 Vintage shop owner, Mendy Michalec shows us around her home. Growing up in the 70’s, my childhood home in southern Indiana was filled with “harvest colors” as seen on Tupperware containers my mom had stuffed in her cabinets. However, for years I admired white (all shades of white), so naturally when I built my first house in the 90’s I used white on everything. Be that as it may, raising three kids with all white was not wise so I threw in the towel. Fast-forward to being an empty nester with a new house built like a 1920’s craftsman style home, I was able to feed my inner spirit. While the house was under construction, I was thrifting and forging for all things chippy. I wanted anything that resembled my grandma’s old front porch swing. My fireplace mantle was my first score. It was taken out of an old home in Lakeland and had all of the bones and crackle that I was looking for and “she” sits proudly as one of my focal points in my living room.
You can not miss the primitive kitchen island as you enter the house. I found it by sheer luck at a tractor show. The man that sold it said it was a general store counter found in Wisconsin. My husband disassembled it in order to build it up high enough to sit at and he added the gorgeous granite on top. An old salvaged door from India became my pantry door. We were able to retro-fit it to swing out to expose all of my canned goods and such. And, Bella, my crowned resident deer head sits above it with all of her bling and girl boss flare.
Down the hall, my bedroom received some “chippy love” with huge closet barn doors salvaged from a barn in Alabama. And, they expose just a tad bit of faded pink to blend with all of my whites. My husband was able to save the original hardware which adds to the overall appearance. Always “trust in the rust”. My massive bed took several guys to bring it into the house. It was brought over from England and I painted it with antique white General Finishes and I distressed it.  Being a “picker” of sorts, I like to scavenge for statement pieces to use for accents. So, on one of my hunting trips at a flea market I discovered the most amazing column. It was the perfect piece to put my boxwood on top of to liven up the living room. You can never go wrong with natural elements to give a white room life.
We would like to thank Mendy Michalec for sharing her beautiful vintage inspired home with us and Geanie Folder for the wonderful pictures. If you are looking to decorate your own home stop by The Vintage Warehouse at 4308 Wallace Road in Lakeland or in St. Augustine at 950 Anastasia Boulevard and tell them Vintage Finds Magazine sent you. More photos...
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Sunbury Antiques Market Located at Kempton Park Racecourse with over 500 stalls. Takes place the 2nd & last Tuesday of each month. It’s wise to get there early. The market is advertised from 6:30am – 2 but most vendors leave by noon. It’s free and about 45 minutes by train from London or 15 minutes by cab or Uber from the Heathrow Airport area. www.sunburyantiques.com Ardingly Antiques & Collectors Fair This is a biggie and happens 6 times a year with over 1500 vendors from all over Europe. The two day event is on a Tuesday & Wednesday. It’s a little pricey, 20 pounds to attend on Tuesday (good for both days) or 5 pounds for Wednesday only. Plan at least an hour by train from London or stay near the Gatwick Airport and be 20 minutes away. www.iacf.co.uk/ardingly After searching for those English treasures be sure and treat yourself to traditional fish & chips whilst planning your next British shopping adventure!
* Connie Gilbert retired from Delta Airlines after 35 years as an International Flight Attendant. She travels to England several times a year to search for treasures. Vintage Junkie, is located on the Street of Shops at Renningers Antique Center in Mt. Dora, Florida. Stop by any Friday, Saturday & Sunday to discover her Treasures from Travels! Market Place at Rivertown114 S Woodland Blvd. Deland, FL 32720  This is Marketplace At Rivertown. We are a three story, 7,000 square foot multi-dealer vintage mall located in historic downtown Deland in Central Florida. We are the only store in downtown Deland with three floors of shopping.
The city of Deland was founded in the late 1800s. Our building was built in the 1920’s and is mostly still in its original condition. With it’s wide staircases and a mezzanine that overlooks the entire first floor this good old building is filled with a lot of charm. There was a Western Auto here in the 1950’s thru the 1970’s. Children from all over the area would come to pick out their Christmas gifts as the third floor was known as Toy Land from October through December. Following that, the business became an antique mall and remained that for many years. When I took over the business in August 2015, I began transitioning Marketplace at Rivertown to where we are today; a multi-dealer Vintage Mall offering you Deland’s most eclectic shopping experience.  From vintage to mid century to antique and upcycled, we’ve got it all! We have over 35 dealers so there really is something for everyone including, jewelry, vintage clothing and accessories, handmade soaps and scrubs. We have lighting, industrial, kitchen wares, records, primitive, ephemera, collectibles and even a Mantiques section! We have a great selection of custom painted furniture as we are a Premier carrier of Dixie Belle chalk mineral paint. With over 60 colors to choose from you can become a DIYer or have us paint your piece for you. Looking for something new to do with your friends? Schedule a paint class with us! You will even see over a dozen vintage mannequins throughout the building. Let their outfits inspire you or take your picture with one and enter our mannequin selfie contest on Instagram.  So next time you’re looking for a day trip be sure to visit Deland, winner of the America’s Best Main Street contest in 2017! Don’t miss upcoming events including the annual Dog Parade, Bike Week Bike Rally and Flower and Garden Festival, just to name a few. Visit the Mainstreet Deland website for dates and details. Deland also boasts many fabulous restaurants, boutique shops, Stetson University, Athens Theater and of course Marketplace at Rivertown. Spend the day walking around historic downtown Deland. And be sure to say hi, and snap your selfie with a mannequin, when you stop in the Marketplace. Mary Ellen Walker, Owner Marketplace at Rivertown Marketplace at Rivertown 114 S Woodland Blvd. Deland, FL 32720 386-747-4061 Mon-Fri 11-5 Sat 10-6 Sun 12-4 More photos...How to part with a collection. By Ed Kindle, Five Katz Antiques People collect all manner of items. From the small to large, from the inane to the sublime, people’s passions for things run deep. I have run into people who collect playing cards, zippo lighters, Pez dispensers, fire fighting gear, thimbles, Beany Babies, snowmen, comic books, advertising, magazines, salt & pepper shakers, tractors, porcelain signs, cars & motorcycles, gas pumps and more! I knew a retired engineer who had a model railroad that filled several rooms of his basement and another person who had over 300,000 records! If you can name it, I guarantee you, someone collects it. One thing is certain though, I have never seen a u-haul behind a hearse! People spend years amassing their collections. They do the research, and they become experts in their chosen subject. They search in local antique stores and search while traveling. They scour internet auction sites, want ads, flea markets, auctions, garage sales, estate sales, thrift stores; in fact, there are almost as many ways to put together a collection as there are items to collect! Putting together an amazing collection takes true dedication and effort and depending on the subject of the collection, a great deal of money. Thus, some can be worth much, while others, little in comparison. There comes a time in every collector’s life where they need to think about the disposition of their collection. Some want to enjoy the items they have spent a lifetime acquiring for as long as possible. There are others who just don’t want to think about it, assuming their heirs will automatically share the love they feel towards their collection and want to keep it forever. Let me give you a hint: they rarely do, they just don’t want to hurt your feelings. One of the problems in selling a collection is markets and values constantly change. Items go in and out of favor and things don’t retain the value they once had. Furniture which was once worth thousands, is now worth hundreds. Collectible stock certificates which were once purchased for hundreds of dollars for their historical signatures are now worth one third or even less. Many glass items which once sold for hundreds of dollars each, are now often purchased for under $50. The possibility of the windfall that people were once counting on to see them through their twilight years when they sold off their collection is dwindling fast. If you have a large collection, talk to your family and think about what you want to have happen to your items. They may want you to sell them now and enjoy the income. It is possible your family members or friends may want some of them, and some people are letting their children and grandchildren take items now, so they can watch them enjoy their treasures. The selling of, or disposition of a collection can be a time-consuming prospect. Some people may not be able to invest the time to maximize the return by selling items individually, and some may be unable due to distance or unwilling due to resentment. A valuable collection may be donated to a museum, but make sure you work out the details first. Many museums have so many items, they may not be able to incorporate your entire collection into their collection and may end up selling many items. If this is not what you want, look elsewhere. If you decide to sell your collection yourself, there are many ways to go about it. Online you have auction sites like eBay. You register for an account and take photos, write a description and list the item as an auction or as a fixed price. You also need to have a Paypal account, to receive payment, and be familiar with things like buying shipping online. Once it sells you are responsible for shipping it to the new owner. Remember, eBay and Paypal take a commission on your sale. There are also businesses who will sell on eBay for you. Craigslist is an online classified ad section. You can post a description and photos, then you meet the person to trade your item for cash. You can even barter for other items if you like. It gives you the ability to list in many locations and it’s free. Also many social media sites have marketplaces to buy and sell. Just remember that there can be downsides to this and to always meet people in a public place if you can. If you are smart phone savvy, you can use services such as “Let Go” or “Offer Up”. They are similar to the previous concept, except they are apps on your smartphone. Again, always be safety conscious when meeting or letting people in your home that you don’t know. You can hire an estate sale planner to organize your sale. They will do all the work necessary and most likely have the sale in your home. It is a service you pay for, so check their rates and policies. Also, in this vein are auction houses and auctioneers. Again, they are fee or commission based, so get the details up front. One often overlooked option is to contact a collector club of like interested people who collect what you collect and who may want to buy some or all of your collection. You can usually find these online and there may even be more than one, both here in the states as well as other countries. Antique and collectible stores can also be an option for you. Some may handle the sale of your items on consignment for a percentage or fee and others may buy some or all of your items outright. Remember, when you sell to an antique store or reseller, they need to purchase your items wholesale, so they can earn a profit when they sell them. This may bring less but may be a faster option. It can be difficult to part with a collection that you are attached to, but it can be done. Formulate a plan, let everyone help, or at least share the plan with them and enjoy your collection until the time is right to let someone else experience the same joy your felt when you found each item. You might even make some new friends. When in Titusville…
Stop by Five Katz Antiques and check out Ed Kindle’s cool shop filled with the most unique items from antiques to retro and everything in between! Five Katz Antiques, 4509 S Hopkins Ave, Titusville, 32780 Open Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 10-4 |
AUTHORHi I'm Kathy, the publisher of Vintage Finds Magazine. I hope you enjoy this page of our travels around Florida seeking the best vintage shops and markets. I'll also share articles from our contributing authors. Enjoy and thank you for visiting!
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