What Can I Say, I've Been Lazy. But I'm Still Posting! I Mean, Just Look! Some Smalls I've Picked Up, The Best Of Which Would Be A Fantastic Set Of Norman Bleckner Bookends. Status: Available.

Some of this lot has been sitting around here for a lil bit and some of it just recently found its way into the fray.  The candle holder and platter are fairly recent finds but the bookends have been sitting in a small paper bag since last Halloween!

The Girlfriend And I Hit The Belleville Flea This Morning And On The Way Home We Just HAD To Stop At The Fairview Heights Savers. I Found A Little Set Of Roseville / Raymor Serving Pieces And Thought I'd Hit The Jackpot! Status: Left Behind.

Everybody knows I've got the hots for some Ben Seibel designs.  When I spotted these loose pieces sitting on the shelf there at Savers my lil heart went a pitter patter!  You know what I mean.  Alas, all was not what it seemed.

Saturday Was Mostly Spent On The Road Messing Around Central Illinois. We Started Out At The Belleville Flea Market And Ended Up In Springfield Illinois At The Barrel Anique Mall. Status: Tons Of Good Stuff!

This place, Barrel Antique Mall Springfield Il., was a pleasant surprise.  It's always nice to find a vendor in an antique mall hawking the Vintage Modern.  Sometimes it's just a one or two...maybe a few...vendors with a piece or two available, but this place had booth after lovely booth of good stuff!

Mr. Modtomic Loves Him Some Ben Seibel...But Are These, In Fact, Ben Seibel? If So What Is Up With The Maison Gourmet On The ID Sticker? Status: Beats Me.

Another nice little item I picked up at the auction Saturday: a pair of (what are ostensibly) Ben Seibel brass bookends.   After seeing another pair on Hannah's blog years ago I fell hard for the various designs and have always been on the look out for them.  This pair was shown in the preview photos for the vintage modern auction and were on my list to check out when I arrived.

I Like Ben. I Like Hot Chocolate. Put The Two Together On A Snowy Winter Day And I'm A Pretty Happy Guy. Throw In A Great Thrift Store Find For Good Measure And It's A Really Good Day! Status: Still...Headed To The Booth.

Don't ya just love it when you find something good AND "signed" at the thrift?  Yeah, I know...they're not really signed but it's a lot closer than just a blank bottom!  And I got a LOT of 'em!

I Never Even Heard Of Ben Seibel Before Reading About His Designs On Mid2Mod And SecondHand And Now I Got His Stuff Littering The Joint! What's One More Piece?! Status: Small Reward.

I jumped up before dawn Saturday morning in the hopes of scoring a decent set of United Furniture Corp. bedroom pieces. There was an estate sale in a storefront down in South City that was comprised of two condo sales. I was there only for a dresser and chest of drawers...and was there first in line, but alas...it was too pricey.

I Know...You Were Expecting More Photos From BAM In Chicago, But The Girlfriend Picked Up This Amazing Ceramic And Walnut Lamp While I Was There. Status: And More!

Actually the Girlfriend picked up not One but TWO great lamps while I was off gallivanting through Illinois.  This white ceramic and walnut is a keeper but the second one has already made it's way to my booth (44) at the Green Shag Market in the city.  The second lamp is a close match to one that I've already got in there so it was a natural to be offered as well.  Then, when I got back I managed to pick up a few cool items myself!

The Visit To Broadway Antique Market In Chicago Yielded So Many Pics That I Thought I'd Split The Lot Up Into A Couple Of Postings. Here's The Smalls. Status: So Much Good Stuff!

I still find it amazing that there are "antique" malls in Chicago that deal almost exclusively in vintage modern.  I wonder if they curate their vendors in a way to ensure this great selection.  In any event, the selection is absolutely amazing.   But this serious Mass and Quality of selection comes at a price.  Although I was able to pick up a couple nice bargains here, most of these vendors know Exactly what they have and have it priced accordingly!

While In Chicago Saturday I Managed To Tour / Shop One Of My Favorite Destinations: The Broadway Antique Market. I Picked Up A Few Choice Items That I Thought Were Bargain Priced And Took A Ton Of Photos, But Today We'll Concentrate On Purchases. Status: Minor Disaster.

The staff at BAM packaged everything up for me VERY carefully knowing that I had a long drive home to St. Louis...but that didn't stop mayhem from laying it's delicate touch upon my newly acquired dishware! No no, nothing was broke in transport. Only when I began unpacking these items for photography did disaster strike.

Maybe The Coolest Thing I've Ever Seen At An Antique Mall. Wookie Head Mount Spotted In Indianapolis Indiana. Status: Weird-baka

On the one hand, I kinda hope it's a mask....cuz a Wookie head trophy is just....not right.  Then again...putting a Wookie mask on is kind of...Hannibal Vader.  ::shudder::  But let us digress and take a walk around the Southport Antique Mall, Indianapolis Indiana.  There's lots of less questionable items to feast your eyes upon, promise!

More Vacation Retro Road Scores. Pickings From Far And Wide. Russel Wright, Ben Seibel, And Mr. Bill Curry. Status: Sausage Party.

A missed turn on a two lane blacktop while coming home found us passing by an out of the way antique mall. Of course we had to stab the brakes, turn around and check the place out! This is how we find a lot of the cool joints we patronize...luck or accident. Depends on your point of view I guess!

Really Cool Roadtrip Road Scores...From The Road! We're Not Yet Home But I Just Couldn't Wait So I Pulled Over, Pulled Out The Goods And Pulled Out The Camera. Status: Russel Wright Loverliness.

No Modtomic roadtrip is complete without lots of hunting / gathering at local junque-tique shops along the way.  This super score of Russel Wright Interplay by Iroquois was found in Queensbury NY at a little place called 200 Glen Antiques.  As soon as we pulled into the gravel lot with - yup - four of those circular plastic and iron Solair hoop chairs outside, I knew this place would deliver.

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

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.