Gina Marcil

Her Creations, Her Treasures, and Clowny

By Jenn Lombari

Collecting anything can be fun but it can get especially interesting when you are digging into history and the stories behind certain finds. Learning about the past and the people attached to the items, along with the quality and craftsmanship of certain pieces, that of which certainly aren’t reflected in today’s products. Gina of Gina’s Vintage and Gina’s Creations developed an interest in treasure hunting as a child and it has become a major part of her life as an adult. I caught up with her for a quick Q&A session. Continue reading and be sure to check out her social media pages for new finds, where she will be selling, and to keep up with Clowny…

When did you start collecting and selling vintage items? What started it all?

It all started with my mom. She loved to go to tag sales and craft fairs, and she loved unique things. And my Granny, I always loved the wringer washer machine she still used, and I was fascinated about how she saved her grease in a jar, I thought it was so gross but I recognized that she was making use of something that would normally be thrown away. In my neighborhood there was a few yearly tag sales and I waited all year and I loved talking with the elderly people and hearing their stories about their items. I loved that so many things were made by hand. Where do you sell your vintage items? Online, antique malls, etc.

I do mostly online sales, but I do a show at least 2-3 times a month or more.

You can check out Gina’s Vintage here:

GinaCreations.Etsy.com Stores.Ebay.com/GinasCreations Poshmark.com/closet/ginasvintage Instagram.com/GinasVintageISN Instagram.com/GinasVintage2

My main page is: Instagram.com/GinasVintage1 Facebook.com/GinasVintage1 Any special events coming up this summer that you’re looking forward to?

I have a pretty good summer coming up! I do the Tiverton Farmers Market and Mount Hope Farmers Market once a month with handmade items I make out of vintage fabrics and up-cycled kitchen items. I have a few dates at the Providence Flea, Salem MA Flea, SOWA in Boston, JP Flea in Boston, and I have 2 weekend shows coming up in NH. The Vintage Bazaar New England 6/19-6/20, and The Vintage Market in the Mountains in 7/24-7/25.

I do handmade and vintage, so I bring different things to different markets. Follow me on FB or IG for upcoming events!

What’s your favorite era of collectibles?

So I love Victorian items. Anything 1800s, up to 1930s are my favorite eras. I do love any vintage of course but I love the old stuff. I can’t get over the craftsmanship, creativity and quality!

Is it hard to let go of some finds? You must keep some for yourself, no?

So my house is not that big and that’s a good thing!! I like to keep cool clown stuff, Bakelite anything, Victorian EAPG, Lacy Glass and Victorian Transferware. I have a huge collection of dolls!! Omg!! Most are gifted to me believe it or not, I pick up one every once in awhile. It’s not hard to sell stuff because I get the thrill of buying it and finding it, and learning about it. Then it is time to pass it along to its new owner!

Please tell me about Clowny! How and when did you acquire her and what has been going on?

CLOWNY!! Well I got Clowny last fall. She was only $2 and pretty beat up, she is life sized about 4 feet, handmade from the 1930s. I drove 4 hours round trip to get her. When I started video chatting with friends on FaceTime about 2 months ago she very vividly made herself known. I got her a meter, and she loves to beep her meter and she likes to play with the phone on video chat. She was extremely active for about 3 weeks. She has calmed down BUT she comes about once a week or so and each time it’s more and more intense! I am not scared, she is a happy playful childlike spirit that has come to stay with me. And I am ok with it. You can keep up with Clowny on Instagram, follow the hashtag #adventureswithclowny

Do you feel like a new door has opened for you since Clowny came into your life? Maybe you’ll end up on a TV show with her? Would you ever sell her?

Well I am actually surprised that she doesn’t get as much attention as I thought she would. I have good documentation too. I would NEVER sell Clowny!! If anything I would like a medium to come and visit her, and I will repair her and she could make some appearances at the Paranormal conventions!!!!

What has been your favorite part of buying and selling vintage items?

I love learning about history and daily life, and some people go to school and read history books, and then there’s people like me who actually hunt each item down, research it and learn from touching the item and asking people about it, and looking at how it was made or why was it made, it’s fascinating!!

How can people contact you if they have an estate they’d like to clean out or anything that you may be interested in?

You can contact me on either Instagram or Facebook at any of the links above. I am always up for a house call so feel free to reach out with anything you might have! I work for an estate sale company, it’s called Curio Estate Liquidators, and you can contact Jay at 401-868-4090