The Very Vintage Holiday Gift Guide
Creative & sentimental gifts to and from vintage lovers
If you’re reading this, you’d probably love to receive a vintage gift this year. Being the vintage gift giver, however, can be harder than it sounds. I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite gifting concepts, all (except #1) set up as gift pairings. I love the idea of giving two small but complimentary items. I think a combination of elements really adds a layer of thoughtfulness, and a beautifully arranged bundle just looks nice. Most of these ideas also work well as a compliment to a gift card for a small business, so you can still show up with something pretty to unwrap.
If any of these really stand out to you, it’s smart to keep an eye out for these items all year around! You may spot the perfect thing for someone at a flea market or thrift store randomly, and you’ll be ready with a great gift the next time a special day comes around. Or, you may just find something gift-worthy and figure out a recipient for it when the time comes. Thinking of gifts often and in advance gives you a lot more time to find something genuine, instead of rushing to pick just to avoid showing up empty handed.
The gift links are all listed from least to most expensive. I tried my best to include a range of ideas for most budgets, but there is plenty more out there for even less if you look for it! These links were active at the time of publication, but always run the chance of selling out or ending. Some are currently on sale for the holiday weekend, I have the full selling prices listed here.
Vintage T-Shirts & Sweatshirts
Unlike other apparel items, tees and sweatshirts are much more flexible in terms of fit and style. If you’re shopping for someone who you know is asking (or hoping) for clothes, tees are a great piece to gift. I highly recommend Gem search if you’re looking online for secondhand clothing. Some straightforward keyword searches include vintage tees for sports teams, favorite museums, or tourist tees from a meaningful location. For something a bit more creative, think about the “vintage” version of someone’s interest. The party friend might like a vintage beer tee, the tech friend might like a vintage CD-ROM tee, the director friend might like the obscure film festival tee.
Remember, there’s a wide range of t-shirt styles, so try to find something that fits your recipient’s preferences. Does this person ever wear ringer tees, raglan tees, or long sleeve tees? Do they prefer front graphics, back graphics, a small chest logo, something on the sleeves? The more your keep your recipient’s preferences in mind, the better chance you’ll be gifting them something they really want to wear.
A cute Brooklyn Bridge ringer tee from the 1980’s, $22
For your friend who is super pro-labor, loves mail, or is part of this exact mail handler’s union. Niche, maybe. Perfect for someone out there? Definitely. $22
Very camp to wear this nails tee to get your nails done, even more camp to wear this to go do nails $25
We all have a friend who likes clowns (I’m the friend who likes clowns), $32
If one of you doesn’t buy this 1997 Claritin t-shirt, you’re fucking up, $47
Search suggestions: try combining your keywords with “tee” “t-shirt” and “tee shirt” to broaden your results. You can also search by blanks brand by adding “vintage fruit of the loom” or “vintage screen stars” to filter for more reliable vintage hits.
Find a book, make your own bookmark
Making a bookmark is a really fun project that can look like anything you want! You could go creative, sentimental, or funny. Some ideas: Laminate a concert ticket, press flowers from a special location, make a very small painting.
Search suggestions: “weird vintage book,” “vintage art book,” “vintage design book,” “beautiful vintage book,” “vintage coffee table book”
For the friend who hosts, or the friend who is just obsessed with unhinged vintage recipes: Betty Crocker’s Dinner Parties, 1970 for $9
For display next to a Scandi MCM chair: Danish Design, 1974 for $18
For the friend with weird shit in their house: You Can Be A Ventriloquist, 1975 for $18
For the friend who’s always threatening to move to Miami: Art Deco, 1992 for $29.99
For the “what’s his big three?” friend: The Illustrated Dream Dictionary, 1991 for $10 or the A to Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator, 1969 for $49
Find a vessel, add a plant or flowers
Please be very careful about gifting plants and flowers if your recipient has pets or kids! Certain fauna are extremely toxic, so do your research. Don’t forget to consider things like drainage and pot size. If you have a green thumb, I think it’s really nice to gift a propagation of one of your own plants. Most of us can probably think of at least one friend who would absolutely love to receive new versions of this same gift from you every year.
Search suggestions: “vintage planter,” “cute vintage planter,” “weird vintage planter,” “vintage vase,” “vintage vessel,” and refine with any preferences like “glass” or “ceramic” or a color
Love this sweet little bunny, $12.99
This bright green gator is adorable, $16.99
A truly bizarre find for a truly bizarre friend, $17.50
For a pop of color, try this pink planter with attached saucer, $17.50
A lovely purple glass vase, $18
For the Frog-and-Toad-core friend, $22
Find an ashtray, add a pre-roll
This is a nice gift to bring if you’re invited to a holiday gathering that you know will definitely involve a little weed. Chances are your host already has an ashtray and a joint, but many occasions call for more than one! If you’d like to gift the perfect ashtray to a non-smoker, try pairing it with these fab Japanese incense matches.
Search suggestions: “vintage novelty ashtray,” “vintage animal ashtray,” “vintage hotel ashtray,” “vintage souvenir ashtray,” “vintage MCM ashtray”
This absolutely iconic dog family situation. Mom is over it. $9.99
A pink heart for the coquette friend who rolls the cutest little spliffs, $18.95
Having an array of small personal ashtrays scattered about is super chic for an outdoor set up, especially in this shade of pink glass, $22.34
For your friend with the Eames chair/Kartell/Herman Miller apartment (you’re obviously smoking on the patio), try this for $29.95 or this for $55.75
For that special person in your life that specializes in steaks & chicken with home cooked dinner, $40
This Noritake pierrot figurine ended up selling for a whopping $397 become I published this! Super pricey and no longer available, but still wanted to share it because it is very cool.
Find a small dish, add a box of Maldon salt
This is a go-to gift pairing for me. It makes a lovely housewarming gift, and a perfect holiday present for a friend who loves (or wants to love) cooking. Your recipient is either already a finishing salt stan and will think of you warmly as they open their next box, or converting them to the world of finishing salt can be part of your gift too.
Be mindful of food safety! Certain materials or finishes aren’t intended to be used to store anything edible, so do some research if you’re unsure. If the perfect little dish you’ve found doesn’t seem right for the kitchen, it could also be paired with another small something like a vintage Holiday Inn key fob or a tin of Smith’s Rosebud Salve.
Search suggestions: “vintage salt cellar,” “vintage tiny dish,” “vintage small dish,” “vintage ring dish,” adding on any preferences like “glass” “ceramic” or a color
Something about this ceramic fish and this aluminum fish are so charming, $9 and $11
For the friend with the warm and cozy decor, this amber glass flower, $9.50
These heart-shaped and diamond-shaped glass dishes come in a variety of cute colors, $16-$18
A pair of shell-shaped dishes. Give one to each of your beachy besties, or gift them together with a salt duo: one box original Maldon, one box smoked Maldon, $18
If you’re looking for very special party favor for a holiday gathering, consider 10 cut glass salt cellars - one for each of your guests, $65
The best gift is one with meaning, and one that will be used. Many of these gift ideas are built around pieces that are multi-purpose, so you can add your own spin to make it more personal. And if your pairing ends up being a little bit off, your recipient probably has the option to use the gift in another way.
If you’re feeling stuck on ways to make these gifts apply to the people in your life, try referencing your conversations both in person and online. I like to look at photos, posts, or even memes sent back and forth through texts and social media to remind myself of what people have shown interest in. It helps me visualize the aesthetics they prefer, maybe a certain color they love, a niche interest, or a specific piece they’re looking out for.
I hope you enjoyed this very special holiday edition of 1-800-VINTAGE! I have a true fondness for good gift-giving - it’s one of my favorite things about the holiday season. I hope this letter inspired you. If you’re subscribed, you’ll be receiving the follow up to this letter tomorrow. The Future Vintage Holiday Gift Guide is where I’ll share some non-vintage gift ideas. There are some truly wonderful small businesses and artists that deserve your support this holiday, and I’d love to introduce to you a few!