The best cure for a hangover

is finding cool stuff at yard sales!

Visiting friends from out of state + the debut of my husband's rock/metal band (a la Kyuss or Black Sabbath) + the first warm night in Maine in ages = a bit of a rocky start to this Saturday.

But relief was found via coffee and success at yard sales.

To wit:

Vintage Dansk enamel casseroles, to be added to the collection:

Stackable heavy metal (this time not as in Kyuss) candlesticks - Dansk I think. And red plastic serving tray - definitely Dansk.

Vintage Viewmaster Reels (including Little Black Sambo) and cool bakelite Deco Box:



Featuring cutout heads - my favorite graphic technique:



Vintage State of Maine shaped barb wire display (who knew?!)



It is stamped on the back "Amos Crouch, Chandler, Oklahoma." A little googling turns up the fact that Mr. Crouch died in 1989 at the age of 67. He was an insurance salesman. Somehow, knowing all that made me cry a little bit.

Danish Modern dollhouse:



Sadly, in the 80's, someone decided to redecorate. But isn't that always true in real life as well?

And last, but definitely not least, this week's mystery piece. A box with a face mask, featuring uber-creepy slashed rubber eyes. The holes in the back of the box make me thing that someone had this hanging in their house. ***shudder***







After this purchase my associate instituted a "No more creepy faces" buying/decorating rule, which I doubt I'll be able to obey. Sorry honey!

Real Life

It's not often that I find a real life application for the knowledge I've accumulated about vintage clothing. But yesterday, I had my chance.

Dad and I were at a local furniture consignment store, Cherished Possessions, aka amongst my friends (or at least amongst one very funny friend), CherPo. My father found an old chopper and hand mixer. He buys (and sells) certain types of things - Ogee mirrors, nail cabinets, old kitchen tools, Shaker pieces - and I have the exact same obsessive compulsive behavior, or, er, shopping sensibility. But that is a whole other blog post.

I found a teak dining room set, but I didn't recognize the name on the bottom, and it was in such great shape that it seemed new. However, there was an extra tag on the bottom, for B. Altman's - the same tag used for B. Altman's clothing from the 60's through the 80's, before going out of business in 1989 (thank you VFG!)


So I bought it.

And here is is, with a rug purchased this past weekend at a NH estate auction, on another outing with my father.

The Stig and Luna approve!

The table is designed, or inspired by Borge Mogensen with very clever extending Dutch leaves that extend its length to about 6 feet. It's the perfect excuse for a big dinner party.

Danish Modern IQ Test

It's a gorgeous example of usable Danish Modern design.

It's a peppermill - desperately needed to replace the horrible modern green plastic thingy that crushes peppercorns with the force of a fluffy kitten.

It's an IQ test, and one that I have failed. For the life of me I cannot figure out how to get the peppercorns into this thing. When the rings on the bottom are configured in a certain way, there's one wee hole, the size of a single peppercorn. I love this thing, but I refuse to feed it one orb at a time.

Ah well, it still looks good.

The latest addition to the NSV Cast of Characters

The Stig*

Tex

and Luna

are not impressed.

The Stig* sheds a lot, and though he has no contact with the vintage, an occasional ginger coon cat hair may find itself onto a piece, most likely via me, the cat hair magnet.

*Yes, we here at NSV Corporate Headquarters are fans of Top Gear, and the cat's namesake is that "The Stig."

Shop NorthStar Vintage

I'm participating in a vintage trunk sale with several other Maine dealers.

As the daughter of an antiques dealer, I have spent a lot of time at antiques shows. Even as a child, I loved it. So I am terribly excited for my first "real life" experience selling vintage. And I am thrilled to meet the people who are buying my clothes. I can't wait to see what people pick out from all my crazy inventory.

I have about 200 pieces ready to go, including dresses, menswear, purses, and accessories, from the 50's through the 90's. So if you're in Southern Maine, please check it out!

Recent acquisitions

Lilacs, motorcycles, ice cream trucks, black mulch, and yard sales - God I love spring.

Here are a few recent acquisitions:

Black iron lab andiron marked Liberty Fndry


























Beautiful but mysterious metal tray (maybe a candy mold?)





Chartreuse and gold 50's lamp (one of a pair) (needs a new shade!) and perfectly-sized Heywood Wakefield nightstand.











Vintage photo montage of little girl in various poses and outfits (I love montages!).

And about 15 30's and 40's cotton day dresses, a Battenburg lace 60's mini-dress, a Palm Beach 50's tuxedo, and a few other things. But more on that later.

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