People often ask me how I choose the pieces that end up in Shift2ThriftVintage.
The simple answer would be that I buy things I love, the truthful answer is a little more complicated than a one-liner can ever put into words.
I look for things with presence. Items that stop me in my tracks, pieces that feel as though they have earned the right to still be here, and to be noticed.
It may well be a beautiful lamp that invites me to light a darkened room, a vibrant or uniquely shaped vase I can see in my minds eye with ox eye daisies, wildflowers or strong stalks of lilies, perhaps a painting with an incredible amount of detail, sometimes even something calling to a place within myself. I honestly can never tell what will draw my eye. Often it is something that appears ordinary to another but feels rich in history and character to me.
I love character, the deeper essence of anything and everything. The truth of who we are, when we are stripped of the notion of what we "should be", or what others "perceives" us to be. It is a statement that carries weight of all in creation, not just humans.
My desire is always directly linked to my search for character, not perfection, not trends and certainly not what is currently fashionable. I also do not necessarily search for items with value, because value, much like beauty, is often found in the eye of the beholder.
To me, character is the thing that matters. I want to feel the energy within the piece, before I learn anything else about it. This feeling, this is what is what takes precedence, above who made it, where it came from, or what it might be worth.
That instinct is usually where the journey begins.
The Influence of the Past
I am not much of a television person, but I do enjoy period dramas. The funny thing is that while other people are following the storyline, I am usually studying the room. I notice the lamp on the side table, the glass on the drinks trolley, the artwork hanging in the hallway and the pottery sitting on the mantelpiece. I find myself pausing scenes to study an object rather than the characters. It has become second nature.
The attraction goes deeper than a simple love of old things.
Certain places, objects and atmospheres have always felt familiar to me, long before I knew anything about their history.
I am drawn to worlds that seem increasingly distant from modern life: fog-covered forests, working harbours, candlelit rooms, kitchen gardens, handwritten recipes, shelves of preserves, old glass, handmade pottery, brass décor and homes filled with objects that were expected to last for generations.
Many of the pieces I collect speak to those worlds. Not necessarily because they are rare or valuable, but because they still carry traces of the people who used, repaired, displayed and treasured them. Things made to be used, repaired, treasured and passed down.
I cannot fully explain why some objects capture my attention so completely. I only know that they do. Perhaps that is why I am drawn to vintage pieces in the first place. They remind me of a time when objects were often chosen carefully and expected to last, before so much became disposable.
Many of the pieces I encounter today were created during periods of hardship, uncertainty or recovery. Some were made during economic depression. Others emerged during or after times of war and loss. Yet despite difficult circumstances, people still sought beauty. That fascinates me.
A glass bowl, a pottery vase, a framed print or a simple lamp can tell us about changing tastes, available materials, economic hardship, prosperity, technology and hope.
That is part of what draws me in. I see an object and immediately begin imagining where it belonged. Just as often, I will see something at an auction, a market or buried in a crate and immediately recognise where it belongs.
Sometimes I can already picture the room and the space that will match this treasure I so lovingly hold in my hands.
An Eye Built on Observing
You may recall my saying this before: I do not hold a qualification in antiques. Nor do I have a design degree hanging on my wall.
Most of what I know has been learned through observance, I am a quick study.
I observe, compare, research, read and make mistakes, where I learn from my own experiences, aka, pay school fees and then, I look again.
The reality is that I have only been doing this since July 2024, yet it feels as though this is a skill I have been honing for decades.
People often look without seeing, just as people sometimes listen to respond rather than to truly hear and understand.
The more treasure I handle, the more points of comparison I have available to me. Over time, patterns become easier to recognise. Styles become easier to spot. Quality becomes easier to identify and perhaps most importantly, it becomes easier to recognise when something deserves a deeper moment of reflection.
There Is No Such Thing as Crap
Not long ago, I was standing at an auction waiting for my purchases to be wrapped.
Another buyer was waiting for her items too and, while chatting about business, she asked me what I do with all the “crap” that comes home in job lot purchases.
I remember looking at her and saying: “There is no such thing as crap.”
My partner and I frequently buy entire job lots because one piece catches our attention.
He takes the item he wanted and hands me the rest. The “leftovers” that did not make the “cut” according to him. The extras that nobody fought over and that remained blissfully unnoticed and dismissed.
I genuinely believe that every object has a buyer and a purpose, and holds a story just waiting to be discovered by the right person.
Time and time again I have made a larger return from those overlooked items than from the original star of the sale.
Not because I am performing miracles, but because I am willing to look.
The Value You Place on an Object Matters
One thing this business has taught me is that value is often hidden beneath presentation.
A dusty object can appear worthless. A clean object can appear desirable. A badly photographed item can sit for years, while poor descriptors will leave a listing unnoticed as it simply cannot be found through searching key words.
I’d like to think that I am really gifted with my “phone photography skills”. A thoughtfully photographed item can immediately find its person.
An item does not become valuable because somebody else tells you that it has value. Value often begins when somebody notices what everyone else has ignored.
This is why I spend time researching. It’s as much about honouring the treasure I acquired as it is about honouring my own time and worth. This, too, is why I constantly improve my listings: to improve the experience for all.
When somebody calls something junk, they are often describing their own inability to see its true value.
Why the Collection Looks the Way It Does
The shop contains a wide variety of items, this is intentional. We all have different tastes, budgets, homes and stories. Not everybody is decorating a mansion. Some do not care for minimalist interiors, and fortunately, not everybody collects the same thing.
I love beautiful homes showcased in magazines, and I truly appreciate exceptional interior design. Apart from the glamour, I also appreciate the person trying to complete a family set. The collector searching for a missing piece, and the customer who falls in love with a vase simply because it reminds them of somebody they long for; or once loved.
Shift2ThriftVintage has never been about one type of buyer. It has always been about connecting the right piece with the right person. I like to think of it as a personal service I deliver to the lovers seekers of all things beautiful.
This week's lesson
The hunt is never about owning things. It is about seeing things, recognising character and remembering what others may have forgotten.
Every piece I showcase is a piece that reminds me why I started looking in the first place. It may be a piece with presence and character, or something special in its colour, shape, story or history.
You simply cannot learn from things you never see.
— Ina Lubbe, Purveyor of Vintage Treasure
Shift2ThriftVintage • Est. 2024 • Curated Vintage, South Africa • shift2thriftvintage.co.za
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