In Village Green, Amy Kraker’s vintage kitchenware store in Port Washington, pink elephants frolic on old jelly jar juice glasses (four for $40), mariachis serenade beautiful señoritas on starched cotton dish towels ($15) and an unusual set of marbleized inky blue-and-black celluloid luncheon cutlery (eight pieces for $45) lies in a glass case.
Vintage Fiestaware, Harlequin and Russel Wright dishes are all widely represented in stock. Wooden kitchen utility cabinets, enameled deco-top dinette sets and turn-of-the-century Hoosier cabinets show the dishes off to their best effect. For under $5 you can even buy small pottery objects, quilt squares and lithographed veggie labels.
Kraker’s specialty is her collection of immaculate, colorful, “dead stock” table linens, aprons, dish towels, potholders and other textiles— all perfect for setting the mood in your perfectly restored 1940s kitchen.
Another Port Washington must-see for vintage lovers is Dime Store Daze, owned by a great blond, tattooed broad named Terri Ventura. Nostalgic music plays in the background as we sit on the vintage settees and chat about old clothes.
A magnificent white bridal kimono is displayed on a dress form ($700), and brown suede knee-high boots with open sides, featuring sexy corset lacing and interesting soutache braid ($150) may be the pick of the house. A vibrant patterned and sequinned A-line by Malcolm Starr ($175) is peak gaudy.
There is a well-stocked selection of bowling shirts, cotton shirtwaist dresses and crinolines perfect for swing dancing. Every era is represented and the selection is perfection, right down to shoes and handbags. For home sewers, there are vintage paper patterns and an overwhelming selection of vintage textiles— my fave was a tropical print floral on a red ground— five yards for $165.