In the United Kingdom, vintage sales are a huge thing. Whether it is new vintage or thrift markets, the weekend and especially before the festive season, they are in demand. One never knows the kind of treasure they might find in such places. If you are visiting the United Kingdom, or a local living in the city or around, here’s a complete checklist for you to make the most of the situation, if you want to experience vintage shopping.
If this is your first vintage shopping experience, then keep this guide handy.
Define vintage: Vintage sale is a very all consuming term. Before visiting the sale, be careful to check on what is actually put up for sale. Is it vintage clothes, antique fairs, jewellery, home décor items, music instruments and records, books etc. Even in vintage fairs, kilo sales are great of you wanted to make bulk purchase and flea markets are ideal if you are looking for statement pieces.
Check the event details: Make a note of the place, time, entry fee, payment methods and how to reach the venue before you actually go. While it may seem that the items can be purchased at fair price, one often tends to ignore the added travel cost which may significantly increase the total cost of the experience.
Locate the sellers: Try to find out more information about the sellers. See if they are genuine; have any social media presence etc. While it may not be practical to get information about every seller but even a few help you to make the decision.
Create a budget: Just because it’s a vintage fair that doesn’t mean that you can enter with endless budget. Allocate funds for different items and use them as is required. Designer items and statement pieces will be the costliest followed by thrift clothes and then small jewellery or home décor items.
Differentiate between ‘old looking’ and vintage: While vintage is a term synonymously used to denote old things, it is actually not so. One can easily take a look at the kind of buttons, fabric, stitches, labels, country and dates of manufacture and identify if the item is simply old or genuinely vintage.
Know your size: This is particularly applicable if you are going for a thrift sale or a clothes sale. Garment size is not uniform all over. Thus, measure yourself well so that you know what size is appropriate when you are purchasing a garment. Alternatively, you may also do a trial. But it is recommended that you give it a good wash before actually wearing it, if you do make the purchase.
Go early to spot the best: Reach the venue within the first 2 hours of its opening so that you can spot the best items on display. However, do not start picking up things the moment you see them. Always take a full round of the stalls and have an idea of what’s available. You can always come back to any item that caught your eyes later.
Inspect what you want to buy: Remember this is a vintage sale with no option of return or exchange. That is why the onus of inspecting every item before making the actual purchase is on you. For clothes check for stains, open stitches, discolouration, missing buttons, broken zips and more. For bags check the stitching, lining, handles, fabric, for home décor items check for chips and cracks. When in doubt feel free to ask the seller questions about the items or its history.
Politely bargain: Even though bargaining is usually discouraged because of the nominal rates, you can still try your luck if you spot damages in an item or are buying several items from the same seller.
Think about weight and space: If you are a traveller keep your suitcase in mind before making the purchase. Always ask if you have room enough to squeeze it. While purchasing garments, check its weight.
Keep receipts: If there are items like handbags and clothes which can be sold subsequently in secondary markets, keep proof of purchase and authentication certificate.
Unexpected Items: Once you are done with your primary shopping, take another round before bidding the place goodbye. You never know if you spot another masterpiece which was hiding from sight so far.
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