A lovely friend of mine has recently packed in the day job and entered into the world of self-employment!
You may have seen a few of her lovely items, that I bought for my wedding, over on my Facebook page.
Who is Melonberry
Vintage?
I guess you could say that I am Melonberry Vintage! Or at
least I’m the girl behind the brand; my name is Helen Berridge and I’m pretty
much addicted to vintage, sparkly things, cats & cake. Melonberry Vintage
is also my family, friends and customers; without them, Melonberry Vintage
wouldn’t exist, I’m always very grateful for the support I receive.
How did Melonberry
Vintage start?
It was quite by accident really. I’ve always loved Vintage
so I’m no stranger to fairs and markets. I tend to visit big markets in London
as a shopper but one day, while visiting my parents in the North East, my Mum
and I happened upon a little fair called ‘For the Love of’ in
Saltburn-by-the-Sea. The venue was small but lovely and it was jam packed with
stalls selling beautiful things! We must have spent around two hours inside
there buying bits and pieces and chatting to all the lovely sellers followed by
a cup of tea and a slice of rainbow cake in their little vintage tea room! It
was just such a friendly place, we were already looking forward to the next
event – and that’s when I thought "why don’t I try my hand at selling too?" So I
went out in search of beautiful things to sell, booked a stall at that very
fair and it all took off from there!
How/when did you
realise your passion for all things vintage?
When I was a little girl all the old things at my
grandparent’s house fascinated me. I would love to peer into the china cabinet
or try on my nana’s old costume jewellery. I’d sit and listen to my granddad’s
stories about the good old days and sometimes the war. He’d often show me old
photographs and give me little knick-knacks to keep and I’d treasure them. I
loved their house; the geometric wallpaper, the 1960s telephone, the old
standard lamp in the corner and Lucite biscuit barrel filled with ginger
biscuits! I think that’s the great thing about vintage items, they can take us
back in time and stir up happy memories. I honestly can’t remember a time when
I didn’t love vintage!
Do you have a
particular era that you love the most?
I like to mix things up a little bit but I’m a big fan of
mid 20th century design. If you were to take a peek around my home,
you would find Ercol chairs, a splayed leg coffee table and vintage tins, not
to mention my beloved Beswick seagulls gliding across the living room wall! But
I like to balance it all out with prettier pieces like my 1940s Shelley tea
set. I also have a terrible weakness for paste glass jewellery, anything made
up until the 1960s and I especially love Edwardian pieces, they’re so timeless
and delicate. I can’t resist a bit of sparkle, my spirit animal is most
definitely the magpie!
How do you sell your
items?
I sell the bulk of my items at fairs. It’s the best way customers get to see the goods, pick things up, try things on and ask
questions, there’s nothing like it! I’m always happy to see a customer walk
away with an item that they really love; it’s the best feeling! We do also sell
online through our Facebook page www.facebook.com/MelonberryVintage
and we’re also working hard to fill up
our etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/melonberryvintage. I’ll be putting a lot
more focus on our online presence over the coming months as well as setting up
a blog; I’m going to be very busy!
When is your next
fair?
Melonberry Vintage will be at our absolute favourite fair;
For the Love of Saltburn on Saturday 14th September, if you’re in
the North East, please stop by to take say hello! You can view ‘For the Love
of’ fair dates, locations and other information here: http://fortheloveofvintagefair.blogspot.co.uk
And finally what are
you favorite pieces at the moment?
Oooh, chosing will be very difficult! We have a wonderful
1950s Austrian crystal and enamel brooch that I adore – it’s very sparkly! We
also have some delightful little mid century stripy glasses in harlequin
pastels, a beautiful 1940s Shelley trio just like my own treasured set and a
gorgeous art deco glass bead bag, I’d love to keep them all!
