JunqueGypsy @ Etsy.com

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My blog followers will attest that this is the first time I've ever done a promotional write-up for a vintage shop. When you see Leonda's shop, JunqueGypsy, you may also ask "why?"...a few pics are a little dark & some blurry, and the items aren't "staged" like Etsy might like them to in the "Etsy-way"...BUT if you look at the items themselves you'll see the quirky, eccentric, fun nostalgic mix you get from her shop and the passion that this woman gives in her collection...my video doesn't do it justice.

It all started 30 years ago when Leonda first "absconded" (nice way to say, ripped off, stole, took without permission) with a wide collar swing 50's classic black "Donnybrook Original" coat from the high school drama department.

Since then over a dozen different countries, the thrill of the "hunt" and "discovery" is the same from a foreign bazaar or a local flea market. Her fondest "hunt" was a local dumpster diving incident with a friend holding her by her ankles as she braved filth, disease & dignity for an antique watering can.

The entrepreneur side has always been there since childhood. Her grandparents, Mammaw & Pappaw, were true Kentucky hill people. She remembers their house always nice & tidy, but on closer inspection, all the knick knacks & such had price tags on. People would come by regularly and have private shopping tours...and on weekends, they set up a table at the local flea market.

Before she opened her Etsy shop, Leonda had accumulated a huge collection of stuffed animal toys, but when her husband complained to "get rid of those typhoid toys" she immediately placed in a trunk in the basement and 30 years later after a career in teaching, she rediscovered them and also rediscovered herself & her passion in a "vintage" business. When in her first antique show, a woman ran up and grabbed one of the stuffed animals, squealing, "Billy! It's Billy". Turns out her mother had thrown her favorite stuffed friend out decades ago.

Not only is Leonda having fun digging out her vintage wares, researching the history, and on occasion, hearing "the rest of the story" from their purchasers...BUT she is part of a cherished few who DON'T think that Wal Mart or the urban mall are all that great. In a society where we don't think twice about throwing away "stuff"...or people. It's nice to know there are people who value things for their iconic beauty & their personal history to people

Please visit the JunqueGypsy and have fun remembering :D