Tips and Tricks in buying 'Vintage' items

Have you always been wanting to sport those beautiful vintage dresses from the 70s but never find the courage or have the 'know how' to go about buying vintage?  Well, if that's your case, let me share some tips and tricks that I gathered from past experiences (trust me, they are not pretty) and what I learnt from some vintage shop owners.

First of all if you find the idea of wearing something that has been dug out of someone's safe storage unappealing, than vintage items are NOT for you.  But if the idea of owning something with history, quality or if you marvel at the time lapse that particular piece has gone through before ending up in your hands or that you are a fan of any particular era, then continue reading!

The term vintage actually are being use quite loosely even here in this post of mine.  By right the term vintage should be used only for items that came from the 60s and before.  Anything after the 60s is more appropriate to be categorized under 'retro'.  But nowadays most sellers even categorized anything that is 20 years or older as vintage.  Well, lets just say that this post is for 20 years or older 'vintage', shall we?

Buying vintage can be fun and fullfilling if/when you know how.  I learned the hard way and over the years I made some friends in vintage shopping scene that share with me some tips and tricks that come in useful when buying these treasures from the past. Here are some areas to consider when buying vintage items:

For vintage clothing :

Size : Vintage sizes are normally smaller than the current sizes.  In other words, if you are a size S, chances are a vintage size S dresses would be small for you.  Always size up. Better still get it measured or invest in a bit of time to try it on.  At the end of the day, it is better for the dress to be on the bigger side than smaller. There's always alteration option.

A dress from the 70s.  I swear my mother had a maxi in the same material when I was small!

Pay attention to details - see if all the buttons are intact and if some are not see if they can be replaced.  Check all zippers, see if they glide smoothly. Pay extra attention to stains, rips and holes.  It can still be a good piece if it can be fixed or washed. Read the washing guide label.  Beware of thinning in materials especially in chiffon or crepe. Check material quality by pulling on the stitches looking for cracking signs. We don't want to buy a dress that rips at first wear, do we?

Even if the items are labeled vintage, it does not mean they actually are.  Do some research, ask questions.  Look at the material used and the year the items supposedly were from.  For an example if a dress comes with Velcro it could not be from the 40s as Velcro was only used starting from the late 50s.  Lycra came into scene in the early 60s, Nylon in the 70s and Polyesters started making appearance in early 50s!  Research is key.

For  vintage handbag

Shop wisely and choose good reputable sellers.  If you are new to the seller, get the bag authenticated by Purse Forum or Lady Bag International.  They have experts that can tell you about the bag and some are at no extra costs!

Again, pay attention to detail.  Vintage bags usually come with quality, so look for sturdy stitching, solid hardware and good quality leather.  Most vintage bags come with leather lining so if you came across for an example a Chanel bag from the 80s with synthetic lining, be cautious and get it authenticated.

Chanel bag from early 1991

Also check all four corners of the bags.  Look for as clean as possible corners with less wear signs. Make sure that the wear sign at the corners are not being masked with using shoe polish.  Yes, it happened in some cases, I learned.

Ask about the bag, some history behind it - how many owners before you, where was it purchased.  This would come in handy if one day you decided to let the bag go to another buyer.  Single owner bags are usually in better condition but there are some that are with multiple owners yet still in fabulous shape!

Check for stains.  Some stains like dirt smudge or color transfer on untreated leather can be removed with proper product but beware of color transfer, discoloration and yellow stains on patent leather.  Unfortunately they are permanent.

Furla clutch from the 90s

So, there you go, some tips and tricks on vintage buying for you to get started.  Along the way with time you will learn more and will have better eyes in spotting good vintage!  

If you have been buying vintage for a while, do share your tips and tricks here for all of us to learn!

Linking up with :
Allison on Get Your Pretty On
Bre on Peacoats and Plaid