Collecting Vintage – An Interview with HoneyBlossomStudio 2

We enjoying talking to people who collect vintage treasures.  In this interview, we find out more about Kris, the owner of the vintage shop HoneyBlossomStudio on Etsy.

Why and when did you start collecting?
That’s kind of an odd question for me. I actually don’t remember not collecting something. Seriously. Shortly after I was born, my Grandma bought me everything she could find that was Strawberry Shortcake. I mean everything. From there, the collections grew to Care Bears, Cabbage Patch dolls, etc. My parents have been successful dealers and collectors for my entire life, so from a young age, I just assumed collecting was something everybody did.

Who or what was your influence for collecting?
My parents. As well as the extended family and friends that I grew up around in the industry. Being so fortunate to grow up around antique dealers, collectors, and junkers, I was able to learn from a real diverse group of people. As a teenager, I was homeschooled and worked in one of my family’s antique malls. The older dealers and collectors really loved to share their knowledge and I learned so much, even about topics I had no interest in at the time. I am so thankful for that knowledge now.

What is one of your favorite pieces and why?
I seriously can’t pick just one.  I have a pretty large collection of old photographs. One of my favorites is an old portrait of a cowboy complete with wooly chaps and a gun on his hip in a convex glass frame. It was a big deal to get your portrait done back then, so I have to wonder who he is.

I also have several candid pictures of the 101 Ranch Wild West Show performing in my town sometime in the early 1900s. It’s pretty amazing to think I am the only person who has these little snippets of time caught on film.

I also have a rotating collection of folk art pieces.  One of my favorites right now, is a black and white sculpture that was made by a local college professor. He didn’t teach art, I believe he was actually a Statistics Professor, so that makes the piece even more intriguing to me.

What tips can you give us about collecting?
Buy what makes your heart skip a beat. What makes your eyes light up when you see it. Buy something that you just know you have to have it the moment you see it. I guess, in short, collect what you fall in love with.

Don’t worry about trends or always collecting super valuable items. Why live with a collection that you don’t love? If what you do collect (or want to start collecting) is a particularly valuable item, learn about it before making an expensive purchase. Educate yourself online, through reference books, and talk to other collectors and dealers.

What would be your holy grail piece and why?
I’ve collected ceramic Christmas trees for years. I would absolutely love to find the one my Grandma made in a Ceramics class in the 1970s. (It was sold it at a garage sale many years ago.)

Where do you look for new items to add to your shop/collection?
The usual places…..auctions, garage sales, thrift stores. However, I am very lucky that so many people know what kind of stuff I deal in and collect, that new items actually come to me on a very consistent basis.

How has collecting changed or affected your life?
I guess you could say collecting IS my life. It is my hobby, my livelihood, my past, my present, and most likely my future. Finding pieces to add to a collection, lets you fall in love over and over again. Selling goods to other collectors, lets you feel like you are possibly adding a little bit of happiness to their life in some way.

Where can we find you? 
Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/honeyblossomstudio   or www.thehoneyblossomstudio.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeyblossomstudio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyblossomstudio/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/honeyblossoms
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kbriggs1/
Tumblr: http://honeyblossomstudio.tumblr.com/
Polyvore: http://kristina-briggs.polyvore.com/