No doubt, few of us have been Driving for Deco due to recent world events. Regular readers know about our weekend finds, items we passed on and regretted, antique vacations and history of long-gone deco monuments. It seems we are in perfect harmony and agreement at all times.
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Not!
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And that is what this post is about.
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Several times (OK, really many times) we find ourselves disagreeing as to whether to get something or not. Inevitably, one or the other talks the other into a purchase or, defying the other, purchases it anyway. Here are a few:
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- Chase French Watering Can
Chase French Watering Can: Produced between 1933-1937, this is a large and hard to find piece. When I spotted this one, it was very tarnished, and Anthony was unimpressed. Seeing the maker’s mark Chase, I convinced him to take the chance. His opinion changed after we polished it up. It lives prominently displayed in his home. And where else but by his plants
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- Russel Wright for Bauer (photo: veniceclayartists.com)
Pillow Vase and Machine-age Lamp: After the local Vietnam Vets Thrift store closed in Rochester, the new tenants, Green-o-vation, a co-op, moved in. We occasionally find items here but not as often as the VA thrift store.
The first was a pillow vase by Russel Wright / Bauer. As a tactile person, I picked it up and drew his attention to it. Anthony stated he saw and passed up what he thought to be a not-too-attractive, mid-century vase. I noted the signature on the bottom and a quick internet search and he was interested. At $15.00, it came home with us. Often mistaken for a piece of mid-century pottery. This is a heavy piece was produced between 1945-1947. The line was not successful and pieces are difficult to find.
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- Machine Age lamp
The second thing he passed on was a rather grubby deco style table lamp in the back room. I saw it and dragged him back to take a look. To say he was unimpressed is an understatement. Beside the general grime, it was covered in rust. Also, it wasn’t priced.
I liked the overall lines and figured it could be cleaned up and if necessary, painted – if the price was right. He was still not convinced. Fortunately, the owners had a 70% off all their merchandise. And the final sale price was $7.50. A quick clean and the “rust”, which was nicotine stains, wiped away to reveal a beautiful chrome lamp. After rewiring and a new shade, it proudly resides in Anthony’s TV room.
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- Clematis by Homer Laughlin
Homer Laughlin, Clematis: On one of our trips to (the sadly closed) All That Jazz Antique Mall, Anthony spotted a box of china. Lots of china! I was initially ambivalent. I liked it, but we have so much dishware already. The pattern and the price were nice and didn’t take much convincing and it is very deco. I walked away with a box of Homer Laughlin Wells china with the Clematis (also called Red Beauty) decal for $42.00. After some research, we found it to be one of the more desirable decals and difficult to find, let alone 92 pieces!
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- Cocktail shaker from 1934 Chicago World’s Fair – A Century of Progress
1934 World’s Fair Cocktail Shaker: On one of our frequent trips to The Heart of Ohio Antique Mall we this Century of Progress cocktail shaker. Anthony really liked it but the price was off-putting. I asked if he’d ever seen one before and if not, what were the chances of seeing one again. It was the most expensive item purchased on the trip.
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- The Maltese Falcon
Vintage Books: Anthony is a great collector of vintage books. He found a vintage copy (6th edition) of the Maltese Falcon, and as it was not a first edition, he passed. I convinced him that for $9, and the fact he’d never seen one before – take a chance. Glad he did. This edition issue in similar condition sell online for $150-$200.
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- Agatha Christie – 1926, 2nd edition
