From across the Used Furniture Outlet (UFO) in Greensburg, I could hear a joyful shout from my friend Scoobie: "Grayveebodegrayveebodegrayveebode!" I wasn't sure what language this was, exactly, but the enthusiasm was intriguing.Following the gleeful laughter and what sounded like the tip-tapping of an impromptu jig, I found her on the other side of the room, clutching the elusive Avon Cape Cod ruby glass gravy boat that belonged to her beloved dish set. The message became a bit clearer. "Gravyboatgravyboatgravyboat!" she told me, beaming, and holding it aloft.
Scoobie would probably go on to chant same thing... oh... three or four more times at random that day, trying to reconcile her lucky find in her mind. I expect I'll receive email during the course of the week to the same effect, as the purchase fully sinks in.
The gravy boat was a VERY BIG hit in Scoobieland.
My own treasure-hunting wasn't exactly without its rewards, either. In addition to the amazing lucite purse I found at the Good Samaritan and which I showed you Sunday (click here to see that little lovely-- I sort of feel I should put it on a pedestal under glass and shine a light on it), I also found...
A herd of milkglass for a nice lady who collects it. She is going to get the biggest basket of thrifted Imperial Grape milkglass for Christmas! (Never hurts to plan ahead.)
A couple of pretty vintage "Mother" prints, one by deco artist Marygold...
A mystery print that truly LOOKS like a Maxfield Parrish to me, but I'm not able to find anything in my Parrish books that's identical to it. (I've found ones that are close, but not quite right. Anyone recognize it? Help?)
I found an R. Atkinson Fox 1930s print in a period frame... It was $14.99 but lists at about $125. Wa-hoo!
Oh, and Scoobie got a few vintage puzzles with rustic and Western scenes on them...
They didn't rate as highly as the gravy boat, of course, but they were still exciting. :) (Thanks, Scoobie, for letting me take pictures and exploit, er, SHARE... share... your treasures with the gang here!)
There's good thrifting to be had out there, folks. For my Pittsburgh area readers looking for a list of thrift stores and some reviews, you might want to visit my Thrift Store page here on my decorating project site.
If anyone wants to learn a little more about art deco prints from the Maxfield Parrish era, click here.
Otherwise, here's wishing you wonderful week, and may you discover the metaphorical gravy boat of your dreams-- no matter what shape or form it takes.
11 comments:
That was a score on the gravy boat!!! I found an egg dish with the lid at a thrift store recently... until then I had no idea what Avon glass was!!! I love the vintage purses too!!! You have some great thriftin' up there!!!
Have a great day!!
Vintage Girl- Avon offered a number of different collectible glass sets over the years. They also sold clothes for a while. Usually the quality was pretty good.
I think the glassware isn't considered quite as collectible as originally predicted because the glass is so thick and sturdy-- so, not a lot of pieces broken to make it rare. :)
--Jenn
Thanks for the wonderful thriftin' story. There is nothing more satisfying than making the big score and having a friend along to share the "happy dance" with you. Being originally from your neck 'o' the woods (Butler), it's fun to hear stories of familiar places too!
Hello Jenn,
I am enjoying your Wednesday Treasure Box posts. I know how your friend feels. It is so great to find a piece that fits your collections. I have a collection of the Cape Cod dishes. I have service for 12 but still need a few serving pieces.
Carrie
Kentucky Bound- thanks for the note! Always glad to hear from local folks, ex-Pennsylvania-patriots, etc. :) And yep, while it can be relaxing to go thrifting or antiquing alone, having a buddy along is always terrific.
Carrie- I had to tell my friend there was someone else who collected the Cape Cod! They're beautiful dishes. I bet you set a lovely table with yours.
Hey Congratulations Thrifty,
Some good news awaits you over at GO! Smell the flowers,
Well done from all at GO! Smell the flowers.
Hey, thanks, Jim and/or Emma! I just checked it out, and now that is a terrific surprise!
(Folks, I'd entered a caption contest on the Go! Smell the Flowers blog and won... I'll probably post about it sometime this week, so you all can see what this was about.) I don't usually win things, so this is incredibly cool.
Woo-hoo!
You really do find the most incredible things. I love that gravy boat - what a find!
Your Parrish? print looks almost identical to the Parrish print titled "Morning", a great find.
Not sure on the "Parrish." It is very similar, but maybe an imitation or forgery. At first glance, certainly looks like "Morning" as anonymous above stated; however, it seems like most of his other prints would show a bit more of the face. It seems like he almost always had more of the face showing (profile or more). This face is looking away a bit more than I've seen in any of his other works. And the composition seems a little off too(is that a see through mountain?). I'm no expert, but I am suspicious that the piece is not a Parrish. Still a very neat find though! I'd hang it and love it.
Lidian- Thanks, and thanks for stopping by!
Anonymous- It's close, but not the same. But I love a mystery. :)
Doro- Possibly so. The seeing through the mountain, I think, is just an effect of glare on the photo and that the print has faded a little. In person, it looks more tangible. It's certainly highly possible it's not a Parrish. But if not, it's a nice imitation. Thanks for weighing in on the reasons you feel it may have been done by an imitator.
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