Meet GoldFinch - Vintage Scout
I've walked into every abandoned farmhouse and forgotten building I've ever found.
What grew out of curiosity — has become an obsession. I've been haunting antique stores and thrift shops since I could make change for a quarter.
Back in Ontario in the 80's, my aunt lived in the country next door to a huge antique shop. Wandering the rows of tables and shelves filled with dusty old things is a core memory of my childhood. I would tell myself stories about each object and I created a rich connection to the world of old stuff.
By age 13, I was regularly taking the subway to Kensington Market, in my hometown of Toronto, to shop for my emerging identity. It's how I first experienced art and expression and how those two values almost always intersect with salvage on some level. Oh, how I miss the good old days– and that iconic era of boutique thrift in 80's Toronto.
In 2015, my love of salvage led me to opportunities in the brutal but important work of barn deconstruction, wood reclaimation, architectural salvage...and sales?! How on earth did I find myself selling reclaimed wood? But there I was, sending 27 foot, hand-hewn, 300 year old-old growth fir beams on a flat-bed truck halfway across the province. Even I couldn't believe I was doing that.
It took me until years later to realize that was alignment! That was future GoldFinch giving the not-yet-fully-hatched-baby-GoldFinch a big "we're doing this anyways" because "we are not the type to wait for an invitation to create what we were born to build." Resilience. Endurance. That's me, Lee-Ann. In a nutshell. And now that's GoldFinch.
Nowadays, I could shoot an arrow straight down the line of where I have come from and where I have gone. But back then? I used to let the doubt and noise creep in. That feeling that the negative voices were right and my hopes and dreams are what were wrong. It took a lot of work and I now understand what alignment looks and feels like and I only go to those places now. It always comes back to art and expression for me. I'm in a powerful creative era.
An artist at heart, I'm always inspired and searching for the next project...and raw materials. I am naturally drawn to animal and human forms through sculpture. Finding and working with wild elements (wood, for example) to create a cohesive sense of story and movement is the same taste and sensibility that drives everything I do at GoldFinch.
Over the years I've collected pieces that simply caught my eye — objects with form and character, history, a style and a story worth telling and retelling. Right now that means vintage western wear, 60's mod, retro, mid-century modern, and modern revivalist themes in garments, jewelry, footwear, art and objects with historical references.
My recent personal obsession is with the enduring symbols and relics of pre and post war manufacturing and exports particularly from Japan. My obsession stretches over to the fine craftsmanship of Italian exports for the North American markets. Last but certainly not least is my obsession with treasures from Great Britain. I also have a deep love and affinity for vintage costume jewelry — with a strong focus on Made In Canada pieces with origins that are tightly connected to the first couture fashion and fine jewelry design houses of the 20th Century.
Every piece here has been chosen with intention. If it made it to GoldFinch, it's because it earned its place.
— Lee-Ann, GoldFinch Founder & Scout
PS. As a Stage IV Breast Cancer survivor, I'm living with and managing a serious illness — and choosing, every day, to keep building something meaningful. GoldFinch Vintage Scout is that something. It's my mission to source the pieces that will stop you in your tracks. To pass on quality, preserved, storied garments and goods that carry relevant style, and a craftsmanship unmatched in today’s manufacturing world. My story might resonate with you. If you want to chat more and/or collaborate, please send me a DM and follow me on Instagram @goldfinch_76 ✨💛