Strange Fruit Vintage: Petey's Vintage Excursion in Canada

I overdosed on vintage shopping in Toronto, Canada recently. I've been a huge fan of the Canadian vintage scene for a number of years. If you've supported me, and Strange Fruit Vintage, that long, than you may recall a great documentary I posted on the blog called Vintage Confidential. It highlighted rag yards, buy by the pound, various boutiques and collectors country-wide and why the vintage phenomena isn't going anywhere!

So with extremely high expectations and unbridled excitement, Toronto had a lot to live up to and I'm happy to report it did not disappoint! So many unique boutiques, so many great finds, so many passionate owners and most importantly an overflowing abundance of community-wide support.

One of my favorite quotes is "I rejoice in the success of others, knowing that there is plenty for us all" by Louise L. Hay. For years I have used this as a personal motto, to maintain my happiness and hopefulness for my own success as well as for all the great people I come across. The reality is, when we realize that we are on our own individual journeys and paths with no "competition," the road solely traveled becomes a lot more enjoyable and a lot less competitive.

I think Toronto, or at least the vintage scene, lives by this motto as well. At one boutique, I was given a hand drawn vintage boutique map, highlighting all of the great stores in the area. And with this our frigidly cold and fun thrifting excursion began.

Some of the great boutiques are highlighted below.

69 Vintage Collective

www.69vintage.com (website being redeveloped)

It doesn't get much more collaborative than three floors serving as home to seven vintage shops;

Tomorrow Never Knows, Stacked, Rozaneh, The Make Den, Buy the Pound, Ransack the Universe and 69 Vintage. There was a whole room dedicated to buying by the pound, and so I did!