S10 Ep22 REJECT ARCHIVE: Beau and Adam are vintage dealers specializing in the 1920s-40s - on restoring antique pieces, surviving the Brimfield circuit, and going live on Whatnot.

Today we're chatting with Beau of Reject Archive, a vintage dealer who runs the shop with his fiancé Adam, with a vintage collection that ranges from antique pieces through Y2K, but with a heavy focus on the 1920s through the 1940s, especially the 30s – their favorite!

Beau has been designing clothes since he was a kid. He grew up in Oklahoma where he learned to thrift and sew from his mom, and later studied fashion design in Chicago, where he started making club looks out of vintage finds, including pieces that ended up on Drag Race. When the pandemic sent him back home to Oklahoma, he and Adam started collecting vintage with no clear plan – just a love for it! – and then in 2022 they launched Reject Archive.

Beau and Adam both put themselves through sewing school so they could care for each found piece themselves, and Beau has even learned lace appliqué using true-to-era lace. Their goal is to bring to life these rare, romantic pieces, restored to good condition, so that can live in a wardrobe for years to come, and so they hunt for high-end materials, natural fibers, and handmade craftsmanship.

We're getting into it all on today's episode: the Brimfield circuit, which they hit hard, hopping between Sturbridge, Dealers Choice, and Hertans while camping out of their Airstream. Also, their journey going live on Whatnot, including doing a show live from the fields of Brim! 

Plus, the realities of sourcing and pricing as vintage gets harder to find and more expensive, and the stories behind their most special finds. Let's dive right in!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• [02:53] Beau's childhood love of drawing and designing
• [04:49] Learning to thrift from his mom 
• [09:32] Studying fashion design in Chicago
• [12:18] The pandemic sends Beau back to Oklahoma, and he and Adam start collecting vintage
• [17:05] How a trip to St. Louis led to them taking the leap to move to New York
• [23:44] Developing their specialties, and the dealers who inspired them
• [30:25] Attending sewing school, restoring fragile antique pieces, and learning techniques like lace appliqué
• [33:48] Why 1920s-40s pieces are so desirable, and the realities of rising prices and scarcity
• [37:10] The Brimfield circuit
• [41:23] Why they started live selling, dollar starts, and the Whatnot community
• [54:15] Stories behind their most special finds. 

EPISODE MENTIONS: 

• Reject Archive
• @rejectglamour
• Reject Archive on Whatnot
• Brimfield Antique Flea Market 
• Retro 101 / Cherry Bomb Vintage 
• Bad Granny's
• Eveliina Vintage
• Saint Paloma Vintage
• Ornate Vintage
• Lucent Vintage
• Ludlow Shop

LET'S CONNECT: 

• 📸Instagram: @emilymstochl
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• 🎥TikTok: @emilymstochl
• 📧 Substack: https://prelovedpod.substack.com/ 
• 🎧Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/prelovedpod 

SPECIAL THANKS: 

A special thanks goes out to my Patron Insiders – your support makes Pre-Loved Podcast possible!

• Patty Weber
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