Strolling, virtually, through Etsy the other day, I found myself charmed by these clever cards — until I discovered that these were recycled cards. Then I was consumed by my interior dialog, a conversation that I continually have with myself about repurposed, recycled things. A conversation which goes a little something like this:

“Oh, I want those!”

“You could make them… You have tons of vintage magazines laying around…”

“Oh, no you can’t buy them! And you won’t make them either! Those are made by destroying vintage things!”

“But look how neat they are… The magazines are in bad shape anyway — wouldn’t it be better to put them to actual use? Let them be enjoyed somehow?”

“OK, practical girl, if you’re so tough, how come the last time you took out the vintage magazines and the scissors you nearly burst into tears? You know it’s a sin to cut old paper, or alter anything vintage. So stop this foolishness.”

I really put my foot down there. But I still want it.

And the conversation, the Crafter Vs. Collector debate, is never over; it’s merely put off until the next time I spy some cool recycled vintage works.

This time, staring at these recycled cards, I decided to do something about it. No, I wasn’t any braver with the scissors, but I contacted Matt Stinchcomb at Etsy. Determined to end this debate, at least for myself, I asked for Matt to put me in touch with some of the folks who have the guts, the gall, to recycle, repurpose or otherwise alter vintage items.

With the help of Etsy’s Matt (and Erin Swartz), I connected with seven crafty devils at Etsy with the purpose of asking them some direct questions.

First, I needed to find out if any of them were collectors themselves. (Did they appreciate the items they were working with?)

Interestingly, all of them do collect — even if they do not call themselves collectors. (Perhaps they rationalize? *wink*) Those that did call themselves collectors, credit their collecting with the start of their crafting.

Elizabeth, who handcrafts jewelry with vintage and antique typewriter keys, started out selling finished keys to other crafters, then the design bug took over and she started making jewelry myself. This work has only given her a deeper appreciation for typewriters — and added to her collection. “I have had certain times that I thought twice about removing keys because the machine was beautiful. In that case I kept the machine in my collection.”

Cat, of the Etsy shop Artsy, says, “I create art assemblage sculptures with vintage kitchenware, clocks, cameras, poolballs etc, basically I collect what I love and eventually the pieces come together.”

Cat also added, “I wouldn’t call myself a collector now tho most of my sculptures have been the result of my favorite collections from the past merging into artwork. One day I realized if I stacked them just right they came to life. They’ve been coming to life ever since and I now have a shortage of vintage bowls in my kitchen.”

And she’s not the only one whose collection is literally being replaced by their creations. Charles, who makes electric lamps from reclaimed objects, says, “I’m not a collector, but I have always been an accumulator of random junk; fortunately the lamp-making has been a way to use some of the stuff. The first lamp was an old blowtorch I had acquired somewhere and I wanted to make it useful. It was good to look at but just taking up space until I made it a touch-activated lamp that I could use in the house. Then I made some other lamps out of things like an old Coleman stove gas tank and an old Svea camp stove, and I sold a few things. I have made stuff off and on since then.”

Others started crafting for more economical, environmental or other practical reasons.

Tia, whose charming recycled cards I’d spotted, says life as a military wife is what started her crafting. “I’m a military wife, so I go where he goes. And where he goes, landed me in Texas, thousands of miles away from my friends and family. I didn’t have the Internet, and I didn’t have a home phone. I relied on good old fashioned snail mail. I started playing with paper. I was buying scrapbooking supplies at the local craft store, which was satisfying for a short while, but became annoying in no time. My work wasn’t unique enough, the colors were ugly, and wow did I have a lot of leftover scrap paper flooding our apartment. I found a bag of vintage mail at the local flea market, and haven’t looked back. Once I had my first daughter in august of 2006 that i turned into a health freak/ environmentalist.”

Kaite, of KatinkaPinka, also began for practical reasons. “When I was about 14 years old I started collecting vintage dresses and textiles. Shortly thereafter I started altering them and deconstructing them into new clothes for myself — it sprang from a need for clothes that actually *fit* me, for by that age I’d already hit five foot eleven inches tall and nothing commercially made ever fit me properly. Plus, I wanted clothes that nobody else had. My mom and granny both taught me how to sew when I was young and my mom always took me along on her *junking* jaunts to flea markets and antique stores, so I was exposed to a lot materials and styles that no one else my age was really into — and i loved that. It always felt really great to walk into school wearing something crazy that I had made or altered… That feeling of satisfaction from people saying, ‘Oh where did you get that?!’ is what encouraged me to keep making my own stuff.”

Because they all seemed to respect ‘old things’ including the items they modified or recycled, I told them how when I tried to create my first altered book, I began to sweat just bringing the scissors near the vintage paper. I just couldn’t do it. How could they?!

So I asked them all if when they first began creating did they have such problems or any reservations about altering/harming the original items.

Tia: Me too! I held a strangers mail in one hand, and a pair of scissors in the other hand, and just kind of stared at the combination with fear. But if I didn’t make the first cut, then who would? So I did. And then another, and then another. Next came photographs. That was even worse. The part of me that watches shows like Ghost Hunters and World’s Most Haunted thought that if I made the wrong move, I’d be haunted for life. Well, I’ve cut apart 100’s of pictures, and we haven’t had any self-stacking chairs or floating objects yet.

I see your side of things too though. Sometimes I don’t cut into that piece of paper, or I don’t glue onto that hard surface, because what if someone could use it for something else? I mean, they’re not going to be able to do anything with it while its sitting on my craft table, but, if they did have it, they could use it! I get over it pretty quickly though!

Pauliina (who not only creates items herself, but is the leader of Etsy’s “Team Trash”): No. Usually I see in the items what they are going to turn into; it’s a big flow, and they really end up something a lot nicer than the originals. Recently however, there has been some cases where I have end up spoiling the original and not creating anything nice – that’s very disappointing. I tell myself I need to plan better and be more careful, and restrict the flow of creativeness a bit.

Charles: I have not had reservations like that, but I haven’t dealt with anything that was really “vintage” or an “antique.” The materials I most often use are things you might find in the trash, things that are abandoned, things that are industrial surplus or castoffs, or things that are commonplace and simply were not meant to be used the way I use them.

Cat: It doesn’t bother me to alter the objects, in fact it makes me really happy. If it’s possible I always keep them functional. All my camera robots still take photos, you look a little silly taking pictures but they work. Most of the highly collectable stuff I use like Fiestaware is flawed already and not desirable to collectors. I wouldn’t buy a $100 item and put legs on it. A lot of the stuff I use would be trashed by an antique dealer because of imperfections.

Elizabeth: I didn’t think twice about it in the beginning. Now that I am more familiar with the market, I save certain typewriters for myself, but overall I don’t have a problem with it.

Kaite: I’ve always hesitated before I rip into something or start to take it apart. A lot of times, especially with old jewelry, I want to just set it out and admire it with all it’s little broken, chipped, or rusty/patina-ed bits… But I know that I can make something useable and wearable that someone will enjoy for another several decades… I like giving new life to things so they can continued to be enjoyed and worn. But I do always have to take a deep breath before I cut into something… That never changes.

Carla (of Etsy’s Repurpose Shop): Oh yes! My first cut was a vintage tablecloth that was soft and worn and beautiful… except of course for the huge stain on one side of it. It was beyond the usual “put a huge bowl of flowers over it and call it a day” damaged. My options were to fold it up and store it, pulling it out on occasion to touch it or enjoy the bright colors and beautiful simple design or to think outside of the box. At first it seemed like a very risky move to cut this incredible piece. But I think that things being used is what brings out their true beauty. So I took a deep breath and made that first. The finished product was better than I could have imaged. And a big plus is that many collectors shy away from items that are worn or stained because their less than pristine state doesn’t fit their criteria for collecting. I can buy whatever strikes my fancy and if a stubborn stain won’t come out or a rip can’t be gently prepared, I can just pull out my scissors and add to my pile of usable and unique fabrics.

There are pieces that I would never cut, regardless of their condition. I have several vintage dresses that are in great disrepair. But they are handmade by my great-grandmother and my grandmother and knowing it is their handiwork makes it impossible for me to cut them. I also shy away from altering items that aren’t flawed in some way. But I also don’t tuck things away in tissue paper. My aprons get used, my tablecloths make the rotation and I try to truly enjoy the vintage treasures I’ve collected. While some collectors may think that use equals loss of value, I believe just the opposite.

Have you ever had buyers or others comment on this issue? If so, please tell me about it. If not, what would you say to a person who criticizes/weeps over such things?

Elizabeth: I have never had a buyer comment on the issue in a negative way. They all love the idea. I have had some sellers comment and refer to typewriter jewelry sellers as “key vultures.” Currently a lot of my stock is from a business that sends large quantities of typewriters to South America. They in turn remove the keys and put new plastic ones on! So my contact removes them first for me. I don’t feel bad because I know they are headed to the trash can.

To people who might get upset I can only say that many people throw them in the trash so I feel like I am recycling and as far as a bidding situation goes- I don’t think anyone can dictate what the winner can do with their item. I understand that people might be offended by this and we are all entitled to our opinions.

Kaite: I think most people that see my finished product would understand that I’ve just given new life and a new opportunity to something that might otherwise just sit and collect dust. When I make a skirt or a purse or a piece of jewelry, that object gets a chance to be shown off and seen and, most of all, appreciated by so many more people.

Tia: Nobody has said anything to me so far. I suppose if they did, I would just look at them with the “are you kidding me?” face, and ask them what else they had in mind for whatever it was that we were fussing over.

Charles: It’s never come up. I would say it’s just a thing. We have lots and lots of things. Don’t lose perspective; food from a good local farm is far more valuable.

Carla: Overall, most crafters see any material as fair game. I haven’t had any negative comments about using vintage items in new ways. I think that in today’s world, more and more people are seeing reuse or repurposing as a way of living. And I hope that the world, including collectors, will continue to collect and cherish items of value. Whether that value comes from sentiment, demand or use.

Pauliina: No. But it helps a lot that the original items are very useless as such. I never reconstruct antiques, for example. I try to see beauty in all the material that has no value at all: industrially made badly worn out and broken objects.

Cat: Yes, I’ve been verbally attacked on Flickr by camera collectors — again I don’t use rare cameras. Kodak brownies are everywhere and generally cheap. I’ve also had collectors fall in love with my camera robots and buy them, they seem to come around when they find out they are still functional.

Maybe it was being surrounded by a group of crafting believers, but recycling or repurposing really seemed to not only sound practical but nifty too. And the appeal of each of their works, is, as you can see, most alluring…

For me, the Crafter Vs. Collector debate comes down to one thing: Value.

If you value the vintage item in its original state, you’d better buy it (and take care of it). If you don’t, at least there are folks out there who are willing to make it useful or desireable once again.

That’s better than the trash heap.

And if you can’t bear to take your scissors, glue or blow-torch to vintage things yourself, well, at Etsy, there are plenty of folks who’ve done the ‘dirty work’ for you. *wink*

Will I get out my crafting supplies and head for the vintage stash? I’m not sure yet… I’ve got enough bits, bobs, and paper globs; but I’m not sure I have the billiard balls for it.

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Article Tags: , cards, electric lamps, environmental, Etsy, handcraft, jewelry, KatinkaPinka, Matt Stinchcomb, recyled, repurposed

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This entry was posted on Sunday, July 8th, 2007 at 2:49 am and is filed under collecting fyi, flea market finds, interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.