Today’s vocabulary word is “flacon.” A flacon is a small decorative stoppered bottle or vial used to store valuable liquids. The flacon in this week’s fresh to market vintage is ostensibly for perfume, however it could also be used for storing small amounts of  magic potions or precious liquids like unicorn tears.

Flacon comes from the French “flaçon,” meaning bottle. Flaçon originated from the Latin “flasco,” meaning octopus. We’re joking, “flasco” also means bottle.

Tuck the word “flacon” away for future use impressing your friends the next time you are browsing in a vintage store. Appropriate ways to drop it into conversation include: “What a delightful little perfume flacon!” or “This would be an ideal gift for someone who collects antique flacons.”

Now on with this week’s fresh to market vintage…

Hobé Mesh & Pearl Brooch

Hobé was known for its high quality costume jewelry. The company started in Paris in 1887 and was moved to the U.S. in 1915 by the founder’s son. Hobé made beautiful jewelry adored by Hollywood luminaries throughout the 1940s and 50s. This brooch is an example of their clean lines and sophisticated designs. Simple, yet elegant and timeless.

Hobé Bow and Tassel Brooch, $58.95

Pam, Vintage Renude

Vintage French Flacon, Silverplate Filigree (c 1940s)

Offering a sweet little purse sized flacon or perfume dispenser. It is made of dark glass covered with a silver plated design in a fancy art nouveau style. The glass dauber features a filigreed covering with red stone on the top and is intact. No maker’s mark but it is stamped “Made in France” on the bottom.

French Perfume Dispenser, $30

Linda, Selective Salvage

70s Animal Print Fabric

This 70s safari animal print fabric comes in three panels that appear to have been used for some kind of window treatment, but are ready to be upcycled into something new. There are no markings on the selvedges, so we don’t know anything about the maker, but it has a Scandinavian feel. It’s a loose weave, probably a cotton linen blend. There are some flaws, but they would be easy to work around. Imagine how cool this would be in a kid’s room or nursery. Or, if you have some Fraulein Maria in your veins, you could make it into play clothes for all the Captain’s children.

Three Lengths of 70s Safari Animal Print Fabric, $90.

Laurie, NextStage Vintage

1960s Slippery Sid Saucer Sled

If you grew up with a metal flying saucer sled, you know how awesome winter can be. Painted steel saucers, like this one, had perfect mid century graphics and cotton webbing handles you clung to with all the strength you could muster through your mittens. This Slippery Sid piece would be awesome to display all winter long. We’re showing you both sides of the saucer so you can see how well used it was–not only does it have great design, it also has years of fun imbedded in its molecules.

The story goes that flying saucers were inspired by kids sliding on trays and trash can lids. They were first manufactured from painted sheet metal in the early 1950s by clever Swedish manufacturer Georg Gillmert at the JH factory, using a machine that previously made trash can lids, but was idle at the time.

In 1954, the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Co. of Manitowoc, WI (aka Mirro Aluminum Co) made an aluminum version, the Sno-Coaster. Garton Toys of Sheboygan, WI, made a painted 20 gauge steel saucer called the Sno-Flake. Flexible Flyer, better known for their wood sleds with metal runners, also made a metal saucer. In fact, they still make one, should you need to scratch that itch. And the Kalamazoo Sled Company, another traditional sled maker, made plastic and fiberglass Champion Flying Discs in the 1950s as well. Certainly there were other companies, for which every child of the 50s and 60s who lived in places with snow will be forever grateful.

The era of the metal flying saucer era ended by the late 1960s, when less expensive plastic saucer sleds replaced them in the marketplace. Sigh.

NOTE: The classic flying saucer scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is accurate, even without the non-caloric silicone-based kitchen lubricant spray Clark uses. We don’t know what they actually used on the set, but it sure looks like a Mirro Sno-Coaster to us.

Vintage 1960s Metal Slippery Sid Flying Saucer Sled, $150.

Available from this week’s guest Carly, Hippy Traveler

This week’s fresh to market vintage is evenly divided between elegant refinement and flat out fun. There’s no reason to choose one or the other, definitely be both whenever you can.

We love being both. And that’s why you might want to subscribe to our email newsletter. You get one email a week with links to all the posts from the previous week. And rest assured we would sooner shovel out from a New England nor’easter blizzard with a vintage soup spoon than ever share your info.