This Week’s Vintage Finds #34

And there were two of them! I almost feel guilty about how little I paid for them. The one hanging on the wall lost its glass somewhere along the line. The frames are also antique; made of limed wood,  they suit the prints perfectly. And I thought the two statues fit right in. The wicker basket [conveniently] has a handle on the back for hanging. I popped some of my dried hydrangea inside–I might put it on my front door. The perfume in front is vintage Windsong. Perfume collectors love it when there’s some perfume left in the bottle.

Isn’t she sweet? Look how she clutches a kitten with one hand and holds an ark and her skirt with the other. I love the swirliness of her hair, too. She appears to be made of chalk ware, probably copied from a larger piece in bronze. I will sell her for $40-50.

This little miss in white bisque still has some pastel paint clinging to her. She is named “Summer,” and is likely part of a series of statues based on the four seasons. “JW” is incised on her back, probably the artist’s initials. She would also be a copy of a larger piece, though I’ve not been able to find out anything about her yet. I just love her dress and the fruity wreath in her hair. She will probably sell for $85 or so.

This mid-century modern “collection” threw itself together. The Kodak Instamatic came in the off-white case behind it, along with a few cube flashes; the set should go for about $20-25. The coffee table book–Television: The First Fifty Years–was simply too cool to pass up, and vintage office supply collectors will vie for my taupe and maroon stapler and box of vintage staples. I will list the book for about $25 and the stapler/staples for $10-12. The darling plaid suitcase(?) would make a great picnic carry all or child’s suitcase. I’m not sure what it’s original purpose was. Anybody know?

I’ve not a clue what the tall board with the metal clip is. I think it would make a nice French bread board. In front are a couple of pieces of aluminum–the ladle and the finial-like thingy, which I find very interesting. The pretty plum/purple Staffordshire plate is a Virginia souvenir piece–in perfect shape. Thistles decorate the delicate porcelain vase to left, which I rescued from a free box(!).

I am madly in love with this antique painting–frame and all. The soft, muted colors of the still life work so beautifully with its limed wood frame. I’m not sure I can bare to part with it. It would go nicely in my living room or master bathroom. I’ll have to give it some thought.

A mini collection of small glass bottles. The woman I bought them from filled them with various herbs, as you can see. I just bought some air fern at a sale and I’m thinking I might put a fern in each, as a sort of mini-terrarium. What do you think of this idea?

These little guys are not in great shape, but they still exude vintage charm, don’t you think? Each of them has a couple of mercury beads and a chunky wooden base. I’ve never seen bases like these and wonder if they were part of a large Christmas putz scene, not meant to be seen or handled individually. Usually min bottle brush trees have little discs that their trunks are glued into. Check here for more info about 1950’s Christmas Decorations or How to Decorate with Bottle Brush Trees.

If you tuned in to my blog over the week-end, then you know that I wrote a teaser post about a few of the items I had purchased. Here the billiard balls rest, all nicely washed and displayed, in a bowl, just as Audrey at Timeless Treasures suggested. Another commentor thought I should halve the balls and use them to make a clock, and another recommended drilling holes and inserting a hangers. Thanks everyone for your thoughts on the matter.

I also gave a sneak peak of this really gorgeous antique basket. I wish I knew more about it; I’ll certainly have to conduct some research. Those of you who know me well can imagine that I want to take a big bottle of Howard’s Feed-N-Wax and slather it on this poor, dried-out baby, but I’m holding myself back, just in case I should use something made specifically for baskets. It’s killing me to know how great it would look after a nice little bath in the stuff. I did brush it down with a soft bristle brush and removed lots of dirt and cob webs. Any info out there about this lovely piece?

Lastly, this vintage suitcase with leather trim. I didn’t realize until I got it home that it’s missing a handle! Silly me. I’ve seen old belts and heavy rope used to make handles, so I guess I’ll have to improvise. The navy blue satin lining and  pockets inside are in great shape. And that’s it for today!