Daily Inspiration: Meet Brandon Schaeffer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Schaeffer.

Hi Brandon, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve been interested in vintage and antiques my whole life. I have been selling vintage items as a side hustle on eBay since 2013. After the pandemic, I quit my corporate job as a mortgage loan officer and decided to go full-time into vintage. I started posting short clips on Instagram and TikTok of the items that I would find and how I would sell them and I would give advice about selling on the secondhand market.

After a couple years of being self employed and posting into the void, I met and started working with local business owner Lindsay Short (Mother Lode, Bennett And Sudderth). She has been like a mentor to me. I started becoming active in the vintage market pop-up community with the help of my good friend Shawn Hagewood and was working simultaneously at the vintage store Mother Lode in Avondale Estates and the Estate Sale company Bennett And Sudderth.

I noticed my work was relatively unique and didn’t necessarily have a large footprint on social media so I started making videos previewing Estate Sales, discovering vintage and antique shops, and having conversations about etiquette in the ever growing vintage market. The TikTok and Instagram algorithms apparently liked my perspective and I started to gain followers pretty fast.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s has not always been smooth but it has ALWAYS been fun. Betting on yourself is hard sometimes especially when you are just starting out. It’s really easy to focus on what could go wrong before taking any action. Pushing past the self doubt is crucial and no matter what the outcome you’ll be glad you did.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create video content that highlights vintage items, estate sales, and local vintage shops. I work with Bennett and Sudderth Estate Sales and behind the scenes at Mother Lode in Avondale Estates. I try to use my videos to spotlight the lesser known small businesses and communities that make up the bulk of Atlanta’s vintage scene.

I’m actually really proud of how my videos are able to drive real people to local estate sales and shops. It’s one thing to showcase vintage pieces online, but seeing followers show up in person and support these businesses is incredibly rewarding. Because I work at many of the estate sales I share, I often get to meet people who show up after watching my videos. Seeing someone experience their very first estate sale because of something I posted is one of the best parts of what I do.

I think what sets me apart is that I’m making content that is accessible. I just show the things that I am interested in. I show that you can walk into an estate sale or a specialty vintage shop and just think stuff is cool. You don’t have to be an expert. You don’t have to know the designer or the maker. All you have to do is have fun.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I would just like to thank y’all for the opportunity to share my little corner of the world with your readers. Also I’d just like to say to anyone reading this: if you have goals you want to accomplish, the most important thing you can do is believe in what you’re doing and show up as your authentic self. The rest will fall into place. Thanks!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @schaeffergoods
• Facebook: @schaeffergoods

Image Credits
@antsy