If you've ever considered starting a collection of any kind and don't know where to start, meet Denise Rodriguez of @rosieloveswilki. Denise is the Community Development Director and Interim Co-Director at the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, one of the statewide leaders in the anti-sexual-violence movement. Oh, and she has her PhD in 20th Century American Literature.
In her free time, she's a collector. What can't she do?
What started as an affection for cost-effective and stylish vintage fashion as a teen, slowly evolved into a decades-long hobby of curating collections of all kinds -- from jadeite to head vases and vintage quilts.
Just peek inside her adorable Sears kit bungalow in Bradley Beach New Jersey and you'll be inspired to kickstart your own collection. Denise shares some of her best tips and the perfect AuctionNinja finds to help you get started.
What got you interested in secondhand, vintage, and antique items?
I’ve always had a natural affinity for vintage items. It seemed a calling from the time I was a young child and was innately drawn to things that had an “old fashioned” feel.
This became more pronounced, however, in my teen years, when I went to work as a babysitter for a local family that lived in a marvelous late Victorian house filled with vintage and antique furnishings. The mother was a fashion designer in NYC, and her carefree, colorful sense of style inspired me.
From that time on, I started to shop for vintage items at local antique stores and second-hand shops. At that time, since I didn’t have a home of my own, I focused mostly on wearable vintage items—such as antique hats with flowers and other embellishments, vintage beaded sweaters, and costume jewelry. That was over thirty years ago!
What are the one or two things that you always find yourself bidding on/looking for when shopping secondhand?
Since I collect a wide variety of vintage things (e.g., head vases, holiday items, mermaids, kitchenware, and more), over the last couple of years, I decided to focus my attention on one or two collections.
This doesn’t mean I won’t happily pick up an item in another collecting category, but I’ve found that this focus helps to narrow down my searches.
Last year, for instance, was my “year of Jadeite,” while this year I’ve been focusing mostly on my vintage bathroom mermaids and yummy, colorful handmade quilts. I just found a quilt to add to my growing collection yesterday, while out antiquing with my kids on our way home from a long weekend adventure.
Your collection of head vases is impressive. How do you create arrangements and decide which vases to pair with which flowers?
Head vases are a perfect collectible for me because I’m also obsessed with fresh flowers. I buy some every week. They’re my go-to for self-care.
Sometimes I pick my flowers around the head vase I want to showcase in a vignette or display, and other times I’m obsessed with an arrangement and go in search of the perfect head vase to place them.
Thinking back to the history of head vases, they were floristware, so using them for your floral arrangements is a must. It’s what they were meant for.
I have certain ones that I think go naturally with specific blooms. For instance, tiny head vases are perfect for dainty lilies of the valley when it’s in season, and my large head vases look great paired with dahlias, which are my absolute favorites.
The great thing is that even the most modest flowers, like simple daisies, look gorgeous in a head vase.
What's your absolute favorite item ever purchased at an estate sale or online auction?
Hmm, this one is really hard. I love so many pieces in my collection, and they often evoke special memories, making them even more treasured.
That said, if I had to pick, it would be my Tilso girl bank that matches a series of head vases, figurines, planters, and salt and pepper sets made by several different mid-century companies that all feature a girl and sometimes a couple that have heart-shaped lips and flower crowns (roses, violets, daisies, and holly for Christmas).
They’re quirky, hard-to-find pieces, and there’s not much information about them out there that I’ve been able to find, but I started collecting them about 25 years ago, and that bank is hands-down my favorite piece in the series.
With so many amazing pieces, how do you decide how and where they're displayed?
I try to contain collections to certain rooms or areas of our tiny house so that they look cohesive. For instance, our vintage mermaids reside in our bathrooms, while our vintage pottery is mostly displayed in our living room built-in cabinets.
I also cycle collections out to maintain order. For example, in our kitchen, I bring pastel bowls and spring-themed salt and pepper shakers out around Easter Time, while I draw upon bold reds and blues for summer, and then cycle into autumnal hues for fall, followed by a lot of red, white, and Jadeite for the holidays.
This allows me to enjoy a wider range of collectibles despite some serious space constraints. I also try to add little banners, ribbons, paper fans, and other seasonal touches to help tie everything together.
How do you build your vintage collections? What is your advice for those looking to do the same who are unsure of where to start?
I’ve always bought what I like, and that really hasn’t changed much over the years. I’ve also bought what I could afford and made collecting decisions based on those realities.
For example, I was mostly priced out of collecting vintage Halloween items from the time I started collecting vintage holiday jack o’ lanterns, so I focused on blow molds instead. Now that those have gotten too pricey, I usually stick to picking up vintage plastic figurines and Gurley candles, which are still very reasonably priced.
That’s the great thing about vintage items. There’s such a broad range of items under each category. It’s amazing how many good deals are out there if you’re willing to spend time perusing online sites and visiting flea markets, antique shops, and second-hand stores.
My biggest advice is to be patient and enjoy the process. Sometimes, you can get lucky and come across an instant collection, which happened to me with my vintage bride and groom cake toppers, but mostly collections build over time—they are the joyful accumulation of things that speak to you. That’s really the beauty of it all!
Any tips or advice for online auction or estate sale newbies?
Yes, buy what you can afford. When I started collecting, I was on a tiny shoestring, grad-student budget. My favorite pastime in those days was to go to the local flea market. It was my reward after a week of working on my dissertation.
There was very little that I could afford at the time, so I was limited to picking things that I liked but that were also inexpensive. It’s nice to splurge on a signature or wish-list piece for a special occasion, but if what you really enjoy is the experience of treasure hunting and filling your home with unique, fun vintage finds, then go for what suits your taste but is still within your budget.
That way there are no regrets! Plus, chances are you’ll see your pieces increase in value over time. That’s the great thing about vintage, there are beautiful things at every price point and for every aesthetic. So have fun!
Denise’s AuctionNinja Picks:
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Lot of Collectable Postcards Circa Early 1900's (Simmons Auction House)
“Holiday decor is always a must for changing things up and making your home extra festive for any holiday or special occasion. Postcards and greeting cards are an inexpensive and space-saving option for creating special holiday vignettes. Just tuck them in an old flower frog and/or under a bell jar.”
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Vintage Jadeite Style Custard Glass (Clearing House Estate Sales)
“Cute, practical, and great for adding height to any collection/display.”
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Book Piece (& Book) Fabs! Kitsch Vintage Poodle Yarn Art with Mendelsohn Provenance ~ Large Framed (Auction House Galleries)
“Easily my favorite--who doesn’t love poodles, plus it’s always great to have a standout, unique piece that’s totally memorable.”
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Antique Celluloid Photograph Album with Photographs (The Source Antiques)
“Celluloid is just classically beautiful, inexpensive, and a broad area of collecting that includes everything from vanity pieces to jewelry.”
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Small Vintage Lamp with Prisms (Unique Antiques of Connecticut)
“You can never have too many lamps, and small boudoir lamps made of pressed glass are perfect accent pieces that add a cozy, warm effect to any space.”
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Sweet Vintage Figurine (A Blue Bird - The Nest Marketplace)
“Never underestimate the power of small, darling vintage items that are easy to tuck into any collection, don’t take up a lot of room, and pull at the heart strings like little bisque dolls.”
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Vintage Kitchen Red & White Canister (Timeless Toy Box)
“Can never have enough vintage storage, and who doesn’t love a good vintage decal.”
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McCOY USA Blue Eyed Black And White Dog Adorn Vintage Cookie Jar C4 (Clearing House Estate Sales)
“Nothing adds a vintage, nostalgic touch more than a classic cookie jar. You can just imagine opening the lid to grasp one of grandma’s home baked chocolate chip cookies now!”
More About Denise
Denise holds a PhD in 20th- century American literature and is the Community Development Director and Interim Co-Director at the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, one of the statewide leaders in the anti-sexual-violence movement. When she’s not at work, chances are she’s off to a flea market or antique mall looking for more mid-century treasures for her tiny bungalow.
Denise is Cuban-American and speaks Spanish fluently. She has been married for 28 years to her college sweetheart and is the mother of three wonderful children. She also enjoys sharing her home with four fur babies.
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October 14, 2022 Updated 02:06 PM
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