Panoply: Estate Sale Spree

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Estate Sale Spree - More for Less

While my husband and I were on vacation, there was a really nice, upscale estate sale being hosted back home. It was scheduled for two weekends, so upon returning from vacation I went to see what remained on the second weekend. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy a nice spree and come away with some nice things, and all at 50% off. Wanna see what I bought? Check these out.......

First, I bought several pieces of ironstone of various weights and manufacture (Bavaria, Germany, England, France, USA), as well as a vintage, 5 gal "penny" bottle in a beautiful, blue color.

Antique and vintage ironstone, glass "penny" bottle

This pedestal cake stand, with hand-painted daisy ring (one of my favorite picks of this lot), is marked JC & Louise Bavaria (late 19th, early 20th century).

Detail of JC & Louise Bavaria cake stand

Second, I selected various vintage millinery, including a fascinator (with box) and straw and woven hats with great fruit and floral trims. Other accessories include a man's bowler with original box, a cashmere Burberry scarf and antique spectacles in advertising case. My sister M does well with hat sales, and I had her in mind when I shopped these (she was on vacation during this sale).

Vintage Millinery, Accessories

Metals are attractive to me for their durability, and these were a bit unusual, mostly in their markings. The pewter pitcher is actually a trophy.

Vintage metals: pewter and silverplate

The pitcher inscription reads, "Joe Bonsall Trophy Best Floribunda Charleston Rose Society 1967".

Detail pitcher inscription: "Joe Bonsall Trophy Best Floribunda Charleston Rose Society 1967"

The toast rack ( I seem to have a collection of those, owning four or five now) is Made in England, marked EPBM, meaning "Electroplate on Brittania Metal". I've seen EPNS before (Electroplate Nickel Silver), but not EPBM.

Detail toast rack markings

I found this pair of silhouettes interesting, clearly vintage and maybe antique (frames), depicting the same person perhaps, as a boy and man. I'm not sure if this was a family member, and I did not ask.

Boy and man silhouettes

There were several primitives, and I picked up a few with my other Panoply sister, J, in mind. The dough bowl has a crack and a notch, but it was still quite handsome, made of walnut. The pillow cover is a remnant, I think, of an old quilt, in the cathedral window pattern. The book is titled, "Little Plays Told to the Children", no date, but clearly very old, with great color illustrations, printed in England.

Primitive dough bowl, quilt remnant pillow and book

These vintage ladderback rush chairs were in great condition and at a great price. I called my sister J on these, and bought them to enable her ongoing chair addiction.

Vintage, ladderback rush chairs

With an eye toward Christmas and holiday items, I picked this vintage pair of brass deer, and sweet illustration by Joan Walsh Anglund (1970s). I also bought a framed needlepoint that says "Merry Christmas" (no photo).

Vintage brass deer and Joan Walsh Anglund framed illustration

Detail of Joan Walsh Anglund illustration

Going to estate sales at full price, even when invited to pre-sales for best selections, has become increasingly frustrating as a dealer (and end-user!). Over the years, we at Panoply have seen customers wanting good deals - always - and so do we. There are only a few hosts in our area who are engaged in estate sales, and they are all consistently raising their prices from when they first began in their business. Estate sales rarely turn out to be a good venue for buying with the intention of resale. That's why this 50% sale was such a delight. Even if the items don't go at resale, they'll be ones I won't mind keeping.

Meanwhile, back at the antique mall, we recently changed up one corner display, "♪♫In the Good Old Summertime♪♫"....whether boating, bathing, fishing, camping, or just sipping iced tea or lemonade, we've got you vintagely covered. :)