AME Vintage Finds - Hello and Welcome!

Hello collectors, I'm Michelle!

Whether you have bought something from me, subscribed to my site, or have just stumbled upon this blog I wanted to share with you a bit about myself and how I ended up doing what I now do; which is dealing in antique photography and postcards.

I have always had a love for curious photographs but going way back about 13 years things where very different. I had been bored for some time working in office jobs so I decided to go back to college and do a part time HNC in Photography and dark room practice. This was wonderful as I got to learn how to process film in the dark room and I learned all about the history of photography; aswell as meeting like minded people.

There also began my love affair with vintage photography and I was very lucky to experience and learn how to use medium and large format cameras. This is were my passion for vintage photography stems, although my interest was more in producing the photographs at that time than selling them.

I left college after a year or so and I started my own business as a Wedding and Event Photographer; using my trusty Canon 40D and my little collection of lenses I travelled all over the UK photographing all manner of events. It was a great time and I met so many wonderful people, I made my first little website where I would share my work and things went from strength to strength. I had found something that I loved to do and my hard work was paying off.

Then I had my daughter and everything changed as my little one had some health issues and spent her early years in and out of hospital so it was impossible to commit to any of my freelance work. That being said, the type of photography I was involved in was incredibly stressful and not something that I wanted to deal with on top of an already stressful life. Editing photographs would take hours and not something I had the time to do in those early years of motherhood. So I finished my last assignment, and I fell out of love with Photography.

As life got easier and my daughters health improved I found joy again in Photography; my new subject being her, my little girl. As we travelled around on holidays I enjoyed making videos and taking photos, as many people do.. and life was good.

Fast forward to 2018 and I was selling a few vintage items on Ebay as I had always had an underlying interest in charity/vintage shops so my friend and I would scour the bric a brac shops in Liverpool and our local area for hidden gems. I had also moved to a late Victorian property and I was enjoying finding authentic period items to fill it with so this was a fun thing for me to do in my spare time. I started a new job working in a crematorium which was a real eye opener; and faced with death and grief on a daily basis made me accept and feel more comfortable around the subject. This job was only part time so I started looking into taking buying and selling on Ebay a bit more seriously.

After listening to a fascinating podcast by Ebay seller Popeye Postcards I was sold on the idea of giving Ebay a serious go. I subscribed to a basic Ebay shop and started selling Edwardian Postcards. I was amazed at how popular and what a big market there was for these items but it was very time consuming and working and looking after a family was full on. I continued to sell on Ebay throughout 2018 - 2019 but I was always limited by time so I could only put in 50% effort.

I also became interested in Post Mortem Victorian Photography and began dealing (although not seriously) in the occasional Post Mortem item. As I was working in this area I could appreciate respectfully giving these photographs a new home where they could live on. Little did I know I was beginning to find my future.

Lets fast forward to 2020 - Covid-19 hit and changed life as we know it.

Having an underlying health condition I was shielding at home. I had become disillusioned with my day job for a variety of reason and I knew work life would be near impossible for the forceable future. I decided that I would use all of the time I had on my hands to my advantage so I took the plunge and set up my website and shop. Suddenly things fell into place and made sense! Bringing together all of the things that I enjoyed and I am passionate about, Photography, the Victorian period, PM Photography.. it all made sense!

I made the decision to try to come away from Ebay as much as possible because of the fees. My word it is expensive to sell on Ebay these days! So I have used the quarantine time to work very hard on building my website, advertising, increasing my client base and my relationship with other sellers. After 5 months of hard work I can see light at the end of the tunnel and things are starting to take shape.

And finally at the grand age of 41 I have found what I love, and as I have heard said before "If it's something that you enjoy doing it won't feel like work" - how true!

I am enjoying meeting customers from all over the world, and of course my lovely faithful clients who have been with my since the beginning.. I am grateful for you all.

I intend to continue along this new road for as long as is feasible, and for as long as people enjoy buying these items from me. Thanks to all of you, whether you have read to the end of this post, subscribed to my website, or indeed bought an item form me.

I am hoping to write a monthly blog post so if anyone has any suggestions of what they would like to hear about then please drop me a comment. And thanks again for reading.

Michelle x

Below: The old photography days. Berlin 2007, and Photographer in charge at a wedding. Ascot 2009