What is the market for “old” in China?

In the ancient circle of Beijing, Liu Ke’s status as “Jianghu” cannot be underestimated, relying on the store that has been open for 8 years, Mega Vintage. Oil head, apron, rolled jeans, he and his clerk often dressed in retro.

But the Vintage in his eyes, also known as the "old" in Chinese, is not so simple: "Now people see oil heads, military boots, everything is broken, old things are said to be Vintage, but in fact it is a a product of the times."

Mega Vintage shop owner Liu Ke

According to the internationally accepted definition, the ancient painting refers to objects that have been at least 20 years since the 1920s. "In the more than 70 years between them, there have been Marlon Brando wearing Levi's, rock star Elvis who loves tight leather pants, Punk army obsessed with Vivienne Westwood, Madonna wearing underwear... Old is like a certain The epitome of the era of culture, buyers on the surface of the consumption of shoes and jewelry, in essence, they represent their recognition of certain values ​​and culture.

After 2011, the ancient market in the Mainland has gradually emerged. Liu Ke still remembers that many fashion media at the time would come to the drum house generation of antique shops to borrow clothes and accessories. First-line stars including Zhang Ziyi, Bai Lily and Jiang Wen went through the clothes in the Mega store. Although the stadium is hot, most Chinese customers are only obsessed with the ancient fascination in the pursuit of the odds and followers. Some customers are particularly crazy in the first two or three years, but suddenly disappeared one day. "When I see you again, the wear on the guests has completely changed. The Chinese society is still very impetuous, the economy is too fast, and everyone can't settle down." Liu said.

In his observations, China's slightly large-scale ancient market is located in the four major cities of north, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, of which Beijing accounts for 30%. Hong Kong, which is more than three hours away from it, has a deeper market base. This is not surprising – the luxury market and the ancient market in the Mainland have been cultivated almost simultaneously, but in Hong Kong, with the economic take-off of the 1960s and 1970s, Western brands and cultures have been immersed in this soil early.

Hong Kong Bang Bang 70's Antique Shop

Bang Bang 70's antique shop owner Parker (right)

The area around Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong is a famous antique block. Bang Bang 70's is located on the second floor of an old building near Aberdeen Street. To get upstairs, you have to ring the doorbell first, and the business hours start at 2pm. If it is early, the owner Parker will peep out from the small balcony, please come back later.

"I played ancient games very early, wearing rotten jeans, and it was the time of Andy Lau's four kings." Parker traced his old history. At that time, opening a shop was his hobby, and his position was a middle school English teacher.

Bang Bang 70's has been in operation for 10 years, initially in Tsim Sha Tsui and later moved to Aberdeen Street. The customers who shop are mostly middle-aged, and most of them have experienced changes in Hong Kong in the 1960s and 1970s. Perhaps the best way to remember that golden age is to look at the old relics – many objects are designed and work to be high.

“In the past, leather was rarely soaked in chemical water. The gold plating of the hardware was better than now. It will not fade after a long time. Many handbags are now semi-finished products. The first half is manufactured by China and then sent back to Europe for hot stamping. The quality is not as good as before. Many of the famous brands used to be German OEMs, and the materials are the best,” he said, picking up a necklace. “You see, the previous Christian Dior was made in Germany. This factory is called Grossi. It is a well-known jewellery factory in Germany, which is manufactured for Dior and Chanel. This golden Chanel belt is also set with gems."

However, it is precisely because the mainland's ancient market base is still shallow, leaving a lot of room for business development. Taobao and Weidian have a variety of antique shops, and the fashion e-commerce platform Farfetch has opened up the ancient market while entering the Chinese market.

Fardetch buyer director Candice Fragis told the interface that Chinese customers like to buy antique bags like other countries, among which Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Céline and other brands are particularly popular in the Chinese market. In terms of fashion, although China's consumption is not as good as that of the UK, the Burberry denim jacket, Dolce & Gabbana top, Giorgio Armani custom, Moschino bag and Roberta Di Camrino Scarves have good sales in China. But compared with fashion, Chinese customers are more inclined to antique jewelry.

New pawn shop Pawnstar's offline pop-up store

New pawn shop Pawnstar's offline pop-up store

Among the more than 200,000 ancient objects that popped up on Taobao, the hundred samples came from the "new pawn shop Pawnstar." The online second-hand consignment store opened for nearly a year, and the founder was Jia Wenting who moved from Beijing to Shanghai. Up to now, a large part of the consignment items she received came from her circle of friends, including bizarre dolls, various accessories, clothes and handbags. In actual operation, the circle of friends is also a more effective way to push: "If you only look at Taobao or micro store, customers don't know who I am, plus second-hand things. It's more abstract when you look at photos. If it involves buying things, it is more likely that it will not be practical." So, she used the circle of friends as the starting platform. Customers can see rolling new products on the WeChat public account of the new pawn shop, at least one-third of which will be sold, and the rest will be on Taobao.

However, the online mode is not suitable for everyone, because each item needs to be sized and photographed before it is put on the shelf. The time and labor cost involved cannot be ignored. In the same way, merchants who rely heavily on the ancient circle will generally not do marketing. According to Liu Ke, the owner of the Mega store, “We are generally peer-to-peer and will not say this to people who are not related, and consume too much.”

Liu Ke's vintage shop Mega Vintage

Mega Vintage

The purchase channel is one thing that the shop owner is not willing to talk about. Most of them only say "Europe or America or Japan" to get the goods. Liu Ke does not deny that there are many unknown things in the channel, and dealing with them is the most understandable part. Mega's supply sometimes comes from new friends Liu Ke made at the market and exhibition. “You have to deal with them and get involved in that circle quickly to get information.” He gave an example: “For example, in Beijing, I want to find a dress worn by the People’s Liberation Army in China. I know too much, but foreigners may only Know Panjiayuan."

Bang Bang 70's Parker runs Europe and Japan all the year round. The former has more cargo, and the Japanese size is more suitable for Hong Kong people. He told the interface that there were not many fakes in the old age, accounting for only 10% of the total, but the source did not explain the authenticity. In the past, Chinese fake goods have flowed to Europe, and then returned as "real goods." How to distinguish or rely on experience, look at materials and work.

For vintage buyers, the label is the primary identification mark. Liu Ke distance said: "Women's words, such as the Union made trade union label, can judge the year. When you don't have an accurate understanding of the fabric, you don't know the design profile. The first time you look at the label, there must be dry cleaning after the 70s. The standard, the clothes before the 60s and 70s are not dry cleaning."

In an ideal state, the ancient customers should be fashion customers who are not blind and trend-oriented, and come to find objects that can represent their own personal qualities. In practice, there is always one party that needs to make concessions. Liu Ke will consider the condition and quality of the goods when selecting goods. Although the ancient times may be "broken" in many cases, customers may not accept this appearance, especially female consumers, and their consumption constitutes 90% of Mega's revenue.

Interestingly, there is also a trend in ancient times. Liu Ke, who had sold embroidery shirts for three years, hit the Gucci embroidery hot stall this year and sold very well. "We are also very tired. When you buy the goods, you have to think about 'What is the next trend?' Just like we want to create a trend, if you choose the right one, you can sell it in this year, choose not right. It can only be pressed there." Therefore, he will also take the trend into consideration, and sometimes even follow the big name.

Bang Bang 70's Antique Shop

Bang Bang 70's Antique Shop

Bang Bang 70's store has a lot of bags. Parker explained: "In the past ten years, handbags have been an important part of accessories. You can dress casually, but with a very sloppy handbag, the overall feeling will be good. So we will also focus on finding more handbags. The design of the handbags is different, and the materials are also ever-changing. Now many handbags, many zippers, will be annoying after a few seasons. But the previous ones are simple and more classic."

2015 Beijing Retro Cycling

2015 Beijing Retro Cycling

With the increasing number of tourists traveling abroad, Chinese customers have gradually become clear about the Western concept of “old-fashioned”. Among them, the “education” of these ancient shops has been indispensable. Liu Ke, who has been making wedding dresses for others, opened a second store in Sanli not long ago. In addition to selling ancient objects from the 1920s to the 1980s, he also intends to use his own inspiration to make some peripheral products, such as books and cups. Designs that are acceptable to the public and consumed.

Mega Vintage Sanlitun New Store

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