Antique Trader | Crazy4Me - The Modern Bombshell Lifestyle by: Yasmina Greco

5 Tips for Collecting Lefton Vintage Bluebirds

May 1, 2021 By: Fan

Yasmina Greco Lefton Bluebirds Topline Import Bluebirds

Today on the blog I am sharing some of my very favorite vintage bluebird collectibles with you all. Back when eBay and Etsy were all the rage for antiques and collectibles I was a PowerSeller (a rating eBay had for their PowerSeller program where sellers needed to consistently sell a significant volume of items and provide a high level of service to their buyers to achieve this rating) and I sold many vintage bluebirds to collectors all over the world. It wasn’t until I came across a bluebird sugar jar from the Topline Imports company that I actually had an emotional reaction. I had listed the sugar jar and it sold within minutes and after a few days I found that I could not stop looking at the pictures I had of the item and that lil’ birdies cute face. I was so sad I sold her. I didn’t start collecting these adorable blue birds till years later and now they are the pride and joy of my collection.

NOTE: You can read about my collections here at Antique Trader Magazine

Topline Import Bluebirds Collection — Topline Imports Bluebirds Collection

Many collectors are drawn to vintage bluebirds because of the cheerfulness they exude. These adorable figurines and dining sets can really brighten your day. Although not much information exists about the Topline Imports company, we do know that they manufactured high quality items in Japan in the 1950s-1960s. My Topline Imports bluebird set is stamped with the numbers 50/154 and they retain their gold foil “Topline Imports, Inc. Japan” tags. It was this set’s sugar jar that stole my heart all those years ago. The set includes a cookie jar, teapot, sugar jar, creamer, salt and pepper shakers, snack plate, and set of 3 wall plaques (mama bird and two babies). I am now on the hunt for the teacup that fits the snack plate and my collection will be complete. The Topline Imports bluebird is my all time favorite.

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Have Yourself a Mid-Mod Christmas

December 23, 2020 By: Fan

Yasmina Greco Mid-Century Modern Christmas Philco Predicta Television

Holiday wishes and mistletoe kisses, Merry Christmas everyone!! Hope you all are staying safe and healthy. It’s Christmas time once again!!

I can’t believe the weeks have flown by; I tell my hubby Gary that ever since Thanksgiving it has all been a blur to me and it’s gone by so fast. So I really can’t believe that this is post five in our six-part Vintage Christmas Collecting Series and, I think one of my favorite posts because not only are we talking about the key elements of a mid-century modern Christmas but also sharing holiday fashions from the 1950s-1960s with me as your festive model.

Retro Aluminum Christmas Trees:

Yasmina Greco Retro Christmas Aluminum Tree

You really can’t have a mid-mod Christmas without an aluminum tree. These are artificial trees that were made in the late 1950s to the mid 1960s and came in a variety of sizes with aluminum branches and needles. Some trees even have pom poms on the ends of their branches like my darling little aluminum tree in these photos. True vintage aluminum trees from the 50s-60s are a very hot collectible (and seem to be getting hotter every year) so prices are up there and you can pick up a vintage aluminum tree run from around $175 to over a thousand dollars, especially if they are colored aluminum like teal or green trees. There are companies today making reproduction aluminum trees in multi colors as well as kitschy pink trees at reasonable prices if a true vintage tree is out of reach.

Vintage Color Wheels:

Yasmina Greco Mid-Century Modern Christmas

Retro aluminum trees are lighted up by a color wheel. I have one sitting on the floor right behind me in the above photo. The color wheel turns and shines colored light onto the tree and it really is lovely with the way the colors reflect off of the tinsel branches. You can find true vintage color wheels at antique shops and on Etsy and eBay for around $50-$300 with their original boxes and in working condition. Sometimes the cords/plugs need to be rewired for today’s standards so proceed with caution when you plugin a true vintage color wheel.

Vintage Shiny Brite Ornaments:

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Collecting 1950s Vintage Spaghetti Poodle Figurines

December 19, 2020 By: Fan

Today I am sharing one of my passions with you all and it has to do with collecting vintage spaghetti Poodles. The poodles in these pictures are all part of my personal collection and I adore their kitschy cuteness and how they make me smile. These vintage poodles also fit my Pinup and Mid-Century Modern vibe perfectly. My favorite spaghetti poodles are the three on the tray that have glasses and bows and are made by Norcrest in Japan in the 1950s and the little Christmas poodles that spell out ‘NOEL’ made by Lipper & Mann in the 50s. My collection includes poodle lipstick holders, poodle planters and vases.

UPDATE: You can ready about my collections on a recently published piece in the Antique Trader

This post is all about going back to the 1950s of yesteryear when kitschy cute Poodles were all the rage. Poodle motifs came in a variety of items from poodle skirts and sweaters to table linens and decorative collectible figurines like the spaghetti poodle. Ceramic artists in the late 40s-50s came up with a new technique to mimic the poodle’s fur known as “spaghetti art ware” and it ignited a frenzy for spaghetti poodles.

Spaghetti art wear is made from clay, porcelain, and ceramic which is applied as “fur” to form various textures of a poodle’s hairdo. To accomplish the spaghetti look, ceramicists and designers would have different techniques like using tea strainers to push the material through to form strands that were then attached to the poodle giving it a pom-pom look or they would swirl it onto to the poodle for a curly look. The spaghetti is very fragile and tends to break or chip over the years.

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Under the Sea: Collecting Vintage 1950s Mermaids and Fish

May 18, 2019 By: Fan

Yasmina Greco Vintage Mermaid Collection Crazy4Me

I have always loved mermaids, and the 1950s were a time of great fascination with the mythical creatures. This blog post will discuss how to collect vintage mermaids from this era to decorate your home. My favorite mermaids are from the early 50s made by Norcrest, Napco, and Lefton. I love how whimsical they look on my bathroom walls. I’ll also share more of my favorite finds with you all in this post.

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