Antiquing on Vacation

Antiquing is one of my favorite things to do anytime, anywhere and I just got back from a mini-vacation with my family where I snuck in few hours! It was wonderful.

Here are my finds and why I bought them…

Mid-century pottery is still desirable and I thought this small textured Westraven Dutch vase had a cool vibe. I feel like it’s begging for a few white tulips or daisies. It’s not valuable so I will likely add it to a lot.

Vintage and antique sterling silver napkin rings sell for astonishing amounts of money as can figural silver-plate rings (with chicks, dogs or angels) or those with extra-fine details. These silver-plate Victorian-era napkin rings are simpler, but still charmingly engraved “Papa” and “Mama” with nicely rendered flowers and leaves. I paid up for these but think there is still a little “meat on the bone.”

Old fancy metal purse frames can be desirable, more so if they are sterling or at least 800 silver. This one is unmarked for silver content (likely just pot metal but I need to test it) but is patented for the year 1900! In near perfect condition with stunning details, for $4 this was a must buy.

There’s always a market for well-made sterling silver jewelry and I thought this mod Labertad pin/pendant with stones would appeal to many ages. I’ll list this little beauty for $44 with free shipping.

I’m a sucker for handmade pottery and fell for this set of five artisan-made, signed striped pottery cups that remind me both of the desert and the ocean with their stripes of blue, sand and terracotta! (I saw these on my first day in town but didn’t get them because I was trying to limit breakables in my luggage. But I kept thinking about them and a few days later I went back for them. They all arrived intact.)

I like religious items like crosses, madonnas and menorahs and they sell well for me so I keep an eye out for special pieces…like this small handmade brutalist-style cross. I think it’s so intriguing with its copper tubing, glass shards and enameling. My family, on the other hand, thought I was crazy buying it. (I think “hideous” was the word that cropped up.) Granted, it’s not everyone’s taste, but I like it and think someone else will too! (If not, no worries, I’m happy to keep it.) I’ll list this for $35 with free shipping.

Native American and southwestern jewelry have a timeless appeal. I can’t remember a time when they weren’t coveted and I’m always on the hunt for undervalued vintage pieces. And by golly, this trip I found one–a huge Native American belt buckle. It’s signed with an arrow–possibly for Nathan Fred, Jr., of the Hopi tribe. There was some tiny writing by the arrow and the store owner kindly lent me her jeweler’s loupe to read it. The seller’s tag said this buckle was nickel silver but it’s marked sterling and tests as sterling! I ended up getting this for a super price. I need to do more research but I’ll likely list this in the $300-$400 range.

I would have loved to have had more time to shop, and alas never made it to several stores on my list, but am happy with the things I found on this trip. And of course, tomorrow is another day with more treasures to be found!

How about you? Any good vacation finds??

Happy hunting,

Karen