Tuesday Top 10 . . . Tips for Vintage Shopping

From Spendtimeinlondon.com, Portobello Market, London.

Antique stores and thrift shops have their own culture and social norms, and shopping in those places isn't the same as shopping at the Mall of America. Here are 10 tips to ensure that you have a good experience.

1. Accept that you're going to have to dig a little. Things aren't going to be displayed in the same way as they are at Pottery Barn. The very thing that makes shopping vintage inherently cool (that one of a kind find) also makes them inherently more difficult to display. Like objects usually get displayed together at chain stores, which makes them stand out (which is also a neat trick for displaying your collections at home).

When there's only one of something, that visual Pop is impossible. Factor in space limitations and its understandable that the displays may not look quite as well organized as the ones at Restoration Hardware.

2. Build a relationship with the store owners. They love regulars and will watch for items on your wish list.

3. You can bargain, and it can be fun, but if they won't budge on the price, don't feel insulted. This is how they make their living and at the end of the day, this is a job for them - they know their margins and what they need to make to ensure their business is successful. And look at it this way, you're buying from (and helping) a real person instead of a corporation.



4. Having said that, most malls are authorized to take 10% off the price if you ask. So ask. If not, you're leaving money on the table.

5. Having said that, firm means firm. Allow me to translate; firm means don't ask. They're answering you in advance and annoying them is not advisable (or nice). So be nice.

6. Finally, stop expecting everything to be cheap. We've been trained to assign more value to new things than to vintage or second-hand items. That's not going to change anytime soon, but try to imagine what a similar, mass-produced item might cost, even somewhere as cheap (and low quality) as Ikea.



7. Go against your intuition. Don't look at things holistically. Try to imagine the object in a different color (you can paint it) or with a different fabric/shade/finishing touch. Focus on the lines.

8. As always, context is key. Look at objects by themselves, get them away from the clutter. The change in context will radically change your perception of the object.

9. Keep a layout of your home and measurements with you when shopping vintage. Unlike 99% of mass merchants, the object you love in an antique mall or thrift store may be gone tomorrow. If you love something, you'll be glad you don't have to hazard a guess as to whether or not it will fit in its new home.

10. Linger, don't rush. Walk through the aisles a few times - the longer you wander through a space, the more likely you'll begin to really see each object (and quite possibly, find the perfect piece for your home).

What did I miss?



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