Showtime in Chico!

Vintage Gal will be selling here~Stop by my table and say hello!

2020 Season Re-Opening in April!

Gearing up for the 2020 Season!  "New" old  merchandise and cool stuff!  Will be opening Easter weekend.  Here's a sneak peek...

2020 Show Coming Up!

Vintage Gal Antiques will start out the new year in Anderson, CA on January 24-25.  Lots of antique bottles, gold rush items, country store items and go-withs!  

Merry Christmas! Get Your Sparkle On!

A few sparkles to bring some Christmas cheer!

Independence Day Holiday Schedule

Where did June go?!  It seems weather here in Northern California has gone from winter to summer and back to winter for a short time and now we've jumped into a hot summer and June is almost over!  July 4th is on a Thursday, so this holiday will be spread out through the weekend.  Vintage Gal Antiques will be open Wednesday, July 3 through Sunday, July 7.  We hope you have a safe and fun holiday! 

Grass Valley Old West Show

A really great show coming soon! 
Hope to see you in Grass Valley~stop by Vintage Gal's 
sales table! 

Vintage Gal Goes National!

I'm pretty excited for a friend who has a home featured in the new issue of Country Sampler Home Tours 2019!  But I'm also excited for me, because Vintage Gal Antiques is mentioned, too!!

The article is called Sweet Sensation and Karlee's home is full of all the wonderful country store antiques that I love!  An awesome antique country store bean counter, fantastic store bins and tins, a beautiful oak hoosier; everywhere you look there are some amazing pieces!  Karlee purchased some bathroom collectibles and quirky quack medicines from me and they are displayed in one of the photos.  

Vintage Gal Antiques is mentioned in the Resource Guide and I'm thrilled to be included! Thank you Karlee!

 If you get a chance, pick up a copy of the Country Sampler Home Tours magazine. There are some other gorgeous homes featured and lots of great decorating ideas, too.  Enjoy :)

Antique Western Memorabilia Show & Sale

Vintage Gal Antiques will be selling here!
It's one of my favorite shows - come and check it out!

Cheerful China ~ Spring Is Almost Here!

Blue Ridge China was manufactured by Southern Potteries Inc. from the 1930’s until 1957.  Well known for their underglaze decoration and colorful patterns, Blue Ridge pieces have been popular as dishware for cottagey and country décor.  The underglaze technique made the decorations more durable and even though basic patterns were used, no pieces are exactly alike due to all being hand-painted. Hundreds of patterns were made and, for the most part, painters freehanded the details. 

These differences made each piece an original work of art and truly distinctive.

By the time World War II broke out, Southern Potteries was one of the largest producers of china in the United States.  Its workforce was completely unionized and almost half of the employees were painters.  Starting wages for painters was 13 ½ cents an hour during 1941!  Although Southern Potteries employees over 1,000 workers and a leading producer of china, the company was unable to overcome the onset of plastic dinnerware introduced during the 1950’s.  By the end of 1956, Southern Potteries was down to approximately 600 employees; many of them only worked part-time.  In January, 1957, the board of directors voted to close the doors and did so without resorting to bankruptcy, providing stockholders with a final dividend. 

Over the years, Vintage Gal Antiques has carried several patterns of Blue Ridge China.  Currently, I have several pieces of the Chicory Pattern in the fluted, colonial shape, including a sugar and creamer set.  This pattern, primarily in yellow and blue colors, is one of the more difficult patterns to find.  I’ve displayed it with some Torquay glazed earthenware that is also very collectible. I love the rich cobalt blues alongside the happy colors of the Blue Ridge China.  Also featured is a large vintage ceiling tile and a new blue spatterware porcelain enameled cannister set. 

All Blue Ridge China pieces available separately or as a set.  Please email for price list for all items.

Showtime

Rick and I enjoyed selling at the most recent antiques/bottle show in Roseville in early December .  "Best of the West" always lives up to its name and has a wonderful variety of antique bottles, country store items and advertising.  I sold mostly advertising tins and trays. The show was a one-day show this year, and it was constantly busy, so not a lot of time to wander around and see what else was there!  It was a successful show for everyone!

The next show, actually, the first show of 2019, is in Anderson, CA  on Saturday, January 26 at the Shasta Fairgrounds.  Hard to believe some of these shows have been continuously produced for so many years-this one is in it's 43rd year!

We'll be there so if you're in Anderson, stop by!  You just never know what you might find at these shows!

Vintage Gal Antiques is closed for the winter 

and will re-open in April, 2019.  I'll be selling at shows until then!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Fall Colors

Autumn brings to mind a cozy, country kitchen filled with warm primitive antiques; pottery, stoneware, earthy colors and pine or golden oak furnishings.  Check out some of the primitive antiques available at Vintage Gal Antiques.....

October Hours:   Saturday and Sunday    10am - 3pm  

Interesting New Find

Out junking several weeks ago and found these really cool wooden shipping crates!  They're lined in tin and have wooden lids. Chinese or Japanese ~ I'm not sure which, but I love the colorful paper labels on each end! I wonder what stories they could tell?!  These crates would make a great coffee table or end table.   $65 each

Christmas In July

Only roughly 150 days until Christmas!  I love vintage rhinestone Christmas tree pins and have a personal collection of them.  It was fun to wear a different one each day in December when I was working an office job.  It was hard to choose, because I had more brooches than the number of days, so I doubled up on wearing them as we got closer to Christmas.  Last

Christmas I created another fun way to wear several at once!  I found a plain gold-tone link chain and attached several Christmas trees on it to make a statement necklace!  Voila! Getting into the holiday spirit with plenty of sparkle!   

Vintage Gal Antiques has a great selection of vintage Christmas tree brooches, earrings and other Christmas ornament jewelry for sale.  Come and check it out!

More Than Vintage...

Vintage Gal Antiques is more than just another stuffy antique store!  You will find an eclectic blend of old and new items.  Whether it be primitive, country or blingy, when I'm out and about, shopping for resale, I try to find items that are a little quirky or unusual.   

Some popular new items are my "sweet and sassy" gift tags and note cards which are all my own original designs. Each gift tag or card is protected in a clear sleeve and priced from $1.50 to $3.50 each. 

The gift tags are a fun way to add sass to a gift or tie to a bottle of wine to make it special!  Vintage and retro photos with cute sayings, like:  "All You Need is Love...and a Tiara, And Maybe A Cookie".  Or maybe "Whoever Said Less is More, Obviously Wasn't a Wine Drinker!  Witty sayings for many different occasions!  

The note cards available are generally local scenes and historic photos related to Gold Rush days.  One of my favorites is a family photo of Rick's grandfather. I believe it was taken at an early Pan Pacific California Expo in San Francisco.  It's just a great old photo!  

(upper left card in photo below)

  
So if you need a last minute card or gift tag, come and check out the great selection.  And browse the rest of the store...you never know what you might find!

Happy Independence Day!

Hoping everyone has a wonderful July 4th!  Vintage Gal Antiques will be open everyday at 10:00 am, July 1 through July 8, during the holiday.

Downieville's parade is ALWAYS on July 4th, no matter what day of the week it is.  The holiday festivities, including the bbq and street dance will be Saturday, July 7.  Enjoy!

  

Excuse Me, Do You Have a Match?

Several years ago, I purchased a large collection of antique advertising.  I was excited; this collection was owned by a long time savvy antique collector, who had collected for many years and who had a good eye for what would become valuable in the years to come.  We shared the love for similar antiques.  I absolutely love anything and everything “country store”, and this collection included many store tin containers, porcelain and tin advertising signs, advertising calendars and other “go-withs”.

There were several advertising match holders in the purchase, as well.  I have always wanted some of these, but they are usually out of my price range.  So now here I am with an

instant collection!  Probably the most unusual one is the cardboard paper match holder with the monkeys advertising silk stocking brand products.  

I’ve never run across another one like this. 

Match safes were popular from 1870 until the 1930’s when matchbooks and cigarette lighters replaced the need for most match holders.  At home, match holders were used mainly for lighting a stove.  Stove manufacturers often advertised their products on cast iron match holders which could be mounted to the kitchen wall to keep matches handy.  Other wall mounted match holders were made of tin and featured lithographed advertising for various products.

So now I have this great collection and it was a challenge to decide how to display it!  I didn’t want a lot of nail holes in the wall, so I purchased pallet looking hanging boards at Ben Franklin (or Michaels Craft store) and grouped the match holders on the pallet, which I hung on the wall.  As I accumulate more match holders, I can hang more pallets.  I’m still on the look out to add to my collection.  After all, it’s the thrill of the hunt! 

Hoping For the Best!

Well, my landlords have the building for sale that I've been in for 13 years. I know it was a hard decision for them, but they have circumstances that are priority right now. The Downieville real estate market is currently very popular and I'm a little nervous about my future. 

Welcome to Vintage Gal Antiques!

So I thought I'd take advantage of the photos of my shop on the real estate site. If you've never been to Vintage Gal, these professional photos might help you make my shop a destination in Downieville.   

China, shabby chic and glassware room

The photographer didn't take photos of my Bling Room or the Western Room, but, if you're a jewelry lover or western boot collector, Vintage Gal is your place to find a fabulous selection!  

I'm hoping to be here for a few more years, but we'll see how things play out!  Vintage Gal Antiques is open Thursday-Sunday 10am - 4pm.  Starting July 4- I'll be adding Wednesday - Sunday.  If you'd like an appointment, please give me a call!  Hope to see you soon!

When you enter the main room-lots of advertising and primitives and antique bottles

The Nevada City Elks Lodge Antique Show-End of the Day!

Just got home from a long day selling at the Nevada City Elks Lodge Mining & Antique Show. I was up at 4:30 this morning so I could get my 2 ½ cups of coffee in before getting the day started. The show started at 7am in the parking lot for all the mining and rusty stuff and the indoor antique show started at 8am.  The drive down to Nevada City was perfect-no cars except me heading in that direction at 6:15am! 

I love selling at shows!  I love the setting up, arranging my stuff on an 8’ table so everything is decorated and fits just so, and then when the show opens, greeting old friends and talking to new friends who all share a passion for the same things I do. It just beats the sterile feel of selling on Ebay. I like buying on Ebay, but selling is so impersonal. I need that contact and conversation. I learn so many interesting things about what other people collect. Collecting is contagious!  Some folks are obsessed, some buy only for their décor, others just buy what they like and new collectors are trying to add to their beginning collections. I have a dealer friend who is 89 years old and still loves the thrill of selling and buying! She is amazing, and  I hope I’ll have the energy she does when I turn 89! 

At today’s show, I met Karlee, who reads my website!  It’s so exciting to know that people actually read what I’ve posted!  Knowing that I’ve reached even one person makes it so much fun for me and I appreciate all the kind words that I’ve received.  Karlee likes old quirky advertising and she bought several things from me. Thank you Karlee, so nice to meet you!   I hope you enjoy decorating with the Flapper Curling Iron and the quack medicine.

They will be conversation pieces, for sure!  

I don’t usually buy things for myself at shows because I’m trying to unload, not add to my overloaded collection of stuff. But every now and then I find something I can’t live without and today was that day. Not just one thing, but three!  It’s nice to be part of the “dealers circle”, because I was given prices from dealer friends that I just
couldn’t pass up. I collect advertising match holders. They are hard to find at shows and rarely seen at shops, and are usually beyond my comfort zone for price.  But, Cecil Sanders had 2 of them and he knows I collect them. Cecil is the chairman of this show and at one time, was featured on American Pickers. He has an amazing personal collection, but that's a whole other story!   He sold both of the match holders to me for a fabulous price and they’ll go on my kitchen wall with the rest of my collection. Love them!  

The other item that I thought long and hard about was a wonderful store cannister bin for tea, coffee or sugar that John McWilliams had on his table.  It’s most likely from mid-1870 to 1890 and I love the lithographed tin material. Storage containers were so much more interesting during earlier times. It will also go in my kitchen with my other antique tins. The back of the canister has a hallmark “Ginna & Co. NY, Decorators Sheet Metal”.  My research found that it was made by Ginna & Co. in

New York during the late 19^th century who was most known for its intricate and elaborate color lithography. Ginna started production in 1874 and was later acquired by the American Can Company in 1901. Very few tins are actually marked by the company and I am thrilled to now own one of the earlier examples.  

So, it was a successful show and a really fun day in Nevada City!  Already planning for my next show!  Home now and enjoying a nice glass of wine. Cheers!

Liars, Tall Tales and Boasts, Oh My!

Quack medicine, questionable food claims and beauty supplement benefits!  The American term for quack medicine was “snake oil”, a reference to sales pitches in which the sometimes outrageous claims of medicinal successes were attributed to the exotic ingredients of their product. Those who sold them were called “snake oil peddlers” or “snake oil salesmen”. These opportunists often used enthusiastic and deceptive sales techniques, including “fire and brimstone” sermons, theatrical productions, and confidence tricks. 

Full of alcohol, opium, cocaine and other unregulated substances, it's not surprising that their users felt like the pills and tonics were doing something, even if they became addictive. 

Benefits of certain foods and beauty enhancements were boldly erroneous, as well. It was a time of sensational advertising and claims that were unproven, but enticed the consumer into believing.  Vintage Gal Antiques has a great collection of "quack medicines" dating mostly from the 1910- 1930 era. So fun to read the labels!   Check it out!  

Bust Massage? Hmmmm....

Is Couch Grass what grows when you sit around too much?

Really?  Compared to a chicken sandwich, eggs and veggies?

And some interesting claims about the  healthy and nourishing benefits of Eskimo Pies!

Local History Items for Sale

I'll be bringing some great old Nevada County prints to the Nevada City Mining & Antique Collectables Show on June 2.  In my earlier post is all the information about the show that will be held on June 2 at the Nevada City Elks Club.  

One of the prints is a Grass Valley newspaper from 1890.  There are several advertising listings from some of the early business establishments in Grass Valley and the National Hotel in Nevada City.  Nicely displayed in a beautiful oak frame.   $85

Another print is of the Residence of J.S. Dunn, Selby Flat, 2 1/4 miles from Nevada City.  I'm not familiar with the area of Selby Flat.    c1880          $75

What a grand old house it was!  

I also have several Sierra County framed prints available.  One is the B.T. Eggleston residence in Downieville on Commercial Street, now known as the Parsonage House.  

c1882         $65   

And several of Sierra Valley ranches and homes; this one is the residence of Jared Strang      c1882     $65

Stop by Vintage Gal Antiques if you're shopping for items of local history! 

Rust and Relics ~ Onward to Nevada City ~ A New Show Coming to Nevada City!

A favorite show-the Nevada City Elks Lodge #518 Mining Show-is now combined with an Antiques & Collectables Show and will be held June 2, 2018.  Two great shows in one! 

Early Bird Parking Lot Swap Meet starts at 7am and will feature lots of rust and mining relics.  The indoor antiques & collectables show runs 10am - 4pm for $5.00 admission.   Early birds can enter the show at 8am for $10.  There will be lots of good quality antiques for sale!

The Nevada City Elks Lodge is located on Hwy. 49 and has lots of parking and easy in and out.  I have been told that there will be 60+ dealers and Vintage Gal Antiques will be selling there, too.  Dealers interested in selling-please look for Cecil Sanders' table at the Old West Show in Grass Valley.  He will have contracts and flyers available.  Don't miss this one stop to shop show!