Monday, April 11, 2011

Deluxe-a-Fied Part II

Okay, first off, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed getting comments from you all with your thoughts and feelings in regards to something we all have in common....vintage! A lot of your comments gave me a good giggle and one or two gave me a good eye roll! One of the best things about having technology is that it allows us to connect with other people in regards to things we have a passion for. I started this blog a few years back to do just that, share my passion for vintage crap with others who get it too. I also wanted a place to share with my family the love letters between Fran and George. I never expect anyone to agree 100% with what I say or do in my life. I really don't care what others might think about the dribble I scribble out here on my keyboard. I do this whole thing just to amuse myself and as it turns out, I guess, I amuse other people too. How cool is that!

download
See how dedicated I am to blogging....any spare moment I get...A sunny Saturday afternoon...blog, blog, blog!

Pricing:
Yup, as I stated before and have been reading elsewhere on other people's blogs, vintage has gone way up in price. And just because I can remember and reminisce about my good ole days of finding $5 vintage dresses in goodwill does not mean anything other then, I'm older than you and have been around much longer. How do I know vintage has gone way up in price in this day and age is simple....I have to pay more for it myself at auction. In the last 5 years auction prices have sky rocketed on anything considered mid-century modern. So, if it's costing the dealer more to buy it at auction, they are going to charge you more to buy it from them. Even though I'm paying more for vintage mid-century items now than I did three years ago, I am still getting it cheaper at an auction then from a dealer. Also about dealers, I have no problem with what they do for a living. There are some really good dealers out there that know a lot about what they sell and price accordingly. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of bad dealers who make the vintage market not such a good place. I am not pointing fingers at anyone here one way or another because to be honest with you, I don't buy online. I hate buying online. There's lots of reasons for this. One reason is that I just happen to love the hunt, finding it online is just to easy and takes away my thrill. Another reason is, I really prefer to try my vintage on and examine it before I buy it. I prefer to support my local vintage clothing dealers when I'm looking for vintage clothes and I enjoy finding my own mid-century crap at auctions, cutting out the middle man so to speak. I pay a lot less to buy locally then I do on the internet. I also know that I am lucky because I live in such a rich area of the country for mid-century crap. Some of you have no choice but to buy over the internet and pay for it if you really want it.

I personally think you can still find good deals on vintage items. The deals are out there, you just need to look for them and be patient. If you have to have a certain type of vintage dress or shirt in a certain time frame, well then, you're probably going to have to pay money for it. But if you're in no hurry and just enjoy collecting vintage, then you are probably going to do better at finding deals. After all, I've been collecting for years just by being patient and waiting till I found things in the price range I wanted to pay. Trust me, as you've seen, I can still find it out there and I don't pay out the ass for it either...I refuse to.

Scenes:
I also wanted to point out that my post was not meant to be directed at any one person I know in my real life or my online life. It has been an observation that I have made over the years about people I would see out and about. I don't consider myself as being in a scene. I personally don't like scenes and would never want to stereotype myself that way. I find that people are way to complex to be stereotyped in one particular way or another. I like what I like and do what I do because I want to. It's that simple to me. I have always lived my life for me and not for other people. Do I get stereotyped into a certain group by people because of the things I like or the way I look...yes. Does it bother me. I will say no for the most part, but every now and again it does. It depends on the situation. Lets face it, EVERYBODY passes judgment on other people. We do it all the time whether you want to admit it or not and it gets done to each of us every single day. It's up to you how you let that judgment affect you.

I tend to have always judged people based on their actions versus the simple image that they try to convey. I try very hard to never judge a book by it's cover and stick to the more important facts of what someone says, how they act, and the way they treat others. If I find that I'm not agreeing with how someone else is conducting themselves, I just stay away from them. No drama and no talking behind their backs for me, I prefer to just keep doing my thing the way I want to. I can't stand being around people who do that shit either. If they are going to sit around and talk crap about someone else and try to start drama, trust me, as soon as you leave the room, they'll be talking crap about you too. Those aren't friends. I prefer to be friendly to everyone, but only be friends with a few. I take this same approach with blogging, if I don't like what I read, no biggie, I move on. I don't feel the need to leave a negative comment or a positive comment. I have never seen the point in leaving a negative rant on someone elses's post. It does nothing but cause drama and in the grand scheme of things....something must be very wrong in your life to leave a negative comment on a person's blog who you don't know in real life. Really, if it bothers you that much what some random stranger writes on the internet....well then, the internet police should take away your internet privileges and force you to go get a real life! Blogging is just another form of entertainment and should never be taken to seriously. If you don't like it, move on....it's so easy, it's called that little arrow at the top of your screen. Remember, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

download
Here's what MaryDeluxe thinks about negative people....and Sgt taking her picture as she's blogging!


Why Vintage:
The real reason I got into vintage things so long ago is simply because I was poor. I had to furnish my apartment and myself but had little money to do so. As an artsy fartsy kid who loved to be different, vintage was just a natural fit. You could find it cheap at any Goodwill or Salvation Army. People thought I was weird and that fit in great with my artsy, rebel, little poor, punk ass self. I rocked my vintage dresses with my combat boots and converse all over the place! Like many of you out there did or some of you might still be doing! Go you!!! As I got older, I got less angry..hahaha..and more into just pure vintage. I hit up auctions and found things way cheap there too. Now, it's a different story of course. Yup, Madmen...I don't need to say anything about that do I. I've never watched Madmen. But anyway, I didn't start buying vintage things because I was trying to achieve some image for other people, I bought vintage because it was cheap and I liked it. I still do even though the prices have gone up. I love mid century vintage in particular....always have, always will!


12 comments:

  1. Excellent post Mary! I've missed reading your adventures. You were next on my list to catch up on.

    Hey, you like what you like, have good taste in my opinion, and don't try. You are also super cute :-) I think you're a good egg!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aww thanks Kim...

    It's all about live and let live in my book! Do what ya want to, live how ya want to, but don't hurt others in the process. I don't have much respect for anyone who gets their jollies by being ignorant to others.

    MaryD

    ps...glad to see you're back Kim. Keep on keeping on girlie!

    ReplyDelete
  3. "I rocked my vintage dresses with my combat boots and converse all over the place!"

    Hell yeah! I knew there was a reason I liked you ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm with you, I like what I like and someone doesn't like it they can go elsewhere!

    Well said hon!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bunting indeed!

    Glad to know I'm not alone on my lack of madmen knowledge.

    STM...live and let live.

    Remember, I like to push buttons!

    MaryD

    ReplyDelete
  6. here here!! it's nice to find another person who has a similar view on sniping other people and how it's easiest to avoid those types.

    btw, i must say i adore the new backyard, it looks so cosy and inviting! and i'm still rocking my vintage and cons or heels or flats :) my man definitely encourages the heels!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really loved hearing your second take on all those issues.
    I read this blog because it's great to hear your take on things, and you give me a good laugh in the process.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ha!!! I got "into" vintage junk because I was a poor theatre student in college. Luckily I did not have to buy too much of it because most are hand me downs for my Mawma, Nana, and Great Ma....then I found stuff that went with it while thrifting, antiquing, and flea marketing...or where ever I could find old stuff cheap. Back then did we really think "vintage" when we saw and bought this stuff? And alot of my things are not mid century...maybe EARLY mid century. My style is has been called "Grandma's Attic" not MCM.

    And clothing? Well...my granny arms and full figure curves (ok..FAT) prevent me from wearing too much that is authentic. I have some great pieces that I just can not toss away because I think SOMEDAY they might fit...but mostly I wear something INSPIRED by a certain time period. Good thing I learned to sew!

    Lifestyle? No "scene" for me. The lifestyle my hubbie and I lead is an old fashioned relationship / lifestyle...some consider it a 1950s relationship but I know people were more diverse in the way they lived than Father Know's Best shows... They way we live is he is the head of the house, breadwinner, and over all decision maker (because my track record is not so good without sound advice). I am an old fashioned apron (not always vintage) wearing housewife who defers to his decisions (but he listens to my opionions and thoughts and I get my way ALOT of times...if it is a good way to get).

    Sorry to ramble in your comments. I love what you have to say. There is no RIGHT way to live, just be YOU and have a BLAST!!!!

    Tiffany

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love this post!!!! First let me say i adore all your style! And next your confidence! YOu are one of my favorite kittens!!!!!! Envy Envy at your comfy backyard...i wanna blog like you!=0)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi, i love your blog. You write what i often think (sorry, my english is not very good, use it too little).

    Its the same in Germany and Swiss. Some people always look what your wear, no you ARE.

    I love my vintage thinks (clothes, furniure, car), but i love my friends because they are how they are, NOT because of their clothes!

    Many greetings from Bavaria, Miriam

    ReplyDelete