The Nostalgic Spice Jars With A Cult-Like Following Online

"People of the world, spice up your life." So said the five sages who made up the Spice Girls, a Brit-pop breakout girl group that ruled the 1990s with glitter, spunk, and platform heels. Nearly 30 years on, their spicy directive seems more relevant than ever thanks to one highly prized set of quirky spice containers: The Lenox Spice Village set. The Lenox Spice Village is precisely that; a "village" of house-shaped spice containers painted in theme with the herb or spice they house.

In recent years, this collection of 24 spice containers has had a thrifty, crafty section of the internet in an absolute frenzy. Originally released in 1989, the Lenox Spice Village was sold on a subscription basis. The set was incredibly popular upon its initial release. In following years the collection expanded to include many other household items, including sugar and flour containers, utensils, and trivets. However, the line was discontinued in 1993 due to a slump in sales. 

Over the course of the next few decades, the spice set faded into kitsch obscurity. That is, until 2020, when a worldwide pandemic hit and the escapist cottagecore aesthetic took over. Since then, the spice box set has garnered a devoted following, with many combing through thrift shops hoping to find a set. The set was so popular that it was reissued in 2024, and has been quick to sell out ever since. But why, exactly, has this cute, quirky spice rack become so popular in recent years? For those answers, we have to go back to the 1980s.

The original issue of the Lenox Spice Village released in the 1980s and came at the crest of a wave when collectible knickknacks were all the rage. You can probably still find evidence of this, such as shelves filled with still-beloved McDonald's Happy Meal toys featured in a flea market or cup sets and calendars emblazoned with the smiling orange face of Garfield in your parents' or grandparents' homes.

In this environment, the Lenox Spice Village set was an instant hit thanks to its built-in collectible format. After all, the set was not sold as a whole — rather, customers had to have a subscription, and the set would be mailed out piecemeal over several months. This distribution format (along with its cute, twee look playing into the English country trend made popular by Laura Ashley in the 1980s) all but guaranteed its success. However, as the 1990s trended toward minimalism and pared-down décor, these cute little spice containers soon made their way out of fashion. However, as we now know, this wasn't the end.

It's been years since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, but its fallout still shapes our culture in ways both obvious and invisible. Some trends, such as three-ingredient Dalgona coffee or focaccia prepared with artfully designed toppings (just avoid a few focaccia toppings), have become relics of the year. Other trends, such as cottagecore, have lived on. Within this trend came the resurgence of the Lenox Spice Village set.

As with many trends, the craze for the cute, ceramic spice box set took off on TikTok. The spice set fit perfectly with the cottagecore aesthetic, which gained popularity during the pandemic thanks to its comforting, nostalgic vibes. What the quaint aesthetic gave people was a sense of control. Soon, "ThriftTokers" across the world went in search of their very own Lenox Spice Village, spawning a whole new phase of the product's lifecycle as a collectible. But, instead of subscribing to Lenox for monthly spice boxes, people scoured the secondhand market for whole (or partial) Lenox sets. For many, this hunt for the rarified products became the point, and gave purpose to people looking for reason in the chaos. The spice box set has since been rereleased. However, it is still quick to sell out. It seems this is one craze that just might stand the test of time.