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What's your favorite online vintage resource?

Years ago, when I lived in both Boston and Philly,vintage shopping was a lot like that show Supermarket Sweep : You'd run in, load up a cart/bag/your arms with everything they could hold and leave with a ton of good to great finds that were practically free. Since I moved to New York, however, the second-hand retail experience has become more careful and refined.

NYC's vintage boutiques are more expensive, which was at first a bummer, but I learned to adapt: Buying became about investing in quality rather than quantity. I'd walk into my favorite local store, choose a few items, try them on, and perhaps leave with a treat.

Recently, I've been trying to bring this mentality to my online purchasing too--I'd love to continue to run up my PayPal bill on stuff that might work, but I'm curbing the habit and broadening my scope to include stores like Archive Vintage where I can pick up really gorgeous pieces that can be returned if they don't live up to my dreams. While I'm sort of missing those auction binges, this feels like a safer, more practical way to do vintage, which in this economy is probably a very, very good thing.

So tell me: Do you have a favorite online vintage store? I want to add to my list!

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