My Cheap Vintage Finds [& What They’re Worth] #178
Hi everyone! I hope your week is going well 🙂  Today I’m sharing the final installment of vintage finds from the huge neighborhood garage sale I attended a few weeks ago. You may remember that I filled my van from top to bottom. Yeah. It was that kind of a sale. Loads of great stuff at great prices. Woo woo!
Living in a formerly Dutch city (way back in the 1600’s), I buy vintage Dutch wares whenever I see them, like this Delft souvenir tile (cost: $1.00, value: $8.00-10.00).
Pottery
Schuler’s Restaurant & Pub, located in Michigan, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. Famous for their popular cheese spread, the restaurant has produced a variety of cheese crocks for serving their specialty, like the one you see here. I would date it to the 1960’s (cost: $1.00, value: $10-12.00).
The bottom is marked “USA.”
I’ve found a number of ironstone platters lately–this is my second rectangular one (cost: $1.00, value: $12-15.00). Because of all the pitting, I plan to stencil it, probably with “Gather.”
You may be interested in my Ironstone Collection
or my Ironstone Price Guide.
Manufactured by Maddock & Co, Burslem, Enlgand near Stoke-on-Trent, it dates to about 1906.
A newer cherub statue, actually made of concrete–I think, (cost: $2.00, value: $28-35.00).
White Goods
A piece of Black Americana (cost: $2.00, value: $25-35.00?). It makes me uncomfortable to buy and sell this sort of antique, but I realize that they help us remember the horrors of slavery and racism. In addition, “they can also be an inspiring testimony to the strength of the African American spirit in the face of discrimination and racism,” Collecting a Troubling Past: Black Americana.
An old (lightly stained), striped flour sack, dating to the 1920’s or 30’s (cost: $1.00, value: $10-12.00).
I guess I could have cleaned this guy up before I went and photographed him, lol (cost: 50¢, value: $10-20.00? Will know more after doing some research.) I’ve bought and sold a few old lures before, but don’t know much about them, yet. His glass eyes make him more desirable, but that’s about all I know.
A Costcol-style step stool (cost: $2.00, value: $25-30.00).
Books
A 1970 reprint of an old 1896 Marshall Field catalog (cost: $1.00, value: $10-15.00).
Despite “jewelry” being in the title, it contains precious little of it, but rather is filled with exquisite, finely detailed illustrations of beautiful objects, like those you see on these pages.
An interesting book published in 1964, The Films of Marilyn Monroe (cost: $1.00, value: $10.00), originally retailed for $5.95.
Another, Of Women and Their Elegance by Norman Mailer (cost: $1.00, value: $10-15.00). Marilyn Monroe appears on the cover and this 1980Â book, that originally retailed for $29.95, is about her.
Metal
A lovely, large tole painted tray, dating to about the 1940’s in a Colonial Revival sort of style (cost: $3.00, value: $28-35.00).
A pair of antique door plates (cost: $1.00 each) that I’ll be using for a Christmas craft I came up with last year. Yes, you’ll just have to wait until November when I “reveal” the project, lol.
Wood
A large vintage bread board (cost: $1.00, value: $28-30.00). Learn how to clean and season your bread boards here.
A vintage, oak book stand (cost: $1.00, value: $15-20.00).
An antique faux bois (false wood) frame (cost: 50¢, value: $8-10.00). Read about how to frame like a professional here (and get a free download).
Final Fabulous Find: This little serpentine front chest of drawers caught my heart right away. It’s solid wood (mahogany or cherry, I think), but it’s pretty beat up, and in addition, I may have scratched it while moving it into the garage. Yeah, I know. Bummer. But a neat painting project, right? And I’ll clean up those brass drawer pulls following my instructions in this post.
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Let us know what you find out about fishing lures! I have a few I need to price and bring to my booth.
Oh,, Diana, the chest……..I would refinish it, but that’s just me!
Marti
Hey, that gal sporting the bob on that 1927 framed cover is worth its paper inside that faux bois frame! And I wonder if your 1896 catalog reprint has any mesh handbags pictured in it? (an example of my crossover collectibles). As for the Black Americana – those are real gems. My sister finds those occasionally. I feel it’s a great historical preservation to make available the Black Americana collectibles. Just think of all the current day African American ancestors who never had the opportunity to have those historical pieces of their own. We have customers who seek those pieces out. The same sensitivity could be spoken for any other group discriminated against I suppose – Native American, women – to name just a couple.
Thanks for the article about collecting black Americana. I have some shot glasses that I bought and agree that we can’t pretend the past didn’t happen, but I felt guilty owning them. I can now look at them as records of a time of less understanding and tolerance. Thanks!
You found some great stuff, Diana! Love the platter and cutting board…and a great tole tray, too!
Super finds. The black advertising memorabilia—has a collector following. I often sold to two couples at my booth, when I came across anything with historic imagery on it. And, when pricing the items, the internet was usually conservative on what the market will actually be, as my pieces disappeared usually within a week.
Great snag on the MFields catalog. If you put that online, I may have to have it, lol.
The chest is a find, no matter what you do with it. Grins, Sandi
My vehicle would have been full, too! You find interesting items at amazing prices! I love the cherubs, the door plates, and the step stool especially. Good work! 🙂
My faves were the cherry/mahogany chest and tole tray; I’d try Howards Restor a Finish on it before painting; it covers/minimizes a multitude of sins! And if you put a pretty bureau scarf/runner on the top…. it is waiting for a cottage style vignette, small lamp, and a china cup and saucer of tea! I envy you the tole tray; it is in such beautiful shape; any I ever find seem to have been used WAY too hard!
I love the chest, and that tole painted tray is in such good condition! Once again, great finds!
Some great stuff! My favorite is definitly the statue of the children. So sweet and old-looking. I’d put it in my garden in a minute.
One again I’m amazed at all your great finds. I want that lattr and that bread board:) That chest is to die for. xo Kathleen|Our Hopeful Home
You really scored at that giant neighborhood yard sale. In this post my favorites are the wooden lure and tole tray.
The white handsoap container made me cringe but there are quite a few people who collect items f that sort, and many are black Americans!
Hi. I was surprised to see your first item is a crock from a restaurant based out of my hometown where I was raised, Marshall, Michigan. I thought maybe you would be interested in the background of the well known Schuler’s restaurant by the late Win Schuler.
https://www.schulersrestaurant.com/news-events/media-kit/win-schuler-2/
I was interested where you may have gotten that it was based in Minnesota, so of course I googled it… all that popped up is Schuller’s Tavern. I see the confusion, the spelling. The cheese use to be sold in the crocks which changed thru the years, now you can find them in grocery stores in plastic containers. Just thought you may be interested in knowing the history of your crock! We take great pride that this wonderful family owned restaurant comes from our beautiful state of Michigan!
Oh, wow! No wonder your car was filled to the top. These are all GREAT finds! I especially love the chipping garden statue! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventure
My goodness, I cannot believe the incredible things you find! That platter, the towel, the bread board, the door plates! Seriously incredible. I’m super jealous!
Have you tried Howard’s Restor a Finish (mahoghany for that dresser) on scratched furnitureI swear by it. I use it on almost all picture frames and furniture; it covers a multitude of sins. I have a lot of old unstylish furniture that color and I love it (after growing up with orange maple!).