I just adore Liz’s shop.  If I ever have the opportunity to have my own shop I would hope to have it as nice as her shop is.  She’s open for another few hours (until 8pm!) so get a chance and head over there at 2514 SE Clinton and see what she has!

Another PDX vintage heads up! AlexSandra is hosting her Tiki Maddness vintage fashion show and sale this Tuesday night over at Tony Starlight’s.  I have my reservation, do you?

Meanwhile, we couldn’t spend time in the area without hitting up Hawthorne and all of its vintage glory.  From Lounge Lizard to House of Vintage to Red Light, Hawthorne has amazing goods to offer the vintage lover.  (As soon as we move into Portland, I plan to write a thorough review of all the shops along the infamous street.)

It was a fairly hot day for us Oregonians, with temperatures in the mid-70s, so the 40 block walk was draining at times, so pardon the mess I am.  We took the 14 bus to the Hawthorne Fred Meyer and then walked our way down, stopping in at various shops, and ultimately ended up at Burgerville…the Northwest’s answer to In-n-Out.

As for the finds…I’m sad to say it wasn’t much. I picked up a few contemporary sweaters (hey, a girl can’t buy vintage all the time), and bought Pat a tie.  But I did find these amazing Daniel Green lounging slippers!  I pulled them off the shelf and said “Where have you been all my life!?” Pat looked at them and said “Those are ridiculous,” and I said, “Yeah, ridiculously awesome!” The mink pom-poms just make them to die for!  I’ve been looking for some lounging slippers for some time and have stumbled upon some Victoria’s Secret and Frederick’s of Hollywood feather ones, but never as outrageous as these.  According to Patrick, they are utterly impractical, but to me they are a dream come true!  And they were only $12.00!!

After a long day of walking, drooling over expensive items and purchases, we headed back to Eugene for our last month of classes, but the vintage swag didn’t end there, since the Coburg city wide garage sale was Saturday and the Picc-a-Dilly was Sunday!

1. Have no shame

The mid-century market is rather yuppy-ish with men in thick-rim glasses, black turtlenecks and matchstick thin women in heels that could kill you.  They often turn up their noses to places like Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul and that garage sale down the street, so these places become your friend.  You’ll find great deals on furniture, lamps, chairs, and just about anything and everything.  I often spend a whole day “making the rounds” hitting each thrift store and scoring.

2. Don’t be afraid to barter

While at antique shows, flea markets, or garage sales, remember that the price tag may not be what you have to pay.  Most people are willing to take down the price at least ten percent.  If it’s $8.00, ask $5.00.  Sometimes if you buy more than one item, people may be more willing to deal.  Just ask “Would you take…” if you have a price in mind, or ask “What’s the best you can do on this?” In this economy, sure, people want money, but they’re also more willing to sell and less likely to hold out for someone who may pay more.

3. If it isn’t perfect, don’t worry

When I bought my first Hey-Wake piece, it was covered in three layers of paint, but I only paid about $15.00 for it (I bought it along with a lettermans jacket, some records, a magazine and some 8-tracks for $35.00).  So if the price is dirt cheap, but it’s in sad shape, don’t worry.  Paint can be removed.  If you find a wood piece that has some rings in it, don’t worry either.  If you happen to have an old car battery laying around, pop open those caps and take a paintbrush, dip it in the acid and gingerly apply it to the ring, and then wipe it off, repeat if necessary.  Be careful because the acid will bleach the wood.  And if the rings don’t come all the way out, it’s not a big deal because you’re going to put stuff on it anyway.

4. Reupholstery is spendy…sometimes

So you’ve found the perfect chair…but it’s in a horrible fabric…or the fabric has some rips in it.  First off, ask yourself, how much is the item?  Is it cheap? Secondly, do you have someone you know who can do the work?  If it’s cheap, and you have someone in mind, give them a call, get an estimate.  Sometimes having something reupholstered costs a fortune.  If you need that couch or chair, a way to save money is to buy the fabric yourself.  This way, the upholster doesn’t have to make a call, and there’s no shipping costs, plus you know exactly what you’re getting.  If you’re in Oregon, I recommend Econo Sales in Springfield to purchase fabric, and Joe Klem in Coburg to do your work.  He’s done all of the stuff I’ve been incapable of doing, additionally, he’s will to trade since he runs an antique shop along with an upholstery shop. For my sofa, I traded my old European style dresser for the labor.  If it’s only a dining chair seat, that can be done yourself with some fabric and a staple gun. Like I did here.

Now that you’ve armed yourself with some tips, go get yourself some deals!

Sunday, my mom, Patrick, and I headed up to Portland where Monday, my mom, my maid of honor, Megan and I set forth dress hunting.  The first place we checked out was Xtabay along Clinton street.  A fabulous, high quality vintage clothing shop, Xtabay has extended to offer up vintage wedding dresses as well. While I didn’t find my wedding dress there, I found a wonderful “going away” dress, which had the original store tags on it!  Cost? $98, more than I am used to spending (okay, my mom actually paid for it), but worth every single cent since it’s so perfect and in such glorious condition!  I also found a great pair of vintage screw-on earrings and broach to match for $10.  Sadly, I didn’t snap any pictures of me in the dress, but here is (sorta) a picture of the dress, it’s the turquoise one in the background.  The dress can also be seen here with a stunning coat, which I would have bought, had it not already been sold!  But let me tell you, if you’re searching for high quality (we’re talkin’ like new quality) vintage Xtabay is the place to be! Liz, the owner, carries only womens clothing, shoes and accessories, and is very, very cordial and an absolute delight to talk with. And if she doesn’t have what you want at that moment, sign her book with your contact info and what you have in mind, and she’ll get back to you if something comes in!

Tuesday, Patrick and I hit up the Kennedy School and Edgefield McMenamins as possible wedding venues.  We are both keen on the Kennedy School, and have crossed Edgefield off our list, mainly due to its remote location.  We’re going to be looking at more locations in January.

Also that day we visited Terry Schrunk Plaza, which is the park located across the street from Portland’s City Hall.  Why did we stop there?  Because Schrunk was a key player in my Vice in the Rose City  research essay (working on some final touches before posting it).  He was sheriff for a long while, and then became mayor, despite his suspected involvement in the corrupt pay-off system between Portland’s underworld figures and police and politicians. It was windy that day, so my hair is mussed up…oh well.

Wednesday I headed to my mom’s house in Salem and checked out a local bridal shop there where I found my dress! While it’s not vintage like I had hoped, it is in a very 40s Hollywood glam style.  Of course, no pictures will be posted until the big day next December!  The store carries a selection of dresses to try on and then order, along with a selection of clearance/discontinued dresses, which is where I found mine.  The cost? $398.  Not too bad, but of course still a lot.  But my major goal in this wedding is to go local;  venue, cake, attire, jewelry, etc. Which means getting all I need for my bridal ensemble without once stepping into a David’s Bridal, and so far I’ve done that.

As for today, it’s last minute shopping, wrapping and scouting for things we want to buy the day after Christmas.  I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Christmas!! Merry Christmas!

What did I find?  For awhile now, I’ve been wanting a “Lucy in Connecticut” type jacket, you know, plaid, somewhat boxy, shirt jacket.  And at Karma Kloz, I found it!

The label reads “California Male R” – a brand I’ve never heard of before and haven’t dug up anything on the internet yet. Anyone familiar with it?  The tag is located on the inside left of the jacket and includes gold metallic thread.  The jacket itself is made of an odd light flannel type fabric (it’s not wool, although it does look like it), and has a great plaid pattern to it and fun fit to it as well, a tad fitted with an elastic waist and cuffs.  I want to say it’s from the late 1950s, early 1960s.  First time customers get a 10% discount so I got it for only $16.00!

The downside to Karma Kloz is its location.  It’s rather far out from the other stores similar to it, which are all located within blocks of each other in the east side of town.  But it’s well worth the visit!

What did I find there?  A fabulous 1960s Carl Naftal dress.  There there no tears, or stains, and the zipper works like new!  It also has a pocket – you heard right – a singular pocket, as shown on the right.  I’ve had zero luck finding out anything about Mr. Naftal.  But I have found a few dresses on-line, and they  range in price  from $265.00 for this beautiful full skirted dress to a mere $14.99.  Most are in the $40.00 price range however.  What did I pay for this beauty? Only $19.00!

Carl Naftal certainly knew style though.  Check out this beauty from Memphis Vintage.  Can we say drop. dead. gorgeous?  I don’t know how much it sold for, but I would have paid an arm and a leg for it, it’s so beautiful!  Memphis Vintage is a great site offering up vintage clothing in fantastic condition, so it’s worth taking a gander at.

In other news…I’m seeing Inglorious Basterds tomorrow night.  I love Nazi movies, Hellboy, The Rocketeer, Indiana Jones.  There are very few bad Nazi movies…Hanover Street is one of them – despite having Harrison Ford in it, it was just plain bad.  I won’t even go into Ilsa She Wolf of the SS and other Nazipolotation flicks, because those don’t count in my books.  Anyhow, I do like Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino on occasions, so I hope it’s good.

Puttin’ on the Ritz

First off, we have Puttin’ on the Ritz, located at 350 E. 11th Ave.  If it’s quality you’re looking for Puttin’ on the Ritz is the place to go.  The shop of filled to the brim with mostly clothing from the 1920s through the 1970s, along with linens, ceramics, and some kitchen ware.  They carry both mens and womens fashion, everything from hats and shoes to ties and jewelry.  The only downside to Puttin’ on the Ritz is their prices.  They certainly have quality, and you really pay for it.

Nobody’s Baby

Located at 365 E. 13th Ave., Nobody’s Baby is not only a vintage clothing store, but a costume rental outlet offering top of the line costumes.  In terms of vintage clothing though, they are just a step down from Puttin’ on the Ritz in terms of quality and prices.  They also carry stuff that is new, but looks old, especially in terms of their lingerie.  Nobody’s Baby also offers mens and womens clothing.

Eugene Jeans

Just down the road from Nobody’s Baby is Eugene Jeans.  Run by a Frisbee Golf enthusiast, Eugene Jeans, located on 132 E. 13th Ave., is more filled more with 1970s clothing than that of the 40s or 50s.  Tim carries a wide range though, from vintage swimsuits to Converse, Eugene Jeans is a further step down from Nobody’s Baby in terms of quality, but he also has better prices.  Again, both mens and womens fashion is offered.

Oak Street Vintage

Just two blocks away from Eugene Jeans is Oak Street Vintage, located at 1409 Oak St.  Unlike the other mentioned stores which turn most of their attention to mostly clothing, Oak Street also offers some furniture (a lot of Hey-Wake) and ephemera.  As for pricing, Oak Street is hit and miss – sometimes their stuff seems way under the market, other times, way over.  Their clothing is both mens and womens and often pretty good quality.

I hope this entry was of help to those in Eugene or who plan to visit Eugene sometime soon.

I plan to do some more of these types of entries.  In addition to these stores, there are the more purely antique stores around town.  Additionally, the city of Springfield and the small town of Coburg offer up some wonderful antique shops as well, which I plan to write about sometime soon.