Looking for vintage gifts? Head to downtown Vancouver

VANCOUVER – If it’s vintage goods you’re after this holiday season, downtown Vancouver is about as good as it gets. Everywhere you turn in Vancouver’s historic downtown a sign for vintage goods beckons, offering the promise of a good hunt for something totally unique.

Lynn Loewen, owner of the 2-year-old Mod Haus at 812 Columbia St., in downtown Vancouver, knows a little something about the vintage retail market. Before she moved back to her native Clark County – Loewen is a 1973 Battle Ground High grad – she owned a thriving vintage store in Bellingham’s historic waterfront district. When she decided to move back to southwest Washington, Loewen first looked at North Portland as a potential Mod Haus site, but says a close friend convinced her to give downtown Vancouver a shot.

“I do like it here,” Loewen says of downtown Vancouver. “We have these big trees and there are a lot of cafes and brewpubs. We could use some more retail down here, but it’s nice. People say they come to downtown Vancouver and they can feel their blood pressure go down. They feel more relaxed.”

Despite what many retail owners say is a downtown still on the verge of becoming a destination, downtown Vancouver does have a certain charm. There is relatively cheap and plentiful parking compared to its sister-city of Portland across the Columbia River, the streets are lined with giant old trees and the one-way streets make for easy crossing and a more leisurely walk than you find in most cities of Vancouver’s size.

And, of course, for people hunting down unique holiday gifts, there are the many great vintage finds. Loewen’s Mod Haus, for instance, carries a selection of high-quality vintage clothing, shoes, hats, purses and jewelry. Loewen also carries new clothing, shoes and jewelry, but says her passion is in the vintage side.

“I was the one wearing vintage in high school, in the 70s,” Loewen says. “I’ve always loved vintage things.”

Her passion for vintage is apparent in Mod Haus, where Loewen displays her goods on retro tables and antique cabinets she’s refinished and repainted. In a glass case, rows of jewelry from the 1920s through the 1980s sparkle and shine. In a back corner, high-quality vintage dresses and lingerie items swing gently beneath vintage hats in near-perfect condition.

When customers come in and want some direction, Loewen springs to action, pairing a new red dress with a vintage black coat and some vintage jewelry.

All of the vintage items in Mod Haus are top quality. That’s because Loewen scours vintage supplies from all over the country, instead of relying on local vintage dealers.

“This area is so wet that a lot of the good vintage things were ruined,” Loewen explains. “Mine come from all over the country – I have a supplier for beaded cardigans from Iowa, hats from Philadelphia, coats from Chicago. It’s all in very good condition.”

Mod Haus, open from noon to 5, Sundays and Mondays, and from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, is a great start for women’s vintage items, but if you’re shopping for her and him, you may want to head over to Most Everything, at 815 Washington St. Another high-quality vintage clothing and accessories in downtown Vancouver, Most Everything recently celebrated its fifth year in business. The shop is packed with vintage dresses, jewelry, coats and accessories to please the women on your list, as well as a huge selection of men’s vintage, including ties, hats and clothes. Most Everything, owned by Alisa Powell Tetreault, also carries mid-century furniture, bar ware, retro lamps, art, vinyl and other vintage goodies. The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

Venture another half block and you’ll see the signs for Mackensie’s Treasures, at 108 W. 9th St. Owned by Portland native Molly M. Lance, this shop specializes in vintage and antique jewelry from the 1970s to “as old as I can get it,” says Lance.

If you’re looking for a special, totally unique gift, Mackensie’s Treasures is a great place to start your hunt. Lance has been working in the vintage jewelry business for more than 20 years, and took over ownership of Mackensie’s Treasures about two years ago. Ask her about a certain piece of jewelry and she can tell you all about the time period and era in which it was first created.

Take Lance’s oldest piece in the shop, for example. An intricate brooch crafted in the early 1800s, when silver jewelry was rare, featuring rubies, emeralds and sapphires, the piece speaks to a time of whimsy and romance, Lance says.

“This was when Queen Victoria was getting ready to take the throne,’’ Lance said. “She was single and young … and the jewelry of that period was very whimsical and fun. You see lots of flowers and bouquets from that time.”

Not in the market for something quite so rare? Check out the shop’s selection of vintage pendants, earrings and rings.

“Pendants are popular gifts because you can adjust the chain length, and they’re unique,” Lance says.

Although many people think about the old screw-on earrings when they envision vintage jewelry, Lance says the screw-on backs were really only popular from the 1930s through the 1960s. Before and after that, earrings were crafted for pierced ears.

After you find that special piece of vintage jewelry at Mackensie’s Treasures, head up to downtown Vancouver’s Main Street to Devine Consign at 904 Main St. Although this consignment furniture shop isn’t strictly vintage, you can often find a unique set of vintage china or a lovely piece of antique furniture at this unique nonprofit that donates to a host of local charities, including ARC of Clark County, Autism Society of SW Washington, the Clark County Food Bank, SW Washington Boys and Girls Club and many others. For more information, or to see what is currently available in the 10,000-square-foot consignment shop, visit http://divineconsignfurniture.org.

To explore more of downtown Vancouver, including other vintage shops as well as a wide selection of eateries, salons, art galleries and other retail establishments, visit Vancouver’s Downtown Association at www.vdausa.org and print the organization’s downtown walking map, which lists nearly every downtown Vancouver business along with a user-friendly grid map of the entire downtown region.