Collecting Vintage – An Interview with LaurasLastDitch 8


We enjoying talking to people who collect vintage treasures. In this interview, we find out more about Laura, the owner of the vintage shop LaurasLastDitch on Etsy.

Why and when did you start collecting?

It started with a set of T-fal pans. My husband and I received them as a wedding gift 20 years ago, but by our paper anniversary, the Teflon had worn off. They ended up in a garage sale. My mom and grandma still used their wedding gifts decades later; I realized that, if I cared about durability, I had to find vintage things.

What is one of your favorite pieces and why?

I adore my Flint spatula. It feels good in the hand; the angle of the handle and flexibility of the blade make any other spatula a poor substitute.

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What tips can you give us about collecting?

I don’t collect in the usual sense (I don’t own a single knick knack, and – aside from wall hangings – every item in my home has a practical purpose for our family). Keep clutter to a minimum by using your collection. Functionality and dependability are a form of beauty.

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What would be your holy grail piece and why?

I’m afraid it doesn’t exist – but I’d snatch up a vintage gas stove without a pilot light (one I don’t need to light with a match). Environmental stewardship is another passion of mine, so that little pilot wasting gas would rankle. But new stoves just can’t equal the aesthetics of a vintage stove with chrome trim, tick-tock timer, lighted control panel, and integrated salt and pepper shakers, so I still might buy a vintage stove if the right one falls into my lap.

Where do you look for new items to add to your shop?

My parents are thrift store and estate sale junkies, so rather than succumbing to their hoarding tendencies, they find inventory for my shop. They keep me well-supplied, so I can hardly rationalize my own trips. But I was out foraging berries on my bike last week and came across Pyrex in a curbside purge (some might call it a trash pile), so I stopped and loaded up.

How has collecting changed or affected your life?

By using vintage items, I’ve grown to dislike poor quality new things. Whatever earns a place in my home is so pleasant to use that I no longer find myself drawn to shopping at traditional retail stores and only purchase used items. Our family has taken this ethic further, adopting a zero-waste lifestyle. After much practice, we produce only one bag of trash a year, but are working to reduce it further.

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Where can we find you?

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaurasLastDitch

Adventures in Thrift Land: adventuresinthriftland.blogspot.com/ (stories about my creatively frugal life)

YouTube: www.youtube.com/lauraslastditchvintagekitchenwares (demos of vintage kitchen items)


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