• What to collect: My top vintage decorating finds spotted on ebay and etsy

    I have 200 Saved Searches on ebay, and every morning I scour them for the top items that I think (1) might be helpful to you in completing your Retro Renovation projects, (2) may be deals if you are a collector, or (3) are just plain doggone wonderful or odd. Hannah provides us with a regular stream of her Etsy treasuries, too. I update this page about two times per week. Enjoy, and if you see a great item you want me to feature, send me the url using my Contact form. Thanks, and Viva La Hunt!Tips to using the ebay carousel: To go to a particular item, click on its photo (NOT on the ebay logo) — then, click on the lime green “View and Bid” box, which will take you to ebay. Disclosure: When you buy anything from these ebay carousels or after you click into ebay here, it nets me a teensy commission, which helps keep the blog boat afloat — Many thanks!

    Added May 12:

    and:

    Added May 11:

    Here is the beauteous Imperialite, thanks to the seller for giving me permission to feature the photo:

    Carousel #1:

    Carousel #2:

    Carousel #3:

    Carousel #4:

    Carousel #5:

    Carousel #6:

    Click on through the following Pages to see all the ebay finds from this week and back – some may still be “live”:

    Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

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    Comments

    1. jeanne says:

      I used to have those flower power stickers decorating the inside of my walk-in closet when I was a kid. I haven’t seen those in ages!

    2. Lisa says:

      Oh no, not the Home Interiors brass butterflies! Those were hot sellers back in the 80s. My stepmother sold the stuff. Brings back memories.

      Now I have to go check out that light you posted the other day.

      • Debbie V. says:

        I bought SO many things from Home Interiors – including those butterflies. Kept them for years. I never sold the stuff, but I certainly kept my distributor in pocket money during the late 70s and very early 80s.

    3. Jay says:

      Pam, off topic, a Vermont Country Store catalog arrived today. On the cover were pink flamingoes and colored aluminum tumblers. Just thought you might like to know. Happy Fourth!

    4. annmarie says:

      Pics don’t appear when using ipad!

    5. denise says:

      some real good finds you got there….especially loving the suitcase, Vera linens and vinyl upholstery fabric…which reminds me to look for some with lots of yardage for some lawn furniture gifted to me by a special friend…wink wink.

    6. Elaine says:

      I got the script house numbers when you featured them before. I just needed ‘Eighteen’. It came promptly, still in the original shrinkwrap over cardboard packaging and was just the thing for my confusing corner house. They are not huge but can be seen from the street if it is a regular lot.

    7. Kristen says:

      My grandma – age 89 today! – has those exact dolphin/fish towel rings in her bathroom! ?

    8. TappanTrailerTami says:

      OMG Pam….another Magic Queen faucet in your carousel! I would really like to know what “Magic” something the owner is smoking to think they will get $495 for it in less than minty condition, and especially when they admit they got it free in a barn.

      I heard back from Mark at Midway Antique Mall – that Magic Queen is his own personal faucet and he is not interested in selling it right now :-(

    9. v jones says:

      I noticed that the dates listed on the past several days are not right. I thought you might want to know.

    10. RetroSandie says:

      I have that same little cast iron Electrolux refrigerator bank from the 30′s that’s in Hannah’s Treasury List! It belonged to my dad when he was young. It still has the original bottom piece on it too! It has coins in it that I’ve never taken out – so who knows what’s in there!!! LOL!

      • hannah says:

        That, is SO cool Sandie!!!

        • RetroSandie says:

          Update-I did empty the little fridge of its coins to find a stash of old coins from US and lots of foreign ones from all over with old dates. I was going to have them checked out for fun. I gave my son the little fridge because he likes to have old things from his Grampa! So, he’s taking it back to LA Calif with him next week!!!!

    11. Scott says:

      The NOS shoes (Etsy listing from Aug 7) aren’t a salesman’s sample; they’re cake toppers. I remember my Mom buying the exact same pair from a cake decorating store to use on a cake she baked for my Dad on Fathers’ Day sometime in the early 1980′s. If my memory serves me, a white plastic shirt collar and a green-striped plastic necktie were included with the shoes.

      • hannah says:

        Is THAT what they are? Even the seller wasn’t entirely sure. I just thought the box for them made the item pretty cool. It was difficult to fill an entire treasury with appropriate salesman samples, so that’s why I included “miniatures”.

        Good to know what they were actually for! Tell the seller, they seem to always appreciate it when I can add some fact/origin to their items the few times I’ve written to share info.

    12. Those are all so cool! But the luggage is my favorite – I’m in awe that it’s not upcycled – that’s the original design??

    13. Jacque Perez says:

      Hi Pam,

      I saw your post about your vintage finds on EBay this evening so thought I would go take a look. I ended up going back through older ones and imagine my surprise when I see the exact light fixture (green and blue disc on outer ring of white wire with white globe in center) I have in my kitchen on your Aug 8th Carousel. It sold for 208 dollars. The builder also put the same fixture in my hallway and a variation of a hanging one in the dining room of my house. I was very excited to see another one and how much someone would pay for it, although I have no intention of changing my lights out.

      Jacque

    14. Carol Litten says:

      Oh – the Cosco stool! Our kids sat on one of those at the kitchen table when they outgrew the high chair. Often wished I had another.

    15. Michael says:

      I’ve just forwarded the link for that Goldworm dress to some of my female friends on whom it would be stunning!

    16. Mel says:

      I haven’t seen the top 10 vintage decorating finds
      lately. Have you stopped posting this great feature?

      Amazing Blog!
      Fellow MA Resident

    17. hannah says:

      Pam, I might have to snag me one of those aprons!!!!

    18. Chris Harris says:

      Daily eBay finds does not load on my iPad.

    19. Lou Meigs says:

      Couldn’t resist. HAD to buy the bedroom mood meter!!!

    20. Brenda says:

      I found a set of three (3) tables on craigslist. The seller is calling them ‘mid century’ tables from the 50s. The color is a light honey color and the tops of two of them are ‘glass block’. Does this sound like it is an authentic item from the 50s?

    21. Robert says:

      In the second grouping there is the Vintage Youngstown Kitchens Jet Tower Dishwasher Model.

      This made me go to the Internet see more.

      Here are some interesting videos I found.

      “Last Word in Automatic Dishwashing with reviews in it.”
      This is a 21 Minute video about the Youngstown Dishwasher with a few commentaries in print below it. The video looks like a training video for the salesman.
      http://archive.org/details/LastWordInAu

      This is a video of a guy who got a 1949 GE Sink Dishwasher that has never been used and he tests it and runs it through all the cycles. Kind of fun if you’re interested in seeing an old dishwasher run.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArS0ew_p5YE&playnext=1&list=PL135F815FF6B6FC31

      This video is the same as above but with a used James Dishwasher running through the cycles.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N60m4KYPTeI

      Here is a video featuring what looks like a Retro Youngstown Kitchen someone is buying.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ7CpqelqGQ

    22. Sara D says:

      I love that stash jar. Lol. I’m tempted to get it for my straight laced mother as a cookie jar. I think she would die.

    23. Brenda says:

      No problem…! Just making sure you rec’d them. I am not confident sending photos using a tablet. lol :-)

    24. RetroSandie says:

      Oh my! I LOVE that Spirograph set! I HAD one and I loved making designs with it. If it wasn’t $40. it would be on my eBay watch list!!! It was a cool thing!!!! :D

      • Robert says:

        Do you think they are still available brand new?

        • joan says:

          Yes, I saw a spirograph for sale new at Michaels Crafts Store. Although, I’m not sure if it was being sold under that brand name. I almost bought it but though no wait for a vintage one.

          • pam kueber says:

            I want a spirograph – vintage – for my vintage collage work. On the watch this estate sale season for sure!

          • Wendy M. says:

            I bought my kids a new spirograph a couple of years ago- it pales in comparison to the one I had as a kid. The sprockets just don’t line up well with the frame (and it seems like the frame is a lot smaller than the one my sister and I shared…although that might simply be because I was smaller then! :-) If I were to do it over again, I would hold out for vintage…

    25. Cindy Friday says:

      The white sconce for $29.99 is the same as in my hallway. We like it very much, and hopefully that one will find a new happy home.

    26. Diane says:

      Many thank yous for this round of carousels. I discovered an item purchased at a thrift store months ago and would soon be added to my shop is more unique than originally thought.

      Diane
      Honey Stop The Car

      P.S. The hubster didn’t think they were worth the 2.92 price, luckily on a future trip they were still there.

    27. Brenda says:

      For those having iphone and ipad issues: if you get this app ( http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/FFL/right-plant-right-place.html ) the flash works fine. I have an android tablet and cannot open with the android browser. But when i use the puffin browser everything works fine! :-)

    28. joan says:

      Hey Pam; I am the highest bidder on the Starburst chrome towel hanger set in one of your forth batch of Ebay finds. So exciting as I want to put in my trailer bathroom.
      I also bid up to 20.00 on the poodle shower curtains but someone has bid higher and I’m not sure if they are rare. Do you know anything about these. Got to go I’m on a roll. :)
      ps happy new year
      pss I am enjoying your live show – informative and entertaining :)

      • pam kueber says:

        Thanks, Joan! The poodle shower curtains come up now and then. Not super rare – but not super common, either.

        • joan says:

          Pam;
          Thought you might be interested in knowing what those two starburst towel hangers sold for – $138.00 OMG. Way out of my budget. It was fun trying. :)
          Joan

    29. Betsy says:

      awesome….My father-in-law has 2 of the 1975 surface counter cutting boards in his kitchen.

      • joan says:

        There is a surface counter cutting board in my mobile home/camp that my Mother had installed. They are so handy. The one in the trailer is clear glass.

    30. Jennifer H says:

      Love the Hall Mack toothbrush holder. We used to have one in our bathroom growing up. My mom has since renovated the bathroom, wonder if she kept that holder. She’ll be so surprised to see how much it’s worth, someone bought the pair for $355. New to this site btw, came across it when searching for a vintage elkay sink. Now I’m hooked!

    31. Stephanie Carter says:

      Hey Pam, I hope this is the place to let folks know about a find! There are light blue cabinets at an estate sale in Charlotte, NC. They look like they are metal. (love your web site)

      http://www.estatesales.net/estate-sales/377847.aspx

    32. Alice says:

      Hi Pam, for some reason these are no longer showing up on the Android platform. Do you think there is a feature you need to enable when you create them?

    33. Diane in CO says:

      I believe this is today’s post (1/25/13) — am I losing it? Why do all the comments have past dates?

    34. Shaernurse says:

      What is your eBay websit and where can I find that mail box
      Thank you
      Matt

    35. Janice says:

      I just bought a vintage “over the mirror” light fixture off Ebay with the exact same slip shades as the sconces you show. Haven’t received it yet but am in love with it from the pictures.

    36. Robin, NV says:

      Oh my gosh, how much do I love that Hamm’s sign? No idea where I’d put it though. Maybe in the man cave?

    37. Nicole says:

      Hi, this is off topic but I have two sturdy wooden chairs with padded seat and back covered in gold glitter vinyl and decorated with nailheads all around the edges.I cant find anything similar online and would love some info about them.I absolutely love them and whats even better is that they were free!I was taking a walk with my son and they were sitting right in someones trash!My son and I scooped em right up and dragged them all the way home.I dont see a way to post a pic…

      • hannah says:

        Nicole, if you have a Facebook account, Retro Renovation is on FB – it’s very easy to show us the pictures there, and maybe we can help!!

    38. Neva Warnock says:

      It’s not mine but it just looked like a “Pam” thing, a woddity for sure: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-DANISH-MODERN-Curved-Teak-Cocktail-BAR-Erik-Buck-Poul-Heltborg-Midcentury-/200917434552?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec79cc0b8

      Too pricey but cool anyhow. :-)

      Neva

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