Doing Vintage Research on New Items

Every vintage dealer has areas they are familiar with, and areas where they have no clue. I grew up in a rural environment, so I lean towards the rusty, metal, rustic items. Porcelain?-not a strength of mine. Growing up they were around, but I considered them "old lady" items and would play with my toys or in the outside environment. That's why I was stumped when I came across these items.

We recently had an auction of my mom's items, which I really should do a post about now that I'm thinking of it. This was the first time I was on the seller's end, and I was wishing there were no bargains, I ended up buy a box of figurines that no one wanted and these were included. At first glance, due to the jasperware center, I assumed they were Wedgewood. They weren't marked however, so I suspected they were older.
There was some information on the back written in pencil with a question mark. I assumed it came from my mom. When I did a search for Vater Porcelain the work was more whimsical and figural, so that was a dead end. I also did some general searching on the internet, another dead end
At some point, I had a list it, so I did. Sometimes you can't find everything about an item. If you underprice it oh well, so long as you make a profit you are fine, and the buyer is happy with a bargain. Whoever ends up with this item will enjoy it.

Country Auction

I went to a great auction this weekend in rural Nebraska. It was an old farmhouse that was being cleared out, and had a bunch of old vintage primitives. I couldn't buy everything I wanted, the windmill weights went higher than I wanted to pay, but I did get some great finds. Keep an eye on my Etsy shop, as I've already posted some of my finds.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Modred12

Shawnee Miniatures

Looking for a bit of vintage decor, but don't have much room? May I suggest Shawnee Pottery Miniatures. They started production in the late 30s and lasted through the 40s. The miniatures come is a variety of themes, from small vases to the Puppy Dog at the left. They were used as party favors to aquarium ornaments, and could be bought in packages.

Since these are older items, paint loss and small chips are common. Finding one in true mint condition is rare. As with most Shawnee pieces, if there is gold on them they are worth more. The aren't marked Shawnee, they were marked USA or left blank. The USA mark was used by other pottery companies, not just Shawnee.

The size ranges from 3/4" to 3 1/4." Demand isn't as popular as it once was, but I wouldn't say they are easily found either. Keep your eyes out, as some people don't know they are Shawnee. Even if you're not a Shawnee collector, their cuteness and smallness can work well for decorating tight places.

New Uses for Test Tubes

I wasn't the best at science, but I do remember the test tubes. They were kind of neat, but it wasn't like I was good enough to get to mix any dangerous chemicals like they showed in the movies. When I graduated high school I never saw them again, since I made sure to avoid science in college.

I now see test tubes popping up as bud vases, or for other decorative purposes. I think it's a cute idea, and original. The picture on the left looked like the ones I had in high school, it's for sale at polkadotHOME on Etsy. I've also seen beakers and other high school implements used as home decor.

I'm not sure how one comes across vintage science class items, perhaps a retiring teacher? I've never come across any, but I'll keep my eyes out. Like most vintage items, if I can't use it, someone else can.

New Uses for Vintage Ashtrays

Do you ever watch the old television shows? Desi smoked, Lucy smoked, even Andy Taylor would light up on his porch at night. The television has been the focus of a room for awhile, but there was a time when the second focus had to be the ashtray. Functional yet decorative, it would be sitting nearby on an end table or coffee table.

People don't smoke like they used to, and when they do it's outside. If you're standing outside your office door the need for function or beauty isn't there, you just use a nearby trash can. Even if you do smoke in your house, most of the ashtrays don't have the inique style of a California Pottery made one. However, vintage ashtrays still exist, and even if you don't smoke, can still be used around the house as an unique decorative item.

I'm using a Frankoma ashtray I have for sale as an example. It can hold candles, and we know it's fireproof. It's deep enough you could fill it with water, and have some lovely tea lights floating in it for your next party. It can also be a stylish catch all on a dresser. Need something to hold the buttons that pop off?-the ashtray can work. It can also hold car keys, beads, and other small items. It's a beauty that could still have a functional purpose, even if it's no longer being used as an ashtray.