Vintage pops up for holidays The recession and a focus on being green have put all-things-vintage into the spotlight. Vintage clothing and accessories have the added plus of being unique and often better made than their H&M counterparts.
Local bloggers Rae Danne-man of Bourbon & Lace and Meghan McAndrews of High Plains Thrifter connected over a shared love of vintage and decided to collaborate on a temporary sale, not online but in a brick and mortar store. The bloggers say their pop-up is a rebellion against eBay and other electronic marketplaces.
"The idea came out of our frustration with online retailing," said McAndrews. "As lifelong thrifters and vintage lovers, Rae and I had been stockpiling lots of amazing merchandise, but it was hard to find the time to painstakingly measure, photograph and list all of our items. With all that work, you have to hike up your prices and you never get to really connect with your customers."
Thus, Mighty Swell Pop-Up Shop was born. After a successful fall sale, they're back with a holiday-themed event this weekend.
While McAndrews defines vintage as something at least 20 years old, she admits that "everyone has their own idea of what it means to them. Some of our shoppers are only looking for classic pieces from the '40s and '50s, while some of our younger customers are looking for '80s and '90s stuff that brings them back to when they were kids."
McAndrews had some tips for shopping vintage:
Keep your eyes open: Be sure to check for stains, tears, moth holes and other kinds of damage. "Sometimes these things are fixable," she said "but other times it's just not worth the effort or money to repair the item."
Think creatively. "That oversized men's sweater might look hot with tights and heels, a calf-length '80s dress could be much more adorable and wearable hemmed, and a vintage glass pitcher could work as both a serving piece and a vase," said McAndrews.
