This week’s Shop of the Week is Suite 22 Antiques, owned by Jenn.
What is the meaning behind your shop name?
The number 22 has always been my lucky number. I was born on Nov 22nd and throughout my life good things seem to happen to me on the 22nd or in 22’s. I’m not normally a superstitious person, but it just seems to happen that way so I roll with it. Naturally, when naming my shop, I wanted to incorporate the number somehow. Originally, I wanted to call my shop Apartment 22 because when I moved back home to Ohio from years of living in NYC, my first apartment ended up being number 22. Unfortunately, that name was already taken on Etsy so I thought about it for a while then decided on Suite 22, which I ended up liking better because it just seems to roll off the tongue easier!
How did you get your start selling vintage?
I’ve always been a collector and hoarder of small things as far back as I can remember, kind of like a bird. Throughout the years my collection kept growing and growing until one day a friend who makes jewelry suggested Etsy. She would regularly go through my stash to find bits and baubles to incorporate into her jewelry pieces and said I should open a shop so others could do the same. To this day most of my customers are artists and makers who purchase smalls for their projects!
What is your favorite item in your shop right now, and what makes it special to you?
I guess right now my favorite piece would be the miniature bakelite rosary holder with the Stanhope viewing lens. The small size appeals to my love for smalls but I’ve also always been infatuated with religious items. I was not raised in a religious home, we never went to church or associated with a denomination, which I think sparked a sort of fascination with the different religions and the traditions and rituals that go along with them. In my personal collection the religious iconography has definitely taken over!
What is the most unusual or amazing item you have sold from your shop?
SOLD!
The oddest piece I sold through my shop was a necklace I found at an estate sale of an older Jewish man who had recently passed away. I found the necklace in a box of old jewelry marked costume jewelry $1 a piece, so I of course grabbed it. The piece puzzled me for months… I researched it until I felt I hit the ends of the internet. I decided to just list it with the limited info I had, but I also made a post on my Instagram and Tumblr pages asking for help with identification on the piece. The front of the pendant was pretty self-explanatory and was a sigil of Baphomet pentagram used by the church of Satan. The reverse side was another story. It had symbols that I, nor anyone I contacted, could explain. They seemed to be Kabballah or Jewish mysticism symbols but no one could verify this. Days after my Instagram post, I was contacted by a priest of the church of Satan through my personal email. I was told the church was interested in my piece and that the photo from my Instagram had made it all the way to Anton LaVey’s grandson. I agreed to meet with the high priest of the local Church of Satan. We met on a Sunday night in a deserted parking lot on the east side of Cleveland. He offered me $100 for the piece without batting an eye and said he wanted any info I had on it. I sold it to him, told him what I knew and was quickly on my way. To this day I still wonder about the piece… what was it, what did those symbols mean and was it was worth way more than I sold it for. I guess I’ll never know…
Do you sell your items at other venues outside of Etsy? If so, where can we find you?
I do not sell anywhere else online but I do setup at a few local shows. My favorite by far is the Burton Antique Market that is has been going on for over 50 years. It is held at the county fairgrounds and draws over 400 vendors from around the US and Canada.
What social media platforms do you use? Share your links with us, so we can follow you!
I’ve tried my hand at all the social media platforms but I most active on my Instagram account. You can find me by my user name @suite22antiques to see my favorite finds or my personal account where I post my adventures: @feelingjennerous
Tumblr is my second favorite, you can find me here: vintageshopgirl.tumblr.com/
And….I’ve been known to pin a thing or two on Pinterest. This is me: www.pinterest.com/suite22
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Jenn, I enjoyed getting to know you better! Your shop is wonderful and filled with so many interesting little things. The story about the Satan pendant was fascinating…but creepy! Best wishes!
Hi, Jenn: I’m already a groupie of your wonderful shop–you have so many fantastic items. I enjoyed reading a little bit more about you and your shop. Thanks for sharing your story with me.
You’re the only person I’ve known to reach “the ends of the internet”——terrific story!!!! 🙂