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Meet the Vintage Vendors behind Edinburgh fair A Spoonful of Vintage

Written by
Dawn Kofie
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Dotty about all things mid-century, Ian Hughes and Helen Monaghan, also known as the Vintage Vendors, have been purveyors of the period's ceramics, glassware and homeware since 2011. The Edinburgh-based pair also organise seasonal vintage fairs A Spoonful of Vintage, so we had a chat with Helen about the couple's love affair with stylish, postwar pieces.

What attracts you to the mid-century design aesthetic?
'I love how contemporary it still looks - particularly the furniture. It's all about the legs, the lovely tapered legs, that you find on so much of the furniture. And textile designs by the likes of Lucienne Day and Robert Stewart are still being reproduced today and influencing new designers. Equally, if you go to John Lewis, a lot of the furniture has that mid-century aesthetic, but it's a lot more expensive. I think that the quality of the workmanship in an original piece is far superior.'

How did the Vintage Vendors start?
'About 15 years ago we were given a 1950s kitchen dresser which sparked our interest. We started collecting ceramics and it grew into an obsession! Because we'd amassed a lot of things, we decided to sell some of the early purchases to make room for new additions. We took part in a Funk Fair in November 2011 and then decided to organise our own. The first one took place at Spoon in April 2012.'

How have things changed since then?
'I think that we've seen a resurgence since high street shops like John Lewis and companies like made.com began to reproduce this style. That means prices go up due to demand, so it's getting harder to find things. But that's the challenge! So we're off to Germany and Sweden to scour the flea markets and it's something that we love doing.'


Do you ever see a piece of contemporary homeware and think, 'I love that, but it won't go with all our other stuff?'
'We have items by Orla Kiely, MissPrint and MiniModerns, and they complement our flat really well. We recently moved to a 1958 flat in Portobello and have spent the last year doing it up. We sourced, and reintroduced, a 1960s parquet floor which originally came from a school in Wrexham. It looks amazing in the flat, as though it's always been there.'

So how do you decide who gets to sell their wares at A Spoonful of Vintage?
'We hand-pick our sellers to make sure that they're authentic vintage traders. So the focus is on quality and there are no reproductions. We search out art dealers, mid-century furniture and also people who sell vintage clothes - their stock ranges from 1920s-1970s.'

There are lots of vintage fairs in Edinburgh. What makes yours different?
'I think the quality of our traders sets it apart. For our next fair, which will take place in Stockbridge, we'll also have music from Tojo, a legend on the rockin' scene, and a pop-up cafe too. We're passionate about mid-century, so I think that shines through.'


What are the best, and worst, things about running a vintage fair?
'The best thing is meeting new people and fellow traders, and passing on objects that we've owned, and also each piece's history. We love sharing our knowledge and introducing mid-century items to new audiences.

We especially like the challenge of bringing back items from Europe in our luggage (which sometimes means small tables and shelves). But a lot of 1950s coffee tables have screw in legs, so that's very handy for us.

The worst thing is bubble wrapping everything up at the end of the day, that’s when you wish you just sold jewellery. Because we sell ceramics, glassware and homeware we’re always the last to leave!'

A Spoonful of Vintage, Saturday September 26. Stockbridge Parish Church, Saxe Coburg Street, 10.30am-4.30pm. Entry £1, children free.

Looking for more vintage shopping? Here are six great vintage and second-hand fairs in Edinburgh.

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