Why My Mom and I Sell Vintage
My mom has always been the one who stops the car. Estate sale signs. Flea markets. A cardboard box on a curb with FREE written in marker. She sees something the rest of us drive right past, and she sees the person who owned it before.
I can remember growing up and my mom looking in the newspaper on Thursday nights to plan out what garage sales and estate sales were happening locally, so she could map out the best route to take. We’d always get up early on a Saturday to try to be the first one’s there, that’s really how you find the good stuff.
That instinct is how LW Vintage Accessories started.
How LW Vintage Accessories Began
One of my mom’s first antique pieces she owned is an early 1900’s Singer treadle-operated sewing machine. She still has it in her “craft room” (aka the third room, where all the antiques and vintage items go lol).
The shop is hers. I'm the one behind the camera and the keyboard. It’s true LW collaboration at it’s finest (we are both LW, my mama’s name is Lynn.)
She finds the pieces. I photograph them, research them, write the listings, and design the graphics. We're good at completely different things, and that's exactly why it works.
What We Sell
Vintage sewing patterns. Uncut and factory folded, mostly from the late 80s through the 2000s. Many are plus-size and full-figure designs, which are surprisingly hard to find.
Button card shadow boxes. Framed displays inspired by the graphic button cards sold in 1940s to 60s dime stores.
Antique books, housewares, depression glass, vintage sewing accessories, and other mid-century ephemera.
Every listing tells you exactly what you're getting. If an envelope has a tear, an ink stamp, or browning, we say so and price it fairly. No surprises when your package arrives.
What Working With My Mom Has Taught Me
Every object had a person. A sewing pattern with a $1.99 price stamp from a 1988 fabric store means someone stood in an aisle and planned a dress. We're just passing it to the next person.
Honesty sells better than perfection. Collectors trust shops that tell the truth. That's Mom's rule, and it's become mine too.
Slow time together counts. Some of my favorite conversations with my mom have happened over a box of old patterns at the kitchen table or in the back of an antique mall. She gets so excited when she finds a piece of genuine depression glass, and she has taught me how to determine if a piece is worth the price they want for it. I’ll never forget when she taught me the term “flea bites” (for those that don’t know - a flea bite on glassware refers to a minute, pinhead-sized chip, nick, or surface dent—roughly 1/16 inch or smaller—that is often much easier to feel with a fingernail than to see with the naked eye.)
As a mom myself now, I think about what gets passed down. Not just the things. The way of seeing them.
How to Tell If a Vintage Sewing Pattern Is Worth Buying
Check the copyright year on the envelope back. Styles get reissued, so the date printed by the manufacturer is the real answer.
Look for "uncut, factory folded." The tissue has never been cut, so every size is still intact.
Read the size chart, not the size number. Pattern sizing runs smaller than store clothing. Go by bust, waist, and hip measurements.
Know the special lines. Names like Palmer/Pletsch, See & Sew, and Stitch 'n Save tell you about fit and difficulty.
Ask about condition. Tape, tears, and stamps don't ruin a pattern, but you should know about them before you buy.
Shop With Us
You can browse everything at LW Vintage Accessories on Etsy. New pieces go up as Mom finds them.
Looking for something specific? Send us a message. There's a good chance it's sitting in a box in Mom's garage right now, just waiting for the right person.
