May 28, 2012
Manning Bowman model 401 table-top sandwich cooker, design patent number 97660, issued 1935.
After the end of the second world war this model would be modified a little bit and reissued as model 412 (As seen in this ad: It grills – cooks – fries – even makes waffles!).
Ours appears to be a prewar model and only has the flat sandwich making plates. These are removable so I presume that there were probably waffle cooking plates that got lost somewhere along the way. Since this predates the widespread implementation of planned obsolescence in manufacturing it’s not surprising that it still works.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Appliances, Art Deco, AVAILABLE!, Metal, Vintage |
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May 19, 2012
Three vintage paintings title AM, Noon and PM. They’re pretty simple but make a nice little themed triptych so we’re selling them as a set. One of them bears a signature on the back that appears to read V. Kandris with the notation that it was done at Yokoto AFB Japan and there is also the inscription Geni which probably meas something.
Each picture measures roughly 5 1/2 by 7 inches.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Eclectic, Fabric / Fiber, GONE! SOLD!, Kitsch, Other Natural Materials, Other Unnatural Materials, Painting |
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May 18, 2012
This is a commemorative medallion issued by a pharmaceutical company (Abbot Laboratories) which celebrates Sigmund Freud as one of the “Pathfinders in Psychiatry” series.
It is 3 inches in diameter and suitable for use as a paperweight or as a metaphor for the subconscious hangups of ones therapist.
Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, AVAILABLE!, Eclectic, knickknack, Metal, Otherwise useful |
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May 16, 2012
It guards the cookies like a frugal dog.
Approximately 12 inches long and 8 1/2 inches tall. This zoomporphic cookie jar is in good condition although there are some minor flaws (two very small chips on the ears and interior jar rim with glaze crazing inside-see the pictures!).
Perfect for keeping your Walker’s shortbread out of sight.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Ceramic, GONE! SOLD!, Kitchenware, Vintage |
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May 9, 2012
I’ve considered devising a chess set consisting of mid-century modern candle holders, they seem so fitting for the task. One would need only six styles, in two finishes and a board to play upon and a mind that understands strategy rather than just the prosaic demands of tactics (which is why I have a perfect record of losses in the Community Warehouse chess tourney).
And night-time or solar eclipses could be damned too (at least until the end when it’s just your king with the last light against the darkens and a few of the opponent’s pieces malevolently sputtering in the chill wind).
This particular candle stick was designed by Jens Quistgaard for Dansk and was made in Denmark. It is brass and stands 9 1/4 inches tall.
I think it is a little delicate for a rook, so perhaps if one were to make a candle stick chess set it would be a fine bishop?
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, GONE! SOLD!, Lighting, Metal, Mid-century, Mid-Century Modern, Otherwise useful, Vintage |
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May 8, 2012
Have incredible window washing bills.
The carved wooden elephant ($5) is 3 3/4 inches tall and about 6 3/4 inches long. The glass house is 8 3/4 inches long, 5 1/4 inches tall a 9 3/4 inches high (with roof, without it is about 5 inches tall; $20).
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Posted in $1 to $5, $16-$20, 20th century, 21st century, Glass, GONE! SOLD!, knickknack, Wood |
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April 30, 2012
Vintage Carnation cream top milk bottle with label. The label is of the sort refered to by collectors as red pyroglazed.
The red part of this is fairly self explanatory but pyroglazing is an interesting process. Obviously there is an intuitive part of this in that heat was used in the process. But what process? Basically pyroglazing is a type of stenciling where lead, silica and borax were fused to the glass at a temperature of 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, over the course of four hours. This process was introduced in the middle 1930′s and helped enhance brand recognition and deter theft by other dairies.
The bottle stands 9 3/4 inches tall, held one quart and bears an intriguing little embossed mark near the base. The mark is a triangle and within that triangle is a 7 and the letters MINN.
Some resources indicate that this is a symbol used by the Liberty Glass Company, which was founded from the remains of an earlier company in 1918. In addition to the triangle mark they also typically marked the bottom of their bottles with an embossed LG and a year mark. Ours does not have the LG mark but bears a 12 inside a circle and the number 46. Presumably then this bottle was made in 1946.
As an interesting aside, Liberty glass used Lustro-Color as the trade term for their colored label process.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, AVAILABLE!, Farmhouse/Country, Glass, Glassware / barware, Kitchenware, knickknack, Vintage |
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April 1, 2012
This is a wonderful vintage left handed carving knife and fork! The sharp bits are high carbon steel and the bits you hold are silvery colored metal.
The knife blade bears the mark of Gebruder Christians of Solingen, Germany.
The hollow handles bear a little dancing men mark (much like the characters in the famous Sherlock Holmes story) and a small number ’8′. The dancing men mark is the mark of Clarfeld and Springmeyer and the 8 is probably a purity mark for 80% pure silver.
Vintage left handed carving sets like this are quite difficult to find and this could be the only one we have until this time next year.
They are in good condition and the knife is about 12 1/2 inches long.
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March 28, 2012
I’m still kicking myself (metaphorically) for not buying the ancient copy of De Re Metallica (On the Nature of Metals) that I saw in a bookstore 15 years ago. Not that I have any real use for it but it wassuch a great deal.
Oh well.
This little (3 1/4 inches tall and 2 3/4 inches wide) bronze figurine shows a metal worker pouring a ladle of molten metal into a form. Since it is metal it is in great condition.
It is unmarked.
Without any supporting evidence I suspect that this is derived from other sculptures by more noted artists, such as the 1914 figure by Albert Toft.
Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Eclectic, GONE! SOLD!, knickknack, Metal, Sculpture, Vintage |
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March 11, 2012
Because I suspect that everyone (including myself) is tired of the post apocalypse uranium theme that I typically reference I’ll skip it, just this once, and give you the straight dope.
The sugar bowl is 6 inches across the handles; the cream server is 5 inches from tip of spout to end of handle.
They are vintage pieces that glow under blacklight.
What do you get when you anger thermonuclear armed bovine?
MOO-tually assured destruction.
Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Dishes, Glass, GONE! SOLD!, Kitchenware, Seemed like a good idea . . ., Vintage |
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March 8, 2012
Votive candle lights like this are often called “fairy lights.” It is made in two pieces and stands approximately 4 1/4 inches tall.
The daisy decoration was hand painted by J. Brown who was actively painting for Fenton Glass in the late 1970′s and early 1980′s. It is in perfect condition.
This is an excellent example of decorated custard glass. Custard glass is a variety of glass that contains uranium oxide and a “tincture of gold.” Depending on the amount of heat applied it will range in color from pale yellow to pink. Originally made in large quantities production ceased in the early 1900′s due to high costs and fading popularity. Commercial manufacture of custard glass was resumed by Fenton in 1970.
The pink toned variety was originally named by Queen Victoria for its colorful resemblance to a Burmese sunset. If not heated to higher temperatures it is a lovely pale yellow color and is known in collector circles as custard glass.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Glass, GONE! SOLD!, knickknack, Otherwise useful, Vintage |
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March 7, 2012
One could see this as a future star of one of those ‘badly repaired stuff’ blogs. Or one could see it as an item that was loved or needed and kept well beyond the point when most families would have replaced it.
I prefer to see it as the latter.
I suspect this dates to the period when reusing and recycling wasn’t a fad or political statement but was part of the realities of life.
It started life as a child’s size bent back Windsor chair but over time some of the spindles broke out of the back. But even with broken spindles it is still useful if only . . . there was a way to make it so one could lean against it.
Enter the noble plank.
Some bricoleur had a sort section of board sitting around. All that needed to be done was to carve a groove to match the bent hoop back and find a way to keep it in place.
Although there are many ways of doing this they chose to peg the bottom then glue a piece of thick (probably also recycled) veneer across the gap at the top.
The result may be a bit inelegant but it is surely better than not having a chair at all.
It the aesthetics aren’t quite your style it might make a good vehicle for participation in the Community Warehouse Chair Affair in 2013.
The 2012 Community Warehouse Chair Affair will be held March 15th at 5pm. If you happen to be interested in attending this year’s event (see previews of the art here) you better get cracking since tickets are on track to sell out soon.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Antique, AVAILABLE!, Chairs, Farmhouse/Country, Otherwise useful, Rustic, Seemed like a good idea . . ., Shabby Chic, Vintage, Wood |
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March 2, 2012
We all know they were framed. It’s a giant sham underlain by shoddy police work, corrupt prosecutors, inept defense lawyers and media driven public fear.
We have two sets of five Camp Snoopy glasses released by McDonald’s. They are in perfect condition and bear copyright dates as late as 1971. They stand about 6 inches tall.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Dishes, Glass, Glassware / barware, GONE! SOLD!, Vintage |
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February 23, 2012
This came in with the antique cast iron Indian pen tray that we recently featured so I presume it is of the same era. Like that other piece this too has a copper or bronze wash that shows some signs of wear.
This piece depicts a scene in which one person lights the oversized pipe of another. There is some sort of lizard watching from just off-stage in the upper right corner. There are three cigar-sized flutes or channels to rest ones burning stogie in during late night business meetings or while planning the purchase of the election.
It is just under 8 inches by 5 1/2 inches and is unmarked.
If cigar smoking isn’t your thing it’d make a good pin tray for the next meeting of ones revolutionary sewing circle.
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Posted in $16-$20, 19th century, 20th century, Antique, Artistic wonder, AVAILABLE!, Metal, Otherwise useful, Tools |
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February 22, 2012
Musical beer stein with a Thoren’s Swiss movement that plays In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus (There’s a Hofbräuhaus in Munich). If this sounds familiar, it should.
With typical German post-war cynicism the applied cartouches declare in dieser zeit (in this time) and keinschoenerland (not a good country) while the center depicts the (probably not cynical) area of Fussen/Allgau in the south of Germany near the Austrian border.
I’d guess this dates to the post war period when American soldiers were busy snapping up the fruits of conquest. . .
Everytime you lift the stein the music plays, so ones drinking companions know that you’re still keeping up. The volume of the stein isn’t marked but it looks like it holds about 1/2 liter (just over a pint).
Like most German steins it has a pewter lid to keep misplaced beer-garden debris out. The stein is in good condition however the lid does have a little damage on one edge.
Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Ceramic, Dishes, Glassware / barware, GONE! SOLD!, Vintage |
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February 13, 2012
The original penguin drinks shaker was designed by Emil Schuelke for the Napier Company of Meriden, Connecticut.
It was patented in 1936 and first offered for sale by Hammacher Schlemmer that same year in two versions, a silver-plated one for $12.50 or one with gilt detailing for $25.
I’m reasonably certain that’ll never see an original one but luckily the reproductions by Restoration Hardware are a bit more common.
We’ve had several of these before and although they aren’t entirely faithful to the original they are quite nice. This is a small-sized one, about 8 inches tall. It’d be great if one either never has guests or doesn’t drink mixed drinks in mixed company.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, 21st century, Art Deco, Glassware / barware, GONE! SOLD!, Metal, Retro |
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February 1, 2012
In real life Big Bird is an “eight-foot two-inch (249 cm) tall bright primrose-yellow bird.”
Really, he is.
He’s known for being both easily confused and for being surprisingly talented. Among his many talents are skating, dancing drawing and riding a unicycle. This is a little incongruous since he is described as a six year old in the TV show’s writer’s guide. Luckily slight inconsistencies like this haven’t undermined his career.
He’s also know for saying wise phrases as “I guess it’s better to be who you are. Turns out people like you best that way, anyway” which seems equivocal and subject to revision at a later date. Maybe he’ll decide that people will like him more if he’s a cookie jar? Obviously, if this really were Big Bird’s favorite cookie jar it would be more than just a touch narcissistic.
What Big Bird is here, for us, now is a cookie jar.
He’s 12 1/2 inches tall. Although he looks like he is from about the same era as the E.T. lamp we just had the text along the edge of the base shows the design was copyrighted by the Muppets in 1971.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Artistic wonder, Ceramic, Eclectic, GONE! SOLD!, Kitchenware, Otherwise useful, Vintage |
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January 29, 2012
This is a nice pair of bowls in the ever popular Burple pattern by Anchor Hocking Glass. I believe it’s real name was actually Inspiration, but almost no one calls it that now. The pattern was introduced in the 1940′s and these are the so-called Large Dessert Bowl (as opposed to the “I’m on a diet” size small bowl).
They are 8 1/2 inches in diameter and are in perfect condition.
We’re selling them as a pair for $20.
Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, AVAILABLE!, Dishes, Glass, Vintage |
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January 22, 2012
Old King Coal was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
And he called for his miners three.
But Omni Exploration
Breathed hell fire and damnation;
And drilled a well straight to hell;
With a steely goad struck the mother lode,
Drilling for dollars in the land of the free.
Every driller he had a drill,
And a very fine drill had he;
Oh there’s none cooked so well, burnt in hell
As Old King Coal and Omni’s miners three.
Set of six tumblers featuring the corporate logo and landscape vision of Omni Exploration. The perfect gift for the petro-capitalist in your life, your rich uncle or a gag gift for your favorite tree hugger.
They’re still in the original shipping box from November 1977 and include a Seasons Greetings card indicating that these were probably stockholder gifts.
Not surprisingly they appear unused.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, AVAILABLE!, Dishes, Eclectic, Glass, Glassware / barware, Vintage, White elephant, WTF? |
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January 6, 2012
This vintage two drawer cigar box originally contained cigars made by the J.T. Swann & Co of Tampa Florida. They were “manufactured to retail at more than Five Cents each and not more than Eight cents each and are so tax paid.”
Which I take to mean it is fairly old. It’s hard to say exactly, but a five to eight cent cigar seems like a good price for one in the late 1940′s.
Swann cigars were made by a company named after James T. Swann. Swann was a realtor, investor and general bigwig who happened to own a cigar factory and citrus groves. He died in 1953 and was succeeded by his son James Jr. who died in 1955. Much of their business was conducted via mail order, leading to some strenuous complaining when the postal service increased rates.
The box is 9 1/4 inches wide, 5 1/2 inches tall and 6 1/4 inches deep. It is in excellent condition and has classic box or finger joints on the back two corners. It is stamped on the bottom with the maker’s mark, the seal of the City of Tampa Florida and pertinent tax info.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Eclectic, GONE! SOLD!, Otherwise useful, Storage, Tools, Wood |
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December 30, 2011
Duh, like totally 1980′s dude.
Problems? As if!
This gnarly, killer, rad ‘fone works sweet, you know what-ever. . .
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Appliances, GONE! SOLD!, Otherwise useful, Plastic, Seemed like a good idea . . ., Tools, Vintage |
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December 26, 2011
Vintage brown plastic wall phone that’s a lot like the one we had in my house when I was a kid, except ours was black. It was made by ITT, it works well and has adjustable ringer volume. and imported from area code 218, the northern part of Minnesota.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Electronics, GONE! SOLD!, Metal, Plastic, Tools, Vintage |
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December 22, 2011
An interesting little table top tree which is made out of ceramic and was decorated by Margie. It is 12 1/2 inches tall and lit from the inside by a single night-light bulb. The light is transmitted through little holes with plastic bulb shaped pieces. It is in good shape except for one chipped branch (see picture below).
This tree is carbon neutral (mostly) and you don’t have to pick up errant needles for the next six months.
Even the Grinch would be proud of you. Then he’d steal it just because.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Artistic wonder, Ceramic, Crafter's delight, Eclectic, GONE! SOLD!, Kitsch, knickknack, Lighting, Plastic, Vintage |
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December 21, 2011
Rudolph was designed in 1939 by Robert L. May so that Montgomery Ward could sell coloring books with a greater profit margin. He was a great success.
This bake set capitalized on this success after the Second World War. We have the complete eight piece set consisting of two 9-inch cake pans and six 4 1/2 inch diameter cake or gelatin molds. All of the pans are in good condition, but the box has seen better days.
The set was made for Bake King the ‘King of Bakeware’, by Chicago Metallic Mfg. Co.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Eclectic, GONE! SOLD!, Kitchenware, Metal, Vintage |
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December 13, 2011
Apparently amongst collectors, learned scholars and other gate-keepers of rarefied knowledge the Westmoreland Glass rooster covered candy dish is best distinguished from the hen candy dish, not by checking under the hood, but by noting the presence or absence of a nest.
In our case, a standing bird without a nest means that it is a rooster. It seems hens aren’t allowed to get up and walk around every once in a while.
As a skeptic I don’t know that I believe ‘them’ but belief isn’t necessarily necessary (although it may be sufficient) for our purposes here.
Anyway . . . this ‘creature descended from Jungle Fowl’ dish will hold a variety of candied goodies including by not necessarily limited to cream eggs, peeps and other lovely confections made from everything but chicken sphincters.
It is 8 1/2 inches tall and in excellent condition. Even the red and yellow paint is in good shape.
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Posted in $16-$20, 20th century, Dishes, Farmhouse/Country, Glass, GONE! SOLD!, Kitchenware, knickknack, Vintage |
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