Elian is 19 and has his own vintage furniture store in Amsterdam
Where most teenagers have a side job at a supermarket or in the catering industry, Elian van Leeuwen (19) does things differently. He has his own vintage furniture store, Old Gold Collection, with a large storage in Amsterdam. “My ultimate dream? A shop in the city.”
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Elian started his business two years ago. Then not with furniture, but with vintage clothing. “I didn’t get my love for vintage at home,” he says cheerfully. “But I’ve always had a certain love for old stuff. I like things to have a story. I see that with the products I sell: they are handmade, old, of good quality and the articles have real character. Certain articles that used to be commonplace, have been out of mode for a while and are now suddenly ‘in’ again. I like that so much!”
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Vintage furniture store
Elian switched from vintage clothing to vintage furniture, as he saw on Instagram that it was becoming more popular to buy vintage items for the home. “I started very small, but it quickly got bigger. I mainly sell vintage mirrors and smaller furniture. Cupboards, tables, side tables. My style is classic; golden baroque edges, glass, marble… But it’s not old-fashioned! I sell with Old Gold Collection items that are popular with people who, for example, live in old canal houses. They often have a fireplace in the house and they want to place a mirror. Whether they are interested in an antique cabinet with marble.”
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No driver’s license
Moving and delivering – free of charge, if you buy something from Elian – is the best thing to do: he doesn’t have a driver’s license and does everything by public transport! “I have a lot on Marktplaats for the stuff I have and then come and pick it up myself. Sometimes it is a long journey, but for something beautiful I am willing to pay for it. I do that with a hand truck. Yes, having that furniture and mirrors on the subway train can be a hassle at best, but it is what it is. Fortunately, the mirrors are included and for really large items I use a courier. I use my time on public transport for things like administration and scheduling other appointments.”
The 19-year-old vintage seller is no longer going through second-hand shops. “I used to do that, but I added that it really isn’t. You don’t know about them and you have to go all the way there. That takes too much time. Time I’d rather spend traveling to something I’m sure is worth it.”
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Vintage store in Amsterdam
At the moment, Elian can make a reasonable living from his small business. “Not that I’m rich, but I can pay the bills,” he chuckles. “And I see the potential; the products are very popular, which is why I want to invest time and effort in them.” In the long run, he hopes to get a driver’s license so that he can take a bus across the country to get some petting. And the ultimate dream? “An opening in Amsterdam so that I have a real place where people Old Gold Collection can come and see.”
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