Vintage Actually Means Pre-Loved | Inspiration: Vintage Items

Over the years I have gotten and bought a couple of vintage items. I think I love these type of items because there is a story to every single piece, especially when it’s an item I have inherited from a family member. These items are not only vintage but have been pre-loved and that’s what I love about them. For this post I have selected some pieces that are precious to my family and I, from a reading board to jewelry, a sewing machine and more!

When my parents were young, they learnt how to read with a reading board, like the one above. Dutchies might be familiar with this “Aap, Noot, Mies” reading board. I always used to play with this, organize all the letters and put them in the right place.

I own a couple of jewelry pieces that hold a lot of sentimental value, mostly when it’s from a family member that passed away. To keep these pieces, I’ve put them in this black with gold dots jewelry box. When I got the jewelry box, I actually also got this small mirror with that. I have no idea if they belonged together but I love the embroidery on the back of the mirror. In addition to these pieces, when the mother of my grandma was still alive, I was always looking through her stuff with her and if I would find something beautiful, she would always say: “Well you can have that then”. That was also the case with this cute purse. The purse consists of small beads and I love the detailing of the opening.

My dad inherited his fathers pocket watch. Back in the days my grandfather used to work all day on his land. Since he did needed to know what time it was, he used this pocket watch. He always kept it in a case so it is still in pretty good condition. Since I wanted to make this post, my dad got this pocket watch out and actually got it working again! It’s a winding pocket watch, so that’s pretty cool.

Something that I have always wondered about was the small sewing machine that is on a shelve in our bookcase. My mom had explained to me that the sewing machine belonged to my grandma, so I asked her about it. She told me that she got the sewing machine from her father when World War II ended. All of her toys were destroyed or lost so this was the first ‘toy’ she got after that. With the sewing machine my grandma used to sew different things as a little girl. Such a sad but cute story at the same time.

I have talked about this before in an interior post, but I am very into photography and love old cameras. When I was looking into old cameras, I actually bought some online for not that much money. I showed some of them to my grandma and that’s when she said she still had my grandpa’s first camera and wanted to give that to me. Ever since she gave it to me, I have had it on my shelves because it’s very special to me. For all the camera fanatics out there, it is a Zeiss Ikon. I don’t know if it actually works but I love to just have it up on my shelves since it reminds me of my grandpa.

And what are you able to do with a camera? That’s right, take photos. I love to take photos but I also love looking at old black and white photos from when my parents were young. These photos hold so many memories and since I wasn’t there to experience everything, I love to look at these photos and have my parents or grandma tell me about that moment.

This post was so interesting to write because I also got to know more about the “vintage” pieces my family and I have inherited over the years. Looking through old photos was also super fun. Because I discovered that my nephew looks exactly like my grandfather when he was young and that my dad looks just like his mother. I would really recommend asking your parents or grandparents about items they have inherited and the story behind these pieces. It’s so interesting to know! Did you like this type of post? What is the most thoughtful piece you’ve inherited or gotten from someone?

Love,

Neeltje