Antiquing ... Again

So what did Jim and I get when we were antiquing last Saturday?

Well, it was nothing exciting but something we had been looking for for months.

Behold! Our new egg scale.

 This was Jim's idea and every time we saw one it was either out of our price range or in really rough shape. This one was $20 and the graphics were great. The whole thing was coated with a layer of what we think was cooking grease, which is what may have preserved it so well. Jim took on the scary task of cleaning it and it survived very well. For the record, even the smallest of our chickens' eggs that I had on hand totally topped off the scale!

And this? Sitting with one of my little ink bottles (with my mother of pearl feather shaped pen) and our writing fluid jug is a beautiful little wooden pencil box. The top slides over and there are two spots to keep your pencils. Nothing Little House about it, I guess. I was just so taken by it and Jim said, "Well, why don't you get it?" I love when he says that!

Not pictured - I also bought some buttons and a small butter mold. Jim was the big money spender this day though. He bought windows. He's become rather obsessed with looking at windows for a future project(s). I will show you the windows when they are in the completed project. And it might be a while. Jim usually only has time to spend in his woodshop during the winter, even then he sometimes isn't able to work on his own projects.

Enjoy the beauty of the day ... wherever you happen to be!

Normal. What's that?

It's been a busy, hectic last few weeks, but Jamie is all moved in to her condo as of two weekends ago. There's still work to be done and for sure the place will feel more like home for her when Jim's tools are all moved out!

Of course, all of this came just as the mad rush of meetings, trainings, and classroom setting up came for Jamie and school starting today. I told her that she can rest over Christmas break. :) I was there waiting for her phone to be set up last Monday while she was at a training and unpacked, washing and put away some of her kitchen stuff. I had to be there again Thursday morning waiting for her Dish to be installed so did a little more then. We've been back and forth for the past two weeks so I haven't had a chance to miss her! I think I'm safe in saying that she loves it there...

She can take Sosha for this walk every day!

I am looking forward to things settling down so that Jim and I can find some normalcy. Last Saturday, Jim went off on a service call and a stop at Home Depot. He had been planning to work at Jamie's afterwards, but decided that he was plumb worn out. He called and said that he wanted to go antiquing. And I just had to give him what he wanted! :)

Wanna see what I got? 

Why do I collect old photos?

Well, first of all I must say a big THANK YOU to my #100 follower! I thought it would take longer than it did. I have some ideas for what my giveaway will be, but I don't have it put together yet. Give me a few days and I will start my #100 Giveaway!

Okay on to my original reason for being here today...

The following comment was on one of my posts this week. It came from Retired Knitter at My Next 20 Years of Living who, by the way, has recently written some wonderful posts about being a caregiver/loving daughter for her mother. I enjoy everything she writes, but those were very touching and real. Here's her comment:

What an interesting time. I would love to hear how you pick antique pictures to purchase. There are so many on the market. How do you pick one to buy? What is a reasonable price, how to do store/display your collection at home? Why are some pictures priced more than others? Do they have identifying information on the back? That sort of stuff. Guess you can tell, I am very interested in pictures, especially of family, but old pictures are really very interesting because they show a snap shot of some small minute in life and you can learn alot if you check them carefully. I bet you have a lot to share on that subject. 

So, I decided that I would talk about my collection of antique photos and just why I started collecting them.


I think that I mentioned, in passing, in an earlier post that when Jim accompanied me on my trip to LauraPalooza last year I gave him the whole return trip home...meaning he could choose whatever he wanted to do for the whole drive home. One thing that he chose was stopping at any antique store that we happened upon. Jim has collected antiques since he was a kid so it's always been something he enjoys. For some reason though, it wasn't something that we did together. I collected, but mostly books in the past and more recently I've been a peruser of ebay. So, antiquing together? That was a whole new thing. And we found that we really enjoyed it. I had recently decided to begin a collection of items that have been mentioned in the Little House books. This has since evolved into things that were used in (mostly) that time period. So when Jim and I stopped at our first antique store together, I had some ideas of what I would look for.

Antique photos weren't on my "list", but they did catch my eye.

I spotted a box full of photos displayed on a shelf at the very first store we stopped at and, on a whim, started looking through them. Then, I thought I might buy a few. Almost immediately I decided that I wanted to collect them. Why?

First of all and most importantly, they were someone's family, someone's great great grandmother or aunt (you get the idea) and here they are sitting in a store with a $2 or $3 price marked on them. No one knows who they are anymore, unless you come across one with a name written on the back. I wanted to take them and give them a home.

Second, they're a good thing to collect. They don't take up a whole lot of room.

Third. They're usually fairly inexpensive. The most I've paid was about $8 and that was for a tintype. I've got a couple of those. Usually I pay between $1 and $4, but would be willing to pay a little more depending on the subject matter.

I have only been collecting since July of 2010 so I'm fairly new at this. I know that there are different types of photos depending on the era and, as I mentioned, I do have a couple of tintypes. I need to study up on this now!  Here is a good explanation of the different types of antique photos.

I knew that I had to narrow down what I was looking for or else things would get out of hand :-) quickly. So, I decided that I would just collect children or families. I loved babies in long white gowns. Now, I look at what else is in the photo. I love it when there's an animal or two, maybe a pet. I'm looking for if the child in the photo is holding something. I love to look at what they're wearing. I've even begun to be a little less picky and have picked up some that are more recent (as in '40s and newer) if there's something unique about them. I love it when they have a name/age/year written on the back, but it doesn't happen very often. Quite often the photographer information is on it so at least I know where it comes from.

This is one of the first photos that I picked up.

I bought a display stand that I could set several photos in and you could just look through them. This sits on my fireplace mantle. Jim is supposed to make me something to display them with, but we haven't really come up with a good idea yet. Plus, I have now gotten just enough so that they don't all fit in the stand.

To be honest though, it all boils down to just picking up photos that I like...the ones that feel like they should belong to me!

My new goal is to find a Christmas photo. I've not seen one yet, but that's what a collection is all about. If you found everything you were looking for right away, you would lose the fun of collecting! Besides, I can always find other interesting photos along the way.

Date Night Adventures

Otherwise known as - "Let's move the well driller!"

I am not kidding when I say that there is rarely a time when Jim and I go out that does not involve the business in one way or another. It could be something as insignificant as picking up some oddball fitting at Lowe's to...you guessed it - moving the well driller (rig).

Recently we had a job about an hour from home. A little further than we like to travel...but it happens. The rig was moved out there, the well was drilled, and it was time to bring 'er home.

Date night!

We left late in the afternoon and headed out. As we drove along, Jim spotted an antique store that we had not seen before. But then this antique-ing thing is fairly new to me so Jim may have seen it before, just never bothered to suggest a stop, thinking that it wouldn't interest me. Now it does. And boy does it! This was a nice shop with lots of fairly priced interesting items. And we both picked out a couple of things and didn't spend a whole lot of money.

One of the treasures that we found. It's very old and hand-made. And it cost $1.50!

We continued on our way. It does get more and more rural as we get further out. The farmers are all working in the fields making up for all of the planting time that they lost because of our incredibly wet and rainy spring. I really love this area.

We decided to stop for dinner in the town that is nearest by where our rig is waiting for us. I've always liked this little town and I tell Jim, "If I were to pick a place to move to, I would like to live in Croswell." Locals might think I'm crazy because there isn't much in Croswell, but that's why I like it. We pass a little local restaurant and decide to turn around to have dinner there (shout out to the Riverside Family Restaurant). It's pretty much the only place to eat, although Croswell does have a McDonald's, so there's that. We enjoy these little local places though. They're some of the best places to eat and, if you see the locals hanging out there, you can usually bet that the food's pretty good.

But...just before we turn around to head back to the little restaurant we see this:

Okay...we didn't actually see KISS. It was a group of about six or so teenagers and all but one had black and white goth make-up on.

And I said to Jim, "Um...I changed my mind about wanting to live here."

We turned around and pulled into the parking lot next to the restaurant and, well frankly, I was afraid to get out of the car! Other people didn't seem to take notice of this group of kids. A police car drove by and didn't even slow down. So, either they're a common sight and quite harmless or there's some event going on that requires the wearing of gothic black and white make-up. Anyhow, these kids stopped in front of a nearby church, posed while the non-made-up member of the group took pictures, and were on their way.

We went into the restaurant, which had friendly waitresses, groups of locals having dinner, and a pretty darn good fish sandwich and fries. Please! If you know the area and know any bad things about this place - don't tell me!

It was time to get the rig, which was just a few miles outside of town. We left the job with the satisfaction of having provided this customer with a good supply of water for the house that they will be building on their beautiful piece of property.

The ride home couldn't have been more pleasant, as far as "following the rig" rides go. There was hardly any traffic for the whole way home. The cars that did come upon us didn't ride my rear. The route we took was one of the more scenic ways to come back home. It was just simply a good ride!

We dropped the rig at the next job and headed home.

Another enjoyable "date night"!

Adventures in Antiquing II

 Jim and I recently escaped for a rainy afternoon away. I often ask myself why we didn't start doing this years ago...Jim has always loved antiques and has amassed quite a collection since he was a youngster, most of it all packed away somewhere.
For some reason, although I loved antiques, I never really actively collected (except on ebay) and just didn't have that thrill of the hunt. Jim never pushed it. Until our trip to LauraPalooza last summer when I gave him carte blanche to pick anything that he wanted to do all the way home. We stopped at several antique stores and now I'm hooked. So now it gives us something to do together that we both really enjoy. Jim doesn't buy a whole lot because he's been collecting for so long that it has to be really "something" for him to buy. Here's our latest take:

I've said before that I don't have the ability to age things, but I loved this little sunbonnet and it looks quite old.

Jim found a box of old photos before I did and had already picked out the two on the left before he left the rest for me to go through.

A Scholastic edition of Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My very first Little House book was ordered from Scholastic, but I've never seen another one. I wasn't going to buy this, but Jim insisted. He's an enabler!

Jim found this too. Woman's Day from January 1960. I was born in November of that year. Loved reading the articles!

We've got so many jars and bottles that we now look for unusual or local ones to collect. We had never seen a "Green Spot" bottle before. I googled it and found that it was an orange drink company that was founded in the '30's (orangeade). It came with the little white styrofoam beads in it, but I think I need to find something orange to display it.

Jim found this radio. It's one of the first portable radios from the '40's. He's always had an obsession interest in old radios that's he's put on the back burner for way too long. I'm glad to see the renewed interest. He thinks that I may be sorry that I encouraged him to buy it. ☺

Antique-ing

I think I've said before how I never really was one to go "antique-ing" until my patient, long-suffering husband accompanied me to LauraPalooza in Mankato, Minnesota last July (he even attended some of the sessions). I would do the same for him, for sure! I told him that, on the way home, he could choose whatever it was that he wanted to stop and do along the way.

One of the things that he chose was stopping at antique stores that we happened upon.

It quickly turned into one of my favorite things to do! I mean...I've loved antiques and have been doing ebay for some years, but the browsing, the searching, the finding little treasures. I loved it. And Jim was pretty happy because it has given us something that we can enjoy together.

On our way home from our MGWA in Kalamazoo convention in March, we decided to look for a couple of antique stores along the way home. We found a couple and I found a few finds, of course! ☺

What do you think of my treasures?

A white baby gown, a teeny butter mold, and some old photos.

I can never really tell the age of some things, but I love these long white baby gowns. This was a very simple one and it was affordable. So it became mine!

A little butter mold to go with my big one.

Again, not sure of the age, but love the little heart design.

I started collecting antique photos of children, babies, sometimes families last summer. I can usually get them at a good price and it's a collection that doesn't take up a whole lot of room...yet. ☺

So sweet!

Jim and I spent the afternoon yesterday at a couple of antique stores and other lovely distractions on a weekday (that ended up raining...again) that was too wet to get anything done. I will share those finds next week!

A-ntiques

These are a few of my favorite things:

A is for Antiques.

Last summer, my husband went to a Laura Ingalls Wilder conference with me. Yes, as a matter of fact, he is quite a guy.

I told him that he could choose whatever he wanted to do all the way home from Minnesota to Michigan. He decided that one of the things he wanted to do was to stop at antique stores as we happened by them. That was never something that interested me much, which is odd for someone like me who sometimes wishes she lived in the 19th century.

I very quickly discovered that I do LOVE antique stores! I love to pick things up and wonder where they've been and who used them and what life was like at that time.

I decided that I needed to make a decision about exactly what I wanted to collect. I had already collected some of the items that were used or talked about in the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Jim had already bought me a pair of sheep shears at an antique store that he found in Mankato on one of the days of the conference where he went off wandering on his own. Remember Farmer Boy and Chapter 14: Sheep-shearing? Jim pays attention, plus he's followed me around enough Laura Ingalls Wilder museums and homesites that he had no choice but to absorb some of the information. That's one of the many things I love about him.

So, besides Laura Ingalls Wilder memorabilia, I fancied handkerchiefs and old photographs of children and babies. Both usually inexpensive and small enough not to have to take up much room. Mostly though, I love to wander and wonder.

I would love to collect more of these long white baby gowns. I ♥ them. Usually they're out of my price range so I only own two of them...so far. ☺

Simple Sunday

Last year, when my husband introduced me to the world of antique shops and flea markets, I decided that, besides looking for items that were used/talked about in the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, I would collect things that were inexpensive and didn't take up much space. I started picking up pretty or unusual handkerchiefs here and there. They are usually inexpensive and, unless I accumulate a lot of them, they really don't take up a lot of space.

Early on, though (meaning last summer when this whole addiction began), I discovered old photographs and I was intrigued by them. I decided that I would collect photos of babies and children. There was something about them. They had a family out there somewhere, I would think. Great great (etc.) grandchildren maybe. How did they end up here, in an antique shop, abandoned by loved ones? I don't know. I just wanted to bring them home and give them the respect that I felt they deserved.

I want to start sharing some of them with you!

I don't usually look on ebay for old photos. They are quite often priced much higher than what I pay elsewhere. But one day I was looking and came across this one. It didn't cost much and I was taken by the description...

The seller stated that this came from a photo album and in the margin of the album was written:
"Gilbert Smedrued children"
I have tried to figure out what the ages can be, especially of the three youngest. Wow! They must be really close in age. The Smedrued family must have been very busy!

*Remember! If you haven't entered my maple syrup giveaway yet, you have until Thursday at midnight!