Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Coffee, Tea and Friendship...What More Could You Want??!!


The traditions of tea time have been around for centuries.  The special implements, pots, cups,etc., used to enhance the ceremony have grown and changed throughout the centuries.  Manufacturers have created some of the most inspirational porcelains, ceramics,stoneware, and silver settings.  You could get lost for years in creating your own collection!  It does not matter if it is a formal set or an informal piece for just one, they are all beautiful and represent something special that we don't find a lot of these days.  Specifically, time to spend just relaxing and sharing with friends and family.  A pot of tea or a hot mug of coffee in a quiet setting is priceless (add a good book and it can't be beat)!  Creating those special table settings can become a full time hobby and very rewarding to share with others. The beautiful pots and cups are not just for tea anymore; coffee has a permanent place on our entertaining tables and their own set of special collectibles.  Cream and sugar sets abound!  Depression glass, porcelain, pottery, etc., they come in just about any style and for any taste.   If casual is more to your liking, take a look at some of the English and
American pottery pieces.  The little elephant creamer to the right is Shawnee and the little cottage creamer at the left is made in England.  They both have great style and add interest to any table setting!  Mix and match your table setting with "orphan" teacups.  Those are the ones hanging around in your cupboard with a missing saucer.  Match them up with saucers that are not original to the cup but maybe carry some of the same colors.  Be daring and just forget the saucer!



However you plan it, make sure you take time to enjoy using and sharing these lovely pieces that encourage you to take time with friends, family or just yourself!
Small coffee pot for one
Elegant rose covered teapot
A little more formal Art Deco coffee service
Cozy old copper with a great patina

Believe it or not, this is an electric coffee pot




                                                               

























Thursday, August 25, 2016

English "Character's" For Our Collections

Beswick Sairy Gamp Teapot
When is a coffee mug a work of art??  The English ceramic and pottery artists are "heads" above all the rest!  It was around the 18th century when some of the Staffordshire potters started making mugs with human heads. They were called "Toby's". Toby was a seated character with a three cornered hat so you could drink out of each of the corners.  Since then, they have been made by several ceramic and pottery houses in England.  Wood & Sons, Beswick, Royal Doulton, and on and on.  Some are more valued monetarily than others but they all have collectible value.  Many of the characters you see are from books or just daily life. Today you will see mugs, jugs and teapots with the "head" theme.  You also see many different sizes. There are "mini's" that are just a few inches tall all the way to large jugs.  I think you will find a huge range of ages for these little treasures.  They are still being made today so if you want true vintage pieces, you will have to do a little homework!
This was done by Sandland and is a two sided mug
with characters on each side
This darling Little Old Lady teapot was
made by H.J. Wood, probably in the 1930's


 
                                                        
                                                                                          This pair was made by Thorley and are named
                                                                                         "Jolly Miller" and "Miller's Wife".  They are mini's

                                                      This little guy was made by SylvaC Ceamic's and is named
"Chelsea Pensioner"

 

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Come Visit Our Farm Kitchen!

Each quarter, the staff, vendors and owner of South End Antique Mall plan a new theme for our entryway.  This quarter it is "Farm Kitchen".  They all go out of their way to find special treasures just for this area.  We love it when you walk in the door and are "wowed" by the new decor!  This quarter is no different.  You need to come and check out the treasures that have arrived for our "Farm Kitchen"!  Many of these things are still usable today and are fun to have around.  Some are fun to have around but I am sure were not fun to use!   I am not sure I would have liked having to get my water by using a hand pump!  Be sure to stop by and leave some feedback about the change!






Friday, August 12, 2016

Aurora Colony Days "Hits The Streets"!!

If you are planning your weekend activities, don't forget to take in the Aurora Colony Days  celebration in Aurora on Saturday.  Merchandise spills out from the different stores into the streets for this day long celebration.  There is a parade, a 1k/5k run walk, an art show, an artisan farmer's market, etc., just to name a few activities.  South End Antique Mall "spills out" into the parking lot and field along side the mall for a two day celebration on both Saturday and Sunday!  The tents have been going up for the past few days and today the vendors are busy filling the parking lot and field with treasures just for this weekend.  The entire store is 10% off with many vendors offering deeper discounts.  This is our last parking lot sale of the year so don't miss out on the fun.  Here are a few "teasers" for you to check out!









Wednesday, August 10, 2016

The Sweetest "Pie Birds" Ever!!

Have you ever wanted to start a collection for yourself but did not have the funds or space to house

one??  This is the collectible for you!! Pie birds take up small amounts of space and bring huge returns in the delight you get from the different kinds.  Pie birds have been around since the Victorian era.  They started out life as "pie funnels" and were a chimney shaped contraption that you placed in the center of a pie to allow steam to escape, thus keeping the pie from boiling over in the oven.  They later morphed into bird shapes and were called Pie Birds.  Same concept as the funnel but more fun to collect because of the imagination of so many different artists.  You can identify a pie bird by a couple of different characteristics.  The first is they will always have some type of a hole in the top somewhere; either the top of
the piece or the mouth as you see in the one to the right.  Secondly, they will usually have a slight elevation to the bottom edge of the base.  This is to allow the juices to flow through.  You may occasionally find one without this indention but not too often.  In that case, just know that if you turn it upside down, you should see a completely hollow space.  If you see a small hole that a cork would fit into, you have a shaker and not a pie bird.  There are so many wonderful artists out there it is difficult to say where to start collecting!  Usually, you can pick up a common pie bird for about $10 - $20 or so.  The prices will go steeper if they are quality vintage or a well known artist.  For example, Stuart Bass is one of my favorite pie bird designers.  He hand paints his birds and uses a wonderful glaze that gives them real depth.  He has retired as of June of 2015 so his pie birds have sky rocketed in value. You can expect to pay
anywhere from $70 and up for his.  An example of his work is "Bill the Waiter" to your left.  He did a lot of "series" work with different occupations, animals, senior citizens, etc. You will find his pieces signed "S. Bass".  Not all pie birds are signed by their designer but many are.   A few more that I am partial to are Babbacombe, Adrian, Sammie Roberts, Rachel Bass (Stuart Bass's daughter who is a wonderful artist in her own right), etc. Start looking for them and you will be pleasantly surprised at how many are out there!  Just a side note, if you are busy planning your weekend, make sure you take time to visit Aurora!  This weekend is the Aurora Colony Days celebration (August 13, 2016).  The antique dealers in this town all set up sidewalk and street canopies with tons of wonderful merchandise.  We at South End Antique mall also bring the sale outside!  We have vendors who are already setting up their canopies for special items for the sale. Prices are 10% off store wide and many vendors offer even deeper cuts.  Aurora Colony Days is Saturday only but we keep the fun going by staying open for the sale both Saturday and Sunday (Aug 13th & 14th).  While you are here, check out our collection of pie birds!!        


The little bird on the left is called the 'Pillsbury Pie Bird" and is vintage.  The blackbirds coming out of a pie on the right are Stuart Bass.  Pictured
below are some more Bass, Roberts and an Adrian.













Thursday, August 4, 2016

Bring On The Bling!

There is really something special about that vintage costume jewelry from the early to mid 20th century.  Women's magazines were full of beautiful pieces of jewelry that could be purchased at a reasonable price.  Women saw stars wearing these designer pieces and wanted some for themselves!  The jewelry was well made and set in the same types of settings as the more expensive pieces that contained precious jewels. Starting in 1955, they began making stones called "Aurora Borealis" and they are just stunning!  This was a process whereby stones were coated with layers of metal giving a rainbow brilliance to the piece.  It is easy to fall in love with these old pieces with their eye catching colors and elegant style (pictures just do not do them justice). There was something special about these early designers.  Miriam Haskell (her pieces were actually designed by Frank Hess but released under the Haskell name), Eisenberg, Hobe, Weiss, Renior, etc.  This is just a few!! These early pieces of jewelry were not always signed, but do make sure you check the back of the necklace clasp or earring clips for designer names.  If the back of the piece is too shiny and new looking or the stones are not set in prong settings, it may not be vintage so inspect your pieces carefully. Do enjoy collecting and wearing these beautiful works of art!  Don't forget to visit South End Antique Mall Saturday and Sunday, August 13th & 14th for the Aurora Colony Days sale!  We are opening our parking lot again with some fabulous buys!
Aurora Borealis earrings and pin
Beautiful enameled pin with rhinestone center


These beautiful enameled pieces are timeless!
Aurora Borealis necklace 
Look at the beautiful Petit Point center on this pin!



   

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                                                              I love the lacy look and dangling chain on this piece