Vintage market returns April

Mint green ’90s bomber jacket to your right. A black ’40s tilting hat to your left. Flannel’s just past the repurposed Polaroids. The Who’s Tommy on vinyl looks just as good as it did in 1969. How about a gold beaded wristlet? That whole rack is $7, the ’50s cateye glasses too.

Atlanta business Indie Craft Experience started as an exchange of handcrafted gifts between founders Shannon Mulkey and Christy Petterson in 2005. The partnership grew to vintage and craft events year round, headquartered out of the ICE studio in Candler Park.

Petterson co-organizes ICE events with Mulkey and also works part time at the High Museum.

“We wanted a place to be able to sell our own stuff,” she said. “It turned out to be a great way to pull people together and create some community around craft.”

Craft, business and vintage all meet at Salvage, a spring and fall event held at the Yaarab Temple off Ponce de Leon. On April 17, customers paid their $5 admission for seven hours of shopping. Salvage features over 45 vendors, nine local food vendors and music from DJ Zano to create a curated vintage and craft show

with a throwback theme.

For many vendors, these shows are just as enjoyable as they are for shoppers. Emily Holden started selling her old fashion homemade cookie sandwiches at ICE events a few years ago. She also frequents the Decatur Farmer’s Market and runs a cookie business called Jimella’s, named after her grandmother.

“My product is sort of old fashioned, so it’s a nice complement to the vintage craft here,” she said. “It’s nice, people are shopping and having fun with their friends on a nice Sunday afternoon.”

John Richards shares his coin jewelry and apparel line called In God We Must at Salvage, but says he has different reason for taking on his craft as a career.

After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and losing his job, Richards took up the re-purposing of wheat pennies and Kennedy half dollars as rings to pay for medical supplies.

The event showcased everything from Madge’s Hatbox in Atlanta to Lamp Lighting out of Columbia, SC. With all the variety, there was no shortage of customers eager to get their little piece of vintage.

Mary Sue Barron and Chip Findlater just moved into a new house together. Barron wanted a few retro pieces for the modern house so the couple decided to explore Salvage. They stumbled upon on a wall hanging brown and white beaded bird at a nearby booth. 

“Maybe it’s a heron, I don’t really know,” Barron said. “It’s kind of crazy looking but I just had to have it.”

Salvage returns to the Yaarab Temple Sept. 18, 2016 for a fall vintage show.