Meet the Vendor
The Hill Antique Market: What inspired you to sell vintage merchandise?
Molly Simms: You could say it’s in my blood. Thanks to my mother, a longtime antique dealer, I was the only kid in kindergarten who knew what Bakelite was. Even then, I could compete with the best of shoppers at estate sales. Later, I deepened my knowledge working with Donna Knott, fellow Hill Antique Market vendor and owner of Donnaland Vintage Variety. I traveled with her and worked with her in STL for five years on buying and selling trips for vintage clothing, costume jewelry and more.
THAM: What do you enjoy most about the antiques business?
Simms: It’s a way for me to creatively focus my energy. It’s my Zen. My meditation. My mom always says when she first started buying and selling in the ’80s, she could find everything that’s collectible now at much cheaper prices—like 25 cents for an antique papier-mâché Halloween Jack-O-Lantern. Now, the harder it is to find, the more exciting the hunt.
THAM: Do you specialize in particular collectibles?
Simms: I collect and sell pre-war merchandise, including paper ephemera, antique games, cabinet cards, fortune-telling collectibles, vintage Halloween (and other holiday themes) and jewelry. With costume jewelry, I have a strong instinct. I can usually tell you immediately what era it’s from and what it’s worth.
THAM: What do you like best about the Hill Antique Market?
Simms: The Hill Antique Market features fresh, new merchandise all the time at reasonable prices. It’s so well-curated the merchandise practically sells itself.
In her “day job,” Simms works as regional manager for School of Rock Saint Louis. She is also an accomplished musician, playing guitar and singing lead vocals for her band, Miss Molly Simms. The band will soon release a new CD (“Wreckless”) of original music on the Blue Lotus Records label. You can keep up with her fabulous vintage finds on Instagram.
All booth images ©2020 Molly Simms.
