apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I once saw a ball picther, at ther now defunct 6th Avenue Antique Flea Market, that was unlike any I'd ever seen before: It had slightly indented polka dots in vintage fiestaware colors (And I collect vintage Fiesta). It was $65, which at the time was a lot because I'd been laid off from my job. So I walked around to think about it & when I got back it was gone. I've never seen one before of since. I still kick myself about that.

But truthfully, more than that pitcher, I miss that old flea market and the charming Chelsea neighborhood that was, (before all the over-development and yuppie scum took over) more than that pitcher. I'm guessing someone is cherishing that pitcher, at least, but the neighborhood where one could spend a lovely weekend rumaging for treasures has been obliterated.

A Frank Lloyd Wright table that was around 150 bucks at a thrift shop. I was a student at the time with no job and a shoestring budget I hesitated and it was gone.

I could write a novel on this subject (mostly having to do with clothes: the perfect silk dress for $30 should have bought it, a fully sequined/beaded cocktail dress for $20 that I have had several occasions to wear) however, on the decor front: An art deco print of a woman with large bubbles in a thrift store in NY. It was $150, out of my budget, but I was enamored with it. It was clearly too expensive, but my dressing room still aches for it.

Although, come to think of it, my apartment was almost "the one that got away"...

I once spotted a great little mid-century gem of a chair at a thrift store in St. Louis. Growing up with a family friend who owns a thrift store, I knew to grab it immediately. A whopping 5 bucks later, it was mine.
You gotta grab it. No second guessing in the land of thrift shopping!

Two pristine art deco mantle lamps featureing a woman holding a moravian star type shade... you snooze you lose.

Don't have a loud, hilarious lovefest for the item with your best friend including a fight about who saw it first, in front of the store owner BEFORE you know how much it is. A five dollar bench probably turned into twenty-five dollar bench.

That's okay though. I still love the bench.

Aaahhh... just yesterday I lost two amazing, PERFECT vintage turquoise giant ginger jar lamps on eBay... had been planning to buy-it-now in the evening after work...someone else had snapped them up at a great price that very morning. Seriously, I cried.

I once picked up the very rare eames bentwood child's chair, with the heart cutout at a thrift store. it was in poor condition, and I didn't know when I saw who had made it, but it was marked 1947 on the bottom and was only about $7. I felt so stupid when I found out later what it was--by then of course someone else had snapped it up.

Hahaha, hellowest, your story reminded me of my family. Several years back I spotted a pristine Kate Spade leopard print purse with red lining for $1.00 at the salvation army thrift store. When I showed it to my daughter she practically ripped my arm off taking it away. I gave in and let her have it. Me and my mother have gotten into so many arguments over stuff we don't go together anymore. And I also have the sad but true stories of lost treasures. Usually it was something I really, really wanted but someone wasn't willing to haggle on the price. Instead of swallowing my pride and getting it anyway I huffed off hating myself all the way home. Now if I see something I really love I get it.

Something else funny popped into my head. Have you ever had anybody following you around after you have found this really great treasure, hoping you might change your mind and set it down? I've had several people do this to me.

citygirlincountry - aww! i've totally been that creep following someone around waiting for them to drop it.
i said something to someone about a purse they were carrying that my sister had her heart set on and the woman had actually forgotten she was still holding it and gave it to us! it pays to be bold sometimes.

I think this a lesson everyone has to learn at some point. Now I carry everything I like around with me. This is especially a good idea for me because I like to change my mind all the time. This way I can look at my stuff as I am thinking about it, and have everything right next to each other so I can decide what I like best.

Too bad about the chair. It looks like fun. But if it was authentic and at a thrift store there was probably something wrong with it anyways.

There was a local art show I was at once. This girl had the most beautiful painting she was trying to sell. By the end of the night she told me I could have it for 20 bucks. It was WAY too big to fit in her car, and she had no way to bring it home. I couldn't bring it home either though. It must have been at least 10 feet wide. I still regret it, it was a beauty.

But if it was authentic and at a thrift store there was probably something wrong with it anyways.

Oh, you would be amazed. People unload classic designer pieces on thrift stores all the time. Someone dies and their survivors don't know how much a given piece found in the attic is worth and just unload it with the rest of the junk. Or someone gets old and senile and starts giving stuff away for the heck of it.

Happens.

A Frank Lloyd Wright turned aluminum vase at a yard sale. I still grieve.

oh god! this has been the story of my apartment so far. i missed out on a heywood wakefield record cabinet for $19 and a heywood wakefield hutch for $35 (craigslist. i could kick myself. but i'm hoping the third time will be the charm on heywake).

also (don't laugh; i was devastated!) i planned my whole living room around a 7ft tall vintage wicker giraffe that had been hanging out at the cambridge antique market since july. i was finally ready to bring it home last weekend, and called them to see if they'd hold it for me - and someone had purchased it the friday before. i'm still heartbroken.

OK do curb finds you had to pass up count as well? I was commuting to work and there was a full size (~3 1/2 foot tall) Victrola on the curb. Another loss was a butcher style chopping block that was obviously to heavy for me to move by myself. Sigh

A wicker giraffe? You're better off without it.

nice story...but you had no way of knowing if it was the real mccoy or not...

i live on and off in the far east where mid-century knock-offs abound...

some are true replicas. many are poor immitation

the pastil chair, of course as classic, are everywhere...a fiberglass one (which is way heavier than the real thing - same goes for the panton) would cost you roughly a hundred bucks...an injection-molded one probably twice or thrice as much

the eames lounger, made to look worn and used, go for around $300

i bet many that are sold in here in the US are far-east replicas

i hear that if a design is more than 50 years old, they're no longer covered by the intellectual property laws...wonder if that's true or not...