The reason that I do not show more of my estate sale treasures is that, generally, I must move very fast to hide everything from Mr. Retro Renovation. He is not so amused by all the Stuff filling every storage space in the house these days. Yesterday, though, he left for a few hours and I was able to linger over and photograph my stash from the late 1940s/early 50s home that I explored on Friday. So what do I buy? Ever since my collage class and in reality, before, I adore “ephemera” — which is defined as things created that were never really intended to survive. Advertising is classic ephemera. So are Betty Brite cupcake holders. There are still some parchment paper bake cups inside. 13 more items after the jump.
Here’s more kitchen ephemera. This envelope – and tons of sandwich bags – were in a box of stencil patterns. The woman of the house was using the sandwich bags to hold each stencil piece. Drats, I meant to go back yesterday, last day of the sale, and buy all the stencils — because I wanted all the wax sandwich bags. I was afraid to buy it all on Friday. I thought the estate sale pro’s would charge me too much. But, I couldn’t go back to the sale because I got all busy — in my own kitchen. Oh well.
Is anyone looking for mid-century wood (mahogany? teak? walnut?) and stainless steel cabinet pulls?
These are really quite beautiful. 3″ spreads.
I bought five panels of fabric printed with Barbie outfit pieces that you can cut out and sew. Maryann Roy: Is there a market? What do you think each panel is worth? There are two outfits per panel.
An aluminum (?) plate from some kind of machinery. In the postwar era, Pittsfield was buzzing with manufacturing.
The folks who owned the home built clocks for a hobby. I was able to nab about five of these blueprints. Two (including this one) are particularly beautiful.These are probably my favorite things of the whole day. “Craftplans.” There were a bunch of clocks for sale, too. Gosh, maybe there will be one or two repeat sale days next weekend… I would love to go back. My head is always swimming after two-or-three hours of poking. Yes, that’s how long I usually take going through a really good estate sale house. I look in every nook and cranny. Then I go back again and try to SEE the house and everything in it. What was it like to live there? How did the people live? What were they like? What happened there? I always ask permission to take photos, and leave my card.
I got two of these. Notice how the pie plate says, “10 cents deposit.” Deposit???? What the heck is that all about? Were these for pies you bought at a bakery…and then you had to return the pie plate?
Okay, all you youngsters, listen close, but be forewarned that what I have to tell you is, well, shocking: You see, back in the day, we did not have Excel. Every input to the P&L… the Balance Sheet… Accounts Receivable… Accounts Payable… and the like… had to be WRITTEN DOWN and TALLIED UP by real people. Legions and legion of people, actually. Because you see, we didn’t have personal computers AT ALL.
I like to collect books and binders like this… thinking someday, I will transform them into collage books.
$4 for this cake server — it has a pressed glass bottom and a lovely chrome cover with a pretty decorative glass knob on top. Oh, and that’s a roman coin belt in the foreground.
Aha! The one and only thing I bought that I truly “needed”: An electric knife. Our electric knife — which, I am telling you, did not last more than a few years under very light use — AND I am sure it was expensive as it was a gift — recently died. Another case in point, Bungalow Bill, about the crappy quality of stuff today. Crap to the right of us, crap to the left of us. Crap crap crap. (My first curse on the blog, I might as well go for it.) This vintage GE number cost me $7. It came in the original box – and the set is fit into this plastic holder thingy that I could hang on screws in the wall, if I so choose. I might.
Five yards of chintz, aka polished cotton. I have no idea what I will do with this. This was a colonial house – a Cape Cod. Everything inside was very early American. There were tons of beautiful pine dressers and the like – selling for a song.
Detail from the chintz — The White House.
I found a few sheets of vintage Schumacher wallpaper in the garage. Not big pieces. But so gorgeous. This is called Cabala del Lotto. Does anyone know what that means? Caballo=horse in Spanish. There is no Spanish word for “lotto” that I am aware of. So…I’m left guessing. Italian, right?
Another vintage Schumacher wallpaper. I didn’t see either of these papers on walls in the house, though.
They were sample pieces – the prices were on the back. Caballa del Lotto was $10.25 per single roll. The other paper was $7/roll.
The Cabalo del Lotto paper was designed by John H. Jacoby. I am in serious love with this wallpaper.
atomicbowler-dave says
Second on the ‘before Excel’ comment…I remember having to track warehouse inventory and generate purchase orders with a giant INDEX CARD SYSTEM!!!! And when we got them? Half of us HATED the computers! What a laugh , looking back, isn’t it?
The coffee maker surfaced it’s head in here, I see. Maybe someone can help with our great dilemma. We have not one but two vintage Farberware “Superfast” percolators. Awesome coffee, one big and one little. Both take the same size plastic doohickey in the top of the lid which is a good thing as one cracked and one is holding on by a nothing. Anyone have ideas on where to find replacement bits?
Dave
nina462 says
ok..so now I have a description of my obsession…ephemera. Yes, people …Barbie people do buy that vintage fabric. I’m a former Barbie person…(that’s another story).
I have found some vintage Ecko Eterna wood handled silverware to go with that electric knife. I’m trying to get my system to upload the pictures for you…another MIB treasure.
Love your comment on the ‘before xcel’….cause I use it everyday, and the old days were better it seems!
Genjenn says
That is the same electric knife my mother has. Like her now-vintage vaccuum and Danish flatware, it’s one of those household items that’s been around so long it feels like part of the family. Mount that sucker to the wall, Pam. I’m confident it won’t crap out on you.
Eucritta says
Goodness … I have a somewhat cheaper version of that cake plate: the design and glass plate are the same, but the cover is aluminum with a bakelite knob.
MrsErinD says
Thanks Jeanne I will check it out! :O)
Jeanne says
MrsErinD – I hear you on the coffee maker dilemma! I finally switched to a Chemex coffee maker (after reading about them here and finding one on ebay) and I love it!!
Annie B. says
What a haul you made, Pam! Way to go! By the way, if you’d like a pair of those pie plates, I have one exactly like your estate sale find. Mine came from a local consignment shop years ago and you are welcome to have it.
Our local yard/estate sales were a little on the lame side this weekend; however this morning I acquired the “world’s coolest blender” from a co-worker: a Super Chef Master Craft……..right out of Mrs. Jetson’s kitchen. I am thrilled with it just as you must be with all those fabulous finds of yours.
(Does anyone else out there have to sneak stuff like this into the house……for those reasons which I won’t mention?)
Maryann Roy says
Wow! What fantastic goodies Pam! I took a look at the vintage Barbie patterns. I don’t recognize these as the “Sew Free” sets that Mattel put out in the 60’s. However, there were other makers who put out their own patterns. There are collectors who just love this and have even had the pleasure of putting the outfits together themselves as adults!
The sailor suit looks adorable! I’d post to some doll boards.
Maryann
St. Christopher says
I myself have had to curtail my estate sale buying. I’ll drop a couple hundred every weekend if I don’t stop myself. I now have six (SIX!!) dining sets, two with china cabinets…two with buffets. I have just about filled a three car garage…oh yeah, and two complete households with estate sale, thrift store and flea mkt. goodies! My rule is I can only spend money that I make from selling something on Craigslist! I’m trying real real hard to keep to that rule!
Oh, and coffee makers? I only use a french press…works everytime!
I bet we could all collaborate and write a great “Estate Sale How To” book! There are so many people who don’t even know what an estate sale is. I only found out about them via a web page a few years ago call (I think) “low life St. Louis” or something like that.
Chris.
MrsErinD says
Great stuff!
I still use pen and paper for stuff like that and other things, I just don’t like doing it all on the computer, lists too.
That’s funny, one thing I think is made like crap crap crap IS coffee makers! We go through 1 every 5-6 months! Ridiculous!
I think most old stuff is better, of course there are exceptions, and some things need to be made safer. Whenever we get vintage electric clocks we take off the motor and replace it with a battery thingy (sometimes you have to replace the hands too) so it’s safe, besides the pain of having a cord, those old motors can overheat and are not real safe.
But usually I would rather have old things.