Tuesday 1 March 2011

Vintage glasses


OK - I've something exciting to share with you today - or at least, it excites me! We all know how much a new pair of glasses can cost. My most basic frames and prescription lenses from Vision Express came to well over £100 - and I don't even LIKE them! However, you can be chic and unique for a lot less cash if you're willing to dig around a bit. When I was in Vision Express, I asked them if they were able to fit prescription lenses into vintage frames - something I'd heard that they can do. Yes they said - it's not a problem and what's more, you only pay for the lenses, there's no fitting fee or anything like that. Well, that got me thinking. The following week I was down at Greenwich flea market and I had a quick scout round for vintage frames,  but although I saw a couple of pairs of old glasses, nothing really caught my eye. However, one of my stall-holder friends explained that her student daughter collected vintage spectacles and that she'd bring along a few pairs for me. Well, how could I resist! I described the sort of thing I was after and turned up a few days later for a trying-on session. I selected a pair of fifties/sixties glasses in their original box plus a pair of fabulous cats eye sunglasses - and paid the grand total of £15. Back at Vision Express they said that they could certainly remove the old lenses and put some prescription lenses in, but that if the frames broke during the process, then there would be no compensation. I tremulously accepted, and ordered the cheapest type of lense going. I paid the grand total of just £27. Two days later, I received a joyful text saying that my glasses were intact and ready for collection. Here is the result! I'm really thrilled with them. I doubt anyone else will have the same frames as me, and I'm already looking out for another pair of gems to add to my collection.  Vintage National Health specs anyone?

2 comments:

De yummyblogsisters said...

love love love it!

JOLLY ROGER said...

HOW DO YOU DO… specs

Help him! The Bionic Man needs his micro fibre lens cloth or he will almost certainly not see the impending incoming Global Holocaust! What? It was just a fat fly and a bit of gravy. Well good job you incinerated it and saved us from that erm fly, cheers, in future Bionic Man can we just call you man.

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