To find out more about the wonderful world of vintage items, we reached out to Karen Bil Ratzlaff, creator of Hunting for Vintage. Karen was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and explain how she first became interested in objects from the past.

“Born into a lower middle class family, almost everything in our house was utilitarian and pedestrian. When I hit my teen years, I found myself drawn to older things because they seemed so exotic and intriguing,” she shared. “I managed to snaffle what I thought were the best pieces in our house to decorate my bedroom—a vintage tiger painting from Japan and a tapestry from India. From that point on, vintage and antique things held more appeal than newer things.”

“When I finally had disposable income, I indulged a secret passion and started collecting vintage sterling silver charm bracelets,” Karen says. “They had gone out of fashion by then, but I adored them.”

“My first purchase at an antique store (pre-eBay days) was both exciting and heartbreaking. Even with a 20% discount, I found out later I had paid way too much. I didn’t make that mistake again,” she noted.

“Still, whether I’m hunting online or in person, it’s an adrenaline rush when I find that next piece for a collection. (I’ve been known to do a happy dance),” the vintage lover shared. “And some things I buy with ‘rescue' in mind, like an old, worn silver-plate with great details but likely destined for a landfill.”

And if you’re not sure what to collect, Karen recommends wandering around an antique mall or a flea market. “What’s catching your eye and making your heart skip a beat?”

Karen also shared some tips for anyone who wants to start their own collection of vintage items. “Do your research. Learn about it before you spend any of your hard-earned shekels,” she told Bored Panda.

“Know that prices can vary widely between online sellers, antique stores, flea markets, thrift stores, and estate sales, and that vintage things go in and out of fashion. One minute something is hot, hot, hot and then it’s not, not, not,” the expert continued. “Learn how condition affects the value. A missing dust jacket, a hairline crack or a hole makes a difference in the price.”

“Be wary if a seller labels something as ‘rare’ (often it isn’t), and take it with a grain of salt if a seller says, ‘It’s worth a lot more,’” Karen warns. “Buy the best pieces you can afford. (Better to have a couple of fabulous pieces than a dozen mediocre ones.) Don’t collect something with financial gain in mind. (Think Beanie Baby debacle.)”

We were also lucky enough to get in touch with Kara Lines, publisher of The Collector's Companion magazine, to hear her thoughts on this topic. 

“Shopping for vintage is a bit like gambling, often returning home empty handed,” Kara says. “But when it pays off? Pure joy. It's a game of luck. It's a great feeling to be scanning the shelves and spot something you simply must have, knowing that there's only one, and you're the lucky person who happened to get it.”

Kara pointed out that another great thing about buying vintage is resell value. “There's no reason to feel buyer's remorse. These things have already existed for decades, so the chances are, when you don't want it anymore, there will be someone else who does,” she explained. “You often hear the phrase, 'they don't make things like they used to’, and it is so true. I've got clothes from Primark that have fallen apart in a matter of months, but dresses from the 1940s that are as good as new.”

If you’re interested in starting your own vintage collection, Kara says to let it happen organically. “If you're consciously setting out to start collecting something, then you're probably doing it for the wrong reasons,” she noted. “Some people are driven by the urge to complete a set, but that's not for everyone. You don't have to approach it with a ‘gotta catch em' all’ mentality. Buy things you like, buy things that interest you, buy things that make you smile.”

And if you’re looking for objects online, Kara warns readers to be careful which sources you trust. “One eBay seller can incorrectly label an item, and a dozen well-meaning bloggers will take it as gospel. The internet will always be a minefield of misinformation.”

We hope you’re enjoying scrolling through these fascinating objects from the past, pandas. Keep upvoting all of your favorites, and then let us know in the comments below what the best vintage item you own is. Then, if you’re looking for another similar list that will give you a blast from the past, we recommend checking out this Bored Panda article!