Wall Plaques / Wall Art

[thunderthrift]

FWIW, I have obtained a number of interesting wall plaques at thrift stores:

flying dove
duck decoy
clipper ship
vertical column of butterflies
Miller Studio swans

Except for the swans, all are plastic.   

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

I've found some interesting porcelain ones of people in 18th century dress, and some of  Gainsborough's Blueboy-- (just because it's funny seeing Blueboy enmasse.)

[foutchie]

I know the chalkware ones are highly collectible, but I haven't run across any around here!  Of course, hubby just had knee surgery friday and it will be a while before I can travel around to the thrifts and such for fun - trying to keep him off his feet is a job in itself!

[Femme1]

I have a pair of the Miller chalk swans that I found in a thrift several years ago. But I never see chalkware anymore. My bathroom is decorated with about 15 chalk fish, mostly from E-Bay, but some I did find thrifting. They used to go for higher prices on E-Bay, and now I see them for less.

Funny, I noticed that a lot of things that I collected in the past have gone down in price on E-Bay...McCoy pottery, Ben Seibel dinnerware, oriental rugs (waaaay down). I know that collectibles go up and down, but I wonder if the accessibility to so much in the collectibles market from E-Bay has driven down prices. The other day on E-Bay I checked on some chalkware fish sets just for fun; they went for about half the price that I paid for them 10 or so years ago. 

[thunderthrift]

Hi,

Foutchie -- sorry to hear about your husband, hope he recovers quickly.

The housing situation may be putting a damper on e-bay pricing for household related items.  I don't know how fast prices on e-bay move in relation to external factors.  I would think that dollar depreciation would drive the prices up, but what do I know.

[foutchie]

the high price of gas (and the cooresponding high price of groceries and goods) has given me a further nudge in the direction of thrifting - I think that has affected what people can spare to fund their "treasures"

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Foutchie, I know what you mean. My husband had knee surgery a few years ago, lol. Good luck. Hope  he feels better soon.

I was reading on a blog of another thrifter how it appears "mid-century modern" seems to be on it's way OUT in terms of decorating (though what's on it's way IN is a mystery to me) As to eBay:  Many years ago, when eBay was a new phenomenom, it gave many of us access to things we might not find ourselves when thrifting or at garage sales or just in everyday life.  To find them at our fingertips, so to speak, and obtainable in such an easy manner (though not perhaps as inexpensively as we would have liked, being thrifters) seemed like an amazing feat. And as been mentioned here in other threads, the market is now saturated. Everybody sells on ebay, everybody thinks their stuff is worth a lot of $$, the market is glutted with stuff. Years ago, people would buy a piece even if it was chipped just for the joy of owning it. Now, the market is glutted and the shipping fees, which have increased mightily, can make an item not worth it, no matter how much you may want or "need" it.

I purchased a good many pieces from ebay about 9-10 years ago, which, I am sure did not hold their value--unless they were different, rare, unique and in top shape. 

Plus, on this sad note, ten years ago, there were many more of the "Greatest Generation" alive and living in their own houses. With their passing, their stuff moves into the secondhand market and the market becomes saturated with it, thereby bringing down the prices.

Also, as the antiques dealers told us over the summer when DH and I were cleaning out his late parents' home of over 50 years' worth of stuff:  "The kids don't want any of this, they want Ikea" So lack of demand drives prices down as well. (What the dealers did want was all my MIL's kitchen stuff--they must have Pyrexia ,too.  But that all went to family)

FYYI,
SeSo

[alexandra]

I am not much of a plaque buyer, but I do buy thrifted art and have also taken to picking up needlework (mostly embroidery) and dried/pressed flowers.  I've been able to fully decorate the walls of our house and trailer with my finds.

Everyone who's been inside the tiny trailer compliments me on my needle and quilt-work hangings.  Then I have to admit that I bought them and did not make them!

And... my Big Guy's knee surgery is scheduled for the 28th.  He had the other one cleaned out a few years back.  He's just admitted to me now that even though he was supposed to stay off it, he took the dog for a walk every day (and drove to his favorite park using his *left* foot while he was at it).  If you are not home to supervise their recovery, THEY WILL MISBEHAVE!

Thriftilly,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

That seems really weird to me that mid-century modern is on its way "Out" because it seems tons of fellow thrifters here, and on decorating blogs outside of here, are absolutely and almost solely into it. I was under the impression the demand was tremendous... even burgeoning!

I'd love to know what the person's source was.

[Jay2TheRescue]

That seems really weird to me that mid-century modern is on its way "Out" because it seems tons of fellow thrifters here, and on decorating blogs outside of here, are absolutely and almost solely into it. I was under the impression the demand was tremendous... even burgeoning!

I'd love to know what the person's source was.

Mid century modern is "in".  In this area its very rare to find it in thrifts, but I always get a good price selling extra pieces I no longer have room for on Craigs List and at collectables shows.  There are a few dealers I know that deal exclusively in mid century modern furniture & accessories and they always get a good price for their stuff.  One friend of mine sold a mid century modern coffee table for almost $2,000 at an outdoor flea market!

-Jay

[thunderthrift]

Hi,

What may be happening is a move toward "later MCM".  When I think of MCM, I think of the 50s.  However, I believe the ongoing interest may be in the 60s and the 70s which I would classify as later MCM.

Many of the later boomers were in high school during the late 60s and early 70s.  Many of their fond memories would pertain to those 2 decades. 

[genuineimitation]

Many of the later boomers were in high school during the late 60s and early 70s.  Many of their fond memories would pertain to those 2 decades. 

..i wouldn't exactly call them "fond" memories, but i certainly am of the age. and my idea of MCM has shifted - from after WWII to the hippie time/vietnam era: i guess it's from one war to another war, with the korean conflict in the middle. in other words, it's really not just the 50's.

[Femme1]

I do see a shift to the 70s in sought-after collectibles by the young and hip. To me (who graduated HS in '72) it's just waaay too kitschy and ugly. After living with avocado appliances, rust orange shag rugs, and huge jute macrame planthangers, I just can't think of it as "cool" yet.

The trend back to 70s fashions in the past few years may be part of it too. I just could not believe when gaucho pants made a comeback...gaucho pants! Perhaps I'm exposing my inner fuddy-duddy, but that is one fashion blunder that I really never imagined would rear its ugly head!

[Jay2TheRescue]

I do see a shift to the 70s in sought-after collectibles by the young and hip. To me (who graduated HS in '72) it's just waaay too kitschy and ugly. After living with avocado appliances, rust orange shag rugs, and huge jute macrame planthangers, I just can't think of it as "cool" yet.

The trend back to 70s fashions in the past few years may be part of it too. I just could not believe when gaucho pants made a comeback...gaucho pants! Perhaps I'm exposing my inner fuddy-duddy, but that is one fashion blunder that I really never imagined would rear its ugly head!

Imagine in another 10 years people will be clamoring for parachute pants, Members Only windbreakers, and red Reebok High top sneakers!

-Jay

[SecondhandSophisticate]

This thread has inspired so many interesting responses!

First of all: TSR, the person who blogged about MCM being on the way out lives in the Northeast. From their perspective, it may be. I live in a little town in Dixie, and I have no idea of what is "in" or "out". I only know what I like. I will say that, for me, coming to this site and learning from all of you has really bucked up my eye for design.

Jay, you are up in one of the hubs of the East and you do deal in the market--what exactly are you selling?  Is there a line or designer that really makes your customers go gaa-gaa?

Personally, my own definition of MCM has changed dramatically over the years.  For some (as I think Femme1 mentioned) MCM can mean Kitchsy stuff--like animal planters and panther lamps, which I have loved over the years. My parents had all that stuff when they first got married in the 50s and through 1960. Once they moved to their "split level", it was Danish Modern all the way.

For others, MCM is the wonderful American/Scandanavian Italian designs of artists/designers such as Desimone and Eames. The lines are different, the feeling is different and I can almost guarantee that the people who purchased either one of these expressions of the times were different. Mid-Century modern, IMVHO, as defined by Eames doesn't lend itself well to Atomic Z lamps--whole other ballgame.   

I think I am just saying what Thunderthrift said, lol, but in a different way.

For me, MCM invokes a sense of TIMELESSNESS. It's the cleanliness of lines that makes my heart go pit-a-pat.  If you come into my home, I want the elements to flow without shreiking 1950s! 1960s! Vietnam War Orange 70s! I don't know if I've achieved this, but it is a very interesting journey for me.