I kept my distance from antique stores for the longest time. There’s no good reason for my avoidance. It was probably because my adolescent mind equated “old” to “boring” (sorry, old people). But after visiting the Camden Merchants Cooperative a few times in the past year, I’m starting to get it.
My obsession with journalism and gadgetry is starting to translate into this yearning for artifacts of yesteryear. When I’m at the co-op, I love looking at typewriters and copies of Downeast Magazine from decades ago. And to abstract from my love for journalism and its products a little more, I just love typography in general — no matter what the medium. It can be something as simple as the labels on old medicine bottles.
I find the labels so much more fascinating than the aesthetic of modern consumer products. The designs on these petty items seem so deliberate, and it’s probably the reason these bottles are priced several times their original value without their original contents intact.
Another interesting object I found at the co-op was this Swedish phone from the 1930′s. It’s priced around $130, and yes, it still works. My girlfriend and I agreed if we made more money, we would open a landline just for the purpose using it.
Last but not least from my small collection of findings: two typewriters. I don’t even know if I could tolerate using these for everyday purposes, but I love the way they look — especially the paper that absorbs its ink. It’s too bad I’m a poor college student right now. Otherwise, I would decorate my apartment with these and everything else from this blog entry.
As you can tell, I haven’t updated the blog since I proclaimed its rebirth. I’m hoping that will change over winter break, especially since I realized my smartphone doubles as a decent point-and-shoot. Happy holidays, everyone.
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