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One of the things about my job that is really important to me is saving vintage treasures from the landfill and being destroyed forever.
When i found these wonderful antique music sheets from the early 1900's in a box on the floor, all the way in the back of a dusty thrift shop, i got that rush feeling. Got to save these.
If they were kept around for more than 100 years, they should not end up thrown carelessly in a cardboard box.

Before there were mp3's, or even cd's or records, there was sheet music. Going back to when most people didn't even have a radio yet, musical entertainment came from playing the piano. Around the turn of the century, families gathered round and sang and played.

The early 1900's were the golden age for cover art illustrations on the sheet music booklets. Nowadays these make for eye-catching pieces of affordable art. For around $10 - $20 you can have an original 1920's flapper girl illustration on the wall.

Unfortunately, the golden age of sheet music art didn’t last long. It ended in the late 20's, very early 30s. Piano's were being replaced by radios and record players, and less sheet music was being sold. The sheets that were still printed, now had photographs of the performers or movie stars on the cover.

Want to have some antique sheet music art on your walls? The pieces shown in this post and a few more are available in the shop.

Remember the vintage good manners posters i showed a little while ago? I found a whole other set of them! These are for a little older children, intermediate grades at school.
Just imagine these posters hanging in the back of a classroom, teaching the children how they should behave properly.

I got many listed in the shop right now, but i think these are some of my personal favorites.

All these posters are illustrated by Bertha Kerr in the late 1950's. I don't know a lot about her, just that she did a lot of work for the Hayes School Publishing Company. And that i am a big fan of her work.

1966 Joan Walsh Anglund wall hanging - Umbrella Doll Ornament - Crib Nursery Art - Wooden Bistro and Post Office Wall Hanging - Stuff 'n Sew Craft Kit

Have been busy shopping for presents for other people the past few weeks? Isn't it time to treat yourself a little now? Well, go get your vintage on! And everything in the shop is 15% off for the ismoyo-etsy-end-of-year-sale!
And if you have to have another reason, just giving a heads up, USPS postal shipping rates are going to increase again in January. International shipping will even double in some cases, so order now and still have the current shipping rates!

My 365 Magazine is a wonderful online lifestyle magazine and their latest issue is all about Etsy!
They had asked me to write an article about my shop and selling vintage on Etsy, and i gladly shared my story. You can read it starting at page 64.
Thank you 365 Mag for having me be a part of this great edition!

Thrifting darling Vanessa asked me recently if she could ask me some questions on how i run my vintage shop and how i got to publish my craft book. I'm a big fan of her Thrift Core blog, so it was my honor!
Check out the full interview and while you're there, browse around the rest of the site, it's a wealth of information for any vintage collector or seller!

I started this blog in September 2005 (making mental note of upcoming anniversary). There were times i blogged daily and sometimes i took a break, because life was hectic or because i was out travelling and discovering the world.
I don't think i ever stayed away here for as long as i did now. Yes, i am very busy running my business and my blog got neglected, but it also got harder the longer i stayed away. Like that friend you are meaning to call, but time goes by and the longer you wait, the harder it gets to actually pick up the phone.
At first i thought to just get back into the swing of things, ignoring my absence, pretending i didn't notice. But i think i need to address it. I'm sorry. Very Sorry.
What better way to show it, than with these Vintage Berrie Figurines?

And let me make a promise. To not stay away so long again. To make blogging a priority again. To make time to blog again. To bring you some great new posts very soon.
It really isn't that i forgot about the blog. Most days i came across vintage goodies and ideas that i wanted to share, but instead of actually doing it, i scribbled down a short note and that was that. So there is plenty to come.
Lots of vintage magazine and advertisement scans and vintage children's books to show, lots of thrifted finds to share. And i've started writing a piece on how to start out as a vintage seller. I will even maybe do a bi-weekly vintage seller interview series.

One more thing, if you love the Berrie Figurines as much as i do, there are some still left in the shop!

Missed you, and happy to be back!

"Look down... Things are looking up! Time was when the floor was covered with boring beige carpeting, which everyone wanted spread wall to wall as a kind of status symbol. Today we've shaken loose from our play-it-safe syndrome. Pattern, prints and prominent colors are coming on strong in every area of home decorating, floors included.

A standing ovation for the new shag carpet tiles shown here, please. Backed with latex foam rubber, the come by the box from the Tile Company of America, ready for you to install."

I'm loving that shag carpet. Love that they mixed different colors of tiles and made a border. Love that shag carpet is called shag carpet.
But i what i love even more is the freedom to go all out with the floral pattern on the walls! This wallpaper came from Thibaut. They still make pretty wallpapers, maybe i should ask them if they have some old leftover brown floral paper?

photo found in 1,001 decorating ideas winter book 1971. There are some of these wonderful 1,001 magazines in the shop!

Christmas in July?
Well, yes, ofcourse! What better time to stock up on vintage Christmas goodies than July? Don't wait until the end of the year and miss out on all the good stuff!

The Vintage Market Team on Etsy is currently running a Christmas in July sale (July 10 - 17th). Just type in "vmteamxmas" in the searchbox on Etsy, or follow this link and see what else is available right now!
The pretty ornaments in the photo are available in my shop right now as part of Christmas in July. But there's more. Pixie Elfs anyone?

I promised some of you to (better) show some of the vintage finds i brought back home from The Netherlands.
Here is a small selection of that what will stay with me in my personal collections.

I was on the hunt for one of those Delft Blue Kissing Figurines, so typical Dutch Vintage!
And the loving cat couple, oh, as a little girl i had multiple sets somewhat similar to these in white ceramic (see the set in the shop), but i have never seen this version before. I think they are so pretty and sweet!
The lucky thrifting gods were upon me because i found a good number of vintage squeaky toys, so i gave myself 'permission' to keep one or two. This one looked so happy being here, he will stay in my rubber toy collection!
And those cardgames! I should and i will really show you the cards inside, they are precious!

Since i've returned to NY i have been listing some of the Dutch finds in the shop already, and a lot are being picked up quit fast! But here some of those of which i wasn't sure of if i should list them or keep them myself, so if you love them as much as i do, please give them a good new home!

Spaghetti Poodle Figurine - Squeaky Baby Girl Toy
Ceramic Head Vase - Big Eyed Girl Figurine

There is more and there is more to come too, so keep an eye out on the shop!

No need to say Farrah Fawcett-Majors. Everybody knows who Farrah is... they recognize her smile and that glorious hair style! Girls everywhere are trying to duplicate it. Is it for you? Cut along dotted line and hold it up to your face.
Smile big!

You want to try it? It's from American Girl Magazine, June 1977 and the complete mag is now available in the shop!

Before i really started selling vintage items and doing lot of research i used to call melamine dishes, 'those lovely hard plastic dishes from the 50's'.
Then when i found some for my own kitchen and started looking around to find out what the marks on the bottom of my pieces meant, i came across the names 'Melmac' and 'Melamine' a lot. I thought it to be weird for something to have two names.

After research a bit more i quickly discovered Melmac is just one of the brands, maybe the most well known, of Melamine resin dishes. I also noticed that a lot of online melamine shop listings are being described as Melmac, when in fact they are not.
In my treasure hunts so far i came across Melmac, Mar-Crest Melmac, Boontonware, Oneida, Spaulding Ware, Prolon, OD ware, and some mysterious unmarked pieces. All Melamine, not all Melmac.
(i do admit, in some of my shop listings i do use the search term Melmac but never in the description if its not made by Melmac, but just because i know a lot of buyers will use the term to look for Melamine in general)
Melamine was first introduced in the 40s, a material with a glossy finish and in a wide range of stunning colors.
During the late 1950s and 1960s melamine tableware became highly fashionable for its affordability, durability and style.

Melamine dishes are easy to use and easy to clean with no worries about breakage.
Even though its basically unbreakable and resistant to odor absorption, it is prone to scratches (that's one of the reasons melamine went out of style during the 70's).
A lot of old pieces have some usage wear to them. Even greater the joy when you find pieces that are in great condition! I have heard about fixing scratches with Plastic Polish, all though i haven't tried that myself (yet).

Final note, love your vintage melamine and care for it, don't put it in the microwave or dishwasher. There are people who do, and if it works, good for you, but i wouldn't risk or recommend it.

Melamine dishes are perfect to bring along on a picnic and very convenient for families with young children. And for us, of whatever age, with a definite love for pretty vintage housewares. A set of Melamine in your kitchen really brings out that retro feel!

(ps click the images to go to the shoplistings if you want flaunt some melamine dishes in your own kitchen)

Adorable little Valentine Gift books from the early seventies.
From the Sunbeam Library by American Greetings.
These recently were put up in the shop, only the last two are still available.

I Love You A to Z.
1972, written by D.A. Marcum, illustrated by Joan Allen.

A Valentine From My Heart To Your Heart.
1972, written by Jean Kyler McManus, illustrated by Maria Paoletti Gamiere and Elena.

Valentine, Know What Love Is?
1971, written by Jean Kyler McManus, illustrated by Barbi Sargent.

Everybody needs somebody... i'm glad i have you!
1972, written by Gail Golladay, illustrated by Karl Odenweller.

A Valentine To Say I Love You.
1973, written by D.A. Marcum, illustrated by Joan Allen.

I feel so lucky to have come across these adorable prints by W.M. Otto to add to my collection!

I love how similar they are, but all different at the same time.

What was even more wonderful is that i found an almost double set of these! Yes, i had three of them twice! Two have already been scooped up from my shop, but there still is one left.

This one is still available in my shop. If you like it, get it, because it's the last one that i will put up for sale!

These four will stay here with us. Since there is already so much art in the living and work space of our apartment, i put these four underneath each other on the door of the coat closet in the small entry hallway of our apartment. That is why the lighting in the pictures is a bit off, since there is no direct light. But it is just off from the kitchen where it is sunny almost all the time, so still a lovely little area. Plus, i can see the coat closet from where i'm sitting behind my desk.
I can look at these lovelies all day!

image taken from craftcult

Hard work is starting to pay off.
It was a nice surprise seeing my views jump up recently. Immediately i knew my shop, or something in it had to be featured somewhere for this to happen so suddenly.
Thanks to sites as craftcult its easy to track down.
Not only were my vintage puppies lithographs in an Etsy vintage giftguide, now also the mounted deer head got its share of attention. In the Storque of all places!
Ok, not actually in one of the Storque articles that is send out in the Etsy newsletters, but in the related items list right under a Storque spotlight article! Top row!

You know, a while ago one of my handmade items made it to the frontpage. That was a rush. If you frequent the Etsy forums you will quickly notice making it to the front page is a big goal for a lot of sellers. I think it can work for your views and sales very well. But don't forget the front page lists rotate a lot, so your item will be there for a relative short while only. If that's at an off peak time you won't necessarily notice a lot of action in your shop.

The feature in the giftguide was special. Since my husband made the "Ismoyo on Etsy" song not too long before that feature. So we were extra excited. And a good thing about the giftguide is that your item stays there for a while. I don't know how long, i heard stories that when it sells, it disappears. But also that Etsy admins can decide to take things out again. It got me lots of views, some hearts and a couple of sales that might or might not came because of the giftguide.

So far the Storque has been the best exposure for me. Lots of views, not only on the item that made it into the storque, but also my other items were viewed more. Plus many new shop hearts. And as a business owner, the most important one, extra sales! The Storque article went live this past weekend, then Monday we had Columbus day so Tuesday i went to the postoffice with my arms full of packages. Lovely!
Just as with a feature in the gift guides, the Storque stays up there too. So shoppers can still find you through there. The deer head has sold, but the listing is still there!

I can only dream how wonderful the day would be when one of my items makes it actually into the Storque article or any other Etsy email.

Tada!
Unveiling my husbands song to feature my shop on Etsy.
Yes, this is where the squirrel has her cameo! She's sitting next to me right now, all excited and waiting to get some views and be discovered!

Tell me if you like!
ps yes i'm in there too. at the end.
psps posted about the song on the Etsy forums. getting some sweet responses!

Here goes this weeks shop roundup:
1. Vintage Lithographs of pretty Victorian ladies - 2. Milkglass desert bowls - 3. Funky vintage cups - 4. Rubber sitting doll - 5. Vintage clover cat figurines
These are just a selection, more has been added and a lot of new items are ready to be listed in the next week.
Hope you like!

Marketing wise i should use my blog more to promote the items in my etsy shop. I know it would be a good thing. At the same time i don't want this blog to become one of those where you only see a constant stream of 'new in the shop' posts. There is already an Etsy mini on the left of the blog, so you can see the latest 3 items listed, and if you really want to be up to date and in the know, you can subscribe to my tweets on twitter, i almost always announce shop updates there as soon as they happened.

At the same time i don't want my sweet and loyal blogreaders to be out of the loop, so Sundays is for shop selections, highlights of newly listed items in the week before. There is more and remember, you want to be the first to know? Check the Tweets!

1. Set of 2 Vintage Lithographs - Pretty Kittens - 2. Vintage wooden christmas ornaments - 3. Japanese Cross Stitch Embroidery Craft Book - 4. Vintage girl on rocking horse ornament - 5. Vintage Lithographs - Sailor and Harlequin Girl by Eden

<>Quick photo to show off new promo materials for the shop. Finally got new business cards printed, made a batch of new promo magnets plus some matching mailing stickers.
You like?

All patiently waiting to be photographed so they can make their appearance in the shoppe.
Not the big yellow sewing book, that was a surprise my Love brought home after going out for the morning coffee run. I was still in bed, he came back with hazelnut coffee and a gift he found (it appeared there was a morning flea market at the elderly home around the corner).
The record player is right next to my photo area, so waiting items are often placed on top. Michael Jackson is on there. Like it should.

I am so in love with Japanese craft books. I don't know what it is, but the Japanese designers and publishing houses really know how a great craft book should look like. I love the designs, i love the layouts, the project photos, all of it!
The only down point is that most often the books are pretty expensive plus you need to add the shipping costs, so buying the Japanese books is normally not a regular thing for me, but a special treat.
Luckily i have found a big lot of the lovely books, so many i can't keep them all to myself. In comes my Etsy shop. I think i have set up some fair prizes with matching low shipping, so if you are like me and love Japanese craft books, check out the shop. There are books on felting, sewing, crocheting, knitting and more. Hope you love! ♥

I recently talked about my parting problems when selling vintage finds. It's not only me. I see it happening around me now too.
Remember Ukkie? He quickly became good friends with the wise blue owl. I warned him that most of the vintage finds here in our home are only on a temporary stay with us, as house guests until they go to their new homes. But he got attached anyway. So now blue owl has sold and found a new home and Ukkie is a bit sad.

When i started listing vintage finds in my Etsy shop and looking through sellers eyes on recent thrift hunts, i knew i was taking a risk.
A risk i wanted to take.
One i would run into very soon.
Here is it.

I bring items home and before i know it i fall in love what is standing right in front of me. I already connected with it and don't want to part. Listing it? Selling it? No way! This must stay here. Ohoh. These are no good business manners. Shouldn't do it. Sometimes i do, sometimes i overwin and they do get listed.

And then there are the safe thrifts. The items that really are my style. Ismoyo style. Even so, the moment i lay eyes on it in the thriftshop/at the fleamarket/churchsale, i just know i won't ever feel the need to keep it forever. But if nobody would pick it up from my store, i wouldn't mind to have it in the collection either. So safe thrifts are listed.
Allthough sometimes safe thrifts turn into keepers when my Love sees them. He is just like me. Oh no, she can't leave! She needs to stay with us! Ohoh. Here we go again.

* The incredibly stylish salt and pepper cats in the first photo were the first where i felt the risk. Haven't listed them yet. They are currently living in our kitchen. Still pondering if, when and how i would list them.
* The olive green sugar and cream set were decided upon even before i picked them from the shelf. These would be in my kitchen for the years to come. Yes. It's that serious. ;)
* Made myself to decide to list the pretty girl waiting for her bus. I am fond of her, so if nobody scoops her up, i am happy to keep her here. She's in the shop. (until Love sees her and makes me unlist)

No i don't mean the labels are pretty fragile, they are pretty and say fragile.
Since i started listing more and more decorative vintage items in my etsy shop i had to think more and more about getting the items safely to their new owners when they sell. So i invested in a bunch of new shipping boxes and some bubble wrap. But still, you cross your fingers and hope the post office people are careful with your package just because you wrote 'fragile' on it with a thick sharpie!
Maybe these labels bring a smile to the faces of the postoffice people and maybe that will cause them to actually handle my packages with care! Pretty Please?

Is it a bowl of candy? I think it looks like something sweet you would like to eat.
But no, in this house a bowl of colorful sprinkles is just a bowl filled with paper scrappies left over from making a bunch of new spiral bound journals!

I made a whole stack of them, most are already up in the notebook section of my Etsy shop, or waiting to be put up, or already sold!
Hope you love!

Get your rollers out and get your hair in a Fancy Fluff!

Admit it, You've been dreaming about a curly hairdo...
If not, you will be after seeing these photos!

Vintage Scatterperm booklet now in my Etsy shop!