Shop of the Week - Callooh Callay - Vintage Etsy Society Team

This week’s Shop of the Week is Callooh Callay, owned by Susan.

What is the meaning behind your shop name?

Callooh Callay is an expression from “The Jabberwocky,” a poem by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-Glass. After the hero slays the Jabberwock, his old dad exclaims, “O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” It’s a nonsense phrase from a nonsense poem, but to me it signified the thrill of discovery, like when you’re in a flea market and come across something incredibly cool.

How did you get your start selling vintage?

I started selling jewelry made with vintage buttons on Etsy back in 2008, without even realizing the site also carries vintage (so the problem of vintage playing second fiddle on Etsy is nothing new). But within a few months I moved into vintage sales, starting with nick-nacks from my garage and then expanding it into a store with 300 plus items, 80 percent of which are vintage

What is your favorite item in your shop right now, and what makes it special to you?

When I was a kid, in the late 1960s, my family lived in Antwerp, Belgium, and we traveled all over Belgium and nearby countries. And I remember waiting impatiently while my mother went into cathedrals to do brass rubbings—using a large black crayon to rub an image onto paper placed over a brass relief on a tombstone. I have one of them for sale in my shop now, a wonderful Renaissance angel from a cathedral in Breda, Netherlands (not far from where we lived). I love it not just because it’s a beautiful work of art, but also because it reminds me of that time. Most cathedrals no longer allow rubbings on the original brasses, so this one is particularly special.

Flemish Brass Rubbing

What is the most unusual or amazing item you have sold from your shop?

One of my favorite pieces was also the oldest: a pair of iron framed spectacles from around the time of the Revolutionary War. Because my shop is so eclectic, I’m constantly acquiring things I know nothing about and having to really delve into the research. With these spectacles, I spent hours following links, taking fascinating side trips in history, to try to figure out when they were made and why they had these strange loops on the ends of the earpieces (it was to tie a cord around the head, since these weren’t as elegant and form fitting as today’s eyeglasses).

SOLD!

Do you sell your items at other venues outside of Etsy? If so, where can we find you?

A friend and I have a booth at South County Antique Mall in St. Louis. Booth 30. Like my shop, it’s eclectic, but we carry furniture in addition to art, ceramics, housewares, and the like.

What social media platforms do you use? Share your links with us, so we can follow you!

https://www.facebook.com/CalloohCallay3/

https://www.pinterest.com/calloohcallay3/

https://www.instagram.com/calloohcallayvintage/