About Us

THE BUSY BOWERBIRD STORY

Busy Bowerbird collects and resells beautiful vintage and estate fashion jewelry and accessories, as well as a range of carefully selected 20th century home décor and homeware pieces.

We search for, and personally select, each of the pieces we list, sourcing items not just within Australia, but also from the US, where we conduct regular buying trips to auction houses and estate sales on both the East and the West Coast.

We first launched Busy Bowerbird on Etsy in 2018 and enjoyed 'Star Seller' status receiving an average rating of 4.9 from hundreds of sales to all corners of the world. In June 2023 we decided to opt for the freedom of creating our own online vintage destination.

Our jewelry collection has caught the attention of wardrobe departments in Studio City, Los Angeles (most notably, series two of Why Women Kill), and recently, a beautiful 1950s German celluloid brooch and earring set were choosen for an upcoming period drama commissioned by Australia's internationally regarded Special Broadcasting Service (SBS).   

While we initially focused on American fashion (or costume) jewelry from the 1930s to early 1960s — and especially that from the Golden Age of Hollywood — we also present a curated collection of home décor and homewares that include examples of Australian post-war decorative and utilitarian pottery through to domestic, European, and American interpretations of mid-century modernity.  

We carefully research every item we present and include a comprehensive portfolio of images to clearly indicate their condition.

The majority of our catalog is more than 30 years old, and some pieces reflect the wear that naturally occurs with age, and our descriptions include a condition overview that outlines any possible blemishes.

If in doubt, please contact us for more information. Emails received Monday to Friday between 8 am to 8 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time will in most cases be answered within the hour. 

We sell all items “As Is” and ship all jewelry in an appropriate-sized gift box, packed in bubble wrap. Every piece in our collection has been pre-loved and brings its own (possibly secret) story.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Busy Bowerbird Team

*** Our sister shop, GarageMahal Treasures, has also left Etsy and will launch in October at GarageMahalTreasures.com  As the name suggests, this shop is packed with fabulous western retro finds including a large range of 'barnalia' — things for your home bar, man cave or den that are just great for gift giving. Subscribe to Garage's email and you'll receive an update when we open as well as special first purchase discount coupon ***