Vintage Individual bone china Fondeville English Breakfast Set in blue and white...

SOLD!

This set of blue and white bone china for an individual breakfast is one of my favorite things, I can just imagine "breakfast in bed" for that special day for that special person!

One of my favorite things to do at auctions is to purchase an entire table or box lot. If I see AN item I know will fit in my online vintage shop, I love to take the gamble that things I know nothing about will be a nice fit as well.

That's what happened with this set. I found it just kind of chucked onto a table and didn't really even pay much attention to it til I got it home.

For one thing, it had been stowed away somewhere so long, it was covered in that dirty, dusty, been there forever grime. So I wasn't even sure if it was usable, much less salable. And being old, I had no intention of putting it in the dishwasher. But it was just some grime and a sinkful of sudsy hot water turned it into an immaculate, sparkling treasure.

I put it in my little maple china cabinet in my dining room and snapped some photos! I love the design, the little light blue daffodil that is perfectly captured on the dome entree cover! And an egg cup, individual tea or coffee server with sugar and creamer, toast dish and fruit or cereal bowl are just so pretty to display, but honestly, if you were ill in bed, wouldn't breakfast in bed with this set be just what the doctor SHOULD order?

Pricing was took me a while for two reasons...one was that I had to decide whether to offer the set as a set even though there is some damage to some pieces...and the other is that this is so unusual. It was hard to find a comparable set. I found bits and pieces, but that didn't tell me much. It wasn't hard to find the company that made it, the pieces are all marked.

And I decided to offer it as a set. If it doesn't work out, I can always break it into individual pieces, but even with the most major defects (cup handle repaired and big chip off the creamer spout), I think it's interesting enough and usable that most vintage or antique collectors would want to own the whole set. If that's YOU, click on this link:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/51911639/vintage-english-breakfast-set-blue-and and if you'd like to see all of my vintage wonderfuls currently for sale, they're here! http://anyoldtime.etsy.com/. I also do Rice's Market in New Hope PA on many Tuesdays and the Golden Nugget Art and Antique Flea in Lambertville, NJ on many Wednesdays, so have other cool items there as well!

Decalcomania - A pre World War II vintage decorated pencil box

I knew it was an old vintage decorated box. I have photos of the lady who owned it as a teenager, dressed in her flapper finery. I knew it was German, and pre WWII because of the stamp on the back of the box. I knew it was a pencil box by the configuration of the inside. I knew it was gorgeous! But what I didn't know was how it was decorated!

As I ran my finger along the decorations, I could see they were raised. Some were faded, some still very vibrant in colors. But I could tell it wasn't handpainted because of the sameness of all of the figures and the perfect electrified gaslight lines that some of the birds were perched on. Internet research didn't help me out, but finally a clue from another vintage seller: Decalcomania!

It's decals. Old decals. Decalcomania was a decorating craze in the late 1800s extending into the early 1900s. Used to decorate china and other household items, this ebony pencil box was a super example of crafting way back when! The decals are printed on a surface that when wetted, enabled the crafter to slide the sheet of colorful birds and ivy right onto the box.

Since this box is a pencil box (although it can be used for so many other things!), it's likely that it slightly predates the flapper photo, so probably was crafted in the 19teens to 1920s. At any rate, it is a gorgeous vintage example of a historical craft and stands alone as a useful piece for any vintage collection. The metal clasp still works perfectly!

The mysteries of collecting vintage are so much of the charm to me! It's like just a tiny piece of history...one that doesn't involve kings or politicians, but every day women and men...that makes it so fascinating. Click on the link, if you are interested in more info and photos or in purchasing this wonderful vintage decalcomania pencil box.

And lots more vintage wonderfuls here: in our online vintage shop.

Gorgeous HUGE Square Milk glass fruit bowl - And how we found it

Just when I wrote off certain neighborhoods as being "bad vintage", I found this enormous milk glass fruit bowl in the attic at a house contents sale where the other floors were full of nuttin' much. She said, "including attic" and up I went.

The only light was from a small little bulb on one end and the little ventillation window on the other other. You know that hot, dusty attic smell that catches your breath? There I was. I rooted through tons and tons of papers, plastic and empty boxes and found just a few little gems..this was one.

It didn't LOOK like milk glass...it was pretty brown and dusty, but I knew that what was underneath was spectacular!

Sure enough, a good washing brought out a sweet centerpiece that is both vintage and timeless.

It's a little over 10" square, and is in good vintage condition. Issues: small hairline crack on one edge and a few "flea bite" chips on undersides of lacey opening. We've priced to reflect it's less than perfect condition. I love how the sides are fluted and slightly crimped and the edges look lacey but not too-too fussy. An elegant piece for your tabletop, dresser or vintage inspired office! We are offering this pretty piece at $18.50 plus shipping, and checkout is easy, here: at our vintage decor shop at Etsy! Here are additional photos.