I was on one of the well-known online charity auction websites recently and won this vintage 1958 Holt Howard Noel Elf Girls Pixieware Candle Holder set and I was sooooo thrilled!  I was the high bidder and let me say that it was not an inexpensive win. This set is very rare and so fragile and I have won items in the past from this charity auction website that when arrived were not quite as described and had lots more damage and I vowed not to shop on the site anymore but, a few months later and bam – I got sucked into another auction. The little faces on these girls were simply irresistible; they have big eyes and long eyelashes. So I paid the fee and shipping too was so high on these girls but they were going to be for my private collection so no worries. Well, they were shipped quickly and arrived quickly and as I was unpacking them I could already tell they were not securely packaged so as I was un wrapping the girls the majority were wrapped in paper towels (I am serious and not joking that they were actually wrapped in paper towels) the “N” survived, the “O” survived, the “E” survived and the final one I unwrapped the “L” had her little head broken off….. I was sooooooooo heart broken! My husband looked at me and shook his head, he felt bad for me and when he found out how much I paid agreed with me to never ever ever buy from that charity auction website again.

Many of you already know that we are eBay Power Sellers and sell on many online places and we specialize in vintage and antique collectibles and hold ourselves to the highest standards when it comes to our items, item descriptions, item packaging and customer service and immediately handle fairly any customer issues that might arise as we do the right thing, but, I have sent emails and left messages for this charity auction website and no one is even getting back to me. One of the main differences of shopping online vs. buying in person is that you can see the item first hand, touch it and hold it and look it over really well to make a decision if you want to purchase it or not and when buying online it is super important for sellers to be honest about the items, the item description and to make sure the item arrives safely to the buyer but, it appears not all online sellers hold themselves to our standards. Now, I guess I will have to search for ‘L” figurine.

I have been to Vintage Pink last year and was excited to get to visit today. I absolutely LOVE the name and the way the store looks on the outside and inside. Vintage Pink really has an awesome selection of vintage, retro and mod furniture, clothing, shoes, handbags, collectibles, jewelry and books/magazines. Vintage Pink is always clean and items are really in great condition and the staff is super nice, friendly and always helpful. I found some cool furniture I would love to have but the store is in Oregon and my home is in Texas so that is a problem.

If you are ever in Portland, Oregon, you will want to head to trendy Hawthorne Blvd. and visit Vintage Pink – you will not be disappointed and find tons of great stuff!!!

Vintage Pink
2500 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 224-8100

This past weekend we were on our way to the city of Granbury the town where our beautiful Bichon Frise puppy dog is from to visit all the antique malls we have been hearing about. Granbury is about an hour or so drive and about half way there all of a sudden on the right I spot Benbrook Antique Mall and I had my husband make a sharp right into the parking lot. I had heard about Benbrook Antique Mall and it was on my list of “must visit” Antique Malls and today was the day. The mall looked HUGE from the parking lot and pretty full with all the cars parked out front and it was a Sunday afternoon. (Granbury will have to wait till next time).

Walking inside, the place really was huge….. I would easily compare it to the Montgomery Street Antique Mall in Fort Worth. There were indeed lots of shoppers and that is always something I like to see because when you go inside a new place and its empty you pretty much form an opinion right away after walking up and down a couple isles and the opinion is not too good. Benbrook Antique Mall was really well lit so you could see what merchandise were in booths and behind glass. Booths for the most part were very inviting and setup with a “decorator’s flair”.

Benbrook Antique Mall has a nice mix of antiques and collectibles and there is some furniture though not much, which for me is fine as I am mostly looking for collectibles and lots of malls lately in my area I gripe about that they are turning into furniture shops as that is pretty much what you find.

There is even a sweet looking tearoom called “Gena’s De Vine Tearoom” and it looked really darling but was closed. Also, there was a small spot with chairs and a TV so husband’s can sit while their wives shop!! I have not seen a “Men’s” lounge before in other antique malls.

We had a blast at Benbrook Antique Mall and I most certainly rank this place on my top ten list of Antique Malls in the Dallas/Fort Worth area!  Many of my readers know that I am a collector of Black Americana / Black Memorabilia and this was the very first antique mall that I have been inside that actually had a nice selection of quality Aunt Jemima and Mammy items ranging from vintage Black Americana tablecloths and tea towels to salt and pepper shakers, figurines, and wall plaques – I was IMPRESSED! Huge place, well lit, helpful and friendly staff, very reasonable prices and a large selection of glass, antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, vintage linens, furniture, jewelry, Hummel Figurines, primitives, shabby chic items, romantic cottage, clocks, coins, radios, Kitchen collectibles, Kitschy Collectibles, pottery sports and western memorabilia and more!! If you are in North Texas you must make time to visit Benbrook Antique Mall.

BENBROOK ANTIQUE MALL
9250 BENBROOK BLVD.
(HWY 377)
BENBROOK, TEXAS 76126
817-249-0844

The Golliwog originated as a character from children’s books back in 19th century England and was a type of minstrel doll with bushy hair, exaggerated lips and big eyes. In the 1920’s a French perfume house called Vigny had numerous perfumes on the market and it was around the mid 1920s when African American entertainers were increasing in popularity in the Paris night scene and it is thought that the Vigny company was quick to create and take to market their Golliwogg perfume topped with a Golliwog head stopper complete with hair, big eyes, and big mouthed smile and all made of glass. A TOTAL eye-catcher!

Today, Golliwog items in general are highly collectable and certainly considered a form of Black Americana or Black Memorabilia. Many Golliwog collectibles are made in England but the Vigny Golliwogg Perfume bottles are 100% Made In France and so very, very rare and scarce. There are a couple different types of Golliwog perfume bottles that are so collectible from the single 1920s-1930s Golliwog perfume bottle encased in a gorgeous box with pink satin/silk and this bottle came in two sizes a larger and smaller bottle to an extremely rare 1920s trio called Jack, Jill, Junior where all three bottles are in a gorgeous presentation box together with the label “Le Golliwogg, de Vigny, Paris France” and we also found a rare Golliwog Scent Pin or Brooch which is so unique and the back side has a hinged receptacle that has tiny holes for holding scented cloth or cotton spritz with the wearers favorite scent that can be worn and the scent can be enjoyed by the wearer. There is also a Golliwog perfume that has a Bakelite head stopper. Also, we have heard that there was a Golliwog lotion bottle produced as well.

Prices for these Vigny Golliwogg perfume bottles are seeing an all time high now and that may come as a surprise to many folks as we are supposed to be in the recovery process of a horrible financial depression. The Vigny Golliwogg Jack, Jill and Junior bottles are currently selling for $2,500 – $5,000 depending on condition and the single Golliwog bottles are going from $400-$800 depending on condition. If you are a vintage vanity or vintage perfume bottle collector or Black Americana collector and do not have a Golliwog perfume bottle in your collection then you may want to consider adding this little fellow as his popularity and desirability is increasing!!

Alice In Wonderland has always been a very collectible item and theme and both the young and the old can’t seem to get enough. It all started as a novel titled “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland” back in 1865 written by an English gent named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the name Lewis Caroll. Today, we know the story as Alice in Wonderland and with the 2010 Tim Burton re-make of the classic with movie stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, and Mia Wasikowska to name a few, they have all gotten together for a very important date and so, we just know this modern day version of Alice In Wonderland will create new collectors and those that have been collecting will certainly be adding to their collections!

Alice In Wonderland items are currently Sky Rocketing in price and everyone I have spoken with recently is not a bit surprised and some felt the prices were about to really spike up as the peak has yet to be reached! Below is a random sampling of Alice In Wonderland related items and what they are currently selling for on EBay, Tias, Rubylane, Vintagedisneyalice.blog, Alice-In-Wonderland, Collectalice, and Spiralvisions (images are from these websites}.

1893 Lewis Carroll Alice In Wonderland Book SIGNED BY DODGSON $9,500
SALVADOR DALI Alice In Wonderland MAD TEA PARTY Print (From ALICE IN WONDERLAND COLLECTION) $2,499
ANTIQUE ROBINSON&LEADBEATER ENGLISH BISQUE ALICE IN WONDERLAND GIRL+DOG FIGURINE $1,400
1950s Alice in Wonderland Spinning Top Features colorful images of Alice with the Flamingo, the Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, and Humpty Dumpty. Made in the USA by Colmor – $125.00
1980s Alice in Wonderland Miniature Doll, Limited Edition of 1000 made by Tina Richardson for Small Bears For A Big World series. $95.00

Disney Alice In Wonderland Items:
2001 Disney Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum Figurines on EBay $450
Alice in Wonderland Disney Animation $355
DISNEY ALICE IN WONDERLAND QUEEN BARBIE DOLL $140
ALICE IN WONDERLAND COOKIE JAR – VINTAGE & RARE $105
1950s Alice In Wonderland NAPCO Planter $125
Madame Alexander Alice In Wonderland Doll $85
3D Alice In Wonderland Cheshire Cat Souvenir Spoon $135
1930s Alice In Wonderland “Come To Life” Pop-Up Book $495
1970s Alice In Wonderland children’s board game $63
Alice In Wonderland ‘The Duchess” Pewter Figurine $35
Alice In Wonderland “Mad Hatter” Royal Doulton Toby Jug $85
Alice In Wonderland Figurine for Disney by Armani $675

The Mad Tea Party Tote Bag This Alice in Wonderland tote bag features a vintage image of the Mad Tea Party. We’ve pixilated bits, sharpened others. The image is set off center. Lekker Brand.