You had me at Dolly Parton | Jolene’s Vintage Wares
- our featured Local Business in Waverley
I met Joeley online. Not in the swipe right & hope for a match and some good banter with the promise of a date kind-of-way. Her Instagram account was suggested by a friend to follow to support local. Support someone who had created a side hustle. Enter @jolenesvintagewares
Honestly, she had me at Dolly Parton. I followed her, fell down a wonderful rabbit hole of vintage wares, and before I knew it, I was smitten and had nabbed myself some classic 70’s Japanese ceramic stackable mugs. My collection from Jolene’s Vintage Wares has grown since that first buy – more stackable 70s mugs, a hand blown coloured Mexican margarita jar that I drink from or pop flowers in, a mid-century Anchor Hocking glass ashtray, an Arcoroc ‘Sierra’ Amber glass bowl & more. I’ve missed out on plenty too…you have to be quick to nab what you spy on her feed. Why? It’s super affordable, and very, very cool. Every piece I have bought receives comments and envy from people who come to visit. Each item is so full of character, charm & brimming with nostalgia.
Shopping vintage is a sustainable way to satisfy the retail therapy itch in all of us, without adding to problems our planet is facing. These gorgeous, usable, and decorative delights have been designed and built to last and won’t cost you a small fortune. Mass produced goods will try to imitate, but you just can’t beat the original vintage. So much of today’s designs lack the originality and attention to detail that gives vintage items their charm. Joeley is a local to our new ‘hood in Waverley where we’re opening Neighbourhood Cellars Waverley, the latest in our independent liquor retail stores. The sustainable approach to her side hustle is carried right through to the way she packages up your goods too.
So, who is this hunter, gatherer of collectables tempting my insomniacal online shopping habits? When Joeley isn’t putting her time & love into Jolene’s Vintage Wares, she’s busy working her day gig in TV Production. It’s a career path that she said has taught her how to be resilient. With an undeniable passion for op shopping & lover of all things vintage, Joeley decided to start a passion project for herself and earn some extra cash for what she terms her ”mediocre retirement fund”.
Trawling op shops, the street, markets, garage sales, marketplace & from friends, Joeley hunts & gathers, using her astute eye to source stock for her side hustle. Any trips away from Sydney are an opportunity to check out the local op shops – she’s off to BrisVegas for Xmas and is beyond excited for the treasures she will find on the road trip north, back home, and in-between whilst she is on holidays. Working in production, it’s evident that she’s organised – she’s already been researching where to shop, and her family in Brisbane are always on the lookout for her too.
Having launched Jolene’s Vintage Wares, and months into her new passion project, Joeley has found her “why”. She absolutely loves it and says the people she’s been meeting along the way have been an added bonus. Eventually, she’d like to do this full time. There have been challenges. Having to teach herself to use Instagram properly, learning how to take a good photo – the nuts & bolts of the business have taken time. Joeley says it’s hard to switch off sometimes, saying she always seems to be thinking about it. She can’t go anywhere without wondering if there might be a good op shop in the area. Restraint is something she’s had to harness as well. The sourcing for wares is an aspect she loves so much, but she has to be mindful not to accumulate too much stock as she currently runs the whole show from her 1-bedroom flat.
Does she ever find parting with any of her well-spied wares difficult? Joeley adores vintage glassware, and has a cupboard full of glorious glasses from her grandmothers, so lucky for us she has no problem selling the ones she finds. According to her, they just don’t make glasses like they used to, and I’m inclined to agree. She is also a sucker for Japanese drip glaze mugs. If you’re a vintage-wares lover, you’re bound to see something that catches your eye, but be quick if you want to take it home! Follow her on Instagram. She always announces what time she’s going to post her next treasure trove of goodies, with sneak peeks at what will be on offer. Full disclosure, I have been known to set a reminder alarm a couple of minutes before she’s due to post if I have my eye on something.
No matter where you happen to be shopping from, she can post, arrange a pick-up or drop off depending on your location. Happy vintage shopping!
