Showing posts with label mid-century. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mid-century. Show all posts

Monday, February 9, 2015

Mystery Stetson China Pattern - 1957

When I first began selling at the antique mall, I bought lots of odd place settings of china: dinner plates, cups and saucers, creamers and sugar bowls.  I thought that people would buy them -- after all, both Martha AND Flea Market Finds had said on television and in print that mismatched china was cool!  If they said it, it must be true, right?   Not so...most people don't want one or two plates unless they need that particular pattern.  Mismatched china IS cool, but people don't buy it!

So, I've been hunting and gathering in my junk inventory in the basement -- looking for all the odd bits and pieces of china that I've bought over the past 4 years.  We're planning a road trip to Florida and I'm planning to make a side trip to Replacements and sell them most of it.  What they don't want, I'll sell in a bargain basket at the mall or donate away.

I found several serving bowls in this mystery pattern.



It's clearly backstamped Stetson and is dated 1957.  I think it's pretty cool -- especially for spring entertaining!  I'm crazy about research, though, and a real perfectionist when it comes to identification and I can't find the pattern anywhere.  It's driving me crazy!  It's not on Replacements or any of the other china websites and a picture of it doesn't even come up in a general Google image search.  I searched Marcrest, too, because they distributed a lot of Stetson china.

Do any of you know the pattern name?  Was it distributed by a company other than Stetson or Marcrest?  If I can't find it, I'm going to have to resign myself to not knowing, but I hate an unsolved puzzle.

Have a great week, everyone!  (And, oh by the way, if you need any odds-and-ends dinnerware, just let me know -- I've got you covered!)

Saturday, February 7, 2015

First Flea Market of the Year -- Cowboy Cool!

With the holidays over and nothing but snow and cold here in Michigan, cabin fever has really been setting in!   I haven't been out shopping since December, so when my friend Bargain Hunter asked me if I wanted to go to the Ingham County Indoor Garage Sale & Flea Market today, I jumped on it.  We had a great time -- lots of laughs and catching up on news, plus finding some treasures to take home.  

I found was this great mid-century cowboy ceiling light cover as soon as we walked in the door.  
I didn't know it at the time, but 'cowboy cool' was to be the theme for the day.  I found three western-related treasures, which are always really popular on Etsy.  There was a lot more western stuff there today, but this is all I got.  As usual, I got some mid-century and a few linens, too (as if I needed more!)

Here's what I came home with:
Wonderful 'shop class' project lamp with a western saloon scene and original cowboy lampshade
The cowboy and saloon keeper at the bar have hand-cut detail
A kid's holster set from the 1950s.  I remember having a red one very much like this...so cool!
Sweet made-in-Japan kitty figurines
The aluminum drink spoons are still in the original package!
Love these black and white spatterware shakers
This barkcloth drapery panel has a big stain in the center, but was bargain priced.  If I can't get the stain out, I can use it for pillows
An unusual India-themed tablecloth.  I'm not sure how old it is, but it's the first elephant tablecloth I've seen
Pre-Disney Florida tablecloth -- also bargain priced!
Roosters & mid-century color scheme -- hard to pass up
This black Americana tablecloth is in great condition
I think this tablecloth is going to end up going to live with Bargain Hunter.   She needs tablecloths
You'll probably see some of these in my Etsy shop soon.   Did I get anything to keep?  Maybe this terrific, tacky musical mushroom with gnomes!  I haven't decided if I should keep it or sell it.  What do you think?

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

How Fast Can I Shop?

There were some good shopping opportunities this weekend and almost no time to take them in, which left the question, "How fast can I shop?"

On Saturday, Williamston Antique Market had their annual Summer Sale & Outdoor Market.  My shopping buddy Bargain Hunter couldn't go with me and I had so much to do I didn't think I'd get away.  I was so surprised (and happy) when Mr. KV volunteered to go with me!  We had a fun time on the short outing, sandwiched in between household chores and errands.

The weather was beautiful -- sunny and 70s and there were more vendors outside than there had been in past years.

I didn't buy a lot, but got some good stuff.  Everything inside the mall was 20% off, too, but all of my bargains came from the outside.
Hoenig of California covered pumpkin dish
Barkcloth covered sewing box
Paper advertising fans -- including some unusual ones (Iwo Jima, Mahalia Jackson and Will Rogers)
These western themed tin trays are so cool!
An army of birthday angels...
These are for me...Commodore Christmas candleholders with unused candles in the original box and all in mint condition!
 On Sunday, Mr. KV and I were going to watch little Gracie overnight so our son and daughter-in-law could get away for their anniversary.  Before she came, though, I wanted to go to Mega Mall's Flea Market -- Bargain Hunter's talked about it a lot and I've never been.  So I went for a quick trip there with Bargain Hunter and she agreed to speed-shop so that I could get back for Little Miss G.

The flea market filled Mega Mall's parking lot, but was less vintage and more 'tube socks' than I expected.  There were lots of booths that were easy to skip because you could tell at a glance that there was nothing in them that was more than 2 years old or that wasn't made in China.  Regardless, I found a couple of things (don't I always?)!
This TV lamp was so dirty and 'unloved' -- the owner said she was tired of looking at it.  Her loss is my gain...
Here it is after a good cleaning
...and lit up
I thought these were fun -- Judy Jewelette sets.  They were a mid-century version of the Bedazzler, complete with 'rubies, diamonds, emeralds and pearls'
An extra-large -- 10 cup -- Pyrex stovetop percolator, complete with insides
I think this dark green and chartreuse plastic pitcher is pretty cool
This is the star of the day -- a mid-century wood and woodgrained formica drinks cart -- rolling bar.  I'm trying to figure out a way to ship it so I can list it on Etsy
We were only gone a little over 3 hours and that included 1-1/2 hours drive time!  That was some serious speed shopping!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Northern Ohio Shopping Adventure

Yesterday my friend Bargain Hunter and I went on a shopping adventure in northern Ohio, about 1-1/2 hours from here.  We wanted to go to Jeffrey's in Findlay (where we'd both been before) and also visit Maumee, which lots of people we know had recommended.

It was a beautiful WARM (40 degrees!) day.  Yes, I said 40 degrees -- those of you from warmer climates won't appreciate how warm that can feel after a long sub-zero winter.  While we rode the hour and a half to Jeffrey's we talked about lots of stuff (and solved all the problems of the world) and she took me to task for not blogging enough.  BH told me that I'd been listing lots of really cool stuff in my Etsy shop that she didn't even know I'd bought because I don't blog about it.  To be honest, I've been feeling that, if my post isn't about that day's shopping (or maybe the day before), you won't want to hear about it.  She thinks I'm wrong (and maybe she's right). So you might be getting some 'old news' from now on!  I hope you don't mind if the post starts out with 'Two weeks ago I went to...'  

Anyway, Jeffrey's was great fun, as always.  All of our family lives in central and southwestern Ohio, so I make the trip up and down 75 very often.  There are 2 stops Mr. KV and I are guaranteed to make:  Skyline Chili for lunch or dinner and Jeffrey's for antiquing.  Both NEVER disappoint! If you're ever by Findlay, Ohio be sure to stop at Jeffrey's and allow at least an hour and a half (or more) to shop -- it's that big!

I've gotten some great deals at Jeffrey's and yesterday, I found these little goodies:
A Federal Glass black diamonds covered bowl with 8 custards
A tinware ice holder from a  'portable refrigerator' (cooler) from the 1950s.  It's has the most outstanding gray, black and white design!
Here are the instructions on the other side for using your portable refrigerator.  
 After Jeffrey's we made our way to Delta, Ohio and a pair of antique shops that BH had found online.  They were nice little adjoining shops, Bad Creek Antiques and the Vintage Barn Market.
On the way there, we saw a sign for an estate sale so (of course) we stopped.  It was in a heated garage == but the entire place reeked of cigarette smoke!  We could hardly breathe, it was so thick inside.  That didn't stop BH from getting an aluminum pitcher and me from getting this sweet hamper though...
I love the sparkle lucite handles on this hamper!
When we got to the Delta antique stores, seemed like they were phasing out their antiques and focusing more on repainted & repurposed furniture, as most items were 30% off -- fine with us, as we got some good stuff.  BH got a cool white iron twin bed frame and I got a farm table painted gray with old linoleum nailed on.  You could tell that the owner had done this -- it wasn't repurposed.  I'd love to keep it, but I think it will have to go into the booth (you just can't keep everything!)  I don't have a picture of it yet, as it's still upside-down in the back of my car.  There's just too much snow and ice to unpack it all and take it to the barn.
The gray table is on the right.
I also got this sweet little Samsonite smooth-sided train case at 30% off.  Train cases are so good for storage and totes, as well as actually using for travel, that they always sell well.
Next stop was Maumee Antiques, just outside of Toledo.  So many people had said that we had to go there and they were exactly right!  It was big and there was a good mix of the traditional and the unusual, plus lots of mid-century, which is what I look for.  The employees were very friendly, too -- always a plus!

We spent a couple of hours at Maumee.  Here's what I found...
Two sweet pink and gray canisters -- could these be the start of a new collection?
Aluminum trays -- six small and one medium-sized (that can all use a good cleaning).  They'll go great with my colored aluminum pitcher and glasses
I really like this Androck sifter -- it's a pretty unusual style.  The turquoise and white is a do-over.... I had a chance to buy this California Pottery lazy susan center piece for my apple dishes and I stupidly passed on it.  There was one a Maumee, so now I have all the pieces except the base.
This sweet little tv tray is kid-sized...or it was meant to be a side table.  It's very short and the tray is only about 11x14".  
I also got a cute little formica kids' table with mid-century legs and a formica covered folding table that was labeled 'The Best Folding Table Ever'!  I don't know about that, but it will definitely come in handy down in the basement.

All in all, we had a great time and got lots of treasures!  I don't know if I'd make the trip to Delta again, but Maumee is definitely on my return-trip list!  I'll post pictures of the tables I bought when I finally can get them out of the car.