We were massively grateful to the Bury Times for running a piece on Second Chance Vintage, which you can read here. We wrote them lots of information about why we started Second Chance and about our passion for pre-loved vintage furniture and restoration… so we thought we’d let you have a read of that too.
How a love of vintage and antique furniture has given homes the chance to be furnished with stylish, unique and beautifully designed pieces.
Even before lockdown saw more people investing more in the comfort and style of their homes, Justine and John, the owners of Second Chance Vintage (www.secondchancevintage.co.uk) were already being inundated with orders and requests for vintage goods, antique furniture, collectibles and retro items.
“We offer an eclectic range that is intended to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Great colours, shapes, stories and style, that add character, practicality and aesthetic value to their new homes.” Commented Justine Wright who set up Second Chance with her partner Jon Hunt in 2019. “From day one our passion has meant we’ve been busy sourcing, restoring and listing items as people want something more interesting than the modern, mass-produced objects that lack character or quirkiness you see in a wide range of home furnishing stores. And now as more people spend time at home, we’re getting even more requests than ever before.”
It all started with a love for antiques and bringing pieces back to life.
The business started with the purchase at an auction of a Victorian writing slope and a 1960’s small school desk and chair. Justine and Jon then completely dismantled the desk and chair, stripped the old paint from the metal work and sanded down all the wooden elements.
“When finished it really looked the part” added Justine and Jon before going adding that: “We quickly followed up with bigger pieces of furniture and they sold quickly, that was when we decided that we would have to go a step further and develop a website and officially set up the company name.”
One of the reasons why Justine and Jon feel that Second Chance has been such a success is that there is a lot more awareness and acceptance of up-cycling as people realise it gives them and their homes the chance to express their own individual tastes with pieces that are built to last and are truly one of a kind.
“Shows such as ‘Money for Nothing’ and ‘Find it, Fix it, Flog it’ have undoubtedly helped in changing people’s perceptions of up-cycling and finding antique and restored pieces.” highlighted Justine, before continuing: “and with people realising that disposable fashion and furniture is not ethical, they are looking to companies like ours more and more to give them pieces that are also talking points and proud ‘social’ boasts.”
Sourcing pieces is time-consuming but rewarding.
Justine and Jon primarily source their pieces from auctions, with auction lots containing anything between 500 and 1500 pieces meaning it can be a time consuming yet rewarding process. The duo makes up a shortlist of pieces they are interested in before entering the bidding war of the auctions and trying to not get carried away.
Once they have won the item, they then assess it for what it needs to become resaleable. This can involve anything from a full stripping down and re-staining to just a good clean up. Jon’s favourite pieces though are the branded ones.
“My favourite items are the ones with a makers mark or brand name, this allows me to research the age and history, and we believe this is important to not only market it but also to give our customers some provenance and make the new addition to their home, a real conversation piece.”
Customer happiness is at the core of what they believe.
Justine, who’s background is in marketing, knows all too well that customer satisfaction lies at the heart of their success. “We work with our customers on requests and their vision for what they want as well as trying to find pieces that we know what people want. For example one of our customers didn’t want the traditional terracotta plant pot for their garden, so we worked with them to get a beautiful salt-glazed Victorian Toilet pedestal displaying their outdoor plants… needless to say they were very happy and we’ve had a lot of enquiries, and a few sales, from their friends and neighbours.”
One thing Justine is also keen on people taking inspiration from at these strange times is how they have turned a genuine love and hobby into a business. “It really has been a dream come true, every day we make a sale and receive thanks from customers it justifies my decision to make that initial small investment and give this thing a go. It’s the best thing I’ve done for years.”
Discover for yourself the rage that Second Chance has on offer and make a request if there’s something you don’t see at: www.secondchancevintage.co.uk