Being old doesn’t make something valuable. If it did, your Vintage Unscripted team would each be worth a fortune. The value of an item is determined by condition, scarcity and demand. There are two pieces in this week’s fresh to market vintage that are over 100 years old, but they are both affordable.
Surely you jest! How can that be? They’re over 100 years old! They’re antique!
As wise philosophers say, “it is what it is.” Roseville is a very collectible pottery and some pieces are very pricey. But not every piece. Some Victorian glass is expensive, but not this compote. We sellers base our prices on comparable pieces that have sold recently, as those prices show what the market says they are worth currently. This is why price guides are not reliable for pricing items. They show a static moment in time. Something worth $100 in 2015 might be worth $40 now because demand has dropped, but the only way to know that is to look at recent sales. Anyway, back to the pitcher and compote. How nice it is that you can own a piece of American history for less than you could buy a modern piece for at a big box store.
In comparison, we also have the much younger and spryer Holt Howard cleanser kitty in this week’s fresh to market vintage. While not every Holt Howard piece is in high demand, this one is. And the entirely fair price reflects that.
We could write a million word essay on the quirky value of antiques and vintage, and maybe someday we will. But what we’d really rather do is stop yapping so you can get to this week’s line up, because there is a gilt soybean that you have to see to believe.
Roseville “Tulips” Milk Pitcher c 1910s
In our throw-away world, I have found a deep appreciation for everyday utilitarian items that survived. This Roseville milk pitcher is an example of a piece used possibly daily as the loss of glaze and chips show, but it still remains a thing of beauty to a collector of early Americana like me.
Farmhouse Style Roseville Milk Pitcher, $45
-Linda, Selective Salvage
Gold Plated Soybean Pendant
As a vintage seller we come across loads of strange items. Things we need to research, items we’ve never seen before, homemade versions of gadgets. This item is by far the most bizarre item I’ve ever come across. A real soybean pod with the beans still inside. Someone added a purchased bail and polished Cowrie shells and plated the whole thing in gold. Perhaps made for a soybean farmer. Would you wear it?
Soybean Pod Pendant, $65.95
-Pam, Vintage Renude
Howard Holt Cozy Kitchen Kitty Cleanser Shaker
Holy Holt Howard Batman! I was gobsmacked at the flea market to see this amazing Holt Howard Cozy Kitchen Kitties powdered cleanser shaker! That was the original name that the company gave this line of kitchen cats and it ended up just being called cozy kittens. I was very concerned that it had no label. I went to my Holt Howard expert (Walter Dworkin) who said that this line sometimes wasn’t back stamped, and if it had a label, the label often fell off of the piece. I was quite relieved about that!
Howard Holt Powdered Cleanser Shaker, $249.99
-Mary Ellen, Aunt Hatties Attic
1890s EAPG Co-operative Flint Glass Co. Compote
Compotes are useful vessels. They can be centerpieces or focal points or fruit bowls or just about anything you want. How they were used in the past doesn’t mean that’s how they have to be used in the future. Use one in the front hall to catch keys or one in the bedroom to hold bracelets. This beauty dates from the Victorian era, and was made by the Co-operative Flint Glass Co. of Beaver Falls, PA. Variations on moon and stars pattern like on this compote were popular and were made by many glass companies including L.G. Wright, L.E. Smith, and Imperial from back then up until the 1960s.
Co-operative Flint Glass Co. Imperial Pattern Compote, $30.
–Laurie, NextStage Vintage
And thus, we come to the end of this week’s fresh to market vintage. How about that soybean, eh? That’s quite a thing, is it not?
We can’t promise something as spectacular as a gold plated soybean every week, but we can promise you interesting posts on all things vintage. You’ll never miss a post if you subscribe to our email newsletter. You’ll get one email a week with links to every post from the previous week.
