Thrift Share Monday: Things to Keep, Things to Give, Things to Sell

I've made myself promise that I cannot, simply cannot bring another thrifted or junqued item in here unless I've either got an immediate need for the object, think it would make a great gift for someone I know, or will be listed on eBay or etsy within the week!

The current Miss Howe's Curiosities villa is a mere 283.5 sq ft, with high (10 1/2 ft) ceilings and a lovely marble fireplace. It was a master bedroom in the 1860 townhouse that would one day be chopped into an assortment of cell-like apartments (anyone in the UK or Australia, think "bedsit") with small kitchenettes but thankfully deep bathtubs and well, unique quirks like single-paned windows two blocks from a New England River, and being within walking distance of a host of businesses, restaurants, and attractions. I have enjoyed living here, but I absolutely cannot hoard a thing.

In the spirit of making room, here are a few lovelies I picked up. Can you guess which ones are for gifts, resale, or just for me?

First, sturdy metal bookends - remember them from your school library - were 50c apiece. These still have their Harvard Coop  price tags attached! I wonder if there's a field of study, like forensic economics, that can date an item based on its original cost?

Next, a set of three plastic yet lacquer-look Japanese trays, defintely made for the American Market..

 

.. and a Vegan Blue Suede Coat!

 

If I'm especially prolific in posting to eBay or etsy this week, it's due to the candy corn, Mellocreme pumpkins, and the promise of more eclectic goodness!

Giveaway Cookbooks and Pamphlets from Food Manufacturers

Does anyone else love vintage "giveaway" cookbooks and pamphlets that food producers, soap companies, and other manufacturers of home or women's items used to distribute? I remember seeing these in the kitchen drawers and bookshelves of my grandmother and some of her friends and relatives. Prominently featuring everything from a certain brand of flour to yeast brands long since absorbed, or as a promotional giveaway with certain brands of soap, they were chock-full of recipes which ran the gamut from staple to disturbing.

I found this Fleischmann's cookbook on home-made, manual bread baking at a library booksale; if I've read the "5-48" in the back cover notes correctly, it dates from May, 1948!

My early introduction to this genre was through a small Dell paperback entitled, "One Pot Cooking", which my grandmother received with a Dove soap bar purchase; as soon as I could read the title, it resonated with me on a soul level. I am now an unabashedly proud one-pot gourmand (well, as much as the sanctity of the recipe permits!). I wish I hadn't thrown it out, what an interesting re-read that would have been..

Do you have any favorite giveaway pamphelts and/or cookbooks that you are looking for or simply cannot live without?

 

Thrift Share Monday: Treasures Found

This past week I went to my local Goodwill in Central Square, just to see "what was there" and maybe find some stock for my Etsy store. Meaning only to be there for a few minutes, I browsed for over an hour, witnessing folks knocking items off of shelves, found meaning and answers to internal questions while perusing housewares (could this be called "junkomancy"?), and of course found some gems.

First, I picked through endless saucers and cups, dessert plates and abandoned Tupperware to find a lovely mismated set of Boontonware cups and saucers. I've only posted one cup and saucer, but more pics will follow soon.

A few skeins of Aunt Lydia's Krylon Rug-hooking yarn:

.. and perhaps my favorite find, a Vintage Ecko Red-Wooden Handled Eggbeater, which I think dates from the 1920's - does anyone know where I can find the age of and more information about this implement?

That's all!

Welcome to Miss Howe's Curiosities

Hello! My name is Eleanor, and I'm the curator here at Miss Howe's Curiosities, a blog devoted to vintage wonders, artifacts and sensibilities. I've grown up as an only child, surrounded by my Mom - who is a generation older than my peers Mothers - and grandmother, plus legions of Great-Aunts, Second Cousins twice removed, and a network of folks who lived in the present but remained firmly connected to the past.

Join me as I search for common items from the past that bring delight and joy to our today!