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You know how digging through a big box of vintage items is kind of like opening up one of those mystery bags from Claire’s at the mall?

You never know what you’re going to get.

My husband’s version of a mystery bag is the random box of records tucked away in a vintage seller’s booth. He *loves* flipping through them.

Every crate could hold an overlooked rare gem or a pristine pressing. Gotta check ’em all.

(And the more boxes there are, the better for him, because I’ve been known to spend a looong time at a vintage market.)

Anyway, last summer, hubby was diligently examining every vinyl disc in a vendor’s crate at the Hamilton Vintage Community’s summer market.

Buried in the middle of the box was a copy of the Top Gun original soundtrack from 1986.

He pulled it out.

Now, you may recall that in 2022 there was this teeny-tiny sequel to Top Gun called Top Gun: Maverick playing at select cinemas.

(Kidding about that last part.)

It was mid-July and Top Gun: Maverick, of course, already had hit the $500-million mark at the box office, well on its way to becoming a billion-dollar behemoth.

“You should display this vinyl at the front of the crate,” he kindly advised the vendor.

So they did.

When hubby looped back to the booth about 15 minutes later, the record had sold.

Who knows, the disc might have sold regardless if someone had eventually dug through the box.

But surfacing the record sleeve meant they didn’t have to.

All it takes is a little bit of merchandising, a little bit of knowing what’s in the inventory, and a little bit of understanding about what catches a customer’s attention.

Just how important is it for a seller to stay on top of trends and pop-culture moments?

For Tina Beer Hamlin, owner of Coast Consignment, it’s crucial. She uses trends to show potential customers how they might incorporate antiques into their modern lives. (I recently interviewed Tina for a two-part series on valuing and selling vintage furniture — see below.)

But I get a mixed response every time I’ve asked the resellers in our social media community about where they fall on trends.

Part of the joy and the beauty of buying and selling vintage, after all, is untethering ourselves from trends.

Sourcing pieces that speak to you, that reflect your unique worldview, that are curated to your individual taste. The vintage niche can be wild and weird and wonderful — antithetical to the sameness often embodied by trends.

Divorcing ourselves from trends is also one way to source and shop more mindfully, but let’s set that conversation aside for the moment, because it’s a big one.

The thing is, trends are still how a lot of consumers prefer to shop. So it doesn’t hurt to play into that now and then.

How might items in your inventory fit with a current trend?

Maybe you have a few pieces that you can pass off as Parisian-inspired decor or “mermaidcore” (this spring, for example, Etsy reported a 67 per cent increase in searches for custom oil paintings, a 44 per cent spike in searches for ruffled duvet covers, and a 125 per cent increase in searches for scalloped runners).

Or maybe you’ve been hoarding long maxi skirts and sheer blouses, which Elle, Refinery29 and Vogue have all deemed top fashion picks for spring and summer.

Like Tina at Coast Consignment says, bridging old-world items and new-world preferences is a way to get buyers on board.

If we want more consumers to think secondhand first, it’s important to meet buyers where they are. 

Any trends you’re interested in trying? Or are you still staunchly anti-trend? Let me know in a reply to this email!

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Educating shoppers on the secondhand market is important but the sector needs more help from regulators, says Tina Beer Hamlin, owner of Coast Consignment.

Tina’s shop in North Vancouver is situated next to one of the most affluent districts in Canada, meaning she gets a lot of high-quality consignments coming in — but running a secondhand shop comes with big costs no matter where it’s located.

One recent example: a brand-new but pre-owned Italian-made sofa is listed at $16,000 in Coast Consignment’s showroom. (Actual retail price? $25,000.) At a 50 per cent commission, the shop’s fee for rehoming that sofa will be $8,000, with the consignor taking the other half.

But with overhead costs of a 7,000-square foot showroom in one of Canada's most expensive real estate markets, advertising and marketing, salaries, insurance and other admin fees, the take-home for Coast Consignment is far less.

In a new Q&A, Tina talks to The Vintage Seeker about how market conditions have affected running her shop, and what she wants to see from the government when it comes to supporting the secondhand sector. 

Read our interview here.

The owners of Pink Bubblegum Vintage share their top lessons about running a bricks-and-mortar boutique.

Branding is an expense that can be hard to justify when you’re in the early stages of growth. Branding expert Katie Dempsey shares how to make a big impact for your small shop.

Mental health consultant Martina Kelades joins us live Wed. May 17 at 6 pm ET to suggest strategies for self-employed shop owners to manage their mental wellness.

• Better Homes & Gardens asked a pro appraiser for a list of the best vintage items to sell this year.

• Researchers at two U.S. universities say they’ve found a link between how (dis)orderly a secondhand shop is and the likelihood of a consumer to purchase.
• Forbes examines the growth of the re-commerce sector and predicts the next big thing on buy-and-sell marketplaces. 
• Vancouver is losing one of its mainstay vintage markets this summer, but the Eastside Flea has plans to return.
• Keeping goods out of landfill is a perennial goal for resellers, but some retail experts are measured in their outlook on how much any of it will actually help the environment unless production rates change. In an interview with Retail Dive, the CEO of ReCircled says newly manufactured goods are often of such low quality they don't even have a resale value.

Whether you are looking for professional development or new connections in the industry, we’ve got it all: 

• Attend regular events with international experts on topics important to sellers
• Ask questions, get shop feedback and share advice on our private discussion boards
• Participate in thought leadership and promotional opportunities designed to boost exposure
• Connect over regular member calls for ongoing motivation and support
• Access exclusive how-tos and articles to support your business