Vintage Spotlight: Gingermegs Vintage
It may seem counterintuitive for vintage dealers to be friendly with each other, being competitors and all, but I love having friends who are vintage dealers. I’ve built a support network with the women around me who sell vintage. We swoon over each other’s stock, or in some cases say “Oh you b*tch that’s amazing, what a great find!” We warn each other about clients who may have done something dodgy, so it doesn’t happen to them. But generally, have a good natter and a giggle. I wanted you to meet one woman who is very much involved in my support network. She’s the queen of the earlier vintage, and the queen of something ALWAYS happening to her (from her dog eating mouldy bread and having to have its stomach pumped to sitting on her new to her 1930s sunglasses). It’s my very dear friend Virginia, aka Gingermegs Vintage. Enjoy.
1. How did you come up with your shop name, and how did you start the business?
So Gingermegs Vintage was actually started by my mother, and it’s called Gingermegs because she loves me and that’s what she used to call me when I was wee. It started as just a really small thing, but a couple of fairs in I decided I wanted to open a shop, and so I did.
When we did the fairs, we sold a range of stuff, mainly 50s to 80s, but once I had run off with her idea, I had a very clear vision of only dealing in pre 60s vintage.
I had a break down some years before and was really struggling to find my place in society and I will be forever grateful to my mummy for giving me Gingermegs Vintage. Having something that I love with such a passion has helped me turn my life around.
2. Where are you based and what can people expect to see within your stock? Also do you do any events?
I am based in Birmingham and I have a fairly diverse range of stock with items from the 1800s up until the 1950s. I’ve a particular fondness for evening wear and antique shawls, so I always have a good range of those ferreted away, but I also stock more accessible items for everyday wear.
There are a few events that I take my 30s-50s items to, including the Severn Valley Railway and BCLM (Black Country Living Museum) 1940s weekends, and Twinwood Festival.
3. Has there ever been anything you have regretted selling and if so, why?
Hoarding is my speciality, so as a rule I don’t sell stuff until I’m ready to part with it. There are a few regrets though. There was the late 30s/early 40s coat made from faux leopard with ‘teddy bear’ arms. It had huge shoulders and balloon sleeves and I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ve had at least one vintage leopard coat in my wardrobe since my early teens so why on earth did I sell the best one I’ve ever found?!
4. If you could dress anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I really struggled with this one, I don’t really want to dress anyone, I think everyone should dress themselves however the hell they fancy…but I’ve chosen Marlene Dietrich.
She once said ‘’I dress for myself. Not for the image, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men”, and I would love to invite her to dress herself from my rails.
5. Do you feel there are too many people selling vintage now and has the industry become watered down?
There are A LOT of vintage sellers out there, but I think those with a true passion will find their niche and will therefore stand out from the crowd. You may have to sift through a load of fairly bog-standard items and mediocre sellers to find the good ones, but the good ones can’t be watered down.
6. Etsy has recently changed its algorithms – has that affected your business at all? How do you feel about Etsy in general?
I don’t understand algorithms. My business is improving year on year, so whatever they are, they haven’t broken me.
There seems to be a lot of complaints from sellers about Etsy, and I totally agree with many of them, but on balance Etsy works for me, so I just put my head down and get on with it. The only real complaint I have is that I do come across bits of vintage that’s not vintage on there. River Island were not making dresses in the 1920s and that is a fact. I suppose that feeds into your earlier question about vintage being watered down; there are some sellers who don’t know or don’t care who are abusing selling platforms.
7. Give me your top five vintage finds. Why are they so special to you?
How on earth do I choose my top five things?! My list changes daily, I have a favourite nothing, I’m a fickle soul. I suppose I do have one favourite that will probably never change, a silver silk lamé evening gown C1919. It had a huge padded bow at the hip studded with rhinestones and an asymmetric, sharply pointed train and a tabard like back that was lined with rhinestone studded duck egg silk chiffon. My love for this item is immense.
I currently have a three-piece set of 1920s lounging pyjamas, although I have seen sets in this vein before, this one has a super cute waistcoat instead of the usual tunic or blouse beneath the jacket.
One of my current obsessions are remodelled Victorian paisley shawls, and I am really struggling to choose between those that I have handled. Quite possibly the early 20s coat with aubergine silk devoré lining is top of the list, it has a real bohemian, artsy vibe that I really appreciate.
I picked up a load of early 20th century theatre costumes which were all AMAZING, but in the pile were two capes which I will never forget. The fabrics used were just out of this world – they would have been perfect for a 1970s glam rock star. I can’t choose between them, so this is a two for one item as they came together. One went to a TV production company and will be worn by vampires, and the other was rehomed with the best collector who shows her finds off on 1920s wax mannequins and REALLY loves her collection. I’m really happy with where they went – it helps ease the pain of them leaving.
It’s really hard to choose just five! I’m settling on a Victorian dolman jacket C1870 made from ivory silk and covered in cream wool fringing and red pom poms. It had a huge hood with an enormous tassel and I’ll probably never see anything like it again.
8. What are your buying no-no’s?
I am terrible, I set myself rules and boundaries and then all good sense goes out of the window when I see something wonderful, no matter how knackered it is.
I am not a fan of fur and I try to avoid it, although the odd fur collar and cuff slips through the net. I won’t touch endangered species though, even if they are Cites exempt – I just don’t feel comfortable with it myself.
And I always check for pit rot and bad seam stress as these are big issues to tackle.
9. Weirdest place you’ve ever purchased vintage?
I don’t know if I’ve ever bought vintage anywhere particularly weird, but my favourite, unexpected purchase was in a car park.
A guy who had seen me out and about buying had found a jacket that he thought I might like. It had been in his mother’s dressing up box for her amateur dramatic group and he unearthed it whilst he was clearing her house. It turned out to be a 1925 jacket from the couturier Margaine Lacroix and I nearly died on my feet when he retrieved it from the boot of his car.
10. What are your top tips for cleaning vintage clothing?
Wherever possible I wash clothes; dry cleaning will not lift ground-in dirt and it will set stains. Old stuff needs water to clean it, not chemicals.
Of course, this isn’t always possible; I don’t wash rayon or silk velvet, and tailored wool suits and coats have to be really bad before I risk shrinkage and distortion.
I soak things in a very weak solution of non-bio liquid and change the water and repeat as often as is necessary. If there are mixed colours in the pattern I use a shed load of colour catchers.
Bicarbonate of soda in the wash and a vinegar rinse works really well on nasty smells, but I’ve found that the only thing that really works on mothballs is time outside. I hang out at night time when it’s dry and cold nights with a breeze work the best.
What a lovely read, thank you! I love Virginia’s shop so very much. It’s lovely to read about her and get a behind the scenes peek. Also thank you for all your hard work on this great site! The vintage scene was in dire need of high-quality reads.
This was really interesting – i’d Love you guys to do a series on cleaning up different vintage fabrics and issues, I feel like I make things worse more often than better!