89 cents, hell yes!

Went to a few thrift stores yesterday, but I didn't find one good thing. So I ventured a bit further to another Goodwill that I don't normally go to and I found some great stuff.

I have a few art glass paper weights already, but this one just caught my attention, and it doesn't hurt that the price was only .89! Doesn't it have that mod 1960's vibe? It's so hard to tell when something like this is old or not, it's so bright and shiny. Anyone have any thoughts?

Then I saw these awesome stetson plates (also .89 each), the stamp on the back looks to be 1960's. I remember seeing some of these plates on Etsy at one time, but I can't find them anywhere now. It's crazy that these are so old but the design looks so fresh and new.

Score!

Mid-Century Monday: Couroc of Monterey

I was out thrifting with a friend today and I picked up this adorable tray with two birds. On closer inspection I noticed there was inlaid wood and some kind of metal in the tray. When I turned it over it said made in California, I then stuck it into my basket. :)



The Couroc Company was a Monterey California company that produced many different types and shapes of trays, boxes, ashtrays and glassware from 1948 until their closure in the early 1990s. Their products have become and remain collectable because of their high quality and beauty. Guthrie Courvoisier, owner of Courvoisier Galleries in San Francisco formed Couroc in 1948. His wife, Moira Wallace was a designer that was involved in designing manufacturing - sometimes even 'signing' her work. Couroc was formed in Monterey an area that held strong artistic communes at the time. Being located in a beautiful part of the Pacific coast had other advantages, Couroc relied on a plentiful supply of natural design elements, especially coral and shells. Couroc's Early Years

During the early years, the artists carefully arranged bits and pieces of common metal items one might find at a hardware store into elements of the design. Items like springs, screws, glitter, safety pins and paper clips were commonly part of Couroc's best designs. The artisans also used pieces of brass and other metals and carefully bent them into shape.

While tastes differ, some of the most desirable trays are the aquatic scenes, mosaics, abstract "atomic" bird characters, Walt Disney Tiki Room and the 1950's Capitol Records Tray. via

images via www.etsy.com/shop/PardonMyVintage

Making your own brooch bouquet

image via The Ritzy Rose
image via fantasyfloraldesigns.com

On my online hunts for flower brooches, I keep seeing more and more brooch bouquets for sale. They go for around $350 and up and are great for brides that want that vintage look and a sweet memento to remember that special day. If you are feeling adventurous these are pretty easy to make ahead of time, but you will need to start collecting asap! Start hitting up thrift shops, flea markets even relatives. You will need anywhere from 50-90 pieces, depending how big you want it.

image via fancypantsweddings.com
image via offbeatbride.com

There are lots of sites that offer tutorials, some are better than others. I've seen people bundle them together with twisted wire or stick them into styrofoam forms for that rounded shape. www.fancypantsweddings.com had a nice step by step tutorial. Below are more yummy images for inspiration.

Frankie magazine

I had forgotten to mention that some of my vintage brooches were featured in the nov/dec issue of Frankie magazine, which is a really cute artsy magazine from Australia and available in New Zealand. Here's what you missed...

Tell us about your collection?

I collect enamel brooches from the 60's and 70's. I'm really drawn to the shapes and colors of the period.

When did you start collecting?

About two years ago. I was at an outdoor market and someone had a booth full of vintage clothes and jewelry. I started digging around and found a cute little yellow enamel pin. I was hooked right away! That winter, I found another one on Etsy and bought it to wear on my wool coat. Then I had to have one for every outfit I owned!

How many do you own?

I have around 60 or 70 brooches, but my collection keeps expanding. I just bought another one on Ebay, it should be arriving shortly!

What’s your favourite?

Currently my favorite is the red and white leaf Coro brooch (shown in the bottom left corner of the photograph.) I'm mostly fond of brooches that are abstract, which seem to be harder to find.

What was the least expensive?

Very cheap: $0.50 (US.) Thrift shops and flea markets seem to always have the best deals.

What was the most expensive?

The most expensive was the Coro brooch I mentioned above, which was purchased on Etsy for $18. There is not a lot of consistency in pricing: the same brooch could be $8 in one shop and $25 in another. I could have waited to find this particular brooch for less money, but I had never seen one like it for sale, so I pounced. I'm glad I did, too, because I still haven't seen another one for sale.

Where do you find them?

I find them at flea markets, thrift stores, Etsy and eBay.

Have you been given any for a present?

No, but I'm not surprised: I'm very particular about which ones I like. They have to be just right for my collection.

Will you keep collecting?

I probably will. I have slowed down in the past, but never fully stopped. I actually just started up looking for them again after losing interest for a while. They just bring me a lot of joy, and hunting for them is too much fun to stop.

Where do you keep them?

Currently I keep most of my favorites in a large orange tray, but I have many more scattered around my home.

Do people comment on your collection?

Yes. Someone once said the collection looks like candy!

Do you collect anything else?

When I was younger I collected everything under the sun. Today I try and keep my inner hoarder at bay and I just collect brooches and vintage china tea sets and plates from the 1960's and 70's. Like with the brooches, I'm very particular about which china I like, so I only collect red and orange pieces in a very specific design range.

Check my brooch flickr group! http://www.flickr.com/groups/1220407@N20/

Interesting Craigslist Find

I saw this before i left for the holidays and I see it's still up. Just posting this for anyone who is interested.
VINTAGE MODULAR DOLLHOUSES - $150 (MERRIMACK, NH)

Adding to the collection!

I'm a sucker for vintage orange/red tea cups and serving sets, and when I saw the set above on Etsy I pounced! Last year I found two cups from this same collection and I'm so happy that I can add to it. Below are pictures of others I have collected.

Mini Mod

Krista Peel has been working on a new series of miniature rooms designed inside of glass aquariums. Each room has a great collection of artists, and some wonderful pieces of miniature artwork. Check them out here.




Each of these handbuilt roomboxes is an art gallery of collected works from around the world.

Room materials include original miniature artwork, fabrics, beads, paper, wood, mirrors, rocks, pins, tiles, perfume lids, stir sticks, plastic, glass, foam core, bottle tops, artificial plants and pre-made dollhouse furnishings.

Vintage Christmas Ornaments - Facts and Fiction

I found this insightful reivew on Ebay written by Ebay seller lulusgroove.

Vintage Christmas Ornaments - Facts and Fiction

I am a vintage Christmas addict to put it mildly. Because I come into to contact with vintage ornaments so often, I am in a unique position to help you sort through some of the common myths and misconceptions that swirl around regarding these little gems. Some of the little white lies are started innocently, while others pop up to help sellers make a quick buck. Either way, if you're going to collect them, here's some information you need to make your collection a show stopper.

Not every ornament on Ebay is a Shiny Brite (no matter what they tell you), even if they are in a Shiny Brite box. The term "Shiny Brite" refers to a particular manufacturer, not a style of ornament. Shiny Brites were made in many colors, shapes, and sizes, and were all the rage in the 1950's and 1960's. Some of the most common styles are below:


All ornaments are not mercury glass, even if they say they are. Less than 5-10% of all ornaments on Ebay are mercury glass. Many sellers have the misconception that any silvered glass qualifies as mercury glass, but that's just not true. In order to qualify for that designation, the ornament must have 2 walls of glass with the silvering appearing in the middle of the layers. Mercury glass ornaments are much heavier than your everyday ornaments, and are not that easy to come by. Most exhibit moderate to heavy oxidation (spots) because of age. But most importantly, it is often impossible to recognize a true mercury glass ornament by sight. Ask the seller about the glass to be sure. Better safe than sorry. A few examples are below:












You cannot tell the age of an ornament from its cap. While the style of the cap can be one indicator of age, its a mistake to rely on that fact alone. Vintage ornaments caps get changed around all of the time. They get lost, they break, they rust. And because of that they get switched. The older ornaments tend to have skinnier necks. Do keep in mind there are exceptions. The original caps are usually smaller and made of stiffer metal. The glass is most often much lighter in weight and thinner. Most vintage ornaments look vintage. Aside from the rare exception, you can count on the ornaments having some signs of age wear. And always remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Premier ornaments are not Shiny Brites. This is another mistake due to lack of knowledge. "Premier" was an ornament company who produced vintage ornaments that appear similar to Shiny Brites, but are by no means identical. Many Premier ornaments have elongated, thin necks with small caps, but were produced in the 50s and 60s (see why you can't judge an ornament's age because of its cap?). They have a brighter silver finish and resist age wear more readily than Shiny Brites. See the examples below:












Its not a World War II (WWII) ornament just because its transparent. During the time of WWII, manufacturers were forced to change the way they made their ornaments. Gone were the days of silvering and metal caps and hangers. Any piece of scrap metal went toward the war effort. So, for a short period of time, vintage ornaments were transparent, clear, or opaque, and were fitted with paper caps. Understandibly, over time, any ornament that fits this description has been touted as a WWII ornament, but thats not the case. Some of these ornaments were made transparent to showcase sprigs of tinsel inside. Others will disagree, and assert that these ornaments are authentic WWII items. But the tinsel placed inside was metal or aluminum, and so I ask, if they didn't have the metal for the silvering and caps, how did they find it for the tinsel inside? Some "WWII style" ornaments were produced much later simply for looks. Other ornaments that appear transparent have simply lost their silvering from age. But worst of all, some dishonest folks will manipulate regular ornaments by wiping the interior silvering out. Their motivations are varied. Some do it because they bring more money. Others take an age worn ornament that doesn't present well, and by removing the silvering, it looks like a near mint WWII ornament. Its often difficult to tell when this has been done, but I look for remnant specks of silver flakes inside, or residual silver near the neck of the ornament. Either of these is usually a good indicator of manipulation. See the first row of pictures below for examples of authentic WWII ornaments:











That's enough to give you a good start, but if you are serious about collecting vintage ornaments, I recommend research. Lots and lots of research. There's nothing in this world that replaces first hand knowledge and experience. Good luck and have fun!

Vera

I'm sure you've all seen a Vera scarf or a beautiful Vera place mat on Etsy or on Ebay. The designer behind the name was Vera Neumann, an artist turned textile designer. She began designing textiles back in 1946 after WWII. At that time the silk which had been used for parachutes became affordable enough to start her scarf business.

By the 1950s her business had grown to the point where Vera employed a team of designers. These designers were responsible for taking the original design which was done by Vera herself in the form of a 36" scarf, and translating it into other products. As many as 500-600 different designs a year were developed by the team.

Vera worked nearly up to her death in 1993. Vera scarves continued to be made after her death, and today the trademark is owned by The Vera Company of Atlanta, GA.


Did you know that earlier pieces have the ladybug logo? Have fun collecting!