March 1 is the start of meteorological spring, and you know what that means. Daffodils poking up and the local chipmunk coming out of hibernation–snort! We have no time for such nonsense. We’re laser-focused on spring cleaning season, that magical time of year when people who are not us start planning for a yard sale or filling a box for the local thrift store. Spring thrifting, flea marketing and yard saleing season is nearly upon us with all it’s dusty bounty. And even though we post fresh to market vintage every week and we do not live lives of vintage deprivation, we still find our tails wagging at the treasure hunting potential of the warmer days ahead.
We are always ready to show off what we have in our weekly fresh to market vintage post, but oh my, imagining what gems, what elusive white whales, we might find this season has us primed and ready.
Napier Choker and Bracelet Set
This demi-parure (two matching pieces) set by Napier was made in the 1970s. It’s made of gold-tone metal and enamel. As with almost all jewelry by the company, it’s well-made and will stand up to years of wear. It shows no signs of use and is still as stylish now as when it was new. Napier is one of the oldest costume jewelry makers in the country, beginning in 1878 and still in business today. Along with other well-known names including Monet, Trifari, Coro, and Sarah Coventry, Napier made some of the best quality costume jewelry. The company is also known for its silver objects which reside in several museums across the country.
Napier Choker and Bracelet Set, $44.95
-Pam, Vintage Renude
Bayreuther Plant Pot or Flower Container
This beautiful plant or flower arrangement holder has an elegant spray of flowers on one side and on the other and a transfer of Murillo’s Young Boys Playing Dice. At first glance you might wonder why. As serendipity is in play, this very morning we saw a post by Lara Maiklem, who is the author of Mudlarking. She had found a metal Put and Take game piece from the 1920s, but this gambling game dates back to the 1800s. Social reformers were against this form of gambling. Hence, with two sides, I think a quick turn of the container will work for most owners worried about the gambling aspect.
When I looked at the piece the image of a dreidel came to mind. The dreidel game is much older than Put and Take. This is what my brain does…if you can follow the drift of this, thank you! Our VU sister Pam has written a post on dreidels and you can see it here.
Porcelain Jardiniere, $64.99
-Mary Ellen, AuntHattiesAttic
Breininger Pottery Redware Plate, dated 1992
This little plate has a lot going for it in terms of being a collectible piece. It is signed by an artist at the Breininger Pottery company so give it a check mark for the collectors of Pennsylvania pottery. It’s made of redware and decorated in a folk art style so it hits those buttons too. Plus it features a heart which is the reason it was added to my collection twenty years ago. Dated 1992, this is a newer piece in the world of Pennsylvania redware but if you’d like to be impressed by the values that category of pottery has realized at auction, check out the highlights from the Crocker Farm site.
1992 Breininger Folk Art Plate, $ 45
-Linda, Selective Salvage
Wire Sock Stretchers
There’s not much to them and they come from the most humble of rooms, the laundry, but the charm of vintage sock forms is inescapable. When socks were made more commonly of wool and wool was not the washing friendly fiber it is now, sock stretchers played an important roll in helping wet wool socks retain their shape while drying. If you are a vintage lover and you have never accidentally felted a piece of vintage wool, then you are special like a unicorn. One bad laundry sorting mistake is all that’s needed to turn an adult sweater into a felted child’s sweater. Felting happens, intentionally or not, when the wool fibers rub against each other in the washer (and the dryer should it make it that far). That’s where the sock stretchers came in. Socks were washed gently by hand and then pulled onto the stretchers to retain their shape. Although wool socks don’t need stretchers now, these wire forms have found their way into all sort of creative decor situations, many involving Christmas. Picking these to show off in the fresh to market vintage finds post felt funny, like it should have been something fancier, but heck, I love these things and maybe you will too.
Vintage Venida Wire Sock Stretchers, $25.
–Laurie, NextStage Vintage
Have you ever seen a jardiniere that has one naughty side and one nice side? Or a little redware dish so delightful? Or a demiparure so ready to wear for spring? Or a pair of wire socks that were so, uh…wiry? That’s the fun of fresh to market vintage.
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