Hunted:: Gathered: 09/30/12

wood and plenty... har har

I can't believe it has been three weeks since I last made a post. These past few weeks have been a whirlwind. There are many changes taking place. Thankfully they are all good changes. For starters, we're getting closer to closing on a house. Secondly, I am gainfully employed again! The best part so far is that the distance I commute to work in a week is significantly less than the distance of my previous daily commute!

I'll admit that some of these finds are old and if you follow me on twitter you've seen most of them already. I found this little guy at the Long Beach Flea Market a couple of weeks ago. He was just too charming and reminded me of tow-mater a bit too!

I also found this cute little wooden bus. This one is an Antonio Vitali design and is signed Ravensburger Vitali Toys on the bottom. It is missing the metal headlights and the little people that go in the bus but I had to have it anyway.

Look at this guy! I could not resist him even though I did try. I saw him when I had just arrived at the market. He was a bit spendy but I was in love. I thought I was being hasty and decided to leave him behind. I did a loop through the entire market and then decided to return to the dealer to see if he was still there. He was. I asked the price again and he recognized me and said same price. I stood there for a good 10 minutes debating if he was worth it while the dealer gave a neck rub to a lady friend. I really didn't want to pay as much as he was asking because he was going in my collection and was not going into the shop. I threw a number out there and the dealer said "ah heck, I don't give a $h!t". So he came home with me!

Lastly, I found this beauty yesterday. I saw it for the first time at the Long Beach flea market a couple of weeks ago and I thought it was really cool. I didn't even ask about the price because this dealer usually sells at retail prices. This was my only find this week but boy is it a good one. If you haven't guessed by now, it's an early nutcracker designed by Jens Quistgaard. It has the old staved teak mark on the bottom and will be perfect for the holiday season. Maybe this year I'll buy a bag of hazelnuts and put it to use!

Hopefully this post marks the resumption of regular bog posts but I know this is the calm before the storm. Thanks for stopping by and until next time!

Hunted:: Gathered: 09/09/12

I'm baaaack! I had all the good intentions of posting these finds before I left but I was in a mad rush before our trip. We went to look at a house the day before we left and ended up putting an offer on it. This one looks like it is going to go through!

For our trip we stayed in Cali but we drove North along the coast and it was spectacular!

I found a few things a couple of weeks ago starting with this lovely Nymolle dish. I haven't been able to find another one like it. I love the innocent and child-like illustrations on these pieces don't you?

I found this great wire cat that I believe is a Ravenware piece. The wire on this has a nice thickness to it. The tail is a bit wonky but it works all the same.

I succumbed to the temptation of Le Creuset again! There were a few of these pieces in blue but by the time I decided to bite the bullet this was the only decent one left. It is a #14 and the interior just needs a light cleaning and the wood a bit of oiling and it'll be as good as new.

Lastly, I found my first Dansk flamestone pieces. They aren't in the best shape but since I've never found any of these pieces I had to get them. The sugar bowl has a small nick on the lid.

I was really drawn to the coffeepot. The shape is simply elegant. The design is so nice that even the boy approved. Let me tell you that that is no small feat!

Here is a small snapshot of one of our stops. The views were absolutely breathtaking and the weather was great. 

Now it's time to hunker down and keep on keeping on!

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!