Can you trust colors you see in an online listing? That has a complicated answer, illustrated by the purple tablecloth in this week’s fresh to market vintage, which we can report was frustrating to photograph because the iPhone absolutely, positively, no way, not now not ever refused to render the purple correctly.
Color variations between reality and what you see online are real and can be a struggle for online sellers trying to capture the color correctly and buyers who want a specific shade. Color variations start with the set up. Different types and temperatures of light can shift colors significantly. Backgrounds can shift colors.
Then there’s the camera. Every phone, camera or tablet renders colors differently because of how its calibrated. And some colors are extra tricky for cameras. Cameras are not good with reds and purples in particular. Using filters while taking a photograph affects color. And tinkering with photos in a photo editor affects color.
Once a seller has done their best and a listing is live online, the resolution of whatever device a buyer is using to view the listing also affects the color.
So what are sellers and buyers supposed to do? The best thing a seller can do is to describe the color in the description. “Smoky plum” is a better description than “purple.” “Goldenrod yellow” is better than “yellow.” Use comparisons, like “reads as charcoal in the photos, but is actually closer to black.” Or “the color of a blue raspberry popsicle.”
If you’re a buyer, ask questions and be open minded about your expectations. Technology is not on your side if you’re looking for an exact color. You wouldn’t choose a paint color from a digital swatch, you’d go get a physical paint chip. So it’s best to accept that the color is going to be ballpark accurate to the photos, and most times that’s good enough.
Puffy dandelion white and emerald green are great ways to describe a color. And if you were around in the 1980s, you know what 80s peach looks like. With that in mind, let’s roll out this week’s fresh to market vintage.
Lucite Encased Dandelion Paperweight c 1960s
One of my favorite childhood memories is the simple act of making a wish on a dandelion. This vintage Lucite paperweight provides a permanent reminder of that memory and one that’s useful, too. If you too are a fan of this versatile flowering plant, you might enjoy reading “What Do Dandelions Symbolize and How They Inspire Resilience and Hope in Our Lives“, a blog post on the Brain Wise Mind site.
Vintage Encased Dandelion Paperweight, $35
Linda, Selective Salvage
Simulated Emerald Necklace
This delicate necklace still in its original box was made by Ronté of Beverly Hills. The company made beautiful dainty costume jewelry, often with genuine gemstones. A teardrop shaped gold plated tiny pendant set with a single deep green simulated emerald may be the perfect birthday gift for a special someone born in May. Ronté was in business from the 1950s through the 1980s.
Ronté of Beverly Hills Necklace, $19.95
Pam, Vintage Renude
Boho Embroidered Tablecloth and Napkins
If you’re going to set a table, you might as well make it spectacular. Before you put on the plates and platters, drape the table with this jewel tone purple tablecloth with turquoise cross stitch embroidery. And then lay out the matching napkins.
The purple itself is darker than photographed, somewhere between a deep merlot and raspberry. With some colors, the photography struggle is real. No amount of futzing around with lighting, camera settings or editing settings could accurately capture the color. Trust me, it’s even more stunning in person.
Purple Cross Stitched Rectangular Tablecloth with Eight Napkins, $32.
Laurie, NextStage Vintage
1980s Sleeveless V-neck Sweater
This sweater vest is pure distilled 1980s spring/summer. The perfect blush peach color with the white. The argyle pattern. The v-neck. The extended shoulder short sleeves. For a casual weekend, you would need a pair of high waisted jeans with tapered ankles to complete the look. And what to wear on your feet? How about a pair of jellies fisherman sandals? Or some Reebok high tops in white. Then let’s go to the mall and have a blast.
1980s Haberdashery Peach and White Sleeveless Sweater, Size Medium, $26.
Available from this week’s guest, Thredheads
That’s this week’s fresh to market vintage, our weekly kaleidoscope of vintage treasures. We have one burning question. How did someone capture a frail puffy white dandelion in a dome of lucite? How did it not fall apart? Were they a wizard?
A lot of our blog posts on Vintage Unscripted start with burning questions. What are antimacassars? What do beets suspended in lemon jello taste like? What’s the difference between crystal and glass? There’s always something new to learn about vintage. And there’s always three posts a week on our blog. Never miss a post by subscribing to our email newsletter. You get one email a week with links to all our posts from the previous week. And rest assured, we would sooner snatch the fresh dandelion from the paws of the young groundhog in our backyard than ever share your info.
