Well, 2020 is turning out to be one year we were warned about – the old saying ‘may you live in interesting times’ has come to pass. Breyerfest is all online this year, so we don’t have to travel to participate, but we won’t get to see friends in person and wander the halls of the CHIN to all hours. I created a video for the online event workshops for making Mini-Whinnies keychains so I will enjoy getting feedback from people who watch on how helpful it is. I also got a 3 day ticket, and will be exploring the offerings from Breyer next weekend. Since I won’t be traveling, I thought I’d blog about previous trips, fabulous finds of the past and generally chatting about antiques, horses and anything else I find interesting.
First up is a picture of part of our current booth at the antique store. The store just reopened, and customers are trickling through. We just bought a ton of great Hawaii and tiki stuff, so we gave the booth an overhaul for the summer with new merchandise. While researching our inventory we found the skateboard at lower right is older and pretty valuable. Made in the 1960s it is wood skateboard called a Sidewalk Surfboard. There are collectors of just about everything, so keep your eyes open! We would normally be running a sale to make room for our car load of purchases, but this year the shopping will all be in our storeroom. At least our purchase prices will be better!
Going through boxes in my storeroom to price stuff for the mall and eBay I came across this Disneyland ephemera. I usually don’t collect paperwork since it takes time to look through and can be difficult to display properly, but I have to hang on to these two. They are the 1995 Inside Disneyland Today main gate guide map and the Indiana Jones Adventure decoder card from ATT. I remember how much I enjoyed this ride experience and how much fun it was to decode the Maraglyphics on the walls while waiting in line. They have an app for that now, but I think my card will still work long after the app is out of date.
I picked this up for $1 at a yard sale recently. Elaborate fans are a bit out of fashion nowadays, but beauty is eternal. This is a hand-painted folding fan from the mid-19th century with original box marked Giovanni Gilardini Napoli. There are fan collectors (surprise!)(not) and even fan museums all over the world. There is a long history of fan making and examples in every price range. This one has damage, but all the pieces are there, the sticks are not broken and its age and elaborate design make it a good candidate for conservation. It will be beautiful again and wonderful to display.
I didn’t make it out to many antique stores this year, but I always appreciate the time and effort it takes to gussy up a shop. This one makes a statement when you enter, and frightfully frivolous dragons are always a good sign. This shop is well-attended to, and I always find a few treasures.
We did have our annual yard sale recently – there was too much stuff building up in the garage. We moved almost all the tables outside and well away from each other. Attendance was light, but we did sell enough to get one car back in the garage. Visitors got good deals and we made space for more stuff! I am sure some of the things we sold we will see at local antique shops in the future. I attended a class years ago that said an object sold second-hand would move through an average of 5 owners before finding another long-term home. The circle of antiques.
Finally we see one of the reasons I love antiquing. You just never know what you will find around the next corner. I have seen many interesting things over the years, and Ferny McCheesburger here will make it into my hall of fame. Haven’t seen anything like that at new-fashioned chain stores. No, it didn’t come home with me, but will live on in infamy here at my blog.
Hope you enjoyed the beginning of virtual 2020 Breyerfest, I will be her having fun reliving past trips, celebrating fabulous finds and being wistful for those that got away.
Lots of fun shops with fun and unusual stuff, well-displayed.
I have seen bottle trees, but not a bottle chandelier like this – although I think the cupid looks disapproving.
Everton needs a crazy alligator head for their home!
A sobering reminder of the reason antiques and collectibles can be rare – they can be broken!
This was an amazing Hartland set with Roy Rogers and Trigger – and the hangtag!!! Full retail plus price or he would have come home for sure.
An unusual, ornate lamp with sombrero hat shade and carnival horse in the background.
Cool splatter pottery horses.
Little horses
Bronze horses
Standing in line to buy horses
I’m exhausted!
A very creative performance entry.
Original Finish Euroware Royal Worcester Princess Anne & Doublet sculpted by Doris Lindner.
I wouldn’t have even glanced at this guy by himself, but this packaging was too awesome!
We’re the creators of the Gorignak drinking this beer when they thought it up?
I had no idea the chrome edging for countertops was a do-it-yourself item! Don’t know about using it to beautify a playroom, but hopefully whomever came up with the idea got a bonus!
I read this one at first as a threat – “these strings BETTER improve your playing, (or else!)” *taps baseball bat into hand meaningfully*
I’d be suspicious of “delicious sandwiches” from this vending machine. Unless they were peanut butter sandwiches (not unlikely from a Tom’s Peanut dispenser) they sure wouldn’t keep long.
