Don't Be Tardy For The Party: My First Boogie Den Experience

This past weekend I attended A&D Vintage's monthly "Boogie Den" in L.A and loved it! Think late night thrifting whilst listening to live music, and sipping on fruity cocktails [open bar]. This isn't like going to your local Goodwill where it's a hit or miss, this is a warehouse chock-full of HAND-PICKED vintage items. They have everything from rompers, to dresses, sweaters, jeans, lingerie, scarves, shoes, and purses! The kicker is that everything on this night is $7 a pound. Yes, $7 a pound. I left that night with a LARGE trash bag full of clothes for $72.

This is how it works; there is a $10 cover to get in, and upon entry you are supplied with a bunch of trash bags to have a place to store your goodies while you dig through bins and bins of clothing for those one of a kind treasures! Everything is categorized to spare you from pulling your hair out [tops in one bin, dresses in another, and so on], and the entire warehouse is yours for the pickin'.

[Found these cool painted doors off to the left of the stage; cool right?]

The warehouse is also open for business by appointment only during the week [between the hours of 8:30am - 4:30pm], however keep in mind that they are wholesalers [they supply a lot of your favorite Etsy & Ebay sellers], so certain restrictions apply in regards to the pricing [see below]. If you want to purchase the clothing at the rate of $7 a pound without any minimum purchase, then attend the Boogie Den on the last Saturday of the month. 

Regular pricing structure is as follows;
$7 pound - 1500lb minimum
$9 pound - 300lb minimum
$11 pound - 50lb minimum

Regular "by the piece" prices are as follows; 
Dresses starting @ $12
Leather Jackets starting @ $18
** She also ships too, so this is perfect for all of you who aren't in the L.A area! Check out her myspace for more details.

Now can you see why it's such a good idea to head out to their monthly party?! If you are in Los Angeles, the next one is June 26th, [from around 8pm - 2am] hopefully I will see you there :D

Wearing:
Silk Top: Thrifted
Harem Pants: Thrifted
Bag: Thrifted 
Booties: Jeffrey Campbell
------ + My outfit was less than $5 guys!! [not including the shoes], these are a couple of pieces I scored at that huge estate sale I went to a couple of weeks back. Be sure to keep checking the Penny Saver, Craigslist, and EstateSales.net for sales in your area!

Estate Sale Shopping Tips

 [a few quick snaps of part of my lil collection]

1.Check your local PennySaver for Estate Sale Listings - Craigslist is also a good source to check.

2.Estate Sales usually last for 3 days [Friday, Sat & Sun] or 2 days [Friday & Saturday]

3.Pricing is FIRM on the first day [unless you are buying a lot; and I do mean a lot] - The staff is usually open to negotiating on the last day of the sale.

4.True Estate/Probate sales usually occur in the unfortunate event that someone has passed, or moved on to a retirement home - In those cases EVERYTHING must go. If you want the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink; those are for sale [no kidding; there is a regular estate digger that attends just for the cleaning supplies and tools].

5.Show up early if you are looking for antiques or fine jewelry, as dealers will often be the first in line.
Moving sales are NOT estate sales; understand that people will call it that in order to get tons of people to come out!

6.If you hear words such as "contemporary", "ethan allen" "new" in the listing, it is safe to say they aren't selling vintage clothing, or antiquities.

7.Don't ask for a price on a single item; bring ALL of your items to the front; you will get a discount FOR SURE. If all else fails, you can put things back. - The staff that runs the estate sale will more than likely always quote a "outrageous" price when you hold up one item. Your bargaining power increases greatly if you have 5+ items. 

8.Check the armpits [I hate that word] of clothing in search of ripped seams. Also check for moth holes, that dress is no good if the moths got to it before you did. Check the hem of dresses as well.

9.Grab first, ponder later. I learned this the hard way. I was staring at a vintage 1920's flapper dress, and watched in horror as a dealer snatched it right under my sight. - Now, I grab anything that looks REMOTELY interesting, and keep looking for others. I make my final decisions upon checkout.

10.Hand wash all items that say MACHINE WASHABLE in Dreft or Woolite. If in doubt; or there is no care tag, take items to the cleaners!

11. Take good care of your vintage pieces; after-all you worked hard sourcing them. Use wooden or padded hangers, buy cedar to keep the moths at bay. And invest in garment bags. A lot of my things are stored together on garment racks [as pictured above]. - My jackets, furs, and delicate dresses are stored in a closet [with tons of lavender scented moth balls and cedar]

Purveyor of Old Goods

I absolutely love antique shopping! - As a child I would go on pretend "treasure hunts" throughout my neighborhood searching for odds and ends. I would also spend my summers in the local library doing research on the archaeologists that discovered some of the most coveted pieces from the ancient ruins in Egypt. I always knew that one day I too would go on "treasure hunts" of my own when I got older; certainly this isn't as grand as an excavation in Egypt, but the thrill I get is amazing nonetheless.

Here are some pictures I took at one of my favorite antique stores tucked away in the outskirts of L.A! Check out some of the pics the gracious owner allowed me to take in her barn chock-full of treasures!

Antiques At The Barn
Address:
6851 W Avenue I
Lancaster, CA 93536
Telephone Number: (661) 726-9556
Hours of Operation:
Hours 11-6, Sun 12-5

I left "the barn" that day with a few goodies to add to my old book collection;

A Weed is a Plant Whose Virture is Not Yet Known - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I rarely watch the Oscar's because I am not much of a movie or tv person. Yet this year, I decided to play nice, and tune in to the festivities. One thing was quite apparent this year though, and that was the underlying stories behind some of this years nominee's/attendees. 

I am a sucker for an underdog. While I respect people from all walks of life who set out for their dreams, I have an infinite amount of admiration for those unsuspecting individuals who dream big and make their dreams a reality. The stories of  Gabourey Sidibe, Tom Ford [who has never directed a movie in his life, until now], and Mo'nique sound like tall tales, but the reality is, it could be any of us.

The potential is in all of us. It is up to us to step out on faith and trust ourselves! This week lets all try to do something we never thought we would do, even if it is just a little thing. We only have one shot at this crazy, beautiful thing called life; let's give it all we've got!

Forever 21 is having a killer sale! This outfit (minus the boots & scarf) was under $10! My "pleather" boots weren't that much either, I think I got them for $30 in the Fashion District [Downtown L.A]

Skirt: Forever 21, Sweater: Forever 21, Stockings: H&M, Boots: Fashion District, Faux Fur: Vintage

Spanish Castle Magic | I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way; things I had no words for - Georgia O'Keeffe

I was really hesitant about this dress. At first I felt it was a little obnoxious for my liking, however I couldn't get over the colors and the dramatic length. The kicker was that it was only $5 at the Fairfax Flea Market, can you really debate over something that is only $5?

If you are ever in Los Angeles, and you dig vintage shopping whether it be clothing, art, or furniture, you should definitely check it out. Some of the clothing is a little overpriced, but there are always vendors there that have super bargains. Take a big bag if you plan on buying clothes, and bring some fabric softener sheets to throw in the bags with the clothes while you shop. Then wash the items when you get home, I like to soak them in a tub filled with Woolite, gently wash them, and then hang dry!

To get the poofy hair thing, I braided my hair in about 11 big braids then I let it set for about 5 hours. After several hours (5) I took the braids down, and because it wasn't dry all the way it began to S W E L L. Now this is cool if this is the look you are going for, but I don't get second day hair out of it!

This dress is super comfy, and dressy at the same time! Perfect for when you want to be comfortable, and feel somewhat glam. 

Dress: Thrifted, Necklace: DYI, Bracelets: F21, Sunnies: Michael Kors

Day to Night

[I need to figure out how to make my own Chai Tea]

One thing I love about leather jackets and tights, is that you can wear them with almost anything. In my case, faux leather jackets, and tights. Instead of changing my clothes at night, I threw on my jacket, black tights, and comfy boots. Perfect for walking around the town.

You can pair a leather jacket with almost any dress, the more feminine the dress, the better. It offers an interesting contrast, kind of like a patina finish on fine silverware.

 Dress: Vintage - Faux Leather Jacket: H&M - Tights: H&M - Boots: Ralph Lauren - Purse: Forever 21 -