2018 Trend Alert: Mid-Century Modern

Flip through any furniture brochure or stroll through any home décor store and you’re bound to notice beautiful retro style Mid-Century Modern furniture and accessories. It may be 2018, but the nostalgic pull of the ingenious architectural designs of the 1950’s is taking modern-day homes back in time.

The enduring popularity of the Mid-Century Modern style is based on many factors. It's classic, beautiful and a little bit funky. Low-slung sofas, bold patterns and fabulous furniture pieces with simple, clean lines and tapered legs successfully combine to create rooms that are stylish, functional and comfortable. It’s no wonder people continue to be drawn to this iconic design style.

While there is some disagreement about when the period started, it roughly lasted from the mid-1930s to mid-1960s. Technological advances led to production and development of a range of new materials making it possible to explore new textures and effects, colors and even new form. The timeless quality of the style, however, continues to appeal to today's homeowners. 

   

Do you find yourself drawn to Mid-Century Modern décor? Dream of incorporating a little (or a lot) of this timeless style into your home, but not sure where to start? By understanding the distinguishing features of the style, you can pieces that echo that. Iconic pieces from this era have been adapted and copied endlessly, and chances are that you might be able to find pieces that fit your lifestyle needs and budget, if you don't want to spend a fortune on furniture. Here are some tips:

• Vintage Mid-Century Modern furniture pieces are the key to a fabulous Mid-Century Modern room. Start here by considering Boyhill, Lane, Kent Coffey, or Mt. Airy furniture. One large piece can set the tone for your room nicely.
• Build around it. It does not have to be a set, but avoid too many patterns and stay within a color range, especially for wood.
• Layer in pops of color with artwork or fabrics, just a bit of bold pattern and of course a little shine with metallic accents (star bust mirror anyone?)
• Try lighting fixtures like unique pendant lights and remember, mid-century modern is not a matchy,-matchy style, so no need to find lamp sets!
• Pull in a few plants and a chic terrarium & voila! You’ve got a timelessly beautiful Mid-Century Modern room.

True Mid-Century Modern furniture and accessories are highly sought after, and finding good pieces can be difficult, but we can help! We have over 500 dealers in 3 locations and during February, the Buford Queen will be featuring Mid-Century Modern furniture in their dealer consignment area. Chances are, we’ve got some fantastic items just waiting to become part of your fab new Mid-Century Modern room!

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to see more from our dealers, including this recent post featuring Mid-Century Modern pieces!

Queen Dealer Spotlight: Flora Hill (HILL)

Each month we will be doing a blog about one of our dealer-merchants from each of our three stores that offers unique, one-of-a-kind antiques and merchandise for your home and garden. We have a lot of creative, savvy and talented dealers and we thought you would enjoy getting to know them!

Flora Hill (Dealer Code HILL) has been a dealer at the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta since January. Her booth is located on Battery Street. She was previously a dealer in another antique mall 10 years ago and decided it was time to get back in the business. Her favorite part of being a dealer-merchant at the Queen is being there and getting to see the unique items that other dealers have brought in and seeing all the dealer’s creativity!

Her space has vintage furniture and home accessories. She likes to search for unique, but functional objects, and many of the items are hand painted by her. All painted art in her booth is an original one of a kind piece. Flora says she loves to sell old furniture. She likes to give old old pieces new life with a hand crafted painting, and says there is not a table that she does not absolutely love.

Flora’s favorite item in her home is pottery! Her collection has been in the making for 40 years and she loves using all the pieces for meals and parties. She loves traditional furniture, and says that trends come and go, but traditional furniture is always here to stay and to stick with what you love!

Her hobbies and interests include fine art, which has always been a passion. Her first award was in 3rd grade and she was fortunate to win awards throughout school. She is a self- taught painter and enjoys learning new techniques in painting.

She loves to travel the backroads of the United States with her husband, Greg, with who she'll celebrate 40 years of marriage this July. She says, “There are always treasures to be found, history to explore, incredible sights to see, and interesting people to meet.” Flora and Greg stay busy with flipping houses…their style. She says, “My love of painting has taken me into unique opportunities to paint murals in homes and businesses. There have been ones for kid's rooms, folk art styled breakfast rooms, a couple of Italian landscape themed murals for custom wine cellars, and a couple of back bar murals."

In the past, I was fortunate to hand paint terra cotta pots for a Liz Claiborne Mother's Day product promotion.” Flora painted a beautiful LOVE sign for our Wedding Inspiration Expo that was raffled off and has painted the stars and stripes that will be raffled off during July 4th! 

We are so fortunate to have such talented dealers like Flora at the Queen of Hearts and you can check out her booth on Battery Street in the Alpharetta store (Dealer Code HILL).

Queen Dealer Spotlight - Anitra Mecadon, Sophisticated Junk (ANITRA)

Each month we will be doing a blog about one of our dealer-merchants from each of our three stores that offers unique, one-of-a-kind antiques and merchandise for your home and garden. We have a lot of creative, savvy and talented dealers and we thought you would enjoy getting to know them!

Anitra Mecadon (Dealer Code ANITRA) has been a dealer-merchant at the Alpharetta Queen of Hearts since September 2014 and her booth is located on Church Street. Her booth, Sophisticated Junk, specializes in colorful accents and accessories for your home, and she is obsessed with mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles, up-cycled accessories, original artwork, vintage furniture, accessories and lamps and all things rusty! As the TV host and Design/Build Expert of the DIY Network show, MegaDens, she is a very busy woman but she was gracious enough to sit down with us for a few minutes to answer some questions. Her down to earth personality and warm sense of humor will have you grinning and you just want to sit and talk with her all day. We love having her as one of our dealers at the Queen and she says of the experience, “The Queen has been one of my go-to haunts for MegaDens since 2010. I would start every single show with a trip to the Queen. Now, I get to share my unique eye and perspective on Design/Décor with my customers!”

Stroll down Church Street at the Alpharetta Queen of Hearts and you can easily find her colorful, eclectic booth artfully arranged and displayed with all things vintage and secondhand, with Mid-Century and Hollywood Regency gems sitting along side pillows and throws made of vintage fabric, architectural salvage pieces, upcycled accessories, original artwork, vintage lamps and perfectly rusted accents!

She says her favorite items to sell are “Vingtage! I love sending handpicked Vintage Treasures off to a new home: I call it “Furniture Rescue.” I think what drives this desire is that when you shop and sell vintage repurposed items you are honoring the past but also daring to see it differently. I also love that furniture was real back then, not made of glue and cardboard like the stuff you find today. It was made with love by the hand of a real honest to god craftsman!”

Almost every item in her home is secondhand as she is a true lover of the HUNT! She has repainted, reupholstered, and rethought every single piece. Her home is always a work in progress and she loves everything from her 1960’s chrome lamps to her Superman Blue Dining Table! But her favorite thing in her home is her secondhand animals, as she has a house full of rescues that give her unconditional love and affection each and every day!

We asked her what trends she loves and her response was, “I love the vintage fabric and rug trend that is happening now. For years, I have been obsessed with antique textiles: the patterns, colors and craftsmanship blow my mind. What I love about this trend, it’s timeless. Look through vintage design magazines and old movies. Notice anything in the background? I bet there’s a Persian rug! I feel that vintage over-dyed area rugs are a great way to add a pop of color to any style room. I am also loving the vintage Persian rug accessories. Pillows and ottomans made of vintage Persian rug remnants are the perfect addition to help create the look of a well-collected room. If you’re looking to add a bit of color and texture to your space, this is the trend for you.”

Anitra was recently married on October 31, 2013, which makes Halloween her favorite time of the year! She grew up in Pittston, Pennsylvania, which is a tiny town outside of Scranton and filled with hardworking people that love their tomatoes. She is lucky to live her hobbies and interests every day, which is hunting for vintage treasures, painting and helping save animals! 

She is currently the Design/Build Expert and host of MegaDens on DIY Network and has hosted shows on both HGTV and DIY, like All American Handyman, Behind the Build of the HGTV Dream Home, Behind the Build of the HGTV Smart Home, Esquire Magazine’s Ultimate Bachelor Pad, and so much more. as well as a Design/Build expert, Set Stylist/Dresser, Furniture Designer, Holiday Decorating and Wedding Décor specialist.

You can usually find Anitra at the Alpharetta Queen on Thursdays when she is in town. Be sure to check out MegaDens on Wednesdays at 8 pm on DIY Network! To find out more about Anitra, visit her website at www.AnitraMecadon.com or her Facebook or Pinterest - Anitra Mecadon or Funkologie. She is also launching a new blog at www.Funkologie.com so be sure to check it out!

We love having Anitra as part of our Queen family and enjoy seeing her and her big smile when she comes in! She is always willing to stop and chat and give us the scoop on what really goes on behind the scenes!

Queen Dealer Spotlight: Dari Brown of "I Need This, Antiques" (DBW)

Dari Brown, owner of I Need This, Antiques (Dealer Code: DBW) has been a dealer-merchant at the Queen of Hearts for 6 years, an appraiser for about 12 years, and has been in the “biz” buying and selling all over the United States for over 25 years. Dari has this to say about antiques, “They do not provide food or shelter that we may live. Why then do we "need this?" Because they make our lives worth living with the joy of the hunt, the successful acquisition, and most of all...the history, the beauty, and the energy these pieces bring from another time and place.” With two spaces on Church and Queen at the Buford Queen of Hearts, Dari says her most popular space is the Victorian booth located on Church St.

Customers and Queen staff have said "it is like walking into a Victorian parlor," and young people are especially fascinated by the authentic pieces that were the mainstay of life during the 19th century era. The Victorian booth carries almost 95% genuine antiques (items 100 years or older) and she finds these at various auctions, estate sales and thrift shops.

Her second space is located on Queen St and offers a general line of antiques, vintage items and upcycled furniture. This space offers a variety of antique transferware, American primitives, vintage prints and a display case packed with vintage jewelry, antique cut crystal, Civil War memorabilia, militaria, toys, and other interesting items.

Dari says that there are too many “favorites” about being a dealer-merchant at the Queen but shares that it is the excellent business model that provides a pro-active and attentive staff, lots of customers and the ability to sell a bit of history. Being an antiques dealer allows you to enrich ones life with beauty from another era. Additionally, the trend to upcycle or repurpose “found” items, especially antique furniture, that has seen rougher days, into renewed and unique purposes is exciting. It is so much fun to see utilitarian items transformed into lighting fixtures or coffee tables. Just about anything goes these days and the more interesting the greater demand for the item.

Dari started out as a collector, and in order to “feed the collecting habit” became a dealer. Dari collects antique clothing, laces and needlework, Native American basketry, rugs and pottery, Victorian jewelry, quadruple plate, American Brilliant cut crystal and Early American Pressed Glass (EAPG) compotes, to name a few. She also has three spinning wheels, two are genuine antiques, and adores spinning fiber from all three of them. It is a meditative process and brings her joy along with beautiful handspun to knit.

Dari was born and raised in New Jersey and then began traveling at the age of 12. She says she has gypsy feet and enjoys living in new locales. With 7 grandchildren scattered all over the U.S. and overseas, she has the opportunity to travel quite a bit. She presently works, full time, for a global communications company located in Lawrenceville, GA and (with 6 years left to go) is looking forward to when she can retire from corporate America permanently and meander through small communities in search of treasure, expand to another larger booth at the Queen, visit her grandchildren, and scuba dive the world’s seas in between the antique hunting.

Visit Dari's booth in the Queen of Hearts Buford on Church and Queen St., and visit her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/INeedThisAntiques to see all of her gorgeous finds. You can also read her blog, Musings of a Sea Witch.

Dealer Feature: The Painted Hammer, Audrey Wood & Shane Levin

Each month we featured our great dealers in our blog, to give a little background on them, how they got started at The Queen, and what trends they are seeing! Meet Audrey Wood and Shane Levin, siblings who just became dealers at the Alpharetta Queen of hearts in January. They are located on S. Battery St, dealer code SLAW. Visit their Facebook page The Painted Hammer, to see all of their amazing items!

The sibling team behind The Painted Hammer, Audrey & Shane, has always had talent. One day, Audrey asked Shane to build a bookshelf she had sketched out. He did, then she painted it. Then she asked him to build another, which she also painted. Then she asked for a set of wooden blocks. All of these things were for her kids, and Uncle Shane happily complied. He then took on larger projects and built a mini kitchen, a play table, and a Lego table. Another set of blocks too.

At some point late in 2013, Audrey started thinking about their talents, how amazing things happened when they paired up, and what if they investigated going in on a booth at the Alpharetta Queen of Hearts? She had been shopping at The Queen for 15 years, she knows how to merchandise & style, Shane can build her designs, and so on. And then 30 seconds later (it seemed), they were set to move into their space on S. Battery Street!

Audrey treats the space at the Queen the same way she treats every space she works with, in her own home and for clients. She has a defined core color palette: black, white/cream, brown, blue, and red. She has a defined style as well, which influences all of her purchases and designs: eclectic bohemian vintage chic. Audrey also has a magical sense of styling, so she places and groups items in a way that allows browsers to see items and imagine them in their own home.



When Audrey is asked how others can define their own color palette and style, she always suggests taking an adored pillow or painting, and using the colors and style from there to get started!

Stop by and visit them at the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta, dealer code SLAW on S Battery St, and Like their page The Painted Hammer! You can also visit their blog The Painted Hammer or follow them on Instagram.

Fascinating Finds & Tremendous Treasures - MARIETTA

This guest blog is by Cindy Rich, a third generation picker of antiques/appraiser and loves all things vintage. She has been interested in antiques for as long as she can remember, and feels that every piece she finds comes from somewhere and was loved by someone! She will be visiting each store once a month for an Appraisal Night With Cindy Rich from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Bring your treasures and meet Cindy Rich, a certified appraiser. Please limit your items to 3 items and a voluntary $5 charity donation is requested for each item!

Upcoming Dates are:

• Marietta: SECOND THURSDAY of each month - July 10 - August 14
• Alpharetta: THIRD THURSDAY of each month - June 19 - July 17 - August 21
• Buford: LAST THURSDAY of each month - July 31 - August 28

Thursday night at the Queen in Marietta was nothing short of a "take my breath away" visit. I was blessed with so many smiling faces, and beautiful things, I was in awe. My time began a bit early at 5:15 PM and stayed on 'til the last customer just before 7:45pm.

I saw some vintage rugs that were easily over 80 years old, and while one was a bit more "cherished" than the other, both were spread out on the floor, and everyone who saw them were amazed, and appreciated the fine quality, texture, and life that each of them brought to the room. You could just imagine the space it took up, those who walked upon it, and how many holiday gatherings it saw.

I also had a gentleman who brought in a Tiffany piece that was an old bowl from the 40's and it was well worth the $6 find he brought to me.. I had done a bit more research when i returned home, and found it right in the amount i shared with him - which was approximately $250 - 350. Given time, it could well command a prettier penny. Although, I think he will be holding on to that one with both hands.

I had some gorgeous paintings, some pencil charcoal drawings, and even a bit of ivory jewelry. I was pleased to see a piece of Gorham silver from early 40's - 50's... it was a child's yoyo. Yes, I said, yoyo. It held up its beauty and stood the test of time. That gentleman had a wonderful eye, and a heart of true gold - he is one who treasures the past, and stops his finds from finding their way to the scrap yard. He is truly a preservationist of History.

As my night ended, I listened as the folks left me, and i was taken aback in how much i love what i do, how much i enjoyed my first time in Marietta, and just how much i love seeing the people come out and share with me all their findings... It is my pleasure to be able to touch pieces of the past, learn from the people, listen to the stories, and treasure all they have for me. It is truly a precious gift.

I have always enjoyed my trips as a customer to the Queen, and have purchased many items lately from the various stores to add the beauty of the rejuvenation of my kid's rooms. Each piece we have hand-selected tells a story all it's own, and now, it will include its time in our home.

What does the Queen of Hearts provide it's customers Pleasant shopping, fabulous finds, and tremendous treasures.

What does the customer gain from those pieces? A new piece of history for their family and added warmth and charm for their home.

See you next month! - Cindyanna

Fabulous Finds, Tremendous Treasures - ALPHARETTA

This guest blog is by Cindy Rich, a third generation picker of antiques/appraiser and loves all things vintage. She has been interested in antiques for as long as she can remember, and feels that every piece she finds comes from somewhere and was loved by someone! She will be visiting each store once a month for an Appraisal Night With Cindy Rich from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Bring your treasures and meet Cindy Rich, a certified appraiser. A voluntary $5 charity donation is requested for each item!

Upcoming Dates are:

• Marietta: SECOND THURSDAY of each month - July 10 - August 14
• Alpharetta: THIRD THURSDAY of each month - June 19 - July 17 - August 21
• Buford: LAST THURSDAY of each month - July 31 - August 28

My first visit to the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta this past Thursday Night for the monthly Meet the Appraiser Night gave me pause to see all that their customers and patrons of the store had to offer.

My evening began with a lady, who had lost her mom and grandmother over 10 years ago, and had some (20) items for me to look at that she feels she needs to "rehome" ... I saw gorgeous vintage enamel tea pots, crystal dishes, vintage serving trays, a beautiful vintage quilt over 80 years old, and a few pieces of vintage pottery - each one any collector would be proud to display, use, or just have as their "go to" items for the holidays.

I then met a gal from Suwanee that brought me some very old pieces that she is in the process of selling to collectors - paintings with hand-carved frames, a 100 year old map that has been given new life and matted and give a place of honor in her home, and vintage carvings of wood that would be a privilege to own and display in anyone's home. Their obvious Roman flair with the meticulous hand - carving rivals anything we'd mass produce today, and the hand-painting with original paint, made these true treasures that will be envied for time and eternity.

I had a gentleman who had a painted "tin" painting that was framed in a hand-carved, hand- painted frame that was in his family for over 80 years, and continues to retain that something special" persona about it... It is something that he will hang in his home and pass along to his daughter when she marries someday.

Finally, I had the pleasure to meet a young lady that showed me a table with chairs that she gave "new life" to while keeping the original tapestry fabric of linen. The roman-style chair that she showed me has the realm of strength, family, and health... she is going to find this treasure a new "home" and now has a story to pass down along with this lovely.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening that came to an end all too soon, and i left with the knowledge that everyone i had the pleasure to meet went away with a smile, a story, and a love for their pieces in ways they never expected...it's what brings them back to the Queen... "it's that something-different" that the store and its vendors offer..."history for the home."

See you next month! - Cindyanna

Fabulous Finds, Tremendous Treasures

This guest blog is by Cindy Rich, a third generation picker of antiques/appraiser and loves all things vintage. She has been interested in antiques for as long as she can remember, and feels that every piece she finds comes from somewhere and was loved by someone!

I started my adventures earlier than expected with some wonderful ladies, who are also vendors there and saw a primitive step-back cabinet that was given "new life" and shown much respect with a new coat of paint and an old trunk that had beautiful finishings and pretty patina on it. I would use it in my daughter's room with some old vintage quilts and pillows pouring out the top.

Another lady showed me a beauty of a chest embellished in hand-stamped brass that can be used as a hope chest for a young couple, or to store vintage pieces that are precious to you.

I had the pleasure of talking with a lady that found a picture behind another picture in a frame that was from the 1920's and was a print that she was wanting to know the value - it was worth approximately $125. She went on to tell me it belonged to her aunt and she had always admired it from when she was a child and was blessed to have it given to her when her aunt passed. You could see the love in her eyes and the humble heart she had when talking about her. I was just in awe of the simple beauty of the piece.

Finally, I had the joy of meeting another vendor who had some pieces of lighting from the 1920's that were hand-crafted, hand-forged, and heard stories of her mom and how she loved these pieces and to her surprise - they were worth quite a bit, as they are no longer made. They hung in a nightclub for many years and were items she truly cherished. 

All in all, it was a night for me to remember, to take a walk through time with each and every customer, and receive donations of over $100 that goes to charity.

Thank you for another fantastic time at the Queen of Hearts. See you next month!

Budding Inspiration: Spring at the Queen! Guest Post from Appalachian Vintiques

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The earth laughs in flowers.” After a very long, hard winter in the mountains of North Carolina, I am embracing spring with lots of laughter and looking to flowers for inspiration in decorating my home. With our recent Spring Fling, we saw many unique ways to incorporate pops of pastels, floral prints, colors inspired by nature and ways to bring sunshine and laughter into your home. And don't forget the Pantone color of the year, Radiant orchid, is a bright burst of Spring color for your home, and goes great with floral prints.

The Spring brings opportunities for entertaining - look for creative ways to display flowers. Take these ideas from the Queen, using vases, mason jars, teacups, or vintage bud vases for traditional and non-traditional floral displays. 

Vintage bottles would be perfect for displaying, with or without flowers. The fact that these bottles tell their own unique story make them a unique conversation starter. The two pictures below are bottles from our booth in Buford at Appalachian Vintiques. 

Love old Mason Jars? You can find a great selection of Ball Mason jars that are clear or you can opt for the older blue jars that are quite valuable. 

Spring entertaining (especailly in the South) isn't complete without an afternoon glass of tea. Our dealers have a large variety of tea sets to fit just about any taste or style. This floral display would be perfect for décor but can pull double duty because you can actually use the tea sets later in the afternoon!

The great thing about Spring is that there is a flower for every personality and style. Be sure to stop in at the Queen of Hearts and find the perfect piece to display your flowers, or  your Spring floral accents!

This blog was written by dealer Jennifer Turner, of Appalachian Vintiques (LIVJC) on Court St in Buford - like her on Facebook to see all of her fabulous finds!

Dealer Feature: DPC Marietta, Debbie Camp

Each month we feature our great dealers in our blog, to give a little background on them, how they got started at The Queen, and what trends they are seeing! Meet Debbie Camp, a dealer who has been at the Marietta Queen of Hearts for almost a year, and is located on East Bay Street, dealer code DPC. Visit her Facebook page DPC Queen of Hearts, to see all of her gorgeous items and Like her page to be updated on new arrivals!

 

 

A little over a year ago I retired from Delta Airlines after a 34-year career as a flight attendant. Everyone kept asking me, "So now what?" I really did not have any concrete plans to have another career. I enjoy volunteering, gardening, re-purposing things and thought, "hmmm, what can I do with those interests?" One day I was at the Queen in Alpharetta and I ran into a friend who has two booths there. She spoke very highly of the owners and the staff and suggested I might like to join the team. I began praying about it, and plugged away preparing for a booth to become available. In July I moved into the Marietta location on East Bay St.

 

 

Coincidentally, my inlaws were downsizing and planning to move into an assisted living. Their basement was full of vintage treasures. I got busy cleaning up, painting, and re-purposing items, and low and behold I had a plethora of furniture and fun treasures. They were both raised in Paulding County (West Cobb) on farms. They had furniture, tools, dishes, and garden accessories stored in their basement from their parent's homes. My husband would say,"You are not selling Mama's favorite yada yada!" Oh we had numerous discussions about those forgotten treasures. I must admit he and my son have been very supportive helping me repair and haul "Mama's treasures" and my husband has a workshop in our basement that has now become "ours" (and has created more discussions!)

 

 

I moved into my booth in Marietta on East Bay last July. It has been a "stepping out of the box" experience for me working in a retail setting. The creative part of having a booth is totally up my alley. I enjoy the hunt for vintage treasures as much as the re-purposing, and helping people find something they love. Yes, I have been known to go into dumpsters looking for old windows being discarded, and you fellow dumpster divers are probably nodding your heads. I have enjoyed going to auctions and estate sales collecting antiques and picking through vintage items - you never know who's trash might be someone's treasure.

 

 

Furniture has a great story to tell with it's finishes, lines, and character marks. I just like to add more to its story with my creative flair. Stop by and visit me at the Queen of Hearts in Marietta, dealer code DPC on E Bay St, and Like my page DPC Queen of Hearts! I'm always refreshing my booth and filling it with vintage treasures for your home. I'd love to help you find what you're looking for. - Debbie

Dealer Feature: Odds & Ends, Lesia Williams

Each month we feature our great dealers in our blog, to give a little background on them, how they got started at The Queen, and what trends they are seeing! Meet Lesia Williams, a dealer who has been at the Marietta Queen of Hearts for one and a half years, and is located on Meeting Street, dealer code ODDS. Visit her Facebook page Odds & Ends at Queen of Hearts, to see all of her gorgeous items and Like her page to be updated on new arrivals!

Being a small business is hard in today's retail climate. Being a tiny business is even harder. But at the Queen, sometimes tiny is better and can be a lot of fun! It's very fulfilling to purchase an item to resell and then have a customer buy it, leaving happy and satisfied. It makes me proud to make an item from scratch and have a customer take that home, or better yet give as a gift to a good friend or relative. I love to create and make items for Odds & Ends that others may want to own. I love to search out discards, rejects, and unwanteds to give them a new life. I am fulfilled and proud and get to do what I love. My tiny business lets me do all this. The Queen of Hearts makes it possible for me to have this tiny business, and those are the reasons I love being a dealer.

I became familiar with the Queen from selling vintage jewelry at the East Cobb location, then I was persuaded into becoming a dealer again by a friend. We partnered for a few months until she moved to an antique market closer to her home. Odds & Ends has become my tiny business to run and lots of decisions have to be made all the time, like what types of items to offer - as long as the quality is good, then I like to offer them. I also think it's important to offer a variety - new lines, as well as those that have a "vintage vibe." It's fun to see what works for my customers and what doesn't, and to bring in more of what they like.

I have spent most of my working life in the retail environment and enjoy talking to customers when I come in to add new items. Resale is a wonderful business, as you are reusing and repurposing items that might just be thrown out. Recycling is very important in our environment and I like to reuse instead of having to purchase a brand new item. What I love about the Queen is you can save money on quality items shopping here, it's not just a flea market or junk to sort through. The dealers care about the quality of items they bring in, and making them feel like brand new - we hope our customers feel this way also. My best advice to customers is to try to be a savvy shopper. Buy what you like and make sure it is of good quality and a design that suits you. I like the furniture items I sell to be sturdy, made well and have a stylish look, and am constantly changing and filling my booth.

Stop by and visit me at the Queen of Hearts in Marietta, dealer code ODDS on Meeting St, and Like my page Odds & Ends at Queen of Hearts! I'm always refreshing my booth and filling it with things like vintage jewelry, antiques, and modern items for your home. I'd love to help you find what you're looking for and give these recycled items a new home. - Lesia