Vintage Gifts & Who To Give Them To
/It’s that time of year again - the shortest day of the year is on its way and western culture has long celebrated this event with the tradition of gift giving. Whether you’re a Kwanza, Festivus, Hanukkah or even Christmas fan, giving the coolest gift means you can finish the year as a total legend!
While your family and friends are taking it easy with Amazon online, you can stand out with a gift that just screams “I actually spent my time thinking about you and getting something unique that you’re going to love!” That dear reader, is what this time of year is supposed to be about.
We’ve grouped types of people into five different categories and come up with unique but inexpensive gifts that will show just how deeply you care about the intended recipient.
The Traveler Type
Do you know a Twenty-something single someone setting up their first apartment? Maybe she’s moved to LA from Boston or he’s driven in from Phoenix to start a new career after traveling the world. Every single person needs a globe in their living room - a globe says “I’m well traveled,” a globe says “I’m sophisticated” a globe says ”Hey, let me show you my travels and maybe afterwards, you can show me yours!”
A globe is a magical matchmaking device and if you get a lighted one - try turning the lights down and add a touch of romance to the room.
Of course a globe isn’t just for romantics, they’re great for anybody who’s ever left the country. When you think that as late as 2016 only 36% of Americans had a passport, it’s a safe bet that your traveler type is going to be stoked to receive such a thoughtful gift. Casa Victoria always has a great selection going from as little as $49 up to the De Luxe $299.
The Glamorous Type
If this was the 50’s, hell even the 60’s we’d be looking at anybody you know who smokes but this LA in the 21st century - smokers are hard to come by so who the hell wants an Ashtray?
Well - if you do know someone who still smokes - this is an awesome gift! However, for the rest of us who actually like living, here’s where you can get creative. You know those people who take the time to dress well, who are perhaps a little flamboyant, who love fashion and like to surround themselves with beauty - you know what they need?
They need a candy holder, an almond dispenser, somewhere to deposit their keys, a place to put their pins. Yes - this is 2017 and re-purpose things!
We’re talking vintage Murano glass in fabulous fifties colors of pink, green, turquoise and gold, we’re talking intricate designs with bubbles and gold leaf and of course we’re talking weight. These are no thin mass produced factory items, these are solid, hefty handmade pieces of art and any glamour puss on your list is going to be stoked. From $40 to $100 you can find a wide selection in the store.
The Reader Type
We love readers, without readers how could we tell you about the beautiful things we have to offer - but we’re not talking about the average reader here - the person who probably reads on a Kindle. We’re talking about book lovers - you know - the person who has 4 book cases in their garage and who steadfastly refuses to give any away. You know who we’re talking about.
They need a pair (or two) of Vintage bookends. Yes, they do and here’s where you can get clever because you can show just how well you know them by bringing in a second (yes a second!) element of their personality into the gift! Say they’re a reader who likes cats - get them bookends made up of cat statues. You can do this for reading golfers, reading dog lovers, reading ocean lovers. What about the anthropologist who just got back from Africa? You know they need those hand carved giraffe bookends, (although they’re probably up for a globe too - see above!)
And for all of you thinking you can just pick up a lame version from Target or JC Penney remember that these are Vintage bookends. They’re hand produced, hand painted, we have some beautiful ones from Italy with hand carved Venetian leather. With the bookends themselves running from $40 up to $100 you could of course go that extra mile and drop in a gift card to the local Barnes and Noble! Killing it here!
The Gamer Type
An oxymoron you say? How can Call of Duty, the SIMS or even World Of Warcraft have anything to do with Vintage? Well, we’d posit that they have everything to do with vintage - do you think your spouse's behavior spending hours glued in front of a screen is new to just this era? Hell no, back in the day it wasn’t video games, it was just games - the classics like Mancala, Mahjong, Checkers and of course the legendary Chess.
Vintage is how you say to the world that you have a little more substance about you. Vintage is how you differentiate yourself from the Ikea purchasing masses and demonstrate a certain amount of class. Giving a classic vintage chess set to a modern day gamer is a huge win. Not only are you acknowledging their love for gaming you’re endorsing it, you’re recognizing gaming’s legitimacy and in doing so giving them an item that will remind them of the long and enduring love humanity has always had to “Play The Game!”
Again - these are not flimsy things that you might pick up in a Toys R Us - these are solid, heavy boards with multi-colored marble inlaid squares, the pieces are hand carved from solid onyx and made by master artisans in Pakistan. Selling for $169 a set this gift will last a lot longer than your favorite gamer’s favorite character.
The Creative Type
Creating is hard - doesn’t matter whether you’re a painter, a writer or a musician - creation is work and creative types need downtime just like anybody else. The problem comes when they’ve been so busy coming up with new ideas for work it leaves them bereft when thinking about their own environment.
This is where you can become not only a great gift giver but a merciful one too. While some people will pop down to Michael's or Target and browse the poster racks for some mass produced graphic for $50 - you go to Casa Victoria and procure for them a piece of Vintage Gallery Art.
Bring the Guggenheim into their living room, the Cincinnati ballet to their bedroom, give them a promotional poster for a small French gallery and bring a bit of Paris into their lives. These are museum produced quality prints and have just way more creativity and yes, class than your Hobby Lobby giving friends! With prices from $50 and up you can ease a creative mind oh and yes - these are great for that traveler type too - damn those people get everything!
Casa Victoria Vintage Furniture
We’re open seven days a week between now and Christmas, the store opens at 11:00 am through 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday and Sunday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you can’t get to the store, make sure you subscribe to our Instagram account - we post new arrivals daily and they’re often sold before we can get them on the sales floor.
Happy Holidays from Casa Victoria!
Like Learning about Vintage?
Sign up for our twice a month newsletter. We let you know about the hot new items we've received in the store and every now and then (like this article,) Mateo will write a longer piece on how you can use Vintage to improve your life!
