The Vintage Hawaii – Antiques & Collectibles

I love the store they always have something new and Im always able to find a new treasure

It’s not often that I frequent Wahiawa and when I do, it’s usually passing through to get to the famed North Shore. I remember the feeling I had 12 years ago when I interviewed for a position at Wahiawa General Hospital, Wahiawa was full of suspicious activities then and the thought of getting off shift at odd hours deterred my intent to work there (despite the lure of «no traffic and plentiful parking» from the department manager).
Wahiawa HAS changed — a lot! The city has been infused with new businesses that has attracted increased foot traffic as well as usual. I stumbled upon The Vintage (for short) as I was leaving Wahiawa from a previous appointment. Seeing a vintage store with accessible parking warranted an unscheduled stop. Much to my glee, The Vintage carries knick-​knacks (NO paddywacks here) from varying eras and countries. I have been on the look out for heirloom mirrors and frames as well as things that catch my whimsy and this boutique had my head turn so fast I might have given myself a ‘lil whiplash.
From vintage Hawaiiana men’s shirts, old phonograph players, vinyl 45s (yes to some that’s considered vintage — heck! my daughter’s never seen one before), rotary phones, women’s heirloom jewelry to old suitcases and shoes! Like I said, just a bunch of knick-​knacks tastefully displayed throughout the boutique. The prices are fair and given that The Vintage recycles the profits to benefit the community — it makes for a beautiful partnership.
I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Cindy Bauer (co-​owner of The Vintage). She gave me a brief and thorough history of the location and I was awed by their vision to help (re)build the community they work and live in. I recalled that the strip that The Vintage sits on used to house a liquor store, a brothel in addition to an adult «bookstore.» Those businesses are long gone and The Vintage occupies the space where the liquor shop used to be. There’s a huge freezer door that remains in the back of the boutique as a reminder of what is used to be in addition to planks of decorated salvaged wood from the torn down brothel that existed behind the shop. The salvaged wood with inspirational to whimsical sayings are on sale for $ 50.00 (a bit expensive but well worth it considering it’s going towards a greater good — building an art/​music center in Wahiawa).
I left there with two aged copper tins as well as an old patina’d frame. For many amateur «pickers» like myself, pickin’s in Hawaii is limited and when you find something you like and it’s priced fairly — you buy it since it won’t be there the next time you go. What can I say? Another (wo)man’s junk is another (wo)man’s treasure.
The Vintage is located near some pretty popular places — Killer Tacos and Surfer’s Coffee Bar. There’s street parking (not metered) as well as parking immediately around the shop. As a side note, they also take donations in the form of clothing, furniture, excess garage sale items, etc., all to be used to recycle the profits back into the community. Cindy was really sweet and such an amazing person to talk to.