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collecting
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Collecting
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This month I’ve tried to investigate commonly found flea market items with a more modern approach. I think you’ll be amazed at how the styling and lack of color elevates and unifies these vintage pieces.
Fabric Doilies
The handcrafting in doilies and lace of yesteryear is remarkable. The detail and precision needed to make these works of art deserves an opportunity to be displayed. Clearly a fresh approach is necessary to do justice to these remarkable pieces. Check the Crafting section for some terrific ways to show off lace doilies. Look for boxes of them for very little money at shops and flea markets around the country.
OxiClean saves the day---for doilies that have lost their life, consider a little dip in a batch of OxiClean. Mix up a bucket with two parts warm water and one part OxiClean. Premoisten the doilies in water and then plunge into the bath. Let soak for several hours using a paint stick to agitate the water. Remove doilies from bath, rinse, and wring gently. Lay flat to dry over terry cloth bath towels. If cleaning yields a hue that is too white, over-dye with a simple tea solution.
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Ironstone
Soap Dishes
Sometimes I find similar items in the same day or same week and feel that I have never seen anything like them before. These graphic and modern-feeling soap dishes were created in the late 1800s to hold bar soap. I like the patterns and shapes and plan to use them on my desk for paper clips and push pins but you could use them as salt and pepper wells or savory butters for the table, and they clean up nicely and fully sterilized in the dishwasher.
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Art Books
Some of these pieces are regular books on different art periods or artists. Others are specific volumes from museums or traveling museum shows, and still more are auction brochures where pieces have actually been formally cataloged and auctioned off. I have done a search on eBay and found many great pieces there as well as in antique bookshops and at book shows. Whether you collect to invest or enjoy using these books to decorate shelves, coffee tables, and bedside perches, there is a wealth of options available. Some books have limited edition engraved “plates” in them that have been delicately attached to blank pages throughout. These are real gems---limited print copies of original art. Be sure to check or ask if any prints are missing as people will pull them out and frame them.
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Haeger Pottery
Identifying Haeger Pottery isn't easy, since many pieces were either not marked or were marked with paper labels which were removed. The silver lining, of course, is that once you know how to recognize Haeger pieces, you can often pick them up relatively inexpensively at yard sales and flea markets.
Haeger Pottery actually dates back to the late 1800s when German‑born David Haeger founded a brickyard in Illinois. He and his son, Edmund, soon began making earthenware pots with glazes and artistic designs. By 1912, they had unveiled "Adam and Eve" their first collection of art pottery. Two years later they began collaborating with Martin Stangl, who later acquired Fulper Pottery. The result of this collaboration was more interesting designs and glazes known for their vibrant colors and luster. Haeger later teamed up with Royal Hickman to create the Royal Haeger line known for its elegance and variety of sizes.
At this point, the pottery took on a modern, art deco look. Certain motifs, such as panthers, began to appear on lamps and other items. The Royal Haeger line is still renowned for using birds and animals. Haeger TV lamps from the 1950s are especially known for bearing these figures.
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Typewriters
I imagine the days of Superman, mysterious capers, and Gotham city when I see vintage typewriters at the flea market. You may need a hand carrying one of these early office relics, but there is nothing more intriguing or interesting than an early typewriter with its keys intact and scripted label still visible. You can still find these at yard sales, and they are very beautiful displayed on an open shelf or special side table, especially if “black” is an accent color and you are into that vintage metro look. Hint: canned air is great to use when cleaning a piece of vintage equipment like this.
On the Web, www.mytypewriter.com looks like a great site. The site contains history of new and vintage stock, supplies, even old manuals. I loved that they didn’t stop at collecting, but actually found ways to use vintage typewriters. I wasn’t surprised to see jewelry made with vintage typewriter keys on their site. They seem to “have it all.”
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Galvanized Divider
I found this divided container in my friend Anne Rowe's booth at Parker‑French antiques gallery in Northwood, NH on route 4. I knew the divisions would create the perfect backdrop for a mix of interesting collectibles. Old bottles, busts, urns, and pieces of alabaster create a shadow box of classical artifacts. They are made interesting because of their arrangement and how the eye can study them. I love the effect of the depth in each section and how each object is highlighted and artful. My two favorite pieces are the sitting Asian scholar and the chalkware rendition of a grecco‑roman statue.
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Luminous Collectibles
I am attracted to so many things, and these two pieces are just so thrilling. On the left is a champagne-colored paperweight in a pyramid shape with a number and signature etched on the bottom. I believe it to be an award or merit token for the Masonic or Bektash orders and plan to use it as an attractive paperweight. The bust of the woman is made of acrylic and simply comes alive when placed in the sunlight. I believe it’s probably an art relic from the 1960s when replicating sculpture for home offices and libraries was very popular. I enjoy the fact that it is different and luminous and always inspires conversations about its origins.
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Galvanized Objects
There is something so sophisticated about aged metal. I often dream of finding sheets of old metal out behind defunct factories and mill buildings, and I always look to add to my collection when shopping. Here I have gathered a mix of objects---boxes, liner trays, a canister, and a birdhouse. Unifying these objects in one collection creates a single color sculpture that helps one appreciate the natural patina of galvanized metal.
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