Conversations with the Inspiring Vicki Maunz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vicki Maunz.

Vicki, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Restless Bones began when I was working at a jewelry shop in town that also handled a lot of repairs. People would come in to get a new chain for their mom’s pendant she wore in college or to resize a ring that was inherited, etc. These pieces, while on trend and accessible when originally made, are harder to come by now. The majority of these pieces live in jewelry boxes, forgotten, or broken, or even sold for gold content and melted down. I saw cool funky rings, a solid gold unicorn pendant from the disco days, and a ton of single earrings that lost their pair years ago. I decided I wanted to “save” these pieces from gathering dust in a closet or from the ultimate doom- being melted down and gone forever. I began treasure hunting to build my inventory, found a lawyer off Google (s/o Matthew Gardner) to form an LLC, made a Restless Bones Instagram, spammed my family and friends asking them to follow along and share the account, and here we are! All of the jewelry I have collected is so inspiring because each piece has lived a whole life before it made it to me.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The most difficult part for me is time. This is my passion project and not what pays my bills. I love my day job- s/o Metalmark for the coolest jewelry store in town- but in order to grow a following on social media and in the community it takes a lot of attention and time. A goal of mine is to be apart of flea markets in town to get face time with customers, as I am normally just messaging back and forth on Instagram, and to build an e-commerce website to make the purchasing process easier for my customers. My advice would be to treat it like a job that does pay your bills; have time dedicated to your business and take that time seriously. Don’t blow it off just as soon as a better offer comes along!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Restless Bones story. Tell us more about the business.
After starting Restless Bones I’ve come to see myself as a treasure hunter. I’m always looking out for deals on unique jewelry pieces that have a little bit of funk to them. Selling vintage jewelry is not a new game, but if I can weed out the just plain old and find something really interesting and wearable then I’ve achieved my goal. The aspect of Restless Bones I’m most proud of is the fact that I’m giving these jewelry pieces new life and not contributing to producing more waste on our planet! All jewelry I sell is made of solid sustainable materials that can be repaired if need be, unlike fast fashion brands that contribute to the throw away culture.

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Personally, I’ve been extremely blessed to work in such a female dominated industry where collaboration and outright support for other female run businesses is something that seemingly comes as second nature. The women I’ve surrounded myself with aren’t just all passion or all business, they know how to do both, and that’s something that’s very inspiring to me. I can gab about all my new finds and spend the morning styling the pieces, but I also understand my margins and sustainable ways to scale my business.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @shoprestlessbones

Image Credit:
Lindsey Boluyt- personal photo

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