Vintage furniture market changes with the times

Palm Springs, which mainly buys in the United States, says that the local vintage market has changed significantly in the last few years.

Miwa: “We used to buy mainly in Los Angeles. The climate was nice and it was an easy place to put containers out. But we hardly go there anymore. The popularity of vintage in the U.S. has become so high that it has become a difficult place to buy. Even when we started, when we talked about doing this kind of business, people would say, `You're doing it now?' It was already a little late.”

Umihiko: "We were said, 'You can't make money doing that (laughs).'"

Miwa: "About 20 years ago, when secondhand clothing was in its prime, furniture didn't get much attention in the United States, and it was easy to buy. There's a lot of stuff, it's cheap, and it's easy to collect. However, as time passed, it became more antique and attracted a lot of attention. In about five years, the price has changed completely."

Umihiko: “Nowadays, furniture from the mid-century era is very popular in America, so prices are high.”

On display on the table is an Eames chair that the owner Umihiko likes the most.

Miwa: “About three years ago, we started going to Europe. Since we had been buying British furniture in the U.S., we knew in the back of our minds that there was such a thing, so we decided to go take a look. There are also some interesting European lighting products. Even if we are not in the U.S., we have been buying items from the mid-century period, as if it were a distribution map of the various countries and things connected by time periods. At the moment, I am mainly interested in Germany, Belgium, Holland, and France. I would also like to visit Italy, but it is difficult to go there because of the distance."

Umihiko: "After all, it's hard to drive by yourself when the distance is long. But in Europe, the roads are clean, the fuel consumption is good, and it's easy to drive."

Miwa "We're starting to go to Europe now, but I'm wondering where to go next. Purchases and sales are not stable, and it seems like we're still making a decision (laughs)."