Why buy antique or vintage...an (irreverent) mini-guide

Talk to some antique dealers these days (especially the ones who are practically antiques themselves) and some of them will bemoan the state of the market before waxing lyrical about the days when a Georgian Tea Caddy made £200-£300 rather than the £30-£40 that you can sometimes pick them up for.

But whilst it’s pretty clear that prices for ‘traditional’ antiques have tumbled in recent years there are signs that younger generations are rejecting the world of buy today fall to pieces tomorrow flat pack MDF and discovering the joys of owning something that’s already been around for a couple of hundred years and will probably still be here in another couple of hundred. Hmmm, wonder if Brexit will be sorted by then?

 

So why buy an antique or vintage piece? Good question. Here’s our top 7 (we couldn’t think of 10 but you’re welcome to make some suggestions of your own) reasons:

 

(1)  Value for money – There’s simply never been a better time to buy genuine antiques. Ask a furniture maker to knock up a lovely mahogany table for you and you’ll probably (and quite rightly) get a bill for several thousand pounds. Buy a Victorian or Georgian example and you might even get change from a hundred quid.

(2)  Patina – Or dirt as some people might call it, but there’s something beautiful about the colour a piece of wood takes on after it’s been used and polished hundreds and hundreds of times over the years. Yes...really.

(3)  Investment – You can buy a lovely pair of solid brass Victorian candlesticks for £3 these days. We know you can because we’ve done it. And how much should be worth? £20...£30...£40? Stick a pair of brass candlesticks on your dining table, bung some candles in, dim the lights and boom...you’ll feel like royalty...or at the very least someone from Love Island. Even if you are eating a Fray Bentos pie and chips.

 

(4)  Quality – Things don’t last 100 years+ if they’re poorly made. Back in the dim and distant past people took a real pride in what they did whereas now it’s often about cutting costs and corners. It used to take years to learn certain crafts and sadly some of the skills that our great great grandparents had have simply died with them. 

 

(5)  Uniqueness – Ever been into someone’s house and recognised half the items in it from your place? Or been to a party and bumped into at least three people with the same dress on? I have. And I’m a chap. Buy an antique or vintage piece and you’ll stand out from the crowd.

(6)  FUN! – Okay, so we know it’s easier to sit at home in your pants and order something from...we can’t bring ourselves to type the word...you know...one of those big blue shed places that sell cardboard chairs called Schmicklesnackelschmergan or some such nonsense...but getting out and about and visiting antique fairs (hint hint), centres, shops or auction houses and hunting something special down is far more fun.

 

 

(7)  Save the planet – Making pretty much anything damages the environment in some way so by buying an antique or vintage item you...yes you...will be saving the world. Hurrah! And you don’t even need to wear your pants outside your trousers.   

 

So next time you need/want to buy something or have a few quid burning a hole in your pocket think antique or vintage and we pretty much guarantee you’ll be at least 52% happier with life.