VintageGriffin.com

All week long I will be involved with preparations for a vintage croquet party we're having on Sunday. Why croquet? Well, other than the fact that this was a classic pastime of many Victorians, Edwardians and folks through the '20s and '30s, croquet is a terrific party activity. You don't need a lot of physical strength or skill to enjoy it ('tho competitive croquet is more demanding). You also can eat and drink and mingle while you play, and that's perfect for a party. (If you don't already have a croquet set sitting on a corner of your porch, you can pick an inexpensive one up for between $40 and $80 a local sporting goods store, or online shops (www.croquet.com.)

Our vintage croquet party will aim to infuse the spirit of vintage fun into our time togther, and make sure all the guests are comfortable regardless of how much they know of croquet, Victorian manners or Edwardian fashions.

SERIES: 10 Things I Would Do Differently If I Started Collecting Today -

Hollis Jenkins-Evans
Past Perfect Vintage clothing

This is an entry in an ongoing series. We're asking a range of vintage and antique clothing collectors what they would do differently if they began their collecting journeys today. Our experiences can make us better collectors and caretakers.



1) Study the market first to be more knowledgeable about rarity and desirability. And I would avoid the commonplace, no matter how inexpensive.

SERIES: 10 Things I Would Do Differently If I Started Collecting Today -

Sue
Bonton Vintage

This is an entry in an ongoing series. We're asking a range of vintage and antique clothing collectors what they would do differently if they began their collecting journeys today. Our experiences can make us better collectors and caretakers.



1) Educate myself better. I really think this is the most important point and all other following points tie in with this one. When I started collecting vintage fashion it was an offshoot of the collecting I had been doing of antique/vintages laces and textiles. At the time I recognized clothing earlier than flapper style as being really old - but did not know the difference between Victorian and Edwardian. I also knew the 50s bouffant skirt style, but really didn't have a clue what a 30s garment looked like. BUT, I attended several estate auctions and purchased some *old* clothes and felt very smug - which leads me to #2...