Funky Junque Chronicles #3 Featuring TIGERLUXE - from Navy Wife to Treasure Trove, My Pick O' the Week for Vintage Treasures

I'm on the lookout for the best affordable vintage finds at all times. In this economy buying vintage and antique items sure saves on the wallet! I truly believe "up-cycling", repurposing, and buying vintage is a way of recycling used goods. This helps keep our earth greener and our landfills much less crowded.

This week I'm featuring a shop on Etsy called TIGERLUXE, one of which I absolutely adore. Rachael Amen started the shop when she was a Navy wife. At the time, she desired a home-based activity to keep her busy while her husband was away on deployment. Based out of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, this retro shop of bargains is worth visiting.

Rachael says, "I've always had a love of vintage and have been a buyer/collector since I was a young teenager. Over time my shop has evolved into something that I hope to make a living doing, because I enjoy every minute spent working on it, and in it."

Evolve, it has! It just goes to prove that if you love something, you can be good at it. In just a few years Rachael's shop is adored by 816 fellow "Etsians" who regularly shop her online boutique. The Tigerluxe store is chock full of nostalgic pieces of yesteryear.

Rachael says, "I think there's something special that happens when an item causes a nostalgic response, which is what draws me to vintage items. I only choose items that I feel some nostalgic connection to. I'm always reminded of friends or family sitting around a dinner table reminiscing about games that were played as children, or dolls or toys one had and I think this is an important 'emotion' to include in one's daily life. It certainly enriches mine, personally."

Rachael's shop features a broad range of items from jewelry to books, electronics to clothing, and a wide range of kitchen goods. You'll find decorative items, fun items, one of a kind house wares, and vintage sewing patterns too. Just when you can't decide what gift to buy for that special someone, she even offers gift certificates, which means your loved ones can decide for themselves.

Current great available finds at the time of this article include a vintage pixie statue for $8, a 1935 book full of "Simplified Mechanical Drawings" (great for the mixed media craft-a-holic or scrapbooking nut) for only $14.00, and a fun flying Canadian goose for $8! You'll find old cameras for dad, and cool purses for mom, or jewelry for your sister. There is something for everyone in this shop. New items are added all the time, and feedback is at 100% happy customers!

Certainly worth mentioning is Rachael's generosity, for instance a February promotion where she pledged 10% of all sales to a charity organization called 46664, whose proceeds help enrich, educate, and benefit the AIDS epidemic. She also did this too in her second store, NumberEight, which features her handmade items including artwork.

Rachael herself loves Scandinavian and midcentury items, kitsch and vintage books. She has a blog dedicated to her collection of vintage books, some of which she sells at THIS LINK .

Being "awesome" must indeed be a family affair as her husband also has a way cool shop which offers handcrafted old world style chainmaille (aka chainmail) art and jewelry.

So my pick of the week is TIGERLUXE, where vintage nostalgia is sure to capture your heart and be kind to your wallet! I say kudos to you Rachael for having such a cool store!