Will Be Offering an Eclectic Mix for the Holidays!!!

As we near the fourth quarter of the year (beloved by the retail industry), I have been busy listing items in my online stores hoping to provide as much selection as possible for future holiday shoppers. I know some of you are thinking: What holidays? It’s September. Stop rushing things. But the truth is planning and work for the December holidays happens early for many of us.

Now because my own vintage interests are so wide and varied, I try to reflect that in my stores, along with a wide range in price points. Sometimes I think, should I bother listing stuff under $30? And then I’ll remember that those small sales have really helped keep my business ticking over.

Here are a few of the wide-and-varied things I’ve added to my Etsy store…

Mid-1800s “Grammar of Ornament” Owen Jones Pages

Years ago I bought some lots of these beautiful antique pages from the famed “Grammer of Ornament” book. I’ve been slowly adding them to my store. They don’t sell quickly for me, but they do sell.

First published in 1856, The Grammar of Ornament remains a design classic. Its inspiration came from pioneering British architect and designer Owen Jones (1809–1874), who produced a comprehensive design treatise for the machine age, lavishly illustrated in vivid chromolithographic color. Jones made detailed observations of decorative arts on his travels in Europe, the Middle East, and in his native London…. Jones’s resulting study is a comprehensive analysis of styles of ornamental design, presenting key examples ranging from Maori tattoos, Egyptian columns, and Greek borders to Byzantine mosaic, Indian embroidery, and Elizabethan carvings. At once splendidly Victorian and insistently modern, The Grammar of Ornament celebrates objects of beauty from across time periods and continents, and remains an indispensable sourcebook today.

Google Books

Here are my current listings…

Antique Hand-Painted China Dish

I bought this china hand-painted dish (possibly the bottom half of a sugar bowl) at a garage sale four years ago and have been enjoying it in my curio cubby. It’s old, signed with a fancy R, and in the style of Herend Rothschild. Another reseller told me it’s definitely a Rothschild piece, but I took this info with a grain of salt. First I know nothing about his expertise and have been rooked before trusting someone. And secondly, the mark and shape are not ones I have found in use by any Rothschild pieces after hours of looking online. Certainly the birds and lady bugs are similar to the Rothschild’s famous bird line, but for the sake of accuracy, I have listed it “in the style of.”

Vintage Printer’s Blocks

Several years ago I bought three lots of vintage religious printer’s blocks from an eBay seller. I ended up with 76 blocks for $113. I had never sold anything like that before but thought they were fabulous and quirky. I started listing them singly and in small groups, but not all of them, just a portion. And they’ve sold, over $200 worth so far. And I realized it was time to start listing more because I have a lot left!

Obviously I’m not making much per sale, but it adds up and folks seem to like them! Here are my current listings with more to come.

Vintage Plastic Thimbles

Back in the day every sewing box had a few thimbles…and they were used. Everyone mended. Well, these were given to me by a dear friend and I think they make a lovely colorful grouping for a collector or seamstress.

Mid-Century Camera Goodness

This is a recently purchased item and one I have not listed yet. And I’ll admit it was a heart purchase (meaning I knowingly paid too much!). But I’m okay with that. Vintage cameras are kryptonite to me and seeing this one at my neighborhood thrift store amidst the usual made-in-China crapola was like having the clouds part. What a magnificent piece of equipment–solid, heavy, handsome.

It’s a Highlander Polaroid Land Camera, Model 80A. The 80 series was produced from 1954 to 1961.

Unfortunately, the film for this camera was discontinued in the 1980s and likely anything still existing would not be viable. While the camera is not rare or valuable, it is in good condition and just needs a bit of cleaning to display beautifully.

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Next I will be listing some vintage sterling charms. I’ve still got a sizable stash and they make great gifts!

I’ll close for now wishing you happy hunting!

Karen