philosophy


our collection is our baby

We feel our collection is more than the sum total of its parts: it's a physical expression of history, the evolution of an art form, a reflection of people's values, and an inventory of personal memoirs rolled into one. From the rarest couture gown to the tarnished locket with the picture still inside, each item has value whether because of its story, its impact on fashion, or its significance to its original owner. So we make it our business to ensure each piece is cared for, appreciated and passed on to someone who feels the same way.

We know it's excessive, but we can't help ourselves. We blame our mothers.


care and feeding

No matter how sexy it sounds to be a vintage collector, the truth is it's hard work to do it right. And while it isn't possible to restore every piece to original condition, we go to extraordinary lengths to try.

Whether 90 or 20 years old, each of the thousands of items in our stock goes through the same process so our customers experience no surprises (other than the good kind) when they open their box from Black Cat Vintage. In fact, our pre-sale routine is so thorough it takes a minimum of three months for an item to reach the floor once we acquire it. To wit:


our process

  • Items are received and inventoried separate from existing backstock to prevent cross-contamination. Once inventoried, items are inspected for flaws, marked, and sorted according to necessary repair.
  • Inventoried stock is sequestered for a 72-hour freezing or deep-heating to eliminate pests.
  • De-contaminated stock is wet-cleaned in-house if appropriate, or couriered 100 miles to a master dry cleaner in Phoenix, Arizona. Furs are cleaned, conditioned and glazed.
  • Clean stock is professionally rehabilitated according to necessary repair. Some of the measures taken to restore items include:
    • reweaving (by a 70-year old master craftswoman who lives 150 miles out of the city)
    • re-beading and re-sequining
    • restoring and weighting original seams and hems
    • replacing linings and trim
    • restoring faded or uneven color
    • replacing buttons, zippers and other findings (using vintage alternatives whenever possible)
    • whitening and color lifting
    • replacing deteriorated elastic
    • hat blocking
    • refeathering
    • textile matching and sourcing
    • tanning, leather dying and restrapping
    • resoling and replacing heels
    • re-enameling and re-silvering
    • soldering
    • replacing missing stones, links and broken mechanisms (using vintage alternatives whenever possible)
    • polishing and conditioning
    • re-clasping, resizing and converting (jewelry)
    • replacing deteriorated fur trim
  • Restored items are placed into rotation and sold. Reluctantly.

our facility

Our headquarters in Tucson, Arizona houses our storage facility, where inventory is continuously monitored for security, temperature, humidity, ultraviolet exposure and cleanliness.

Exterior door and window seals are inspected regularly for integrity, and the entire facility is professionally treated for pests every four weeks. We utilize environmentally-friendly, fabric-safe pest control methods and cleaning products on our interiors, which are thoroughly cleaned once per week and fully evacuated for floor-to-ceiling cleaning once per year.
proud member of: secured by: we accept:
local first arizona vintage fashion guild
Internet Fax
Web Ecommerce
we accept visa, mastercard, discover & paypal