Smitten by Vintage Finds

I’ll admit on more than one occasion I have bought something merely because I was smitten by it. (I’ll bet you know that feeling.) Which is fine if I am buying the item for myself, but obviously not ideal if I’m buying it to resell. Still I do it…buy things for my Etsy store with little (or at least less) regard to profit and more because they bring me joy and I want them in my store. They fit the aesthetic I’m going for and the direction I want to head in. Here are a few of my recent “smitten finds.”

I found this folk art camel figurine on the shelf of an upscale thrift store. He’s a charming fellow made of sheet metal that’s been shaped, welded and hand painted. A little exotic, a little quirky and 100% fabulous.

I might just keep him on my mantel for awhile. He seems in awe of my mid-century modern abstract painting!

This adorable silver-plate tea pot had a tag on it that read “vintage Japanese” but I am inclined to think it’s actually older, possibly Victorian and Japanese style, rather than from Japan. The finial at the top has a bit of mother of pearl and it’s engraved all over with different elements: leaves, butterflies, a fan.

A sweet piece of old silver plate that reminds me of something that would be displayed on a kitchen shelf and used to store household or pin money.

Now this next item–an antique embroidered icon–came from an eBay seller in Greece. It was not like anything I had ever seen and I loved the wear and age. I showed it to my youngest daughter who shook her head a little and said, “Well, it’s a little better than that awful Brutalist cross you bought, but not by much.” (BTW, the “awful Brutalist cross” sold a few months ago and the new owner loves it, as did I!)

This is made of fabric wrapped around cardboard (I think) and has embroidered and quilted bits and little discs (mostly broken). Granted, I know this icon will not have mass appeal, but it just needs one other person to appreciate like I do and I know that person is out there!!

This painting had such a great folk art appeal, though the frame was a beat up and the painting was behind glass (not typical for oil or acrylic). Sadly I was bid up (on Shopgoodwill) towards the end and really paid a lot more than I should have.

Once it arrived I removed the painting from the frame to discover the canvas was not attached to wood stretchers, but loosely and inexpertly wrapped around a piece of cardboard. Oh jeez! Still the imagery is intriguing (haven’t figured it out yet!) and the colors are vibrant. Feels a little South American to me.