Mid-Century Christmas Bonanza!

Today was the last flea market I'll get to go to before next spring.  Such a sad time (though my bank account will be happy!)  Davisburg Antique Festival is a spin-off of the big Midland Antique Festival and this was only the second one, so it was still small, though larger the first one...word is getting out to the dealers that it's worthwhile.  My friend Bargain Hunter and I had so much fun at the first one that we were really looking forward to this one.

It was SO chilly and rainy (just like the first one was in the spring)!  I even bought mittens because my hands were so cold!  The grounds were a sea of mud, but the organizers worked hard to make shopping as easy as possible (with boards covering most of the mud puddles) and did a really good job.

I couldn't pass up this great mid-century glassware -- a pink spaghetti-ware martini set and a snack set in the same pattern.  It was hard to get a good picture to see how cool the pink is on the glass, so I added the oh-so-classy trashbag to stand it on.  Nice touch, isn't it?  The photos still don't do the sets justice -- they're just gorgeous!

As usual, I was the big spender (what a surprise!)   I was trying so hard to be frugal, though, and as we walked back to the car, I was congratulating myself that I had most of my spending money left in my wallet.  Until we saw that 'one more tent' that had looked closed before, but now was open.

What a find!  I knew it was going to be bad when, as I walked in, I heard BH laugh and say 'Step away from the vintage Christmas...'  As if I could ever do that!  The older couple who had it were selling off a lot of their own Christmas stuff and there was so much to choose from.

First I got a cardboard fireplace, complete in its box.

Then I saw an aluminum tree, which they were selling with 2 (yes, 2!) colored lights!

It even has the 'reaming tool' to pare down the point on the tree if the wood swells from humidity.

Do you want to see how this works?  I've uploaded a video

That was quickly followed by a Holt Howard angel planter from 1958 (I forgot to take a picture of that one).

The final piece, though was a really cool Glo-lite lighted musical scene from 1949 called 'Christmas Eve Capers'.  It plays Jingle Bells and Santa that flies up the chimney as children that 'run' after him.   It's hard to believe, but I almost walked away from it -- I was trying so hard to not buy so much.  But I didn't and here it is....

You can see a video of it working here

Here are some other images from Davisburg -- stuff I bought and stuff I liked...

This is more Christmas I brought home.  I flat out LOVE the elves with angel wings and tinsel magic wands!

I really liked this booth!  I want to link to her FB page, but have to find her business card first...

I wish I had had time to root through all of these ashtrays (and that they hadn't been out in the rain)

Vintage cameras and photos were really popular

One of my favorite vintage Christmas booths

Check out the ornaments in the jars -- I'm going to do some of those this year!

I HAVE to paint a polka dot chair!

 And while I'm doing show and tell, here's a fun desk lamp and boomerang formica kid's table I got at a garage sale last week...

 If you live in southeast Michigan, try not to miss Davisburg next year -- you won't be disappointed!  Just remember to pack your rain gear.

Hooked on Vintage Christmas

Reality check:  Christmas was over 41 days ago.  Around here, though, it seems that Christmas never really goes away! 

Every year my aunt gives me money at Christmas, which she tells me has to be spent just for me -- not on the house or for things for the family.  I think about getting clothes, shoes or make-up, but that never happens.  The money gets spent at antique malls, estate sales and flea markets and, more often than not, on vintage Christmas.

Look at the treasures I've found so far this year:

I found this little sweetie at my 'home' antique mall, Livingston Antique Outlet.  He's a mid-century Santa, made in Japan.  I think he's going to stay up all year long in my china cabinet, because he's just so cute!  I'm always so impressed by the effort and attention to detail that these old decorations had.  Even though they were considered cheap little items, they're really complex. 

Look at his sweet spun cotton face

The detail on the packages is remarkable.  Look at the little pipe-cleaner candy cane on the package and the 'extras' in the chimney next to the bottle brush tree

Santa even has extra gifts in the net bag on his back

These Gurley tapers are from our mall, too.  I've got a ridiculous amount large collection of Gurley and Tavern candles, but I've never seen tapers before.  Again, there's great attention to detail -- Santa's boots are painted black that there are paint dot decorations up and down the tapers. 

Gurley Santa taper candles

The foil candle holders were in a booth near the one where the candles were -- with their original box.  All of it - candles and holders - were in close to mint condition

The holders cost 39 cents back in the day

Who wouldn't love to have a pair of dancing Santas lighting their Christmas dinner table?

I think I showed you this cool tinsel tree already, but I wanted to share it again.   I found that in Allen, Michigan on a trip with my junking buddy Bargain Hunter.  In fact, I almost left without it and she talked me into going back for it -- good thing, too, or I'd have been driving back down to Allen (almost 2 hours away) the next day!

A year ago my sister-in-law sent me a picture of some handpainted mirror ornaments that came to her from her grandmother's decorations.  She asked if I ever see them and would I watch for some more -- in fact, I'd never even heard of them. 

They're called Mirrorettes and were sold in packages of 6 or more back in the 1950s.  I started watching for them at sales (I've never found any) and on Ebay, where they sell for a lot and are usually in poor condition.   I won't pay the ridiculously high prices they usually go for, but finally managed to get these six -- all in good condition for a more reasonable price.  My sister-in-law and I will split the set, so now I'll have a few.

They have different picture on the back.  They're actually two separate handpainted mirrors glued together back-to-back

Here's what they looked like in their package

Credit to an Ebay listing for this picture -- this isn't my set

I LOVE Rummage Sales!

I'm still catching up on old posts, so jump into the Wayback Machine and pretend that this one was posted 2 weeks ago (if you're too young to get that reference, click here ).   

I have to admit, I never met a junk vintage sale I didn't like, but it seems like the best bargains are at rummage sales (and church sales are my favorites)! 

Two weeks ago, I went to a local church's big fundraising sale of the year -- billed as the BIG Barn sale.  I've gone there the past few years and always find some good stuff.   This year, I got there before they opened and stood in line -- there were already 30-40 people in front of me!    It's always hard to know where to go first -- they have the stuff divided into the usual sections (holiday, books, linens, etc), but they also have a 'collectables' (translate: more expensive) section and a back tent that's the 'bargain basement' of the sale.  I headed there first, rather than the collectables.  Except for collectables, everything was priced at $7 a bag and I loaded up one bag pretty quickly.   The second bag was barely full, so they gave that one to me for $2.  I got some good buys -- some of it has already gone to the booth, but here are a few of the goodies:

4 place-settings of Harmony House melmac dishes -- square (so cool)!

Some Christmas napkins and a FILTHY DIRTY rotary phone (the cord didn't match -- it was black, not tan -- so I took it off)

A super slim Pyrex starburst carafe and a large strainer

 These were from the collectable area, along with a bakelite-handled frosting spreader,  a vitrock shaker and some Made in Japan salt & peppers (all already gone to the booth):

Two celluloid picture frames -- the monogram is either a J or an I.

I was heading to the checkout when I saw the box for this beauty under the holiday table!

A 6' aluminum pom-pom tipped tree!  The ladies gave it to me for a super-good price, too!

Right above it was a box with these 12 Made in Japan Putz houses in it.  I'm a little addicted to Putz houses, so I'm not sure that all of them will make it to the booth or Etsy this year...

They're tiny (each about 2-1/2" wide) -- they came with a white light cord and I think were supposed to be hung on a tree.

It's never too early to think about vintage Christmas!