Good finds at the Salvation Army today

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Oh, boyo... I almost didn't even go thrifting today, but it had been a sort of unpleasant week work-wise and I needed the respite.

So I popped off to the local Salvation Army and came away with two things.

One is a pink aluminum tea canister from the 50s (I was pretty stoked about that)...
And the other, which I about fell over when I saw, was a Victorian portrait vase-- just beautifully decalled with a lot of handpainted details as well.

I'll have to take pics. It's got very art nouveau lines to it... these things in antique malls can be outrageously expensive. Hundreds, in some cases. I was really surprised to see it there.

It's mine now. Woo-hoo!

[SeSo_Says_So]

Oh, boyo... I almost didn't even go thrifting today, but it had been a sort of unpleasant week work-wise and I needed the respite.

So I popped off to the local Salvation Army and came away with two things.

One is a pink aluminum tea canister from the 50s (I was pretty stoked about that)...
And the other, which I about fell over when I saw, was a Victorian portrait vase-- just beautifully decalled with a lot of handpainted details as well.

I'll have to take pics. It's got very art nouveau lines to it... these things in antique malls can be outrageously expensive. Hundreds, in some cases. I was really surprised to see it there.

It's mine now. Woo-hoo!

I can't wait to see your groovy pics. Both those items sound wonderful, especially your vase. You have such a great eye for Victorian/Art Nouveau pieces.

Congrats on pushing on through and "scratching the itch". Even though the work gods have been grumpy this week, the thrift gods love  you still    

[valleythriftshopper]

Exactly the reason why I can never skip a thrift day!  I hate thinking about what I may have missed.  Looking forward to pictures of that vase, sounds interesting & 50's canisters are always great.  I walked away with two finds from the SA as well, a white on white chenille bedspread w/ pom poms & a vintage white American Tourister Tiara make-up case w/ keys.  Hope others had a good thrift day too!

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Valley, sounds great-- nice chenille bedspreads are getting harder to find.

And SeSo, thanks for sharing in the glee. I think I had a few heart palpatations when I saw the vase. It's one of those things I'd drool on in a case at an antique mall and not buy because of the price.

I just took some photos here at home, so let's see how this works:

[mccoysnina]

Oh, boyo... I almost didn't even go thrifting today, but it had been a sort of unpleasant week work-wise and I needed the respite.

So I popped off to the local Salvation Army and came away with two things.

One is a pink aluminum tea canister from the 50s (I was pretty stoked about that)...
And the other, which I about fell over when I saw, was a Victorian portrait vase-- just beautifully decalled with a lot of handpainted details as well.

I'll have to take pics. It's got very art nouveau lines to it... these things in antique malls can be outrageously expensive. Hundreds, in some cases. I was really surprised to see it there.

It's mine now. Woo-hoo!

Wow!  Your new vase is gorgeous.  I can see why you bought it.  I can't imagine how much it would go for in an antique store.  You made some good finds.
Jeannie

[Magpie18]

Gorgeous vase.  Looks hand painted, not reverse transfer.

Geez, if I saw that in TS -- the handles would be broken & the top chipped.

You are so lucky.

[SeSo_Says_So]

I am totally impressed! I don't think I have ever seen anything like that in a thrift...A thrift! You really did score, m'dear! Many huzzahs and salutations on your wonderful gift from the thrift gods and goddesses. 

What can you tell us about it...the style and the possible age and what it's made out of, etc. etc. This is an area where I am sorely lacking, and I would love to learn if you would like to share

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

It's got on the bottom what they call the "Beehive" mark, which is the mark of Royal Vienna porcelain manufacturers. Royal Vienna was made in "Bohemia" at in the Victorian/Edwardian era, and was typically really high-end, elaborate china pieces-- portrait plates, vases, etc. The mark doesn't necessarily mean  it IS one of these pieces because at a certain point other manufacturers in that region started using it, too. (I have a few lower end portrait plates with this mark.) But given the quality of this piece, and the fact that the portrait (which I still think is a transfer) also has a lot of hand-done and raised detailing on it and extra color added, I'm wondering whether it actually ISN'T a Royal Vienna piece.

Which sorta scares the bejeebers out of me because that would make the piece quite expensive. Here's one on Ebay, for instance, which has the same mark on the bottom and, as you can see, is really similar in color and style:

http://cgi.ebay.com/GORGEOUS-ANTIQUE-ROYAL-VIENNA-HANDLED-PORTRAIT-HP-VASE_W0QQitemZ120276626855QQihZ002QQcategoryZ2809QQssPage

[Jay2TheRescue]

It's got on the bottom what they call the "Beehive" mark, which is the mark of Royal Vienna porcelain manufacturers. Royal Vienna was made in "Bohemia" at in the Victorian/Edwardian era, and was typically really high-end, elaborate china pieces-- portrait plates, vases, etc. The mark doesn't necessarily mean  it IS one of these pieces because at a certain point other manufacturers in that region started using it, too. (I have a few lower end portrait plates with this mark.) But given the quality of this piece, and the fact that the portrait (which I still think is a transfer) also has a lot of hand-done and raised detailing on it and extra color added, I'm wondering whether it actually ISN'T a Royal Vienna piece.

Which sorta scares the bejeebers out of me because that would make the piece quite expensive. Here's one on Ebay, for instance, which has the same mark on the bottom and, as you can see, is really similar in color and style:

http://cgi.ebay.com/GORGEOUS-ANTIQUE-ROYAL-VIENNA-HANDLED-PORTRAIT-HP-VASE_W0QQitemZ120276626855QQihZ002QQcategoryZ2809QQssPage

Not to be too pessimistic here, but there are no bids on the Ebay auction.  Its only worth what someone will pay for it, and at this point, nobody has comitted to pay that much.

-Jay

[floridarecycled]

TSR,

GREAT vase!!!  It looks like yours is signed too??  Have you googled the name of the artist?  Finding out info on them would probably tell you if it's the real McCoy or not!!!  Hope it is! 

[ChrisMiss]

I haven't been on the forum for quite a while but I do "lurk" occasionally.  I just had to write my congratulations on such a wonderful find though.  What a piece of beauty and it goes so well with your decor.  Great find.

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Jay, well TRUE, of course. Also, the ones I've seen in antique stores for huge prices are STILL IN THE ANTIQUE STORES. Doesn't mean I can't enjoy having nice things, though. I think you'll find overall I'm not Pie-in-the-sky about these things.

Florida- There is a name on it, but again, I think that is a part of the transfer. The transfers on Victorian porcelain often came replete with artist names, so that doesn't mean terribly much.

Chris- Thank you! Hope you've been doing well-- I miss your fun posts.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Jay, well TRUE, of course. Also, the ones I've seen in antique stores for huge prices are STILL IN THE ANTIQUE STORES. Doesn't mean I can't enjoy having nice things, though. I think you'll find overall I'm not Pie-in-the-sky about these things.

Florida- There is a name on it, but again, I think that is a part of the transfer. The transfers on Victorian porcelain often came replete with artist names, so that doesn't mean terribly much.

Chris- Thank you! Hope you've been doing well-- I miss your fun posts.

Well, yes of course, have it and enjoy it!  Technically I have some phones in my collection that are "worth" $500, but then comes the problem of finding a person willing to pay that much for it.  Ebay is a good place to start, but many times with items of value the buyer won't buy unless they can inspect the item in person.

In the end the only thing that really matters is that you feel its worth what you paid for it.


-Jay

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Well, sure. Even within antique malls you can have one booth where things are sky-high and for the very same item, in another booth just a few feet away even, it's absolutely reasonable. I think that's part of what makes the adventures really fun.

It just never ceases to amaze me what "washes up" on the shores of thrift stores. It's extremely exciting to find something you've admired but you know you'd likely not have been able to have otherwise-- no matter what that item is.

[valleythriftshopper]

Demand is really the dictator of prices on Ebay, for the most part.  The best examples I can think of are IPhones, Wii, & the like when they first came out & were selling for thousands even tens of thousands of dollars.  Those people who gave up a day or two of their time to wait in line for those items were well rewarded! 

Also sometimes people will get into bidding wars with each other & I think their desire to outbid the competition overrides any sensibility as to the items value.  There is a strange psychology to auctions!

The small amount of money you paid for it at a thrift is still probably a fraction of its value in any market- nice job!