For as long as I can remember, I have always been a sucker for Vintage! Or anything old/Antique, with any history, for that matter.  I was a child of the 70's and grew up in a rather isolated part of the Appalachian Mountains, but was lucky to have this particular Aunt and Uncle from Newark, NJ.  A delightful and jovial pair who are sorely missed to this day by many.

My Uncle was an excavator and he acquired many abandoned and "forgotten" treasures; small furniture, antiques, and vast amounts of amazing clothing! Twice a year he and my Aunt would make their way down with a huge truck-full of these free goodies and would unload them in our garage, whereupon my parents would unleash me and my sister's and all of our friend's to sort through these little mountains of delectable freebies. And OH the things that we would find!

I got my very first record player from these little New Jersey "drop-off's," I acquired my very first fur coat and platform boots (only 8 years old then, but I stuffed them with tissue paper and made them work!) My sisters and my friends and I collectively acquired such a huge collection of dresses and gloves, shoes and jewelry, hats and wigs and coats and and scarves that by the late 70's we had a full theatrical wardrobe!

 And this is when my best friend Sharon and I took it upon ourselves to start writing and producing our own little plays. And we got the whole neighborhood involved.  Not only were our friends playing the parts, but their parents also chipped in and did whatever they could.  Some helped us with backdrops.  And others with woodwork.  Some with tailoring.  It was a collaborative effort; a very creative "banding of forces" and not one that was all that commonly seen in the 1970's, particularly in a very rural Appalachian community.

I still do believe to this day, however, that those first experiences with "treasure hunting" in my father's garage really helped to mold the person that I am today.  Not just the woman that loves old clothes and who delights in dressing up and being dramatic from time to time! No, much more importantly, it made an impact on my creative self.  Writing those little plays was an absolute Godsend for me! During an Era when Public Education really wasn't very comprehensive - and in an area where the arts really weren't that highly valued - having access to such inspiring and seemingly exotic things was a true gift to me; and I have never stopped writing.  It's still a total passion of mine; perhaps the main thing that keeps me grounded the most.

As for how I run my business.....Well, it's JUST ME.  I do pay small contractors from time to time to ship for me, but for the most part, I'm a One-Woman Show.

The items that I sell....well, I am super picky in those areas.  I don't purchase anything for resale that doesn't meet my own personal standards, and my ideals are quite high. (I'll admit, a wee bit OCD ;-) Dealing with Vintage, I've of course, come to expect some flaws here and there; but I can never accept too many flaws or too blatant of flaws.  Indeed, there are many once beautiful items that I come across that I'll simply leave behind and not bother with buying, due to their condition. The way I see it, it's not worth my time and it's certainly not worth my customer's trouble.

Basically,  I just "cherry-pick" all of my items and take home only the best of Vintage.  No trash.  No rags.  Only well-made, well-preserved garments with their own glistening and unique personality.

And fortunately, I live in Florida...the findings here are exceptional.  No matter what town I travel to, how little or small, in this state....it is always a little Vintage "Treasure Trove."  I am rarely disappointed and it makes my 60+ hours per week much more worthwhile!

Frisky Frocks is a "Cottage" business; I've been running it single-handedly, full time for nearly 5 years now and I still love the industry.  Oh sure, it has it's "jobby-job" aspects (every job does)...but for the most part, it's truly a huge passion of mine. 

My customer base is absolutely AMAZING! I have "met" people from all over the world.  I have dealt with many designers in New York, a couple B-List actors in California (sorry, I can't legally give their names), one A-LIST actor in London, one stand-up comedian, and over a dozen famous musicians. I even once sold a 1970's garment to the very woman who designed it!  What an absolute thrill!

And even more impressively (to me personally) I have dealt with COUNTLESS Public Theaters, Play Houses and School Theater troupes! Oh, these are the times that my heart just skips an extra beat!

Not to mention all the individual/private customers I have been SO blessed with.  Most of these folks are so nice and so kind that I only want to go out of my way to make their buying experience phenomenal.

It is truly amazing to me the amount of really good folks out there who shop for Vintage.  High percentages.  Now, I can't really say that about many other genres.... But Vintage people?

They are, without a doubt, a CUT ABOVE the rest!!!  I believe that we strive to live our lives a wee bit differently than the mainstream; a little more practically, but also a little more romantically.  We are a bit more accepting than most.  And we are also a lot more realistic.

We see the true value in what things "ARE" and not just in what they could be.

We appreciate the past, but we truly value the present....and as far as the future goes.....well, I am not one who is at liberty to say.

I just know that, without a doubt, it is a good run for me.  I have an incredible time running this business.....I absolutely love my customers and could never thank each one enough!

God bless each and every one of you..........      Nellie

AND REMEMBER...BUYING USED ITEMS IS RECYCLING IN ITS PUREST FORM !!!