Posted by I’ve been a good girl. I’ve stayed focused on adding items to my online stores rather than shopping for more. But it’s been a gut wrench. I’ve been having thrifting/antiquing withdrawals!
So today after I picked up my car at the mechanics (and paid a hefty bill 😳), I headed to my neighborhood thrift store just two blocks away. It was 11:30. Not the time of day I like to go. It was ridiculously crowded. Still I felt naively optimistic as I wandered the aisles. I hadn’t been here in days. Surely there was something here for me.
So I kept going up and down, up and down, the few short hard-good aisles trying to find something…anything worth buying. Finally I spotted two brass bud vases with islamic characters which must have just been put on the shelf because they weren’t there the first time I went down the aisle.
They were hand made and I thought they would add a wonderful exotic touch to a mantel or book shelf. Maybe not a home run, but still good pieces.
Then after I got home I started researching similar pieces and discovered that these were likely old Mamluk-inspired Egyptian pieces with copper and sterling silver design elements. I wasn’t intending on polishing them, but I had to remove some of the tarnish if I wanted to discover the truth about them. And sure enough they have copper and sterling silver (tested)!!
This was one of those times that a purchase ended up being much better than I anticipated!!
Mamluk vase prices (both sold and current listings) are all over the place…from under $100 to over $1000. Of course the quality is better on some of the more expensive pieces.
Mine are somewhat primitive but having a pair is a bonus. I based my price partly on other listed pairs with similar designs and quality and then I went a smidge lower.
Tomorrow I’ll be heading to the monthly flea market up the road. It has turned into a really good sourcing spot for me despite it’s small size. A number of the sellers are regulars and I have learned who has good prices and who to avoid. I also make a beeline for new sellers who are likely just doing a little house clearing and have things priced to go!
I’ll close for now wishing you happy hunting,
Karen
Hunting for Vintage 