Vintage + Goodness = Happiness - A Blog For All The Vintage Geeks

Newsletter Issue #15 - 2009 Super Scores, 2010 Goals, & More!

2010-01-02T14:07:00.004-05:00

I know I am a little late getting the newsletter out - as per usual - but I should have it ready to send tonight or tomorrow... Here's what's up for this issue, if you haven't signed up yet do it now so you don't miss out! :)

Super Secret Content (for Subscribers Only!) - A review of my 2009 super scores and the stories behind them, plus my goals (or resolutions, if you must) for 2010

December Blog Updates

December Facebook Updates

December The Vintage List Updates

Cool Links I've Found Lately

Featured Collectible - Vintage Industrial Chic - Pt 1

2009-12-27T15:02:00.029-05:00

I've been noticing a trend the last several months that is being labeled "Industrial Chic" - a design style that loves metal, wire, hardware, patina (including rust!), the colors black, white, brown and gray, and any item that brings an almost steampunk type of feeling to interior spaces.

It's pretty interesting, being far far away from vintage kitsch, shabby chic, cottage style and other popular design trends, but borrowing from the more sparse mid-century modern decor that plays up clean (yet interesting) lines and shapes.

I poked around to see what was out there being targeted toward this emerging trend, I found quite a bit - including some things that had me raising my eyebrows at the prices! Who knows, maybe the prices are right in line with what people who are cultivating this look are willing to pay?

The items I found tend to fall into one of just a few categories - lighting, storage, office supplies, and seating. Here's a few good examples:

Lighting

Vintage Industrial Wooden Screw Table Lamps

Crouse Hinds Vintage Industrial Light Fixtures

Vintage Brass Industrial Cage Exterior Sconce

Set of 3 Vintage Large Hanging Industrial Lights

Vintage 1940's Viking Metal Industrial Cage Desk Lamp

Vintage Metal Luxo Drafting Lamp

Storage

Vintage Mid-Century Machine Age Industrial Storage Cabinet

Set of 4 Vintage Heavy Duty Industrial Stacking Wire Baskets

1940's Vintage Warner Electric Co. Metal Box

Vintage Locker Storage Basket

Lot of Vintage Metal Slide Storage Boxes

Lot of 5 Vintage Metal Safety Deposit Boxes

Vintage Stackable Industrial Metal Storage Bins

Office Supplies

Vintage 5 Level Steel Metal Paper Letter Tray

Vintage Aqua Cast Iron Scotch Tape Dispenser

Vintage Metal Iron 2 Tier Stamp Holder

Vintage Office Stamp Dispenser And Letter Scale

Vintage Gray Swingline Metal Office Speed Stapler

Seating

Mid-Century Modern Industrial Metal Stool

Vintage Industrial Machine Age Metal Toledo Style Chair

Vintage Toledo Industrial Drafting Stool

Vintage Cole Black Steel Metal Office Chair

Industrial Age Royal Metal Co. Brown Side Chair

As you can see there is a lot of great stuff out there! I'm still working on part 2 of this post, trying to find other not so obvious ways to inject a bit of Industrial Chic into your decor - home accessories, kitchenware, etc. - hopefully I'll have it ready to go in a day or two, stay tuned!

Featured Collectible - Vintage Industrial Chic - Pt 2

2009-12-30T15:00:00.025-05:00

Ok, I'm ready to tackle part two of my Vintage Industrial Chic post - I set out to find home decor, furnishings, and kitchenware that would fit in with the seating, storage, office supplies and lighting I featured in my last post. It was a little tough, but I found some cool things! Again some of the prices made me raise an eyebrow, but some were very reasonable, so I guess it all balances out in the end!

Home Decor & Furnishings

Vintage Metal Gear for Art or Assemblage

Vintage Industrial Stainless Steel 3 Tier Cart

Vintage Wrought Iron Candle Holder Wall Sconce

Vintage Industrial Metal Telephone Table

Vintage Electric Lathem Industrial Wall Clock

Vintage Industrial Wood Pallet Metal Coffee Table

Vintage Stainless Steel Solingen Candle Holders Set

Vintage Black and Brass Metal Magazine Rack

Vintage Korv-Air Floor Metal Floor Fan

Set Of Vintage Metal Oil Cans For Display

Vintage Modern Black Metal Candle Holders

Wheeling Galvanized Single Wash Tub & Stand

Kitchenware

Vintage Metal Round Colander Strainer

Vintage 1950's Industrial Metal Condiment Salt & Pepper Set

Set of Three Large Metal Canisters

Vintage American Thermos Bottle Metal Pitcher

Vintage Metal Biscuit Cracker Serving Tray

Antique Metal 4 Sided Toaster

Vintage Pewter Wilcox Teapot Jug Pitcher

Vintage Wire Egg Vegetable Gathering Basket

Vintage Metal Liquid Pint Measuring Cup Pitcher

Vintage Metal Coffee Grinder

You know I'll be looking for Industrial Chic in 2010 - and I'll be sure to post my finds for you all to see! :)

Merry Christmas from Vintage Goodness!

2009-12-24T13:30:00.003-05:00

Here's hoping all my wonderful readers have the best
Christmas ever, and the happiest of New Years!

Thanks so much for all of your support in 2009 -
I can't wait to see what 2010 brings!

Snowed in? Time to bid! ;)

2009-12-20T13:12:00.008-05:00

I've got some goodies up for auction right now - if you are snowed in and can't get out to the thrift shops or estate sales, you can bid at home in your jammies and I'll send the goodness right to your door! ;)

Vintage Pyrex Glass Silex Juice Pitcher & Glasses Set w/ Corning Glas-Snaps

Vintage Owl Salt & Pepper Shaker Toothpick Holder Set - Japan

Shawnee Pottery Planter & Cornucopia Candle Holder Set

Set of 6 Vintage Hazel Atlas Brass Metal Handle Glasses

Vintage Orange Drip McCoy Pottery Ashtray

Vintage Japan Ceramic Fruit Juice Pitcher & Glasses Set

There's more of course - click on over to check out the rest! :)

FREE Vintage Ballet Dance Clipart!

2009-12-09T16:46:00.014-05:00

I have been working on getting some ephemera packs together to list on Etsy, and among them will be pieces from the vintage 50's and 60's Dance magazines that I got a couple of months ago. I scanned in some of my favorite bits, I left them extra large in case you want to download them and use them! :) (click to enlarge them to their full size)

At auction on eBay this week - hats, jewelry, recipes & more!

2009-12-07T17:06:00.008-05:00

I spent a good bit of time organizing my huge stash of vintage costume jewelry last week - I got some listed (mostly pins), with a lot more to come! I try every piece at auction on eBay first, and then if it doesn't sell I list in in my Etsy shop. I'll just show you a few of my favorite pieces...

Vintage Accessocraft Blue Yellow Enamel Flower Brooch Pin

Vintage Black Plastic Insect Bug Butterfly Pin Brooch

Vintage Figural Wood Wooden Deer Fawn Brooch Pin

Vintage MIB Van Dell Colored Rhinestone Sterling Silver Pin Brooch

I listed a few other things besides jewelry - some great vintage hats, a couple of old recipe boxes - with printed as well as handwritten recipes in them! - and a set of Hartstone Pottery Christmas mugs I missed when I was gathering up all of my holiday items to list - oops!

Hopefully I will have more to show you next week, if I can shake this cold that has been slowing me down for the last few days... wish me luck!

Newsletter Issue #14 - Vintage Bathroom Goodness & More!

2009-12-03T21:53:00.006-05:00

I'm working on the newest, re-vamped issue of my email newsletter as we speak! I got sidelined by the 1/2 off eBay auction listing fee sale yesterday, so I am a little behind, but I should have it out to everyone tomorrow. Here's a peek at what's inside:

Super Secret Content - from a reader suggestion - vintage bathroom goodness!
Blog Updates, Did You Miss Any? - a recap of my blog posts since the last newsletter
Facebook Goodness - a recap of some of the interesting stuff I've posted on Facebook lately
The Vintage List News - the latest from my online directory site, The Vintage List
Must See Sites - a few of the fun and/or helpful vintage related websites I've found lately

Who knows, I could add even more than that before it is all said and done - I told you I am going to be getting my $8/mo. worth, right? ;) If you haven't signed up yet do it now so you don't miss it!

Lushpad & Modernism Magazine

2009-10-30T14:16:00.005-04:00

A little while ago I discovered a totally drool-worthy site called Lushpad - it is a marketplace for mid-century modern, and so far I love everything about it. It is fairly high end, and seems to be pretty devoted to furniture, art and lighting, though there are other mid-mod items thrown in there as well. I've thought about trying a few listings there, if I ever do I will definitely report back here about it!

Ward Bennett Channel Back Club Chairs

Anyway, I got their newsletter today, and clicked over to enter a contest to win a George Nelson ball clock. It is sponsored by a magazine I hadn't seen before - Modernism Magazine. It comes out in print quarterly, and you can view back issue online editions for free - it doesn't get much better than that! I really like it so far, though I haven't looked at all the online content yet... It is pretty heavy on ads, but what mag isn't? At least the ads are nice to look at!

Subscriptions are only $20 for a year, which I think is super reasonable. We all know print magazines are in trouble right now, but it seems like this one has the right idea - a fair subscription price, online content for free, and a popular subject matter with an almost "cult" like following - hopefully it can manage to stay alive, despite all of today's challenges!

I'm trying out Lushpad!

2009-12-05T21:51:00.007-05:00

I listed a couple items on Lushpad today - so far I love their layout, and their listing page was quick and easy. Any item under $250 lists for free, with no final value fees! How cool is that? Here are my listings, if you want to check them out:

Vintage Squiggle Ceramic Planter TV Table Lamp Retro

Vintage Mid-Century Modern California Originals Vase

Vintage Mid-Century Modern Stanford Console Planter Vase

Vintage Mod Shawnee Pottery Pink Squiggle Planter Vase

Vintage 80's Clothing - Featured Collectible, Kinda

2009-02-01T11:23:00.012-05:00

I've been meaning to do this post for a while now. Full disclosure - I was born in 1975, so the fact that stuff from the 80's is now considered vintage is still a little surreal to me. The return of 80's clothing isn't just surreal to me though, it's actually quite disturbing... Especially the prices some things go for! I can't help but occasionally amuse myself by looking at eBay auctions, and rolling my eyes.

The highest prices are achieved by sellers who specialize in clothing and have live models that they "style" - hair, makeup, accessories, the whole bit. If I tried to buy some ugly 80's dress off the thrift store rack, throw it up on Boobs McGee, my torso mannequin, and list it next to my dinnerware - well, if it even sold at all, I'm sure it wouldn't sell for much.

So let's take a peek at some of the things that are currently at auction right now, with ridiculously high bids that are bound to go even higher... Be sure to click the images to enlarge, so you can see them in all their crazy glory!

80's Skinny Black Leather High Waisted Pants - Here you see a typical model - super skinny, in heels and oversized glasses. These pants are currently at $90 with 15 bids and 4 days to go. They are being offered by eBay seller Thriftwares, who seems to be a major player in the space.

While nothing screams 1980's like a pair of leather pants, don't these look, well, painful?

80's Metallic Puff Sleeve Blouse - This model is sporting oversized sunglasses instead of regular glasses, and the "I'm so cool I'm bored, and I don't even remember how to smile" look that is apparently a requirement to be a model.

This shirt, which doesn't have a single redeeming quality that I can see, is at $83 with 17 bids and a day or so to go. It is being offered by eBay seller Laced With Romance, who has some of the creepiest photos I've ever seen in their auctions and on the front page of their store. Seriously.

80's Leather Zippered Mini Dress - Where do I start? With the pose I guess, which is apparently all the rage - hands on hips, shoulders rolled forward like you have scoliosis, knees turned in... to me it's got to be the single most unattractive way to stand ever created! Sorry, I just don't get it - a fashionista I am not, apparently!

The dress of course is scandalously short, but shaped like a sack. Seems a little contradictory. The sleeves are interesting though, they definitely give this it's 80's vibe. The high bid is currently $78 with 11 bids and 4 days to go. It is being offered by eBay seller Indie Cult Vintage, who appears to be raking it in, with almost 5,000 feedbacks.

80's Oscar De La Renta Polka Dot Summer Dress - Whoever styled this model forgot to give her her her oversized glasses, but they did remind her to turn her arm out so her tattoo would show, which is a big plus when you are trying to give "edge" to a dress like this one.

By the way - ruffle socks, worn with heels = 80's nightmare.

This lovely is currently at $56 with 11 bids and a day to go. It is being offered by eBay seller Lullie Vintage, who's tagline is "Because You're Not Cut From The Same Cloth". Clever, and if you would wear this outfit, definitely true!!

80's Long Sleeve Shorts Jumpsuit - I hate to feature the same seller, Lullie Vintage, twice, but how could I not highlight this getup? The hat, the glasses, the bizarre (and oh-so-80's) belt, the slouch boots (over thigh high socks?), and of course the jumpsuit itself... I think my eyes are going to roll right out of my head.

Currently at $51 with 3 bids and 7 days to go. I've got it on my watch list, I have to see this final price!

Ok, that's all I can handle for one day... I think I'll have to do a part two of this post closer to prom time - if I remember correctly, eBay was flooded with the ugliest 80's sequined/ruffled prom dresses ever made, and they were selling like hotcakes...

James Lileks has my dream job.

2007-11-29T02:16:00.001-05:00

Well, one of my dream jobs. He collects old ephemera (books, magazines, postcards, matchbooks, advertisements, etc.), dissects them, and makes fun of their vintage quirkiness. It's easy to get lost on his sites for hours, especially on the Institute of Official Cheer, but everything is well worth the time it takes to dig through it all. And not only are his sites stuffed full, he has taken it a step farther and written books! I know, like I said, dream job...

http://www.lileks.com/

Here is just one of the many that made me laugh out loud:

"The Panic Room, c. 1971. Honey, there’s a burglar in the house! Quick, downstairs! I’ll get the gun – you type a letter to the police, then sew up a sack I can put him in."

Mary Randolph Carter - Junking Guru

2007-11-24T14:30:00.001-05:00

"I firmly believe we choose what has value. It's not about the provenance or the period; it's about what speaks to you, what you love -- whether you find it at a yard sale or an antique shop."
~ Mary Randolph Carter

One of my favorite authors is junking guru Mary Randolph Carter. Her books taught me how to see beauty in the imperfect, and that the dollar value of something doesn't necessarily equal its true value. Her photography is amazing, as is her style, and her books are pure joy!

She released a new book last year called For The Love Of Old that I've been drooling over. Unfortunately the thrift gods haven't heard my plea to let me find it at a sale - at least not yet. ;)

Featured Collectible - Mustard Seed Charms

2007-12-15T18:33:00.003-05:00

A quick Google search solved the mustard seed mystery!

"If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed...nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17.20. A wonderful old Victorian belief held that the mustard seed symbolized faith. For this reason, the small golden seed was encased in glass and worn as an amulet."

"In the gospels, the mustard seed is used as a metaphor for the kingdom of heaven. Mustard Seeds are very small but they grow into very large plants that birds build nests in and call their home."

Pretty cool! A quick eBay search brought up a lot of results, in a variety of styles.

Casino Memorabilia - Featured Collectible

2007-12-20T13:31:00.004-05:00

I researched my casino ashtrays, they aren't worth a ton, glad I didn't pay much for them! I did discover, however, that some vintage casino memorabilia goes for seriously big bucks - for example:

Vintage 1960's Sands Hotel Casino Room Key - $112.53

Vintage Dunes Casino Chip - $76.55

Vintage 1950's Tropicana Hotel & Casino Sterling Charm - $80.99

Apparently there are some dedicated collectors out there, especially for those room keys and chips, prices can really go sky high - I was surprised! I guess they must be hard to find...

Featured Collectible - Tipp City Shakers

2008-01-08T13:09:00.004-05:00

I'm obsessed with vintage glass kitchen shakers. I know, it's a slightly odd obsession - I can't help it! I actually sold a set of Tipp Black Leaf Flower spice shakers out of my store yesterday, see the photo above. I mean really, how could you not love them?

Several companies made glass shaker sets in the 30's, 40's, and 50's, there is no way I could cover them in one post. Wait, do I smell a series? I think I do!

Today I will just cover those made by the Tipp Novelty Company, Tipp City, Ohio. (Yep, Ohio comes through again! I love living here, my little state had so many great glass and pottery companies back in the day.)

From the way I understand it, Tipp didn't really produce their own shakers, they just decorated shakers made by other companies, especially McKee Glass Company. Here is what my well-worn book Florence's Glass Kitchen Shakers 1930-1950s: Identification & Value Guide says about them:

"The shakers shown in the catalogs are being listed as Tipp City shakers, although it is more likely only the decorations are Tipp. Tipp shakers may be embossed 'Tipp U.S.A.' or 'Made in U.S.A.' on the bottom, or, more likely, are unmarked altogether. The unmarked shakers generate the reasonable assumption that someone else made these unmarked versions for Tipp to decorate."

Confusing, I know. The only really important thing to know is that searching the word Tipp City on eBay is going to bring up a big variety of amazing retro designs, on milk glass shakers as well as grease jars. The most coveted are complete spice sets (known officially as Rangettes) on a stand, like this: (Click the photos to visit the actual listings!)

Also highly desirable are complete range sets that include salt, pepper, sugar, and flour shakers, or better yet the shakers plus the matching grease jar, like this:

There is no way I could show you all the different designs that are out there, the best way to see them is by getting the Florences' book that I mentioned above.

If you do decide that you want to buy, be ready to plunk down a decent chunk of money, especially for complete sets. It is possible though to build sets piece by piece, which will take some time, but might save you some money when it is all said and done!

Here's a tip (no pun intended!) - sometimes people list Tipp shakers on eBay and have no idea they are Tipp shakers. So doing a search for milk glass shaker, white glass shaker, or the design you are looking for, say, cherries shaker or flowers shaker, will bring them up. Sometimes these listings will go for significantly less than those that identify the shakers as Tipp simply because they are missing the Tipp keyword!

Featured Collectible - McKee Glass Shakers

2008-01-25T01:14:00.003-05:00

Are you ready for part 2 in my vintage glass kitchen shakers series? I talked about Tipp City last time, so today I'll show you some awesome shakers from the McKee Glass Company. I mentioned them in the last post because Tipp decorated a lot of McKee shakers, like so:

Aren't those just adorable? Click here to visit the listing from eBay seller Oregon Trail Collectibles.

McKee made shakers mostly in one of two shapes - Roman Arch or Square. Their Roman Arch shakers are very distinctive, but you have to look out for reproductions - they are rampant on eBay. The best indicator are the lids - a lid that looks shiny new is really hard to find on an old shaker!

Here is a really nice pair of white Roman Arch salt and pepper shakers, click here to see the listing from eBay seller Estate Treasure by Byrum. (I love their little wood blocks as stands idea - too cute!)

This is set of custard Square shakers. I really dig the lettering design! Click here to see the listing from eBay seller Old Jefferson Highway Antiques.

As you are probably starting to notice, prices can be pretty high on McKee shakers, especially if you are trying to get a complete range set like the one above, or like this one that includes the grease jar:

This set is Jadite, which is really popular and very collectible, as you probably already know. Thanks, Martha. Click here to see the listing from eBay seller Jadite Antiques and More.

Of course there is no way I could cover all the different colors and designs here, doing a search on McKee Shaker will bring up a huge variety. Like I mentioned before about the Tipp shakers, if you can't afford to buy a complete set, you can try to pick them up piece by piece, and be sure to search with keywords besides McKee to see if you might find some listed by people who don't know who made them. Sometimes you can get a better deal that way!

Featured Collectible - Fire-King Glass Shakers

2008-03-02T00:20:00.011-05:00

Anchor Hocking's Fire-King is well loved by most vintage geeks, and rightly so! I especially love their glass shaker and grease jar range sets, and they were next on my list to do a post about when this auction caught my eye.

This grease jar is the rare Kitchen Aids pattern, and it sold on the 17th for $355.00 - $180.00 more than the value listed in the 2004 Florences' Glass Kitchen Shakers guide. My jaw hit the floor when I saw that final price!

But, apparently, we ain't seen nothin yet... Today I found this auction for the Kitchen Aids salt and pepper shakers:

With 1 day, 11 hours to go, the high bid is already $195.00 higher than the 2004 listed value. All I can say is, well, holy crap! I can't wait to see what the final bid is, and if it is already over $400 who knows how high it can go. I think that condition is playing a huge part in this one - these suckers look brand new!

Luckily more common patterns will hurt the pocketbook a bit less, but still expect to pay a decent amount when you are looking to buy a complete set. Like I mentioned in my other posts, you can sometimes get a better deal if you find the pieces individually over time. Let's go ahead and drool over a few of the complete sets that are available on eBay now though, shall we?

This Red Flower Pots pattern set from seller kremsem is at auction ending on Tuesday. It is at a great price right now, but who knows what it will end at... I would imagine someone out there is waiting to pounce right at the end, this is eBay after all!

I think my favorite is this Black Circle pattern set from seller Old Jefferson Highway Antiques (I linked to them in my McKee post - they are one of my favorite stores, the goodness available in that store is almost criminal!). This pattern also comes in red, blue, and green, but I think the black is the most striking. This set has a proud spot on the shelf in my dream black, white and aqua kitchen. ;)

There are ton of range set and glass shaker styles from Anchor Hocking (Jadeite, Tulips, Polka Dots, etc.), way more than I could ever cover here. If you are a vintage kitchenware junkie like me, it doesn't get much better!

The Saga of the Vintage Paperbacks

2008-03-15T01:39:00.013-04:00

I've spent the last day and a half or so typing up a list of vintage paperbacks that I am getting ready to put up at auction in lots on eBay this weekend. I bought most of them last spring in lots on eBay, with the idea that I would break them out individually and sell them in my brand spankin new eBay store.

It was a total case of me falling in love with something and jumping in head first. I mean, I've been a book lover all my life, and a vintage lover almost as long... these paperbacks from the 40's through the 60's are the best of both worlds! Amazing cover art, racy and fantastic stories... and a lot of the cover blurbs are just hilarious. So I poked around about them a little bit, and decided I was adding them to my inventory.

Fast forward to now, almost a year later. They have been socked away all this time, and I have found only a handful to add to them out at the sales. Looking around at my inventory I realized I have twice as many vintage children's books (which I also love dearly) waiting to be listed, all of which I found out at the sales or at the thrift stores, for way less than what I was able to buy the paperbacks for on eBay. And in better condition for the most part too, I might add. Now that I have gotten all the paperbacks out and really looked at them, I realize most of them were in too poor of condition for me to have been able to sell at much of a profit anyway.

I've always been one who liked to learn things the hard way.

So, off they go back in lots onto eBay. It's been fun looking them over though, even if typing out all the information for the listings was a nightmare. And it was.

Click the photos to see the enlarged versions so you can check out the covers. There is a good variety - adult "sleaze" (my favorites, I admit it!), sci-fi, murder mysteries, westerns... Very cool. Believe me the thought of keeping them did cross my mind a few times, but I just don't have room. If I had a house where I could put shelves around the top of a room and fill them with cool retro paperbacks... well, one can dream.

There are a couple of great websites you can visit that are devoted to vintage paperbacks too:
Vintage Paperbacks on the Web
Vintage Paperbacks - Good Girl Art
The Book Scans Database - My favorite, a goldmine with thousands of cover scans...

Featured Collectible - Vintage Paint By Numbers

2008-05-14T10:59:00.016-04:00

The June issue of Country Living magazine has a great feature about a couple who turned their boring stairwell into a gallery space for their vintage paint by number painting collection. As you can see it turned out beautifully, and I am so incredibly jealous!

It's always fun to find well-done PBNs out at the sales or at the flea market, and usually they can be found for a decent price. But if you are trying to build a large collection like this one, or you are looking for specific themes, eBay is the way to go. There is always a large variety to choose from, and the prices seem to be all over the map, depending on subject matter, quality, size, and, of course, your competition.

A few of the most popular (and highest dollar) subjects are animals, birds, flowers, Asian themes, tropical themes, and women, especially if they are partially or all the way nude. In an effort to keep my blog rated PG, I won't show the boobies here, but check out what this pair sold for recently... yowza!

Here are some of my favorites that are currently up for sale:

I'm so tempted to bid on this set - it's Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher - too cute!

This one has a very unique subject matter - a lady peeling potatoes - and I love the blue of her jacket!

Here's one that is a great whimsical, dreamlike scene - and the seller has another similar one up for sale as well, so you could have a set!

This little still life would be so cute in a vintage style kitchen - especially one that is occupied by a little black cat...

You can also find unused vintage and new kits, I'm in love with this vintage miniature songbird kit - they would be so cute with the other birds in my kitchen. I think as long as the paints are oil paints you could still use the old kits, but if they have gone bad you could always buy new paints...

The newer kits that I looked at weren't all that inspiring, most of them lacked that vintage style charm, at least to me. I did find a couple simple, modern styles from a company called Dimensions, my favorite being this one of Ferns. It might be fun to give actually painting one a try!

Ok, I could go on all day and I really need to get back to work, so if you want to see more (and there is so much more to see, I really just scratched the surface here!) just click and enjoy... ;)

Featured Collectible - Vintage Ouija Boards

2008-04-25T10:44:00.011-04:00

Can you believe this?!? A Ouija board from 1944 - gorgeous colors and graphics, and in pretty damn good condition for being 64 years old! I've wanted a vintage Ouija board for years, and never found one - until last weekend.

I almost kept it - I figured out where I would display it and everything - talk about a perfect example of re-seller angst, worse than the curtains I wrote about a while back... Practicality won out again though, and it is currently at auction on eBay.

Of course I got sucked into looking at the other vintage boards that are up for sale - there are some awesome ones! Here is the one I had when I was younger, I don't know how many hours my friends and I spent on it... I don't think I want to know, really...

From eBay seller 5RL Online Auction Company - 1972 Parker Brothers Ouija Board:

I wish I still had mine, but it is long gone... luckily this version isn't too hard to find at a reasonable price it seems, plus a couple of years ago I thrifted this for a quarter:

A Ouija board mouse pad! I was too excited when I found it, I have to admit. I've used it ever since, and luckily there are several available on eBay so I will be able to replace it when it wears out... gotta love eBay!

Of course the older boards are a lot more rare, but there is a pretty big variety - I was kind of shocked to find out that there are boards dating back to the 1890's! I found a great site called The Museum of Talking Boards that has a ton of information about the history of Ouija boards and a great gallery of almost a hundred board versions - the one I found is included!

There is one other board that is for sale right now that I just love and have to show you before I go:

From eBay seller M and J's Collectibles - a Haskelite Mystic Tray:

I know most have you have probably run across vintage Haskelite wood serving trays on your thrifting travels, but I never would have thought there was a Ouija board version! And what's even cooler is that the witch from Snow White is in the lower left hand corner!:

I'm tempted to bid... must... resist...

Featured Collectible - Vintage Chenille Bedspreads

2008-06-09T22:07:00.016-04:00

I've found a couple vintage Chenille bedspreads in the past - but nothing as amazing as this one! I about died when I found it this weekend, crumpled on the bed at an estate sale. The colors are gorgeous, and the pattern is really sweet - a heart flanked by spring flowers:

These spreads are highly collectible, and they come in a wide variety of colors, styles and patterns. I was so excited to find a couple catalog pages on Wish Book Web featuring Chenille spreads!

Look at these original prices!! Unreal... From Sears, 1942 (click to enlarge):

From Spiegel, 1942 (again, click to enlarge - you gotta see the detail!):

Of course I had to poke around eBay and see the others that are currently up for sale. I was shocked there were so many! Most of them have a very cottage chic type of vibe, like this beauty:

Others are much more, to put it delicately... um... wild. Yeah, that works. I think my favorites are those featuring peacocks - not for the faint of heart! Check out this over the top gem:

I also fell in love with this really unique hearts pattern - it's like a valentine made of fabric!

Ahhh, if only I had a few guest bedrooms to decorate...

Featured Collectible - Enid Collins Purses

2008-07-16T18:34:00.013-04:00

You may remember me mentioning few weeks ago that I found an Enid Collins wood box purse titled Wise Guy, featuring a fun retro owl:

It ended up selling for a happy $68 - and it gave me an excuse to do some research and drool over all the great purses that are out there! Here are a couple sites I found that have quality info about the history of the Collins of Texas brand:
Cool Old Stuff - Enid Collins
Enid Collins Collector's Guide eBook

It seems like both the handbags an the box purses sell well, and price depends on condition and rarity of design. Check out what this one sold for a couple of weeks ago:

Moral of the story - keep an eye out for these on your next thrifting trip! ;)

I am kind of partial to the box purses, especially the more graphic ones with words in their design (they seem to be a bit harder to find, too...). Here is a Love design I am coveting that is up for auction right now:

Of course I would be just as happy with one of these bird designs:

Bird in Hand box purse

Roadrunner handbag

And nothing says the 60's like an orange, yellow and green butterfly:

Flutterbye box purse

I could go on all day, there seem to be dozens of designs - definitely enough to keep a collector busy hunting, that's for sure!

Featured Collectible - Mego & AHI Action Figures

2008-07-26T21:13:00.013-04:00

I was lucky enough to pick up a box lot full of vintage Mego and Azrak Hamway action figures a couple of weeks ago... I had never really heard of them before, but apparently they are from the early 1970's and are highly collectible, like most vintage action figure toys. Unfortunately, mine aren't in their original packaging - they would sell for out of this world prices if they were!

I found a couple great collector's websites that were super helpful:
Mego Museum - Mego info
The Gallery of Monster Toys - Azrak Hamway info

This is the Mego Mr. Mxyzptlk from Superman - I'd never heard of him, but of course Will knew all about him... sometimes it comes in handy living with a geek! ;)

Here is a Mego trio from Planet of the Apes - Galen or Cornelius, Dr. Zaius and the aptly named Soldier Ape.

Yay! It's the Mego Captain America! Check out the red boots - very swanky, superhero style...

Mego's The Riddler - one of Batman's many enemies.

Here is the AHI Frankenstein - I think he is my favorite out of all of them, his face is just classic!

This is AHI's Wolfman - creepy, love the painted on hair on his hands and feet!

I think I have like 12 or 13 figures total up for auction, ending Sunday night - I can't wait to see the action during the last 5 minutes of each listing - these hardcore toy collectors love the sniper software!

Featured Collectible - Jens Quistgaard for Dansk

2008-09-20T20:30:00.024-04:00

Every once in a while I have the good fortune to find Dansk items from famous mid-century modern designer Jens Quistgaard. The NY Times published a great article about him just after his death:

"Jens Quistgaard, a celebrated Danish industrial designer whose clean-lined and immensely popular pieces for the Dansk brand of tableware helped define the Scandinavian Modern style for postwar Americans, died on Jan. 4 at his home in Vordingborg, Denmark. He was 88."

He was a prolific designer who really set a standard with his work for Dansk. I recently scored a huge lot of amazing Teak wood items that are up at auction this week, which inspired this post... but first lets take a look at some of the other things he is known for:

Kobenstyle Enamelware

Here are a couple pieces of Kobenstyle enamelware I've sold in the past:

Yellow Coffee Pot & Pitcher Set

Yellow Casserole Cooking Pot

And look at what is up on eBay right now:

Aqua Casserole Cooking Pot - according to the seller, the rarest color!

Yellow Nesting Bowls

Flamestone

Here's a drool-worthy set:

Dansk Designs IHQ Flameware Coffee Service

Glassware

I love the simple style of the glassware I've seen, in great colors!

Green Glass Vase

Here's a cool ad showing a nice variety of glass:

Teak Wood

Ok, let's get to the Teak pieces that I was lucky enough to find! I bought them from a sweet woman who had them since she got married in the 50's... she was selling them to help raise college money for her granddaughter - isn't that nice? I wanted to keep them really, really, *really* badly - but practicality won out, as always.

Meat Serving Platter

Serving Tray or Platter - I actually got two of these!

Fjord Flatware - I got over 50 pieces of this amazing flatware, which I split up into place settings, except for my favorites, the iced tea spoons:

Awesome, huh? I love all of it! Click here to check out the rest - I have some trivets, coasters, napkin rings... a really unbelievable score!

In doing my research the most interesting thing I found is that the Teak pepper mills seem to be the most sought after - don't ask me why, but there is even a book about them for collectors:

They are cool, and there's several different shapes and styles... here's a couple that are up right now:

Dansk Teak Peugeot Pepper Mill

Dansk Teak Pepper Mill with Original Box

Oh wait! One other thing before I go -

Candle Holders

I also got a really cool cast iron candle holder and 2 boxes of the candles that were made especially for the Quistgaard holders:

There are several styles of these, this one I really love:

Cast Iron Candelabra Style Candle Holder

He actually designed a ton of candle holders - silver, teak, glass, cast iron - and if you are looking to add some Danish modern flair to your vintage decor, they are an affordable way to go!

Looking this post over I think it may be one of the longest ones I've ever done... it's ok, if anyone deserves it, it's Jens Quistgaard!