Old is New Again!

This morning I was reading about blogs – what an amazing group of talented people out there in the blog world.

The ‘experts’ say a person should blog about something that interests them or that they are knowledgeable about. Hmmm…a natural fit for me seems to be collectibles and vintage things – I have so many unique and beautiful things from by gone eras – I will share some of them with you, along with information I have on the items circa and maker (if I know) -please feel free to add to the information I have if you have anything to share.

I have always loved miniatures and have a little house shaped cabinet these reside in. Some have been commandeered over the years to be used in a doll house or other game, but they always come back to their proper place once the game is over.

Another thing that has always intrigued me are house/building figures and wall hangings. The larger Bank and Tea Shop were created by Hazle Ceramics in England – not particularly old (2001) but very nicely designed and sure to become a sought after collectible through the years. They were my Sister’s and when she passed on earlier this year, I brought them home as a reminder of her.

The small cottage on the left I made from Polymer clay many years ago, the middle cottage I like for it’s detail, and the one of the right is a rock a friend painted to represent a Swiss chalet.

My assistant – never far away when I am photographing collectibles (or doing any other task) – she likes to be up close and personal with whatever her “Mom” is up to. Say hello to Ms. Zoey – she is 1.7 years old and a ball of energy.

Still on the topic of figurines in the female form, I picked this Geisha boxed figurine up for a few dollars at a sale. It’s very large and resides on top of my china cabinet to keep it safe.

Created from 1950-1970 as far as I can gather – if you have more definitive information on her, please share.

She is mounted to the stand, but the other accessory pieces can be moved around in the glass box. Her kimono is sun faded, but she in intact and all accessory pieces are in good condition. I have debated taking her kimono off and dying it, but it’s probably best to leave her alone.

Another favorite that I have is a few pieces of  Josef Originals figurines. Created by Muriel Joseph after World War II, the little lady with the turkey, the small gal in the front with the candle and the large figurine with the green dress are Josef, created between 1945-1970. The large one had a broken neck thanks to a certain cat getting too close; her neckband is not authentic but allowed me to salvage her.

The two little gals with the Lord’s Prayer phrases on their aprons are not Josef, but are very similarly fashioned. Unsure of their actual maker, but they are a close enough match they reside with the other Josef gals. Most likely created in the 1950’s or 60’s.

I noted in an article about Muriel Joseph that a printing error caused her name to be spelled incorrectly, and it was left that way from that point on.

At one time I had hundreds of older Avon bottles collected – due to lack of space to display them, they lived in boxes for the most part. Seemed silly to have all of these unique bottles where no one could see them or enjoy them; I sold them to other collectors, but kept a few of my favorites.

For the most part, these held perfume in a cream form. The little girl at the front had liquid cologne in her, and the one at the far back right held (and still holds) talcum powder.

I enjoy these little sachets and bottles because each one is so unique and they are small enough that they can be displayed without much difficulty..

The oldest in this lot is the powder sachet at the back right – it was only made in 1965. The others were made between 1965 and 1975. I remember having the peach barrel when I was a young girl, although not this particular one.

Avon items don’t really appreciate in value due to the huge volume of them that were made. However, some exceptions exist – anything still in the box and in perfect condition will have value, and anything from Avon’s predecessor, The California Perfume Company, will have a very high value to an Avon lover.

I worked in Property Management for many years. One of the houses I looked after had this fantastic light cover on one fixture -I coveted this fixture every time I went to that house. Fast forward a few years – the owner of the property moved back in and found this light fixture too vintage for her taste. It was gifted to me and now graces my bedroom ceiling.

From the scalloped edges, the thickness of the glass, to the hand painted roses, I love everything about this fixture cover. I haven’t been able to find this exact one in any reference material, but my best guess is it was made in the 1960’s. It is in perfect condition, and has withstood the last 55 years remarkably well.

No maker’s marks that I can find – does anyone have one similar?