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A fairly honest explanation would have to involve when and why I even had the slightest interest in vintage hosiery. When I was a young lad (I am 50 now), vintage stockings weren't vintage at all! They were readily available at any major department store or corner hosiery store. I never had to question whether there were enough available.  But why vintage stockings? Why not stamps, coins or other collectibles? I had actually collected stamps and coins but found the grading system almost meant I had to consult a professional to tell me the ‘grade’ before I could think of buying or selling an item. Then there were counterfeits which sometimes gave the industry a black eye. Growing up in my teen years meant that there were strong hormonal changes going on in my body. My mind started focusing on girls. But not “JUST” girls. For some strange reason (which I still don’t understand today), I was interested in their shapely nylon encased legs. Could it be... I was... a LEG MAN?? Call it what you may, I had the bug 'early.' As I started dating, I would only date girls who would wear garter belts and nylons. Yes, I was usually the one to buy them for her. And yes, on more than one occasion I would hear “do I REALLY have to wear them? (I HATED when they said that!). Fearing that she would toss them in the garbage, I had to insure a good supply in the event she said “Sorry Steve, I don’t have any more to wear!”. Yours truly could not let that happen. This meant that I would have to keep the extra stash handy and ‘ready for action’. As time went by, I had noticed a few stores I frequented had closed and reopened selling anything but nylons. As we progressed into the 1990’s, garter stockings were heavily discounted (that ‘clearance bin’ in the dept store was always my first visit). When pantyhose garnered more shelf space, I noticed the vintage nylons were usually pushed to the corner of the store or under the counter. But I never thought they would stop making them. None of my friends had the obsession like I did. I never thought the silky, sheer nylons we took for granted would be hard to find.  By the late 90’s, reality was setting in. Auction sites started commanding big bucks for vintage stockings. Instead of selling, I began buying. By now, I had my favorite brands I collected. The interesting feature about vintage nylons was the huge selection of colorful imprints on the welt and the designs on the original boxes. From birds to flowers, stripes and stars, crowns and fancy logos and wild colors, the artwork alone was reason to collect vintage hosiery. When it came time to have her wear a pair, it was amazing to feel the degrees of softness or silkiness between manufacturers! My search was on for the silkiest feeling nylon. As I would later find out, the nylon fiber used in the vintage nylons was unique and processed in such a way that today’s reproductions cannot fully duplicate that shine and ultra soft feel that I craved. Unless I could find and collect enough to last many years, I was faced with the fact I would never again be able to enjoy the excitement that ultrasheer vintage stockings had. And as I later discovered, I was not alone!  It wasn’t long before I nearly filled a room with the collection. I had finally decided to ‘cross over’ from it being a hobby to being a full fledged business. In July of 2001, I started Stocking Showcase Inc. I wanted as many people as possible to enjoy the excitement of vintage nylons. The inventory bulged to over 150,000 pairs. As we entered 2005, I had discovered most sources of vintage hosiery had been depleted. All of the mills that produced vintage stockings had closed. Real estate values forced small shop owners to close their doors. The speed at which vintage stockings were being dumped on auction sites was alarming. Instead of preservation, there was desecration. A taste of reality was setting in: in just a handful of years, vintage nylons will completely disappear from the face of the earth. The purpose of my company was clear: to insure the survival (availability) of the vintage stocking for years to come. My life will not be complete unless I can say... I sold the ...LAST vintage stocking!
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