Why do we love buying vintage?

Why do we love buying vintage? Since last July, I have been interviewing fellow vintage-lovers about their favorite second hand score. There have been so many amazing responses - I have posted the most recent answers below, but you can see the entire Favorite Finds series here if you are new around Owl Really! Click the responder's name to visit their Favorite Finds post and learn more about them!

As always, if you'd like to contribute to Favorite Finds, please e-mail me!

Beth:

I love buying vintage/secondhand for various reasons. The first
reason is I love the thrill of the hunt! To find a vintage treasure
among 'junk' is such a thrill to me. The second reason is it's unique!
If your house is full of vintage or second hand items, there is always
a story attached to that item and most likely no one else will have
something like it. Lastly, it's affordable! I can go shopping much
more often if I purchase items at $5 rather than than $50 items.

Emily:

When it comes to decorating and design, I tend to lean towards a very
modern style. However, this style on its own can seem very cold and
uninviting (see: unhappyhipsters.com!).

Adding vintage pieces to a modern room adds warmth and interest, and
dispels the clinical feel that modern design can so easily slide into.
In addition, I think it is easier to establish your own unique
decorating sense by using vintage pieces, rather than having your style
dictated by the stores you shop in. And let's be honest... I love having
pieces in my home that are different from what everyone else has!

Emerald:

I love buying secondhand/vintage/thrifted clothing because it makes the
most sense. First of all, fashion is always recycled in some way, so
why spend ridiculous amounts of money. I like to buy what I want to
wear and not because a department store is telling me what to buy. You
also are way less likely to be seen wearing the exact same thing as
someone else!

Lindsay:

I love the idea that an item was previously loved. It has a story, it
has already lived another life before it even makes it to your home. I
prefer to be surrounded by things that have a history, there is a
certain romance to it.

Lisa:

Style, girl! It's all about the equal amounts swagger and elegance of
clothes from an earlier era. And quantity and quality over new-ness is
another interest. I could have one department store dress, that someone
else could well be wearing on the same night at the same event, for
$28, on sale, and it would be a "deal". Four sixties' dresses,
hand-hunted from the wilds of Goodwill, practically if not actually
one-of-a-kind, for the same amount, makes them a "steal". We love
steals! And it's not that I don't ever buy new, but the thrill of not
knowing what you're going to find at the thrift store or the flea
market has just about ruined me on actual retail stores. I can express
my taste and aesthetic without breaking my budget.

Lori:

I love the idea that the item has history and a story. I also feel like
most secondhand items are higher quality than modern day items - I love
solid wood furniture and that is hard to find at affordable prices if it
is new. Also I'm so lucky because my husband loves to restore
secondhand items so I have that luxury to get to buy things and he'll
make them new for us.

Kirsty:

I love buying vintage and secondhand (and also handmade) because it all
has a story, it's well built and you are helping the environment too.

Danavee:

I think it runs in my blood. I must have inherited that gene, as my
grandparents dealt in antiques when I was young. My parents decorated
with vintage and antique everything. I would go to my grandpa's shop or
basement and nose around in all his old stuff, and I caught the bug! I
was purchasing vintage lamps and trunks before I even moved out of my
parent's house! There's something about having a piece that no one
else has. The curiosity about where it came from. The history that
comes with it. And then there's the thrill of the hunt. I'll never
get tired of hunting for treasures!

So, what do you say? Why do YOU love buying vintage? Let us know in the comments!


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