Fave Pick for Auction on eBay: Patricia Smith Needlepoint Moon Bag & Belt

I'll have this fabulous vintage 1984 Patricia Smith Moon Bag and fab matching belt (below) up for auction on eBay at favouritevintagefinds for 10 days starting this Sunday night, May 5.

Patricia Smith Moon Bags were designed by artist Patricia Smith.  They were made from the late 1970's until the mid 1990's and weren't mass produced.  Today Patricia Smith Moon Bags and accessories are sought after collector's items.  There are a variety of styles of Moon Bags and most have distinctive lacquered panels, handles or accents that were hand painted by Patricia Smith.   

This grey leather bag features needlepoint embroidery on the front and back and a removeable hand painted lacquered panel.  It can be used as a shoulder bag or a clutch (the shoulder strap can be tucked inside the bag).  The matching belt (below) also features needlepoint embroidery and a hand painted lacquered buckle.   Needlepoint Moon Bags and belts were sold as kits.  The needlework was do-it-yourself, and when the needlework was completed, the kits were sent to Moon Bags Inc for assembly.

I'll also have the following vintage items up for auction this Sunday:  another 80's Patricia Smith needlepoint Moon Bag, a 70's flutter sleeve floral maxi dress, a 70's denim embroidered dress, a 70's floral wool blend maxi skirt, a 50's/60's crinoline petticoat/slip/skirt, and a 70's embroidered flare sleeve top.  

Until next time.  Best wishes, Carla from Favourite Vintage Finds. :)

Member Spotlight - Autena...Trinkets and Treasures

Shop Name: Autena... Trinkets and Treasures http://www.autena.etsy.com

Blog Link: http://autena.blogspot.com

How Long Have You Been In Business? 
Nearly three years. 

What Made You Decide to Sell Online? 
As I was coping with burn-out in my career path, I came across Etsy and became infatuated with it. I had a lot of antiques and collectibles in storage and knew some needed to go. The oportunity presented itself and I took the big leap into online sales!

What Are Your Favorite Ways to Find Items to Sell? 
My favorite ways are to go to flea markets and thrift stores, of course. I also have family items that need to be passed on to a new audience (unloading things can feel good) and have a few close friends and family members whose things I will sell.

1940's Koret Evening Bag False Bottom Opera Glasses 

What Types of Items Can Be Found In Your Shop? 
Nearest and dearest to me to are the quirky finds -- things that perhaps cannot be found too easily elsewhere. As far as categories, I carry accessories, jewelry, toys, books, paper ephemera, and the occasional oddball things like slide rules, wine labels, and fishing floats!

Sterling Silver Monogrammed Money Clip

What Are Your Goals For the Future? 
The items I carry cover a wide range of prices. I've been thinking lately of opening another Etsy shop for the higher end things and keeping the lower priced ones in my current shop. It feels a little strange to offer items from $5 to $600 in the same place!

What Is Your Advice For Vintage Shoppers Online? 
Don't be afraid to email the vendor with questions about the item you are considering buying. It is often hard to see details and information can clear up your questions. Remember that you are shopping for vintage, which means that flaws are a part of the appeal.

What Is Your Advice For Vintage Sellers Just Starting Out? 
I would say two things. First, make sure your photos are clear and pleasing to the eye. The one thing that I worried about when starting out were my mediocre photographic skills. But I have improved over time and am always editing, even though it adds time when listing. The second piece of advice would be to have patience. It takes time to establish your shop. Oh, and network, network, network! 

Fave Pick for Auction on eBay: Vintage Floral Gunne Sax Style Maxi Dress

 

I'll have this fabulous vintage 70's Gunne Sax style dress up for auction on eBay at favouritevintagefinds for 10 days starting this Sunday night, April 14.  This dress is cotton blend voile, acetate lined, and has sheer sleeves. 

In addition to this dress, I'll have the following vintage items up for auction:  another 70's floral maxi dress,  a 50's swing rockabilly dress, a vintage 80's Bally leather handbag, and an 80's brocade and lace party dress.  I'll also have a vintage inspired crinoline slip/petticoat up for auction.  

Until next time.  Best wishes, Carla from Favourite Vintage Finds. :)

Givenchy - Getting to Know the Brand

The other day I had a customer contact me for more information about a Givenchy necklace she had inherited, being of a curious nature myself, I had done some research on the brand and thought what I had discovered may help add "value" to her inheritance, from a purely educational standpoint!

Givenchy

I've come across several Givenchy items within the last couple of years and they've ran the gamut! The first item I ever purchased was a brooch the next - a pair of pantyhose! So I was curious about a brand who could create such different items for distribution and here's what I discovered.

Givenchy is a French brand and it's still in existence today. It was started in the 1950s by Hubert de Givenchy, just as the couture scene in Paris was really taking off. Givenchy was a clothing designer who studied under famous designers like Jacques Fath and Lucian Lelong. He's given credit as the first designer to come up with a luxury ready to wear line in 1954 and is most famously known for his 40-year long relationship in fashion with Audrey Hepburn, who was his muse. He also designed for Lauren Bacall and Jackie Kennedy. In the late 1960s and early 70s he realized that his brand had value and he began to apply it to other products like jewelry, linens and shoes. It's likely that the brooch I picked up is from the late 1960s to early 70s when this branding rush was happening, the same for the necklace that I had found and my customer had inherited.

In 1988 Givenchy joined in with the Louis Vuitton company, but was still producing under his own brand. The pair of pantyhose I picked up are from the early 90s, right before Hubert's retirement in 1995. The company is still run today under the guidance of designer Riccardo Tisci.

All Givenchy products are clearly marked with the very distinctive four G square image that you see on the back of the brooch and the top of the pantyhose package. You won't see an unmarked Givenchy piece and because of how unique the logo is, it's a pretty easy brand to recognize.

I think it's amazing to see the gamut of more than 50 years in the fashion industry from a singular brand perspective!

To see more costume jewelry visit my shop at www.etsy.com/shop/vintagebaublesnbits. To read more vintage jewelry histories check out my blog - www.thriftinginthelou.blogspot.com

- Mandy Heth
Owner, Vintage Baubles & Bits

Member Spotlight - Sunday and Sunday

Edmund and Carolyn Sunday
Sunday and Sunday Fine Antique Jewelry & Watches 
http://www.sundayandsunday.com/ 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SundayandSunday 
http://www.rubylane.com/shop/sundayandsunday 

How long have you been in the business?

This May the 8th, 2013 will be both our 30th Wedding Anniversary, as well as the 30th Anniversary of our business.

What made you decide to start selling online / start your website? 

They say that when God closes a door, he opens a window. For me the closed door was due to chronic pain and illness that left me unable to meet the physical demands of doing antique shows all over the country, which is how we both previously made our living. We started with Antique Networking which eventually became Go Antiques, and of course, like most who started segueing into the world of on-line sales - with eBay. Eventually we joined Ruby Lane and Etsy, and created our own stand alone web site with the help of our web guru extraordinaire - Bob Lusk - at http://www.bluerail.net/. 

What are your favorite ways to find items to sell? 

We purchase from private individuals, estates, antique malls, antique shops, pawn shops, vintage jewelry stores, online dealers, and we also have several reliable pickers constantly on the look out for us. 

What types of items can usually be found in your shop? 

Fine antique and vintage jewelry (karat gold/platinum/silver and gem stones), antique pocket watches, vintage wrist watches. We also have a fine array of pocket watch accessories such as watch chains, fobs and pins. We particularly love the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

As a bench trained watchmaker, my husband has been professionally restoring watches for nearly 40 years. He also does limited repair and restoration work on jewelery, and we have an amazing bench jeweler with decades of expertise at our disposal. All of the pieces with gemstones have been carefully examined by myself.

I have earned certificates from The Gemological Institute of America in Diamonds, Diamond Grading, Colored Stones, and Gem Identification. Additionally, and we also have a GIA graduate gemologist nearby for any items that I feel require further examination. 

1915 Edwardian Art Deco 14k .79 Carat Diamond Peridot Festoon Necklace 

Signed Untermeyer Robbins Company Art Deco 14k Gold European Cut

What are your goals and plans for the future? 

We hope to continue a legacy of providing our customers with high quality well researched pieces and courteous service. Our greatest desire would be that in some small way the love Ed and I have for each other and our business might inspire the next generation of collectors.

If you could give one piece of advice to buyers who are shopping for vintage online, what would it be?

In real estate they say that it's "Location, Location, Location!". In the antique and vintage universe we believe that it's "Condition, Condition, Condition!". That being said, you have to follow your gut instinct and  absolutely fall in love with an item - which in our opinion trumps anything else.

If you could give one piece of advice to a seller who is just starting out, what would it be? 

My dad always taught me that a good student has an open mind and continues to research and learn throughout their entire life time. The minute you think that you know it all, is when you know the absolute least. We spend as much time researching as any other aspect of our business. 

Be meticulous about your descriptions including exact measurements. We also find it helpful to show jewelry photographed as worn or next to a ruler so that the buyer will have a better idea of proportion and scale. We try to include measurements and weights along with their common conversions (inches/millimeters or grams/pennyweights). Crisp clear, simple images are a must, and be sure to point out any flaws or condition issues carefully. Have a gracious and liberal return policy especially since on-line sales can't be "held" and examined in person. We do not charge any return fees nor will we purchase from dealers who have them.

Target your sales events towards you best customers first. Also don't be afraid to constantly make wise and practical investments in the highest quality inventory you can afford. Take advantage of media trends. Shows like Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Downton Abbey, Hell on Wheels and many other period shows and movies have created trends in buying merchandise from that era. Finally, the most obvious and most important- treat everyone with the same courtesy that you would expect to be treated.  The customer REALLY is, always right.

To learn more about the Sunday and Sunday journey and credentials please visit our "About" page:
http://www.sundayandsunday.com/engine/about.asp 

To join us on Facebook please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/sundayandsunday

Fave Pick for Auction on eBay: Vintage French Tambour Embroidered Beaded Bag

This vintage 50's/60's French Tambour embroidered beaded bag is certainly a fave find of mine and certainly gorgeous, but, it's time for me to part with it.  It will be up for auction on eBay at favouritevintagefinds for 10 days starting this Sunday night, March 24.

In addition to this bag, I'll also have the following vintage items up for auction:  a 50's/60's embroidered bag, a 50's lace chiffon dress, a 70's batik tribal print caftan dress, and a 70's floral lace maxi skirt.

 

Until next time.  Best wishes, Carla from Favourite Vintage Finds. :)

Vintage clothing from Neiman-Marcus circa 1979!

I just listed a really neat vintage Neiman-Marcus clothing catalog from 1979 - it is actually a folder with 34 double sided prints inside that measure 3.5" x 7.5" - a pretty unique way to design an advertisement! I thought I would post a few of my favorite ones here, the clothes are all very late 70's / early 80's preppy chic! (Click the photos to enlarge, excuse the rainbow patterns on them - my scanner isn't liking capturing solid backgrounds lately...)