Hunted:: Gathered: 08/25/12

Do you guys ever wonder how some items make their way to the thrifts? Do you wonder about the previous life they had before getting donated? This week I did more so than usual. All of these items are from the same thrift and I can't help but wonder if they all came from the same home.

First are these lovely Figgjo wall plates. They must have just been put on the shelf because they were all still together. It tells a story of a much simpler time when you would catch your own food and then prepare it into a nice meal. These practically flew out of the shop!

This ashtray is a design by Isamu Kenmochi for Trend Pacific. This is one of the pieces that takes me to another time in a mid-century ranch style home with great den. A time when smoking and chrome were all the rage.

Paired with a great Dal Negro poker set and you're set to entertain the boys. I was drawn to this set because of the great wooden box. Imagine my surprise when I opened it and saw the cards and money chips. It reminded me of all of the nights I played poker with my dad as a kid. I didn't spend the nights locked up in my room, or on the computer, or on my ipad, etc. I spent them playing games with my dad. He taught me how to play pretty well and as a result I could hold my own with "the guys".

Lastly, this piece is nothing short of amazing. It is an Olivetti Valentine typewriter designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1969. It had not been on my radar until today. I think the only reason it was still there is because it was in its plastic case. I don't think many people found the case interesting enough to investigate further, it wasn't in the best shape after all. I always love the look of vintage typewriters and so I was immediately intrigued when I pulled it out. The color was great, the design was great, but did it work I wondered? I asked the cashier if she could give me a sheet of paper to test it out. After pulling a few knobs and levers here and there I was able to test it out. All of the keys work and the ribbon is still good. The only thing is that the return doesn't work so I'll have to take it to a local typewriter repair man. Luckily, I know that one still exists locally because he helped me with my Hermes 3000.

Doesn't this piece help you envision a great den where poker games were held, letters were written and fun was to be had? It does for me!

I'll be sharing the rest of my finds next week. I'll be on vacation with the boys' folks. We're taking a road trip!


If you haven't already I'd love for you to take a peek at my facebook page, peruse my Pinterest boards or even check out my shop. I've added lots of great stuff this week.

I hope you have a great week. For those in Florida, stay dry and be safe!

{Flashback Friday} Achieving Drama in 1952

This week's post features a nice contrast between two design styles in 1952. I'll let you guess which look I like.

The American Home for August- 1952

Would you achieve drama with strong color or with no color today?

Hunted:: Gathered: 08/19/12

As many of you know, I started reselling my goodies about 4 months ago. I honestly didn't know what to expect. I now realize why people say it is a roller-coaster. I didn't expect much the first month because I was just getting started but things were picking up by the second month and looking good. Then came summer and oh boy can we say a drought came along with it on Etsy! As a result, some twitter folks decided to take up Ebay and I am so very tempted to follow suit. Do any of you sell on Ebay? Would you like to share any tips?

This week I didn't do much thrifting. Sales have pretty much come to a screeching halt and I find myself with lots of inventory waiting to be listed. All of these finds are from either last week or even prior to that.

I often get creeped out by porcelain dolls or anything with faces on them. I put those feelings aside for these because I thought someone on Etsy would love to have them. They appear to be UCTCI pieces because of the glaze. How do you feel about babydoll faces?

Trays, trays, trays. I love trays almost as much as I love baskets. I loved the floral paisley-esque pattern on these. I think it'd look great in an eclectic or bohemian setting.

I was really excited when I saw this piece sitting in a display cabinet. I was certain it was a Bjorn Wiinblad piece. I've seen his face pieces before however this one isn't signed. Upon further research I think it is actually a piece by Fitz and Floyd in the manner of Wiinblad.

This pretty little lady is from sweden. So folksy and so cute.

I found my first set of Dansk Tiny Tapers. I will be putting these up in the shop because we just don't use many candles in our home. Some are wonky because of the heat I suppose.

Lastly, I have a really weak spot ( i know I have many ) for leather bags. A couple of months ago I passed on what I believe was an authentic Hermes Birkin bag. Well, since that day I won't pass on a bag that I believe to be leather even if it is a little more than I'd like to pay. This is a vintage Brahmin bag and while they aren't really high-end they're still a nice brand. This puppy just needs a little saddle soap and it should be as good as new (i hope!)

I'll be sharing at Selena's this week. Have a great one!

{Flashback Friday} Hallcraft Bouquet

As you all know by now, Eva Zeisel is one of my favorite all-time designers. It is only appropriate that one of these flashbacks would showcase one of her designs.

The American Home for August- 1952

This image was used to showcase several place setting pieces, from the china to the glassware and silverware. This is what was said about the Hallcraft pieces:

Despite its thrifty price, the pretty dinnerware, timeless as a sonnet, has a good chance of becoming heirloom. Its designer is one of our country's most celebrated, Eva Zeisel, winner of a flock of awards - and some of her china is already treasured by museums as full-fledged art. This pattern, called "Bouquet," is brought out by Hallcraft at $9.95 for a 16 piece starter set. Notice the free-flowing curves, the modeled look which gives Zeisel pieces their distinction - and makes them easy to store and to handle.

Hunted:: Gathered: 08/12/12

Hey lovely readers, I am a bit late this week but as they say, better late then never! I have a few finds I'm excited to share with you.

Any of you recognize this piece? I found a smaller version of this bowl some time ago at a nearby estate. This weekend there was another estate sale at the same place! I'd found some lovely pieces the first time around so I was excited to see what was there this time. I was surprised to find some new things that hadn't been put out previously. One of them being this lovely Eva Zeisel bowl for Schmid.

The other new piece was this little Cathrineholm Lotus bowl! The bowl is a little one at 5-1/2" wide but it doesn't have any chips. What it does have is some calcium/ lime deposits along the interior. Anyone know how to remove these?

I decided to swing by a swap meet that I haven't been to in a long time. I don't know why I chose this particularly HOT weekend but I did. As a result I found this lovely Coquille piece by Flygsfors. It caught my eye and I picked it up to inspect it. One of the ladies running the booth shouted out a price and I felt really bad. I don't think they were selling much and so I bought it out of guilt. I'm glad I did!

Lastly, I found this lovely porcelain sugar bowl. It is unmarked and I can't seem to find an ID for it. I've checked some of my usual suspects but this piece isn't from any of their lines. Do any of you have a clue as to who this may be by?

I'm hoping to be a lot more productive this week now that the Olympics are over. I tried to pry myself away from watching them at times but I couldn't help it. I loved watching some of the events live. However, don't get me started on the "Primetime" NBC TV coverage. 

Have a great week all!

Hunted:: Gathered: 08/05/12

Hey everyone! I'm going to keep this post short and sweet so that I can get back to the olympic olympics watching. :)

I love these little wire letter organizers. This is the first one I've seen in a silver color. He looks like a Westie or Schnauzer don't you think?

I've refrained from buying any Couroc pieces for a while because while I find them to be neat, they don't really do all that well on Ebay or Etsy. This one is an exception because I've never seen this design. It has an inlay that looks like a Pasadena Rosebowl ticket commemorating 100 years of Intercollegiate Football.

This next piece is a music box with a design of Beethoven by Andy Warhol. I've passed some Warhol items in the past so I had to get this one. When you open it it plays a portion of Beethoven's 5th! It's not "vintage" enough for Etsy so if you're interested give me a shout.

Lastly, I bought my first Tensor lamp. I couldn't resist this one because it is small, brassy and elegant. This is the 5975 model and can even be hung on a wall.

That wraps up my finds for the week. I hope you have a great one!

{Flashback Friday} Luther Conover DIY table

If you enjoy looking through vintage magazines, you'll enjoy this friday series.

Sunset Magazine- September 1954

This page offered by Sunset is for an ad for their Tables you can Build book. This ad just happens to feature a fabulous table designed by Luther Conover. So who's going to give it a go?