From Yard Sale Hobbyist to Fledgling Small Business Owner

My name is Stacy, and I'm a sixth grade teacher by trade, and a vintage resale enthusiast by choice. When I'm not busy teaching lessons and grading assignments, I am on the hunt for vintage treasures at local thrift shops, estate sales, and yard sales. Here's the story of how my obsession with all things vintage came to be.

Yard sale shoppers know this image all too well.
Good thing my van is a Stow 'N Go model.

Fifteen years ago, I went to my first yard sale with my sister-in-law. She was a seasoned veteran with an impeccable knack for finding incredible bargains, and I wanted in on the game. Saturday mornings became my escape. I left my husband and four kids at home and hit the yard sale circuit in earnest. I shopped for my home, my family, my classroom, and my friends.

If you're in the Philadelphia area and you get the chance,
visit Bargain Thrift Center in Germantown. You won't be disappointed.

I was content in my role as yard sale hobbyist for many years, and then something amazing happened. I ended up working at Bargain Thrift Center, my cousin's thrift store, on Saturdays. One thing lead to another, and before I knew it, I was a listing manager for Vintage Character, her Etsy shop, and we were making the rounds on the local vintage market circuit together. I had found my "thing".

Taking a break from "Antiques Camp" in Michigan and visiting a 4-H Fair.

Fortunately for me, Sue is an accomplished business woman and a virtual fountain of vintage knowledge. I spent several years under her expert tutelage, learning the tricks of the trade. Sue even took me to "Antiques Camp" in Michigan once to help me learn how to determine the value of vintage items.

Taken on move-in day at Capt. Scrap Antiques, Collectibles and More in Woodbine, NJ.

Then, in February of 2017, I got the opportunity to join a vintage resale co-op called Capt. Scrap Antiques, Collectibles, and More near the lake where we vacation. I decided it was time to venture out on my own and give small business ownership a shot, and I am so happy I did. Capt. Scrap's is amazing: six buildings full of the best vintage and antique vendors you'd ever want to meet. I am happy to report the co-op endeavor is working out very well. I love tending my small space and sales are solid. Luckily for me, my biggest challenge is space. I find so many awesome treasures that I don't have enough room to display my entire inventory. Eventually, I realized opening my own Etsy shop would allow me to be able to bring even more of my vintage riches to a much wider audience, and VintageVagabond1967 on Etsy was born in June.

Pyrex Casserole Dishes available in my Etsy shop.

Its been a most enjoyable journey going from a yard sale hobbyist checking items off the wish lists of my family and friends to an independent small business owner offering my vintage wares to a global customer base, and I look forward to building an extensive and amazing shop inventory for both my local and world-wide customers' shopping pleasure.

If you are in the South Jersey area, check out Capt. Scrap's in Woodbine.