Member Interview & Giveaway: MissShapes

(Psssst...  make sure to scroll to the bottom to enter the GIVEAWAY!  And there's still time to enter OhSydney's giveaway, too.)

 Missshapes on Etsy

Oldgrowth on Etsy
On Facebook

VKC: Tell us a bit about yourself and your shops, Liz. 

Liz: I'm a 31 year old, stay at home mama to a little boy named Cohen.  I've been into thrifting vintage since high school and I got into it mostly because there weren't a lot of places to shop in the small town I grew up in. I also had limited funds --so thrifting was a great way to get unique stuff for cheap. I got into selling vintage online in my early college days (Ebay) and although I didn't intend to do it forever, it has just kind of worked out that way. I really love selling on Etsy but sometimes I enjoy shopping more then listing so I always have a huge back load of stuff which is stored in every nook and cranny my house has to offer. It got a little worse when this vintage clothing shop I was consigning for closed down...BIG bags of stuff were coming back in my direction that I intended never to see again. That's when I knew I'd better try and kick it into high gear with my Etsy shop so I wouldn't end up on an episode of Hoarders someday. :-)
As for how I got into selling children's clothes: I've always had an interest in children's vintage and that interest has kind of turned lately into obsession lately. I really enjoy finding things for the little ones to wear, read, and play with. My shop will probably eventually become mostly children's vintage--but I'm also working right now on trying to sell that backlog of adult vintage that has just been sitting around my house!

VKC: Why are you drawn to vintage?  

Liz: I think I can say it's because I've always been interested in history and I love all the time periods that vintage represents. At first, I was nostalgic for time periods I didn't exist in. I vividly remember reading Little House on the Prairie wishing so badly I could live in a log cabin and smoke sausage with my Papa (haha). As I got older, I thought that it would have been the BEST if I could have grown up in the 60s (love the music, love the fashion, love the history). Then as the period I grew up in became vintage (the 80s), it became about reliving my childhood. There isn't any time period that I don't love for one reason or another and I'm pretty much into all the best fashions of every era.

VKC: Where do you find your treasures? 

Liz: Mostly thrift stores lately but also garage sales and estate sales. 

VKC: How do you promote your business?  

Liz: Last year I did a street bazaar in my town and that was really my first time promoting myself. I even handed out business cards which made me feel pretty grown up! :-) My biggest promotion that I've offered is a one time 25% return customer discount. So far that has only led to a couple extra sales but I really hope more people take me up on it in the future! 

VKC: What do you do when you are not working?  

Liz: Taking care of my son, thrifting, watching movies, sewing, crocheting, knitting, and as much as possible being with my family and friends. 

VKC: What is your favorite item in your shop or that you have sold and why? 

Liz: It's really hard to pick a favorite for me (especially when we are talking about SOLD items, so many good things have gone)....but I'm going to go with my favorite thing in my store right now that is child related are these overalls.  I'm a sucker for corduroy overalls and if this is still around by the time the next one comes---BAM!!!! It will be missing from the shop for little while.

VKC: How do you juggle your business and your family life?  

Liz: I only work during nap time or if my husband is able to watch our son for a little bit. I wish some days that I could devote more time to the shop but my son comes first. It isn't always easy, I find that if I devote nap times to work then our dinner is usually kind of lame and the house gets pretty dirty. However, I can live with some dirt and lame dinners if it means getting to do something I love a little bit of the time. 

VKC: What giveaway or discount would you like to offer our readers?  

Liz: I would love to offer the readers a giveaway for a $30 credit in my shops!

GIVEAWAY

 Enter to win...

a $30 Gift Certificate at Misshapes & Oldgrowth Vintage

by visiting either shop and leaving a comment on this post letting us know your favorite item.

OTHER WAYS TO ENTER:

(Leave a separate comment for each one!)

1. Become a follower of the VKC blog (along the right sidebar).
2. Blog about this giveaway and comment with the link.
3. Follow Missshapes on Facebook.
4. Follow VKC on Facebook.
5. Subscribe to the VCK via RSS or email (along the right sidebar). 
6. Visit another member shop and let us know your favorite item (one comment per shop visited).

Giveaway ends Saturday, April 23rd at midnight (EST).  Winner announced Sunday, April 24th. is EXTENDED!  Ends on Wednesday, April 27th at midnight (EST).  Winner announced Thursday, April 29th.  GOOD LUCK!!!