Shop of the Week – An Unexpected Journey 2

This week’s Shop of the Week is AnUnexpectedJourney ,owned by Mandy.

What is the meaning behind your shop name?

The name of our shop, “An Unexpected Journey” comes from JR Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings book series.   It seemed an apt metaphor for our lives and where we live.   In hilly, windy New Hampshire you can never see far around the bend in the road. There are many “unexpected” moments. We have seen deer, bears and even a cougar while driving our curvy roads! And in our family life (as with most families), we have had many unexpected moments as well dealing with chronic illness as well as life’s happier moments (like weddings!) . Life is a journey and we are mere sojourners.

How did you get your start selling vintage?

We started selling vintage after planning my daughter’s wedding 5 years ago. We spent months amassing dishes, teacups, vintage silverware, linens etc. After the wedding, we were looking for a way to sell some of our finds and also we wanted an excuse to continue to explore and discover new vintage finds!  After having success in this our first shop, we opened a second shop called, “The Vintage Orange Jar” which caters particularly to brides who are planning a vintage wedding or other special occasion.   I had also been looking for a business opportunity that I could run with my son. Rob is unable to hold a job due to severe heart disease. Having an online business means he can doing packing and shipping at his own rate. He is my number one go- to guy. I couldn’t do this without him!

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

Favorite item in my shop right now…Hmmm…. That’s a tough one.   I truly love everything I list. I think the most fun and funkiest thing I love right now is the primitive red and green painted wooden toy car. It looks like something a grandpa or dad made. And I love that the headlights are thumbtacks!

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

I use to sell locally at a wonderful antique and home decorating shop but I gave that up a few months ago when I realized that handling an online business and a brick and mortar business together was taking too much of my time and either one or the other suffered because of it.

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

I actually don’t use any social media (not even Facebook).   I spend enough time online as it is. I could see myself getting sucked into the vortex of social media and spending umpteen hours a day keeping up with it, so I choose not to. Oh…I do post to Pinterest. Does that count?

I have just opened a third shop on etsy which is dedicated to small things. https://www.etsy.com/shop/OfSmallThings.Our slogan is “where history fits in your hand”. I wanted a budget friendly venue where everything is 10.00 or under. We just opened “Of Small Things” in October.   After dealing with shipping some huge items on Unexpected Journey, it is fun to be able to package little tiny things.