Thrift shopping for vintage items has made quite a comeback in modern society. The status of second-hand shopping has escalated to a trend that mostly Generation Z and Millennial consumers have brought back into style, and, like the timeless color black, this style is here to stay.
The resurgence of thrifting has gained enough traction and popularity to sustain it as a lifestyle for the greater good of humanity. Many have jumped into this lifestyle, including Jocelyn Elizabeth, otherwise known within her vintage shopping community as the Crazy Lamp Lady. As a successful business owner selling vintage decor to customers around the world, the Crazy Lamp Lady dives deeper into what fueled the return of the thrift and vintage culture.
Decorating a New House with Old Things
Owning a home these days is not getting any cheaper, so homeowners are finding trendy ways to decorate their new abodes without breaking the bank. Taking on the thrill of the hunt that comes with the nature of vintage shopping adds to the fun of decorating a space. In addition, having to work with rolling unique and limited inventory in thrift stores or antique markets allows for a slower decorating process that stretches a dollar.
In one of her most recent videos posted on her YouTube channel, the Crazy Lamp Lady comes across three round, vintage, hooked rug stools at the Madison-Bouckville Antique Week in Central New York. She comments how she had encountered these types of stools before but was excited to find that they were not as dirty as ones she had seen. With that, she decides to buy all three stools, resells two through her Crazy Lamp Lady business, and keep one to decorate her own home.
The Brain Loves Nostalgia
As much as our brains like the thrill of the hunt, they are hardwired to crave nostalgia, too. National Geographic published an article highlighting how much the brain loves nostalgia. The article highlights how research discovered that a human’s sense of well-being can be boosted by nostalgia. The experience of nostalgia can also enhance creativity and inspiration and trigger the feeling of youth. Since the brain desires nostalgia, the joy of finding recognizable vintage pieces that spark nostalgic feelings adds more fuel to the thrift and vintage culture’s spreading wildfire.
At the Madison-Bouckville Antique Week, where the Crazy Lamp Lady found her three stools, she also came across Bluebirds of Happiness. The iconic glass figurine is an image more than one millennial can remember seeing perched in their grandparent’s home. For the past 37 years, more than eight million of these little glass bluebirds have been sold globally. Terra Studios decided to stop making glass bluebirds to help eliminate greenhouse gasses threatening the earth. Now, these birds symbolizing happiness can only be found at second-hand shops and vendors.
Shop for Good
Thrift and vintage culture is helping solve both environmental and social problems. Shopping at local thrift stores like Goodwill is not only good for your bank account but also good for humanity. Goodwill’s mission is to provide greater independence to those with disabilities or disadvantages by supplying training, employment, and supportive services. The Crazy Lamp Lady finds a lot of her treasures at thrift stores like Goodwill. She also searches through antique shows supporting small businesses and local mom-and-pop shops’ sustainability.
About Crazy Lamp Lady
Jocelyn Elizabeth, known as the Crazy Lamp Lady, owns an online business that sells vintage treasures to customers worldwide. She posts daily video content where she shares her many shopping adventures with her dedicated Facebook and YouTube audiences. When she’s not treasure hunting, she enjoys metal detecting and spending time with her children.