vintage swap {3} - storage crates

This post is where I find a new item in a high-street or chain store and see if I can find a vintage (or maybe handmade) alternative at a similar/lower price. For the "new" items I have chosen a pair of vintage-style crates from Next, a store which epitomises the current obsession with vintage fakery and everything shabby-chic-stencilled-quotes-on-driftwood kind of thing. There are lots of vintage-style crates around at the moment. There are also lots of genuine vintage crates available if you have a quick look online. There is no reason why you have to buy vintage, but why buy fake vintage when the real thing is easily available at similar prices? You not only get attractive and useful storage, but a little bit of history that isn't going to end up as firewood. I found plenty of options for the genuine article, especially on ebay. This is just a small selection, but shop around as delivery prices tend to be reduced for multiple items. I included the Indian boxes from Pedlars which are not typical crate style or size, but are an interesting alternative to the high-street versions!

{1} set of 2 large crates, Next £50 + £3.99 del.

{2} vintage crates, Silversprint shop on Ebay.co.uk £10 + £4.95 del (reduced for multiple items)

{3} vintage 1960's crates on Preloved, £20

{4} vintage German wine crates, vintagecratesuk.co.uk £20

{5} vintage Indian boxes, Pedlars £20 + £5.95 del.

vintage swap No.2

This is my second attempt at trying to find vintage alternatives to new, chain-store or high-street finds. 

This time I've chosen a large glass vase by Bloomingville, reminiscent of vintage hand-blown bottles. It is a cool blue, 25cm high, 18cm diameter and available at John Lewis for £61. Phew!

My alternatives are both vintage, both on Etsy and both cheaper! They are green glass rather than blue, but they are the real thing! First, is a French Demi-john with a height of 26cm, from Chezvivianne on Etsy. It costs £25 and even with postage costs of £12.25 to UK, it is still a cheaper option. Larger still at 33cm high, this pale green Italian Demijohn from Rusticitalia on Etsy is £35 plus £18 postage to UK, so only slightly cheaper but it is bigger... and vintage!

(By the way, I decided to call this post vintage swap as "Don't buy this..." is a bit harsh!)

Happy vintage-hunting!