freshvintage

A Vintage Book Review, by My Ten-Year-Old Niece, Fiona

Hi! This is Colleen's sister, Erin. My 10-year-old daughter, Fiona, has recently noticed that Aunt Colleen enjoys vintage medical and how-to books...like, how to be a good wife, etiquette books, etc. I told her that Colleen thinks they are funny because the "facts" they mention are so outdated and the advice is not always in a woman's favor. So, last week when she saw my How to Manage Syphilis books laying around, ready to go to the freshvintage shop, she asked why syphilis was funny. I told her it was an outdated disease from long ago...and then quickly hid them. She laughs with me like a girlfriend, "Oh, that is funny mom." I'm just glad she didn't see the pictures inside those books. Not funny at all.

Next thing I know, she is on the hunt for "funny" books. This is what my little picker brought home from the school library - and actually suggested she renew it and bring to the shop to sell... I don't think the librarian would like that. Needless to say, she is BEYOND thrilled that Aunt Colleen asked her to blog about her find.

Hey, Readers! I'm Fiona, Colleen's niece and I have a surprise for you! I love my Aunt Colleen, and when I see pictures of her in high school, I say to myself, "Golly, I wonder how she got THIS cool!". I found the answer to my question, right in my elementary school library. The Makeover - A Teen's Guide To Looking and Feeling Beautiful. 

This "no-nonsense" book is filled with vintage tips and pointers on everything from vintage diet to vintage exercise!

Yes, Aunt Colleen must have read this book in high school: [Fiona asked me to insert a high-haired teenage photo here - Colleen.]

Aunt Colleen learned how to "sit and stoop beautifully" with these 3 steps and handy illustrations on proper posture for a young lady. Strap on your leotard and let's get started, girls! Guaranteed to make the boys say, "Look, who's that coming down the street?" (Also, that's the name of Chapter 7: "Look Who's Coming Down the Street".)

I always admired how Aunt Colleen takes on and off her coat or jacket... and there on page 153, I found the answer! It's all in the lapels, ladies!

Finally, Page 51, Getting to Know your Birthday Suit. This is where we learn that the skin is the largest organ of our body and how to "enhance your natural beauty with cosmetics". Aunt Colleen's book must really work, not only did it turn Colleen into a beautiful antiquer, but it turned this young boy into a beautiful swan.

Thanks, Aunt Colleen, for teaching me to hunt for vintage comedy books in the library!

Thank you, Fiona! I was always putting my coat on wrong until I read this book. I kept putting my feet through the arm holes.

I'm so glad you are perpetuating the silliness bestowed upon you when your parents named you Fiona Colleen!  

Love, 
Aunt Colleen

PS: If a book was published ten years after I was born, I'd prefer not to call it "vintage". When you are 40 years old and have your own vintage blog, you'll know what I'm talking about.

PS, Part II: You can read more about Fiona's dad's family history here. It's kind of bizarre.

Instagram & Our Shop's First Anniversary Celebration

I'm finally on Instagram! Are you? Yeah, I know I'm a little behind on this trend. I've always had a Blackberry (for my "real" job), but recently switched over to an iPhone. I mostly got it so that I could buy this cute iPhone cover.

If you follow my Instagram feed (which you can do without a smart phone, right on your computer), then you may have seen some of these photos. I also posted some on my Facebook page. I'm trying to figure out which photos are best for which platform - so I've been overlapping. I'm also trying to maneuver the filters - I think some of them are too over the top and they distort the photos too much. I don't need to make all of my photos look like 1975. We have enough square photos of me and my sisters in plaid bellbottoms, sitting in the way back of our wood-paneled station wagon.

Anyway, here are a few pics that I've been posting lately.

Asian-style frosted glasses set in pastel colors...

My mini cornucopia vases that I bought from Susan at T-Party Antiques on Etsy...
(And check out her adorable new booth at SoNo Marketplace in Connecticut.)

Chris' auction booty...

A rainbow smoothie in my new Vitamix...(Don't worry - I'm not turning into a "healthy living" blogger. I drink too much wine to pull that off.)

 And vintage trucks "picked" by my brother-in-law, Guy...

I would love to follow YOU on Instagram. Leave your username below and I will follow along. Any tips you have to offer are welcome, too.

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Can you believe that we've had our shop for one year already!? We're celebrating on March 9th with extra-special cookies, super deals and local wine from the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. 

RSVP on Facebook if you are planning to come. There are lots of other cute antique shops within 15 minutes of ours. We'll point you in the right direction when you get here.  Sadly, there's nothing to pick at the orchard, but the apple cider donuts are always hot and fresh!

Two Old Bats, Pancakes & Sanitary Belts

Here's some vintage stuff that Chris found while we've been MIA. To make up for my absence, I'll be rewarding you with excerpts from vintage sex books at the end of this post.

 

We usually don't find home movie cameras that are this big. It's a Keystone Model A-7 from the 1930s. The bicycle license plates are from Wheaties cereal boxes in the 1950s. And the Encyclopedia box was "picked" for us by a neighbor who likes to go to auctions. He also got us the Merck Ether box.

Twin Baby Brownie cameras:

I did some research on this leather pilot's helmet...

And found that it was once worn by the Red Baron:

OK, maybe not.

With "Two Old Bats" in the title, I bet you thought I was going to write about Downton Abbey Season 3, didn't you? No, sorry. These two old bats were both made in Philadelphia. The top one was a promotional item from a boys' clothing store called Goldstein's in South Philly - which is still in business. The bottom is a "Boys Burley" bat that was made in the 1910s by A.J. Reach.

Anyone know a Eddie Snyder, a badass boxer for Shanahan Country Club in Philadelphia? 

If you follow me on Facebook, then you may have seen this image that has been violently burned into your brain:

My husband, Chris, bought a bunch of books at an auction, one of which was about Obstetrics. I questioned why this woman had a sheet over her head. Thanks to all of the way-smarter-than-me people on Facebook, I learned that the sheet was to protect her privacy. Makes sense, but there were many other photos of women throughout that book whose faces weren't covered, and who I can now easily identify in a police line-up. If needed.

Anyway, Chris brought home this book last week: Manual of Operative Surgery, written for the Army Medical Department.

The photos & illustrations in it are really gross. Well, hopefully not gross to doctors or nurses or soldiers. 

I spotted this photo in a chapter about lung surgery. I blocked out on her breasts, in case you are offended by pancake-sized areolas. But, again, I feel much more shame about the towel on her head. Couldn't they just crop her head out of the photo? (And, yes, that black line is where they are going to cut her open. Good luck with that, lady.)

In another wacky and wonderful book, titled Sane Sex Life & Sane Sex Living, I discovered the reason that women gain weight after getting married.

 

But before we get to that enlightening revelation, I'd like to point out the publisher of this book: Eugenics Publishing Company. You know about Eugenics, right? That's the thing where WASPy white people (I know - that's redundant) wanted to make sure that only the "best" people bred with each other to ensure a "perfect" line of humans. None of those pesky homosexuals, mentally challenged, Italians, Greeks, Jews, epileptics, and all the rest.

So, this book was written to make sure that sane white people kept reproducing to populate the world with more sane white people.

Insane, isn't it?

What's more insane is that the book says that women get fat after their wedding because of their husband's semen. Also, you should have a sanitary napkin handy after sex.

She should arrange the towel between her thighs, exactly as she would a sanitary napkin, making no attempt to remove the surplus semen at that time, and turn over and go to sleep immediately.

[...]The [bodily] organs themselves will absorb quantities of semen...and it is most healthful and beneficial to them, and to the woman, to have them do so. It is for this cause that many women increase in flesh, and even grow fat after they are married and so can avail themselves of this healthful food. 

[...] So, after the act of coition is over, let the woman slip a "bandage" into place as soon as possible, and go to sleep. If she sleeps long, so much the better, so much more will she be benefited by the presence of the semen and its absorption. 

Guess what? The whole book is online, so you can read it yourself. 

So, go get your garter. No, not the sexy black one - the one that your mom wore when Aunt Flo is visiting.

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Hey, Philly-area locals: come see us at Clover Winter Market in Philly on January 27th!

What a segue, right?!

Buy half-price tickets online now: two for $5
Or, snag a VIP ticket while they last! Early admission, a swag bag and a boozey coffee drink!

There will be food trucks. That's reason enough. Find more info here: Clover Market.

 

Christmas at Longwood Gardens

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA with a group of local bloggers to learn about their Star Blogger program. They plied us with peppermint-chocolate cupcakes and star-tinis (martinis made with star fruit) and told us about all the star-themed holiday festivities at Longwood. They could have given me star-shaped pinecones to eat, and I still would have been happy to be there.

photo credit: alifeinbalance.net

Chris and I had a family membership for several years, so I was already very familar with Longwood Gardens. Pierre S. Du Pont bought the former farmland in 1906 because he didn't want all of the trees to be cut down and turned into horse carriages or golf clubs or whatever people used wood for back then. Pierre preserved the land and turned it into a magical place with a huge conservatory, open air theater, Italian fountains and every plant and flower you can imagine. Over one thousand acres of indoor and outdoor gardens.

During Christmas in the 1940s, Pierre and his wife Alice would host grand celebrations for all of the Longwood employees and their families. They would give gifts to each of the many children in attendance. 

In 1957, Longwood Gardens opened their Christmas celebration to the public and all hell broke loose. People would travel from all over the country to see the spectacular spectacle that is Christmas at Longwood Gardens. I visited on a Saturday night a few years ago, and it seemed that everyone from the state of Pennsylvania had the same idea.

photo credit: longwood gardens

But when I visited Longwood last week, on a Thursday night, it was a completely different experience  - and not because I drank too many star-tinis. The crowds were slim. I didn't see any moms battling for room on the walkways with their strollers. It was actually peaceful, and I was able to enjoy all of the Christmas displays. Like the 1,600 handcrafted star-shaped ornaments. And the Christmas trees decorated by the students of local elementary schools. And the 500,000 twinkling outdoor lights - including the illuminated full-size trees that were floating in the lake. I still haven't figured out how they did that.

My favorite part was the table-for-48 that was set for a Christmas celebration, similar to the Du Ponts of old. I bet the person who folded all those napkins is riddled with carpel-tunnel syndrome.

photo credit: colleen allison

I'm planning to bring my kids and Chris back to Longwood next week, on one of the off-peak nights  - preferably Tuesday through Thursday. They love the indoor Children's Garden and the Garden Railway. And I've always had a special place in my heart for the employees at the Children's Garden who have secret stashes of towels for the rowdy kids who stick their heads in the children's fountains. Other people's kids. Not mine.

Longwood is a lovely place to visit any time of year, but visiting in December really gets you into the holiday spirit. And take my advice - avoid the weekends, if possible! Leave work early or do whatever you have to do to get there during the week. I promise - your experience will be so much better. It's cheaper during the week, so there's that, too. Off-peak days are Monday-Friday, except for December 26-31. There are a few Mondays that are members-only days - December 10th & 17th. If you aren't a member, you will need to buy timed tickets online. It's an easy process, but you should plan ahead to make sure there are tickets available for the day you want to visit. 

 

photo credit: longwood gardens

 

Before your visit to Longwood, you should also consider a stroll through downtown Kennett Square, the quintessential American main street (and, lucky for me, only five minutes from my home). Great restaurants, vintage shops (Scout & Annie and Green-Eyed Lady) and, always a freshvintage favorite, a wine-tasting room! It's also the home of world-famous Talula's Table - a gourmet food market that closes its doors at 7pm and becomes a one-table restaurant. Every foodie's dream.

If you are planning a trip to Longwood, and you need any other advice about area restaurants, antique shops, etc., feel free to email me with questions. Longwood Christmas runs until January 6, 2013.

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In exchange for being a Longwood Gardens Star Blogger (and telling you about a place that I was already in love with), I received compensation from Longwood Gardens. My opinions are my own, as usual.

And, if you visit this Christmas, tell them that Colleen from freshvintage sent you, and they will give me free mums for life. Just kidding - don't do that.

Highland Orchards Fall Festivals & Vintage-Inspired Goodies

I thought I'd give you a fall-filled peek at the orchard where our shop is located, along with a few new items that we have started carrying.

Highland Orchards was just featured by Philadelphia Magazine as one the area's top apple orchards (and there are a surprising number of orchards around here). During the week, you can drive your car into the fields to pick your own apples and pumpkins. But on the weekends, they provide a shuttle to the fields.

Who on earth wouldn't want to take this shuttle to pick apples and pumpkins?! It is the cutest thing ever!

Even the hand-painted sign where you wait for the shuttle is adorable:

One of the friendly goats at Highland Orchards. (But I still would never stick my hand in there, no matter how friendly. You never know when a goat is cranky from eating a bad piece of corn.)

On every October weekend, Highland has Fall Apple Harvest Festivals. There's face-painting, hayrides, scarecrow-building, a hay maze and lots of other fun activities for the kids (including a playground that's open all year long). 

You'll find Tiny's BBQ set up in the field, too. Hands down, the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had. 

Meanwhile, in our shop, we've been mighty busy teaching kids how typewriters work...

...while their parents show them how long it took to dial a number on a rotary phone.

Yes, we are educating children about the inconveniences of vintage machinery. And how thankful they should be that they don't know about white-out.

We've been branching out beyond selling purely vintage items, and have a few vintage-inspired products for customers who may not necessarily love old stuff.

 The kiddies love the $4 coin purses:

And the adults love the Lavatory Mists, guaranteed to eliminate soiled air. Abe Lincoln's Log is our best-seller so far. 

This pencil case with vintage cameras is one of my favorites:

Along with this shopping bag with vintage bikes. I want that one with the basket!

We also have several new wooden signs, all created and screen-printed in the USA. Most of them can be personalized, too. I hung them in my kitchen to take pictures of them. And now I want to keep them all.

These signs are all three feet long, and printed on wood slats. 

I chose "Brandywine" on this sign since we are a few miles away from the Brandywine River.

This one can be customized in the open area at the top:

This sign comes as is. I love its simplicity.

Pennsylvania can be replaced by anything you want. Our Facebook fans gave a lot of ideas for their favorite vacation spots. "The nude" was my favorite replacement for "Pennsylvania".

Shoot me an email if you are interested in any of the signs (colleen@freshvintagestyle.com). 

So, do you have a favorite orchard in your area where you can pick apples & pumpkins? 

Good News & Bad News about Facebook Interest Lists

This is a public service annoucements for Facebook users. If you don't use Facebook to follow the latest news on your favorite businesses, blogs and people, then you can skip this post. I promise that my next post will have tons of vintage awesomeness in it.

UPDATE [November 16, 2012]: The squeaky wheel gets the grease! Enough people complained to Facebook, that they added a new option for Pages called Get Notifications. Hover over the Liked button on your favorite pages (and people) and check off Get Notifications. Now, whenever that page posts an update, you'll get the little red notification number on the globe across the top of your page. Also make sure that "Show in News Feed" is checked.

So, hopefully, you won't even need Interest Lists (although they might be handy for organizing & categorizing lots of pages). But I'll leave my post intact below, in case Facebook decides to change their mind again...

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By now, you've probably seen a zillion posts about how Facebook has royally screwed the owners of business pages (including freshvintage), and our posts aren't appearing in your News Feeds. Your friends are telling you something along these lines:

To keep seeing us in your news feed, you have to hover the mouse on the "Like" button near our name. In the drop-down menu select "Add to Interest  Lists". Then, create an interest list. When you select that interest list you will see ALL of our posts and you won't miss anything!

You may have already done that for a few Pages here and there. But did you know that you can save time and add a BUNCH of your PAGES at one time?! 

I will show you how to do it. I'll also break some bad news about Interest Lists, straight from Facebook's own Help pages. Interest Lists may not be the miracle cure that everyone is claiming them to be. More on that later.

The Good News First...

Here's how to add a bunch of pages to your Interest List at one time:

First, go to your personal profile (go to www.facebook.com and click your name in the left corner).

Then, go to the bottom of the left column, and you'll see the Interest List you created. (If there isn't one there yet, then follow the directions above to add a new Interest List. Start with freshvintage!) 

I created a list called freshvintage faves. I made my list public, so anyone can read the feeds from the Pages on my Interest List. 

 

Click on your list, and you'll see the News Feed for everything in that list.

See the Manage List link in the upper right corner? Click it, and choose Edit List:

You can now see all the Pages that are already in your list. 

Here's the good part. Select "Pages" from the drop-down list in the upper left corner:

Here are ALL of the pages that you Like. Click on the ones that you want to add to your Interest List. My freshvintage faves list is mostly related to vintage, antiques, small businesses, crafts and other stuff I like. It doesn't include every single page that I "like".

Of course, you can also add friends to your list, and create separate Interest List for other topics.

Unfortunately, there is no "Select All" button. Which stinks, especially if you are like me, and "like" hundred of pages. But this method is easier than visiting individual Pages and adding them to your list one at a time. 

The Bad News:

I think it is also worth noting that simply adding Pages to your Interest List will NOT necessarily include all of their posts in your News Feed. Here is a quote from Facebook's own Help page about Interest Lists:

When you create or subscribe to a list, you'll see the best posts from that list in your main news feed. Your lists will also appear in the Interests section of your bookmarks. Simply click the list's name to see all the recent posts and activity from the Pages and people featured in the list, without overwhelming your main news feed.

What does "best posts from the list" mean? It certainly doesn't mean "all posts"! So, creating Interest Lists does not guarantee that you will see all posts in your News Feed! But if you click on the Interest List from your profile page, you will see all of the posts from your Interest List.

UPDATE: Once you create an Interest List, you will start to see an update in your main News Feed that lets you know how many new posts there are in your list. The actual posts from the list aren't there - you have to click on your list to read them all. Also, I don't know how often Facebook adds this type of update to your News Feed, so you are better off just clicking on the Interest List whenever you want to read all of the new posts.

Bottom Line:

Interest Lists are a step closer to improving the quality of your News Feed by including more updates from your favorite Pages. But, they will not include everything from those Pages. You still have to click on the actual Interest List to see all of the updates from your favorite pages.

So, when you are sitting around on a Friday night, drinking Chardonnay, make sure to click on your Interest List so you can catch-up on ALL of your favorite pages!

Of course, don't forget to add freshvintage to your list. And, if you are on your third glass of wine, visit my freshvintage faves Interest List - you may discover a few new favorites of your own!

Antique Factory Cart Makeover

I've been begging customers to send photos of freshvintage purchases in their homes. I get a little sad when we sell something and it - poof! - disappears, never to be seen again. Well, one of our customers finally listened to my plea!

Chris bought this old Nutting Company factory cart last month from an Amish gentleman who used it in his barn. We chose not to restore the cart - we prefer to let customers decide what to do. (HAHAHA. That's funny. You know by now that we are just lazy).

We lugged the cart to Clover Market in September, where a customer named Marc bought it. He wanted to use it as a coffee table, but planned to make a few improvements.

 Here's the cart in its new home!

Pretty cool, huh? I've seen them used as coffee tables, but it never seemed practical to me - unless your sofa was six inches off the ground. Marc added legs to give it height, but still kept that rustic, industrial feel of the original cart.

I asked Marc to give us a run-down on his improvements:

"I removed the metal brackets that held the handle and flipped them all over – this way the pipe would not slide through. I purchased new black pipe, 14 inches long, and threaded on one side. I added the couplers on the bottom to give it a little beef to the bottom also to use as a leveler. 

I then lightly sanded the entire piece with a 120 grit sandpaper, cleaned it well, and shellacked the entire piece – including the metal to give it that shine. No welding on this piece as I was able to do with just old bolts I had laying around!"

Here's another shot: (I love that rug, too.)

Thanks for sharing, Marc!

Seven Tricks to Convince Your Kids that Antiques are Awesome

Since opening the brick and mortar freshvintage shop in March, our family life has changed quite a bit. Chris works at the shop when it is open (Thursday through Sunday) and typically spends Monday through Wednesday hunting for new inventory. I work full time at a software company during the week, and spend at least one day a weekend at yard sales, flea markets or estate sales.

Our shop is doing better than we expected, which means that we need to keep buying. Sometimes, our two kids have to spend a few hours at the shop with Chris on the weekends while I shop for fresh inventory. And occasionally, we drag them to flea markets. Which is akin to taking them along with me to the gynecologist. No one ends up having fun.

Hence, the coolness factor of having parents who own a shop has been gradually wearing off for the kids. We want to pump it back up, so that the antiques business doesn't become something that they dread. These are some of the tricks we are using to keep them interested. Most involve some type of small bribe - but all good parents know that bribes are sometimes our only hope for sanity.

1. Give them seed money

When we go to flea markets, we give each of the kids five dollars to find an item or two to sell in the shop. In the beginning, we would steer them towards certain items that we knew were cheap, but would still get them a small return when sold. After a few visits to the flea market, they quickly learned what sells in the shop, and they keep their eyes peeled for the moneymakers.

Maeve found a cute plaid tin picnic basket for $3 and a metal floral frog for $2. And both kids FREAKED OUT when they found a pile of vintage tennis rackets for a dollar each. They've since sold for $10-$12 a piece.

During the summer, we stopped at a flea market on the way to a camping trip. Maeve bought this Czech strawberry creamer for $5. We're selling it in the shop for $12, so she'll get to keep that profit. Although, it took a lot of explaining for her to realize that she'll only get $7 and not the whole $12. 

 

Finn found three 1930's issues of Popular Science for $5. We already sold them in the shop for $4 each. 

My next goal is to convince them to reinvest their profits in new inventory. But they'd rather spend it on apps for their iPods. I guess I can't blame them.

2. Pay them to do your dirty work

When I found over a thousand flashcards at a yard sale, I knew that I needed to sort them to get an idea of what I had. And I had to figure out the best way to sell them. So, I paid the kids a few bucks for each stack of 50-ish cards that they sorted in alphabetical order. Everyone was happy, and it ended up being relatively fun for all of us. Well, maybe not that fun.

 

 

3. Let them play 

We try not to be overly stressed out about letting them run around the store and play with our (mostly not breakable) inventory. It keeps them occupied, and out of our hair for short spurts of time.

You can usually find them sitting at the kiddie table, playing Button Checkers.

   

Or, they are running around the store with cheerleading megaphones over their heads, bumping into things. Or modeling aprons and playing "Vanna White"...

 

4. Teach them how to research the value of items

My ten-year-old, Finn, has known for a while that I've sold Legos on eBay. In more recent years, I've been giving him the sets that I find at yard sales instead of selling them. He has amassed quite a collection, and plays with them almost every day.

But he's no dummy - he knows that some of his minifigs (Lego people) are worth more than others. I taught him how to search for Completed Auctions on eBay (under my supervision).  He spent a whole weekend figuring out which minifigs sell the best. We decided to get a group of 30-40 of them together, and put the whole lot up for auction.

I took pictures, and he wrote out each of their names, and which sets they were from. 

 

We sold the lot for $82! He's obviously itching to try it again. And, as a side benefit, he's being a little more respectful of his toys, since he thinks they will make him rich eventually.

5. Play guessing games

I love to show my kids a strange old tool or utensil and let them guess what it is. Like this one:

Do you know what it is?  (Here's the answer.)

And this?

If you follow me on facebook (or have severe nasal congestion), you already know. Finn though it was a tiny urinal, since he had seen these before:

6. Encourage them to start a collection

This is a work in progress for our kids. Finn used to collect Pez dispensers, but he says he is too old for that now. (Try telling that to the grown men going nuts over them at flea markets.) Maeve doesn't have any real collections.

I want them to enjoy looking for specific items when we go to a flea market. And find a category of vintage finds that speaks to them. Unfortunately, because of my "Give them seed money" trick, the only things that are speaking to them are the ones saying, "Sell me in the shop and make money! Don't put me on a shelf in your bedroom. That's dumb!"

And, so, I am still working on perfecting this trick.

7. Trick them into helping

I gave Chris the day off one Sunday, and brought the kids into the shop with me. By the end of the day, the kids were bored out of their minds (even after way-too-many apple cider donuts from the farmers market next door and hours of playing on the playground and petting the goats).

When I let them know that we were 20 minutes from closing the shop for the day, they frantically started dragging our outdoor stuff back into the store. They're smart enough to know that the quicker they get the stuff inside, the quicker we can leave. I didn't have to lift a finger, and we were able to close the shop on time.

I had to grab my camera because I had never seen such a spectacle.

I've also tricked Maeve into thinking it's fun to stamp hundreds of tags at a time.

She does it free of charge, so I don't strive for perfection.

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So, do you have kids that you are trying to assimilate into your antiquing world? I would be happy to hear any advice that you can share!

Tool Safety Charts for Pregnant Dummies

As promised, here are a few more finds from our trip to Madison Bouckville...

These were our biggest purchases. And I just about died when I saw them. Three mid-century anatomical wall charts that were in a college lecture hall: the brain, the heart and eye/ear.

This "55 or Bust" basketball game is dated 1924. Chris and I both played basketball in high school, so we love anything vintage basketball. He thought I overpaid for it ($30), but I did a little research when we got home, and saw that the same game sold for $120 on an online auction (not eBay). We won't price it that high, though. Because we like to actually sell stuff.

We bought this blue beadboard wall cupboard and the wooden roller skate case in NY. Chris already sold the case to a member of a local roller derby team. So cool! The Havertown Beverage crate and seltzer bottles were PA purchases.

Have you ever seen a Scamp? It's a brand of fiberglass travel trailers. This is a nameplate that was pulled from one. They date as early as 1971, and are still being made today.

I also found Keith's Theatre Dress Circle tag - I think that was handed out when you checked your coat. Keith's opened in 1901 in Philadelphia, and was renamed the Randolph Theater in 1949, so I'm guessing that this is from the thirties or forties.

And then there's the 1949 Girl Scout catalog. So many cute things! I love these colorful handkerchiefs and headbands (although the ginger girl scout looks likes she crazy-glued her eyelids open):

Look at this hot babe in a Girl Scout bathing suit. Not conducive to fetching firewood, I reckon.

Here's the real reason I bought this catalog: the beat-up camera ad on the back cover. I found the same Kodak Girl Scout Jem Jr. camera on eBay - it sold for $76. I guess I'm not getting one anytime soon.

More safety charts!

"Pack a wallop?"  It's called ELECTROCUTION.

I find it hard to believe that this guy really broke a limb...that ladder is not very tall. 

He looks like he's trying to break the wood with his eyebrows. I think he did this on purpose. He likes it.

This one brings back a terrible, horrible memory of my own eye injury...

No, I wasn't operating a grinder while wearing a necktie. I was installing Pottery Barn shelves while 41 weeks pregnant.

Twas the night before my scheduled c-section with Maeve back in 2004. (Just for context - Finn was born 17 days after his due date via c-section, weighing in at 10 lbs 7oz. I didn't want to go that late with Maeve and risk giving birth to another toddler, so we scheduled a c-section seven days after her due date with the high hopes that she would be born earlier).

Maeve's nursery was pretty much complete. But at the last minute, I decided to hang a pair of Pottery Barn wall shelves that I had just bought at a floor sample sale. I HAD TO GET IT DONE. It was 7pm on the evening before my 7am appointment to give birth. I busted out my electric drill and got to work.  

The walls had ugly paneling that we had painted lime green several weeks earlier. As I drilled into the paneling to create a hole for the screw, tiny daggers of pressed wood shot into my eye. I didn't have safety googles on because I was filled with pregnancy hormones that made me do really dumb things. (Please note: As soon as Maeve was born, I became a genius again.)

We had our neighbor watch 20-month-old Finn while Chris drove me to the very same hospital where I was set to give birth in 12 hours. I waited in the Emergency Room for an hour, bawling like a baby the whole time. It really, really hurt. Like, really a whole lot. I don't know any other way to describe the pain, other than it's like when someone pokes a stick in your eye, but that's not a very good analogy.

Here's where my vintage anatomical chart comes in handy:

Keep in mind that I was ENORMOUS. No one in the ER knew that I was there for an eye injury - they assumed that I was about to give birth, crying from painful contractions. Some of the patients were concerned that they were going to have to help me give birth, right there in the waiting room. I think I saw a few of them nervously gathering towels and bowls of hot water.

When I finally saw the doctor, I made him promise that whatever drops he was going to put in my eye would not prevent me from giving birth the next morning. I didn't want to fall into the Finn trap, where the doctor keeps saying, "Oh - you're fine. Let's wait a few more days", and then I give birth to a baby hippo.

After he assured me that my plans wouldn't have to change, the doctor dropped some type of liquid crack into my eyeball and the pain stopped immediately. I asked him if I could take it home, and maybe drink it or sell it on the streets for extra diaper money. But he said no - it was too dangerous. He said that people actually try to steal it from the ER. I still wonder what that magic drug was called. (I was dumb back then, so I can't remember the name).

I went home and took this stunning photo of myself.

I woke up the next morning, feeling good enough to welcome a baby into the world without the need of an eye patch.

 

The moral of the story is to never poke holes in crappy paneling without eye goggles on the eve of giving birth. I hope that by sharing my story, I've helped at least one person out there...

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Don't forget, Philly folks! We'll be selling at Clover Market on Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Visit the website for the complete list of vendors...it's a looong list! Also, if there is something you've seen on my blog or Facebook page that you want me to bring to Clover, please send me an email or facebook message. 

Madison Bouckville Antique Week Recap & Tips for Newbies

Photo from Madison-Bouckville.com

A few weeks ago, Chris and I made our maiden voyage to Madison Bouckville Antique Week. We went during the first half of the week and I was a little concerned that we were going to miss the biggest show, which started on Thursday. But most people we talked to said that the best deals were found earlier in the week. I'd like to think that they were right.

In order to help other newbies, I pulled together five Madison Bouckville shopping tips that we learned after making a few rookie mistakes:

1. Ignore the official start dates of each field

We arrived on Sunday afternoon and drove straight to the fields so that we could get a better idea of how we were going to tackle them on Monday morning. We didn't realize that you were allowed to shop while people were setting up - so we ended up buying a few things on Sunday. After talking to a few people, we learned that some dealers had been setup since Friday and were selling like crazy over the weekend. 

2. Dealers don't like to wake up early

Chris and I arrived at the fields at 6am, which is a late start in Pennsylvania. It looked like the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse - NO ONE was around, except for a few weirdos who had just recently crawled out of their vans. Things didn't start jumping until 9am.

3. Re-visit fields that you saw the previous day

After we felt like we had seen everything, we went back and to the fields we already shopped and found lots of new dealers that had just arrived.

4. Look no further if you need vintage camp & cabin goods

Adirondack pack baskets, snow shoes, skis and fishing gear were everywhere. We don't have an abundance of those items in my area (or they are super expensive). But you really had to shop around - we saw cool old snow shoes for $40 on the first day, and didn't buy them. We realized by the following day that $40 was really cheap - most of the snow shoes we saw were in the $65-125 range. We did find a couple of old pack baskets for a relatively low price.

5. If you can't book a hotel nearby, stay at one of the casinos

Our trip was planned too late to find a room really close to the flea markets, so we extended our search a bit north. We ended up staying at the Turning Stone Casino, and loved it. They have four different properties: The Inn, Hotel, Tower and Lodge, each with varying price ranges. We stayed at the Hotel. You also get ten dollars in free slot dollars, if you're into that sort of thing, which we are. 

The 25-minute drive from the casino to Bouckville was so pretty that we actually took pictures from the car. We ended up deleting them because they were terrible, but we just didn't want to forget those green rolling hills and old barns.

Vernon Downs Casino & Hotel is just a few minutes past Turning Stone - we heard good things about that hotel, too.

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So, was the five hour trip worth it? Definitely, yes. We bought lots of good stuff that we wouldn't have been able to easily find around here. I would say that the prices were comparable to Adamstown, PA flea markets: some dealers are super expensive, but most are reasonable enough for resale. Everyone was open to a little negotiating, too.

We had a great time hanging out with Gina & Paul from Vintage Junk in my Trunk (here's one of her many recaps of their trip). I'm still trying to remember what I ate for dinner, since I had too many glasses of chardonnay. We arrived a little late to meet them at Ye Olde Landmark Tavern, because Chris and I had just finished taking everything out of our van to squeeze in a vintage 60-drawer card catalog.

Chris promptly put it on Craigslist when we returned, and it sold within two days.

If you follow me on Facebook, you also saw the Fanny Farmer Candies sign. Chris doesn't look very excited in that photo - he was just annoyed that I took ten photos of him holding this heavy sign with the hot sun beating down on him. It didn't help that he had never heard of Fanny Farmer, and didn't believe me when I said that people on the East Coast would recognize the name.

The dealer who sold us the card catalog saw the sign in the back of our van. Her first job was as a line worker at the Fanny Farmer candy factory in Rochester, NY. She said that her job was just like the I Love Lucy episode - she and her co-workers spent most of their time eating candy and trying to catch up with the conveyor belt. It was such a sweet, sentimental story from a lovely lady. Until I caught her trying to steal the sign from the back of the van and I had to punch her square in the fanny.

Okay - that part's not true. But I think her candy factory story was true.

Anyway, I'm writing up another post with more photos of our finds, but here's a little taste...

A vintage fencing mask, pack basket #2, anatomical wall chart of the heart, metal "S", racetrack sign, old new stock of girly barrettes, antlers mounted on lime green velvet (a hipster just died and went to heaven), and a white beadboard cupboard on casters.

And here's one of the nine Stanley Safety Charts that I acquired (more to come):

Guns don't kill people. Screwdrivers kill people.

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For those of you in the Philadelphia area, freshvintage will be selling at two fabulous sales in September (in addition to our regular store hours). Come see me!

Brandywine View Antiques Fall Fest
9am to 4pm on Saturday, September 8, 2012 
Our vintage camper will be making an appearance!
(Maeve recently named it "DJ Lemon Lime" for its yellow & green paint)

Clover Market
10am to 5pm on Sunday, September 16, 2012
Follow the Clover Facebook page for features on all of the new vendors