That’s the view of Tannia Lee, who oversaw the Vintage Roundup market at Port Chalmers on Saturday.
More than 30 separate stall-holders selling "clothing and collectibles" participated in the event. Some sellers came from as far away as Queenstown and Wanaka.
"There’s a real community that has built up since I started hosting markets in Dunedin about 11 years ago. They all are just very vibrant, beautiful people, and we're all interested in sustainability and creativity and fun and fashion.
Ms Lee and her husband moved to Dunedin about 12 years ago, after running a vintage clothing shop in Wellington.
"I just thought I'm going to start up that same model here to find my people — and I definitely have.
"I actually started by attending the university market, just to kind of get a feel for what's out there."
These days, vintage refers to anything 30 years or older — so that includes the 1990s.
Many of the items of clothing or jewellery were "up-cycled", and several stall-holders were working towards setting up their own small businesses, Ms Lee said.
Popular clothing items at Saturday’s market included maxi-dresses and flares.
"It really depends on the individual and what they're into, because with vintage, anything goes.
"You're just mixing different decades together, it's your own sort of creativity.
"It's a great platform for the stall-holders to eventually own their own store one day, you know, to grow and learn about it."
Customers at the Vintage Roundup market were expected to have a keen eye for detail and know how to barter.
Holding the market in Port Chalmers, rather than in central Dunedin, brought different customers along, and Ms Lee hoped to host a similar market in Mosgiel soon.
"I think people love the culture and the community."
