Fire King range set

Woo-hoo! I now have a compete Fire King range set. Granted, it is mismatch of the "Tulips" and "Dot" patterns. But still, I'm pretty darn pleased.

This polka dot grease jar was an antique store splurge, clocking in at the most money I've ever spent on a single piece of ANYTHING vintage. Tax and all, a memorable total of $34.34.

But on the flip side, I have a range set that set me back 37 bucks, total. Not too shabby, I think.

Buying this piece also solved a mystery I'd had for almost a year. I bought a milk glass lid for a quarter at a mom-and-pop thrift/junk/lotsastuff store that was going out of business. My justification was "well, it goes to something." Some months later, I saw a photo that made me think it was a Fire King grease jar lid. Lo and behold, it is identical. So I now know that I have a spare, and should I ever find a lidless grease jar for a nice price, I'll have a lid just waiting for it. Snazzy. And this is pretty much the rest of my Fire King pieces. I have a few mugs and plates in the kitchen - including a very recently acquired jadeite dinner plate that has seen better days, but I just couldn't pass up at 99 cents from GW.

And can I just say, it's a little surreal actually owning things I've only seen in pictures & collectibles books? Since my "junkin" budget is more in keeping with thrift stores than antique stores, there's lots of things that I think are lovely, but are just totally out of my price range. But when I've been lucky enough to bring some of these items home and put them to use - either as they were meant to be used or merely as eye candy - I feel very blessed.

Good stuff!

Thrift Break

My grandmother passed away just days after writing my last blog post on how her sweet gifts had started me collecting the Federal Glass pattern "Petal".

It's been a sad and heavy week. By friday, I really needed to get out of the house, preferably to do something fun & perfectly normal. A thrift break was in order, however unlikely it would be that I'd find anything on a friday evening when nothing else would be open besides Goodwill.

But I did. I found the whole 480 Old Orchard Cinderella casserole set. I know, I know. This pattern likely holds the dubious honor of being the Ugliest Pyrex Pattern Ever Made. And my photo here doesn't do it any favors. Too lazy to drag it out into the kitchen, my only room that receives any real natural light for photographing.

Also, it was pretty darned expensive, even for Goodwill. $6.99 a piece for the largest pieces, $4.99 for the lidless smallest casserole. Any other time, I probably would have passed, but I decided not to leave it behind. These guys are going to be put to work. Also, am I crazy that I really don't think it's THAT ugly? Mostly, I think it's incredibly reflective of that 70's style that I am not all that fond of but remember very, very well.

But I still had another GW to go to. And boy-howdy I'm glad I did.$1.99 for the pair.

Seriously.

(I'm still picking my jaw back up off the floor)

These are Fire King Tulip salt & pepper shakers. I believe mine are the ivory color (as opposed to the twice-as-valuable white). But still, book value on these is $50-60 bucks. I rarely, rarely ever see them in local antique stores, and when I have, they've cost a mint.

These are a perfect example of something I could never afford to pay an antiques value for. And they easily win as my "Best Score from a Thrift Store Ever".

Additionally, there was something else there that I've specifically been looking for.This is an unmarked milkglass Hazel Atlas figural strawberry jam/jelly jar. There is some disagreement on when these were produced, but generally I think they are very late 1930's. A premium, or giveaway, item with Corn Kix cereal. Did you know that Kix has been around that long? Amazing!This strawberry set me back $2.49. (Still can't believe I paid more for this than I did the Fire King!) I had just recently picked up the apple (or peach, depending on who you ask) for $3.50 in an antique store and was on the lookout for the strawberry (the two choices you had from the giveaway).

I love them. I'd happily take more. The apple has an almost perfect 1 cup capacity, and I think it would be the sweetest thing ever to have a set of 6 or so and use them as individual jello cups. I actually had to pull the apple (or peach) out of the fridge for this photo, because I was using it to hold a little dab of leftover tuna from yesterdays lunch.

Exciting finds & wonderful thrift break. But on the serious side, I just wanted to say how very much I treasure and will miss my grandmother. Just one year ago, I had never even heard of Fire King or Hazel Atlas. It was her gifts to me that directly started me on this path of love for all things vintage & antique. It was because of her that I even heard these names, looked them up on the internet and was opened up to a whole side of the world that I didn't even know I was missing.

Her contributions to mine and my families lives have been invaluable & unmeasurable. A gentle woman by nature, but mighty in her influence. Filled with love, generosity, understanding & kindness. She had a love of beautiful things, but a spirit of practicality, utility and usefulness. Strong-willed and genius at finding new life and purpose in everyday objects. She mended, painted, canned, preserved - making the best of the harvest, and bringing back life and beauty to objects others would have discarded.

Amazing, amazing woman. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have been able to call her my grandma.

I collect: Federal Petal

This is a totally new-to-me glassware pattern. Manufactured by Federal Glass, this lovely "Petal" pattern was produced for app. 23 years (1954-1979) in a variety of color choices and iridescent finishes.

But what started me collecting this pattern, only months ago, were these two pieces given to me by my grandmother.
To my surprise, I've since found 3 more pieces from this line, all from thrift stores. First I found a large clear bowl. It was with another sandwich tray that was the same size as my grandmother's. For better or worse I made a decision on the spot to only collect unique sizes and colors from this line, and no duplicates, so I would never be confused as to which pieces actually came from my grandmother.

Since colored glassware generally has more collectors than clear, I was doubtful I'd find other colors anytime soon - especially at a thrift store. But just last week, I found this bowl. The color is called Smoke. From the top, the color is a deep grey with an iridescent finish on the underside. I'm still trying to get a better idea of the range of pieces made in this line. It does not appear that glasses or cups were made for it, and some of the colors - blue & pink in particular- seem far less common.

And though I only have the 5 pieces, I love the way it's worked out so far. I have a bowl for each plate in clear. Stacked like this, it reminds me a bit of the lovely jadeite "Lotus" snack set made by Fire King.

Since I'm a "set" junky, it's hard not to wish I had 3 or so more sets of each, I'd rather stick to my rule and aim for a variety of colors. And worse, I'm a "dishes" junky - so when I find even 1 stray cup or plate in a pattern I like, my immediate thought is "Oh, I'll just collect a service for 4. Nothing huge, or elaborate, or anything."

(cue the music of doom on behalf of my poor husband)

Price-wise, this pattern is still quite inexpensive, and somewhat lost in the sea of similarly lovely, unmarked 50's, 60's & 70's cut glassware. But I think it's just the cats pajamas. I'm tickled too for the fact that my grandmother specifically thought this would be something I'd appreciate. And I certainly do. And I'm looking forward to having another thing to keep my eyes peeled for in the thrift and antique stores. I've seen a few pictures of some of the other colors together, and I can't wait until I have a rainbow of them.

Thank you, grandma. I love you!

The blog that wasn't

This blog is not about my growing love for all things Julia Child. It is also not about the fact that irregardless of her instructions, I cook her recipes in my totally 1980's Visions cookware.

If it was about them, I'd have pictures of said Visions cookware, filled with mega-yummy Cream of Mushroom soup ala Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

But instead, today is just one of those days. My husband, asleep on the couch in front of me as I write, worn out and a bit heat-stroked from digging out access to our septic tank. Tomorrow will be the 3rd time it's been pumped out in the 6 years we've lived here.

And I'm trying not to think about the busted pot on my porch that contains my equally busted fish pepper I grew from seed.

And I'm trying not to think about my friend's canning party that I'm missing because I'm too busy being a run-around & sad-sack.

The soup I made is just as tasty even when it's just a quiet bit of nourishment in the middle of a deal-with-it-all day.

But it still would have made for a nice post.

*waaaahhhhh*snivel*boohooo*andallthat*

Alright, I feel better now. (Not really, but it's worth a shot)

Tomorrow is another day!

I *hearts* vintage kitchen

I'm still a relative newcomer to collecting vintage kitchen items. No doubt, there is a learning curve to understanding why very similar items can be so un-similarly valued & priced. It wasn't very long ago that I couldn't tell the difference between a Fire King casserole dish & a Pyrex one without flipping it over and looking for a mark. Now I can pretty much tell the difference between Termocrisa, Federal, Arcopal, Pyrex, Hazel Atlas, Glasbake & Fire King from 10 feet away.

It's all shapes & patterns. Once you know them, you just know them. There's definitely things that throw me sometimes, but on the whole, I've picked up a lot of perfectly useful, useless knowledge, lol.

But being so new to collecting, I already feel a sense of being "priced out" of many wonderful vintage items - particularly the 1940's era stuff that I am the most drawn to of all.

Collectibles books only highlight this sense of frustration, with their wonderful pictures and descriptions of canisters sets, mixing bowls, range sets with shakers & matching grease jars. Wonderfully whimsical patterns (who knew Roosters could be so dang cute?). Interesting color names and choices (Chalaine blue, Seville yellow, etc.).(Hazel Atlas mugs, all thrift store finds, and some of the only Hazel Atlas pieces I actually own. Probably not from this era exactly, but definitely the colors & graphic styles I like most of all. I suspect the rooster on the right could be older than the other two mugs, but I don't know for sure.)

I adore 1940's kitchenalia, but simply cannot afford it. Not by a mile. Entry-level pieces, such as a common juice reamer, run in the same 25-50 dollar price range that is my absolute top-out for pretty much anything vintage kitchen.

So for now, I find myself concentrating on 1950's kitchen items that are more in my price range. My absolute favorites are the earliest Pyrex pieces and patterns that run from approximately 1945 to 1962, beginning with the Primary colors and running up through the Early American pattern. The early 1960's ushered in gold tones, browns, creams & neutrals that would eventually become the Autumnal color palette of the 1970's.Early American & Butterprint Pyrex refrigerator dishes, late 50's to 60's patterns. I love pairing these two because of their similar American Gothic/Provincial/Farm & Homestead themes, as well as the brown & turquoise color combination. I believe Early American was actually the first main Pyrex pattern to use gold leaf -usually with the pattern in gold on a brown body - but I only collect the brown & white pieces.

So I can't afford to to buy thousand dollar canisters and hundred dollar mixing bowls, but I can splurge now and again on a compete Butterprint fridge set - a very reasonable 28 dollars for the whole set with lids! I was shocked to find it that cheaply, in fact. In the very same area, they had the whole set of 4 mixing bowls marked for $100.

Alas, I've definitely seemed to miss the boat on the days when Pyrex was a 50 cent yard sale item. Seeing pictures and posts from people who have gotten fridgies & bowls for 10 cents makes me sigh. I did, however, just buy the very cheapest pieces I've ever gotten from a thrift store just the other day. 1 dollar and 50 cents for the two smallest Shenandoah mixing bowls, in nice condition too, so I can't complain too much. I didn't/don't collect that pattern, but at a buck fifty, I suppose I do now, lol ;-)

American Sweetheart

I'm a happy lady today. It's often the little things make the most difference. Just having a belly full of a simple, delicious sandwich lunch & a glass of sweet tea to wash it down can do wonders for my mentality.

But the funny aspect of it is the fact that the plate I ate the sandwich off of makes me so happy.

First off, it's Depression Glass. A category of dishes I was quite certain I didn't want to collect. (You might correctly point out that I said the same of Fiesta a while back as well).

Why I singled out Depression Glass so early on as a no-go is for a variety of reasons. So many patterns to remember and recognize. Prices can vary dramatically, from fairly common and affordable to wildly expensive and rare. The often ornate and delicate patterns sometimes come off to me as being 'fussy'. I tend to go for much more simple fare, or just the opposite - whimsically tacky.

There's also something almost paralyzing to me about the idea of having items that I regard as being 'for everyday use' - such as plates, cups, etc. - but knowing that they are within the realm of being 75+ years old and potentially irreplaceable, either in the literal sense or from purely budgetary standpoint.

In the end, this wrangle I have with ordinary use items versus collectibles to just put up to look at is one of the reasons why I think I gravitate so much towards Pyrex collecting. I'm generally a lot less fearful that I will break or ruin a piece, but if I do, I'm optimistic I could find a replacement within my generally meager budget.

But since I found this plate, I've used it all the time - despite my fears of Depression Glass & concerns about it's relative fragility and replaceability. Perhaps its tie-in to the Pyrex I like so much is part of it?This plate is "American Sweetheart" manufactured by Macbeth Evans from 1930-1936. This pure white color is known as Monax (Forgive the severe yellow coloring to this photo. It was the only photo I took that the pattern turned out reasonably clear on). This company would later be acquired by Corning (the then manufacturer of Pyrex). So you could definitely say this type of material is a forerunner to the tempered opal Pyrex pieces of the mid-1940's to 1980's.

I bought it on a lark during this last highway yardsale. I made a stack of unpriced dishes in the hopes the lady would give me a bundle price - which included this luncheon plate, a couple of Hazel Atlas dishes and some old Avon bottles. 2 bucks total, my kind of deal!

But in my usual style, I had no idea what I was buying. Little did I know that "American Sweetheart" is easily in the top 10 most popular Depression Glass patterns. I suppose I should say "Score!", but in truth, I feel a little bit daft when things like that happen. And mostly, I'm just grateful for the times that I end up on the happy side of the expression "Live & Learn". ;-)

I realize, too, that my "collections" are evolving concepts. I have been collecting Fire King Charm pattern since a few lucky thrift finds, but haven't been completely honest with myself about the fact that I'm far more drawn to the Azurite pieces than the Royal Ruby or Forest Green. Noticing the light blue tint around the edge of the American Sweetheart plate gave me the idea to mix and match with the one place setting of azurite Charm I have. Loved it! It's far more fancy and girly than I tend to go for, but I am totally enamored.

I frequently wonder how other fans of vintage glassware decide from the myriad of items, styles, colors & manufacturers, which exact patterns & pieces they truly have a passion for collecting. Happy accidents from thrifting? Family had similar items? See something in an antique store that was 'love at first sight'? Or just love a hodge-podge of it all?

Birthday Blues

My birthday present: a set of 3 turquoise Pyrex mixing bowls. I now have 6 of 8 pieces - just missing the largest mixing bowl and largest refrigerator dish.

Hubs and I headed to another antique district we hadn't been to before. Lots of neat pieces I had only seen in pictures before. I was tempted by a turquoise Hazel Atlas Kitchen Aids print bowl, but the 30 dollar price tag made me sigh.

But I was thrilled when I found this Pyrex set. It was at the absolute top of my price range, but significantly cheaper than its book value or typical ebay price range, so I was very, very happy to buy it. A birthday splurge!
Top of my microwave (which is my defacto display area). Had to bust out with some matching Butterprint pieces.

We got lost trying to find the antique store and ended up in Georgia. We passed up a few thrift stores before my husband was willing to admit we were lost (lol), so we decided to stop. Found two refrigerator dish lids. No actual dishes, but just finding the lids alone is always a plus. I'm eternally looking for them but counting these I've only found 5 total in over the last year of thrifting.

Very good birthday!