View Santa Monica and San Francisco Vintage Fashion Expo Floorplans

Q    Your vintage shows are so popular with exhibitors and patrons that we wonder how a vintage dealer new to the show can ever obtain a booth in your Expo?

A    Like most collector and antique shows we give our returning exhibitors a priority period – ahead of new dealers – to sign up for our next show.  Loyalty works both ways.  That said, we still often have a few spaces available due to exhibitor scheduling conflicts or their family plans or whatever.  These few spaces are quickly taken by dealers new to shows; we usually have a few new dealers at each show due to this turnover.

Q    How do you manage to maintain such a reasonable balance between dealers offering a bit of everything, dealers specializing in different fashion periods, and dealers offering mostly clothing or jewelry or accessories?

A    We constantly work at it. (and worry about it)

Q    Where do your exhibitors find their treasures?

A    All over the place (and all over the world).  They work hard at seeking out good sources.  These are among the dealers’ best guarded secrets.

Q    How do we recognize “vintage” and how do we make use of it?

A    “Vintage” means different things to different people. [Just ask grape growers.]  And there are probably just as many different uses – think antique car clubs, period dance groups, designers, Art Deco clubs and events, period movies and theatrical events, museums and historical collectors.  And, of course, those (young and old) who mix and match vintage and contemporary to define and make their very own fashion statement.