Reseller Kelly Gunn says vintage telephones have become popular again, and thanks to technology, her 1966 payphone is fully functional and connected to her Bluetooth.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Gunn
With her sophisticated eye for picking vintage treasures, building a strong brand, and adapting to new challenges, reseller Kelly Gunn has achieved a major business milestone.
The owner of Part-Time Pickers in Powhatan, Virginia, Gunn hit $1 million in sales in January on the heels of 2024 being a banner year for her online business.
Gunn has also seen her Facebook and Instagram accounts explode into a combined following of over 550,000 vintage enthusiasts of all ages.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Gunn
A PIVOTAL YEAR
In 2019, Gunn decided to start all over again at the age of fifty-four and left her previous career as a marketing and sales executive in the wholesale gift industry. That bold move has transformed her love of all things vintage from a once-weekend hobby into a thriving million-dollar enterprise.
Things began snowballing for Part-Time Pickers in 2024 after Gunn deftly pivoted to a new content strategy.
“Previously, I was known strictly as an online seller, and each of my posts was focused on selling an item. Because I had to process, pack, and ship each item sold, I was limited as to how many posts I could make daily, which, in essence, was putting a muzzle on my Meta (Facebook) algorithm,” Gunn said. “All that changed when Meta monetized my page and started paying me for each post made. Immediately I had to make strategic changes to capitalize on my new situation.”
One of those strategies has been to incorporate vintage-related content with her usual sales posts. Sharing nostalgic items from the past—beauty products, clothes, food, toys, and tons of other fun and kitschy things—struck a big chord with her communities, and finding that sweet spot between constantly connecting people with actual vintage products and figuratively connecting them to things that evoke fond memories was crucial.
“The number of posts I posted daily tripled, which kicked my algorithm into overdrive! People really loved the ‘tweak’ and embraced the nostalgic content,” Gunn said. “The change not only allowed me to earn extra income but also caused my following to take off! From February 2024 to February 2025, we climbed from a combined following of 300k to 550k … game changer!”
Also hugely popular are videos she makes while picking at antique and thrift stores, many of which went viral last year, with a whopping number of views.
“Viral to me means one million views or higher. We are fortunate to have had dozens, but one stood out from the pack: Me trying to figure out how I was going to get to a set of 1970s Arnel canisters in a thrift store even though there was somebody else standing between me and them, attracted the most attention. It had over 10M views and is still going!” Gunn said.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Gunn
COLLECTORS’ CHANGING TASTES
Another one of Gunn’s strategies is to keep a manageable amount of inventory, especially given the hobby’s constantly changing trends.
“I take several major picking trips per year when we fill up the truck with goodies. I sell all the products from the previous trip before I’ll allow myself to go back out. Of course, there will be minor thrifting in between, but for the most part, I need the product sold before I invest in more,” Gunn said. “It works well for me and keeps me from getting too bogged down with inventory.”
“Kitchenalia” was a strong category for Gunn in 2024. Her buyers were particularly interested in small appliances, including can openers and mixers, which she tries to find new in the box.
“Believe it or not, they’re still out there and it is my mission to track them down,” she said.
One of her favorite kitchen finds was a set of turquoise Club Cookware in an extremely rare speckled test pattern that sold in minutes.
Mid-century glassware was also a steady seller for her, and she noted that refurbished rotary telephones have become popular again now that technology has removed the need for a landline.
“With the help from a device found on Amazon, you can use the phone with Bluetooth,” Gunn said.
There are several categories she sees growing in popularity for 2025, including homemade items like crewel wall art, crocheted throws, and embroidered linens, and vintage lighting such as art deco boudoir lamps and ceiling lamps, which have become an “important décor staple” and are in line with art deco being a top trend this year.
“Vintage costume jewelry such as Bakelite earrings and bracelets as well as rhinestone encrusted brooches are back,” Gunn added, “and good news! You can pull out Grandma’s pearls and wear them proudly … they are on trend once again.”
Gunn sees several categories growing in popularity for 2025, including homemade items like crewel wall art—this floral crewel example from the mid-century sold in 2024 for $129.99.
A STORY STILL UNFOLDING
Now sixty, Gunn enjoys her success but has no plans to rest on her laurels. Always striving for success, she plans to increase the momentum.
“I want to continue the growth on Instagram and Facebook, but additionally, I have joined TikTok and look forward to spreading vintage love on a new platform,” Gunn said.
A big part of her platform is also dedicated to education, and she wants to continue inspiring others by sharing her knowledge. She offers other resellers the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of creating a successful selling platform on social media with a “One on One with Kelly Gunn”—a one-hour consultation tailored to their specific business.
“We have helped hundreds of folks to date and look forward to working with many more in 2025. Each session is $189,” Gunn noted.
Gunn also hired a public relations firm to help her increase her global reach beyond social media, and she has been booked to appear on a local news program, Virginia This Morning, on March 13 as part of National Women’s History Month to discuss Brownie Wise, the woman behind Tupperware’s success.
“I want mainstream lovers of vintage and small business success stories to know about Part-Time Pickers. I hope to provide inspiration to like-minded vintage-loving folks,” Gunn said. “I look forward to future opportunities that allow me to expand the brand outside of social media.”
With the help of her social media followers, Gunn was finally able to find a 1960s Viking Blunique Diamond Point nested ashtray set she was searching for to go with the matching table lighter and the green and orange sets she already had. “The folks on my page are amazing and are incredibly resourceful,” she said.
Adina K. Francis has been a writer and editor in the antiques and collectibles field for more than twenty years. She has a bit of an obsession with the Victorians and thinks that dogs are one of life’s greatest gifts.
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