Posted by I’m trying to be more mindful to live in the moment so the other day my youngest daughter and I picked up yummy sandwiches at a nearby deli (ordered and paid for online, picked up curbside) and headed to a local city park to have lunch. It was a beautiful summer day. We spread out a blanket and our low beach chairs and ate in the dappled shade. Later I perused a magazine and listened to the sounds of kids playing and tennis balls thunking against rackets. We were only gone a couple of hours, but it was a lovely break.
On the hunting-for-vintage front, my neighborhood thrift store has been a bust my last two trips. So I decided on my visit the other day that I had to buy something just to break the dry spell! (Maybe you know that feeling.) Well after going around the little store multiple times, I spotted a pretty silver embossed hand-held compact mirror. It was quite tarnished and I couldn’t find any maker or content markings. Still I thought, maybe, just maybe, it was sterling silver. For $2.69 it was worth the gamble. Back at home I used a silver wipe to clean it up a bit and I didn’t uncover any marks so I acid tested it for sterling silver and it…wasn’t. Rats! Still as a vintage silver-plate vanity item (likely made by the International Silver Co.), it has some value. It’s surprisingly large (4″ diameter and weighs almost half a pound) and the mirror’s in pretty good shape with just one ding on the edge.
Not a huge score, but a nice bread-and-butter item that I hope broke my sourcing dry spell. But no dry spell for these spunky gals. I was just watching one of my favorite YouTube channels “The Recycled Life” and their latest vlog at an estate sale had me drooling. So many wonderful items at good prices.
While estate sales are picking up again where I live in California, there’s been nothing that’s piqued my interest nearby. But in the never-ending quest to eliminate my death pile, I am still listing items from previous estate sales! Earlier this week I listed 20 vintage test tubes with nice clear trademarks.
And this vintage ladies Gruen watch, bought over three years ago from a personal estate, got listed this week. I was hoping the case was at least 10kt gold, but it didn’t test positive for it. The watch is also not working and a bit dirty, but it does have age, beauty and some nice components. Perhaps someone skilled in watch repair or steampunk repurposing will want it?
Also over three years ago I bought this job lot from a UK eBay seller as a bit of fun. I remember paying about $25 total. Well, I sold the gauge, the cat figurine and the silverplate sugar tongs (which covered the cost of the lot and gave me a tiny profit) and kept the silver hallmarked demitasse bean spoon and the little treen dice cup.
Most of the other items I donated, though I did hang onto the pretty Persian bowl with an inset rial coin. Well this past June I decided it was time to list the bowl but first I did an acid test on it. To my surprise, it tested positive for sterling silver! I tested it several more times always scratching from the same area, assuming if it was just plated I would finally get to the base metal…but it always tested positive. That was a lovely discovery.
Listed at $85 with free shipping.
On the sales front, my huge “Flinestones” turquoise howlite necklace by Alexander Kalifano finally found a home. (I think it’s been in my store for two years.) I kept thinking someone, somewhere would like its bold look and someone did!
I feel like I’ve been blathering long enough so I’ll close for now.
Hope you all are staying well and finding fabulous vintage things,
Karen
Hunting for Vintage 