#1 I Just Spent Christmas With My 89 Year-Old Grandmother. While I Was There, I Found This Picture My Grandfather Painted Of Her In 1949
#2 1935 Wedgewood With Everything Included
To find out more about the wonderful world of vintage items, we reached out to Karen Bil Ratzlaff, creator of Hunting for Vintage. Karen was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and explain how she first became interested in objects from the past.
“Born into a lower middle class family, almost everything in our house was utilitarian and pedestrian. When I hit my teen years, I found myself drawn to older things because they seemed so exotic and intriguing,” she shared. “I managed to snaffle what I thought were the best pieces in our house to decorate my bedroom—a vintage tiger painting from Japan and a tapestry from India. From that point on, vintage and antique things held more appeal than newer things.”
#4 My 1959 Frigidaire Custom Imperial
#5 Antique Westinghouse Oscillating Fan
“When I finally had disposable income, I indulged a secret passion and started collecting vintage sterling silver charm bracelets,” Karen says. “They had gone out of fashion by then, but I adored them.”
“My first purchase at an antique store (pre-eBay days) was both exciting and heartbreaking. Even with a 20% discount, I found out later I had paid way too much. I didn’t make that mistake again,” she noted.
“Still, whether I’m hunting online or in person, it’s an adrenaline rush when I find that next piece for a collection. (I’ve been known to do a happy dance),” the vintage lover shared. “And some things I buy with ‘rescue' in mind, like an old, worn silver-plate with great details but likely destined for a landfill.”
And if you’re not sure what to collect, Karen recommends wandering around an antique mall or a flea market. “What’s catching your eye and making your heart skip a beat?”
#12 Grandpa Still Uses A Decades Old Computer That Still Runs Dos, Typing And Printing And Storing Things On Floppies
Karen also shared some tips for anyone who wants to start their own collection of vintage items. “Do your research. Learn about it before you spend any of your hard-earned shekels,” she told Bored Panda.
“Know that prices can vary widely between online sellers, antique stores, flea markets, thrift stores, and estate sales, and that vintage things go in and out of fashion. One minute something is hot, hot, hot and then it’s not, not, not,” the expert continued. “Learn how condition affects the value. A missing dust jacket, a hairline crack or a hole makes a difference in the price.”
#15 This Desk Lamp (Emeralite Banker’s Lamp) Is 100+ Years Old, And Is Solid As A Rock. So Cool Looking
“Be wary if a seller labels something as ‘rare’ (often it isn’t), and take it with a grain of salt if a seller says, ‘It’s worth a lot more,’” Karen warns. “Buy the best pieces you can afford. (Better to have a couple of fabulous pieces than a dozen mediocre ones.) Don’t collect something with financial gain in mind. (Think Beanie Baby debacle.)”
#16 Bought A Dresser Off Marketplace And Found Some Vintage Goodies & “The Gloves I Wore To My Wedding 7-22-1949”
We were also lucky enough to get in touch with Kara Lines, publisher of The Collector's Companion magazine, to hear her thoughts on this topic.
“Shopping for vintage is a bit like gambling, often returning home empty handed,” Kara says. “But when it pays off? Pure joy. It's a game of luck. It's a great feeling to be scanning the shelves and spot something you simply must have, knowing that there's only one, and you're the lucky person who happened to get it.”
