This weekend, I am very excited to be heading out to do some vintage/antique shopping with girlfriends. There is an area in Kansas City that has a huge amount of vintage and antique vendors that open for the ‘First Friday’ weekend each month and sell some of the most interesting finds in the area. You never know what you’ll find shopping at these kinds of places, which is the most exciting and fun part about it. However, I do tend to find some incredible vintage books each time I go. I absolutely love stumbling across an old copy of a classic or an obscure title I’ve never heard of but that has been well-loved and well-read. My eyes are always open for another little book friend to add to my growing collection.
That got me thinking about my collection of books. Books are my escape. I love reading them, leafing through the photos within one, and simply having them around me. Shopping for them at places like West Bottoms in Kansas City is part of the joy of collecting, as well. You have an experience that is tied to the piece of the collection you are building as well as the item itself that brings you joy.
The great thing about collecting something that you love is that it doesn’t have to cost a ton of money or be done all at once. I have been buying my books all of my adult life and some of them have cost me as little as a dollar! But I enjoy them regardless of the amount spent or not spent and today my collection is beautiful.
Here is a little sneak peak at what is in my vast book and magazine collection:
Nancy Drew Vintage
I had the yellow copies of the Nancy Drew series from the 1960’s-70’s when I was growing up, but didn’t have the complete set. I spent a number of years in my 20’s picking them up here and there at book stores and now have the entire collection from that timeframe as well as a few of the blue ones shown above that are from the 1930’s-40’s.
Vintage Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar Magazines
Specifically, September issues of Vogue are the bulk of my collecting. However, I have found a number of other interesting issues, such as Madonna’s 1996 October cover shown above. I have also stumbled upon Harper’s Bazaars over the years and grab them, as well. Copies of both magazines from the 1950’s are packed with gorgeous pictures and are essentially living history books at this point. For more videos and looks into my vintage collection, make sure you are following me on Instagram.
Fashion Tomes
Fashion books from memoirs, fiction, non-fiction, and coffee table all time my office and are scattered like decor throughout my home. My collection has grown book by book over the years and spans across brands and designers that I love.
