Buying vintage and second-hand goods has never been so important as it is right now. I mean why do we buy anything? Huge companies and corporations spend millions of pounds trying to convince you to buy the brand new latest products. Why do they spend so much time and effort in doing such things? Answer… You probably do not really need them… they are trying to convince you that you do to part with your hard-earned or in some cases not so hard-earned cash to buy something you will throw away.

The materials which have been extracted from the earth, the journey to the factory the processing and packaging. Transportation to the retailer, the usage of the item and its final destination if not recycled is landfill. Economical this system has worked to a degree for years but it has no longevity. If you care about the planet this economic model has no future It serves only greed. The future must be a solution between lessons from the past and what could be possible.

While the latest smartphone won’t be available in your nearest antique shop. You won’t be buying vintage electric cars anytime soon. Wind turbines and solar panels have not been rolled out anywhere near the potential they one day could be. If we are serious about saving the human race then one thing we have to let go of is our love for outdated technology which the only purpose at the time being is to create profit. With investment and imagination, the new technology being created has the ability to conquer modern problems and pressures while maintaining the standard of living we have come a custom to.

So Why Buy Second Hand Items?

You are buying products which have already been made. The resources needed to construct such items have been consumed. It is the ultimate recycling! I understand that this is not possible for everything You wouldn’t want to use a second-hand toothbrush for example. But cups saucers, furniture, bowls vases, clothes, tools, compasses, knives you get the idea the list is endless. Also, most items made prior to the 1980s were constructed and in my opinion designed to a higher standard than the same product being produced today. Just ask people who remember and most will tell you “things were made to last.” Well made quality items that were not designed to be thrown away after a couple of uses just so you go out and buy more.

Planned obsolescence (also called built-in obsolescence or premature obsolescence) in industrial design and economics is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life so that it becomes obsolete (i.e., unfashionable, or no longer functional) after a certain period of time. The rationale behind this strategy is to generate long-term sales volume by reducing the time between repeat purchases (referred to as “shortening the replacement cycle”). It is the deliberate shortening of a lifespan of a product to force consumers to purchase replacement

In my experience quality of workmanship was paramount in vintage and antique products. A consumer in the past bought once and bought it right. They were made by qualified craftsmen locally or at least in the country which the consumer lived. Sometimes serving apprenticeships for many years to gain the skills to construct such items. Made with the best materials. When buying such items you are buying quality well-made products which in my opinion, surpass the modern equivalent. Trends come and go but most have been before in one guise or another. Why not buy the original? Designs are classic its educational, and what was thought beautiful 60 years ago still has that appeal in modern times, mostly it has only been replicated I can look at a West German Vase and appreciate its beauty, a spitfire still has stunning engineering and a majestic look. The quality of stitching on a leather handbag from the 1950s is top-notch. It has lasted years already and if looked after correctly will last for many years to come.

Other Reasons To Buy Vintage

You are supporting local businesses. Most vintage and antique sellers buy their items from local people this helps keep the money local. They buy and sell locally the money which is produced stays within the local economy. If you are buying modern items from large corporations, in general, they do not. The profits go to shareholders and factory owners on the other side of the world. If these beautiful items are not reused they end up in landfills along with the cheap plastic equivalents. You can buy cheaper and more ethical if you shop used items. You may be surprised at what prices you can pay for superior quality. The stigma in not buying new lingers on and there still resonates a consciousness that only those who cannot afford brand new buys second hand. This must be eradicated if we are to move forward. Why would you want a modern pressing of a Beatles album when you could buy an original. There is nowhere near the history or feeling of owning the original. An atlas dinky does not replace an original no matter how well the cast is made.

It can also be a worthwhile investment. When you walk out of a modern store with a piece of mass-produced goods they are effectively worthless. In most cases and would be very hard to resell. When buying antiques or vintage you buy something which has held is value for years and will continue to do so for many years to come. You actually might be making money in the process if the investment goes up in value. Why do you think billionaires buy top-end antiques and art. Thye may not even want them but the value increases over time. They are just investing money in a lot of cases and you can to in a small way. You would not just be investing in a product you could be investing in the future of the planet, in something which allows you to express yourself and give you pleasure at the same time.