Friday, November 22, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Thinking of Thanksgiving Decorations?
The perfect mug for hot coffee on Thanksgiving morning.
By the way, I have two of these sets, for anyone expecting big crowds! Here is the other one.
Here's a way to keep that old time feeling around the Thanksgiving table; these souvenir shakers are from Colonial Williamsburg. They are done in the classic cream and treacle brown that was popular in the early days of America.
Come on over and shop with me. I'd love to work with you. Don't forget to have a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
I've Been Listing...
Since last time I posted, I have taken literally hundreds of photos of merchandise, and I'm not finished yet. Some of the stuff I featured in the last blog, and some more that I have acquired since then, is already available for purchase. It may go quickly, so you'd better check it out soon, if you're interested!
Victorian Carolers Christmas card, circa 1940s. Unused!
Twisted Three Strand Pearl Necklace. These are genuine cultured white "rice" pearls.
Wales China teacup also for sale, here.
Two birds of paradise, made of feathers and paint. These were 40s/50s Mexico souvenirs. Even the carved frames are handmade.
Shepherd Boy and Lamb at Bethlehem. Cards from the 40s. Unused!
ETA: This card has sold out!
W. and R. Berrie figurine, circa 1968.
Needlework in Miniature, complete with charted patterns, circa 1978.
I also have a miniature crochet book here, and a general reference book about designing and making miniatures here.
This book has patterns and instructions for making working wooden toys like bomber planes, trains, and more. Circa 1986.
Thames bone china, perhaps from the 50s.
Rodney Kent tulip design hammered aluminum casserole with glass liner, circa 1950s or earlier (some were made as early as the 30s).
Wales China teacup also for sale, here.
ETA: This card has sold out!
I also have a miniature crochet book here, and a general reference book about designing and making miniatures here.
This book has patterns and instructions for making working wooden toys like bomber planes, trains, and more. Circa 1986.
Hope you'll stop by and shop! I've got more listings planned for this week. :)
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Vintage Haul at the End of October
I recently thumbed through my unlisted vintage merchandise, and realized that I needed a little variety for the next few months...so I went vintage shopping!
Here is a preview of my "haul." I don't usually post things like this. Between working 3 jobs and finding boxes to ship things in, I can sometimes seem tediously slow about getting things listed and available to customers (sorry). However, if you see something in this post that you really, really want for Christmas, go ahead and lay on the pressure. The squeakiest wheel gets the grease around here.
I decided to break from my pattern and share with you today, because I think I found some pretty awesome things. I hope you'll agree!
Here's pretty much the whole "take" for the past two weeks. There were a couple of other things I had to leave out because they wouldn't fit in the photo or they had already been listed, but I'll share them at the end of the post.
The eras range pretty wildly here, from the turn of the century to the 80s, but I tend to gravitate toward things that predate the 80s.
The most intriguing thing is the little dry sink on the left side of the picture. Early research indicates that it is a salesman's sample or child-sized piece of furniture. It has a working drawer and a large compartment in the bottom behind the two doors, with a swivel latch to keep it closed. The knobs are made of milk glass. I think it may be the oldest thing I brought home. Specimens like it seem to date to the turn of the century or maybe the 20s. I think I've seen something like this on Antiques Roadshow before.
The other piece of furniture you see is a small house-shaped curio shelf. I have sold two other curio shelves over the years, including one really large house-shaped shelf. They are popular for the miniature collectors especially, since the slots could almost serve as "rooms" to display tiny furniture and dolls. Of course, you don't have to limit yourself to that if you have another collection you'd like to display. I think this is probably from the 80s. I filled it with the jewelry I picked up recently.
There were two "looper looms" from the 60s or 70s that I bought just for the nostalgia of the things. Everything from the packaging to the instructions is super retro and might bring back some childhood memories. I owned a later version of these when I was young, but mine was all plastic and the hook broke (these have metal parts).
Last weekend, I picked up a couple of beautiful teacups from a lady whose mother had collected them for years. I haven't done enough research yet to be able to estimate age yet. They have labels, though, and that will help me learn more about them. I should be able to list them soon.
The plate next to them is a souvenir plate from Germany, showing a map of the Rhineland. I don't know much about that one either, but it seems to be Bavarian, based on the china markings on the back.
I'm sure you've noticed the large numbers of unused vintage cards on the table. These all came from one old stationery box I picked up. It was like opening a time capsule; the cards on the top came from the 70s, and as I removed the layers, I got down to several that look like they came from the 40s and 50s. Some had not even been folded in half yet, like the 50s-era Christmas cards in this photo.
I also found a clear plastic sewing box (shown in the back), several small pieces of 70s-80s jewelry, and two men's skinny ties from the 50s. One of the ties is embroidered with pine trees and parachutes. There must be a story there! The other tie is a sharp looking red and black geometric number. There was also a 70s-era Berrie figurine and a large Christmas metal platter with a 60s/early 70s Santa and Mrs. Claus that I just had to bring it home! Sorry, I forgot to get closeups of some of these.
Finally, I found three intriguing works of art I thought my customers might like (or at least I found them interesting). One is a galleried print of a pink flower, with a limited edition number and the artist's signature on the front and on the back. It looks a bit like a linocut to me, but it would have to be made from four different blocks that had been inked separately and fitted together like puzzle pieces. I though the colors and textures were simple but striking, so I picked it up. It may or may not be vintage (it depends on what I'm able to find out about it).
The other two are a really rocker-looking heart shaped set of prints, which seem to almost move as you look at them, due to some funny tricks with the color registration (how the colors line up). They are both four-color prints, and they have completely illegible artist signatures. They seem to be inspired by the work of Andy Warhol, but I don't think he made them (the signature does not match what I was able to find online). I have not removed them from the frames to figure out what kind of prints they are. If you recognize these artists, I'd love to hear from you!
Well, I've spent enough time bragging about my "haul," so I'm going to sign off and go find some boxes. :)
What piqued your interest the most? What would you like to see listed first? Of course, what can you tell me about the things I have here? I'd love to hear from you!
Here is a preview of my "haul." I don't usually post things like this. Between working 3 jobs and finding boxes to ship things in, I can sometimes seem tediously slow about getting things listed and available to customers (sorry). However, if you see something in this post that you really, really want for Christmas, go ahead and lay on the pressure. The squeakiest wheel gets the grease around here.
I decided to break from my pattern and share with you today, because I think I found some pretty awesome things. I hope you'll agree!
Here's pretty much the whole "take" for the past two weeks. There were a couple of other things I had to leave out because they wouldn't fit in the photo or they had already been listed, but I'll share them at the end of the post.
The eras range pretty wildly here, from the turn of the century to the 80s, but I tend to gravitate toward things that predate the 80s.
The most intriguing thing is the little dry sink on the left side of the picture. Early research indicates that it is a salesman's sample or child-sized piece of furniture. It has a working drawer and a large compartment in the bottom behind the two doors, with a swivel latch to keep it closed. The knobs are made of milk glass. I think it may be the oldest thing I brought home. Specimens like it seem to date to the turn of the century or maybe the 20s. I think I've seen something like this on Antiques Roadshow before.
The other piece of furniture you see is a small house-shaped curio shelf. I have sold two other curio shelves over the years, including one really large house-shaped shelf. They are popular for the miniature collectors especially, since the slots could almost serve as "rooms" to display tiny furniture and dolls. Of course, you don't have to limit yourself to that if you have another collection you'd like to display. I think this is probably from the 80s. I filled it with the jewelry I picked up recently.There were two "looper looms" from the 60s or 70s that I bought just for the nostalgia of the things. Everything from the packaging to the instructions is super retro and might bring back some childhood memories. I owned a later version of these when I was young, but mine was all plastic and the hook broke (these have metal parts).
Last weekend, I picked up a couple of beautiful teacups from a lady whose mother had collected them for years. I haven't done enough research yet to be able to estimate age yet. They have labels, though, and that will help me learn more about them. I should be able to list them soon.
The plate next to them is a souvenir plate from Germany, showing a map of the Rhineland. I don't know much about that one either, but it seems to be Bavarian, based on the china markings on the back.
I'm sure you've noticed the large numbers of unused vintage cards on the table. These all came from one old stationery box I picked up. It was like opening a time capsule; the cards on the top came from the 70s, and as I removed the layers, I got down to several that look like they came from the 40s and 50s. Some had not even been folded in half yet, like the 50s-era Christmas cards in this photo.
Finally, I found three intriguing works of art I thought my customers might like (or at least I found them interesting). One is a galleried print of a pink flower, with a limited edition number and the artist's signature on the front and on the back. It looks a bit like a linocut to me, but it would have to be made from four different blocks that had been inked separately and fitted together like puzzle pieces. I though the colors and textures were simple but striking, so I picked it up. It may or may not be vintage (it depends on what I'm able to find out about it).
The other two are a really rocker-looking heart shaped set of prints, which seem to almost move as you look at them, due to some funny tricks with the color registration (how the colors line up). They are both four-color prints, and they have completely illegible artist signatures. They seem to be inspired by the work of Andy Warhol, but I don't think he made them (the signature does not match what I was able to find online). I have not removed them from the frames to figure out what kind of prints they are. If you recognize these artists, I'd love to hear from you! Well, I've spent enough time bragging about my "haul," so I'm going to sign off and go find some boxes. :)
What piqued your interest the most? What would you like to see listed first? Of course, what can you tell me about the things I have here? I'd love to hear from you!
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