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8 Charley Harper posters — straight from U.S. Government original stockpiles — cheap, free shipping, no tax!

Posted by: • September 29, 2011

Wow, here is a fantastic find: EIGHT Charley Harper posters originally produced for the National Park Service in 1986, 1990 and 1994, still available for sale from the Government Printing Office. The posters cost from $12 to $19, and get this: There is no cost for shipping and no tax! The eight, apparently still remaining from depleted stock are for the Glacier Bay, Rocky Mountains, Atlantic Barrier Islands, Canyon Country, The Alpine Northwest, the Sierra Range, Hawaii and Isle Royal. I snapped up one of each snap, crackle, pop!

Heck yeah there is more →

How are prices for vintage mid century furniture, lighting and accessories where you live?

Posted by: • September 29, 2011

Sept. 29, 2011: I herewith doth declare that as of today, prices on ebay for mid century modern treasures (or not) have crossed over into insanity. I had to work too hard to find these 10 items for you, my lovelies. Too many sellers being influenced by 1st Dibs, maybe, or by the rollicking popularity of mid century design style? I don’t know who is going to buy this stuff at the BIN priced being listed.

What about where you live, readers?
Are prices for mid mod high — or low?
Is stuff plentiful — or rare? What’s going on?

Heck yeah there is more →

Retro upholstery fabric with gold thread — and “frieze” vs. “boucle”

Posted by: • September 28, 2011

upholstery fabric with gold thread

One of our favorite vintage, mid-century style upholstery fabrics is what I believe was called a “frieze” — prounced “free-zay”. Definition found by Susan:

  • Frieze – a pile surface of uncut loops or of patterned cut and uncut loops.

Typically (from what I *think* I’ve seen and read) frieze was done in a single field of color, like in all those old Kroehler sofas — see photo after the jump.

Another popular upholstery fabric was a “boucle”. Gavin pointed this one out:

  • Boucle –  a fabric of uneven yarn that has an uneven knobby effect
The fabric shown above (the three samples) is a boucle. Heck yeah there is more →

Naugahyde — still available in hundreds of colors, Made in the U.S.A.

Posted by: • September 27, 2011

naugahyde colors spirit millennium collectionYes, the company that makes Naugahyde — the name most synonymous with vinyl upholstery — is still alive and kickin’ and selling hundreds different colors, textures and designs of this classic mid century upholstery material. Heck yeah there is more →

Costly and unexpected expenses from owning a home — share your experiences

Posted by: • September 26, 2011

tree damage $$$I have owned four homes in my life, and I can tell you: The list of surprise expenses never seems to stop. Yes, I have always favored older homes, so I probably get more fix-its than someone with a brand-new house. But, I think that if your home is even just 10 years old, you are going to have to keep that savings account stocked with emergency funds, and keep that checkbook handy. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think it can be really helpful to prospective and recent homebuyers to know about the kinds of expenses — surprises, as well as costs that can easily escalate — that they may expect. So, I’m throwing this story open to readers to share their experiences.

Readers:
What problems have you needed to throw money at,
when it comes to repairing or maintaining your home –
things you never really expected, or
which ended up costing much more than you planned?

Heck yeah there is more →

Vintage Christmas ornament wreaths — the first wave of Georgia Peachez’ 2011 designs

Posted by: • September 25, 2011


Georgia Peachez aka Suzy has been stocking up on vintage Christmas ornaments all year, and today, in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, she has put the first batch of her new Christmas wreaths made from vintage ornaments online for sale. Yes, it’s too early to be thinking about Christmas — but not if you want to get your hands on one of Suzy’s beautiful, www-famous creations — which feature vintage Shiny Brites, Christmas elves, and all kinds of little treasures that make these wonderful keepsake wreaths. I think these would be a great gift for the friend or family member who “has everything” — or who has lost the juice to put up a tree every year. I can also see these wreaths as a way to split treasured family ornaments among family members.

Make your own vintage Christmas ornament wreath:

Heck yeah there is more →

Gorgeous vintage lighting — something for everyone

Posted by: • September 25, 2011


I love the vintage lighting offered by this ebay seller, rossmct23. This seller’s lighting can be pricey — by comparison with Re-Store discoveries, for sure. But: It’s gorgeous, authentic patina and design… It’s rewired — which can get expensive fast… It generally comes in pairs when pairs are required… And well, if you’re looking for vintage lighting and you have the money: Yum yum yum.

Fiesta kitchen sink by American Standard, introduced in 1966 or earlier

Posted by: • September 23, 2011

1968 kitchen sink fiesta from american standardHere is the latest wonderful oddity — “woddity” — to go into our archive:  The Fiesta sink by American Standard. I have seen reference to it as early as 1966. Click on through for some additional, great colors, sculpted round designs (!) and strange lever thingy.
Heck yeah there is more →

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