Interesting blog found! Cool vintage ads!

While looking up something on the internet, I stumbled upon this rather interesting blog of vintage advertising.

I was especially intrigued by the old Hostess ads.  Take a quick look!

Sighting: Eames fabric

For anyone truly into Mid-Century Modern, you know that Charles and Ray Eames are synonymous with MCM design.

But did you know they also had their hand in designing fabric?

Here's a pic I found featuring a chair upholstered in one of their more famous patterns.

The pattern is still in production, but not cheap at over $100 a yard!

I'm selling my LAST Western Electric 300B - with test results - AS NEW: $1100.00

I am selling my last 300B.

It includes its test results, and it tested "as new".  The tube was tested about 2 months ago and hasn't been used or even touched since then.

It is being auctioned off, but if you are interested in purchasing it direct, you can buy it now.

This is NOT the first 300B I've sold, and all my other customers are very pleased with the tube purchases they have made from me.

Free Priority Mail shipping, plus insurance and Signature Confirmation.

If you ARE interested, you need to act fast.  The listing I have for this tube ends the night of Friday, September 16th, so you'll need to purchase it on or before Thursday night, otherwise I need to let the listing finish to its end!

UPDATE 1: Auction find: FANTASTIC old lightolier wall lamp, Fisher stereo

Man it needs a cleaning.

But I just go this fantastic MCM wall lamp!

It mounts on your wall, and both swings left and right and tilts!  I even got the mounting hardware to attach it to the wall.

I think it might be a Thurston design, or at least influenced by him.  And the mounting hardware (the piece I have in my hand) says "Lightolier" and the plug even has the cool scroll-y Lightolier logo...so it's the REAL THING!!

 I can't wait to get this puppy all nice and cleaned up.

Also go this very cool vintage Fisher 250 TX receiver.  It still works great and all it needed was a little cleaning up (OK, it was filthy, but I have to show this piece some of the respect it deserves).

All those buttons and dials on the right?  Well, this may have been one of the first attempts (if not THE first attempt) to add pre-sets to a stereo receiver.  Each of those buttons has their own little tuning dial.  Just tune in the station you want to assign to that button and when you press the white part of the button, the stereo goes to that station!  The main dial remains wherever it was before.  Pretty cool, eh?

It's up for auction now and already have a lot of activity on it within its first few hours of being posted!
(UPDATE:  It's GONE!!! That was mighty fast!)

Hidden deep in a little shed off the garage, this was hanging.

Is this awesome, or what?

This Santa head is HUGE.  In the pic, it's hanging in front of the fridge, so you can get a pretty good idea of its size!

Nice condition, too.  I thinks it's vinylite.  Rather dirty, but I should be able to carefully clean it up.

I tried to find some markings on it to see who made it, but no luck.

But it does have its original price sticker on the back.  This huge Santa originally cost about 4 bucks!












I have a few more neat-o finds to share...and I'll be updating this post when I can!

9/7/11 Auction Finds: Few Items...but really NICE!

First of all, I need to let you all know that it's around 12:15 AM, and I've been up for quite some time.  But I REALLY want to at least get started letting you all know about the cool things I came across.  Hopefully, some will soon be available...as soon as I'm done cleaning them up, testing them, fixing them, and doing whatever else I need to get them ready for sale.

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail right now.  There's plenty for me to share with you, but for starters...




...these lamps are AWESOME!  Big, white, frosted glass lamps.  Wide bases swooping upwards into narrow pillars.  These table lamps not only have the standard light at the top, the bodies also light up, too!  I can't wait to see the wonderful glow of the light radiating from the frosted white glass.  But, boy oh boy, are they dirty.

I have lots more to talk about, but for now, this must do...and I REALLY need to get some sleep.

Auction Finds: Delicate, Sensuous, Beautiful - The works of Eva Zeisel

I have never heard of the name "Eva Zeisel".  It was only last Saturday that I learned about who this remarkable woman was.

Oddly enough, I've seen her work dozens of time.  At estate sales, garage sales, auctions, even the occasional Goodwill.  Little did I know how wonderful, how delicate, how beautiful her works really were, until I acquired some of her pieces shown here.

To try to cover her career and timeline here would be futile, though filled with plenty of impressive name-dropping:  Hall China, Rosenthal, Federal Glass, Red Wing, Heisey.  All of these names ring of strong reputation, gorgeous design, and wonderful mid-century form.  Just having "Heisey" on your resume is (at least to me) impressive enough.


The pieces you see here are from some design work she did for Hall China's Hallcraft line in the "Harlequin" pattern.  From what I gather, she was responsible for the "shape" of the pieces; perhaps Hall did the decorative additions.  But that stunning pink and black star-like pattern just screams mid-century.



If you have any interest at all in retro or mid-century ceramics or dinnerware, or even a faint interest in the design work of that period, you owe it to yourself to spend a few moments to read up on this wonderful, talented woman.






Oh, and if you think her work is solely relegated to the past, fear not.  Not only is she still with us today, her work is still being offered at such sites as Crate and Barrel, Design Within Reach, as well as her own site.  Please...take a look.






In my opinion, her designs are as beautiful and timeless as the Nelson Ball Clock or the Eames Lounge Chair...high praise indeed.

UPDATED 2! Auction Finds: odd little table

The first thing that came to mind when I saw this table was "What would the set of 'Star Trek' look like in Danish Modern?"

Personally, I LOVE this table.  Very architectural.  The legs remind me of what I'd imagine the metal frame of an airplane would look like:  thin, arched for stength, perforated for lighter weight.

I was lucky when I got it home (oh, yeah...I got the table after a rather heated bidding war) and found out that it was in really great condition.  It needs a bit of touch-up, but nothing major at all.



I have no idea where the table came from.  I also can't tell if the table was hand-made or a factory item.  I'm like going 60/40 that it's a handmade table. 

The entire piece is made out of 3 pieces of plywood.

The holes were not straight-through cuts, but rather graduated to add a bit of depth as well as to to show off the different levels of plywood used.  The edges were treated and stained the same way.

Pretty neat little added bit of design, especially if it is indeed a handmade piece.





What do YOU think?  Think this might be a great plant stand for Captain Kirk?

OK, this table is UP FOR AUCTION!!  Auction starts Monday night, September 5th!

What's More Retro Than...Fine Dining 60's Style!

Maybe it was the new-found post-war prosperity.  Maybe it was the new-found tastes of soldiers returning home.  Maybe it was Julia Child.  But for some reason, the "fine dining restaurant" catapulted in both number and popularity from the mid-50's right through the 60's.

I wonder if she would have liked the dish we'll soon be talking about.

"Fine dining" was basically America's first-time, shotgun-blast exposure to foods and culinary creations not typically heard of in the US.  And such establishments, well, established many dishes we take for granted today. 

But I'm not here to discuss dishes from the 50's and 60's we all know and love.

I'm here to discuss one that may not ring any culinary bells.

So many good sounding dishes.  But I'm not too sure about this one...

I love this book.  It's from 1964 and features so many "new" recipes for dishes we take for granted today.

And yes, that Bananas Foster that guy's prepping on the cover looks mighty delicious, don't it?

But before dessert, how about a nice appetizer?

Say...broiled grapefruit...with a yummy chicken liver on top!!

BTW...this is still on their menu.

From Chalet Suzanne in Lake Wales, Florida, comes this delectable little dish.

I am not a chicken liver fan, nor a fan of liver in general.  The combination of grapefruit (yummy), topped with broiled, melted cinnamon sugar (good, too) and then a cooked chicken liver just sounds like an awkward combination.  Oh, and the liver gets more cinnamon sugar on top of it, too!  But I guess it's still quite the big seller, since it's still on the restaurant's current menu.

But to be honest, the picture above of the grapefruit kind of reminds me of the little pig cross sections we had to study in high school Biology class.  So perhaps that 60's photo doesn't do the dish justice.

But if any of you are brave enough (or perhaps this just sounds like a yummy combo to you) then here's the recipe. 

Bon Appetit!!

If you DO try it, PLEASE let me know how it was.  Perhaps I can find a few more interesting recipes for you to try.

(photo of Julia child from ABC News)

Auction finds: THE DOOM PUSSY: books that make you go "hmmmm..."

This may be one of the WEIRDEST book titles I have ever seen. And it's a book about Vietnam!

You can read more about The Doom Pussy here.  Its a rather interesting bit of history.

Part 3: When bad things happen to good Danish Modern

First of all, I want to go on record as saying that I love this chair.  Low, wide, clean lines.  It's wonderful, design-wise.

I just wish it was in better condition.  It's not so much a chair you sit on, rather than in.  The seating area has lost a lot of its support, so your butt brushes uncomfortably close to the ground when you sit in it.  It felt sturdy enough to support an elephant, but it would have needed a lot of work.  No labels or markings to indicate origin of birth.  My guess is it's domestic, based on the rather beefy, needs-to-support-the-larger-US-population construction.  The condition of the upholstery was really decent!

Someone got it for a few bucks.  If they can re-do the seat (or know someone who can do it cheap) and they are willing to work a bit on the feet (which need more than a little bit of lovin') they got themselves a nice little chair!

Auction finds: old MASTERCARD metal store sign

Is this freaking cool or what!?!?

For the few of you out there who have never heard of BankAmericard, I can safely say "yes...you have".

You probably know BankAmericard more by their current name:  VISA.

Yes, good old Visa used to be BankAmericard way back in (hold on to your hats!) 1958!!!  That's when Bank of America decided to pull out all the stops and try to get the US population hooked...er...interested in a real, honest-to-goodness credit card!


BoA created two enduring American traditions when it did a mass credit card mailing in the late 50's (and by "mailings" I mean mailing an actual uncolicited credit card to homes across America, not just an application for one!).  Those two traditions were:

• the US population started buying on credit using a single source for financing, rather than using multiple credit cards for individual stores
• credit card fraud.

Yep, we can thank BoA for ushering in the dawn of unauthorized charges to your card (I don't blame them personally, it was bound to happen no matter who wound up issuing these cards first).

But it wasn't until 1976 that BankAmericard officially became Visa.

Oh, and MasterCard?  They used to be known as...

Auction finds: Panasonic bicycles: Betcha didn't know...

...Panasonic made 10 speed bikes!

Panasonic actually had a serious reputation for decent bikes long before these cycles hit our shores, with the company making it first bike frames in the early 50's.

But it wasn't until 1971 that Panasonic bicycles were available here in the states.  They weren't exactly high-end, but they had good construction, very reliable components, and in general were seen as "high quality for the money" bikes.  Hmmm...sounds like a lot of other Japanese companies I know of.

The yen-to-greenback ratio, though, spelled doom for the line, and by the late 80's they were no longer being imported.

If you really need to get more info on these bikes, you really should take a few moments to visit the Panasonic Bicycle Virtual Museum, from which I was able to get some of this info.

Part 2: When bad things happen to good Danish Modern

Oh...the horror.

I knew that these beautiful Lane Danish Modern tables were up for auction.  Took a long, boring, horrible, boring (oh, and long!) drive down south, hoping I could get them (and get them cheap).

Well, there was no doubt that I would be able to get them for a song.  Look at 'em.  So sad..

Let's run down it all, shall we?

The coffee table:  Structurally, in excellent condition.  The top, though, looked like someone used it as a dish rack.  Water stains all over the place.  The guy I was with knows wood and assured me that it would have taken a complete restrip/refinishing to get the table back.  What's worse is that a serious piece of the veneer was missing.

The end table (square):  Sound structurally as well.  Water damage, but not as bad.  This table I grabbed, and it's currently sitting in the back of my truck until I can find room somewhere in this mess warehouse apartment of mine.

The end table (triangle):  This is the one I really wanted.  Beautiful table...or at least it was at one point.  Water damage beyond basic repair.  The top also looked like someone used it for a bit of knife-throwing practice.

In the end, nobody got them except for the middle table I have.  I hate to think what's going to happen to these beautiful DM pieces.

UPDATE 2! Dig this auction find! Encircled nudes

I know I should know the difference between deco and nouveau but I don't.  But check out this beautiful circling nudes piece.

UPDATE:

Well, I did a bit of research on this piece, and it's indeed a Haeger piece.  I managed to find several of them on the web.  But...this one seems to be rather unique.  I've found pink ones, red ones, aqua ones, even black ones.  But this black one is different.

The black ones I've found have been done in a regular, plain black.  This one, though, has some kind of applied iridescent finish, with bits of gold-colored flecks throughout the glaze.  It's quite stunning, and makes the plain black glazed ones look...well...plain.



UPDATE 2:

The statue has been cleaned up and looks gorgeous!!!  I was able to get a look at the glaze...WOW.  No plain black glaze on this piece...just beautiful swirls and ebbs of blacks and coppery golds.  Outstanding.

It will be available for auction the night of August 24th!!

gotta LOVE driving on the turnpike

Nelson Ball Clock: A classic design, but did Nelson really design it?

Courtesy of Herman Miller...

Here is a Youtube video of an audio-only interview with George Nelson, talking about how the Ball Clock was designed.

The name-dropping is fantastic, with Nelson talking about "Bucky" and "Noguchi".




But...who really designed the ball clock?

Listen.  And find out (maybe)...

Auction Finds: Not much vintage stuff, but perhaps cool nonetheless

We hit an auction early this morning. The day started out a bit nippy and rainy, so I was thinking I'd be soaked before the auction even started. Thankfully, it cleared up a bit.

Unfortunately, the retro/vintage/mid-century modern/Danish modern pickings were rather lean. But, being the generalist that I am, I still managed to pluck up a few choice findings. Some I'll probably keep, others I'll probably offer for sale.  So even if the pickings were light, I'm still willing to share them with you (yeah, I'm a nice guy...).

Auction find: mmmmm mmmmm good

RSS College - RSS-101: What the heck is "RSS"?

It's everywhere.

That cute little orange button (usually orange anyway), with the little dot and curves.

Typically, it's located right next to the site's Facebook and Twitter buttons.

The "Holy Trinity" of social networking

You know the standard Facebook button, and you know what will happen when you click it.  Same for the "T" Twitter button.

But, for some reason, that little orange one?  Still, for a lot of people, it's a mystery.  I know at least 5 people who know of the button, but not what the button does.

What's More Retro Than...The Christmas Tree Color Wheel

As part of a new series I'm starting today (and likely won't continue due to neglect on my part) I'd like to offer an occasional focus on some of the cultural icons many of us associate with the mid-century.

Today's topic:  the Christmas tree color wheel.

Yes, I know.  If I wanted to cover this, I should have started with the aluminum Christmas tree first.  But I've already given this topic great thought (about 4 minutes) and I'm on a roll.

It was during the 50's when America first harvested the aluminum Christmas tree.  This renewable resource (heavy on the Al...light on the C) meant most families could easily, quickly and needle-less-ly put up their Christmas tree in minutes.  By the end of dad's first Manhattan, the tree would be up and ready to decorate.

Oh...but wait.  What do you decorate an aluminum tree with?  Traditional Christmas lights are, well, electric.  Perhaps it's not a good idea to string a tall metal structure with electrified wire.

"Electric lights?  On this?  Maybe I should stand in a bucket of water, too."

So, American ingenuity comes around to save the day with:  the color wheel.  Lots of colored lights?  Just 4...so...I guess...check!  Will it make our tree all pretty and colorful?  Check.  But NOT dangerously close to contacting large metal objects?  Check check.

And from that day forward, the color wheel became almost de rigueur (fancy talk for "you better have one") for the aluminum tree family.

As a result, plenty of companies made these wonderful color wheels: Renown, Penetray, Holly Time, Imperial, Peerless, Spartus...well, you get the idea.  Lots of companies, making roughly the same color wheel design: small motor, axle, wheel, colored plastic.  But that wasn't a problem, since just about everyone wanted one.  As long as it rotated and had different colors, it was all good.

"I don't care who made it, as long as it doesn't burn the house down."

But there was one color wheel that stood out from the crowd.  And by stood out, I mean it was completely different, it broke the mold, it was...revolutionary (in more ways than one).

The Holy Grail of Christmas color wheels

Why, you ask, was this one so dang special?  Well, not only was it a color wheel for your tree, it also:

• was the tree stand
• played music!

Yes, the rotating, musical Christmas tree color wheel by Evergleam.

Perfect!  It not only saved valuable near-the-tree real estate for even more precious Xmas booty, it also did double-duty by playing Christmas songs when you turned it on!

Today,  these very hard-to-find color wheels can command rather high prices.  They used to go into the 7- to 8-bill range pretty easily, but one can be had (if you can find one) for about $150-$300, depending on condition and condition of the box (if there still is one), but truly "mint"-y ones can still command high prices.  So, thankfully, you don't need to run a meth lab to afford a decent one.

Typical shopping list of anyone finding a mint wheel with box on eBay

Today, you can find the more traditional color wheels on eBay and other sites, usually for under a hundred bucks, plus the traditional design is still being made, and more-or-less to the original design.

Then again, you could take the route of getting a newer color wheel: the LED color wheel.

Perfect for sucking out all the Christmas spirit from your aluminum tree

But personally, if you're going to go through all the trouble of putting up an aluminum Christmas tree, you might as well go all the way and get the real thing.  These new, high-tech lights really can't do your tree justice as well as a great 50's-designed color wheel.