Cold Weather but Hot Finds

Even with the cold and snow we've managed to get out a little and find new things for our booths and for eBay. The house is piling up with them, in fact, and I am hoping for some warmer days so we can feel comfortable leaving the house long enough to take new items out to the booths. The good news is sales continue to be  fairly strong at our locations, and eBay has been crazy, probably because so many people are, like us, housebound and browsing online.

Here's a look at some of the recent listings on eBay:

Just in time for Valentine's Day! Red glass and silverplate champagne flutes.

High-steppin' heels went sailing off the Hawaii. I played around a bit with adding unique shoes to the vintage clothes I have for sale, but I don't think I'll continue with that. They're selling well on eBay though.

This Blenko bowl (circa 1964 or so) has a funny story with it. It sold on eBay a couple weeks ago; the buyer contacted me this week and asked to send it back because it was the wrong size for his project. Apparently he is making a light fixture of colored glass plates, and they all need to be exactly the same size. I was glad to take it back, since it's  fairly rare piece of Blenko and I kinda hated the idea of it being drilled into for a light fixture--although I'd really like to see his finished product.

Sweet little salt and pepper set didn't last long on eBay either. This seems to be an older set than most of what I saw listed.

I've actually had this vase for a while. I bought it at an antique mall. Something about it screamed Blenko to me, and sure enough I was right. It's currently listed but no buyers yet. I've been studying Blenko Glass during this cold spell, and have learned a lot about the shapes, colors and identifying features. Even so, it's sometimes difficult to spot the real thing, especially online.

This Blenko bowl was easy to identify--it still has its Blenko sticker!

 I found this bright blue pitcher on a local buy-sell-trade Facebook site. If you haven't found those in your area, you're missing out. They're a great source of salable items at reasonable prices.

Unusual Italian wineglasses made by Vietri were a thrift store find. These still have their original stickers. I was surprised at the price they bring online. Not sold yet, but with their unique shape and colors it may take someone looking specifically for this brand.

Another Facebook deal; I tried to buy these Fenton jade-colored, iridescent candleholders last fall, actually but my schedule was so hectic I could never hook up with the seller. We finally got together last week.

I don't know the maker of this bright green bowl with a brass pedestal, but I sure do like it. It's currently listed, but I am using it in the meantime for my table centerpiece. I won't be brokenhearted if it doesn't sell!

 Yet another Facebook buy, from the same young man who sold me the blue pitcher and a Shawnee corn pattern sugar and creamer set.

Thrift store! I love vintage handbags and this one was a real winner. Needlepoint with a good snap closure, it looked like it had never been used. It sold quickly online.

This vase is probably my best find so far this year. I bought it at an antique mall, and was fairly sure it was Blenko. A little research verified that fact; then I had to do some cleaning inside because someone had used it for flowers and there was some residue. It's tricky to clean such a narrow-necked bottle, but I have a very long, skinny brush that I can bend.I wrapped the brush with a paper towel and got a lot of the dirt out, then filled the vase with a mixture of dish soap, water and rice and shook it well to get the rest. It worked like a charm. a rinse with vinegar and water gave it a nice shine. This is a rare piece; the color was only made in 1963 and 1964 by glassmaker Wayne Husted, one of Blenko's premier artists.

I have had these two "violettes" French-made mugs for years but I have too many mugs so I decided to sell them. They sold in less than two hours.

This big casserole, a thrift store find, was another fast seller; it was gone in 24 hours. Perhaps I could have held out for more money, but I am quite happy with what I made on it, and it won't be adding to my workroom clutter!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.