Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Let's Talk Vintage #59: Giving Thanks

 
Welcome to Let's Talk Vintage!
If you live and breathe old things
and love the history behind them,
then you've come to the right place.
 
This week I am taking it easy and just
simply, giving thanks.
 
 
Thank you to all who stop by to read.
Thank you to all who link up every week
with inspiring posts.
Thank you to those who leave me
sweet comments.
 
Most of all, thank you
 for your support ...
 
I didn't think I'd still be writing
LTV posts! What an amazing journey
it has been for me to do this link party.
 
There are plenty more good ideas! I am
looking forward to many more.
 
So for today, I just want
to say, Thank you.
 
 ________
 
Here are a couple of features
for this short Thanksgiving week post:
 
 
shared this wonderful
Harlequin tabletop.
 
 
and Kim of Snug Harbor Bay
really gets into her projects!
 See how she gave this vintage
steamer trunk a new life.
 

Now it's your turn!
Who wants to party with me....


Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Let's Talk Vintage! #58: A Closer Look at My Fall Mantel

Welcome to Let's Talk Vintage #58!
 
 
Join the vintage fun today...
whether you are just reading, linking, or
just plain oohing or ahhing, we love
to have you here!
 
Since I am getting busy with orders and listing,
 my portion of today's post is going to be brief.
 
 
Today I'm sharing a closer
 look at my Fall mantel,
mixing in the old with the new.


I pull out framed photos of Bebe,
when she was a tiny tot, for my
fall décor each year.

The memories of going to
look for pumpkins are so precious
to me...and I love seeing them
every October.

Since she is only seven,
it is safe to say these are part
of my "mixing in the new."
I could use vintage frames but
I like them just as they are.
 

 
Now for some "old."
 
I placed this petite Roseville 
vase on a book stack.
 
It is signed and numbered
 on the bottom.
 
It was made in Roseville, Ohio, 
most likely sometime during the
1920's and 30's. We acquired
it this past summer. It is small  
but big on Fall charm. I found an online
price guide, here, which I will go back to
later and try to identify mine.
 
 
I paired the vase with a few antique
books from my collection. . . following
the color scheme, of course.
 
The book titled "Witch's Head"
was almost too perfect... but this
isn't really a Halloween mantle.
Don't ask me how the one titled
"Between Two Loves" fits... think
it was the color I was going for!
 
They are from the late 1800's to
the early 1900's.
 
 
 
I am trying to remember where I
gathered these little pine cones.
They are only about 2 inches long.
Maybe in Maine? I've had them
 for awhile now and decided to put
 them in a carnival glass candy dish,
which is probably from the 1970's.
 
 
More mixing in the new... this little textured cutie
was my Dollar Tree find last year. I have
 another style in orange and
think my 2.00 investment was worth it.
 

Now talk about old...
My Aunt gave this "pheasant" plate to me on a visit to her house several years ago. I think she said it was from my Grandparent's estate. The same Grandparents who had the store in Florida that I wrote about here. This makes me happy to think I have one of the pieces from the shop. The colors make it a perfect piece for Fall!
_____________________

Thanks so much for taking a gander at
my Fall treasures! Now be sure to gobble
up these awesome features:
  
 
 
Brenda of Unique Junktique, shared her
Fall porch displays created with vintage
for repurposed inds. Look at this
awesome cabinet door turned
chalkboard wall art. Love it!!!
 
 
 
Gina at Victorian Wannabe shared her
antique Thanksgiving postcards and Fall displays.
Since I just posted in last week's LTV about collecting postcards, this post was perfect!
 
 
I couldn't help but feature
Bebe and I are all into the Nutcracker
and rehearsals are in full swing right now.
Check out Cecilia's Nutcracker inspired
dress form with a Christmas tree skirt.
 
 
posted a tribute to Veterans.
Guess which one is her Father?


Thank you to all for linking last week...
I love looking through everyone's posts!


Be sure to grab this "My blog was
featured" graphic if you were
featured today or in a past
LTV post!

Now it's your turn.
Let's Talk Vintage!
 
 

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Let's Talk Vintage #57: How to Spot a Valuable Christmas Postcard

 
 
 
 Welcome to Let's Talk Vintage!
This is a blog post where
other bloggers and sellers
can "link up" their posts
and selling pages. 

We're so glad you joined us today!
If you would like to link up...
here are some guidelines.

* Your post or item for sale
needs to be vintage in
some way.
* You may link as many times
as you'd like.

* Be sure to visit someone
in the link up.

And that's it! Easy peasy!
 


 
Today I am sharing some of my
vast just enough to be dangerous
knowledge on collecting antique
Christmas and holiday postcards.
 
 
The early 20th century brought
about some wonderful paper ephemera,
in the form of greetings.
 

Let's take a look at some of them,
with some tips and hints to spot
a collectible card.
 
I've chosen the holidays just
because we are about
to hit the busy season...
but some of these tips
apply to the cards that
were made for all year round.



Let's start off with Santa.

If he is wearing a suit that is
not typical of the modern
red and white, then the
card is worth more and is
sought out by collectors.

In the card above, his suit
is trimmed in black.


 
 
Here is another unique card, with
the reddish brown cloak.
 
 Plus, he is not carrying his usual sack of
toys... but a lantern and axe,
standing with an angel.
 
Cards like these can make the
value run anywhere between
10.00 - 15.00.
 
(Side note: These two Santa
 cards are available in my shop 
under the ephemera category)
 
 
 
 
The gold or silver foil kind are very common
but they never seem to lose their appeal.
 
Some stand out above the rest
like the wish bone and the robin.

 
This one has wonderful
glassy style glitter,
hard to see in the photo but
really feels neat to the touch.

 
This is a mechanical postcard.
It is worth more... and is more
desirable to collectors.
 

 
See the arrows pointing out the wheel,
which changes the month, date, and day
of the week? It could be used
as a calendar. Love it!

 
This one has a lace edge.
 


These are embossed and have
great texture.


See the raised detail?
 


Now this trio is where we get into some of the
more valuable cards.

Look for teeny tiny print at the bottom.
Some are by famous artists.
 
The one on the right is by John Winsch.
 

Also very collectible are
Ellen Clapsaddle and Frances Brundage.
 
Do you see Ms. Clapsaddle's
 signature at the bottom?
 
These can run anywhere
 from 6.00 to 15.00.
 
She also did other holidays
so be sure to look for those...
like Halloween, Valentine's Day,
 and St. Patrick's Day.
 
 
 
Although I am not sure who is
the artist of the postcard,
I tend to be drawn in by
 cards that have people
in them.
 

 
These are foreign cards.
Note the text in English and Italian.

I've also seen French.



Then there are cards with
wonderful graphics.


But sometimes the appeal has nothing
to do with money at all.

It is what is written on the back that
melts the heart.
 
 
I hope you learned something new
today about collecting holiday postcards!

In a future LTV post I will share some
cards from my own collection.
(Yet another!)
 
 
Now, here are this week's features:


First, let's start off with Rita of Panoply.
She and her Sisters created "Chris Missy"
and dazzled everyone who saw her in
their shared antique booth.
 
 
Sarah of Sadie Seasongoods gets a lot
 of "blog time" being featured.
 
But with ideas as clever as this teapot
sewing box with the lid pin cushion... I can see why!
So clever, she now has me with an eye on a couple of
tea pots in my inventory, and I'm not really a big crafter!


and Penny of Penny's Vintage Home
shared some of her amazing
Christmas displays. She mixes
new and old together. I love
these ballerina figurines that
were her Mother's.


and Sam of Raggedy Bits
shared her cupboard makeover.
I love how she distressed it

and added the handwriting paper.
 
 
 
If you were a feature
today, be sure to grab this
"My Blog was Featured"
button! 
 
Now it's your turn...
 

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Let's Talk Vintage! #56: Antiques on the Boulevard


 
Welcome to Let's Talk Vintage!

This is where vintage lovin' bloggers, sellers, admirers and more, gather together to talk about our love of all things old.

Today I'm going to tell you a story:



It's about a man and woman,
complete opposites of each other.
 
One Scotch-Irish with red hair.
The other Italian, who was the
daughter of an immigrant.
 
They met each other on a blind date.
Not too long after, they were married.
In a non-ceremonial, eloping to
Elkton Maryland, kind of way.
 
 
They had three girls.
Lived a decent life in NJ and then
moved to Florida.

One of them, the oldest, still in NJ, 
missed them very much.
She visited them often.
 
And of course, the Grand
children went, too.
 
(Note the wee little 
one with the red hair)
 
Then out of the blue,
they opened up an
antique shop.
 
 
 
This is my Sister, standing
outside of my Grandparents'
antique store on the boulevard,
 in Hollywood, Florida.


 We have such fond memories of the store.

My Grandfather would give us
Archie comic books to read.
Spider-Man too.
 
Nancy Drews were abundant
and we had an instant collection. 

 
While I see in this photo there is a grandfather clock,
our best memory is of a Myna bird that was in a
cage atop a big shelf.
 
Every time a customer walked in,
Charlie would talk.
And whistle.
 
What a delight for a small
child, like me!
 
 
And now, can you see, why I
just might have a love for old books?
 
Hope you enjoyed my trip down
memory lane... I came across
these pictures yesterday and had 
to share them with you!
 
A little insight into my
love for vintage.
 
Now, here
 are this week's features:
 
 
 
shared this awesome dental cabinet
while huntin' down vintage with
a bloggy friend. Love it!


Debbie, of A Debbie Dabble Christmas,
shared her Christmas displays
with us... love her Putz houses.
She does the upstairs and
the downstairs! You go, girl!


and Distressed Donna of Distressed
Donna Down Home shared her
vintage finds... I just love
this silver plate cake stand
and the beautiful grapevine detail!

 
 
and new to LTV, Julia from
I'm sure you've seen her industrial
creation on the other link party'
blogs, but I just couldn't
help myself but featuring it.
Amazing!

Let's give her a big LTV welcome!


If you were featured, remember
to save this "I've been featured!"
button to your sidebar.

Now it's your turn!
Let's Talk Vintage!


Linking with:
Share Your Cup Thursday
Vintage Charm
Pink Saturday