September Roles In

 September is here and 2020 continues to wind down; and I'm hoping that the last of this year will be a gentle one.   Sis came to visit over Labor Day weekend and we had five lovely, sunny days just lazing in the pool, having food delivered, read books, talked like teenagers at a sleepover and laughed until our stomachs hurt.  It was a perfect weekend.  Back to work on Tuesday and I have to say, I love the four day work week following a Monday holiday, but my heart was still not ready for business so four days felt like 10 days of Mondays.  

This weekend it poured both days so I ran errands and hit a few of my local haunts to find treasure.  It was a banner weekend with some nifty finds.

Hit my favorite local thrift shop and found a variety of antique and vintage pieces like this 1940s salt box.  

The wooden top is missing but it has a marvelous margarita green glaze and this is perfect for holding kitchen tools.

Always crazy for American Brilliant Cut Glass (ABCG) and I found a small plate and a nappy server.

This little sweetheart throws rainbows like crazy.

This little item is so beautifully cut and detailed and I'm now researching the maker.

Christmas is not that far away so I'm adding to my Romancing Christmas space with this lovely Woodland Santa figurine.  He has a marvelous face.

This was a unique find, a heavy and hand forged fireplace tools stand.  

I have stockings hanging from it now but it has so many uses.

This antique geometry book is copyrighted 1928.  

Another item I doing research on.  Pretty little Depression glass ice bucket but unusual in its floral details.  Trying to determine the maker and pattern.

Tall, mid century religious print.  Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane in original frame.

1900s small swung vase with gold lustre trim and hand painted daisies.

A fantastic antique primitive butchers paper roll dispenser.  This looks like a handmade item for a small butcher shop.  Original paper still on it.

Antique Dinner plate size transwer wae flowers plate.  These pretty late Victorian plates are enjoying a nice popularity in my area again.

Vintage, stretch glass low bowl in that popular caribbean blue.  I adore stretch glass, there is something so joyful with it and I crazy about the caribbean blues and the irisdencent whites.

Kenjutso Soden by Frederick J. Lovret with signed autograph by Mr. Lovret. 

Dated Mar 22, 1978 by Frederick J. Lovret.

Inside this soft bound book is a list of items that were sold by Mr. Lovret with his signature and the date 6/11/80.

From my favorite haunt I moved on to one that deals mostly in consignment furniture and quality yard sale items.  Not usually a good resource for me but everyone once in a while you find a treasure.

Well, this time I went home with two treasures.  First, this marvelous 1940s Skookum doll and papoose.  I used to find these when I lived out west and found only one in the sixteen years I lived in Atlanta.  They are often found with a lot of issues, but this one is in marvelous condition.  

Second, this fun, pull back tin toy cable car.  Has a few issues but it still works and I adore the Christmas green and reds. This will make a sweet Christmas decoration.

Had one more stop to make at my favorite place for all things rusty, crusty, chippy and primitive, Junk Co, Port Richey, Florida.  

I have a sweet spot for Early American Pressed Glass (EAPG) cake stands and this one took one look at me and practically lept into my arms. I can't wait to use it over the holidays.  Circa 1880s pattern: Lace Edge.

Sweet, mid century door stop with handle is just too cha cha for words.  Heavy cast brass with lovely details, this little kitty is a charmer.

And now, the piece that stopped in in my tracks as I walked the the door at Junk Co.   A lovely little specimen cabinet with six drawers and locks at the top.  Be still my heart.  

I've been blessed with finding a lovely spool cabinet that I purchased in 1985 on a road trip through Micanopy, Florida on my way to visit my mom in Deerfield Beach.  The little antique shop had it marked way down in price and I had to make the purchase. I still have it and love the piece and when I saw this beauty, I was just as excited.  Two of the drawer trays have slotted squares for tiny items and the remaining four are open.  I'm thinking of filling them with my bone and ivory crochet hooks. I have nearly 100 and this will be a perfect place for them all.

It was a wonderful weekend albeit a rainy one but as long as water is involved that this seawitch is happy. Stay healthy and blessings to you and those you love.  SeaWitch

Have Antiques Shops Become the New Entertainment?

 COVID has certainly changed our lives with self isolation, to soft rollouts and every day the news says wear a mask or don't wear a mask...it's confusing.   I miss the freedom of movement of when I want and where I want and I miss chatting with friends and strangers mask free, I miss the movie theater experience and I miss my knitting and spinning time with friends.  I miss, I miss, I miss and I know, dear readers, you have your own miss list.  

The only upside to all of this is the Lyon's Head antique mall, where I have my spaces, has seen a huge uptick in sales and especially, high end sales.  Since May, my monthly ticket sales have nearly doubled and this is echoed by the other dealers there as well.  What we have agreed upon is that with everything else closed, antique shops have been the new entertainment and people are visiting.  They can stroll through and relieve items from their childhood and share that experience with their children and friends.  They enjoy learning about items they have never seen before and even though the conversation is behind a mask, there is such enjoyable rep-ore for both the visitors and the dealers and we as dealers always love hearing the stories behind what people collect or reminisce about what they used or played with.

One of the few pieces of vintage clothing I could not get on this tiny dress form.  A gorgeous, slinky, bias cut gown that is so Jean Harlow inspired.  You will be a smooth kitten in this rich, electric blue velvet with with upper bodice on this bias cut gown.  Size is very small and circa 1940s.

Always love these antique books.  

Nice vintage pewter Christmas collectible plate and stand commemorating Christmas Critters, 1998.  Fort Pewter Collections  

Vintage religious items do so well for me like this Italian Madonna on a wooden stand and the chalkware Saint Barbara figurine.

That famous Anchor Hocking pine green bulbous pitcher.  Circa 1950-60s

Not old, but living in Florida, anything with a coastal design theme is poplar.  Love this Santa with sea stars, shells and seahorses.

Another decorative item that is not old but a perfect piece for the coastal living home with its neutral color and sea shells.

Nice June 26th, 1902 commemorative King Edward coronation buttermilk pitcher.  Transferware King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria.

Pair of antique invalid feeders.  Love the WW1 Red Cross. 

Finally brought in that extraordinary vintage needlepoint Aubusson rug. 

Oh so retro, mid century paisley glass tray with wooden handles.  Signed Georges Briard, circa 1960s

A marvelous vintage American Racoon jacket.  Circa 1940-50s.  Beautiful chevron sleeves and this baby is toasty warm for those cold climes.

Last but not least and the only thing I kept from this weeks treasure hunt is this stunning American Brilliant cut glass bowl. This bad boy is heavy and 5/8 inch thick with hand cut, deep spectrum throwing lines.  Now, this bowl has an issue, a surface crack the length of the bowl most likely from being dropped and that is why I was able to purchase it for $4.00.  That little issue doesn't concern me as it is such a big and beautiful bowl and it will hold a lot of M&Ms.

So here we are in August.  I still feel like we have lost most of 2020 and cannot even wrap my arms around that the year will end in less than 5 months.  So with that said, I wish you all a gentle August and a healthy one. SeaWitch

Navigating Peaks and Valleys

We are entering the 5th month of living with the COVID over our heads and the days all seem to roll into one very long month.  We are slowly reopening in North Florida with social distancing protocols in place and mask wearing.  With many of the outside activities limited we have found that at the Lyon's Head Antique Mall a resurgence of customers both new and those who visit often.  We have become the new entertainment and with that increased sales.  People long for conversation and dealers love talking about the history of the items that we sell.   This makes me happy for our dealers and others in the business.  Our neighbor, Junk Co. echoes the same experience that sales are doing well.  In fact, when the stimulus checks were received, many were used in our shops.  This is what I had done with my stimulus check.  I really wanted to put it back into the economy and use it at small, local businesses so on a June visit to "The Junk Co.," I saw a magnificent Irish cupboard without the doors on it and stopped dead in my tracks.  This was everything I needed for my kitchen and would free up the limited counter space that I had.  But what would this beauty cost me and I'm afraid I thought it would be way out of my budget range.  When I saw the price tag my heart went pitter patter and it would also allow me to use most of my stimulus check on a purchase from a small business.  

So what I came home with is a stunning, wormy pine, Irish cupboard circa 1840s.  The original owner was from Ireland and she had it shipped from Ireland to the US in the 1970s.  It was hers until she passed earlier this year.  Sadly, no one in the immediate family wanted it so it was sold to a dealer who brought it into the antique store I purchased it at.

 I can't swoon enough over this beautiful piece with lots of cupboard space.  I was able to empty my limited counter space of the antique mason jars filled with flours, grains, pastas, rices, and cereals and store them within.  I have to say that every time I open the doors I think of the kitchen in the movie, Practical Magic.  Truly, there is magic within this cupboard.

This cupboard is a rich golden color and I adore all of the wormy trails in the wood.  Now I'm going through my many antique keys to see if any will lock the drawers and the doors.

My usual haunts (those that are still open) wrought treasure these last few weeks.

A charming, late 1800s schoolhouse teachers desk bell.  Oh, it has the most delightful sound to it.

A really festive, vintage Christmas apron.

A terrific, mid century, "modernistic" gold filled wire with blue, plastic emerald cut plackets is post WW2.  

Love it when I come across musical instruments and this Bundy coronet even had the mouth piece with it.

A lovely assortment of vintage floral hankies.

Who doesn't love these vintage wedding cake toppers?

The biggest master knife rest I have ever come across. It is a massive piece and would look marvelous on a holiday table.

A terrific find, EAPG commemorative for the Shriners 1905. This also has images of Niagara falls on two sides along the cup as this is where the convention was held.  The struggle here is do I keep it or do I sell it.

It's been years since I've come across at a1920s long cigarette holder like this.  Vegetable ivory with a scrimshaw geisha at the top.

 Separates for cleaning. This is a great piece and something that Velma Kelley or Roxie Hart would use.

 Mad love for this Arts and Crafts influence, hand hammered copper candelabra.  Circa 1910-20s. This was almost a keeper but I brought it into the shop as quick as I could.  I had found one of these years ago and a colleague grabbed it up for their home.  So glad to find another one.

I have a sweet spot for linens and this crocheted piece and battenburg piece are great finds.

I've been lucky with finding nice, early carnival glass this year and this bowl is rich with iridescent lustre.

Pair of hand painted miniatures on wooden boards.  Very 1960.

 Sterling silver handles on these cake/pie servers. One is marked Kiwanis Club.

A set of six, antique, Clarice Cliff, mulberry transferware bowls.  Staffordshire, England, Pattern: Charlotte.  Circa 1900-1910.

A gorgeous, late Victorian book chain necklace with garnets and a seed pearl.  These are called book chains as each link looks like a small book. 

I've brought in most of these items into my spaces at the Lyon's Head Antique Mall and am always thankful for everyone's patronage.  

I hope everyone continues to live safely and we all get though this so we can return to lives that are free from the limitations we now live with.  Blessings to you and those you love.  SeaWitch