How Vintage Do You Go? -merged thread-

[Story]

A UK-based forum sorta on the topic

http://forum.downsizer.net/index.php?sid=df79a3557eb45a581a19d18e88b63701

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

Originally posted by Archeologue:
I totally agree with Scion PI2005's comments that we are losing some of the
ability to socialize when in each others physical presence (my words, not a quote).

Tell me about it. Talking to people is difficult enough as it is (for me, anyway), but when they have a cell phone glued to their ear, an Ipod playing their personal soundtrack, or are holding a texting conversation, it's really intimidating and isolating. It's especially rude when someone tries to carry on a texting conversation while supposedly talking to you. Unplug, people! Who knows what you're missing in the here and now? (Says the girl typing to far away people with her computer. But at least I'm not ignoring someone to do it!)

 

[Mary]

Desi de lu lu. I'd argue that if cellphones and other modern technical things existed 1958 people would have loved them. Those times where a lot about inventions and a better future and a fascination about technology. I think keeping that spirit is more old school that meerly having an 50's estestic preference. (At least that how I would argue if I where you.)

What do you think?

M

 

[Lefty]

All by choice:

No cell phones.
No cable (rabbit ears on the tv).
Web use at the library across the street or at the office.
No dvd rental ever - the library has more than we'll ever watch.
1 car for the 2 of us, though both of us work.
Barely any new clothes - there are fantastic thrift stores in the Cleveland area.
We try to dress nicely when we go out to eat, though that's pretty seldom since my wife is a rockin' cook and baker and makes a lot of homemade dinners, which brings up...hand mixers, jar/crank nut crusher (rather than a food processor), and all sorts of other tools that I had never heard of until we got married.

We wanted to get some oil lamps at Lehman's Hardware, http://www.lehmans.com/, the old school hardware store (though it's bigger than a Home Depot) where you can get everything from a working coal stove to a Swiss made toy train whistle. Unfortunately, of the hundreds of types of oil lamps they sell (there are probably over a thousand displayed), the response to my question "which of these are made in Ohio, or even the US" was, and I'm not kidding here, "that one." It was the worst one.
We left. :eusa_doh:

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

Desi de lu lu. I'd argue that if cellphones and other modern technical things existed 1958 people would have loved them. Those times where a lot about inventions and a better future and a fascination about technology. I think keeping that spirit is more old school that meerly having an 50's estestic preference. (At least that how I would argue if I where you.)

What do you think?

M

I agree that during that time the fascination was with the new emerging technology and it was reflected everywhere... from fashion to home ovens.

But the differences between 1958 and 2008 when it comes to how families, friends and neighbors interacted and basically how people related to one another socially... is vastly different.

People were friendlier towards one another, kinder, polite and had more manners in general. Generally speaking, they weren't all living in a self imposed silo being plugged in to all their gadgets being reclusive and withdrawn from their families.

Yes, I appreciate the inventions of yesteryear and of course our present inventions. The choice to keep the spirit alive in our household that of 1958 or before, entails for us, living much the same way they did during those years. That is not to say that I don't have an iPod in my home or a cell phone. But it does mean that those items are secondary to what really matters to us and that is our family structure.

Even in the 50s they ate on occasion with a tv dinner sitting on the tv tray in front of the television. But it was few and far between, not the norm.

So, I guess simply put, we appreciate the vintage esthetic and the vintage lifestyle as a whole, but we aren't completely immune to the novelties of the 21st century either.

 

[Diamondback]

Tell me about it. Talking to people is difficult enough as it is (for me, anyway), but when they have a cell phone glued to their ear, an Ipod playing their personal soundtrack, or are holding a texting conversation, it's really intimidating and isolating. It's especially rude when someone tries to carry on a texting conversation while supposedly talking to you. Unplug, people! Who knows what you're missing in the here and now? (Says the girl typing to far away people with her computer. But at least I'm not ignoring someone to do it!)

Tell me about it--I tend to get annoyed with relatives who expect me to call people about things, then expect to yammer away in my ear and me to relay things back and forth--it's like "Do I look like a frickin' comsat to you? Here, why don't you take the phone and have your conversation rather than trying to have it by proxy through me?!":rage:

And they wonder why I plan to finish the estrangement as soon as plans for "Operation Breakaway" are ready...

 

[Miss 1929]

We wanted to get some oil lamps at Lehman's Hardware, http://www.lehmans.com/, the old school hardware store (though it's bigger than a Home Depot) where you can get everything from a working coal stove to a Swiss made toy train whistle. Unfortunately, of the hundreds of types of oil lamps they sell (there are probably over a thousand displayed), the response to my question "which of these are made in Ohio, or even the US" was, and I'm not kidding here, "that one." It was the worst one.
We left. :eusa_doh:

You should be able to find those at antique stores? Or are they too much $ there?

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

Tell me about it--I tend to get annoyed with relatives who expect me to call people about things, then expect to yammer away in my ear and me to relay things back and forth--it's like "Do I look like a frickin' comsat to you? Here, why don't you take the phone and have your conversation rather than trying to have it by proxy through me?!":rage:

And they wonder why I plan to finish the estrangement as soon as plans for "Operation Breakaway" are ready...

DB you make me laugh....24/7lol lol lol


You know, someday when you are married your wife will make you do that too..hahaha.. omg. I am going to bake my husband a cake or something, I am, so guilty of making him a relay. (until he hands me the phone)

 

[Paisley]

Tell me about it--I tend to get annoyed with relatives who expect me to call people about things, then expect to yammer away in my ear and me to relay things back and forth--it's like "Do I look like a frickin' comsat to you? Here, why don't you take the phone and have your conversation rather than trying to have it by proxy through me?!":rage:

And they wonder why I plan to finish the estrangement as soon as plans for "Operation Breakaway" are ready...

One thing I don't like is the second-hand invitation. If someone can't be bothered to call me, forget it!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Here is the thing for me.

Just like we (thats the collective we, and of course there are variations...but in general) balance vintage stuff with existing in 2008......

We also need to balance the other way. For me it's just as unrealistic to pull the head in the sand thing and swing too far to the vintage side.

There are good and bad sides to both times. It's all a balancing act of what one is comfortable doing, and taking the best of -both-....

Instead of swinging too far and accidently ending up with the -worst- of both...in the name of being Vintage, or Old Fashioned...or whatever label you want to use.

You can be Vintage lifestyle absorbed and yet somehow miss all the societal politeness and good behavior that is really much more important then wearing the 'right' old clothes.....

And I can have the manners of a vintage person, yet not look or dress like that.

At a certain point, the trappings only continue what the person is like.

 

[Diamondback]

DB you make me laugh....24/7lol lol lol
You know, someday when you are married your wife will make you do that too..hahaha.. omg. I am going to bake my husband a cake or something, I am, so guilty of making him a relay. (until he hands me the phone)

Aw shucks, thanks. OTOH, you assume I'll ever even hit the first-date stage... lol (Heck, would you believe the only reason for my recent burst of extroversion is one of my old psych profs bet me lunch I couldn't work up the nerve to do it?) Thing is, even a split-personality only does so much for trying to keep track of two different conversations going on at once, especially when you also have to have part of your mind detached to figure out how they're interacting--I'm known to just flip the phone onto speaker, or bellow out a "Quiet, both of you!" when I need a second to think...

One thing I don't like is the second-hand invitation. If someone can't be bothered to call me, forget it!

Which is why if it's something where I might actually be interested in whoever's on the line's company I'll say, instead of "So-and-so wants to know if you're on for...", "We were wondering if you'd be interested in..."

 

[Lefty]

Ebay will probably be the new plan. The price range seems to be from under 20 to whatever you're willing to pay. We just thought, "while we're at this interesting place that's at least an hour from anything, why not get one." Apparently though, China has cornered the market on everything, even in the middle of nowhere.

Here are some beauties on the high end of the price spectrum.
http://www.theoillampstore.com/antique_and_collectible_oil_lamps.html

You should be able to find those at antique stores? Or are they too much $ there?

 

[Miss 1940's]

lets see

If I wear a skirt I always wear Hose...and something on my head....be it a scarf or Snood!
I wear only vintage cosmetics Like Coty and Revlon!
I put my hair in pin curls every night, with vintage Bobby Pins and wear vintage Pj's
whenever I write a love letter, I spray it with perfum and date it whatever the date i followed by 1938!
I only listen to 33 1/3 78's and 45's
I keep a hankerchief, comb and compact in my vintage Purse!

 

[patrick1987]

I bought an oil lamp at a crafts show in my hometown near Cinncinnati. It's beautiful, well-made, made in Ohio, very low-priced. Buying locally is old school.

 

[Foofoogal]

China has cornered the market on everything, even in the middle of nowhere.

Yep, all the $1.00 stores have made it so.


One thing about vintage I wish I would not of heard of is Swirl dresses. I am an obsessed fiend about them. lol

Miss 1940's: Makes me want to send you something.

 

[Mary]

So, I guess simply put, we appreciate the vintage esthetic and the vintage lifestyle as a whole, but we aren't completely immune to the novelties of the 21st century either.[/QUOTE]


I understand that and you write beautifully about it, like I would do about living in the countryside. I don't have a vintage lifestyle, I'm more for the beauty of things. When I compare my life with my grannies I'm happy I live now. Back then there where no social security or welfarestate and they where poor, had to have children and work awfully hard and did't have any money or time of their own.

M

 

[Miss 1929]

Miss 1940's: Makes me want to send you something.

I did!

 

[Archéologue]

Cell Phones and Needing Help

Late November and freezing weather, my car died on a busy interstate highway. I did not own a cell phone then. I stood by the side of the road waving at people for help. I did this for three hours. Thousands of cars drove by. Some pointed and laughed. Some gave me the finger, the rest ignored me. Nobody stopped to help, though many hundreds of cars drove by. Hypothermia began. I got confused, emotional, then sleepy, and wanted to curl up in the car and sleep. Finally somebody stopped and helped. He said: "Why didn't you call on your cell phone?"

The point is that nobody stopped, and they all presume that every living human being carries a cell phone. I was dying of hypothermia while thousands of people drove by and watched me. I now own a phone, but learned something about humanity on that day. Bless the one that stopped after three hours of freezing and waving. The rest are blind.
-m

 

[Miss 1940's]

I did!

Yes my darling deco Mother sent me some swell goodies and I actually got to wear them to the after party!
too bad no pictures!

 

[Miss 1940's]

Yep, all the $1.00 stores have made it so.


One thing about vintage I wish I would not of heard of is Swirl dresses. I am an obsessed fiend about them. lol

Miss 1940's: Makes me want to send you something.

Oh how nice are you foofoogal, you're swell