Photo provided to Shanghai Star

A late start in appreciation

In the West, collecting vintage items is a well-established trend and there are plenty of shops, vintage and flea markets for enthusiasts to source their collections.

In China, collecting and preserving the past only became popular in the past decade.

Chinese retro collectors are usually in their 30s and more often than not, they are gathering items they remember from childhood, curious about the history and stories behind the objects.

Their collections have become channels through which they recall memories of childhood and a way to show the uniqueness of a past era.

Fashion designers, too, have started using vintage motifs, drawing on the past for inspiration. More products featuring vintage elements are displayed in the windows of well-known brands.

The trend is spreading nationwide as more people appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of the past. It was much ignored in the first years of economic development, when new was thought to always mean better.