Pyrex Collections

Vintage Pyrex is all the rage! I must admit, I'm falling in love with it like so many other people.

Since the 1940s, most houses have had a set of these wonderful primary color mixing bowls. They have held up extremely well over the years (provided each bowl was hand-washed), and are still in high demand. A full set with the box brings in well over $100, and without the box can bring in as much as $90. While you can piece a set together for less (unless you have to pay separate shipping!), the ideal set is one that has not been married - that was originally sold together.

One of my favorite patterns is the Amish (or Butterprint) pattern. You can find the images in white on blue, or the reverse. The mixing bowls also come with tabs in the Cinderella style, or without. And if you're really lucky, you can find the set in white on pink! The blue is more turquoise in color and really works well with the vintage aqua that decorators have been using this year.

Keep in mind that these great Pyrex pieces aren't just mixing bowls. You can usually find these patterns in refrigerator dishes, casseroles, cereal bowls, plates, butter dishes and baking dishes.

Another favorite pattern of mine is Friendship, sometimes called Pennsylvania Dutch. I can't get enough of this set! It is very difficult to find locally but I happen to know that you can easily find it at Cotton City in Booth #14. Be sure to ask the sweet ladies at the front - they'll show you where to find the booth.

If you're lucky enough to come upon a "demonstration" piece, snatch it up! There are only a few of those floating around. I have a great casserole dish with the milk glass lid that has the "Blue Onion" pattern on it. This one is hard to find, partly because they only made a few of these casserole dishes, but also because it's called by many other names!

Pyrex had many gorgeous patterns through the 1970s before they began making only clear dishes. You can find daisies, sunflowers, pinks and greens, yellows and snowflakes, dots and stripes and much more. Enjoy your hunt!

Enormous Rummage Sales = Fantastic Deals!

I love, love, love events like these! This month I had the pleasure of setting up at our local City Wide Rummage Sale (by www.myrummagesales.com ). What a great adventure! In addition to selling some awesome vintage finds and meeting wonderful new people, I was able to see what everyone else is collecting!

My son is not the only person collecting old suitcases! They were all over the place - old Samsonite, hard plastic, covered with tweed.. Powder blue like my mom's and dark browns, all over the place.. But I must say that my boy's is the best of all. Check out that hardware!

At a recent Summer Sale at Cotton City Antiques, my daughter finally bought the telephone table she's had her eyes on. She has found the right place for the seat in her room (which of course means that it's now time to redo the room completely!) and has her eye on more vintage goodies. So happy the kids are taking after my family's flair for vintage beauty!

Been to any great sales lately? With the popularity of shows like Cash and Cari, American Pickers, Auction Hunters and Pawn Stars, people are flocking to these types of sales more and more. What a great form of retail therapy while keeping the past alive! There are a couple of things you need to know before you go:

• ALWAYS take cash. No more than you are comfortable spending, of course. And the smaller the bills the better (unless you are attending a high-end estate sale). Respect the host of the sale enough to not take all their change on your purchase!
• CONSIDER the purchase. The majority of the time, items are priced fairly. Sure, there are those people who mark things up to make a profit. That's because those sales are how they support themselves. You'll see a lot of people telling you to haggle to get "better deals", but most of time the price on the item is a fantastic deal anyway. Respect the host by not making each purchase a battle, and they may reward you!

One more thing - my daughter also wants me to show you the awesome pin ball machine she bought this week!

Farm Basket Lanterns!

This is a fantastic pair! Originally used to lift and carry jars in the canning process, these lifters, and often used as baskets, have turned into gorgeous lanterns!

Imagine rocking on your southern porch, when the afternoon showers have cooled everything off a little bit. It's not quite dark, and you need a touch of soft light. These lanterns take me back to afternoons at Nana's house by the bay.

While you might be able to find other lifters or baskets like this, these are truly one-of-a-kind.

Romantic Candelabra

If you were following last week's post, I'm happy to report that a very lucky girl has taken home that gem. But, never fear: there's more!

Talk about classy! Imagine this beautiful piece and the romance it will bring to your home!

The marble base measures about 5.5" across, while the height is almost 13.75" tall. The glass is crystal clear, and the entire unit has just a few pieces of age on it. You could easily polish and clean it up, or leave it in this gorgeous vintage condition.

This is the first time I've seen a piece so classy in such great shape. I wonder what stories this piece has to tell. Think you might like to give this wonderful candelabra a new home? Come over to the sold and place your bid!

Do You Remember These?

My best friend's mom had a 1968 Salad Master food processor. The kind with the crank handle, 5 cones and lots of chrome. I don't think I ever figured out how to use it, but can you believe this nifty machine has made a huge comeback?

Here you'll find an sold for this great machine. Check it out!

Welcome!

Welcome to Vintage Fun with Amanda! I love just about everything vintage and enjoy sharing these beauties even more! Sometimes I find great pieces to decorate with and other times I find life-savers for practical use. Yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores and online sites are all dear friends of mine. In addition to great vintage finds, you will also meet some of the most wonderful people. So come on, let's get to know each other and share our love for all things vintage!