Britain’s love affair with all things vintage

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London, UK (26th September 2011): Britain is having a love affair with all things vintage with 64% of people owning an item they consider vintage. According to new research* people in the UK seek individuality, financial value and provenance in their purchasing of goods of ‘high quality of a past time’**.

 

The research was carried out by specialist home insurer Hiscox amongst 1010 ABC1 people to gauge their perceptions of vintage and their attitudes to collecting or accumulating it. It showed that just over a quarter (27%) own an item they only recently considered to be vintage and over half of them (58%) have owned this item for over 20 years.

 

 

 

 

The most common reasons cited for why people would consider buying vintage are the individual way it looks (43%), its financial value (27%) and its provenance / role in history (24%).

 

Furthermore, while the term vintage for some may be synonymous with 1920s flapper dresses, Chanel handbags and bottles of ChâteauLafite, professionals now own a whole range of ‘vintage’ belongings:

 

·         Books (39%)

·         Musical instruments and records (33%)

·         Jewellery (28%)

·         Furniture (27%)

·         Children’s toys (16%)

 

Where Britain is looking for vintage treasure

The research looked at where people would look to purchase vintage items:

·         41% would hunt for vintage treasures online and almost one in ten (9%) at music festivals

·         Auctions (59%), jumble sales (48%), specialist vintage stores (48%) and thrift stores (46%) would be the most common locations respondents seek vintage finds

·        And seeking it is part of the appeal, as nearly one third (30%) perceive vintage as ‘unique products that you need to search for’

 

A vintage investment

One in seven (14%) view vintage as an investment. Over one third (36%) own a vintage item they bought for a small amount of money which they now believe to be worth more and over half (52%) who have owned a vintage treasure think the value of their vintage has increased over time.

 

Andrew Cheney, senior risk and valuation advisor at Hiscox, comments: “It’s a bumper time for vintage. Love of vintage is a very personal thing – whether it is the air of nostalgia or the story behind your pieces, the financial or sentimental value or the way it stands out from the crowd of mass sold goods.”

 

“Our clients come to us seeking cover for a range of vintage valuables ranging from the more typical handbags, jewellery and wine to the more bespoke movie memorabilia, cigar and trinket boxes or art deco furniture. To some extent value might be in the eye of the beholder but if you own a collection or special piece, it is worth reassessing their value on a regular basis and making sure you look after them in the right way.”

 

Other research findings:

·       People are sentimental about their vintage as inherited items (46%) are valued over and above pre-owned genuine vintage products (20%)

·        Jewellery (22%) would be the most distressing vintage item to lose, followed by music (15%) and books (14%)

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