This is my favorite place to browse and find vintage hats in person. It’s truly a hat lover’s delight with a wide variety of styles in excellent condition – everything from wool hats trimmed with feathers and sequins to bonnets with velvet ribbons and netting. But hats are just one of many things All Things Vintage in Oakland, Calif. carries. You’ll also find plenty of clothes, shoes, and accessories, including a range of vintage jewelry.
The only catch is that the store is only open two weekends a month, 10 am to 4 pm. The two lovely ladies, Claudia and Lucy, who opened the store in 2009, have full-time jobs so it’s essentially a labor of love. They call it their “hobby.” In fact, Lucy told me in an email, “We both have so much fun meeting our customers and finding our merchandise that the store is not work for us.”
Claudia and Lucy of All Things Vintage
Claudia and Lucy love to go to estate and garage sales, flea markets, auctions, Goodwill, and other places to hunt for their wares. They also bring back finds from their travels. Claudia goes to Germany twice and year and Lucy often visits family on the East Coast. A good portion of their merchandise is consignment. “Often our vintage-loving customers will bring in their items when they are cleaning their closet,” says Lucy. “We also are approached by people who find us in the web or Yelp.”
I heard about All Things Vintage last year from the wife of a colleague at work who knew that I wear hats a lot. She had been to the store in the spring and noticed that it had many hats on display. So she gave him a printout of an upcoming sales notice to give to me. And I’m so glad she did – except that each time I go, I can’t resist buying another hat. I was there two weeks ago for a great sale and got two vintage hats at 50 percent off, including tax (a whopping 8.75 % in Oakland), for less than $30. I took these photos during that visit.
The store is having another sale this weekend – so if you’re in the Bay Area, be sure to pay them a visit at 3506 Woodruff Ave. Here’s a list of the weekends they’re open: All Things Vintage Calendar. And bring your checkbook or plenty of cash because they don’t take credit cards.
One of many eye-catching displays
The vintage hats I bought
Vintage jewelry galore!
Hats, clothes and purses on display
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Hello Ladies!!!!
WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE IN OAKLAND!!!!!
Just by the pictures I know that I would be a regular customer for life!!
I collect anything to do with a ladies apparel. Every vintage hat has gloves,
purse, lipstick and make-up compact, earrings, and finally necklace.
I have quite the collection. I’ve been collecting for over 20 years and has
that been fun!!!!!
Have a great week!!!!!
Pam
It’s a gem of a store. I think I’ve bought a hat there nearly every time I go there. So I have to spread out my visits. 😉