My favorite possessions are objects that used to belong to someone else.

I’ve always loved old stuff. Probably because secondhand shopping was my grandma Vi’s favorite activity. She was my best friend, so I spent my childhood and teen years going to thrift stores, estate sales, antique shops, garage sales, and secondhand shops with her and my mom — we’d even go dumpster diving together.

The three of us would spend hours going place to place, digging for treasure. Now, I want to share what I find with you.

Introducing Nice Vintage

I’m thrilled to announce that on October 5, 2022 at 7p.m. EST, Nice Paper Goods will begin selling vintage desk accessories in addition to our other offerings. Think letter openers, unused address books, etc. I'm hand selecting every item, and it’s insanely hard for me to not keep them all for myself.

We’ll be selling them exclusively on Instagram @nicepapergoods (details below), so if you don’t already follow us there, what are you waiting for?

Here's how it works

What?

We’ll post a collection (a.k.a. “drop”) of vintage items available for purchase via DM on our Instagram account.

When?

Drop No. 1 will be on Wednesday Oct 5, 2022 at 7p.m. EST.

Where?

On Instagram @nicepapergoods.

Pricing

Items from this first collection will range from $32 to $98.

Shipping

Shipping is US only (free over $60). 

Pro tip

Opt in to be notified when the drop goes live so you don't miss out. Visit our Instagram profile and view the "Countdown" Story Highlight. Tap the countdown, then tap "Remind Me."

How to shop (it's easy!)

1. DM us the item(s) you’re interested in purchasing.

2. If you're the first to claim the item(s), we’ll send you a private link to complete your purchase. 

3. Payment must be completed within 1 hour after we send the link. If we don't receive payment within 1 hour, we'll move on to the next shopper in line.

Shipping (and sales tax if you're in NY) will be calculated at checkout. Shipping is complimentary for orders $60 and up.

Sneak peek

Already see something you can’t live without? Email us at team@nicepapergoods.com to pre-claim an item before we list it. First come, first served.

Love All Letter Opener

Friends, Flames & Family Address Book

The Boy Who Pissed Letter Opener

The perks of shopping vintage

Whether you’re an old pro or a total beginner, shopping vintage comes with lots of advantages:

I. Reduce waste & help the environment

II. Stand out from the crowd

III. Enhance hygge in your home (coziness)

IV. Enjoy high quality craftsmanship and materials

V. Travel back in time

VI. Experience a sense of connection with total strangers

I. Reduce waste & help the environment

There are so many benefits to shopping secondhand, but the most impactful is reducing waste. My goal is to salvage good stuff that could otherwise end up in landfills.

By shopping vintage, you’re not only helping save an item from being wasted, but you’re also eliminating the need to manufacture a new item that didn’t need to be produced.

Realistically, humankind has already produced a lot of goods that we could be reusing instead of buying new. Sure, we could make plastic letter openers with our branding on them but a) it’s not necessary and b) it’s just not as cool. 

When I look around my apartment and our studio and see all the vintage items that make me smile, it’s so sad to imagine them in a landfill. The jello lamp! The Garfield phone! I’m so happy they’re in my home instead.

II. Stand out from the crowd

I don’t know about you, but I often enjoy buying things that not many people have as opposed to things that everyone seems to have. Sometimes the objects are extremely useful, sometimes they're purely decorative (bonus points if they're both). They don't have to be expensive, but I want them to be expressive. 

In our culture, we’re constantly being introduced to new "must-have" products, and before you know it our spaces start looking identical to one another. I like to find things that feel more unique and tend to generate a, "Woah, where did you get that?" Almost 100% of the time someone asks me where I got something, they’re asking about something vintage.

When I answer the question and they realize they can’t immediately get one for themselves online, they seem to want it even more. 

It makes sense. Our brains are hardwired to desire items that are rare and hard to come by. They can make us feel unique and lucky, like we found a treasure meant just for us.

What I’m trying to do with Nice Vintage is go hunting for gems and bring them back for you to enjoy in your own home. Hopefully you'll find something that feels special to you, and helps express your own style and personality.

III. Enhance hygge in your home (coziness)

I’m sure a lot of you have heard about hygge, the Danish art of comfort and coziness. It’s really wonderful and if you don’t know about it, I highly recommend looking into it.

Hygge experts recommend adding objects to your home environment that have traces of humanity (think an old quilt or handmade art). One of my favorite ways to do this is to add vintage items to a space.

Using secondhand items in your day-to-day life is an easy way to inject your space with character and warmth.

IV. Enjoy high quality craftsmanship and materials

It’s usually true what they say, they just don’t make ‘em like they used to. In my experience, vintage home and office goods are almost always made of higher quality materials and with more craftsmanship than their contemporary counterparts.

Take letter openers for example — modern plastic letter openers made in big factories abroad are not going to be as durable, high quality, or infused with as much attention to detail as old engraved metal and carved wood vintage letter openers like the ones I've found so far (some of which date back to the 1950s). 

V. Travel back in time

Vintage items come from another time and place. When you hold them in your hands, it almost feels like you’re transported back in history. I can’t help but imagine the music, culture, and aesthetic of a bygone era. I’m sure it’s the nostalgic in me, but I can’t resist this feeling.

If you’re anything like me, you know that feeling too and you love it as much as I do. For whatever reason, I’ve fallen in love with that time traveling sensation and it never ceases to amaze me. 

VI. Experience a sense of connection with total strangers

There’s something magical about holding an object in your hands that belonged to someone you’ll never meet. It feels mysteriously intimate and personal.

I like to imagine who the person was, what their life was like and how they felt about the item I’m using. Maybe I’m drinking out of someone’s favorite mug that they used every morning at breakfast for 20 years. I can almost picture them smiling as they pick it up off the shelf, just like I do now.

I love the mystery of not having all the details, but knowing that someone else used the same item that I’m using — in that way, this stranger and I have something in common. And that feels very cool.

I started Nice Paper Goods to help people feel more connected to others, and I’m so happy to be able to continue pursuing that goal through Nice Vintage. Connecting with strangers through shared affection for a unique object is such a rad feeling. I hope you like it too.

Don't miss out, mark your calendar

Our first vintage drop is right around the corner (Oct. 5, 2022), — and since there's only one of each item, once they're gone, they're gone!

Read on to find out how to get an Instagram alert the moment the listings go live so you don’t miss out.

Get a reminder

Visit our Instagram profile and view the "Countdown" Story Highlight. Tap the countdown sticker, then tap "Remind Me." 

That's it! You'll get a notification the moment our first vintage products are up for sale. First come, first served.

See you there <3