10 Reasons to Purchase Vintage in 2024
The Business Professor part of me always feels bad when businesses close, even chain businesses. Employees lose jobs, landlords lose rent, and customers no longer have the choice to shop there.
The vintage dealer inside of me, however, is not sad about Pier 1 closing nearly one half of its stores. YOU can do a lot better than what you find at Pier 1. Realistically, Pier 1’s products are mostly cheap, Chinese versions of décor that you can purchase at your local antique cooperative or find at online vintage shops.
I’m not going to fault Pier 1 for a business model built on cheaply made décor from China. One of the primary problems for Pier 1 is people now purchase this cheaply made stuff online from Wayfair, Amazon, or other vendors.
From 2020 to 2022, you probably spent a lot of time in your home. You might have seen how statement pieces and interesting pieces, both large and small, helped you or your friends turn a house or apartment into a home and an office. This year, please resolve to purchase vintage for your décor. It will make a difference for you, your décor, and even the planet. Here’s a 2024 Top Ten list for why you should by vintage this year:
- It’s Sustainable. Purchasing vintage is a form of recycling and reduces what makes its way to the landfills.
- Finding is Fun. It’s fun to find the item that works for your mantle, room, wall (or body!). The satisfaction you get is an emotion you never feel when purchasing something new.
- Instant Uniqueness. Have you ever walked into someone’s home and saw the same décor item your purchased from a chain store? Sure, because they sell to thousands of people. That doesn’t happen with vintage. When it does happen, you immediately have a conversation starter, not an embarrassed feeling!
- It’s Historical. It’s neat to explain to your child that the wooden box you use to store his Legos is older than grandpa and was used to ship dynamite to blow up rock mountains to create railroads. You can’t do that with the plastic storage container you bought of BigBox Mart, can you?
- Cuts Clutter. Seriously, new stuff just screams, “buy a bunch of me because I’m cheap.” Vintage stuff screams, “…buy me for quality, not quantity. Then keep sh*t away from me so I can shine…
- Support Small Business. Your purchase from a Co-op, Etsy, or Antique stores, or small online shops helps to support small, local businesses.
- They Become Heirlooms. Close your eyes. Can you imagine passing down your Teflon, plastic-handled, Chinese-made frying pan to your not-yet-chosen daughter-in-law of your currently 12 year-old son? That frying pan won’t even last until he gets to high school, much less married. But If you had a Griswold, you could picture this…
- High Quality. Most vintage items were made better because they were made to last. Which is why you can now buy them as vintage. See how that works?
- You’re Sad When it Breaks. What’s the first thought you have when Chinese junk breaks? “Oh no, I gotta buy a new one…” You’re actually sad when vintage stuff breaks. Because it brought you joy. Now go to the Co-op and replace it (and the joy!).
- It Has a Story. There’s a story behind every item. You might not know it, but you can imagine it. Your usage of the item adds to that story. So much better of a story than “I was born six months ago in a factory in Shanghai, China and I will break and die in 9 months…”
Although I feel sad for the employees and landlords of retailer Pier 1, I don’t feel bad for the customers. It’s a great opportunity for them to purchase vintage. This year, resolve to add some genuine vintage items to your home, apartment, or yurt. The satisfaction you’ll get from your “stuff” will help you feel better about both people and things. And we all need that in 2024.
Dr. Joel Kline is a professor at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania (US). He and his wife Laura operate The Vintastic Company, a vintage shop with products available at several cooperative antique stands, a Shopify store, and on Etsy. Visit their store at vintasticcompany.com.