Every Vintage Lover Has That One Thing...

The piece that makes you stop walking. The one you'll pick up every single time, even though you already own several. Today, while wandering through the Antiques and Vintage Show at the Virginia Highlands Festival, I met a couple who have spent decades searching for theirs.

Vintage lovers appreciate all kinds of old treasures, but most of us have one particular item that makes our hearts skip a beat.

The Virginia Highlands Festival is an annual event in my hometown of Abingdon, Virginia. Its Antiques and Vintage Show brings together local vendors and dealers who travel from across the region each year.

As soon as I walked through the doors, I was surrounded by rows of beautifully arranged booths filled with furniture, glassware, quilts, artwork, old advertising, and every kind of vintage treasure you can imagine. It was one of those places where you simply want to slow down and look at everything.

As I made my way through the displays, I rounded a corner and stopped in my tracks. Before me were hundreds of glass bottles stretching across table after table. Clear, aqua, cobalt blue, amber—they caught the overhead lights like tiny pieces of stained glass.

The gentleman operating this selling area came over to talk with me as I stared in amazement at old bottles of every size, shape, and color.  He introduced himself as Joe Wood. He and his wife, Sandra, had traveled from Greensboro, North Carolina, and they both wore shirts that read “I Love Old Bottles.”

Mr. Wood explained that he had been collecting and loving old bottles since he was a very young boy.  The passion that he had for this specific type of vintage piece was apparent in his face and his voice.  He had a sparkle in his eye and a smile on his face that made me smile in return.   As he excitedly gave me a short tutorial on these amazing bottles his joy was contagious. By the time our conversation ended, I found myself appreciating old bottles in a way I never had before.

I told Mr. Wood I was specifically looking for glass inkwell bottles.  These little bottles bring an instant touch of charm to almost any vignette.  I am collecting items for a vignette I plan to create in my office using a very old typewriter, vintage typing paper, old wire glasses, a beautiful brass desk lamp, a vintage fountain pen, and florals (of course).  This inkwell bottle was my last Joy Finding List item.  It has taken a good bit of time and effort to collect all of these special treasures, but I know it will be worth it in the end. 

 Mr. Wood went straight to his inkwell bottles.  They weren’t in one particular area.  They were spread among the hundreds of bottles in front of me, but he was able to immediately pick them out for me.  I couldn't help but laugh. Out of hundreds of bottles, he knew exactly where every single ink bottle was.

As we talked, I asked where he and Sandra were from and how long it had taken them to set up at the show.  They had clearly done this many times before.  Mr. Wood explained that they carefully hand-wrap and unwrap every single bottle for their shows. 

I purchased three inkwell bottles and one cute little rusty, crusty tin.  I couldn't resist a tiny rusty tin that looked like it had been sitting on someone's workshop shelf for decades.  Two of the bottles still had their full labels and they were red ink bottles which I haven’t owned before.  The bottle with the lid even had a reddish hue to the glass, which I loved.

I was thrilled with my purchases, but the highlight of my day was meeting this sweet couple who shared such an obvious passion for one particular thing—old glass bottles.

As I continued wandering through the show, I realized that Joe and Sandra weren't all that different from the rest of us. Every vintage lover seems to have that one item that speaks to them a little louder than everything else.

One of the things I love most about decorating with vintage is that no two homes tell the same story. Some people fill their shelves with crocks. Others collect quilts, brass candlesticks, old books, or antique bottles.

For me, it's rolling pins.

Maybe it seems a little odd, but every time I find one with beautiful old wood and years of wear, I imagine the meals it helped create and the family that once gathered around it.  Every nick, scratch, and worn handle reminds me that these weren't made to sit on a shelf—they were part of someone's everyday life.

Those little connections across time are what make vintage decorating so special.

What’s your one thing?