| Personalized vintage items make ideal gifts |
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First it was cash, then checks, and now gift cards. Sure, money is always in good taste, but I’m certain you’d agree that gift-giving has reached a new height (or depth) in crassness. But for those who shop for pre-loved items, we have a head start with finding just the right gift that will be long-remembered: it’s time to get personal.
Several weeks ago, I wrote about a Deco-style pin I found in a basket of discounted vintage costume jewelry. The initials “BMB,” which happen to be my initials, were spelled out in rhinestones. Of course, I bought it. Within a few days, I heard from a reader, Barbara Hitchings, who, like me, is nee Barbara Miller. As luck would have it, I got to meet her a short time later at an antique club meeting in Annapolis, Md., at which Ken was the guest speaker, but that’s another story.
Anyway, I’m beginning to think that we Barbara Millers are on the right track when it comes to hunting and gathering. The other Barbara brought with her to the club meeting a fine collection of silver spoons that she has been assembling over the years.
Each is beautiful in its own right. But upon closer inspection, I understood why she had picked them up: they were all engraved with something meaningful to her (and sometimes me). The best of the lot, we agreed, was one marked “Baby Miller.” She explained that she looks for her initials, her name, and the names of her mother and grandmother. How sentimental, and this, the month of Mother’s Day. But she doesn’t stop there. She said she is always on the hunt for her friends’ names and initials, and when she hits pay dirt, she puts the treasure aside for a gift-giving occasion. Of course I liked that.
I asked Barbara for some of her shopping strategies. She said that she tries to keep the spending down. And she said that in addition to having a keen eye, she often simply asks silver dealers if they have monogrammed or personalized pieces. You see, unless the initial or name is right, engraving is considered to be a bad thing that detracts from the item’s value.
I told Barbara that for nearly four years, I’ve been on the hunt for one of those wire-on-mother-of-pearl pins that were fashionable a few generations back. My quest is to find a pin that says “Ruby” for our little granddaughter. Barbara told me that she doesn’t limit her search to spoons: she, too, has fanned out to pieces of jewelry, including bracelets. She agreed that my pin idea is a good one, particularly now that many children are being named after ancestors from another century. So the hunt continues. While we were talking, the topic of those little ruby glass souvenir glassware pieces came up, and the other Barbara noted that they make lovely hostess gifts. I told her I always check them out when we’re shopping, but now I vow to be more diligent.
And then this Barbara got me to thinking: why limit the search for personalized gift items to jewelry and glassware? Linens are a natural. A case in point is the bridge cloth I bought years ago, the one monogrammed “B.” Once again, I’ve decided I should be more careful when going through tablecloths and napkins. Add to that list pillowcases and hand towels. What lovely shower or wedding gifts! And a note to prospective brides, why not give a monogrammed vintage handkerchief to each of your attendants?
Well, I think you get the idea. As for myself, I’m renewing my search for personalized items. The next time I need to give a gift, in addition to the most impersonal item of them all – the gift card – I can include something that couldn’t be more personal. |
| 5/13/2010 |
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