist

I have vivid memories of watching Fractured Fairy Tales, the cartoons that ran between episodes of The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show.  I can recall the narrator's voice well but really remember the distinctive art style and more sophisticated humor of these cartoons. 

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to meet David Weidman, a celebrated Mid-Century artist.  David is perhaps best known for his work in animation, most notably Fractured Fairy Tales and Mr. Magoo.  His work is often described as whimsical and reflects a now iconic and timeless style.  Check out Mad Men to see some of his work!

Inretrospect, on famed "Retro Row" in Long Beach, has quite a large cache of David's work for sale and hosted an event showcasing pieces from the Weidman family archives. 
David began screen-printing his work based on the suggestion by his wife, Dorothy, and the rest is history.  All of the original screens used to produce his prints have been destroyed so there is a definite limited supply of his work remaining.  You can see some of them on his website.

I had acquired one of his "Grey Owl" prints at an estate sale.  I took it to the appearance and asked him to tell me about it.  He briefly looked at it and then inspected the way it was framed.  I was ready to defend myself and say I had bought it that way when he told me he had personally framed the print himself in his workshop.  What a memory he has at 92!  The print is not numbered and he told me it was a very early print from before his family had him start numbering his work.  I loved the print when I bought it, but getting the chance to speak with him about it makes me cherish it even more.  I had him sign the back of it and told him it would be hanging in my daughter's room.

It was an amazing experience and one I will not forget!

Time flies when you're having fun...

The past year does in fact seem to have passed by in a blur for retroda!  So much has happened, is happening right now, and will be happening in the very near future.  I hope all of that grammar is correct!

Here's a brief recap of what's going on with retroda:

Long Beach Antique Mall II - still running my business at this store as it continues to develop and build a customer base. Lots of new dealers have moved in and there's always something new to see.

inretrospect - This store's popularity continues to grow.  Lots of publicity from magazine and newspaper articles, as well as some amazing special events hosted by the owners.  I am currently working on a major expansion at this store - stay tuned for a location update coming soon!

Warehouse 1333 - Last year I opened a "shop within a shop" at this store in Long Beach.  The store features an eclectic mix of product and sells a lot of furniture.  I have mixed an assortment of Mid-Century goods, plus industrial/salvage and vintage office items including tanker desks, file cabinets, and other accessories.

Orange Avenue Estate, Salvage, & Garden - As of last Fall I no longer have a dealer space in this store.

One Kings Lane - A successful launch on the One Kings Lane website forced a quick learning curve on running a vintage e-commerce business!  Photographing products, listing them for sale, staying in-stock with shipping boxes and packing supplies, and packing and shipping orders have added new tasks to the daily workload.  Busy = success.  Bring it on!

Long Beach Antique/Flea Market - retroda is no longer selling at the show, but you might see us shopping the aisles now. Watch for the overflowing carts headed to the parking lot!

That's a wrap.  Will try my best not to "fall off the wagon" again, especially since its a vintage Radio Flyer!

Live on One Kings Lane!

Upcoming items to be featured in the retroda shop at One Kings Lane

This week marked the start of e-commerce business for retroda. The first few items have begun to be offered for sale on the One Kings Lane website.  retroda is featured in the Vintage & Market Finds section where each day you will find hundreds of items that have been selected by One Kings Lane merchants to be offered for sale for five days only.

There is also a page where you can see just the current offerings from retroda:  https://www.onekingslane.com/shop/retroda 

Things appear to be moving quickly and two items sold this week on their first day up for sale:

Embroidered Pillow Sham from retroda at One Kings Lane

Mid-Century Barware Collection from retroda at One Kings Lane

It's an encouraging sign and hopefully an indicator of future success!  Check out the website and the retroda shop and let me know what you think!

Happy First Anniversary - Long Beach Antique Mall II

It's hard to believe that it's been an entire year since I was one of the first dealers to move into the Long Beach Antique Mall II. The mall got a very fast start in the antique/vintage marketplace and has had a waiting list to rent a dealer space almost since opening. There is a dedicated following of interior decorators, set designers, and vintage collectors and more people are discovering the store every day. With more than 50 dealers regularly bringing in items, you never know what treasures you might find!


To celebrate the one year anniversary, the store is having a 2-day party on Father's Day weekend, June 16th & 17th. Many dealers are running specials on their entire inventory which is pretty rare for this store. retroda will be participating by offering a 20% discount on all items for these two days only. If you've had your eye on something recently, it is definitely time for action! Come see us this weekend and help us celebrate!

One Kings Lane

I am super excited to officially announce the launch of an online business for retroda through the website One Kings Lane. One Kings Lane was founded in 2009 as an online "flash sale" website featuring designer home furnishings and lifestyle products. Today there are more than 3 million registered customers who watch the site regularly for curated sale events that last only five days. One Kings Lane also regularly features "Tastemaker Tag Sales" from top interior designers with some of their recent events coming from Robert & Cortney Novogratz and some of the "Million Dollar Decorators".


retroda was selected to be a vendor in the new Vintage & Market Finds section featured alongside other dealers from around the country. Several hundred items are listed for sale each day beginning at 8:00 PST/11:00 EST and while they are available for five days, lots of items get snapped up in the first few hours. We have been very busy preparing to "go live" on the site and have converted the dining room into an impromptu photo studio complete with white backdrop and multiple lights. Next step will be getting ready to ship out all of the items that sell!


I am busy submitting my proposed items to their buying and merchandising team and, once they are approved, should have items up on the site within a couple of weeks.  I'm happy to be partnering with One Kings Lane on this e-commerce endeavor and hope it is the start of something big!

You Can't Go Home Again...

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

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!

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

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!

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!

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.