Crazy for My Collectibles

Mother in The Kitchen and Prayer Ladies are vintage kitchen accessories and made by Enesco and are turning out to be a pretty “HOT” collectible today. Prayer Lady/Mother in The Kitchen items were made during the 1950’s & 1960’s and sold primarily in five and dime stores, department shops and also gift shops.

What Do They Look Like?

These collectibles are of a lovely lady with a very sweet and delicate face with her hair pulled up into a bun and hair coloring can range from dark brown, light brown and even a rare reddish-blonde. The lady’s eyes are closed in prayer and her hands are in an upright prayer position with palms together fingers pointing up. The lady wears a long pretty dress with feminine collar and an apron with a prayer inscribed on it and you can see her shoes from under her long dress.

These ladies were dressed in different colors and the most common color is Pink. They also came in these colors:

• Blue with white trim
• Turquoise with white and she has puffy sleeves
• Rose white and with puffy sleeves
• White with blue trim
• Yellow with brown or green trim

How Many “Prayer Lady” Pieces Are There to Collect?

• Air Freshener
• Bank
• Bell
• Bud Vase
• Candle Holder Set
• Canister set: Flour, Sugar, Coffee and Tea
• Clothes Sprinkler
• Coffee Cups
• Cookie Jar
• Crumb Brush and Pan
• Egg Timer
• Flower Pot
• Instant Coffee Container
• Napkin Holder
• Picture Frame
• Ring Holder
• Salt and Pepper Shakers
• Scouring Pad Holder
• Spoon Rest
• String Holder
• Tea Pot, Sugar Bowl and Creamer
• Toothpick Holder

Finding & Caring For These Ladies?

You can find these lovely ladies in antique shops, online shops, eBay and Rubylane, Tias.com. eBay tends to have the largest selection and you can pick them up at reasonable prices. The ladies I have seen at my local antique shops tend to be priced at top dollar but maybe the shops in your area are more affordable.

Delicate parts of the Prayer Lady tend to be their heads and they can very easily brake off so be careful when handling your little ladies. Ladies in MINT condition fetch higher prices of course than ladies that are damaged. Do your research and buy your ladies from reputable dealers and sellers. We hope this little lady brightens your days as she does ours!

Hmmm…. Lately many of the antique malls I have been visiting have started to put out holiday and Christmas decorations. Yes, it is still early for the holidays but it is not too early nor is it ever too early to have merchandise out for the holidays and Christmas as folks that are collectors are ALWAYS on the hunt for items to add to their collections. Also, I remember doing a post about a year or so ago when I was frustrated with the antiques and collectibles malls in my town really did not have much inventory or selection of items out or displayed in their booths for Christmas and the holidays so I sure hope things continue the way they are as I LOVE the holidays.

My “Wish List” for Christmas and Holiday Collectibles:

• Vintage Spaghetti Santa’s
• Vintage Napco Christmas Figurines and Shoppers
• 1950s Santa and Mrs. Claus figurines
• Vintage Santa, Angels, and Pixie figurines and ornaments
• Gorgeous Lacquered Hand-Carved Russian Santa’s
• Antique Belsnickel Santa’s
• Vintage Holt Howard Christmas Collectibles
• Vintage Josef  Originals Christmas Collectibles
  
• Victorian Christmas Greeting Cards
• Vintage Christmas Tablecloths and Tea Towels
• Mercury Glass Ornaments

And lots more!!

The last couple years have been tough economically for us all and there is no doubt that some great bargains can be found at flea markets and that there is money to be made selling at flea markets. It is estimated that there are well over 25,000 flea markets across the United States with sales over $6 Billion dollars….and this is for flea markets that operate on weekends only! Pasadena’s famous Rose Bowl Flea Market is said to have over 3,000 vendors with approx. 50,000 shoppers! Professional Flea Market shoppers are reported to arrive between 7:00 am -9:00 am in the morning with flashlights if still dark out when vendors are just setting up and are ready to treasure and bargain hunt.  You have got to watch”A Flea Market Documentary“. WOW!

1. Becoming A Vendor: First things first, in order to start selling at flea markets you need to get yourself setup as a vendor at a particular flea market. Check with your attorney or accountant on what is recommended by your state and the Feds as far as setting up a business name, business checking account tax ID number and anything else you need.  Also, check with the particular flea market on what paperwork and licenses they will need from you.

2.What To Sell: You most likely already have an idea of what types of merchandise or products you want to sell as you probably have visited flea markets before and probably visited the flea market your booth will be at a hundred times or so. You have developed a sense of what sells, what is “hot”, crafts that seem to sell well, antiques and collectibles that sell etc.. and you hopefully already have amassed several items to sell or have secured a method or contact for inventory be it a wholesaler or your local thrift store and neighborhood garage sales, or you have made up a bunch of crafts etc..

Also, a way to earn extra money is to sell beverages and snacks in your space. Nothing is better on a hot humid day then a cold drink! Have a cooler or if you have electricity a small refrigerator stocked with bottle water and soda pops and think about this for a moment – why not have some labels made up of your space name and logo and stick them on the bottles of water or if you sell bags of chips or granola bars then stick the labels on these as this is a great way to market your space!!

3. Pricing: Pricing – because you have spent a lot of time already visiting flea markets or have friends that are vendors at flea markets or have done your pricing research another way, you know what your pricing should be. Do not over analyze your pricing and merchandise, as right now it is most important for you to wisely “dive in” and get your booth setup and Start Selling!

TIPS TO ATTRACT HUNDREDS OF BUYERS TO YOUR SPACE

Many people will say that a great strategy is the key to attracting buyers. There is no doubt that you are one vendor amongst thousands of vendors so having the right merchandise and a good location is key.

6. Attracting Buyers: Be sure to have enough merchandise on hand. Nothing is worse than an empty looking space so be sure to have plenty of stuff to sell and either store the excess under your tables or in your car. Also, have around a total of $500 of change in $1, $5, $10, and $20. Keep bags, newspaper, sacks, and boxes handy so folks can easily and comfortably haul their treasures away.

7. Be an Expert: If you sell antiques and collectibles you will agree that the more you know about the items you are selling the more you will sell as your customers will see you as the EXPERT and people feel confident buying from the Expert and paying the higher prices as items sold by an Expert can command top dollar.

Engage in conversation with folks that enter your space as vendors with personality and the ability to story tell about their items will have more sales as shoppers enjoy being told as much information about what they are buying, and part of the enjoyment of flea markets is all the neat vendors you meet!

8. Setup: Setup your space to visually make sense and be comfortable. So, if you sell books then have them setup with spines facing out and neatly stacked so they are easy to read, if you sell clothing be sure to hang the items up on racks or have them neatly folded on tables and do put out items that are dirty or have holes as no one is looking for this. Have your pricing clearly visible. If you have access to electricity then have a couple fans plugged in to blow cool air as noting feels better on s super hot day then a fan blowing on you and when people feel comfortable they will spend more time shopping your space. Also, if you can arrange for some type of cover or canopy to shield from rain and sun it will not only make you the seller more comfortable but your shoppers too.

If you use signage make sure they are neat and easy to read and grab attention from folks passing by. Tie a bunch of balloons around your space to attract attention and have a drawing for a “free” prize every 4 hours or so and this will draw lots of attention to your space.

9. Hagglers: Be prepared to handle hagglers in advance. You should not be surprised if people start to haggle or negotiate with you. Many people feel that haggling is part of the Flea Market experience. Decide in advance how much you are will to accept on an item and be good-natured when dealing with hagglers. Remember that being flexible with your pricing can mean more sales for you!!

10.Tips For Vendors: A couple things to keep in mind when selling at Flea Markets is to have a receipt book and pen handy as many folks will ask for a receipt if they are a business. If you sell vintage or retro items that can be repurposed, make up a bunch of handouts that tell the buyer the types of crafts and projects these items can be made into and even have a free craft detailed that they can make.  Keep sunscreen nearby and even have some for sale, as you will be surprised how sunburned one can get walking around a flea market and selling at a flea market!!

We hope these tips and tricks have been beneficial to you and urge you to visit www.crazy4me.com in the near future, as we are finishing up a fantastic guide on Flea Market Bargaining and Haggling Tips!

The popularity of vintage linens is overwhelming as more and more of us discover how versatile and beautiful they are. Maybe you inherited old tablecloths and tea towels from your relatives or have become involved with the re-purposing and re-using movement sweeping the country turning these beloved linens into crafts or using them everyday in your homes, or, perhaps you are one of those people (like me) that has always loved old linens and grew up with doilies decorating your families’ living rooms and had dressed dining tables complete with embroidered tablecloths and matching napkins for those special and “fancy” occasions.

I can remember growing up and my mother hand-washing delicate linens and spending hours ironing them. Many of these linens she brought with her from the many years spent living in Europe and were made by her relatives and some she made as a young girl and there were amazingly crotched items as well as finely embroidered tablecloths, napkins and bedspreads and the magnificent lace items from curtains to tea table covers and more.  My twin sister and I had basic chores growing up and one of them was polishing the wooden furniture in the living room (hutch, coffee table, side tables, sideboards) we would dust and remove all the decorations on the tables and place them on the carpet or couch and pickup the doilies and shake off the dust, and I just know we used way too much Pledge as we polished the furniture and then how carefully we would lay the doilies back down and place the glass and figurines back on top of the doilies and stand back to admire our handiwork. It all sparkled and looked so nice!

So, since vintage linens are increasing in popularity, I have been contacted by many dedicated readers of my blog asking for simple tips when it comes to selling these linens as many seem to have amassed a huge collection are needing to downsize that collection for various reasons. I have combined the below couple tips that I hope will be helpful to you whether you decide to sell on eBay or Etsy or in your very own booth at an Antique Mall or space at a Flea Market. We here at Crazy4Me are eBay Power Sellers and Top Rated Sellers as eBay has put their “badge” on our selling practices. We have developed some proven methods and are experienced and enjoy sharing our knowledge and expertise and it can benefit you.

Pillow Cases $45-$80 a pair. Handkerchiefs $10-$30.  Tea Towels $25.00-$100,Tablecloths, $50.00 – + depending on age, scarcity, handmade work and details and item condition.

1.The vintage and antique linen items you are selling are most likely hand-made and some can vary in intricacy and embellishment. It is important to make sure your items are clean, even if they have damage and staining, have them be as clean as possible as this will help you meet your asking price because if your item is wrinkled and has actual dirt and old food stains/particles on it then it will for sure not sell nearly as well as it can as an interested person will look at it and quickly determine the amount of work it will take to clean up the item and then more likely than not, change their mind of purchasing.

2. If you plan to auction your items online, a fair starting price can be determined by first doing a bit of research on similar items and taking a really good look at what your are selling to see how much handmade work it has and if you find it to be a really spectacular item start the bidding between $39.99-$49.99.

3. If you are selling tablecloths that are from the 1950s-1960s and are heavy with lots of fabric and have a nice pattern/coloring then it may be barkcloth and a fair opening bid of $24.99 – $34.99 is very fair.

4. If you have a rare Black Americana tablecloth or Black Americana tea towel do some research to ensure it is not a reproduction and tea towels with some mild spots/stains can have a bidding price of $29.99 and tablecloths with no damage and light spots a starting bid of $79.99-$99.99 is fair. Holes or rips on tea towels start them at $9.99 and tablecloths with holes or rips start them at $39.99-$49.99.

5. Tea towels and Hankies are abundant in the market place and again, you need to do a little research to make sure you know what you are selling as we here at Crazy4Me always encourage sellers to research what they have as a knowledgeable seller will sell more and make more money in the end. If your tea towel has some embroidery and is in pretty good condition then a starting price of $9.99-$14.99 is very fair. Hankies with some lace or crotched work in good condition can be started at $7.99-$9.99 and if you have Holiday/Christmas themed items, do some research as these can be started at higher prices and selling them a couple months before Christmas will yield you good results.

Vintage linens to sell can include: Tea Towels, Hand towels, Dresser Scarves, Table Runners, Doilies, Tablecloths, Pillow Cases, Bed Spreads /Coverlets, Aprons, Handkerchiefs, and more. When you include genres or themes like Holiday, State Souvenir, Dogs, Cats, Roosters, Fruits, Florals, Anthropomorphic, BBQ, Happy Hour – Drink and Martini’s, etc…

Wishing you good luck with your sales and feel free to contact us with your questions!

For many kids around the country it is Back-to-School time and for parents who were not able to find the “right” backpack or tote bag, here is a little crafty project you can do with your kids and make a “custom” book bag using vintage fabric and remnants. BHG provides an easy to follow step-by-step guide and all you need is a couple yards of vintage fabric or vintage tablecloths, fabric for lining the inside of the bag and some thread in coordinating colors to get started. Get Details Here. Bag pics from Happy Loves Rosie.

First a quick stop at VooDoo Doughnut. We had been searching and searching for this place in Portland, Oregon, after seeing it on all the Food Network and “Strange” food shows and FINALLY found it! Yup, they do indeed have VooDoo doll shaped doughnuts that have a chocolate cover and red jelly inside for the “blood” and a stick pretzel at the top and bottom as the “VooDoo Doll Pins”, a maple bacon bar, an oreo cookie doughnut and too many others!! After getting our sugar fix we headed up to downtown Vancouver, Washington, for some junking and antiquing and it was a really gorgeous day with sunshine, a breeze and 80 degrees (perfect for the Northwest) we found some cute vintage tea towels and salt and pepper shakers and a life-sized Spider Man doll. Hope you are all enjoying your summer!!

I have always been drawn to the vintage 1950 – 1960 poodle dog figurines and collectibles. The spaghetti poodles ALWAYS catch my eye when I am at flea markets, antique malls, and junk shops. I am amazed at the wide variety of poodle collectibles on the market today and we of course have the fabulous 1950s to thank for all the poodles on the market today. I am a Bichon Frise dog lover and proud owner of Luna – our 3-year-old Bichon but those cute poodles, I can’t stay away from them!

Poodle dogs have been portrayed and modeled into figurines and paintings since the early 1920s and in the 1950s poodles were at their peek of popularity. Nearly all poodles figurines and collectibles were made in Japan (as was nearly everything else) and manufacturers such as Lefton, Napco, Napcoware, Replo, Kreiss, Thames Company, Reubens, Shafford, Holt Howard, Vcagco, Ucagco, Arnart, Bradley, Artmark, Ries, Lipper and Mann, Commodor, Relco, Inrco, and Tilso to name a few, were all producing some type of Poodle collectible and Poodle ware from vanity items, to chained figures featuring mamma dog and puppies to parasol ladies with their poodle pooches. Poodles were depicted to look like mans best friend, silly poses, goofy faces, wearing sunglasses, and in playful poses and even with bees and flies on their noses. CUTE!

Spaghetti Poodles:

Spaghetti Poodles were made from clay, porcelain, and ceramic and their “hair” was applied in various ways to form various textures to mimic an actual poodle’s hair do. To accomplish the spaghetti look decorators and designers would have different techniques like using tea strainers and pushing the material through it to form strands that were then affixed to the poodle giving it a pom-pom look or swirled onto to the poodle for a curly look. Spaghetti is very fragile and tends to break or chip during the years and I am AMAZED at the many spaghetti poodles I come across that after 50 or 60 years old and still retain nearly all their spaghetti! These poodles were certainly loved and preserved to keep them in this type of fabulous condition. Many poodles also have applied on them sparkly rhinestones for the poodle’s eyes and rhinestones were also applied to the poodle’s dog collar. Pearls and ceramic/porcelain florals were also added to many poodles for decorations on their heads, hats and various parts of body to mimic pom-poms.

Today’s Poodle Market
Poodles are highly sought after and collectible today. Seems everywhere one looks we are returning to the nostalgia of yester year in some ways. Prices for poodles will vary depending on the region you are located but average pricing for figurines and such are around $25.00 – $50.00 and go up from their depending on the rarity and maker of the item along with size and condition.

I think that currently eBay is the best place to buy your poodle collectibles right now as you will find a vast selection and prices are unbeatable when you can pick up rare poodles for $8.99 and at prices this low it makes starting or adding to a collection possible even in this tough economy.

When you are out searching for your poodle collectibles be sure to give the item(s) a thorough once-over by making sure rhinestones are all intact, spaghetti is intact, paint is not too worn, chained groups are still chained together with their original chains and items that have parasols still retain their parasols.

Oodles of Poodles to Collect:
Poodle dog figurines, poodle dog salt and pepper shakers, poodle dog themed dinnerware and coffee mugs, poodle dog planters, poodle dog candle holders, poodle dog coin banks, poodle dog brooches and pins and jewelry, poodle dog ashtrays, poodle dog scarf, poodle dog embroidered linens like tablecloths and tea towels, poodle dog bells, poodle dog lamps, poodle skirts, poodle dog pincushions, poodle dog greeting cards, poodle dog vanity trash cans, poodle dog lipstick holders, poodle dog wrapping paper, poodle dog aprons, poodle dog plush toys and more as there are also a slew of Christmas Holiday themed Poodle Dog Figurines and Collectibles too!

Photos from Flickr

Crazy4Me

If you have been following my blog or visit my eBay and Etsy stores you know how much I love vintage Anthropomorphic kitchenware and especially Holt Howard Pixieware. These lovelies from the 1950s are so fantastical and housewives during this era sure had their picking of condiment jars to decorate their kitchens with in those early days.

Condiment jars were manufactured by many companies mostly in Japan but some in the USA and the most successful companies producing these items were Holt Howard, Lefton, DeForrest, Napco, and Betson.  Some of the very collectible condiment jars are for Onions, Garlic, Mustard, Ketchup, Relish, Jam and Jelly, Honey, Olives, Cocktail Olives, Cherries, these jars are so darn neat and cute with their theatrical faces and depictions of clothes pins over the nose of garlic condiment jars and the crying eyes of the condiment onion jar pixies. The most collectible and highly desired Pixieware condiment jars are made by Holt Howard.

Spoons that go with the condiment jars are often times referred to as “Spoofy Spoons” and it is important when you are searching for vintage condiment jars that you check the items over for damage and be especially careful with the spoons and check these over with a fine tooth comb for damage as the spoon’s tops are the “face” of the condiment jar and usually the lid and the neck of the spoon’s are so very fragile that the heads break off and you want to check for this and if it has been re-attached. Also, it is difficult to find complete sets with their spoons, spoofy spoons, lids, and underplates.

Values for these vintage Pixieware condiment jars are increasing and the desirability is also increasing so be prepared to pay top dollar for a “good condition” item and prices can be even higher for the rarer condiment jars and “mint condition” pixieware condiment jars. Current Valuations at the time writing this article:

Lefton Hot Dog Faced Pixieware Mustard jars over $3,000
Holt Howard Honey Condiment Pixieware Jar $1,000 and up
Holt Howard Chili Sauce Pixieware Condiment Jar over $700.00
Napco Mustard Condiment Jar $250.00 and up
Holt Howard Jeeves Olives Condiment Pixieware Jar $350.00 and up
Vintage Black Americana Ketchup and Mustard Pixieware Jars $500.00 and up
Holt Howard Mustard Pixieware Condiment Jar $125.00 and up
Holt Howard Ketchup Pixieware Condiment Jar $125.00 and up
Holt Howard Liquor Decanters $600.00 and up
Lefton Apple Head Pixieware Anthropomorphic Jam Jar $160.00

Photos from Flickr, Antique Trader, About

We have had the most amazing luck recently and found some truly FABULOUS rare and super hard-to-find items!! Ceramic Arts Studio little Sambo Riding Alligator salt and pepper shakers, Vintage Drews Pixie on Leaf, Vintage Black Americana Seal and Trainer shakers, Vintage Napco Black Memorabilia Chef salt and pepper shakers, Mod Retro Black Black Cat shakers with Rhinestone Eyes, and this Vintage Black Americana Nodder Mammy Salt and Pepper Shakers. For those of you collectors out there you know just how rare it is to come acorss these items and even rarer to find them in near MINT condition. Don’t Loose Out!! VISIT HERE.

I wanted to share a an exceptional reference book for those of you collecting Black Americana, Cats, Mermaids and Niagara Falls salt and pepper shakers and it is titled “Salt and Pepper over 1001 Shakers” by Larry Carey and Sylvia Tompkins. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. – Salt and Pepper Shakers (Books) 112 pages, published 1994.

I came upon this particular book while at an antique mall and although I don’t usually look for books, the booth I was in had several antique and collectible books and they were displayed really well so I started to look over them and came upon this one and knew immediately I had to have it even though it was over 10 years old.

The book is compiled by Larry Carey who has over 6,000 shakers and Sylvia Tompkins who has over 7,000 shakers. Larry is the founder and former President of the Novelty Salt & Pepper Shakers Club and Sylvia served as President, Vice President, and newsletter editor of the club. Together, Larry and Sylvia compiled one of the best resources for shakers with a special focus on Black Memorabilia salt and pepper shakers (the first 90 pages is all Black Americana and Natives shakers) as even though I consider myself an expert in Black Americana kitchen items, this book has shakers I have not seen first hand and the book over all has a price guide and 1,500+ photos. A variety of sizes, colors, dates, country of manufacture and price guide included. You will see photos and learn information about shakers made by Miyao, Miyao Japan, Made In Japan, Pre-WWII era shakers, Enesco shakers, Van Tellingen shakers, Fitz and Floyd, Made in Germany shakers, Goebel salt and pepper shakers, American Bisque shakers, Aunt Jemima salt and pepper shakers, Uncle Mose salt and pepper shakers, Luzianne Coffee Salt and Pepper shakers, F&F Mold Dayton Ohio shakers, Ceramic Arts Studio rare salt and pepper shakers, Nodders, Napco salt and pepper shakers, National Potteries shakers and so much more! If you can get your hands on a copy do so as it is a MUST for any collector.