Five Good Vintage Finds

In the past week or so, I’ve had good luck in finding five vintage pieces to add to my ever-growing collections.  The first was from eBay – a 1930s era paper fan with artwork by Fern Bisel Peat (1893-1971).  I collect vintage scottie pieces and this one is in near-mint condition.

The back shows an advertisement for Triena children’s laxative (Allied Drug Products of Chattanooga) that was for sale by Farmers Mercantile in Nelagoney, Oklahoma.

I found three wonderful items in antique malls – a Homer Laughlin gravyboat ….

….a Jadeite bowl with lip ….

…. and a set of chubby pre-WWII made-in-Japan bird salt/pepper shakers.  I’m particularly drawn to these birds which were sold in dime stores in the 1930s.

The last item, and the biggest bargain, was found in a Goodwill thrift store for less than $3.00.  This Roseville child’s plate is well worn and faded, obviously used a lot, which I prefer in my pieces.  There was one in almost identical condition selling on eBay for $25.

It’s unusual for me to buy this many pieces in a short period of time, even at good prices, but when I see them, I grab them.

 

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Collectibles of the Week – Vintage Wall Pockets

I have so many wonderful collectibles acquired over the last 80+ years. Some were gifts, some were part of my life growing up, some are inherited, some were purchased at antique malls and thrift stores – all are precious to me. Some items are kept up year-around while others are brought out seasonally and on holidays. Unfortunately, many priceless-to-me objects go undisplayed and unseen for years. Each week, I’m going to pull out an item and post COLLECTIBLE OF THE WEEK.

WALL POCKET
A vase usually with a flat back for attachment to a wall

I have a small collection of vintage wall pockets that are displayed year-around. Three of them were gifts from my daughter …

 

…and one pocket I bought about 25 years ago because it matched my 1952 wedding china.

These pockets hang on one part of the overhang in my kitchen.

Another pocket from my daughter is another horse/horse shoe combination that hangs over my living room door …

I’ve heard some people say the horse shoe should be pointing up to hold in all the good luck and others say it should be pointing down to pour forth good fortune. I have one of each, so I’m covered either way.

Collecting Collectibles

Sometimes I wonder how I’ve managed to accumulate so many collectibles.  Here are two recent examples.

Yesterday, my older daughter and I stopped by an estate/yard sale and rummaged through the small items.  I found this small Hull pitcher for $3.00.  It has a repair on the handle, but I like these small containers for flowers, so that doesn’t bother me at all.

I worked in an office for most of my life and enjoy vintage desk accessories.  I saw this note/calendar pad for $1.00 and picked it up immediately.

 

Then I opened it and saw my father’s name “John Applegate” (he passed away in 1978).  That cinched it.  My father kept his harness horses in Barn A at our local county fairgrounds and we thought there was a very slim chance that the notation “BLD A” might refer to him some way.

I Googled the company name, Shepard & Young Tool Co., and found it was a business based in Birmingham, Michigan, incorporated in 1956 and dissolved in 1986.  It’s not likely, but possible, that someone used this corporate giveaway to make some notes here in Ohio.  Either way, I like the piece which has a 1960 calender.

So, I have two more collectibles to enjoy.  The pitcher will be used throughout the summer for the fresh flowers that my daughter arranges and the desk pad will set right by my computer with a refill of fresh paper.

 

Collectibles of the Week–1930s Keepsakes

 

I  have so many wonderful collectibles acquired over the last 80+ years.  Some were gifts, some were part of my life growing up, some were inherited, some were purchased at antique malls, gift shops or thrift stores  – all are precious to me.  Some items are kept up year-around while others are brought out seasonally and on holidays.  Unfortunately, many priceless-to-me objects go undisplayed and unseen for years, so each week, I’m going to pull out an item and post a COLLECTIBLE OF THE WEEK.

These are two collectibles that I remember seeing over 80 years ago.  The parrot wall pocket (marked “Made in Czechoslovakia” hung on the wall of our one-room flat in downtown Cincinnati.  Mother had very few “collectibles”, barely getting by on my father’s WPA salary in the midst of the Great Depression.  I wish I had asked her where the wall pocket came from originally – probably one of her better-situated-financially aunts gave it to her.  I can remember when I was a toddler, Mother would take the wall pocket down and give it to me to hold while I fell asleep – kind of a security blanket.  She used to play a hand game with my little sister and me that involved a song about “Dicky-Bird, Dicky-Bird, fly away” and we called the wall pocket “Dicky-Bird”.  Mother would say, “Now, take Dicky-Bird and go to sleep”, while she sat nearby rocking my sister and singing one of her well-loved ballads like “Barbara Allen”.

Somewhere along the line the parrot was dropped and broken.  I don’t recall ever taking anything else to bed with me.

Mother was very proud to have owned a brush just for me and my curly dark hair, and kept it at hand to also brush my little sister’s straight blonde hair.

It’s made of metal and  the back shows a lot of brushing went on at our place.

What amazes me is that Mother managed to hang onto these two items through many moves, three devastating floods and for almost 60 years.  They were passed on to me when she died in 1991.

Lillian and Mother – 1933

Collectible of the Week–Dime Store Items from 1952

I  have so many wonderful collectibles acquired over the last 80+ years.  Some were gifts, some were part of my life growing up, some were inherited, some were purchased at antique malls, gift shops or thrift stores  – all are precious to me.  Some items are kept up year-around while others are brought out seasonally and on holidays.  Unfortunately, many priceless-to-me objects go undisplayed and unseen for years, so each week, I’m going to pull out an item and post a COLLECTIBLE OF THE WEEK.

When I was newly-married and setting up my first apartment in 1952, I had loads of beautiful wedding gifts to use, but I felt I was lacking something.  I stopped after work as a secretary for P&G  in downtown Cincinnati and went to Newberry’s 5&10 store to buy three items:

 

A baking rack which I did not receive among my many gifts

 

A vase to match my lovely wedding gift Poppy Trail china

And for no particular reason other than it matched my newly-painted kitchen, a chubby yellow pig planter.

I still use the rack and vase all of the time, but had to borrow the pig back from my youngest daughter who had claimed it for her kitchen when she married 19 years ago.

For dime-store purchases, these three items have held up very well.

Some Very Nice Collectibles

I’ve been wanting a Harker Hotoven rolling pin for a long time  and finally found one at an antique store in Lebanon, Ohio, for a reasonable price.

When I got it home, I realize I already had a pie plate in the same pattern.  It is quite discolored and crazed, which I don’t mind.  It shows that it has been used to bake a lot of pies.  My daughter found the rack at a thrift store for $4 and it’s perfect for displaying the two pieces.

Today, we visited a local thrift store and found a Universal water bottle with a beautiful marigold pattern.  I love these vintage patterns for china and pottery.

I also found a lovely pale pink and green Hull vase which is perfect for displaying while I’m waiting for spring to arrive.

These two items were only $15 each – a bargain even with a few imperfections.

To add to a week of very nice collectibles, my daughter gave me this darling 2-inch high pitcher for St. Patrick’s Day.

It was  a very good week for collectibles.

A Valentine’s Day Surprise

My oldest daughter who lives with me enjoys having a surprise gift display which I’ll see as I go into the kitchen for breakfast.  This was on the table this morning as my Valentine gift.  I hoped to have better pictures with blue skies and sunshine outside, but by the time I got the camera, the skies had darkened and two to four inches more snow are expected within the next hour or two.

The trivet has her hand-embroidered piece of Dan Patch (an old  famous trotting horse) which she designed and the stitching is tiny, tiny.  The entire piece is only 3-1/2 inches square.

She included a custard cup for my growing collection of Harker Hot Oven vintage items.  It’s filled with some of my favorite chocolates.

Everything is setting on a vintage dresser scarf which my daughter embroidered and then added a crocheted edging.

Everything just goes together to make the most charming Valentine.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Last Day of Vacation

We completed the last of the once-a-week vacation days that my daughter and I have enjoyed this month.  I’ve had medical problems the past year that have been manageable as far as going out for lunch or dinner, but have not allowed me to stand and walk long enough to browse through antique shops.  Since I’m better, this is what I chose for our annual fall vacation.  Fortunately, my daughter also loves antique shops and has patiently been the driver and dining companion.  For the last day, I chose a location that is about an hour from our home – Waynesville, Ohio.  The village was founded in 1797 and was an important Quaker settlement.  There are still over 200 historic homes, most of them in the shopping area of several blocks and side streets.  We stopped for lunch at the Hammel House Inn which was built in 1799.  The original brick walls are still visible and the fireplace is homey and charming.

Our table was near an open window where we could look out onto the long front porch.

We had a lovely lunch.  I chose the English Grille.  The salad with strawberries was especially delicious.

My daughter ordered a Reuben sandwich and the cheerful and efficient waitress took our picture.

We don’t usually have dessert, but couldn’t resist some really good quality vanilla ice cream with just a drizzle of chocolate, pecans and whipped cream.

In just a two-block area, we visited three antique stores.  The Olde Curiosity Shoppe is one of our favorites.

I found three items to add to my collection – a baking dish and pitcher with the poppy motif that I love and a Roseville bud vase in the freesia pattern which was reduced in price because of a chip that I didn’t mind at all.

There’s also a great quilt shop, Fabric Shack, which is familiar to a lot of my quilting friends around the country because of their excellent online service.

On the way home, we stopped off at a farm market called Hidden Valley to check out their very well stocked rustic store.

There were even a few animals to see…

…and we bought some fudge and cookies to take home.

I’m glad that my daughter and I were able to share these days and enjoy so many beautiful things that southwest Ohio has to offer.

Click on pictures to enlarge

A Roseville Mantel

I received my first piece of Roseville about 25 years ago as a birthday gift.  It was my one and only “perfect” piece as I continued to receive Roseville gifts through the years.  I’m very happy with pieces that have a small chip or crack because I know they were displayed and loved by someone.  Unfortunately, last Christmas I dropped and completely shattered my perfect little vase and replaced it last summer with one that has a chip or two.  The pattern is Bushberry.

I received two more beautiful pieces of Roseville this Christmas, a Columbine ewer and a Water Lily vase…

…and thought it might be a good time to get out all of the treasures and place them on the mantel before beginning my post-Christmas display.

In addition to the three pieces above, there are 3 candle holders (Snowberry, Primrose and Magnolia)…

…two large vases (Hibiscus)…

…a large vase and a bookend (Freesia)…

…a console, a sconce shell and a creamer (White Rose, Magnolia and Zephyr Lily).

I love having these beautiful pieces to display throughout my home at different seasons of the year.  I enjoy this collection particularly because it is a product of Ohio.  The company was in business from 1890 to 1954, starting in Roseville, Ohio and moving to Zanesville, Ohio in 1898.  I’m also attracted by the 1930s-40s style and muted colors.

The Robert Fabe signed print over the mantel is called March Morning and shows a street in the Mt. Adams suburb of Cincinnati.  (Click picture for close-up)  It’s not where I lived as a child but looks very much like my old neighborhood.  I sure hope we don’t have that much snow this year in March.

Pause and Remember – 5/25/2012

On Friday, I pause and remember a single, wordless moment from the past week – inspired by The Warden’s Log.

An old friend is back on the mantel

Last January when I was taking down Christmas decorations and putting up my old treasures, I dropped a Roseville Brownberry vase and shattered it beyond repair.  I was especially upset because my daughter had given it to me as a birthday gift 25 years ago.   I’ve been looking for a replacement since then and finally found one on eBay.  The original was in perfect condition, but this one has a small chip which made it affordable.  I love to look up at the mantel and see my old friend again.