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We are excited to announce that MadgesHatbox Vintage celebrates 10 years of style!
Who knew ten years ago the simple act of cleaning out a closet would result in an internationally known website for vintage collectors? Certainly not me when I opened a shop on Etsy and named it after my Grandmother Madge. You read about my search for my grandmother’s hat shop here.
Many of you know the Madge story. After amassing a collection of vintage hats, clothes, and jewelry since middle school, I decided to sell the part of my vintage collection I didn’t wear anymore. Etsy seemed like the logical move and MadgesHatbox Vintage opened in February 2012. Well, the shop immediately took off and I soon realized this could be a real business, one that I was passionate about.
About a year in I started a WordPress blog about vintage and eventually realized I could link to the Etsy shop. (What a techie). Below is my first design attempt featuring a photo of my grandmother Madge.
In 2016 I decided to jazz it up and turned Madge into an Andy Warhol. Finally, in 2019 I got wise and left the branding to professionals who developed the colors and the logos that you see in the header.
Eventually, the online shop moved from Etsy to this website with a short detour to Shopify in between.
Over the years I’ve added a lot more information to my existing knowledge around valuing and selling vintage. I want to thank my fellow vintage dealers at Got Vintage, check out their website, who kept me on the straight and narrow on descriptions, condition, and pricing. Did I always get it right? Nope. But you learn and grow from your mistakes even more than from your successes.
Madge has sold vintage pieces to fans in over 50 countries, 49 states, and three territories. Vintage hats have shipped everywhere from Saudi Arabia to Saskatoon. Delaware, I’m still waiting on you!
The best thing about being Madge is finding a community of vintage collectors and dealers around the world, many of whom have become close friends. In fact, my very first sale the day after I turned on my Etsy store was to a woman in Chicago whose friendship I greatly treasure – I’m looking at you, Mary!
So now here we are, ten years later, and it’s time to celebrate at MadgesHatbox with special events all year long. We’ll have themed sales with items from our vast inventory, special offers on your favorite vintage designers as well as grab bags and some special collections.
Have a favorite vintage item from Madgeshatbox Vintage or a favorite blog post? Please let me know in the comments.
MadgesHatbox Vintage Celebrates 10 Years
Photos copyright © 2022 MadgesHatbox Vintage. We are a proud member of Got Vintage. Check out their website