The Vintage Consumer: "Collector"

There is a recent term I coined this summer known as a “collector” which fascinated me. I learned this from my manager at a thrift store in Savannah, Georgia (The Clothing Warehouse), as she told me she actually was one. It came about when I noticed she was always bringing in the most random items into the store. Some were just her style, while others didn’t fit her and were nothing like her taste. I eventually asked why she had so much “stuff” as I (wrongly) defined it at first. She went on to explain that she was a “vintage collector” and therefore had an entire room dedicated to vintage items she found over time. This didn’t mean only fashion clothing, and accessories. This also meant furniture, utensils, glasses, letters, photography, you name it. A collector is someone who appreciates vintage SO MUCH that they enjoy collecting items, even if the item does not fit or pertain to their lifestyle. While these items are not needed in their lives, they do affect the collector’s life, as they gain a further appreciation on the past and the reasons why there was a need for certain things. Collectors obtain all sorts of items, and like my manager, can sometimes fill up an entire room over a lifestyle. This can be made into a useful task, as vintage is an ever-revolving culture. As a vintage collector collects new items, he or she can also sell their items to other vintage or thrift stores as well, sometimes making more money than spent.