Cape Cod Magazine / Style File / March 2011 / Magnificent Obsessions

Mar 9, 201103:16 PM

The Who, What, Wear of Cape Cod

Magnificent Obsessions

The Cape is fertile ground for sourcing perfect vintage pieces for your home. Mike Finn, Wellfleet resident and co-owner of Chatham’s Picnic Fashion alongside wife Becky, has compiled an exquisite collection of vintage pieces that he will be selling online when his website fully launches www.magnificentobsessionsshop.com as well as at the store. We sat down with Mike to discuss his passion for vintage hunting.

Cape Cod Magazine: How did you get involved with vintage ware?

Mike Finn: As a byproduct of life on the road as a touring musician I was always wandering off looking in antique shops and flea markets for interesting objects that would fit in a suitcase. This explains, in part, my collection of over 800 pairs of salt and pepper shakers.

CCM: Are there particular pieces you are most interested in?

MF: Right now I am obsessed with vintage barware

CCM: Do you collect a certain type of glass or from one decade or era?

MF: I'm very drawn to objects from the 1950s. The more I collect however the broader the range, so now at Picnic Fashion (www.picnicfashion.com) there are pieces from as early as the 1920s through the 1970s.

CCM: Do you ever have customer requests for particular pieces?

MF: I do have some clients that ask me for particular items, so I'm always on the lookout for their collections as well. I also have several "pickers" that are on the lookout in the midwest and south.

CCM: The pieces you sell at Picnic Fashion really blend well with what Becky sells. Do you source those pieces specifically for the shop?

MF: No, after many years of marriage we have a very similar aesthetic. I like 99% of her inventory and I suspect she likes 99% of mine. That said, I have started looking for unique baskets in traditional woven wood or wicker as well as tin baskets from the 40s and 50s. Then there are the thermoses from the same period.

CCM: We dare ask, it's probably a trade secret, but do you spend a lot of time going to shows to source out your pieces?

MF: I love going to shows, estate sales, and just hitting as many vintage shops as I can wherever I might be. Next on my wish list of shopping experiences is Ohio and Pennsylvania. I did a lot of Maine, California and Florida last year. And there is always Brimfield (MA) three times a year!