People always ask me what my vintage Beluga is. While a piece from Vivienne Westwood’s 1993 Anglomania show or a James Cavanagh brocade silk evening gown from the 1950s would be nice — yes, I’m looking — the one I’m dreaming of finding is the Lenox Spice Village.
First launched in 1989 by New Jersey-based Lenox (the company has made presidential china for Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Reagan, Clinton and Bush, as well as the 2019 Met Gala), this dollhouse-like collection is handmade by 24 people. Made up of decorated jars, each containing the most popular cooking spices of that era. From allspice to thyme, each palm-sized replica is hand-painted to represent its ingredients: bay leaves adorned with delicate petals, garlic with purple flowers, and sprigs of saffron that perfectly match the color of the spices. It started out as a subscription model, which meant a new one was mailed home every month for $15. Spice Village is actually part of a larger candy-colored kitchen world called Lenox Village, which also includes a flour “bake shop,” a three-townhouse butter dish, and a sugar “candy shop.” The collection closed in 1993.
While we’re all sheltering in place and looking for fun at home, Spice Village has become incredibly popular — turning something that hung on grandma’s kitchen wall into an adorable collectible. Single spice jars like garlic or tarragon now sell for over a hundred bucks on second-hand resale sites like Etsy, while a nice, full set of spice jars (complete with display stand) can easily be a thousand dollars. But Lenox has created something special for fans: After 35 years, the Spice Village series is back in production and is now available for pre-order.
Mindy Bryant, a collector who lives in Asheboro, North Carolina, has the original 1989 set. “I found it on Facebook Marketplace,” she explains. “A very sweet older lady who lived only two hours away from me sold it for $150 and I immediately messaged her to pick it up and asked my best friend to pick it up with me.” Secondly “I feel like I got a once in a lifetime prize.” Her collection also includes a set of matching napkin holders, recipe boxes and candle holders. “I have mixed feelings about it being re-released,” she adds. “On one hand, I think it’s a great thing that it’s available at full price to people who weren’t so lucky to get the original. On the other hand, I’m a little jealous of all the people who can buy it right away because I’ve been looking for it for so long.”
Maitri Modi, known online as “Honey, I Dressed the Pug,” was looking for an original spice village but had “difficulty finding a full line of spices at a reasonable price because of their demand.” So she turned to reissues for instant gratification — part of her broader approach to interior design, which she calls “dopamine decor.” “I definitely plan to use mine,” she added. “I like items that are both fun and functional.”
The new Spice Village will begin shipping in the spring of 2025 at the same price it was sold for in 1989. Currently, there are only 24 pieces of Spice Village available (sold in sets and singles) — no monthly email subscription required. What’s the only challenge I face now? How do I convince my fiancé that this is destined to happen in our family?
