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!