TVD: Not Quite Vintage, But Working On It

I realise the title of this post is unnecessarily obscure, but here cometh the explanation: today it hit me that this quaint little bloglet has turned one.  In fact, I kind of missed her birthday…how embarassment (PS does Acropolis Now count as vintage yet? Lord, how i long to blog about Effie).

Effie aside, this post marks a solid year of semi-consistent, semi-coherent ramblings about my love of All Things Olde (and nerdish factoids). There will be cake (not in the weird Daniel Day Lewis milkshake way). Or, as my all time favourite birthday card once said, Carpe Cakem (seize the cake). 

Other than cake, what better way to mark the occasion than to share my semi vintage-related new year’s resolutions? I’m not a virgo, but i do love a list, so here goes nuffink:

1. Buy less stuff I say this every year. And not just at the beginning of the year, but pretty much every day of my life. Not only are my teetering stacks of novelty vintage junk a fire hazard (every time my mum sets foot in my house she nervously asks when we last checked that the smoke detector still works…) but it’s making me feel like Miss Havisham Jnr. Time for a cleanout. I’m planning on booking a stall at Camberwell Market (or possibly Laverton market…) to get rid of stuff, or maybe just taking it down to my local Vinnies and giving them a red letter day. Will keep you posted.

2. Don’t buy anything with any damage As time goes on, I am becoming more and more fussy about damage. I swooped upon a crown-shaped 50s brooch at Salamanca Market in Hobart, flipped it over, realised it was a really old Coro, got excited – then saw that the coloured stones had grown cloudy and one or two of the plain rhinestones were missing. So I let it go. This was a real Wonder Years moment for me. I used to be charmed by a bit of wear and tear, but a) wear and damage are different kettles of fish and b) damaged goods are easy to find – it’s those that are well preserved which are rare, mostly, so there’s that extra thrill of the chase. I don’t know how I’ll go keeping this reso, but I’m rapidly learning that when it comes to antiques, Condition is Everything…so I’ll do my best.

3. Give up Savers I hate everything that Savers stands for, but I’m sadly addicted to its Megaplex proportions. It is my aim to change this.

4. Get to places earlier I know very well that the best things go early in the world of vintage. Does this knowledge make me drag my sorry patootie out of bed at a sensible hour? Not on your nelly. I am the absolute worst at getting to markets, garage sales etc etc early. This year I hope to rise with the wacky dealers who ransack markets before we Mere Plebians arrive. 

5. Learn more The more I find out about antiques/vintage etc, the more I realise how little I know. And if I one day intend to be a Sage Grandmother admonishing the young about their foolish purchases/inability to distinguish quality/valorisation of high-1990s garb (and I do), then I had better get started.

Righto, then. It’ll be another 29 years or so before this blog is considered vintage, but I’m working on it. In the meantime, 2009 promises to be a fine year of (undamaged, not from Savers) vintagey goodness.

How about you? Any opping/vintage/antiques-related resolutions? If not, feel free to invent some…