What I'm Buying Now (more Secrets of the Hunt!)

Hi Gang- it's been a while, I know. With the school year winding down things have been kind of hectic, so this post has been a long time coming. I have tried to get together most of my recent finds and post about them, just so you know I'm still here! ;)

I'm sure I don't have to tell most of you that buying vintage is a game that is constantly changing. I won't chime in with the general consensus and cry about "how hard 'vintage' is to find in a thrift store anymore." Truth is, I feel like if you really know what you're doing, you can walk into any thrift and 95% of the time, find something worth buying. That said, what we consider to be "good" merchandise needs to constantly adapt to the trends. 

I have been buying vintage clothing for over 15 years and yes, at one time it was easier to find early stuff (1950s and before) and it was cheaper. But as a reseller, my market has changed as well, and there is more of a market for 1960s-80s vintage. And the prices for the earlier stuff have gone through the roof, so even if it is more expensive to buy, it is even more profitable to sell.

I do find early vintage on occaission. In the last few months I have found at least 3 nice 1930s/1940s dresses, but only because I took the time to look through the whole store. This little black number is a perfect example. The store employees had put it in with the regular merchandise (not in the special "vintage" section- and almost all the stores I go to have these sections anymore). Since it is black, it is a classic style and difficult to date unless you can spot the cold rayon and flip the hem over and look at the construction. That beautiful taped seam was a dead give-away for an early 1940s date. I paid $6.50 for it and originally planned to resell it, but, lucky me, it fits me perfectly, so it's a keeper for now!

So, the early stuff is out there, just sometimes hidden in plain sight. But this next dress is an example of the type of things I buy now, and things that also sell well. It's an amazing 60s/70s maxi dress. Dig that amazing print! And the faux wrap style! (What I don't dig is the reek of smoke attached to it- it's now at the cleaners- someone must have partied hard in this one.) So when I set the price for this one I need to take into account what I paid, plus the drycleaning bill, which means I'm already into this for close to $20. But I think it's an amazing dress and I'm sure someone else will think so too.

Pair that with the bowling bag purse I have at the top and you'd have yourself a pretty sweet psychedelic outfit. That bag is something that a lot of people would pass up, especially because it wasn't cheap (in thrift store world) at $8. But I know I can triple my money on that or better, so long as it's in great condition (which it is, thankfully). 

And condition is key. I have a hard time passing things up that are really cool, even if the condition isn't great. But I'm finding out that if I have to put a disclaimer in the listing (like "small hole" or "discolored spot") that item won't sell unless the price is really good. So it's probably not worth my time, and I need to walk away. (But it's still so hard, and I'm not always successful- more on that in a moment!)

I liked these two prints, and any time you find things in pairs (like art or lamps), that's a good thing. They're "big eye" prints from the 1960s which have that really kawaii look. They're fairly large (about 24" tall) so may go to my booth instead of the Etsy shop. But they'd probably sell better on Etsy...

I've been buying lots of planters lately- they're so useful. This fat lava flower pot is not marked, but I'm almost certain that it is German. I love German ceramics, so this is for my personal collection. I also am a sucker for orange, so it was a no-brainer at $3.50.

And you knew I couldn't do a post without Pyrex, now could you? The two Autumn Harvest bowls (402 and 403) on the left are my first of that pattern and it's one I have always liked. They're not mint condition, but are pretty good (not DWD!) and for $7.50 for both, not a bad deal. I will put them away for now and bring them out come fall.

The Spring Blossom 402 on the right is one of those "condition is everything" mistakes. Although, it's hard for me to call it a "mistake" because it is Pyrex, and a mixing bowl which I will use... Anyway, it was cheap (like $2) but really dirty. I knew I could get the dirt off, but it has been through the dishwasher and has a big chip on the bottom which I didn't see until I got it home. Oh well, I definitely can't resell it, but I can use it. Funny how almost all of the daily use Pyrex I have is Spring Blossom, a pattern which I don't "collect" but seem to buy with regularity. Oh well, it's still better than regular glass and way more fun!

A Radioactive Red Fiestaware Find

Last weekend was our community-wide yard sale. My son (aka "Eagle Eye") and I had been looking forward to this for weeks, and it didn't disappoint. We were up and at'em by eight and many people were still just setting up their stuff. Perfect- we didn't miss anything!

At the first group of sales (in the churchyard) I bought this flamingo pink Pyrex casserole for $1. I love this size and to find one in pink was sweet!

 

I also bought these two awesome light-up religious icons. (I seem to have cornered the market lately on religious kitsch!) They're headed to the antique store booth.

 So is this Stangl ashtray:

I bought this vintage ring box from the same lady. I paid $5 for both the ashtray and ring box.

These 2 sets of salt and pepper shakers were $1 for both.

Remember my Kustom bathroom scale project? I found another one to work on this winter. It's all there and works fine, and as you can see, the price was right. I'm thinking about doing this one black and silver. 

But this was the find of the day:

This orange pitcher caught my eye. Of course, I picked it up and turned it over and noted that it said "fiesta Kitchen Kraft" on the bottom. Now, I know next to nothing about Fiestaware. I have some, but it's modern. (And truth be told, I actually like the HLC Riviera line stuff better, if I was going to collect it.) But my instincts told me it was going to be worth a lot more than the $3 price the lady had on it. I immediately walked over with money in hand (didn't even try to haggle on it) and she asked me if I wanted the 2 little pitchers as well. She was asking $3 for all three. 

The 2 little guys are not Fiesta and aren't in the greatest of condition, but are cute. But once I got home and did some research on the pitcher I knew I had a gem. It is a 2 pint covered jug, produced a few years after Fiesta was first launched, in about 1938-39. As you can see it is a bright red-orange color. This color was produced by HLC in the late 1930s using uranium oxide to develop the color. It contains a radioactive isotope and there are a couple YouTube videos out there that prove it with a Geiger counter. (More info here.) It is safe to use, and certainly won't hurt me sitting pretty on its shelf. But apparently, once the radioactivity of these pieces became known in the 70s and 80s many of them were destroyed, which makes this quite rare. I'm happy with my find, and it's a perfect color for fall. I think I'll keep it a while!