A Decade-Old Guide to Vintage Collecting  

While doing a paper declutter recently, we came across this delightful magazine article from June 2015 and it felt too good to simply toss in the recycling bin – so, we are sharing it today with our readers. 

What struck us most was how timeless the advice remains, even though some of the digital landscape has shifted. While researching the article, we discovered that several of the businesses mentioned are still thriving today – the Rosebank Sunday Market and Amatuli Artefacts are going strong, and the beloved Milnerton Flea Market continues to operate as a firm favourite in Cape Town. However, as often happens with the internet, some of the original website links from 2015 are no longer active, reminding us how quickly our digital world changes while the joy of hunting for vintage treasures remains beautifully constant.  

VINTAGE FEVER Not only is vintage furniture and homeware highly sought after, it’s also a trendy way to fill your home with old-world charm.

by TUNET JORDAAN and TERENA LE ROUX styling DALA WATTS photos ED O’RILEY

MIX AND MATCH

There’s something warmly familiar and inviting about objects of the past. Leo Swanepoel from Johannesburg shop Amatuli Artefacts (amatuli.co.za), a collector and trader with 25 years’ experience, says the appeal of vintage lies in the story behind the object. ‘Our shoppers look for something that has a history – an object, a handwoven piece of fabric, or a craftwork that wasn’t mass-produced in a factory.’

Some of us, if we’re lucky enough, inherit our treasures. However, for the rest of us, sometimes the best story about our furniture is the narrative that tells of our great find. But knowing what to look for is key.

SEMANTICS

There’s a big difference between antique, retro and vintage furniture or homeware, says Cape Town antiques dealer Sue Langerman, who specialises in homeware and small furniture pieces (facebook.com/pages/Sue-Langerman-Vintage-Collectables). ‘Antique items are over 100 years old, while vintage objects have to be more than 20 years old. The word ‘retro’ came into use around 1970, and if something is retro it is not necessarily old, but has some kind of nostalgic feel about it.’

‘Another thing that distinguishes antique, retro and vintage items from each other is price. Antiques are predominantly handmade from the finest materials with the price based on rarity and desirability.’

BUYER BEWARE

Before you buy your chosen piece, Leo and Sue warn that wooden furniture should be checked for woodworm. Small round holes can usually be seen in infested pieces and it should be treated to prevent further damage. Sue says the item should be structurally sound or it could become unsafe.

Leo says to look for brand stickers that indicate the maker of the piece as they could add to the item’s value.

LIKE NEW

Vintage pieces can be upcycled to give them a personal touch. Upcycler and founder of REcreate in Cape Town Katie Thompson (facebook.com/recreate.co.za.net), says that all upholstery and carpentry work should be done by a professional to ensure that the life of the vintage piece is prolonged further. And for a fresh new look Leo loves to add a lick of paint.

Johannesburg vintage lover and stylist blogger Angie Batis (anamniducky.co.za) sums up the appeal of buying vintage quite simply: ‘they are reminders of the past and how beautiful everyday items were then. We couldn’t agree more!’

DIGGING FOR TREASURE

Ardent collector Gary Watts from Bloubergrant, Cape Town tells how his friends used to collect football cards during his primary school days in England. He realised that the minute the package was opened, the cards lost all their value. So he went off to a jumble sale to find something that would not devalue. There, at the age of nine, he bought his first piece of fine English porcelain – to this day still his favourite thing to collect.

‘I don’t ever go online,’ he says. ‘The best way is getting to know the collectors and sellers one on one and building relationships. That way you end up not only finding your own treasures, but you also keep an eye out for other people’s specialities. If you are really keen to find good stuff, sleeping late on market days is not an option. When I go to the Milnerton Flea Market, I’ll be there by 6am, together with a lot of vintage shopkeepers coming to pick out the cream of the crop. But once you know the vendors well, they’ll keep you stuff.’

What ceramics does he look out for? ‘I love brands like Shelley for the designs and patterns, and Paragon as I grew up with it. My great-grandmothers had lovely pieces. But these days I’m more intrigued by the retro scene. It makes me feel old to think how we got rid of our old record players to buy CDs and now vinyl is so popular again. It’s a life pattern – what your grandparents threw away, you yearn for later.’ His most recent finds include a small black-and-white box TV set, a pink typewriter and 1950s knitting needles still in their original packaging. ‘Often it’s not the contents that count, but the packaging!’

Does a chip in a plate devalue it for you? ‘Not at all,’ Gary says. ‘It’s too well looked after, it almost spoils it. Fashion today permits a faded pattern and the odd chip. And the great thing is that people love a mix of plates and patterns so you don’t need to find a set – only one or two is also good. In fact I miss the old-fashioned church fêtes where one could find these things.’

For Gary it’s not only in the finding of little treasures that the fun lies. He loves all of research to see what things are worth and what their story is. ‘And even the books are fun. Sometimes you look at a 1980s book on collectables and know they were just so much more valuable then.’

And his favourite haunts? ‘Local markets are the best, wherever you can find one. And then there are charity shops. I was so intrigued by the Eric Miles Cheshire Home that I now volunteer there. But there are many others like the Salvation Army shops and the hospice shops and if you scratch long enough in any of them, you will find your treasure.’

SOME SHOPS & MARKETS TO VISIT

• Milnerton Flea Market, Cape Town, milnertonfleamarket.co.za
• Rosebank Sunday Market, Johannesburg, rosebanksundaymarket.co.za
• Bellbottoms, Pretoria, antiquepretoria.co.za/s. Bellbottoms.html
• The Irene Village Market, Pretoria, irenemarket.co.za
• HospiceWits Parkmore shop, Johannesburg, hospicewits.co.za
• Vamp Furniture, Cape Town, vampfurniture.co.za

June 2015 IDEAS 91-93