As autumn puts us in mind of school time and reading, vintage eyeglasses seem like a worthy collecting passion, with fashion satisfaction as well.

Russell Campbell, aka Rusty, owner of Old Focals Vintage Eyewear in Pasadena, California (45 W. Green Street, 626/793-7073) has been a dealer of vintage frames for 20 years, and says popular styles today include cat-eye shapes for women and Buddy Holly (oversized black) frames for men. “There’s always a sentimental connection. People say ‘Oh, my father wore glasses like that,’” says Campbell.

Many of the 1950s and 1960s frames are made of a plastic called zyl acetate, a material still used for frames today. Prices for vintage frames typically range from $60 to $100, says Campbell, who gives his customers suggestions for local opticians who are willing to work with vintage frames.

Campbell also has developed a clientele in the Hollywood world: He is often hired to supply vintage eyeglass frames for an entire cast, if a film is set in an earlier era. “I did 120 pairs of 1970s eyeglasses for the movie Frost-Nixon,” says Campbell, who also does personal eyeglasses for celebrities. For a movie’s cast, he supplies the vintage frames fitted with clear non-reflective glass (no corrective lens unless specified). “It’s fun to research the type of eyeglasses for a movie character,” says Campbell. “I look in old high school yearbooks and I use Google a lot to try and get a feel for what frames correspond to a certain type of person living in a particular era, at a certain job or income.”

Photo courtesy of Old Focals Vintage Eyewear, Pasadena, California