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Now that retro furnishing is all the rage, everyone's got a prized second-hand possession. It's the vase or lamp or plate that they found in the local junk shop for a couple of bucks that indicates their inherent stylishness and bargain-hunting skills. But what do the dedicated collectors of retro, those individuals who've been doing retro for years and who actually shopped second-hand so much they had to start a business out of it, consider their best, most exciting treasure?
Charlotte Rust - Co-owner of Fast & Loose vintage clothing boutique
Her mum and dad's album covers, a typical teenage interest in the alternative and then time spent working at one of the country's leading fashion labels, Nom*D, where she would source vintage garments, were all contributing factors that led Rust to her current occupation.
Together with partner, Tony Downing, Rust owns vintage clothing boutique, Fast & Loose on K Rd. The store opened around four years ago when the former Dunedin residents moved to Auckland and saw a niche in the market. Now Rust, proud owner of a formidable vintage shoe collection, spends her days hand-picking second-hand garments that she can sell in the shop and says it's still the thrill of the chase that she enjoys most.
Retro treasure: Collecting clothes, I try to limit myself to things I will actually wear or something that has some sort of personal relevance. But shoes are different. You can never have enough shoes. And I think I've got about 100 pairs of shoes and boots, all vintage. Having said that I have to keep those well-edited too - otherwise I'll run out of room.
So I've picked two things. Firstly, a short-sleeved cropped, bolero jacket from the 20s in what they call an assuit style. Basically assuit means a silk netting with silver metal strips hammered into it in an art-deco style geometric design. You usually see it in shawls from that era. And this a favourite because of the intricacy of the work and the fact it was handmade. And also because it's just such a bargain and a rarity: it cost me $5 in an op shop in Mangere Bridge that's since closed. And if I sold it - which I never would - it's probably worth about $400.
And secondly, a pair of black suede and snakeskin Terry de Havilland platforms I got from the States. In the 70s he was the cobbler to the stars; he made shoes for people like Bianca Jagger, Marianne Faithful and David Bowie. He's actually relaunched his business in the past few years. I read that Miu Miu aped some of his shoes, which apparently gave him the impetus to re-launch.
Retro philosophy: Vintage shopping can be pretty random. When you're buying a collection for a fashion store from a supplier - or as an individual from a certain shop - you know what you're going to get. And you can expect a relative continuity from season to season. But when you're buying vintage there are never any guarantees. It all depends on what you find on the day. It's a challenge. But somehow you still end up pulling together a bunch of clothes with a fairly concise, overall feeling. And I think that makes it more unique and individual. You alone decide whether those strange pants or that green shirt is good, rather than someone dictating it to you.
Retro tips: Visit local op shops or vintage stores regularly because the stock is always changing.
Integrate vintage into your regular wardrobe by wearing one piece with newer garments - like a sequin top with new jeans. Or a new dress with vintage heels.
Because designers often get inspiration from the past, check out the fashion editorials in some good fashion magazines. Then scour the vintage shops for similar looks for a fraction of the price and a lot more individuality.
At the moment I think costume jewellery is a hot look and there are no size or fit issues. And finally, always treat your vintage clothing with respect. Even though it might not be perfect, I think the quirks and flaws are an important part of the charm.
Cameron Woodcock - Owner of Agnes Curran cafe and store
It's what he calls hunting and gathering and it's one of his favourite pastimes.
"I've always gone to the markets," Woodcock says. "I've always liked travelling around to see if you can find a bargain, or find something interesting in some odd junk shop. And anyway, originally I couldn't afford new things.
Combine the hunter-gatherer hobby with his job as a chef and you have the first flutter of the small but perfectly formed and adorably quaint cafe that is Agnes Curran, hidden away in its own leafy courtyard at the corner of Franklin and Ponsonby Rds, would eventually come to be.
The former chef says his cafe's shelves were initially just supposed to be stocked with retro items relating to food. "But it's evolved into more of a shop for decorative items too."
Also evolving has been the pursuit of the retro goodie; this dedicated collector has seen the retro business change.
"I think people have figured it out. It used to be that you could get good pieces for almost nothing, but I think that now everyone is well aware that whatever is hidden away at the back of their granny's cupboard might actually be worth something."
Retro treasure: I've collected lamp bases for ages but my favourite one is probably the Three Faces of Eve, a ceramic base made by Crown Lynn. It's just a beautiful sculptural-looking thing.
The other ones I collect are the old Maori ones made out of resin and plastic. I think they're just fantastic objects, a little bit tacky and very interesting. They go so well in a modern interior, they bring a little bit of personality into a room and they work by themselves or in conjunction with a lot of other stuff.
I've got maybe 30 or 40 of them. I have a little storage area in the house that's overflowing with them.
It's one of those things. Some would say I'm a little obsessive about these things - I have to get as many of them as possible and then one day I wake up and I don't need any more. At which stage I might take them up to the shop and sell some of them.
Retro philosophy: It's a bit cliched but I like the idea of mixing and matching, of old and new. I like the fact that you can take things that have been out of fashion and put them into a nice setting and all of a sudden they're very desirable again.
Retro tips: I always like what they call a harlequin set where you mix and match your crockery so it's not all the same pattern. These could be junk shop finds or something you've been collecting for a while, mixed with your new white dinner set from France.
I also really like old cake tins. Those heavy metal ones are the best and stand head and shoulders above any of the new ones. And I still love my Crown Lynn mixing bowls, the old weight of them. Nothing compares.
On the whole though I'd use older stuff for serving on and for dishing things up rather than cooking with - mainly because I like to keep the older things safe.
Benjamin Chow - Co-owner of Zeitgeist cafe and store
For Chow it all started with a gentle walk on a weekend morning.
"I started strolling through flea markets in Melbourne and I started to buy bits and pieces and all sorts of stuff without any direction. Because I've just always felt that old things have more character than new. And then one day," he explains, "I woke up and found myself in an Austin-Powers-inspired flat. Everything was plastic, nylon, vinyl and very shagadelic."
Upon moving to Auckland from Melbourne, Chow and a friend, Frank Bischoff, talked about starting a business; preferably something creative.
"And both of us had a background in hospitality so initially we thought a cafe would be the thing," Chow explains. "Slowly it's evolved into Zeitgeist Cafe and Retro. Now both of us love mixing our passion for retro design with the social aspect of the cafe."
Retro treasure: I have over the years started a number of collections - vases from a particular Australian manufacturer, Pates, which are really wacky, 70s-designed coffee and tea sets and prints by an early century Australian painter, Albert Namaljiar. But my true, all-time favourite collection that I have started together with Frank is the collection of prints from the iconic retro painter, Vladimir Trechikoff.
His reproductions would have been placed over every second mantelpiece in the world during the 50s and 60s. And between Frank and I, we have collected 19 magnificent prints. When we ran out of wall-space we lined them up on the floor along the corridor.
"Frank prefers the moody floral prints while I love the range of women Trechikoff painted in different shades of blue or green. And my current favourites are kind of a pair, two prints where Trechikoff finished painting the faces but left the background as a pencil drawing."
Retro philosophy: Unlike the mass-produced stuff, retro will never go out of fashion. And after a couple of years people who bought mostly new furniture will find that all their neighbours have the same stuff, that it's boring and predictable and worth nothing five minutes after you bought it.
Retro tips: When it comes to most electrical equipment, say a toaster, a sound system or a heater, I would always go for the new. Wouldn't like to burn the house down with a faulty retro appliance.
But when it comes to furniture, early or mid-century design is timeless. A vintage chair designed by Le Corbusier or any chair from Arne Jacobsen will forever be funky and will never lose its value. In fact it will probably gain in value.
If someone asked me how to start with retro furniture, I'd suggest visiting a couple of retro shops like Zeitgeist, buying some vintage interior-design magazines or books, watching old movies, iconic ones with Frank Sinatra, Doris Day or Steve McQueen - Bullit is a great one - to find out what you like. And then start with one room.
