Retro Focus Eyewear

10/17/2024

$10 READING GLASSES (Includes acetates, metals and plastics)
Many of you who followed me throughout my eyewear journey will remember some of these ol' favorites. As of Oct 15th, 2024, my readers have been reduced for final clearance.
Click on post which will take you directly to my ETSY shop.
Click on 'READING GLASSES' on the left side.

Shop Eyewear Fetish~Jewelry~Accessories~Mid Century by BackThennishVintage located in Flushing, New York. Smooth shipping! Has a history of shipping on time with tracking. Speedy replies! Has a history of replying to messages quickly. Rave reviews! Average review rating is 4.8 or higher

01/06/2022

As I reach retirement age, I’ve become more and more mindful with letting go.
I've decided this is my last year as a website owner.
The amount of sales last year didn't quite justify the expenses to run Retro Focus Eyewear.
I've quietly known and predicted this would happen.
I've watched my sales slowly decline since 2009 and actually the timing of this decision couldn't be better.

Back when I started selling online I was amongst the few who relied on e-commerce to make a living and became one of the top sellers of eyewear on Ebay.
As the internet became more popular and enticing to small start ups and young entrepreneurs the web grew to become the favorable way to shop.
More and more businesses hopped on the internet to sell and equally the world relied on the internet to buy.
This evolution led to constant price restructuring and cheaper made goods to counteract the revenue decrease, the perfect example of supply surpassing demand.

The internet is so saturated that as large and successful as I was 20 somewhat years ago, I'm just a small minnow in comparison to mammoth competition now.
I never cared to be big or the biggest. I made my living doing exactly what I wanted being small and mighty (for a while).
I'm happy with what I've accomplished, not many can say that about themselves.

I will be shutting my website down sometime in November or December of this year when my SSL expires.
My remaining inventory will be offered to the public on other marketplaces that offer me more exposure.

As of today I will retain my domain name and its LLC status until further notice.
If you have a favorite here, buy it this year before I close shop.
I won't be as accessible to answer any questions after I've shut this site down.
You'll have to search other marketplaces for your old favorites.
I may delete my business email as well. We'll see. Just toying with THAT thought.

Very few styles are available for wholesale pricing. Send me an email if you're interested.

It's been almost a year since I've posted anything on Instagram or Facebook Business.
Since I've stopped using social media to promote my merch, my page will be deleted after my site goes.

It's been a great 22 year run with many great experiences, repeat customers and humbling feedback.
it's time to move on.

Have a great New Year everyone.
And from the bottom of my heart I thank you and I will miss you.

Desi

08/13/2021

It's that time folks!

If anyone is interested in bulk quantities of reading glasses or vintage frames, please feel free to contact me privately.
I'm getting some cheater deals together in minimum amounts of 6pc for the general public which I'll put on the site, and will happily assist any retailer with wholesale reading glasses deals.
You can see by my online inventory the type of readers offered.
Some styles are not on my website.
Make an appointment and visit my entire inventory in person.
Minimum purchase for wholesale readers: 36pc any assortment or $100 whichever comes first.
Minimum purchase for wholesale vintage eyewear:
Prices vary. 20 piece minimum.

For my fans out there, my inventory is slowly shrinking and I hope that there's nothing left by the time I retire in 6 years.
If there's something you wanted and are waiting for another day to buy it, don't.
I'm not reordering anything new, not restocking sold out items.

A small compatibility glitch on my website is affecting a handful of buyers while you're checking out.
Should you get a pop up 'ERROR PAGE NOT FOUND, please do not resubmit your payment.
Double check your CC, cause chances are great that I've gotten your order the first time around.

Enjoy your weekend!
Desi

03/03/2021

Some updates folks🖤

Uh yeah, you know you have these plans.... BIG plans...
Expecting life to go a certain way, then that fu**in curve ball comes at you at 30mph.
You duck.
Phew. That was close.
Let's do something differently so that doesn't happen again.

Okay, things are going your way.
Life is good....seemingly......
Another fast ball comes your way.
You give it all you got with your back hand 'f**k off' swing.
Back on track for a while.

Then your kitten's life is in the hands of the veterinarian hospital.
2 months have passed in 2 weeks it seems and she's doing great with 5 less teeth.

At the same time I'm told I have another oral cyst brewing next to my dental implant.
Better get that root canal done ASAP before we loose 2 teeth.

Done.

After seeing my Endo for that awesome Rooty Toofy, I sat in the dentist chair the other day to be fitted for that crown I now need.
The dental technician and I were shooting the breeze about people and their teeth.
I mentioned how when I was a kid I didn't take care of mine.
She remarked, "people back then didn't take care of their teeth. Your teeth are pretty good. I see people your age coming in for full sets of dentures".
😳
So I've OFFICIALLY entered the 'PEOPLE BACK THEN' and 'PEOPLE YOUR AGE' categories....

Wonderful.

It's over a year since Dad passed.
Moved Mom one more time into a smaller living space to lower her monthly expenses
and start fresh without the sad memories attached to the prior apartment we moved them to when Dad was diagnosed with PSP.
The movers did SUCH an AWESOME job that I didn't have to worry about a damn thing.
Because you know, Mom's problems become my problems.
Gave them a spectacular review on Yelp saying just that.

Ok.
Kitty's good.
Mom's great.
Took care of my teeth.

Now my website is having senior moments.
I'm told that updating my site to Drupal 9 will cost me the down payment of a studio co-op in Bayside.

Excuse me.
Been there done that.
“Well how about a new site build on Squarespace?” my web guys suggested.
What. You want me to learn something new?
Forgive me.
No vacancy for new information in this 60 something' year old brain.
I'm too old for this s**t.
Not doing it.

So one of the senior moments my site is having is the ability to keep up with newer versions of my online Credit Card Processor PayPal.
Therefore your successful payment gets rerouted back to my website but instead of seeing a familiar orders page,
you're greeted with "Error Page Not Found" page with plenty of WTF's echoing in your mind.
To all my clients who've experienced this, please forgive us.
No need to re-enter your information for payment again.
Trust me, I got it.
You can always use my 'Contact Us' page to ask me just to make sure.
I suppose this is just the beginning of many glitches to come.
I'm prepared to relist all my inventory on my Etsy Shop because I don't know when this site's card will turn up. Most of my inventory is vintage by now since I’ve been doing this for 20 years.
If you can't find your cheater favorites here, look there at Back Thennish Vintage
on Etsy.

Oh, 3 weeks ago I said goodbye to almost 2 feet of old brown, salty peppery strands.
and I've given myself a pixie haircut.

Now I look like I could be my mother's younger sister.
Woo hoo.

And I haven't been posting on social media this year. (Okay, maybe once here).
It feels reeeeally good. It's just not me, never really was a fan of putting myself out there.

So this reboot in life, the year 2021 is just the beginning of more surprises I suppose.
I'm ready for them.
Throw me that curve ball honey🖤

01/11/2021

Oooo has it been that long since my last post?
I'm still here!
Are you? :-)
Listing 2 pairs of antique Windsor frames today.
With free opening temples, this type of frame fits most and they won't fall off your head.
Happy New Year everyone!

12/03/2020

🤷🏼‍♀️

12/02/2020

80’s metal almond cat eye frames by
Giorgio of Beverly Hills.
59-15-140
New old stock.
Brilliant gold tone frame.
Style G 815 BC1
Mostly rimless with a decorative brow.
Light champaign pearlized frame front and temples with pale wisps of mint and violet brush strokes.

12/01/2020

Style 5366 col 91
Carrera 80’s unworn stock.
54-17-140
1 pair available.
Black rims frame the front only, rest of the frame is brilliant gold tone.
Black temple covers.
Use the ‘Shop Now’ button to see more photos and measurements🤓

11/30/2020

🤓

11/29/2020

80's Giorgio Armani 112 715.
Made in Italy.
Satin finished gold tone metal frames with acetate rims in deep warm honey amber tortoise.
49-22-145
A very beautiful pair of unisex eyeglasses.
Use 'Shop Now' button to see more photos and detailed measurements.
My site is mobile friendly now!

11/20/2020

And then there’s these🖤
1950’s winged scalloped cat eye sunglasses. Having riveted barrel hinges and non RX plastic lenses (recent addition).
Banana yellow sandwiched between black.
Truly one of a kind.
Doubt these will grace your sight again.
46-21-140

11/19/2020

From their 2004 Punk Her 2 line.
Face A Face.
Spiked temple ends, an angular pointy beveled cat eye frame hand made in France.
54-16-143
Layered black acetate w red/clear tortoise inside the frame front and nose pads.
Pre-owned in excellent condition.