Pre-War, Vintage, Mid Century Correct Telephone

OK, let's say you are a midcentury aficionado. And let's say you want a period correct telephone for your pre-war to mid 1950s interior design. You know, just like the one Lucy & Ricky had.

Lucy on, what has become known in some circles as, a "Lucy Phone"

 This is what you're looking for. A Western Electric Model 302. This one is from November, 1939. It has an E1 handset. And it is missing the clip on piece that holds the phone number (which I call a dial center). But the best part of this phone is - IT WORKS! Come on inside and get the full scoop on these telephones.

It looks a mess, but come inside and see what it looks like now.

Kodak Movie Cameras - An American Classic

On October 4th, 1959, in Kansas City, Missouri, Elka Camera was having an Out They Go at Ridiculous Prices sale on the 1958 and early 1959 models of various cameras and projectors. Included in that Eisenhower era blow out sale was a Kodak Brownie Movie Kit, with an 8mm camera sporting a 13mm f2.3 lens, model 77T. Also included was a two lamp light bar complete with bulbs.

I doubt if this particular camera was sold at that store, but if it had been it would have been reduced from $39.95 to the ridiculously low price of $14.98. And it would looked just like this (only new).

Care to see more? Step into the dark room and lets see what develops.

The Dining Room Is Done

We've been in this house for just a bit over five years. We may or may not be on the way to doing the entire place in midcentury. If it's not completely midcentury it will be close. Five years? What the heck have you been doing, Dave? Well, I've been busy. But now that this room is done we're highly motivated to get more done. Wanna see what we've done so far? Click on in.

After five years the dining room is done. Please ignore the power cord under stereo.

Howell Co. Dinette Table w/ Bronzite Legs and Pongee Walnut Grain Plastic Laminate Top

Who designed it? Who cares. It has Bronzite legs!

Bucket Seats sold separately.

Parallel by Drexel Dining Table from March, 1960 Designed by Barney Flagg

Update 01/21/14: We've sold the table.


What a momentous occasion. Firstly a new post after 3 months of inactivity. It's a long story, but really, who cares, right?

And secondly, I'm mentioning a designer's name after posts and posts claiming I don't know anything about who designed what during the MidCentury era.

Barney Flagg? Barney Rubble? Again, who cares? It's the Drexel name and the Parallel series (I almost wrote Parallel line. Get it? Parallel lines? Never mind.) that is the draw here.

Parallel by Drexel Dining Table w/ Leaf

Bottom line is: We have one and if you need one come see us. Check this out.

American of Martinsville Partial Bedroom Set

Update: We've sold the bedroom set.


I've mentioned this at least a thousand times (or maybe twice) I do not know designer's names, or names of product lines, or much of the minutiae of the stuff that I like so much. It's just cool stuff to me. Oh sure, I can tell this set is American of Martinsville, but only because it is burned into the side of the drawer. I picked it up at an auction because I liked the look. It was a bonus to find out that it had a "name".

It's a shame there were only three pieces. I bet the rest of this set looked great.

Be it a Partridge or a Peacock it's a Fabulous Lamp

Update 10/8/13: We have sold the lamp.

Do you ever sit back in amazement and wonder how could one twenty year period give birth to so much cool stuff? The chunk of time that I consider most important in my mid-mod mind are the years from 1949ish to 1969ish. After that came what I call the Mod era or the Brady Bunch era.

This lamp could be sitting right on the cusp between those two eras. Let's look at it in wonder and praise its uniqueness. And it's for sale.

Peacock Pretentiousness in Lamp form.

Let's Identify These Unknown Tables

I do not live or die by the name associated with my stuff. I have a ton of mid mod stuff furnishing my house because I like it, not because of the drawing power of the designer or manufacturer. However, that doesn't mean I don't want to know what stuff is.


So here is your project folks - Let's I.D. these two tables.

I have a matching end and coffee table. I assume there are identifying features.

Nothing written or stenciled on the bottoms.

Florence Knoll Knockoff?

 
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. You don't have to be so dramatic about it. I've had things to do. Getting a new business started from scratch takes time. But look what came in through the door. It looks like a Knoll. Not a grassy knoll, but a white fuzzy woolen Knoll

A white wool-ish Knoll knockoff? Beats me I'm just the thrift store guy.

Seth Thomas Sunburst (or is it) Starburst Clock

There are those midcentury mavens who really dig the big name designer stuff (love ya Superman & Dana) and then there are those of us (mainly me) who really dig the everyday, working man's stuff. You know, the blue collar guy working an 8 - 5 and making a hundred ninety eight fifty a week. The house was furnished (not decorated) in the stuff bought at the "discount" store or out of the Sears catalog. That's my kind of stuff.

Dig this clock! It's a Seth Thomas and man oh man it is nice. I'm no clock expert and I couldn't tell you when it was made. So consequently I can't say for sure whether it was late 60s and the quartz movement came in it or if it's older and someone added the movement later. But it doesn't matter, because just look at it!

Warning: Clown Content!

I've been a thrifter for a long time. I have my favorite places, and I developed several different circuits to follow when I would go out. Now that I'm a thrift store owner I don't get a chance to get out to the other thrifts as much as I used to. In fact - hardly ever. So now I have to get my fix in other places. Auctions.

Our store is growing (slowly) and requires a couple hundred pounds of new stuff per week. To that end Wonder Woman and I hit at least 3 - 4 auctions a month if not more. Last Friday we hit the "nice stuff" auction place where we usually buy big pieces of decent furniture. I did not expect to find these guys there.

Twofer Tuesday

Odd the thrift store business. Sometimes the most interesting things show up in your shop. Here's a two fer Tuesday.  I got a chrome eyeball floor lamp and a Lucite table lamp. They make me think vintage, but I'm just not sure. Maybe some of the smart people who check in here from time to time will chime in and tell us what we have.

A Lucite lamp that looks like a  "9" or from the other side an "e"

Not Just A Slat Bench - A SlavicModern™ Slat Bench

I know what you're thinking. And you're right. I did fall off of the face of the earth for about six weeks. But when I got back to earth I found a piece of SlavicModern™ furniture. And not just any piece of furniture - but a slat bench SlavicModern™ piece of furniture. And it was priced so right that this post could have been written by Sergeant Thrifty.

But enough about me let's get to the good stuff.

If my shins had eyes this would be their view.

Mother Goose Chalkware "Book"

Occasionally you find something that you JUST HAVE TO HAVE. I saw this at an auction and decided it was mine even before bidding started on it. I've looked everywhere and can't find another example of it. When you can't find something on ebay, or Google images there's a definite shortage of said item.

It's 40 years old (c.1972), it's a bit worn, but it's fabulous.

When It Exceeds Kitsch . . .

and moves into the land of tacky I start to take notice. But once it gets so tacky that it's almost cool, that's when I buy.

I have no words a few words to describe my love for this piece. It is molded resin or plastic so I think it might have come out of the 1970s. However, the blades of the swords are metal. So someone's job was to stick metal blades into the still warm plastic. What a great gig.

The detail is good in that "we're going to make it look like it's a clay sculpture" kind of way. The trying so hard to make it what it's not - is what makes it so good. I love it and it's not for sale.

Presented in all of it's tackiness.

Enjoy.

We'll be right back with . . . more stuff.

Faux Bamboo is better than No Bamboo

A popular, well run thrift store needs to be fed several hundred pounds of stuff a day. As old stuff goes out new stuff needs to be brought in, and on and on it goes.

Sure wish I had a popular, well run thrift store. But I don't. I have a so-so, fairly decently run thrift store, and it only requires being fed a couple hundred pounds of stuff a week.

Interestingly, some of the last several hundred pounds have been faux bamboo. I found myself in possession of a 10 piece set of Henry Link - Bali Hai bedroom furniture, and having sold most of that I now find myself in possession of a Thomasville Faux bamboo dinette set.

How 'bout these apples?

Somebody Help Me!

Wonder Woman and I were made the beneficiaries of some leftovers in a house after its owner fled the heat, humidity, and flying insects that give SW Florida its charm.

Anyway, I've been trying to price it. I've looked high and low for something like it and just can't. Is it possible that this stuff is from the wonderful 50s or swingin' 60s?

I don't have the readership that most of my blogging contemporaries have, but I know some smart people check-in here from time to time. So... everybody... what is this... old, or just hard to identify contemporary stuff?

I think you would call this rattan.

It doesn't have the traditional look of wicker with wrapped pieces.

The diameter of the cane is 1/8". And man, there's a lot of it.

The cushions may be new, but the chairs themselves have a bit of "patina".

Actually I would love to have these around our pool.

The problem is we don't have a pool.

So what do you think? Ever seen anything like this before? We'd love to hear read your thoughts.


We'll be right back with . . . more stuff.

Look What I Found - Lane Acclaim Tables

So since the thrift store is just two weeks old, and people aren't donating in mass quantities, we find ourselves in auctions somewhat regularly.

Last Friday we hit one of our usual spots because we saw these pictures on their website:

My thought was: no big deal on the end tables, but I MUST have that articulated coffee table.

Ode to an iron

Okay, if you've been following along you'll know that Wonder Woman and I opened a thrift store here in good 'ol Fort Myers Shores, FL.

We're a charitable non profit so people donate things to us.

Look what came in.

There it was lying in a donation box.

Probably Not C. Jere, But . . .

I like it anyway. And in the end that's all that counts. As an extra added bonus it only cost me fifteen bucks. And as an extra extra added bonus I got a neat 'ol lamp at the same place for five bucks.

It's about three feet across, maybe a few inches less.