I’ve been toiling away at a hobby business that brings me great joy and sometimes unanticipated frustration. Vintage and antique resale is a booming business for several reasons. First, nostalgia sells. Many people either crave the simpler times in which they were raised or are fascinated by time periods outside of their own lifetimes.
Vintage and antique items provide a sense of connection to “better times,” memories, or people we have lost. Many of these precious artifacts are also art; the art of life. They depict a colorful reality of how things were and the way we once lived.
Interestingly, up-and-coming artists and creators are now recreating (vintage) art in new creations. T-shirts, mugs, furniture, business attire, and housewares are popping up with a vintage aesthetic. Why though?
There is a sentiment that today’s high volume manufactured goods are cheap, and for good reason. Mass produced items are often poorly made, with reduced life expectancy (anyone else on their third washer and dryer?) and frankly, are made to be replaced. As technological advancements roll out, so do the latest and greatest models of gadgets and automation controls. Along with them come the repairs, upgrades, firmware fixes, and associated downtime with waiting for the experts to troubleshoot and fix the issues.
Consumers are torn between wanting the latest and greatest and returning to a simpler, less automated time. Often, technological advancements can’t be avoided, nor should be; however, when there is an opportunity to blend the old with the new, the public is taking a hybrid approach to get the best of both worlds. Nobody wants to be oversaturated with technology morning, noon, and night.
Secondly, cost plays a role in this decision-making. As new models roll off the production line, so does the new, improved, most expensive purchase. Buying secondhand allows consumers to be more selective about where they invest their dollars. Often, vintage products such as furniture, home goods, and housewares are sturdier, well-crafted, and made of sustainable materials, qualities that consumers seek and desire.
Creative types are also taking what’s old and making it new again by giving it fresh life and applying an artistic twist. Traditionally wood-stained dressers are evolving into colorful artful canvases touting birds, bees, flowers, and tropical trees, transforming not only the vintage piece but also the room it adorns.
The outcome is nothing short of art becoming life. Artists and craftspeople are restoring things of beauty to their original glory while creating organizational storage, functional pieces, and living space enhancements. So, not only are they saving these lovely items from landfills and incinerators, but they are also creating new revenue streams, business opportunities, and side hustles that employ not only themselves (artistic entrepreneurs) but possibly many others as well!
If you’re looking for a technologically independent way to create artful, inspired products, consider taking a look back in time to give vintage an extended life in the future. How beautiful is that?
Coach M