As I think I have mentioned before, I started an all new Thread over on the Forum called: All the Best Stuff’s In St. Louis. The idea came from that fact that week after week, month after month, the Retro Renovation Recon Squadrons continue to spot all kinds of amazing stuff, and amazing stories, in St. Louis.
Consider this story, from weed30 aka Wendy — who discovered a time capsule lighting store in St. Louis and raided it, scoring dozens of wonderful vintage lighting fixtures at great prices. Read it and weep:
Wendy writes:
Pam,
My sister found the sale by accident – she’d gotten lost looking for someplace else, saw the hand written “Sale” sign outside and decided to have a look.
She called and said she was at a lighting store that was closing, and, “You might want to come over here – they have some 50’s looking lights.” I seriously hesitated – it was late afternoon and I had already run errands all day.
Plus it was a regular lighting store, not a vintage shop – it didn’t make sense that they’d have any really good treasure. Thankfully, one of the retro decorating gods whispered in my ear, “Get up and go! You should know by now that you never know what you’ll find.”
What I walked into was nothing short of astonishing, unbelievable, fabulous, knee weakening, and heart flipping.
The shop closed about 15 years ago, and they simply turned out the lights, (all of them
), locked the doors, and left everything inside.
Although it only closed 15 years ago, there was nothing that appeared newer than the 70’s in there.
Some of the fixtures had been brought in for repair and never picked up – I found service tickets attached to several.
The rest…..I just don’t think the owner ever threw anything away.
There was a ton of dust on everything, but I’d worn my junking clothes so I could dig with abandon.
There was even more in the basement, but it had flooded several times, and sadly some great stuff was ruined.
I still managed to find some mint condition NOS Lightoliers, a NuTone fan and some glass bathroom shades amongst the corrosion.
SOOO much stuff, you would walk past the same spot and see something you’d not noticed before.
There was more I could have gotten, but I thought 35 (?) maybe 40? light fixtures were enough for right now. Above: Malibu Lights – for landscaping. They have posts and wiring. The blue box is the transformer. I thought these were from the 60′s, but I found the receipt in the box and it was dated 1971. Although dusty, they have never been used.
I spent about 5 hours over two days digging out treasure, and went back once more to try and find a replacement globe for one that broke on the trip home.
That’s when I found the NOS Hall Mack chrome switch plates! I am super excited about those – they are in perfect condition and gorgeous.
Most of that lighting was from the 50′s – 70′s.
The owner’s son sold the building, and had a sale.
Most were new, some were lights that had been brought in for repair and never picked up.
There was even more stuff in the basement – NOS outlet & switch covers, lights still in boxes, recessed square ceiling lights, etc. etc. etc.
Unfortunately a lot of the stuff down there was pitting from moisture. Looked like there was a flood at one time.
This was seriously one of the best times I’ve ever had – an unadvertised sale in a time capsule shop, where I could take my time and not feel like I was missing out on something great in the next room.
In two days I saw a total of 4 other people there, and they didn’t buy anything.
It also turns out I know the guy that was selling all of this fabulousness.
My dad owned a small office building that this guy had been renting in for years. I’d met him a couple times and just didn’t remember.
Another thing I wanted to share is that the people who bought the building are not tearing it down.
It looks kind of rough in the photo I sent, but it’s a solid little brick building with killer interior wood doors that have glass windows in them, and the bathroom has vitrolite tile.
I don’t know what the floor is made out of – terrazo aggregate maybe?
It goes without saying that if you ever come to St. Louis, I’d love to give you the royal retro tour.
I now have all of the much needed vintage fixtures for my house, and find myself trying to figure out places that could use a light so I can keep more of them
Thanks for your fabulous blog!
Wendy/weed30Pretty unbelievable score – lots o’ lighting!
Thank you for sharing, weed30. What is there to say, but: All the best stuff’s in St. Louis.
Wow! What a find! That short brass and white ceiling light with the green and blue cutouts matches a couple of sconces I have. You can turn the brass part and expose another pair of colors, orange and yellow. Very cool!
Cool! I ran to try it – the alternate colors on this light are brown and yellow!
I did a blog post on the sconces, here’s a link to show you what mine look like, they definitely have the same look as the ceiling lamp you picked up. http://atomicuncle.blogspot.com/2010/05/latest-ebay-score-3-tiered-wall-lamps.html
OMG – those sconces are GREAT!
Wow, that is indeed an awesome find. Is the stop still open and liquidating or was it a one day sale?
It was hit and miss – only on the weekend and they were moving stuff to other storage because they sold the building.
AAAAGGGGHHHH!
Quit your job, mortgage your house, buy ALL the stock and you will have a moneymaking E-bay job for life! You know the guy?….grab everything.
That rather tall ivory table lamp in the center of the top picture is a vintage Stiffel. Could you grab it for me- and then I’d have a pair??? : )
I am tempted to rent a Ryder truck and drive cross-country…..
I was tempted to get a lot more, but it was overwhelming. Although I have a vintage light fixture fetish, I don’t know everything about different styles, so I stuck with my credo of “buy what you like”.
Awesome!!!! I am jealous. I love the light with the blue and green flowers.
They had 2 more of those similar, and another with different flowers! I have more photos on my pic host – you might be able to spot them.
http://www.pbase.com/weed30/the_great_lighting_store_score_of_2011
Wendy,
I just looked at your photos and that shop has our future hall bath light bar shade! In Photo02, there is a shade that is sticking out with olive banding around it…that is too cool! What a cool experience. My wife’s civic would have been full…
BlueJay – cool! I didn’t get that one, or the dozen(s) more bath lights that were there. They were all cool, but my pile was getting frightening.
Re: your wife’s civic – I have a solara, and it was like a clown car for light fixtures
I’ve actually emailed them to find out if it’s still available. Ours has a pretty corroded base, which we were going to spray paint back to life, but if it is available, I would rather go new old stock, since our hall bath is pretty heavily used. My wife says I have a crazy eye, ’cause she would’ve never picked it out from a picture like that…
BlueJay – I can try and get over there this weekend to see if it’s still there. I can’t guarantee the one you want has a good base though. A lot of the stuff in the basement, where “yours” is, was either directly damaged by water or subsequently damaged by humidity and just sitting around for 15 years.
Do you have a habitat for humanity store in your area? They usually have plenty of these types of lights for a couple dollars. You can buy one and just use the base.
Wendy,
That would be awesome! I’m betting that lamp has a better base that the one we have judging by the picture. Ours is pitted and rusting in spots; I’m guessing it was in a bathroom without a vent fan. If you’d like, I can post pics on the forum of our shade so that you know what to look for.
We actually don’t have any ReStores in our county. It’s a bummer too, because we have a lot of mid-century homes here. Habitat for Humanity claims there’s a restore in our county, but when I found them, they said they just have the office. The nearest salvage places, that I know of, are about an hour away. I told my wife we could open a salvage place in our county and give people a place to drop off their colored bathroom fixtures…
OH my goodness what a collection. The genie hanging lamp I just recently found at a thrift store. I have been trying to find more info out about it and keep coming up with nada! This is the first time I have seen that lamp anywhere, online.
I can’t believe the inventory in that store! My heart flutters when I walk into stores with a sale sign for anything vintage!
KAREN!!!! That is EXACTLY the name I gave it! The “I Dream of Jeannie Light” hehe!
It is soooo cool! I saw it in the thrift store and my first thought was “why is this still here?”! When I brought it home my hubby dubbed it the genie light. Glad you put pics up, it is fun to look thru them!
That glass shade that looks like a bowtie? Its twin is at the Muncie, IN Habitat ReStore right now, for a couple of bucks.
OMG, Tami – if you happen by there and get it I will gladly pay you for it + shipping. I would love two to use as sconces. Or maybe we could work out a trade if you like one of the lights I have!
Oh! My! Stars! It’s just like a dream!
Is it still open? If so, can we have the info? Thanks!
EK – I don’t know if they are done moving everything or not. I am pretty sure he planned on selling the rest at some point in the future. I will contact him and see when and where.
EK – see my post and link below for info.
I would be in lamp heaven. What a great find!!!
That is so wonderful! How long is the sale going to last? What will happen to all the bounty that has not been bought?
That pendant light with the blue and green tulips would be so perfect in my new-to-me 1963 time capsule house dining area. Or that starburst globe, maybe.
I found a time capsule shop like that in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan in 1980, and I bought some good stuff in there. I still remember the thrill of it all. The owner was closing the shop and selling everything, oh, so cheaply.
cool! and this was all cheap too
Amazing! Thanks for sharing all the pictures…I can’t imagine how much fun it must have been to explore in there!
I’m very glad to hear they aren’t tearing the building down…
Wendy – I am also glad for the building.
What store is this and is the sale still underway? I’m in St. Louis and in the process of purchasing lights for a 1960 ranch my wife and I just purchased. This looks like an ideal source for everything we need. Thanks for posting!
Bill, I posted the info and a link a little further down this string. Good luck!
It’s so nice when one of “us” gets this stuff before the Cool Kids comes to play and ruin in all by taking it and selling it on the bay for horribly jacked up prices.
Great find.
Ann-Marie: YES that thought went through my mind many times. I have been collecting 50/60′s for 20+ years, and it’s a crime where the prices have gone. I can’t believe what some items are listed for. I hope those sellers are happy, since their ridiculously priced things rarely sell…
I do plan to sell the ones I’m not keeping on ebay, but I’m starting them all at $5.00 with no reserve.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yEs, I’d bet even the stuff that is damaged and needs work could be sold on-line! People are willing to pay to get vintage, even if it needs a little TLC. It would be a crime to have that stuff end up in a landfill if no one claims it!
Excellent finds! Thanks for sharing with the rest of us!
Holy crap, it’s hard to believe that somebody actually came up with some of those designs, much less manufactured and sold them. The metal tulip ones (or whatever flowers those are supposed to be) are hideous. Can you imagine trying to dust those?
The patterned fluorescent bulbs seem extremely rare. I’ve never seen anything like that before. Must be for fixtures where the bulb is exposed, although you’d only really see the pattern when it’s turned off. Love the Malibu lights with colored lenses.
love the pair of orange flush mount pendants!
SO jealous!
Having an unhealthy fetish for mid-century lighting, lamps and chairs I think my heart would have stopped dead when I walked in there. The retro fairy apparently adores you, thank you for sharing! I’m going to go softly weep now ;o)
I’m feeling a bit teary-eyed myself. What a great find.
I miss the old days when stores had actual “stock” and selection. It is now impossible for a business to tie up so much $ in inventory. Sad, as everything in most independent stores is display-and the majority of the better items “Special Order”. Esp lighting fixtures.
I have found that when there is a delay of over 3 weeks to get a mass produced item, it is usually a cash flow problem for the store. They are using your deposit for the previous customers order. Get your money back and run.
I’ve been trying and trying to find a bent glass bar light for my bathroom… so jealous… and the wavy patterned fluorescent lamps?? crazy cool… and a nutone fan in there too… wowsers…
STILL SELLING – here is a link to various ads on CL. They will only be there on Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm – 5 or 6pm.
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=727+2852&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=
How do I get there, and did you buy all of the good stuff, or did they have anything left? This makes me so sad that I didn’t know about it! (I live in St. Louis)
Josey,
It’s at 6853 Olive, 63130. East of Pennsylvania on the North side of the street.
I would say I got quite a bit of the good stuff, but depending on what you are looking for, there is still plenty. The price tags you see in some of the photos are not the asking prices, those are the original tags. The owner made me some great deals.
Oh, my goodness, I literally have dreams sometimes about finding a stash of treasures like this. Vintage lamps and light fixtures are the first thing I started to collect and are still my first love. It’s probably just as well I didn’t actually find a stash like this. I’m afraid my heart might have stopped. Congratulations, Wendy, and do let us know when you list the extras on eBay.
Lynn-O-Matic, (great name!) I also have dreams of finding treasure – I thought I was the only one! Although my dreams tend to be of cash and/or jewels. LOL.
I will post on the Great stuff spotted in STL forum when I list. Fair warning, it will be awhile – I am backed up on projects, I want to list them all at once, and also want to have them packed before I list. I’m thinking the earliest would be late May or June.
Very nice. If the vintage fluorescent tube lighting photo was taken on the floor of the floor building, then yes – that is some gorgeous vintage poured terrazzo. Thank goodness someone will preserve it. Those floors cost a mint to make today, the old aggregates mostly don’t exist, and if they’re cared for they last forever.
Oh Wendy, that place is the BOMB!!!! The only thing better than a time capsule house is a time capsule shop where everything is for sale.
Vintage and antique lighting is a disease, I swear. They could have just locked me up in that place and I would have been really happy – surrounded by so many excellent lights!
I hope you enjoy your haul, and I guess ya better stock up on light bulbs!
Tami
WOW! I think I would have passed out upon entrance! My heart would have raced and I would’ve felt crazy! I can’t believe you were able to take your time and pick through! Awesome! GREAT fixtures!
A similar experience happened to me in a flooring store. An auction was going on and huge rolls of old linoleum (of ALL colors) were selling for $1 and $2. I bought a huge roll to put down in our basement, but when it was time to install it, we were told it was too dried out to use. There were sparkly remnants, and I bought a small red one for under our dining room table. Still wonder about the pink that I passed up… how much old linoleum can a gal really use? Sigh…
HAVE FUN WITH YOUR NEW FIXTURES!
I would love some old linoleum! How sad that what you got was too dry
I’m glad you were able to use a sparkly remnant though. A sparkly remnant of *anything* is always good to have
OMG!! that’s all I can say. I esp. love the fixture in the 3rd pic from bottom, it looks like it’s a retractable too. Thanls for sharing.
Dot, It is a retractable, and once my dazzled eyes focused, it was the first one to make my heart skip a beat. The little cross hatches are shiny gold, and the retractable cord is in great condition. It is going in my kitchen and will be adored forever.
Oh, Wendy, you lucky lady! My heart would have given out when I walked in there. Amazing! And glad to hear the prices were great…
I’m passing this on to my Hubby. He might be down in that area for business shortly, and I might have to send him there. Thanks for the tip, and CONGRATS on all of your wonderful finds!
Oh mercy..I’m in Evansville, Indiana which is about 3 hours east of St. Louis, a perfect day trip on a Saturday. I too have a lamp fetish and I can feel a road trip coming on but I do wish the shop hours were a bit more regular so I would know when to come over…..sigh
Hi all,
Wendy – what a find! I just got off the phone with Linda, the seller of all these amazing lamps, and she is still trying to figure out how they are going to sell everything however will speak to her husband, David and see how they can arrange shipping for those of us out of town as well as addtional photos of the items that remain for sale. She said it was fine and to pass along the word to people therefore here is her contact info:
email: chapnickelectriclighting@gmail.com
cell# 314-727-2852
Leslie, that is great! They are really nice people.
I am drooling with envy. My favorite lamp was the very last one in this post. How I would love to have that fixture in my upcoming bath renovation!
I live in St. Louis and NEED some vintage lighting! How can I contact the person selling and go to the store?? I need two of the same fixtures for my hallway lights. I am so excited! I hope it isn’t all gone.. The c-List link didn’t work..
Wait! Yes it did. Very excited about this. I will be there this upcoming weekend!
read thru the comments – i believe that weed30/wendy has indicated where there store is…
I live here in St. Louis, and I have have a Dutch Colonial home built in 1926. When I first bought the house 9 years ago, the front porch lights were horrible. They looked to be from the 70′s, but not “cool” 70′s, just ugly 70′s. My search took me from specialty lighting shops that reproduced period lighting at atrocious prices, to the blandness that is Home Depot/Lowe’s lighting. One day, about 6 or 7 years ago, my mom and I happened to be driving by the very shop that that is pictured here! I’d never really noticed it before since it always looked to be closed (even though the vast array of lighting was clearly visible through the window). We saw a very elderly gentleman in the store and decided to see of we would be allowed to have a look. He was very kind and let us look around for about 30 minutes – we were in HEAVEN! My mom and I love all things vintage and this little shop delivers in a big way! I found the absolute perfect lights for my front porch for only $5.00 each!!! I’m not sure but they look like brass to me. Anyway, I got excited when I saw the picture of the store and thought I’d tell my story.
How wonderful those fabulous lights finally found a rescuer in you!
Now they will be used and cherished by someone who appreciates them. I hope the others are donated to a re-store of somekind and not dumped in a landfill.
Great find — congrats to you AND your foundlings!
I would like to purchase the Malibu landscaping lights. I live in O’Fallon, MO. Please contact me if would like to sell them.
Thank you,
Matt
Hi all, I stumbled on your cool site. I have a pair of beautiful authentic Stiffel brass lamps that I want to sell to someone who will love and appreciate them. It would make me happy to know they were in someone’s living room.
The lamps are tall at 36- 40 inches depending on whether you measure to the bulbs (36) or to the lampshade mount (40) with double pulls. They also have a column of creamy material in the middle of the column (not glossy — more candlestick like). They work great! They were in my parent’s home and are in great condition. If someone could help me figure out how to sell them or where to take them I’d be appreciative. Thanks – Lisa
ebay or craigslist, Lisa. Good luck…
Speak about stumbling into vintage store, I stumbled upon this site and just bought an old home 3 months ago… and my first word was “light” as a baby. There we go.