When Ben and Olivia Costigan got married in her parents’ backyard in 2019, their wedding dinner at a nearby church hall was served on an assortment of dishes owned or inherited by family. Each place setting was intentionally different, with a dinner plate from one set, salad plate from another, and bread-
and-butter plate from a third.
Reisa Muir, a volunteer at Lunenburg Community Consignment (LCC), which was named recently by House & Home magazine as one of the best vintage shops in Canada, says that appreciation for mixing
vintage items is something she sees at the shop quite regularly.
“It’s a way young people can use the older dishes without their table looking like their parents’
or grandparents’ table,” she notes. “In fact, it’s a way we can all reflect own style and creativity.”
Muir thinks consignment and other second-hand shops are also great places to buy for others,
saying a beautifully made and hard-to-find gift is worthy of being offered with pride, wrapped
in our prettiest paper.
Such gifts, in addition to being perfect for the recipient, may have a nostalgic connection for the giver. LCC volunteer Susan MacMillan says, “Customers may find they’re taking a trip down memory lane.”
And it’s not just about vintage.
Shops that carry previously owned stock may also have contemporary items in perfect or almost-perfect condition. For example, Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee in Upper Tantallon has both vintage and
recent books, games and puzzles, some of which still look brand new.
“I’ve been saying it for years: well-chosen second-hand items can make very personalized, creative, and unique gifts,” says Otis & Clementine’s owner Ellen Helmke. “It keeps Christmas low- stress and simple.”
Because such shops often have only one of something, it’s a good idea to stop in regularly, to avoid
missing out on the perfect item.
LCC volunteer MJ Sakurai loves being there when a shopper strikes gold: “Objects move through time and space to make magic—and who can resist sharing in the delight of that lucky find?”
There is often joy for the seller
or donor, too, says Reisa Muir.
“We hear it all the time, that someone else has loved it, and now it’s going to a good home and won’t end up in a landfill or at the bottom of a drawer.”
by Sharon Jessup Joyce
More vintage and second-hand finds
In addition to consignment and second-hand retailers, thrift stores, flea markets, and yard and estate sales are great places to shop for previously owned treasures.
If buying online, check out the seller’s ratings and return policies, and pay attention to shipping costs, which can make a purchase less of a bargain than it appears to be.
The perfect gift may also be found in unexpected places: for example, the Seniors Association of St. Margaret’s Bay (Bay Seniors) sells donated jewellery at occasional in-person and online sales to benefit the St. Margaret’s Bay Food Bank, offering vintage and contemporary fashion jewellery at approximately half market value. Email jewellery@bayseniors.ca for more information on donating or buying.