Vintage Desecration - Things Altered/Repurposed, and a Vintage Treasure Lost Forever.

[LizzieMaine]

I'd think it would be hard for a seller to get rid of an old TV--they'd have to junk it, repurpose it or store it for a long while. I don't think you can hook one up to a DVD player or even cable, can you? Aside from sports and news, you'd be watching Survivor or Grey's Anatomy on your vintage TV set, assuming you can set it up to get a digital signal.

My TV was built in 1954, and runs just fine off a cable signal fed thru a VCR -- and the DVD player is plugged into that. The cable is hooked up thru a matching transformer, available for about $3 at Radio Shack. If you don't have cable, a DTV converter box and an antenna work just fine. There's a vigorous community of collectors who preserve old sets, and most can be put back into use without a lot of expense. The older sets, late '40s to about 1950, are actually worth a good amount of money in such circles.

The advantage in having an older TV is that it forces you to *think* about watching. You're less likely to just snap it on and vegetate in front of it. And TCM looks just fine on a vintage black-and-white set.

 

[Paisley]

I had an older set I couldn't do that with, or maybe I just didn't know how. I didn't see a place to plug anything but the antenna into.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I had an older set I couldn't do that with, or maybe I just didn't know how. I didn't see a place to plug anything but the antenna into.

That's what the matching transformer does -- it has a coax cable fitting on one end, and spade lugs on the other. Attach the cable to the fitting, and screw the lugs onto the screw terminals on the back of the TV. Attach the other end of the cable to the ANT OUT terminal on the VCR, and the actual cable from the pole to the CABLE IN terminal on the VCR. Plug your DVD player into the video and audio jacks on the VCR, and tune the VCR to channel 00 to use it. Otherwise, tune your vintage TV to channel 3 and use the VCR tuner to select channels. Note that you will need a pre-2005 analog VCR for this setup -- if you don't have one, you can get one for a couple of bucks at Goodwill.

 

[Lady Day]

I had to get an old VCR to plug my atari into my computer. It was awesome

LD

 

[RebeccaDoll]

I know of a women that lives close to me (who I actually bought my fantastic vintage trench from) who bought a load of vintage coats, and, I can hardly even stomach typing it - Ty-Dye.

She tortured the poor things, through ty-dye. Luckily I saved one before she could destroy it and bought it from her before it was subjected to the dye.

I don't know what she did with them all - but I see her around town in her terrible ty-dye trench.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present the worst recove ever...

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Ow, my eyes!!!

 

[dhermann1]

Just breathe on that material and I'll guarantee you you'll get a stain that sticks out like a sore thumb. The good news about that is that it's totally reversible. Even the wood trim on the arms could be stripped back to natural.
But really, barfarooni!

 

[Guttersnipe]

And now for something completely different (but just as horrid):

 

[avedwards]

I bought a vintage 50s waistcoat a few days ago. It's emerald green with a gold paisley pattern and has the extra buttonhole for a watch chain which I liked. It's either new old stock or very rarely worn as the material is still very stiff and in pristine condition. However, it fitted a 40 chest and I'm 38. Since I rarely find vintage waistcoats which are long enough to actually cover my waist I took it anyway and took it to a dry cleaner who is currently altering the size.

Fellow loungers, am I desecrating a piece of vintage clothing by having it downsized by one size? [huh]

 

[Guttersnipe]

No, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I bought a vintage 50s waistcoat a few days ago. It's emerald green with a gold paisley pattern and has the extra buttonhole for a watch chain which I liked. It's either new old stock or very rarely worn as the material is still very stiff and in pristine condition. However, it fitted a 40 chest and I'm 38. Since I rarely find vintage waistcoats which are long enough to actually cover my waist I took it anyway and took it to a dry cleaner who is currently altering the size.

Fellow loungers, am I desecrating a piece of vintage clothing by having it downsized by one size? [huh]

 

[Paisley]

If you alter it as you are describing, it will still be the same waistcoat with the same character and basic appearance. Besides, it's always been common practice to have clothes altered. I don't see this as desecration.

 

[Foofoogal]

that (cough) couch is atrocious. :eusa_doh:

 

[23SkidooWithYou]

Two observations...

1. This is not an original idea.

2. Barbie called. She wants her couch back!

 

[Lady Day]

Thats an astonishingly great match.
Perhaps its for that real life Barbie lady.

LD

 

[Forgotten Man]

1931

Went into an Out of The Closet thrift shop on Fair Fax in Hollywood... saw a single breasted coat dated 1931... in fair shape but, some idiot had printed some hideous image in white and blue on the back of the coat and added some artistic stitches on one of the pockets... an antique piece of clothing has been lost due to a hipster!

I once met a lady at an antique shop who loved my vintage men's clothes... she went on to tell me she had many in her garage... she originally was going to "lace" them all up and also make a stack of quilts... She then told me that she didn't get around to it, THANK GOODNESS! I told her that I'd be interested in taking a look at what she had! This was years ago and she never returned my phone calls... She did open a store, but closed it within a month or so.

When I did manage to talk with her, I told her never cut vintage clothing... because there are enough guys trying to find it that will pay more for it than some lady who wants a men's vest trimmed in lace with painted hearts on it! :eusa_doh:

 

[jamespowers]

When I did manage to talk with her, I told her never cut vintage clothing... because there are enough guys trying to find it that will pay more for it than some lady who wants a men's vest trimmed in lace with painted hearts on it! :eusa_doh:

Make sure you get her to hand over the goods or we are all going to go over there and make her an offer she can't refuse.
Painted hearts and lace!? :eusa_doh:

 

[Forgotten Man]

I haven't seen this lady since 1998 or so... she may have moved from Monrovia or has passed away... I wonder what happened to her clothes. I did see two pieces of men's clothes she had at one antique shop in a booth that bore the lace and crafty junk she spoke of... neither piece was old, they were from the 70s or early 80s... She said that they were from the 40s... I taught her how to tell how something is antique... I have a feeling she may have had a garage full of 60s-80s rejects.lol

We can always hope!

 

[jamespowers]

I haven't seen this lady since 1998 or so... she may have moved from Monrovia or has passed away... I wonder what happened to her clothes. I did see two pieces of men's clothes she had at one antique shop in a booth that bore the lace and crafty junk she spoke of... neither piece was old, they were from the 70s or early 80s... She said that they were from the 40s... I taught her how to tell how something is antique... I have a feeling she may have had a garage full of 60s-80s rejects.lol

We can always hope!

I'll let you have all the 60s-80s stuff. Especially the Beatles suits.

 

[Tomasso]