Posted by After 10 days of buying abstinence for my vintage store, I decided I needed to have a little fun and go hunting. To be honest I was having FOMO! I knew I was missing out on good stuff!
Goodwill Finds
So I popped into Goodwill and they came through in one of the categories I love–cut crystal, specifically cut-crystal wine glasses. So many people enjoy drinking from a pretty crystal glass, whether you fill it with wine or not.
I found four signed cut crystal wine glasses by Edinburgh Crystal. That was a new name for me. Turns out this crystal company was in operation from the 1820s to 2006 when it was acquired by Waterford-Wedgwood. These are in a smaller size and likely sherry or port glasses. I naturally have to test out every glass I buy and these feel so good in the hand.
The pattern appears to be Duet, made in 1993 to 1995.
I also found this framed 1950s Mexican bird painting/feather art. There’s a little message on the back: “Christmas Dec. 25, 1950, To Sis From Mary.” Isn’t that sweet? It was the message that sold me! Will list for $48.
Total paid: $30.
Flea Market Finds
Now I adore our little local flea market, but honestly I didn’t think they would hold it this past Saturday due to the threat of inclement weather. Decided to give it a try anyway, and while most vendors had stayed away, there were a handful of bravehearts so I had a wander.
Surprisingly I bought five things, spending a total of $53. None of them are happy-dance scores, nothing WOW, but all good, sellable items. The bread-and-butter items that keep a business afloat.
My first purchase was a small framed and matted 1968 Don Davey print of San Francisco. Such a great Chinatown image. (Will list for $48.)
Don Davey (1927-2014) was a prolific California artist who started his career at the American Academy of Art in Chicago and later served on the faculty of the Academy of Art in San Francisco.
The little Shanghai China rosewood jewelry box is not uncommon but still a nice thing and would add an exotic touch to a night stand or coffee table. For $5 it was a no brainer.
This chunky cast iron gizmo with all the gears and moving bits was just fantastic. Turns out it’s an antique apple peeler, likely by Sinclair Scott. I just love the steampunk vibe. Will anyone want this? Well this year dozens of similar ones have sold on Ebay, but generally for $48 and under. (Was hoping it might be rarer.)
Vintage brass menorahs sell for me and I liked the looks of this scarce MCM one by Hen-Holon (designed by Reuvan Dayagi) though I need to de-wax it! (I’ve read that if you pop it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes the wax will pop right off. We’ll see if that works. Apparently boiling it is another option.)
Egyptian-style jewelry is still popular and this vintage scarab bracelet was appealing. The scarabs are not stone, but likely molded lucite. I was told by the seller that this was sterling silver, but since it has a gold hue it could be vermeil (thin gold plating over silver), but so far I have not been able to verify the metal content. I do appreciate that it has a safety chain and a larger (older) spring ring closure.
Considering the challenges of today’s very mini flea market, I enjoyed myself, found a few good things and even ran into a friend! I need to do more research on some of these items to figure out fair market value but should have them listed in the coming week.
What I didn’t buy
I liked this Japanese cast iron tray and the seller reduced the price from $60 to $40, but I just wasn’t sure. I did a quick Google Lens lookup and saw a few were listed in the $90 to $100 range, but I still wasn’t comfortable paying $40 (I wanted it to be $20 or less) and it did have some condition issues. Back at home I found one that had sold in February on Ebay for $45.
I thought this handmade bowl by Michael Schyler for Flat Earth Pottery was fun, but the seller wanted $10 which didn’t leave enough meat on the bone for me. Would have bought it for $5.
Overall
I’m glad I did a little sourcing. It always lifts my spirits and reaffirms why I’m in this biz.
Would love to hear what you’ve been finding.
Hunting for Vintage 