Earth Day is coming up next Saturday. It’s one of the good days to celebrate, not with gifts and overeating, but with a day of taking action. Clearing trails, picking up trash, planting gardens, helping those who need help cleaning up and buying vintage are all good ways to show Earth Day spirit. We’re in the mood to celebrate all year long, as evidenced by our fresh to market vintage picks.
But seriously, buying vintage or non-vintage secondhand is a good way to care for the planet through conscious consumerism. How does that work?
- Buying vintage often means buying better quality that will last longer
- Supporting a circular economy helps keep things out of the landfill.
- Buying vintage saves energy. When demand is lessened for new products, fewer raw materials, less manufacturing and less transportation are used.
- The carbon footprint of goods is reduced when you buy vintage. Factory production and transportation of new goods both contribute to greenhouse gas production.
So whether the reason you buy vintage is because you like the style or because you like to do positive things for the environment, you are making a conscious choice and that has a very good bottom line for the planet.
Now that we’ve made you feel good about shopping vintage, here’s this week’s fresh to market vintage to tempt you…
Neon Flower Power Enamel Pin
We’re finally well into spring, and the bright colors of blooming flowers are everywhere. The sun is out and it hasn’t yet gotten too hot. Spring is my favorite time of year. I love the pops of color everywhere and the balmy weather. This bright neon-colored flower embodies all that I love about spring. These enamel pins were everywhere when I was younger and I always picked them up and wore them as a young teen. The reminder from those “flower power” years in the spring of my lifetime and this time of year always bring a smile to my face. I hope it does for you too.
Neon Flower Power Pin, $24.95
-Pam, Vintage Renude
NAACP Pin 1947
I like to have political buttons in my shop available for collectors. They literally are wearable signs of the times. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in 1909 as an interracial group to oppose racial inequality and continues its work into the 21st century.
NAACP Pin, $39.99
-Mary Ellen, AuntHattiesAttic
Splint Burlington “Hawkeye” Picnic Basket
Warm weather means thoughts of picnicking are in the air. Marketed by the Burlington Basket Company as the “hawkeye” because of the company’s Iowa roots, this style of basket was originally lined with tin and asbestos to serve as a portable refrigerator. This is a later, lighter-weight (asbestos-free) version of the Hawkeye which is big enough for a picnic lunch for four. If you’re looking for something yummy to pack in it, look no further than Taste of Home for inspiration.
1950s Burlington Picnic Basket, $55
-Linda, Selective Salvage
Pyrex Early American Bowl Set
Finding a complete Pyrex mixing bowl set feels like a winning scratch ticket. The Early American pattern, made in the 1960s is not one of the lusted after Pyrex patterns, but it’s still cool. Even the gold isn’t worn like gold on so many vintage things is. The cinderella bowls overall are delightful to use. Their little handles are helpful and give them a saucy shape. This set will find its right owner, it will just take longer than say Butterprint or Dots would.
By the way, our Vintage Unscripted motto is “Friends don’t let friends buy fake vintage.” One sub motto is “Never put vintage Pyrex in the dishwasher.”
–Laurie, NextStage Vintage
Don’t know about you, but we learn something new every week from fresh to market vintage. We did not know that early picnic baskets were lead and asbestos lined. That was cutting-edge science at the time and it was undoubtedly enormously effective for keeping that fried chicken and potato salad cool on a hot day.
Speaking of cool, if you want to be one of the cool cats, subscribe to our blog. You get one email a week with links to all our posts from the previous week. Cool cats hate missing out on things!
If you love the neon flower pin, you might enjoy this post of other flower pins for your lapel.
