Saturday, December 31, 2011

I "Picked" Up This Gondola Style Sofa This Morning And Just Managed To Shoot Pictures Before Heading Off To Work. Status: That's Right...Daily Blogger / Full Time Worker.

DSCN5186

I got this to replace our current gondola sofa in the livingroom because it looks a little less "chunky" but it won't work.  It needs to be backed up against a what to support the seatback cushions.  Our gondola sofa is against our front windows and there isn't anything to push up against!  Fail.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Way Cool Antique Mall Score! Ben Seibel Bookends. Status: Not Perfect But Cheap!

DSCN5175

These were found in a booth at the St. Charles Antique Mall.  Antique malls are not really Meccas of Vintage Modern but, like craigslist, if you have the patience and check often you will be rewarded!  I only learned about Ben Seibel and his various designs about a year or so ago but have become a bit of a fan.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

No Mad Men Chain Smoking Going On In This Office. Why Do I Have Such Huge Ashtrays? Status: Useless.

DSCN5162

The Girlfriend gave up smoking a couple months ago and hasn't smoked in the house in many years yet I've got dozens of ashtrays.  Only one has ever seen a butt and actually, it's hers.  It's a cool ashtray on a stand that sits just outside the front door that has been abused by mother nature (and the weight of hundreds of butts) for two years.  Maybe I'll clean it up and see if it can be saved this winter.  Until then, check out these enormous smoking apparatuses!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

More Thrifty Vintage Drinkware Swag! Status: All Kinds Of Gorgeous!

DSCN5154

Another nice lot of vintage glassware made it's way to our humble abode.  Some I needed and some were just a really great find.  I've never found any interesting Martini glasses before.  Are they vintage?  Dunno!  Ever seen Rollie Poly glasses like these?  Me either!  Three starburst small rocks glasses?  Thanks Thrift Gods!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

I Picked Up A Beautiful Kent Coffey "Foreteller" Bedroom Set This Afternoon. I Bet It Could See Me Coming A Mile Away. Status: C'mon...Foreteller? Get It?

DSCN5153

Finally!  Vintage Modern stuff getting blogged about again!  Did you miss it as much as I?  Well this is a Big Set to make up for lost time.  I spotted this set on craigslist a few days ago just listed as a "bedroom set" but was surprised to find it a complete Kent Coffey "the Foreteller" bedroom set with TWO nightstands!

Monday, December 26, 2011

No Vintage Retro Goodies Today. C'mon! It's Christmas! And What Does Mr. Modtomic Do On Christmas Night? Ice Skating With The Girlfriend. Status: I'm So Effing Romantic!

IMG_20111225_233201

Just like in the movies!  We went Ice Skating on Christmas Night and it was great!  We got there kinda late but didn't stay 'til closing anyway.  It wasn't too cold and since we both have rollerblades we were fairly capable ice skaters right away.  The Girlfriend only fell once!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

What's This, What's This? A Crazy Mixed Up Tree. What's This? A Nightmare Christmas Theme. Status: Vintage + Halloween + Christmas!

DSCN5125

Happy Hollidays everybody! I hope you are having a wonderful day. I can't wait to hear about all the goodies you're tearing the wrappings off of! Just taking a moment to show off our Nightmare Before Christmas theme party decorations.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Long Cold Nights...Flea Markets Shut...Few Estate Sales? Time For Some Winter Projects. Status: Let It Begin...Let It BEGIN!!!

DSCN5117

Oh...it's begun. And it is ON buddy. Me and these Paul McCobb chairs as well as this third piece to my newly acquired Lane living room table set have a date with destiny. These are the pieces I vow to have back in use this winter. I know, I know...the table. That's a cake walk. No problem. But those chairs, well...that's a whole another ball of wax.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Just In Time For X-Mas! Winter (?) Glassware Found In Garage And Unboxed! Status: Straight To Craigslist!

DSCN5095

I woke up late (noon) and had to get my morning (well...afternoon) sorted quick.  I had to meet a buyer of one of my myriad of Flip Clocks at their work.  It was a gift and they needed it quick.  I was more than happy to oblige since it was close but that meant that I had to forgo my normal routine of taking pics before work.  That's right folks...it's a house of cards around here with me bumping up against my self imposed daily deadline EVERY time!  So here's another post pulled out of thin air for your blog perusing critique.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

I Know It Seems Like Deja Vu But I Don't Control What The Thrift Gods Drop In My Lap! More Dorothy Thorpe Style Stuff And A Starburst Pyrex Decanter. Status: Cleaning Problem...Help?

DSCN5087

Again, I found this lot over at the St. Charles Goodwill. I know it seems like I'm over there all the time but I (again) had taken the day off because I needed to take the rest of my vacation days from work lest I loose them at the end of the year. I finally remembered to go over to a shop in "Old" St. Charles that deals in some VERY interesting antique restoration items to pick up some caning for a project I'm working on and for realz, the Goodwill is on the way back to the highway. How could I not stop?

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Wait..Didn't I Just Post About A Lamp Yesterday? Yep, And It's The Same Ol' Story...Lamp Meets Shade. Status: Living Happily Ever After.

DSCN5086

The shade found it's way into my hands at the Goodwill down the street.  It was a (getting) rare find what with it being in excellent condition.  They are so fragile that it's just amazing that it can make its way through "the machine" of donation, display and purchase without being crushed.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Picked Up A Really Cool Lamp Base This Afternoon. A Nice Match For The Last Multi Element Shade I Had Sittin' 'Round. Status: Together At Last.

DSCN5076

Completely unrelated to the lamp: Has anybody else seen the American Masters PBS series on Charles and Ray Eames?  I watched it tonight on KETC Channel 9, our local public television station.  It was quite informative but dizzying in the amount of info they had to go through.  I felt like they could have broken it up into four or five hour long shows and still would have had to skim the surface of a lot of the Eames' contributions.

Monday, December 19, 2011

How About A Little Wine To Celebrate 500 Posts? OK, The Wine Ain't Available But The Gorgeous Wine Rack Is! Status: Keepin' The Libations In Style

DSCN5061

I just found this Bordex style (not marked) wine rack over the weekend. It's a "desktop" sort of unit and I can't fit it in my wine storage area on the shelves. It's a really cool vintage modern / industrial design that I think can be expanded upon. I'm making it available on my c-list ads, but not the Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay! That's special.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Coolest Mod "Doll" House Ever? It Needs A Lil Work...And Some Furniture! Status: YeeHa! 500 Posts Today!

DSCN5046

I have a real hard time calling this a "Doll" house, but what else can it be called?  I found this DOLL house initially on eBay where it failed to sell, but I noticed that it was located in Springfield Il. only about a 120 miles from home.  I often check the craigslists of the periphery cities around St. Louis for good stuff and when this didn't sell on eBay it made it's way onto c-list.  A road trip was in order!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

This Ever Happen In Your Neck Of The Woods? Two Stores, Two Scores, One Motif? Thorpe Style Glassware & Vintage Modern Candlesticks. Status: Thrift Score.

DSCN5038

While not technically a Dorothy Thorpe style (as far as I know), that is still how I'd describe these four "rocks" and "highballs".  I didn't even have a chance to properly clean them up and yet, as you can see, they are still quite an attractive set.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Oh Sweet Thrift Store Lighted Globe Scorage! Status: About As Sexy As A Model Of The Earth Can Be.

DSCN5007

Having taken the day of today proved VERY fruitful!  I had to go to the (True Value!) hardware store to (finally) get a lock set with a key for the garage door since we've never had one.  While I was out I of course had to do some rare weekday thrift scavenging!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

It's So Not Vintage Modern In Any Way But It Was Such A Great Thrift Score That I Just Had To Share. Status: Staring At The Moon.

 DSCN4998

Do I need a telescope?  Nope.  Would I ever consider buying one new?  Not a chance.  Does it look cool and add a sense of distinguished character to the Lily Pad?  Yup!  Oh...and it works!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Kaaa-Pow! How's This For A Pink Bathroom?! Pics From The Estate Auction Down The Street! Status: Tell Your Eyes I'm Sorry.

DSCN4950

Is this not the most "WOW" bathroom Ever? Sad to know there is NO WAY this one will be saved. It's both amazing (I'd totally keep it EXACTLY as is!) and seriously garish. It's like a page out of one of those late '60s early '70s Better Homes & Gardens decorating books come to life! I'm smitten.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Hittin' The Road For Vintage Booty. Danish Daybed Treasure Spotted In Columbia Mo. Status: Got.

DSCN4991

I was off work Thursday and Friday so I took the opportunity to scrounge through the "outer ring" of craigslists including Springfield Il., Cape Girardeau Mo. and Columbia Mo. These are all within easy daytrip driving distance from St. Louis. The St. Louis craigslist was yielding nothing but the same old "bumped up" stuff so finding these in Columbia Mo. was a breath of fresh air.

Monday, December 12, 2011

This Killer GE Granville Console Stereo Was Also Procured From The Sale Down The Street. I Was The ONLY Bidder. Status: Cheap? You Betcha!

DSCN4983

I only know it's a "Granville" because the previous owner was kind enough to keep the original sales brochure along with some other paperwork for the unit! Apparently it's a Model RC4331 and the previous owner was also kind enough to keep it in excellent condition...mostly.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Large Format Estate Auction Booty. By "Large" I Mean Larger Size As Well As Price. Status: Yup...Mr. Mod Had To Open Up The Pocket Book.

DSCN4970

This magazine bin / lamp / table was one of the items that drew me all the way down the street to the auction Friday morning. There was also a nice generic dining set that was pretty cool but I didn't feel like toasting the last of my dough on it since there were a few other items I had my keen little eye on.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

I Didn't Get Around To Unloading Frank This Afternoon. There Was An Estate Auction (Blegh) This Morning. Status: Scores!

DSCN4974

Yeah, I know..."I Hate auctions blah blah blah", but c'mon...it was like ten houses down the street. How could I resist? Plus, once the auction got going it wasn't so bad as many of the buyers either got their fill or just left and it wasn't so crowded. I managed to snatch up this pair of Jens Quistgaard Fiesta danish modern iron candleholders by Dansk (along with a box of sundries) for $17.50. Not too shabby.

Friday, December 9, 2011

I Took A Little Roadtrip This Morning To Columbia Mo. To Pick Up Something Cool But Stopped And Shopped A Few Antique Malls Along The Way. Status: Extra Goodies.

DSCN4905

I went on a little craigslist snatching roadtrip this morning after seeing an ad late last night (really, early this morning...wait...yesterday morning...this gets so confusing). Anyway, the ad was for something good (no, not the pole lamp!) for really cheap. I thought for sure that would already be gone but the seller got back to me right away. So off I went this morning!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Vintage Retro Silverware By Castle Stainless Steel. Status: Finally Found My Stash!

DSCN4880

I have some of this set of retro silverware pictured with a place setting of my Franciscan Starburst on my former Noguchi Cyclone cafe table (sold it last weekend) and have had a few inquiries about it.  I feel so guilty about getting to this only just now but I forgot where I put the set after shooting those pics!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Pulled All The Russel Wright (Whew...) And Dragged Out The Franciscan Trio. Status: Keepin' It Real.

DSCN4857

I got bored with all the Russel Wright in the china cabinet and since we're having a change of season, I thought it might be time to change up the display.  It's all Vintage Modern Franciscan now and for the time being.  I was surprised how much R.W. I had to put away!  I got LOTS.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Thrift Store Pickin's! We've Been Falling Down On The Job A Little Where Thrifting Is Concerned But Here's A Little Somethin' We Got Lately. Status: Bright And Shiny!

DSCN4847

It's Orange...it's plastic...the Girlfriend never had a chance.  There was no way this wasn't coming home with us.  She loves the color orange and...well, you already know how she is about plastic.  I spotted the plastic ware and showed her the set and picked up the coffee decanter for myself.  It's a Fred Press!

Monday, December 5, 2011

I Find The Survival Of These Cork Lamps Over The Years Amazing! They Seem So Soft And Fragile. Status: Still Here.

DSCN4840

I can remember having an entire wall covered in cork when I was a kid. I remember it having a particular smell too. The thing about cork like this is that it is so soft and easily damaged. I'm really surprised to see these cork lamps still out there after all these years!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Just A Couple Lil' Items I Had Sittin' Around. Starbursts, Salt-N-Peppers And Ashtray Twins. Status: Random.

DSCN4833

Wow, after all the great estate sales this Summer, I hate to sound like I'm complaining but...Dangit! They've kinda dried up again! Not really dried up, because there were at least dozen this weekend, but the really good Vintage Modern ones have all gone away! If I was after some Early American or French Provincial...I'd be set!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

More Stuff I Had For A While...Loved Lots...And Passed On To Another. Status: Gone But Not Forgotten.

sold Dscn5363

Please forgive the quality of these photos. These pics are three years old and are from when I first started taking pictures. I didn't have it all sorted out just yet. But anyway, what you're looking at is a VERY hard to find Ronald Schmitt / Knut Hesterberg "Propeller" table. This I found on craigslist for all of $125. I don't seem to find these kinda deals much anymore. Oh how the times they are a changin'.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Something's Fishy 'Round Here. I Hope It Ain't These Amazing Libbey Glasses. Status: Traded For!

DSCN4826

So I finally got in touch with sabo_meenyo (who had mentioned a time or two that she'd like to do a glass swap!) and we made the trade! She seemed really pleased with the glassware I had for her and I'm sure everybody reading knows how much I love these Libbey "Fish" Glasses.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Mr. Modtomic Don't Go In For That Subtle Stuff. The More Space Age The Better! Status: Better....Much Better!

DSCN4817

Barware doesn't get much more Modern Atomic than this! These are some items I've had for quite a while, but they've been over at the bungalow until now. These two pieces are some of my best scores to date.