Vintage postcard of Detroit, Michigan. Image from amazon.com.
Detroit, Michigan day three and we explore some more antique stores, one is new to us and another a revisit from a trip to the Detroit area ten years before.
Livingston Antique Outlet, Howell, MI
The day after our visit to the National Shrine of the Little Flower we decide to take a leisurely day of antiquing. Stop one was the Livingston Antique Outlet, Howell, MI, and just over an hour from downtown Detroit. This is a deceptive store, larger than it appear from the outside. Neatly laid out and easy to maneuver, it holds an eclectic mix of vintage merchandise. But more on that later.
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- Aisles….
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- and aisles…
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- of goodness!
Who doesn’t like cute chalkware?
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- With a nice selection…
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- down every aisle…
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- there’s something for everyone.
Down the first aisle, I found a Wells Art Glaze platter.
Wells Art Glaze Platter in Rust
Wells Art was a division of Homer Laughlin and produced beginning in the early 1930s. The line was discontinued in late 1941 or early 1942. The Wells Art Glaze backstamp was used on any solid color glaze in the standard colors of Leaf Green, French Rose, Melon-Yellow, Burnt Sienna (Rust). Other colors available are Sea Green, Depression Green, Appletree green (more blue than green) and Red.
Wells Art Glaze Backstamp
All the glazes are matte with an irregular (blobby) coverage by design.
This collection was somewhat accidental as I found pieces here and there that were stylish and reasonably priced. Next thing you know, we’re collecting Wells Art Glaze!
Our next find was a vintage Revere Bottle opener. Sometimes spotting Revere can be tricky if you are not familiar with their lines or styling. This piece, not so much.
Circa 1935 Revere bottle opener. Photo by the authors.
This is a heavy and substantial piece. Made of chrome plated brass, it is about 4 5/8 inches long 5/8 inch high and 3/8 inch thick. Probably produced sometime in the 1930s or 1940s it could be a promotional piece.
A well know silversmith (and known for something else that I just can’t put my finger on), Paul Revere started the first North America’s copper mill south of Boston in 1801. The company is still active and headquartered in Rome, NY as Revere Copper Products, Inc. It has the distinction of being one of America’s oldest manufacturing companies.
The next piece is a bit trickier to talk about. Here we have an unmarked cocktail shaker; possibly MCM. Being unmarked, we can’t give you any details other than it is well designed and made.
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- Unmarked chrome cocktail shaker with Bakelite lid. Photo by the authors.
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- The shaker showing the pouring lid off. Photo by the authors.
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- The shaker with the pour lid and Bakelite top off. Photo by the authors.
Now, I call this section when bad things happen to good furniture. We realize this could be controversial and only reflects our opinion. Neither of us is a fan of painted furniture unless the piece is damaged beyond redemption. I want to know what these pieces did to deserve this treatment, or at least these colors.
Why? Just why? What they do to you?
Not my favorite color.
The worst offended is this piece, painted then distressed to show the nice wood veneer underneath. WHY?
And then you distress it to show the wood you just covered up?
Another items of interest is this 1930s Chase hot/cold food server designed by Howard F. Reichenbach. We’ve seen this often and own a couple of them. To use it, add water to the base. Then depending on the direction of the plug, it is either set to “high” to cook foods, or reversed to “low” to keep things warm for serving. Or you can fill the base with ice to keep food cold. A word of caution. When you find one, the heating element may not function and whether filled with water or melting ice, they frequently leak. This is a heavy piece weighing in at just over 10 pound!
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- Chase Buffet Server keeps food cold or hot.
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- The chrome covers help keep the food in the PYREX containers at the perfect temperature.
This Manning Bowman version of the buffet server works on the same principle as the Chase food server. This item has ceramic inserts for the food rather than glass. Although we don’t own one, I suspect it has the same issues.
Manning Bowman Buffet Server
This 1930s pull match ashtray combo is interesting but as we already have 2, it didn’t make sense to get another. And the match insert is nearly impossible to find.
Match Pull
The matches are bundled together with the strike strip just below the head and nestle up inside the cap. And as the name implies, you pull the match down quickly. It crosses the strike strip and ignites.
However, the highlight of this trip to Detroit had to be “Conchristador”. Conquering new antique stores, it’s self-explanatory.
Meet “Conchristador”. Photo by the authors.
Our next stop was The Mega Mall. This establishment is about a half hour from the Livingston Antique Outlet. And about an hour and a half from Detroit. We had fond memories of this place from 10 years before.
The Mega Mall in Lansing, Michigan. Photo by the authors.
