Archive for the ‘East Toronto’ Category

A Touch of Vintage, Riverdale (by appointment)

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

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Ever found an online Etsy store selling vintage and wished you could just rifle though all the retro goodies by hand?

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A Touch of Vintage just happens to be one of those shopping places where you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak.

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If you’re an online addict, shop away as co-owners Diane Coatsworth and Victoria Adilman-Chan post uber precise measurements for the vintage dresses they sell.

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If you’re a Torontonian and prefer a good retail dig, email atouchofvintage@gmail.com to make a personal appointment in their Riverdale studio.

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The gals stock vintage dresses from the 1950s to 70s for reasonable prices – ranging from $22-$50 or so, with a few extra special frocks going for about $65-$85 each.

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There’s also some fab purses, scarves and accessories – the 1980s red leather purse shaped like a pair of lips for around $22 caught the attention of SheShops.

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You can also find vintage housewares, everything from 196os highball glasses to retro clocks and glassware.

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SheShops had a clock just like this one when she was growing up in the 1970s!

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The girls also tie-dye retro full and half slips in funkadelic colours, and recently have transformed white slips into gorgeous pastel-hued creations.

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Visit atouchofvintage.etsy.com to preview items, for sale in USD. If you pick up locally you save on the shipping!

Check out their Facebook for regular updates.

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Posted in Bargain Hunting, East End, East Toronto, Etsy, Housewares, Online Shopping, Retro, Riverdale, Vintage, clothing | No Comments »

Mira’s Vintage Boutique, the Beach

Monday, March 15th, 2010

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If you never thought there was a good reason to hit the edge of the Beach shopping district on Queen Street East just west of Victoria Park, stand corrected because that reason is Mira’s Vintage Boutique.

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SheShopsTO expected Mira’s to be some tiny consignment shop.The outside looks so quaint, and that darling awning hanging over the sidewalk, with the words “One of a Kind Consignment Store” printed on it, is just the biggest invitation for deal divas to waltz right in….

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But the inside  is surprisingly large and jam packed with all kinds of fashion goodies. Presided over by owner Mira Staples, the shop carries ladies’ clothing and accessories on a consignment basis, both contemporary and vintage.

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There’s also some new end-of-the-line fashions by the likes of Costa Blanca, Guess? and other fashiony labels, plus new costume jewellery, shoes, handbags and sunglasses at reasonable prices.

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A whole wall is dedicated to vintage fabric and $20 a yard, and if you’re so inclined Mira can whip them up into a set of drapes for you. She also does custom work, mainly in the costume biz, for sports teams, skaters and those in need of uniforms, though she has done dresses too. If you’re lucky you may find the odd Mira original hanging from the racks.

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You can bag a retro Simon Chang or Holt Renfrew blazer for under $50 or so, while the odd vintage wool dress can be had for $40. Make sure you take a peep in the glass counter as there’s a hoard of vintage brooches and rings for good prices. SheShops almost bought an antique gold-tone and jade pin for $40, but it didn’t fit into her life.

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There’s also second-hand hats, blazers and skirts. Sizes appear to vary; this is one of the few consignment and vintage shops this shopper has seen where size 20 is not just an anomaly.

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SheShops found took home an Art Deco enamel pin for $15; a Save the Queen top for $30; and a darling dress made in Italy for $20. Definitely worth a peep and regular visits. And if you’re there near close hit the nearby Vi Vetha Bistro at 2485 Queen Street East for a fab inexpensive dinner – you may be able to get a table without reservations.

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2238 Queen Street East

416-699-4005

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Posted in Bargain Hunting, East End, East Toronto, Jewellery, Second Hand, The Beach, Vintage, accessories, clothing | No Comments »

Danforth Village Antique Market, Danforth & Pape

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

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If you’re the type to walk along the street and never look up, you could be missing out on one of the neatest antique shops in east Toronto.

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Correction: ascend the half staircase to the Danforth Village Antique Market, Finders Keepers for short, and you won’t find a shop per se. The Danforth and Pape Aves. antique abode truly has the look and feel of an antiques market.

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Owner and antiques dealer Ali Medina has been plying his trade for over 30 years, between his European adventures and partaking in several antique downtown market ventures before opening his own on the Danforth.

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No matter that what started as an antique market with 13 or so dealers about three years ago has shrunk to just Ali himself as a dealer. Don’t think for a second that that means the breadth of goods or knowledge is any the lesser.

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In fact SheShops dares you to find an era or category that ISN’T represented at Finders Keepers:

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Rare 18th century Minton china (pictured here; the platter is going for $245 and dinner plates are $125 each); retro glassware; antique lighters; lamps and chandeliers of various eras; enough vintage jewellery to sink a ship.

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There’s more. Carved wood pieces; perfume bottles; clocks and watches; religious artifacts, artwork; pottery, dolls, crystal and brass.

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On a recent visit there were books full of first-issue stamps (and postcards explaining their relevance) from Canada and the USA, with prices averaging $10 per envelope.

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From the kitschy to the creepy, the elegant to the austere, this shop has it all.  And if it doesn’t, let’s just say it’s Ali’s personal mission to find it for you.

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He’s got a hoard of pickers finding stuff for him, and he’s pretty up on what things are selling for and what’s out there as a good portion of his biz is from online selling.

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Prices aren’t bargain basement but they’re fair. And with an ongoing (at least for the last 6 months) 50 percent off jewellery sale, there’s extra incentive for bling lovers to loiter over the jewellery counters a wee bit longer than usual.

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SheShops fell in love with an Art Deco brass and green cut glass choker, signed “Regina”, for $150 with the 50 percent off.

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Other cool items: collectible handmade Canadian dolls by the Marina Guild of Handicapped Artisans, around $95-$110 each.

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Definitely a shopping feat for the peepers. Hope you find some keepers like SheShops did.

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715 Danforth Ave.

416-599-7072

www.findersantiques.info

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Posted in Antiques, Danforth Ave., East End, East Toronto, Greektown, Jewellery, Kitschy, Lighting, Retro, Vintage | No Comments »

Pied-a-Terre, Leslieville

Monday, February 15th, 2010

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If you’re a lover of the industrial-chic-meets-French country decor aesthetic cultivated by Stephan Howard of Flik and Company in Leslieville, be sure to pop into his new co-operative just down the street from his Queen Street East shop.

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Pied-a-Terre opened in the fall of 2009 and is located under Almost Antiques, in the basement. The shop carries furniture and decor, some antiques that have been refurbished, and some new items, by four different dealers, including Flik.

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The vibe is French country with some industrial elements thrown in. Do you like that chair to the far right? It was featured in the January 2010 edition of Canadian House & Home, in the home of Joyce Lo of the Drake Hotel General Store and her partner, industrial designer Matt Carr.

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There’s a mix of pretty and gritty here. French-style chairs that have been reupholstered and refinished sit next to a worn wood harvest table with an old typewriter in it. An old green metal filing cabinet, about $1200, could be a funky storage unit or even a wine rack.

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The handmade driftwood chandeliers, about $400-$700 each depending on their size, are a major steal, and the wood is salvaged from the shores of Lake Ontario.

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What SheShops bought: retro blue velvet chair with the arms and legs stripped and distressed, $100.

1114 Queen Street East, lower level, 647-348-6025

www.flikandcompany.com

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Posted in Antique Row, Antiques, Custom-Made, Decor, East End, East Toronto, Eye for Style, Furniture, Leslieville, Lighting, Queen Street East, Salvaged wood, Second Hand | No Comments »