Shop early and easy this year at tcgVINTAGEetc. With package delivery slower, start thinking about holiday gifting now – from mid-century collectibles to eccentric finds.
Repurposing vintage objects is a great way to create new stories from past stories – and make new memories. When looking for those special somethings to give for for the holidays, vintage gifts provide unique surprises to the recipient and show great inspiration from the givers.
This small sampling of collectibles from my Etsy shop, tcgVINTAGEetc, highlights mid-century vinyl LPs, rare creative books, digital travel ephemera, international shopping bags and other eclectic curios. Go vintage!
Vintage Accessories | Anthropologie Striped Gloves
Soft, sweet stripes and dusty pink rosettes make these vintage knit gloves from Anthropologie a very special treat. For those who like their gloves to make a statement – and fans of stripes, these gloves are perfect wear for the holiday season, and a lovely vintage accessory. The mix of lambswool and angora keeps cold hands warm for the winter.
Vintage Creative Resource Books | Design Annuals + Stock Photography
This visual trio of vintage design and photography reference books are great resources for creative ideas. These titles are special gifts for designers, illustrators and photographers collections.
Excellent, vintage design compendium featuring the top 100 best annual reports and creative talent resources from 1995. With high-quality printing and gorgeous photography, The AR100 is a work of art as a book form. It’s a beautiful addition to a design history library or a great learning tool for young designers and other creatives.
Stunning first issue and first US edition from the Japanese stock house Urbane, this rare 1990 Photonica No.1 book makes a very special gift for photographers and designers. Creative Director Tsuyoshi Kindaichi uses beautiful Japanese papers as accents and modern, minimal layouts to display hundreds of gorgeous stock photographs. Printed in Japan, the book is a wealth of inspired creativity.
Gorgeous vintage design compendium featuring the top 100 best annual reports and creative talent resources from the 1997 awards show. Like the AR100 10, this book displays beautiful design, photography and printing under the theme, Risk Reward. The AR100 Twelfth Annual Awards is a tactile work of art in book form. It’s a unique addition to a design history library or a great source of inspiration.
Vintage Eclectic Object | Carmen Miranda Feather Duster
Rare, kitschy Carmen Miranda Feather Duster is an eccentric collectible, guaranteed to bring on a smile. Beautifully conceived, it’s a splendid gift for the right person, or for yourself, and a lovely piece of display art. From 1985, this brightly painted ceramic figure has a hot pink, feathered-skirt and is artisan-made in a limited quantity.
Vintage Mexican Crafts | Mayan Calendar Limestone Plaque
Rustic and tactile, this vintage Mayan calendar plaque is natural stone and its neutral, traditional styling accents many décors. This lovely, handcrafted collectible tile is a perfect gift for those who like Mexican folk art – to display, or to use as a bookend or as a paperweight.
Vintage Travel Ephemera | Bhutan, Italy + Washington DC
My unique, vintage travel memorabilia has been scanned and curated into individual collections available as instant digital downloads. Choose rare ephemera from the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan or the beautiful travel ephemera of Italy or the unique tickets and passes from Washington DC. These packages make great gifts with an Etsy Gift Card, or download and print the images to create your own gift wrapping paper or scrapbooks to give as gifts.
From the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, more than 25 rare memorabilia images include Druk Air luggage ID and boarding pass; hotel and retail receipts printed on handmade Bhutanese paper; currency (paper and coins); currency conversion receipts, and more to print, and use creatively.
1980s/1990s Italy Travel Ephemera
Choose either Italy 1 or Italy 2 travel ephemera sets. From beautifully engraved museum stubs to local transportation tickets and more in set 1, to airline and sailing tickets, currency and more in set 2, these high-resolution images help you create unique holiday gifts.
American history fans and beltway junkies will love this vintage travel ephemera set of Washington DC. From 1988, when the 100th Congress was in session, the set includes admittance passes and metro stubs plus a few other goodies – for immediate download and ready to print. Ignite your imagination!
Vintage Kitchen + Barware | Bergdorf Goodman Bottle Opener
The height of style and luxury, this exclusive Bergdorf Goodman vintage bottle opener is the perfect gift for those who seek modern elegance. Sleek and minimal, this weighty kitchen or barware tool is from the brand’s iconic Fifth Avenue store, a New York City landmark. From the mid 1980s, and made in West Germany, this excellent curio makes a great retro housewarming gift or the perfect paperweight.
Vintage Shopping Bags | Sensation, Takashimaya, London’s V&A Museum
Fashionistas and fans of art history will love this selection of unique vintage shopping bags. Hard-to-find ephemera, retail bags remain a status symbol for collectors, and much-loved gifts.
Rare, promotional gift bag from the controversial art exhibition “Sensation.” Showing a collection of contemporary art owned by Charles Saatchi, the exhibit debuted in London and moved to the Brooklyn Museum. Some work generated protests over religious and other content. A perfect gift for art and memorabilia collectors, and a great bag for framing.
This unique triangle shopping bag epitomized the now-shuttered Fifth Avenue store in its heyday. Beautifully constructed and printed, this minimal design serves as an elegant paper sculpture and as a special gift.
With lovely color illustrations printed in full color front and back, this white gift shop bag has a bottom gusset for expansion. It was a great promotion for the museum’s exhibit, and makes an eclectic gift for Anglophiles, and fans of British collectibles from the 16th thru the late 18th centuries.
Vintage Tins | Decorative Collectibles
Vintage tins are a favorite among collectors. Great for storage or perfect as holiday gifts (with goodies inside), vintage tins have a lot of character and evoke a by-gone era.
Charming and rare, this large, collectible valise tin from the DiCamillo Bakery – famous for its yummy biscotti and other Italian dolci – is a beautifully illustrated, unique gift. Add sweets for a gift, or use as storage for home-baked goods. Easy carry with a ball-chain handle.
Excellent collectible tin from R. Paterson & Sons, Ltd. of Glasgow which made the world’s first instant coffee. This vintage tin shows the original label and makes a beautiful housewarming gift, filled with coffee, dolce or savory goodies.
Elegant, decorative tin from England displays beautiful illustrations of the original John Farrah's sweet shop along with period typography – full of character and history. Petite in size, great for storage (sweets!) or display, this is also a great housewarming gift.
Vintage Holiday Vinyl | Mid-century Trumpet or Choir Music
Get in the holiday spirit with these vintage holiday albums. These collectible LPs are a great addition for those who appreciate the rich sounds of vinyl.
For fans of trumpeter Al Hirt, here’s a great gift for enjoying a traditional, old-fashioned holiday season. Warm and upbeat covers include Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer and Sleigh Ride.
Led by choral director Ralph Hunter comes a joyous LP with unique arrangements that capture the spirit of holiday music for young and old. The LP cover includes sweet, holiday illustrations on the back – typical of the period. A perfect gift for listening or as décor – frame the cover.
Get great ideas and start shopping early – enjoy more holiday time. Check out more one-of-a-kind, vintage items in my Etsy shop.
Illustration and product shots: © 2021 Janet Giampietro
