RVA Vintage Market

Howdy, howdy, howdy! Hope everyone was able to enjoy the awesome weather weekend we just had in Richmond, VA! It’s unusual for it to be below 80-85 degrees in June and under 100% humidity! It was the perfect weekend to enjoy the first RVA Vintage Market, hosted by RVA Antiques (located on Lakeside Avenue, next to the farmer’s market). The Mr. and I made a quick, spontaneous drop in at the event on Saturday morning. The event was from 10am to 6pm, but judging by the crowd and the vintage loot that was being taken out of there…I doubt there was anything left by the end of the day!

I really do think that large, indoor, upscale antique shows are a thing of the past. The younger vintage collectors want a bargain and a more relaxed, enjoyable shopping experience. Add some good music and great local food and you have a recipe for success. I definitely could see this becoming an expanded event with more dealers and happening more frequently. Like that famous movie says…”If you bring junk, they will come”…er…something like that. Here’s a quick round-up of what we saw…

 

What outdoor vintage market would be complete without a cute, repainted camper?

 

I walked away with an amazing hand-tooled vintage leather bag and mod chunky faux pearl necklace from VBVintage, from Virginia Beach.

 

 

Too bad Sunny is too big now for this amazing vintage pram. I’ve seen similar ones on ebay for thousands of dollars. This one was priced at a cool $350.

 

Note to all dealers….please, please, please don’t bring adorable merchandise and then place “Not For Sale” tags on them. I fell in LOVE with this child sized cowboy boots…but was unable to take them home with me.

 

Local crafters, Love This, picked up this awesome airstream camper for only $3,500. They patched it up, gave it a makeover and now use it as a mobile shop at events and festivals across the area, selling their vintage goods. Great write up about them here.

 

 

We had a good time and are hoping the event comes back soon. It’s something different for the area and brings people to a neighborhood that I love. Stay tuned for a fun reveal…as the Mr. and I attempt to give a makeover to a wonder vintage metal porch glider and matching chair!

 

Q&A: Becky Helms of The Pink Samurai

Q: Tell us briefly a little about yourself. What are your interests or your hobbies?

A: I’m a cat lady, a crafter and total nerd.  I live in Austin, TX with Andy, my husband, and our two cats Turks and Sprinkles.  I love drawing, crochet, embroidery and collection super cute stuff.

Q: Describe your style in three words or less.

A: Bright, colorful, happy

 

Q: On your blog, The Pink Samurai, you feature a different vintage shop for thrifty treasures from the Austin area. What was the inspiration behind this?

A: I grew up thrifting and antiquing with my mom. When I was living on the East Coast I made this giant google doc spreadsheet of all the shops I’d visited and wanted to visit. I started sharing it out with friends and thought more folks besides us might like to see the shops, too. So I started putting them on the blog!

A cowgirl’s paradise!!!! Look at all of these boots!!!

Q: Do you have a favorite place to find your unique antique treasures in the Austin, TX area? What’s the furthest you’ve ever traveled for vintage finds?

A: Rave On Vintage is definitely my favorite spot in Austin because they specialize in mid-century goodness. They’ve always got the best stuff!  And I think the furthest I’ve ever traveled was around 3 hours. Andy and I went to The Factory Antique Mall in Verona, VA. I’d heard about it from Jenny Mitchell, one of my favorite vintage bloggers and just had to go! It was a gorgeous trip through the mountains of Virginia and turned into a really fun day-trip.

Q: Your handmade scarves are gorgeous! What was the inspiration behind your Etsy shop, The Pink Samurai?

A: Thank you! The Pink Samurai has worn many hats since opening. I used to sew purses, and design buttons, but after teaching myself to crochet, I decided to take the leap and started selling them. Through all my different offerings, The Pink Samurai has always been a place for bright colors and silliness. I try to bring those elements in with my color palettes and branding.

Q: You’ve had your Etsy shop since 2006…how have you seen the Etsy community evolve since then? What are some of the trends you see on Etsy?

A: Etsy has changed quite a bit since I first started. But, so has the internet as a whole. I’ve seen the forum switch from being a promotional tool to more of a team setting and there’s a lot more knock-off shops on Etsy then there were in 2006, that’s for sure. With the evolution of twitter, instagram and pinterest, I don’t really spend as much time networking through Etsy anymore. As for trends, I’m seeing a lot of geometric prints and simplified color-blocking in handmade right now. There’s also a lot of really cool laser cut wood designs that are popping up now.

Q: What are the advantages of shopping on Etsy vs. Ebay for vintage finds?

A: That’s a great question! I think you’ll probably pay a little bit more on Etsy for some vintage finds, but it’s a much better experience. You’re working with a seller who specializes in vintage and curates their shop very carefully. Ebay can be hit-or-miss. If you’re looking for something specific, I would check both. But if you’re just browsing for a hidden treasure, Etsy is the way to go.

Q: Besides crocheting beautiful scarves, you also create the loveliest illustrations. I read on your blog that you hosted a “crafternoon” at your house…could you share with my readers what that is?

A:  Crafternoon was a really fun event that I hosted to get some crafty locals together to make stuff and swap supplies. I had special embroidery patterns we all worked on and we traded supplies and had a great time visiting and talking about making stuff. It  was so fun and I’m hoping to do another in the summer!

 

Special thanks to Becky Helms for taking the time to do this interview! Be sure to check out her blog, The Pink Samurai.

Copyright 2014. The Savvy Seeker blog by Erin Hurley-Brown. All Rights Reserved.