In a former antique dealer’s showroom in the basement of the North Beach building that was once home to Courtney Love, Krystyl Baldwin is setting up shop.
“My pride and joy is furniture, like this 1940s outdoor patio set or these chairs from the early 1800s,” she explains, gliding her hand gently over the pieces.
“I pulled this handpainted screen out of a moldy basement and just had it appraised—it’s worth quite a bit of money. This shower door with a naked woman’s body etched into the glass—they were mass produced in the 1930s and 1940s, but they’re hard to find now and everybody wants one.”
Krystyl Baldwin, owner of San Francisco Vintage and creator of SF Vintage Maps(Courtesy of @san.franciscovintage)
Baldwin can’t remember a time when she did not love scouting out unique items from years gone by. Art Deco is her particular specialty, not just for the items’ ornate detail, but for the history they have concealed within them. “I’m obnoxious about researching every detail of things,” she laughs.
Baldwin only turned the art of discovery into a business after burning out of her first career in tech, moving to New York, and “doubling down on vintage.” Soon, she was attracting some pretty serious attention, with production companies like Netflix and Hulu purchasing her wares, and appearances on HGTV.
But when Baldwin returned home after a decade and opened San Francisco Vintage, she realized how completely different the scene was. “If you mention vintage to any average person here, they just think of Haight Street,” she says. “There’s nothing wrong with that, that’s the history of Haight Street, but there’s nothing that’s bridging the gap right now to connect [the vintage-curious with shops] in the city’s different communities.”
So the collector did what she does best: she collected—this time, the names, addresses, and specialties of all the shops that had been overlooked—and coded them into a single, interactive online resource, SF Vintage Maps. It included 90 businesses at last count, a kind of “official vintage trail” guide for everything from furniture and decor to records, jewelry, art, and clothing.
SF Vintage Maps includes 90 shops from around the city.(Courtesy of @Sfvintagemaps)
Baldwin hopes to expand the project, adding vintage dealers throughout the Bay Area, organizing vintage-themed events, and featuring small, independent businesses in a more targeted way on the website. For now, you can plan a route via the map; its QR code is also posted in several of the participating stores.
“I love to go shopping, and I love supporting small businesses more than anything else,” says Baldwin. “Just showing up will mean the world to the [shop owner] because they feel recognized and admired.”
// Visit SF Vintage Maps at sfvintagemaps.com. The San Francisco Vintage showroom is open by appointment at 2143 Powell St. (North Beach), sanfranciscovintage.com
A Mini-Tour of the Shops on SF Vintage Maps
We asked Baldwin about some of the vintage shops she’s most enamored with in San Francisco Here’s where she led us:
The Golden Hour
“I was in the Richmond picking up something and there was a shop I didn’t even know existed, a beautiful store called The Golden Hour,” Baldwin remembers. “I walked in and was like, ‘I love this place.’ The energy was so beautiful, I just kept thinking if this was my store, this is exactly how I’d want it to be.”
The Golden Hour specializes in well-crafted vintage clothing, jewelry, accessories, and home goods that tell a story—as well as sustainable and ethically sourced goods primarily from women, POC, and queer makers. // 147 Clement St. (Inner Richmond), thegoldenhoursf.com
Landline
(Courtesy of @shoplandlinehome)
“Landline is 100 percent housewares and novelty stuff, but he [owner Tony Leo] takes such pride in curating what’s in there,” says Baldwin.
Landline specializes in transforming “ordinary gatherings into unforgettable experiences” with local and vintage tabletop, barware, and cookware selections. // 717 Valencia St. (Mission), landlinehome.com
Via Margutta Vintage
Jason Galloway’s “shop is very well curated with designer vintage [clothing], and it’s as much about the garment as about the designer who made it,” says Baldwin.
Via Margutta Vintage is known for its Hollywood-inspired vintage clothing, accessories, and decor, which ranges from 1970s bespoke dresses to names like Gaultier, Burberry, and Bill Blass. // 1455 Grant Ave. (North Beach), instagram.com/viamarguttavintage
Real Old Paper
(Courtesy of @realoldpaper)
“Real Old Paper is a poster store and the owner’s got it set up so lovely and is so passionate about it; he knows all about the history of printing,” says Baldwin.
Andrew England has traveled around the world to build the shop’s vast collection of unique artists and genres, ranging from historical circus advertisements to Japanese movie posters. // 777 Beach St. (Fisherman’s Wharf), realoldpaper.com
Sunset Mercantile Emporium
(Courtesy of Sunset Mercantile Emporium)
The just-opened Sunset Mercantile is “a co-op of spaces with a bunch of different vendors and local vintage people and makers—more of a curated market,” says Baldwin.
In addition to pre-loved and antique wares, Sunset Mercantile is home to a plant shop, pet goods, artisan food, and more. // 653 Irving St. (Inner Sunset), sunsetmercantilesf.com
