Image of an antique booth filled with vintage signs and furniture, a text overall reads "Antique Mall Dos and Dont's"

Antique Mall Dos & Don’ts

November 14, 2019, 2 Comments

Shopping for antiques and vintage is a different experience than the local mall or department store. Antique malls are made up of multiple dealers, each has a booth/space/stall or case, however the dealer is not always present, often they only come in put in fresh inventory. Dealers are assigned booth numbers, which is written or…

Flea Market Dos and Don’ts

August 21, 2017, 5 Comments

With the holiday season (which for me includes Halloween) arriving soon, Patrick and I have been hitting up more flea markets in search of fresh vintage Halloween decor to add to our home, and after witnessing and overhearing certain things at the flea market I decided to go ahead with a dos and don’ts for…

How to Tell Vintage from Repro Halloween Decorations

October 11, 2015, 4 Comments

Halloween in around the corner, and with it many people are shopping for Halloween decorations, including vintage lovers who do their shopping at antique malls. However in recent visits to antique malls I have noticed some dealers selling items that look old, but are in fact new! So, how are you to tell the difference?…

How To Sell Your Vintage Clothing

February 16, 2014, 7 Comments

Spring is right around the corner and with that comes spring cleaning, and maybe that means you will be going through your wardrobe and deciding to part with a few things. And there are many venues to take your now unwanted vintage garments. Resale Shops If you have a few vintage garments that are a…

Beginners Guide to Vintage Shopping

December 28, 2013, 16 Comments

In my numerous vintage shopping excursions I have observed many people coming into shops who are not familiar with vintage, and may be just starting out. Some get overwhelmed, others confused, so I thought I’d offer up some of my personal tips that I know make for a better shopping experience. Be Respectful When you…

Antique Show Tips & Tricks

October 28, 2013, 6 Comments

The Portland Antique and Collectable Expo is about the vintage lover’s equivalent of a marathon. Or remember those Black Friday ads that Target had awhile back of a woman training for it? Yeah, it’s a bit like that. But instead of once a year, it happens three times a year. With over 1,000 booths to…

Antique Mall Price Tag Lingo

August 2, 2010, Leave a Comment on Antique Mall Price Tag Lingo

Have you ever been antiquing and seen a price tag similar to the one below and wondered what all of that gibberish was? Have no fear, the Atomic Redhead is here! Here to offer up some help on translating the lingo of antique show and shop price tags so you’ll know what to do or…

How to: Spot Vintage Clothing

July 21, 2010, 6 Comments

Have you ever been out shopping and wondered if an item you were looking at was vintage or is there something in your closet that has you curious? Well, here are a few useful tips and tricks to help you out next time or to help you with that mystery item hanging up! Sizing Over the…

Tips for the Thrifty Vintage Lover

March 13, 2010, Leave a Comment on Tips for the Thrifty Vintage Lover

I’m a big fan of Atomic Ranch magazine. Based in Portland, the magazine focuses on mid-century homes and the people who live in them. It also highlights companies that cater to those living the “Atomic Lifestyle”. However, the magazine does not focus on people who live the life, but don’t own the home, and it does not stress…