Where You'd Least Expect It

A good sign that Vintage is near!

Being that I'm an Estate Liquidator I get calls all the time. I've learned that the standard perceptions of nice neighborhood and not so nice neighborhood don't apply to Vintage. 

See that house in the back? That's it!

Take for example this house I was called to earlier this week. Built as a farmers staff cabin with two small rooms, it was enlarged in the 1930's to be a full size house. The exterior is very practical for fire country: it's build of cinder blocks. The yard is filled with junk, trash and overgrown plants. I hesitated for a few minutes before going in-I just wasn't confident about what I'd find.

The front entryway. I was a little nervous...

Wrong! I walked into a vintage home stuffed to the gills. Amidst all the clutter I found Victorian jewelry, gold pocket watches, 1930's enamel soda advertising signs, 1930's deco statues, a 19th century quartersawn oak & bevelled glass phone booth, mid century art by well listed artists and a delightful 75 year old woman who lived amongst it all, Beverly. 

A corner: note the steamer trunk being used as a file cabinet! 

Hard to spot, next to the fireplace.

One corner of the dimly lit living room

I'm going back in 2 weeks to gather all that up and see what else she's unearthed. Apparently she has a full basement filled with her treasures AND a huge barn. Woo hoo! It is so much fun to explore, dig & unearth treasure. I get to be like a vintage Indiana Jones!

Romantic Bedrooms with Outdoor Flair

Outdoor summer bedrooms have always romanced me. I've read about them in Sunset, Mary Jane's Farm & other decor magazines and fallen in love. Then reality sets in. I don't like things crawling on me much. So rather than fight the bugs outside, why not bring the romance inside? Fresh flowers, a woven coverlet, a big vintage brass bed and a few handmade details make for a bedroom you'll dream of getting home to. And it'll feel so wonderful when the chilly days come this autumn.

Welsh Tapestry Quilt offered by janebeckwelshblanket

This gorgeous quilt is made in Wales. The handmade design details give this piece an heirloom quality, perfect for giving your bedroom an upscale feel. What a fabulous find! 

Handmade Love Pillow offered by betsyjarvis

A vintage chair juxtaposed against a modern font handmade pillow is a fabulous combination. The perfect marriage of old and new.

Sunset Amber Upcycled Light offered by BootsNGus


This artist uses vintage objects and upcycles them into lights. I love the creativity, the imagination  & the magical quality of this lamp. The glow it casts is mesmerizing & I love the patterns on the wall. Perfect for a romantic bedroom. 

Cottage Aqua Vintage Vanity offered by paintedcottages

This detailed vintage piece has been transformed with the perfect color. Imagine using this to do your hair every day! I think it's been a mistake letting a ladies vanity fade into history. My Grandmother used hers every morning and it was so practical & yet gave the whole experience a feeling of importance and glamour. The little everyday ritual of how we look should be elevated into an experience. 

1940's Silk Satin Kimono Pillows offered by Nachokitty

The inspiration for my outdoor bedroom dream came from these fabulous pillows. These just came in from a gorgeous 1940's Estate I'm helping with. The travel saavy woman that made these found gorgeous silk kimonos in Japan that were damaged. She brought them back to San Francisco and had custom silk satin pillows made with them. I'm off to see what I can use for my dream bedroom-the only limit is my imagination! 

Front Porch Vintage Livin'

Some days are irresistible. They call to me by blowing through the screens & making the wind chimes sing. The sun beckons me by splashing shadows across my office. I hear my children laughing madly as they run through the sprinkler and I cannot resist. 


Here's my front porch: antique jar filled with sun tea, cute baby romping around, a comfy place to lounge, egg baskets hanging for decoration & a relaxing view. Enjoy.

One end of our porch, all ready for a nap in the sun

My 2 year old dancing on the porch, note the tomatoes & beans growing behind her

Kid sized Adirondack chairs

View off the porch, our barn hidden behind the oak

Big antique malted milk jar I scored at the thrift store

Egg baskets hanging, Airstream birdhouse from Etsy & sun tea

Another view off the porch

Vintage Inspired Bling

Large Bridal Brooch or Hairpiece by nyjolejewellery

Etsy has been such a fantastic place for artists to express themselves. Artists can create and receive immediate feedback on their designs. They avoid a middleman and can reach an international audience. And since Etsy also supports the unique vintage sellers, it makes sense that artists would be inspired by those old beautiful vintage designs. 

Ruby Studded Drop Earrings by Mettlle

All of these pieces are new creations by artists on Etsy. It gives buyers a wonderful choice-go vintage or go with a new vision with vintage leanings! I love even having the choice. Pieces like these would have been near impossible to find a few years ago.

Ivory Swarovski Pearls & Flower by DivineJewel

What I love most about these pieces is their versatility. They're not just for big nights out or formal events. Jeans, a nice top and heels would support any of these beauties. Of course, you could break out a skirt too. My baby tends to play peek a boo under my skirts so I'm residing in jeans lately.

Banned Now, The Rage Then!

I've discovered this is factual. Now that I've seen a few of these bottles myself I'm sure they were popular. What a novel way to cure pain, create a need for your product & make your customers happy. It makes me suspicious as to what in our products TODAY that they'll be chuckling about in 100 years.  

This was sent to me by a relative. I've seen it before. It gets sent around every once in a while.

A bottle of Bayer's  'Heroin'.  

Between 1890 and 1910 heroin was sold as a non-addictive substitutefor morphine.
It was also used to treat children suffering with a strong cough.

  

Metcalf's Coca Wine was one of a huge variety of wines with cocaine on the market. Everybody used to say that it would make you happy and it would also work as a medicinal treatment.

Mariani wine (1875) was the most  famous Coca wine of it's time.  Pope Leo XIII   used to carry one bottle with him all the time. He awarded Angelo Mariani (the producer) with a Vatican gold medal.

Produced by the Maltine Manufacturing Company of New York . It was suggested that you should take a full glass with or after every meal. Children should only take half a glass.

 

A paperweight promoting C.F. Boehringer & Soehne ( Mannheim , Germany ). They were proud of being the biggest producers in the world of products containing Quinine and Cocaine.

An Asthma treatment: At 40% alcohol plus 3 grams of opium per tablet.   It didn't cure you... but you didn't care!

Cocaine Tablets  (1900). All stage actors, singers, teachers and preachers had to have them for a maximum performance. Great to smooth the voice.  

Very popular for children in 1885. Not only did they relieve the pain, they made the children very happy!

Opium for newborns. I'm sure this would make them sleep well. (not only the Opium, but also the 46% alcohol)

 

What Kind of Household Used This?

I just came across the most wonderful estate. Imagine a little white turn of the century house deep in the forest. Inside were the most fabulous antique & vintage items: furniture from the mid 19th century, beautiful childrens books, chinese antiques & more.

Who lived here? 

It got me to thinking; who originally used these things? What were their lifestyles? Where did they work? Were they just middle class or upper class? Did they really use these items or just put them on display like we do today?

Take this teapot for example. Silver plate & bone. It's massive. I believe this must have been in a well to do household with servents, for who would want to lift this over and over to fill guests cups? (the bottom disconnects from the pot through a series of pins)

I just found this hilarious 1969 cookie jar at my local Hospice store. It made me laugh so I had to have it. I so wonder what the kitchen looked like that used this. I almost see the avocado green melamine counters. (In case you're confused, this is a dog with a butterfly on his head. It took us a minute too)

And then there is this series of Hedgehog ashtrays. Now that would be a LOT of smokers in one room! Created in the 1950's, I almost see the swanky flat these were used in. Breakfast at Tiffany's anyone?

As I look around my house, I wonder what pieces will be iconic must haves long in the future. To me it's just the salad spinner out of stainless steel. But to that vintage collector in 2050, it'll be a stand out kitchen display!

Stocking the Shop: Estate Sale

Heidi and I hopped in the van and headed down Hwy 49 to Auburn, for a meeting with a collector. She had a hand-painted antique Chinese rice winnower for sale. We negotiated price but weren't able to find a common ground. We ended on a positive note, snagging a few smaller items for the shop, and promising to stay in touch.

19th Century Rice Winnower

On the way home we saw the small, handwritten sign: "ESTATE SALE." Weeds sprouted alongside the driveway of the luxurious yet unkempt home, and an untended spring garden overflowed the rock walls. The elderly lady had moved in with family, and her daughter (herself getting on in years) was running the show: "It all has to go! Mom was a collector. It always drove me crazy."

This is going to take a while to list! 

Our eyes popped as we scanned room after room of vintage & antique dishes, glassware, jewelry, clothing, uniforms, furs, games, collectibles, handbags, gadgets, tools, shoes and furniture. Within minutes our arms were full.

Small Collection of Steiff Handmade Animals

"Where can we put this?" She reserved an armchair for us, which quickly disappeared under a mountain of treasure. She had several elderly girlfriends helping her run the sale. After close to two hours of gaping, and trooping back and forth to our armchair, we were ready to check out.

Whole Set of Metlox Aztec Pottery!

One of the lady helpers was irritated and conflicted: she was annoyed by having to package so many items! At the same time, she was happy that we were buying so many items. It was funny to watch her face as she struggled with her feelings.

Treasures we kept for ourselves! 

On the way home the van had an air of celebration. Of course we picked up a few things for ourselves: an antique ivory bangle for Suuzi, a ceramic Venus de Milo for Heidi, an antique fountain pen ink case for Heidi's husband, a cast iron enamel pot for the kitchen and a hand-painted serving platter for Kelly, who cheerfully stayed behind with Heidi's kids at home! Sorry Kelly. We'll take you next time!

Celebrate Success!

Antique Book, Lavishly Illustrated on Every Page

I'm happy, thrilled & excited. Spring is here! People who love vintage have found me on Facebook-over 2000 of them! The shop has hundreds of fans and we are always featured in treasuries. For a little shop that is still less than 1 year old, this is fantastic! (I started really selling on Etsy instead of just buying late last June, 2010)

Vintage Cut Crystal Necklace & Bracelet Set

So I'm having a celebration sale. 20% off in the shop & 1/2 price shipping anywhere in the world.

Vintage Enameled Butterfly Pin Set

This does require a coupon code: FacebookCelebration. For the 1/2 price shipping, I'll refund you the 1/2. (Can't use 2 coupons at once yet)

Vintage California Pottery Dish

I really appreciate all the support we've had these past 11 months! We love vintage, we can't wait for new estates and we enjoy offering it all to you.

Thanks for making Nachokitty a success!

Where is Everyone?

I've been working round the clock lately to get things up and listed. Estates have been coming in like hotcakes and the wonderful women that help me list have been in hyper drive. Great items too-some hard to find antiques, some cool mid century & and of course, our foray into vintage fashion.

With all this work I was expecting results. I mean, it feels good to list items, get the shop organized and have business coming out of my ears. Those are great results. But I was expecting customers.

What's happened? Is it Spring? Is everyone outside all of a sudden, Etsy long forgotten? Is it the sad reality facing people around the world with wars and disasters? Are we not blogging enough? Not Facebooking enough? Or is it something I haven't really considered, like pricing or quality of items?

Are you buying vintage now? If you're not, why not? I have to admit, I'm not really buying much now. I'm more into purging and cleaning up than adding things. Plus I've just been spending my time finding items, working with estates and growing the business. Add in caring for the Baby, keeping up with my 6 & 8 year old daughters & trying to find time to sleep and you'll see why I'm not lounging around browsing the web.

Friday I took the day off and went out hunting for treasure. Found a bunch of great items. Tonight I'm working on getting them online.

While it's tough not to see business booming, it's still a great job. I love being surrounded by all these beautiful things.