Monday, November 26, 2012

inretrospect: vintageware with contemporary flair

Continuing my stroll down 4th Street in Long Beach last Saturday for "Shop Local" day, I wandered into a store which both hipsters and collectors alike can agree is just about perfect.



Inretrospect. What. A. Variety. O. M. G.

Inretrospect
Mid-Century Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (4.8)

2122 East 4th Street
Long Beach, CA 90814
(562) 433-6600
Inretrospect

Rebecca's 5 Point Rating Scale (1-not-so-great and 5-fabulous):
  • Store Size / Inventory - 5+ (4,000 square feet of vintage/retro goodiosity.)
  • Merchandise Quality  - 5 (What a ridiculous variety of items. I was nearly overwhelmed, but not quite.)
  • Organization - 5 (Items are organized, clearly by sellers who structure their spaces. Helps one to focus when one is losing it because one has never seen so much retro stuff in ones life.)
  • Pricing - 3-4 (The furniture is again, priced like, well, furniture. But the other stuff is priced to move and can be reasonable.)
  • Service - 5 (Couple of people at the front desk waiting to help you.)
Total Rating is 4.8 (out of 5 stars)

Link to Yelp Reviews

Are you jonesing for some Corningware? Need a new dress for your upcoming sixties cocktail party? Mid-century erotica? Art, wall hanging, clock? What exactly do you need for heaven's sake?

I think Inretrospect has it. Somewhere. 



Inretrospect is divided into shops, similar to what you would find in an antiques mall. However, the focus is purely retro. Shop owners keep their wares neat and tidy, with clear labels.



Lamps?



The Corningware stand I warned you about.



The furniture "shop" in the front of the store was crammed full of a bunch of nice pieces. Furniture is a bit of a focus of mine. The prices on these items were no bargain ... the shop owner clearly knows what he has. But again, a great selection.




My obligatory of shot of fifties and sixties glass.



And pottery in a perfect little teak room divider, I might add.






A month or so ago, I was in Orange off the Circle looking for a place just like this. The idea clearly hasn't made it behind the Orange Curtain. I did find an amazing Hey-Wake store.




Take a close look at these shelves. How about the mushroom canister set? Several sets of barware. Or the amazing glass whatsits on top?



This lit mirror is so flipping cool. I kinda want it.





I'll leave you with a perfect orange chair. With flight bags stacked on it and Corningware to the left. Do you see all the clothes in the back? Racks and racks and racks of clothes. Organized by era (e.g. 80s, 70s, etc.).



I needed a lot more time to deal with the sheer volume available at Inretrospect. BUT, I had to press on. Two more stores to go.

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10 comments:

  1. They have an interesting mix of high-end pieces along with kitsch.

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    1. That's what I thought. Honestly more kitsch then high-end but I liked it!

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  2. Wow, that was great! So many beautiful pieces of furniture... I'm sure it was so tempting. TIME would definitely be my biggest issue here. I'd have to have plenty of it to dig and swoon! Stores like this don't exist where I live so this was SOOOO fun. I do love that teak room divider. Thanks.

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    1. The furniture selection was darn good. I didn't cover even half the ground I wanted to in this store. Wonderful stuff!

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  3. Hi Rebecca! Oh my word - this looks like just the kind of place I could spend a day - or 3!! Amazing wares. I would've flipped my lid with the knick knacks alone, then there is the furniture and clothes! I'm planning a trip to California in a few years, so hopefully this place will still be going and I can load my suitcase up full of retro 70's clothes & wares!! x

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    1. Donna the clothes are incredible. I couldn't believe I came away with zero clothes pictures. Boo.

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  4. Rebecca, thanks for the heads up! My brother lives in Long Beach. Perfect excuse to visit. Can't wait to check it out! WOOOOOOH!!!

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  5. It looks like a fun place to browse for an hour or a day. Lost in Long Beach!

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    1. Every display I examined contained unusual and surprising items. You could get seriously lost on 4th Street in Long Beach!

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