I went to an antiques fair with a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago. It was really fun! I didn’t pick up much but I did enjoy looking at everything and considering the journey that the pieces had been on up to this point. My lack of purchases was more than made up for by my friend though! At one point I thought there was a chance that she was going to buy an entire stall…which would have made for a short but successful day for the couple attending to it.
Anyway, throughout the day I found myself asking the same question over and over: where did it come from, and where has it been?
I would fill my house with antiques and vintage items if I could a) afford it, and b) had the space. They are far more interesting to me because they have a history, and, in my opinion, they were made to last.
For the reasons above I will, for now at least, be sticking to the small, more ornamental items…like this one.


I picked up this little chess set for two reasons. The first reason is that my partner and his son enjoy playing chess together and I thought a travel set would be a bit of a fun/novelty item…it is. The second reason is because I thought it would look nice on our unit in the front room…it does. Yes, it isn’t particularly valuable, and yes it’s far from being a one off, but that doesn’t matter to me. I didn’t pick it up for those reasons, I picked it up because I like the look of it and I like the thoughts that it sparks.
I find my eyes drawn to it all the time, and my mind wondering: who has it belonged to? What conversations took place over a game? What did the houses that it has lived in look like? What are the reasons for why it has changed hands over the years? And so on and so on. The questions seem endless at this point. Part of me really wishes I had the answers, but the other part of me is glad that I never will because the mystery makes it all the more intriguing!
Who would have thought a little travel chess set would have such an effect? I wonder if there are any items in my house now that will one day be an antique/vintage piece, and whether they will prompt these same thoughts in others. I hope so.
What are your thoughts on antiques and vintage pieces? Do you have any in your house? If so then what do you have, and if not then why not? As always I would love to hear your thoughts!
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Until the next time…Jess x
Really interesting to wonder, isn’t it?
I don’t collect antiques at all, but one of the oldest things I have is a piano made in 1923 (the label inside has the year on it) which is mainly used to put stuff on out of the kids’ reach but occasionally I even play it 😉
So interesting to wonder who was the first owner and what kind of scenes it saw.
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It really is! Wow that piano sounds amazing! I wish I could play piano, it’s one of those things I always say I will do but I never get around to. As you say, it’s so interesting to wonder what it has seen over the years. Thanks for commenting!
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I learned when I was a lot younger, I don’t think I’d be able to concentrate if I tried to learn now 😀
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Haha same, it appears to be pretty complicated! I wish I had learned when I was a kid.
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Hi Jess, your little chess set looks great. Unfortunately, I live in a modern small one-bedroom flat at the moment so it doesn’t lend itself to antiques, perhaps vintage? Therefore I don’t have any. I wouldn’t know how to add them. Caz x
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Space is an issue in my house as well so I can definitely relate to that! I struggle with the idea of how to add antiques as well. I often look at things and think they look lovely but I struggle to work out where they would fit in my home. Thank you for your comment!
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