Take the Quiz, show how much into modern furniture you are. Make sure to post your results in the comments, and for HEAVEN'S SAKE be honest, there's no shame if you're just a beginner or if you've been tricked by fancy Chinese craftsmanship.
(There are 10 total questions)
Quiz fixed. All is right with the world
Categories: Ask the Readers, Moment of Manly Zen, Quizzes, you need one.
Etsy shop closes up tonight. Time to start packing.
Categories: Moment of Manly Zen.
Whenever I notice items labeled "primitive" I chuckle, because often it just means busted, and more costly than a tad newer, working, vintage/antique pieces. The primitives’ category also consists of plenty of decor, which (you couldn't tell from our existing overcrowded living space) I'm more and more leaning towards the direction of wholly useless.
Primitive furniture on the other hand I've become smitten and awash with love. So am I saying I want a house minimally decorated with each room centered on a gnarly, rustic, my-entire-brood-couldn't-destroy-it, piece of wooden awesomeness? Yes. Yes I am, that and rows and rows of Globe-Wernicke bookcases. (My wife will never let this happen)
These objects are very pricey if you're a sucker and purchase from a dealer (I'm not and I won't) and rare to come by in these parts (Chi-town). Also and a BIG also, I'm split on the issue of spending money on distressed pieces of furnishings all together!
Isn't some of the fun watching your furniture going from new (always a little used in my case) to charmingly beat up? Particularly the family man that I am, when my kids are on their own and I sit those final years on deaths door, wouldn't furniture covered with 20+ yrs of damage I told my wiener kids never to do my stuff just warm my old saggy gray heart?
So what is the point of the blog post? I think a to-do list is in order.
Oh and duh, the whole reason I started this post was because I found this chair last week, worst-blogger-ever. $15 yo.
Categories: Ask the Readers, Moment of Manly Zen, Rants, Uncategorized, Vintage Finds.
So I've had this space in my basement that was begging for organization. Just ask Morgan, I'm not organized. Well the father in law is on his way here from Canada, so I had to get the tools in order. It was also an excuse for me to find a home for this 70s woods scene that I love and Sarah hates.
It looks a billion times better and more inviting.
Now maybe I could get to that "honeydo" list Sarah has for me.
Categories: Moment of Manly Zen, The Vintage Family Man, you need one.
I was browsing Etsy the other day when I came across a really cool shop, Junkyardfinds. It was filled with retro swanky clocks from the 70s, car ephemera, and very surprising but completely neat, two sets of Fleer 1988 baseball cards. Not what you'd expect on Etsy, and probably not a big seller, but the definition of nostalgic for me.
Much to my surprise, this sweet shop is curated by a dude. And what a cool dude he is. So I reached out to him and asked him some questions about his shop, collecting vintage items, and Etsy selling in general. He responded. Thus is the power of the internets. I hope to make this sort of thing a regular column here on manlyvintage.
Jayson: How long have you been into vintage? Is this a recent thing, or is it something you've been doing for a while?
Junkyardfinds: I started loving vintage things at a young age but really got into the last 4 years when I moved into my own house. It's how I have filled every inch of our home. Inside and outside. And garage.
Jayson: How would you describe your style?
Junkyardfinds: I like things from a lot of different eras. I guess I haven’t really put a lot of thought into defining my style.
Jayson: You're from Olympia? What are some good spots to find stuff in that area?
Junkyardfinds: Olympia is a fabulous place to find vintage treasures. Estate sales are my favorite places to pick up these items but I often thrift and garage sale. I mostly got to the Goodwills in the Southsound area. I go with my girlfriend often. We like different things so it’s nice to have another person to spot the goods. We go every weekend and sometimes on the week nights as well. St. Vincent De Paul is one of the best places in the world to thrift also.
Jayson: I see you have a lot of cameras and clocks in your shop.
Junkyardfinds: Old clocks and cameras have always caught my attention. I think its vintage electronics in general. It’s amazing to see how technology progresses and its fun to hold onto the obsolete. I feel like vintage things have a lot more style and class than current mass produced items.
Jayson: How did you get into selling on etsy?
Junkyardfinds: I first heard of Etsy from some roommates awhile ago but jumped into selling when my girlfriend's shop got bigger. Her shop is AubieJeanVintage, please check it out. She has cameras all over the house and most have not even been listed yet.
Jayson: So what's the coolest thing you've found?
Junkyardfinds: Man, there have been so many, but one that pops into my head immediately are the really rare Polaroids I have come across. I have also found some gnomes that I have in my yard. My favorite items, however, are old Volkswagen memorabilia.
Jayson: So do you think the demand for vintage polaraoids are going to go up, now that they've announced they're going to put out new film? Personally, I'm going to stock up.
Junkyardfinds: I have been anticipating the rise in interest of the Polaroids once the film comes out and have STOCKED UP! I look forward to being able to offer a large variety of them and am going to also offer international shipping.
Jayson: They're pretty hard to find in Chicago. I found one at an estate sale for 3.50 in the original box and with 10 shot of unopened film. Sold RIGHT away.
Junkyardfinds: That is a great deal. My favorite thing is to find items with their original package, manual, and tags.
Jayson: I have to say that my favorite item in your store is the baseball cards. They remind me of being a kid so much I almost bought them! Tell me about those.
Junkyardfinds: I'm glad you like them. I found these at an estate sale, it was three generations worth of belongings and these were in the attic. My dad and I collected baseball cards when I was a boy so I have always kept my eye out for them. When I found these, I was really excited that they were unopened and still had the sticker seal. I couldn't keep myself from opening one of the boxes! I am not sure that Etsy is the place for baseball cards yet...
Jayson: I agree. There are some things you can put in your shop that look cool but without the thought that they’ll sell. But with a 20 cent listing fee, “Hey, Why not!?”
Junkyardfinds: I agree with that 100% It makes things interesting and I love having variety! I have found that diversifying your shop broadens your customer base.
Jayson: what are your thoughts about pricing on etsy? I have had arguments with my friends about this. Some people say that if you price things too low, people will think they're cheap.
Junkyardfinds: I agree with that. I think that pricing our items is a tricky thing. You have to be able to know what value other people will put on the item. It seems like some Etsy sellers are biased by their own love for the item so the prices are much higher than the average person would be willing to pay. But I guess thats the beauty of having your own business. Sometimes I find a really great deal on an item on Etsy and I am so excited to get a great deal. With most things, I don't see the item as being cheap or less quality just because of the price. I think it also depends on what you are shopping for. Like with clothes or jewelry, customers would probably be more likely to shop with the more expensive place in an effort to go with the higher quality merchandise.
Categories: Interviews, Moment of Manly Zen, Style is not Emasculating, etsy store finds.
Function does not have to be a slave to form. But form in our case, is super important. We have three very busy and often messy children. So almost all of our design choices have “kid proof” in mind. We own a home in Oak Park on the measly salary of one teacher and a part time babysitting super mom, so cheap and affordable are important for us as well. We shop craigslist because it allows us to be thrifty as well as satisfy our style needs. Because of these monetary restrictions, craigslist is our Room and Board.
Our couch was a sweet recent find. While not vintage, it is definately modern. For $50 dollars we got a used but in great condition Jasper couch from Room and Board. It was hard parting with our billowing brown leather couch that previously sat in its home, but our tastes have evolved, and its Pottery Barn feel didn’t quite fit the rest of the room. We decided that we couldn’t part with it, and it will find a new home in our basement.
Our TV stand is an IKEA standard; the industrial and bright red metal cabinet. I like that it LOCKS and I can keep the kids out of the television equipment. To the right of it is a vintage valet we snagged off of craigslist for 25 dollars. To me, a well designed valet is the epitome of manly vintageness. It was designed for working men. I can’t think of anything more iconic than a man preparing his suite the night before, and the valet has room for all of its parts. I love that piece!
The coffee table was a hundred dollar craigslist find. It was bought from a woman who lost her job and supplements her husband’s salary by scouring estate sales for mid-century pieces. The kids have literally taken bites out of a few of its parts, but it is wood, and can be refinished if necessary. We were looking for a coffee table for MONTHS before we decided on this piece. The rug underneath it is the ultimate kid friendly rug. Carpet squares by Flor are insanely easy to clean. I’ve already thrown a few in the washer when the kids have spilled milk or other crap on them. $120 for 18 20? by 20? tiles.
The drapes were made by my wife from IKEA fabric. At first we thought they were garish and balloon like, but they’ve grown on us, especially after we purchased four Eames knock offs from Wisconsin. They match perfectly, and are in great shape. There’s nothing you can’t clean off of those fiberglass bad boys.
Flanking the fake Eames shell chair are two brown and chrome office chairs from the seventies. We purchased them from the Salvation Army for twenty dollars each. They smell a little bit like cat, but we’re hoping they’ll air out one day!
The IKEA lamp at the end of the couch will eventually make way for something better. Hopefully a nice end table and a nicer ceramic lamp when we find one that fits our fancy.
Overall, I love what we’ve done to the room. Its fun working together as a team and arguing over lamp shades. Its good for your marriage, you know.
Categories: Estate Sale Hunting, Howto, Moment of Manly Zen, Style is not Emasculating, The Vintage Family Man, Vintage Finds, you need one.
This comes from a pattern book that I picked up at an estate sale today. I'm not sure which guy is cooler, the one with the pipe on the top left, or the nerdish guy on the bottom right. Oh wait the nerdish guy is nerdish AND he has a pipe. He wins.
You can consider this your moment of manly zen.
Categories: Moment of Manly Zen, Style is not Emasculating, The Vintage Family Man, Vintage Finds.
While I think nobody wishes for the uninformed, big tobacco, heyday of yester-year....that's actually a myth..but lets run with it anyway, we can all agree ashtrays for cigars and cigarettes before the anti-smoking craze oozed coolness. Take a look.
The first one is from my small personal collection, it is a Viking Art Glass Orb Ashtray. It is quite valuable and I scored it at an estate sale for $2. That is not for sale.
The rest are from etsy shops(ahem... one mine). If you are shopping for antique/vintage ashtrays, etsy is the place for you. Hundreds of ashtrays for a fraction of the price you might pay at a collectors site. For $100 you can have yourself a great start of a collection. Enjoy the hunt!!
Categories: Moment of Manly Zen, Vintage Finds, etsy store finds, you need one.
