The Allure of the Old, Discovering the Magic in Vintage Objects

[@memedavis4228]

I love antiques because they are reminders of authentic history. I always try to imagine how many people have touched the object before me. I like to think about the families who appreciated the craftsmanship and "preserved" it for me so that I could purchase it in this century and enjoy it just as much as they did.

[@rowenaphilbeck1919]

I’m drawn to old things mainly to keep our History alive so they won’t end up land fill. Also, the look is what I love as well. The cozy ness and the hard times they went through! Just have always been in my heart!!

[@AnneClay]

@@rowenaphilbeck1919 yes… keeping them out of the landfills is a great idea!!

[@whatsblooming]

Nostalgia

[@AnneClay]

@@whatsblooming I love that word… it’s so warm and cozy!

[@tomevans9681]

Anne, I am a lover of history and always have been fascinated by it. Specifically, American History from the colonial period. Even as a small child I always was obsessed with the pilgrims and the revolutionary period. All the stories of peoples lives and how they lived back then are so captivating to me. Old things bring such comfort to me. This was such a moving video. Thank you for sharing these beautiful memories and stories with us all. ❤

[@AnneClay]

@@tomevans9681 I knew we were kindred spirits Tom. Glad you enjoyed the video! Say hi to Dean!

[@bonniemiller9197]

I am drawn because of stories, stories they tell. Perhaps it fought in a battle, invented a new way to do something, made a new recipe for soup, told a story of a family and their journey or just spoke to the heart. These old things have their own voice and I love the song they sing.

[@AnneClay]

@@bonniemiller9197 how poetic… stories of the heart imprinted in the historical items we now carry.

[@bonniemiller9197]

@@AnneClay Well said, Anne, well said.

[@pammcneil-sh8rx]

Hi Anne, I’m drawn to the old things for the love of history and when I’m around my antiques I feel like I’m home and comforted by things in the past. It’s the simpler times. I wish I could go back In time to an easier and honest time. Thank you Anne for all your great videos.💕

[@AnneClay]

@@pammcneil-sh8rx hi Pam… that makes so much sense! We can pretend we are living in simpler times surrounded by our old things.

[@beverlyhasse8151]

Hi, Anne. I so love this last episode. I, too, feel a great connection to the past, to older things and people. I have such an appreciation for the items they found, made, borrowed and bought in order to survive day by day. I am not sure there is much of an appreciation for a day's hard, physical work, love of family, and of God and for each thing they had. It gives me hope that we too can survive if we have the fortitude.

[@AnneClay]

@@beverlyhasse8151 it’s true… I don’t think that the early people would ever have imagined what kind of lifestyle we would be living these days. They were very strong people.

[@gail-elizabethengland7853]

I love old houses, antiques and the stories they tell. They have such personality and charm. Everything in my home has a story. I now live in a little lake side cottage in the mountains of VT. While it's not that old, built in 1930 for a local family that wanted a summer cottage, it was known as the house where everyone would gather. When I first bought it, I was invited to dinner at the home of an elderly man whose family owned it in the 40's, 50's and 60's when this lake was the town swimming hole. He said that when children got hungry, they'd knock on the door and be fed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some chocolate milk. Adults spent their summers here relaxing, and the house was filled with laughter and friendship...it still is. There is a joyful, peaceful, magical quality to this place, everyone who spends time here leaves feeling healed in some way. (I'm loving reading what others have written. Thanks for being the catalyst to get this community to open up. Blessings to you dear Anne.)

[@AnneClay]

@@gail-elizabethengland7853 you’re home sounds amazing!!! Thanks for sharing this story!! ❤️

[@laurievoelker9005]

I just feel a connection.

[@AnneClay]

@@laurievoelker9005 is it with all old things or just certain items?

[@laurievoelker9005]

@AnneClay Others said it well. They feel like home. Mostly items that have purpose. I imagine who opened a dresser drawer, looked into a mirror, filled a jug with water.

[@AnneClay]

@ great imagination!

[@MikeDensmore-q4k]

Hi Ann, comforting I think is the main reason.

[@AnneClay]

@@MikeDensmore-q4k love it.

[@juliefahrne9094]

I loved your stories. I cant say its been one thing i was ever drawn to. When i left home i never had new anything for my home, everything was given to me by friends and family. Ive always cherrished old opossed to anything new. I never really had a style. I did call it early American salvation army. Lol Then i married a man whose family left us many antiques. I will always cherish the memories of those that were keepers of the items i now have.

[@AnneClay]

@@juliefahrne9094 I started out early Salvation Army too and benefited from being at just the right age when all my grandparents were breaking up their homes.

[@annshanks5862]

I feel so at ease around old things! Such a calm feeling. I love the history of it. And wonder whose hands touched it before me. I feel like I'm the next keeper...not owner.

[@AnneClay]

@@annshanks5862 I love that. I feel that way about my house… keeper. I think it’s interesting how old things calm many of us down.

[@barbaradzitko1826]

Certainly I have some old things and things of sentimental value that evoke memories of people, places, and things that are/were a part of my life, but to me travelling - both domestically and abroad - to visit historical sites and famous places is what really helps me to connect. I revel in how these places make me feel and how they make me think of all the people who had been there before me.

[@AnneClay]

@@barbaradzitko1826 I love that! What was your favorite place to go?

[@barbaradzitko1826]

In the US my favorite will always be CW because I love that era. Abroad it's definitely London as I am a real anglophile. Happily I got to make a return trip with my daughter and her family so I could share my enthusiasm with my grandson and granddaughter. Thanks for your interest, Anne. See you next time.

[@AnneClay]

@ thanks for sharing Barbara!

[@lindafarella220]

I'm drawn to older things because they remind me of my family. Most of my close family are gone now but I can look at the things that have belonged to my family and remember those people and the memories and heritage that we shared. Also, it reminds me of a simpler life and time when life in general seemed easier in many ways. Don't get me wrong--I'm grateful for all of the progress we've made to make everyday life easier but sometimes I just miss those good old days!

[@AnneClay]

@@lindafarella220 I totally get it! My favorite time in our home is when we lose power and have to sit by candle light and cook in the hearth. It just feels more peaceful.

[@suzanne9204]

It makes everyone feel at home ❤

[@AnneClay]

@@suzanne9204 that’s so true!

[@CreedClan-t4c]

Old things bring me comfort and offer a connection to the past. My parents were collectors and collecting brings me closer to them even though they are now passed ❤

[@AnneClay]

@ that’s always nice to have a connection that surpasses time and life.

[@dellahayden5606]

Because I’m an old soul ☺️🙏✨

[@AnneClay]

@@dellahayden5606 my daughter is an old soul too! You are wonderful people.

[@dellahayden5606]

@ thank you 😊

[@kathyday9066]

I don’t know why, but I do find it to be very comforting.

[@AnneClay]

@@kathyday9066 ❤️

[@donnareed7706]

Thank you Anne. I am so drawn to old things also. It is deep in me to visit antique places wherever I go. I feel comfortable surrounded by antiques. Enjoyed this video.

[@AnneClay]

@@donnareed7706 I’m so glad Donna. You can see we’re all in good company.

[@deewojciechowski2202]

Anne, I enjoyed this video. I understand the emotion you felt when you first saw your home. I'm still waiting to find my New England 18th century saltbox! I've collected many antiques over the years and sometimes when I touch an old quilt or hold a worn wooden bowl I am moved to tears. I love your long ladle/scoop.with it's repair. It's a lovely piece.

[@kellylassen6769]

I've always been told that I have an old soul. I like to think of the stories behind an old piece sitting in my home. I get caught up in simplicity of this type of decorating. Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong time. Lol Thank you, Anne for an awesome video!

[@AnneClay]

@@kellylassen6769 wouldn’t it be fun to be able to go back in time?

[@missbonimeduridesidns1793]

Hi Anne, I am so drawn to how ppl lived in the past. My family was very old-fashioned. Pa Dutch. Only a water pump in the kitchen. We lived in the foundation of our home for 7 years before we built the house. Talk about pretty primative. I'm so thankful.

[@AnneClay]

@@missbonimeduridesidns1793 wow … PA Dutch… we spent our honeymoon in Amish country because we loved the peaceful environment and the food.

[@missbonimeduridesidns1793]

@AnneClay that's so cool! That's my idea of a vacation.

[@elletea9175]

I like old things because I like things that make me feel things. There is something haunting about an antique. I want to know the story to an antique. It’s emotional for me.

[@AnneClay]

@@elletea9175 the word haunting is an interesting one.

[@rosemeyer5764]

I love old things because they speak to me. I’ve been collecting antiques since 1980, and I love the “thrill of the hunt”.

[@AnneClay]

@@rosemeyer5764 that thrill of the hunt calls loudly doesn’t it?

[@rosemeyer5764]

@ Oh so loud!

[@AnneClay]

@ lol

[@debraadamsadams6955]

I am drawn to a very old Era because it feels peaceful, and a period in time we already know what is going to happen, no worrying about the future. It's good you know who the old owners are. Old items are just beautiful.

[@AnneClay]

@@debraadamsadams6955 oh that’s a perspective I never thought about… there’s no mystery in history.

[@cindyk4294]

I love these things because it makes me feel at home… it’s where I belong.

[@AnneClay]

@@cindyk4294 love that Cindy!

[@NinaPeery]

My mother inherited family antiques from before the civil war, and I was raised in a home decorated with these items. History, beauty, family - love it all.

[@AnneClay]

@@NinaPeery oh wow!! That’s amazing!!

[@travsgardenstravshauntedya1998]

You hit the nail on the head about why we decorate! Wow the stories you told about your home and dads cap give me chills, and left me teary eyed. I love old things and primitives i guess because of how they look. i love the woods, and the rich colors. I habe always been drawn to rust and chippy paint. I feel like older things are timeless and have greater value. I dont really know i just always liked the prim and early American look, i always been drawn to it since i was a kid

[@sewmanyprimitives]

I fell in love in third grade w Little House in the Big Woods. I learned to sew and made long skirts from my grandmothers recycled shirtwaist dresses. The fascination never ended… I’m now 67 and my home is filled w old things.❤

[@AnneClay]

@@sewmanyprimitives I LOVE it!!! That’s so clever!!

[@lindacrowe8428]

I love old things. Especially wood and glass. My entire home is filled with family items. I also collect art glass. I call it thrift store. 😊decor.

[@AnneClay]

@@lindacrowe8428 wow. Wood and glass. Is there any certain color of glass or just glass in general?

[@lindacrowe8428]

@AnneClay 🙂..glass in general. I have several Murano and Czech pieces and also opalescent hobnail. My grandfather was a physician and I have his medical bookcase. He graduated from medical school in 1909. It has glass doors and skeleton locks. I use it for display .

[@AnneClay]

@ sounds lovely.

[@KerrieMcAtee]

I am drawn to old things because they remind me of my family

[@AnneClay]

@@KerrieMcAtee that’s a really sweet reason.

[@karenjones8738]

I’ve always been drawn to old things, even as a child I loved history. Especially family history. This has helped me to learn who I am and comforts me as I grow older. 🥰

[@AnneClay]

@@karenjones8738 that’s wonderful. I remember in HS I thought history was so boring..,, boy was I wrong. It was just my teacher probably.

[@lyndarahenkamp7366]

For the love of history and preserving articles and ways of the past i have been an antique dealer/lover for 60 years and to and touch things that have been used loved and treasured by those before us gives me a warm feeling. If antiques could talk what a story they could tell. Also family items of old keep their memories Alive and keep those people close

[@AnneClay]

@@lyndarahenkamp7366 you have probably come across many amazing pieces in all those years Lynda!

[@monikamerritt1674]

Thank you for this sweet video- I loved hearing all the wonderful details of every story you shared with us. My Daddy had the same hat as yours and it made me smile thinking about him❤️ I came to appreciate and love primitives later in my life. I love wood pieces and really appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making these beautiful pieces. Hugs, Monika

[@AnneClay]

@@monikamerritt1674 aw I bet those Harris Tweeter caps were all the rage for the old guys:) I’m glad you enjoyed the video!🥰

[@risapaynter]

I think of people who loved these things enough to keep them. I feel like I’m protecting History.

[@AnneClay]

@@risapaynter oh yes!! That’s a great mission!

[@awyomingprairiewife.8385]

Gives me a feeling of cozy. So much more character than modern furniture, and decor.

[@AnneClay]

@@awyomingprairiewife.8385 yes old things are so cozy!

[@mariewiland9697]

I have always loved history, but my grandmother was a big influence in my life and she always had them. I have periods of history I am drawn to

[@AnneClay]

@@mariewiland9697 which periods?

[@mariewiland9697]

@AnneClay i tend to lean to colonial periods with a little civil war period thrown in.

[@sandravokes7330]

They tell a story and that feels comforting to me.

[@AnneClay]

@@sandravokes7330 l like that idea

[@elizabethh1815]

It reminds me of “home.”😊

[@AnneClay]

@@elizabethh1815 isn’t home a wonderful word?

[@carolcalicott1464]

👍🏻👍🏻❤️🇺🇸I am drawn to the hand craft and care put into making the old/ original items. Besides feeling like I belonged to those years more than these years…

[@AnneClay]

@@carolcalicott1464 do you watch time travel shows too? I always want to go back in time.

[@carolcalicott1464]

@ I loved the outlander books!

[@AnneClay]

@ so good right??!

[@debbriggs5811]

I love them becuz of the comfortable, cozy, feeling it gives me. The uniqueness, the smells, the history. It's from a more simple time, a time of togetherness, yet a tough time of survival with appreciation for others and life. I love that cap. My dad had a cap like that and wish I had his cap today. Omg, your pics are so adorable Ann! ❤

[@AnneClay]

@@debbriggs5811 I love that time of “togetherness” community! Aw and thanks… my little chunky baby self haha

[@jackhanson3235]

I’m intrigued by old things by the thought that our ancestors use to live-survive with them, they were also made by hand and can’t be duplicated .

[@AnneClay]

@@jackhanson3235 that’s true… they are each unique and can’t be duplicated! That’s probably why I can’t pass up a tavern table… no two alike.

[@mustangmama-]

The day my son (28 at the time)was going into surgery for cancer I was a hot mess. They brought him back into his room and when he was waking up he said Mom don't cry Grandma (my Mom who died 15yrs earlier) was with me. I said to the nurse he must really be out of it. She told me they sensed a presence in the operating room he was in. Once he was fully awake he told me something that only my Mom and I knew. I left the room, bawled and thanked her.......... They never leave us. Anne your Dad was there.........

[@AnneClay]

@@mustangmama- wow… I have chills!

[@debby891]

I’m drawn to old things because they have a history of those before us, things that have withstood time, the warmth and coziness of it🤎🤎

[@AnneClay]

@@debby891 it’s so interesting to think about that precious history!

[@pattydenton8373]

I'm drawn not only for the history, but the stories these old objects tell. With each item I buy I wonder who had it before me. If only they could talk what would I learn of those who came before me

[@AnneClay]

@@pattydenton8373 wouldn’t that be great if these objects could tell us where they’ve been and who they’ve been with? And tell us secrets of What they’ve seen through their history.

[@judymelchert3966]

It was a simpler time anp people appreciated what they had. I'm sentimental and like the history of items

[@AnneClay]

@@judymelchert3966 it’s true.. they had pretty much nothing and they didn’t sit around wanting more… because nobody had anything so they made do.

[@bluebird8224]

My oldest sister first introduced me to antiques when I was a young teenager back in the 60's. I had never heard the word before! We went to Williamsburg, VA and there was an antique shop on the way -- I think it was in a lady's house, as many were back then. There was an antique wall telephone for sale for $40 and I thought it was so beautiful -- I always wanted one but never got one. I wondered why everybody didn't buy one, but of course I had no idea about money back then, as I was only a child. My sister and other family members generated enthusiasm about antiques over the years, but it wasn't until recently that I had the luxury of actually shopping for vintage. I was helping a needy lady every week out in the country and did a lot of driving, so I decided I wanted to do something for myself for a change, and started stopping at the Goodwill on the way home. First I looked for something yellow, because I didn't have any yellow. Then I experimented with more colors and materials. I bought a lot of solid colored vases to unify the wide variety of items in my vignettes at first. When I was a child, my Father would get old magazines from people who were ready to pass them on and I loved looking at the floor plans. Back then, they had floor plans in the Sunday newspaper and that was the first thing I looked at as a child. I doodled floor plans at school and college because it was fun. I always liked interior decorating and would spend hours in the library at college looking at home and garden magazines. When we went to visit people, the ladies usually had a stack of home and garden magazines which I loved to look at. The turning point in my "career" was when I learned the word "vignette" in connection with antiques. My sister had bought a really old house in another state and I spent some time with her after she was widowed and we went around to a lot of antique shops. I again looked up how to decorate with antiques and found some wonderful pictures of vignettes. One picture in particular shows a vignette with little signs pointing to the different types of items you could include: Anchor point, something tall, accent lighting, art, flowers, objects of interest, books, tray, trinket box, and mini-vignettes that add to the larger vignette. HOW I CREATE PHOTO-READY VIGNETTES... A Glass of Bovino. I worked in Day Care and the lead teachers would rotate decorations, bulletin boards, library books, etc. for each month. They had a box to keep the items in, and lesson plans to go along with them. For a long time I wanted to have a box for each month, and finally I was in a position to do that. It is wonderful! I can have Dutch style and tulips for April, English style and tea sets for May, Nautical style and boats for June, Americana and pewter for July, Mexican and tropical island for August, Back to school and Mediterranean grape harvest for September, Eastern European for October, Native American and hunting season for November, Oriental style for January, and French style for February. A vignette on one piece of furniture is something my brain can comprehend and rotate, without decorating one whole room. The 1920's sideboard, and 1920's mantel are the starting point, and I go on from there. I don't have to paint a whole room. Every vignette goes with the whole room because the walls, rugs and curtains are somewhat neutral. I even switch out pictures sometimes. I love your videos and always look forward to them! Thanks for sharing. .

[@AnneClay]

@@bluebird8224 wow!! Your vignettes sound magical!!! And I love the little changes that make a big impact!! Thank you for sharing!!❤️

[@heartofdixie3162]

My grandparents who were born 1900 and 1906 taught me history is meaningful. History of family and heirlooms. I have numerous items handed down. So antiques have stories to tell if you silently listen and admire.

[@AnneClay]

@@heartofdixie3162 that’s beautiful. I love to hear their stories!

[@debby891]

Thank you for honoring him❤. Wow, what an amazing story about your dad and the cap…meant to be🙏

[@AnneClay]

@@debby891 I am thrilled to be able to honor him! And yes, that cap story is wild!

[@maureenkot8569]

They are comfy, cozy, warm. I have always had a love for old things.

[@AnneClay]

@@maureenkot8569 comfy and warm… good words!

[@marycampbell5568]

Good memories with my grandparents, who were born respectively 1902 and 1905

[@AnneClay]

@@marycampbell5568 grandparents can be the best!

[@miknosilanooram]

This has been a very interesting, personal video. I have enjoyed it very much. I have always been drawn to old things ever since I was a very little girl. Across the street where I grew up an older lady who lived in the Victorian house there, had an antique shop attached to her house. I must have been about 4 or 5 and I was allowed to go over to see it. Mother dressed me up in a fancy dress and I remember my breath was taken away by all the beautiful old crystal and antique furniture. I had longed to go in there for so long and my wish came true! I also remember asking my grandma to get the old ancestry photos out from her closet and tell me about the people in the pictures. I also asked her to tell me all about when she was a girl and about her dating Pop and when they got married. I have the box of old photographs and a lot of grandma and Pop's heirlooms. I think I just want to go back into the past for a little while and experience it. That's why I love old things.

[@AnneClay]

@@miknosilanooram this was so interesting! I love that your mom got you all dressed up and you got to go over to the antique shop. That’s precious! Thanks for sharing!

[@michelecanfield9184]

Anne, I am drawn to old thing because they last. If something has lasted 80+ years in someone else's home; then it's ok to come into my home

[@AnneClay]

@@michelecanfield9184 thats true. I have to laugh when I go to history museums and they don’t want you to touch the antiques and we have older things in our home that we use.

[@Elisabeth-zi8ww]

I personally think I'm reincarnated, as I truly believe I was born in the 1750's and witnessed first hand the birth of this beautiful nation. So drawn to New England and Virginia, as these are my favorite vacation destinations, the selection of museum's and fine antique shops are always a must. My grandmother was born in New London CT, 1896 and her family for generations before that, a strong tie for sure..stay safe Anne, from Arizona 🌵

[@AnneClay]

@@Elisabeth-zi8ww that’s beautiful Elisabeth. Alice and I always say that too.

[@Elisabeth-zi8ww]

@@AnneClay P.S. Received your Paul Smith Palmer canvas today, it's perfect hanging above a Jelly Cupboard that I just purchased from Pennsylvania...the description of the canvas was spot on..

[@jodyfleming3805]

Since I can remember I have always loved history! The every day tasks and tools always intrigued me. I loved that someone used something for a specific purpose and that could create a special patina. I think about whose hands used these things…

[@AnneClay]

@@jodyfleming3805 oh yes! It’s so fascinating to think about that!

[@debbratefft3813]

I feel like I'm an old soul, the house I live in was built 1810. I dreamed about owning thus house when I was 11 years old ! I knew the elderly couple who lived here , and actually started cleaning for them every Saturday morning for many years. And in my mind I felt like it was my home...

[@AnneClay]

@@debbratefft3813 wow!! That’s so interesting! It was totally built for you!

[@debbratefft3813]

@AnneClay I feel I'm the care taker of this home , I'm very much in love with it 😍

[@barbarasimmons7637]

Anne, you really have me thinking about the why! I have always !oved old things. As a young child my parents took me to visit a friend of theirs who decorated in the"EarlyvAmerican" style. We went there often so I could see their things. Now my own home is full of old things or things that have that look. I still don't know the why, it feels like there is just something deep inside me that pulls me this way. Thank you so much for your wonderful videos!

[@AnneClay]

@@barbarasimmons7637 hi Barbara! Yes it’s really interesting to try to figure out the why isn’t it? Maybe in the next few days you’ll have a deeper insight. Sounds like part of you “why” is a feeling of nostalgia for the good memories that you have by visiting your parent’s friend and maybe just those memories of being a child. Everything feels magical when you’re little and you have a new experience. I remember a barn party in Vermont when I was about 8. Ever since then I love a good barn party!

[@lindafrederick4250]

👍♥️♥️

[@AnneClay]

@@lindafrederick4250 ❤️

[@ANNATYSINGER]

I’m draw to anything old really rugs candlesticks lighting furniture some houses quilts are a favorite but no one around me see or understands my love for the older stuff I love history and old places as well I would love to visit the Amish country I have ask my son to visit PA with me but of course he doesn’t understand why 😢

[@AnneClay]

@@ANNATYSINGER at least you know why.

[@robinrhea6125]

They are far better quality, character, personality, etc,etc etc...than the pieces that are built today

[@AnneClay]

@@robinrhea6125 that is so true!!! Superior in every way!

[@kathypeterson526]

I have always felt I belong in an earlier time.

[@AnneClay]

@@kathypeterson526 I wonder if the people that lived in that early time felt that they belonged in an earlier time too. Hmm

[@Patricia-ii9md]

Better made. Not pressed fake woods, plastics, synthetic fibers & ugly dyes. No Quality.

[@AnneClay]

@@Patricia-ii9md yes the real deal… solid wood

[@ANNATYSINGER]

I think I’m just an old soul My mom use to ask me this question! She didn’t like old things at all but she said it was because that all she had growing up But to me the older the better 🩷 It reminds me of my Grandmother and she was my best friend I don’t have a lot of old things but only because I can’t afford them but if I could I would have a place just like yours

[@ANNATYSINGER]

That spoon is a piece of art But to a lot of folks it’s just an old big spoon that’s means nothing

[@AnneClay]

@@ANNATYSINGER it’s special that you were so close to your grandmother. I was close to mine too.

[@AnneClay]

@@ANNATYSINGER so true!