Badass Biz: Mid Mod Mom's Curated Mid Century Modern Ceramics Selling Studio

Mid Mod Mom is a gorgeous shop of mostly small mid century modern objects and housewares expertly curated by Beatriz Marcias. Her photographs are centered and even organized on the website in a color gradient. You can tell it's the work of a trained artisan. Beatriz was kind enough to let me share photos of her bright california workspace and tell us a little bit about the hows and whys of her approach to reselling vintage.

"I’m an architect and artist by training, and a collector by nature; I’ve always had an appreciation for beauty, craftsmanship, and design. Our house is an eclectic mixture of handmade crafts from my native Colombia, furniture from contemporary designers, and many, many mid-century modern objects. I can’t keep everything that I find and love, so Mid Mod Mom is my way of sharing these finds, and their history, with others."

"It’s not easy to search for the abandoned and the forgotten – it requires patience and an inquisitive mind. Ask vintage sellers what their favorite part of the job is, and you will get a unanimous answer: the search! It’s that one find after hours of driving from thrift store to thrift store, finding the missing piece in your collection at the flea market, or discovering the previously unknown designer at the estate sale that makes it all worthwhile. Most of the objects I choose for my shop are in good vintage condition, but the majority of them have been used and loved and it shows. A lot of cleaning, polishing, ironing, sanding, painting, oiling, gluing, and all-around restoring takes place before an item is ready to be photographed and listed."

"Mid Mod Mom is not just a shop; it is a lifestyle. I  only buy and sell what I love, and I believe that an  old, well-made object is a thousand times better than any mass-produced item. I also think that when you  buy vintage, you choose to recycle and save perfectly good items from ending up in a landfill." 

"I truly love what I do, and I still can’t believe that I get to do it every day. Thanks to Etsy, I have been able to grow my business and gain exposure. I love that I have a brand, that my store is cohesive, and that there is room for vintage in this virtual marketplace. There is so much more that I would like to do in the future, like producing my own work to sell alongside my vintage finds. Ideas, sketches, and plans are in the works. It can’t happen soon enough!"

"This job of mine not only fills my surroundings with beautiful objects – it has also brought many beautiful people into my life. When I started selling on Etsy, I was lucky to connect with other like-minded people on Twitter via #ThriftBreak. We helped each other identify our finds, celebrated great scores, and commiserated when things didn’t work out. Thriftbreakers – most of them fellow Etsy vintage sellers – have become some of my closest friends and a constant source of inspiration."

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughtful words on vintage curating and reselling Beatriz! I really agree with most of what you've shared and your style of carefully selecting and curating a collection is the route I take. Taking quality photos and selecting the unique pieces with care is what made my heart sing. It's been wonderful to learn from and connect with a community along the way, too!

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