Treasure Box Wednesday: Porcelain, Pottery, and Personality

In the world of secondhand treasure hunting, it's funny how things go in cycles. You can spend years looking for a certain type of thing, and then in a short span of time you will find that style of item everywhere-- and all for amazing prices.

Recent readers of The Thrift Shop Romantic will probably notice I've been in that cycle of luck with portrait plates and bowls lately. And my thrifting buddy Scoobie has been having a similar sort of good fortune with the Western-themed goodies she collects.

This elaborate unmarked bowl was a find from the Riverfront Antique Mall in New Philadelphia, Ohio...

With its extensive detail and deep aqua color, it was a quick decision for me to bring it home. You can see a close-up on the French lady transfer portrait here.

I also found this little Austrian portrait bowl at the same antique mall. It was in a booth that had mostly hardware and lamp parts, and it seemed real luck to me I stumbled upon it. And at $8, it was very affordable.
Lastly, at the Red, White and Blue thrift store in Bellevue, I got this cheerful little pottery teapot planter...
(No, it's not a real teapot. You'd be boiling up dirt residue from its insides, if you used it that way!). What I liked about it was how much personality it seemed to have. There's something vaguely like Disney animation about it to me... like if it took off dancing to a musical number you wouldn't really be that surprised.

Anyway, that puts a lid on this Treasure Box Wednesday. I hope to get back into doing some humorous recipe and general collectibles posts soon, but I've been spending some time trying to get an agent for the novel I wrote, so my energies are temporarily elsewhere.

Happy Hunting!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Adventure! Excitement! Thrills!

"Well, Mistah Allnut, what shall we thrift today?"

Okay, so, maybe Kate and Bogie weren't loading up the African Queen, about to go on their most exciting thrifting adventure, but of the three of us, at least one of us did this week. A three-day weekend was a prime time for antiquey-thrifty fun, so one of my shopping buds and I hit Route 250 to New Philadelphia, Ohio and uncovered some treasure.

One of my very favorite pieces was from the Route 250 Antique Mall-- this excellent McCoy teapot.
As you can see (or may remember) I found the matching creamer at the Salvation Army just a few weeks ago, and hadn't had a lot of hope to find one of the other pieces so soon. Usually these items are found as a part of a set. So finding the teapot solo was amazing.

It was filthy and tucked on a bench partially under a table, but it still called to me. A little soap and water and it's good as new.

At the same place, I also found this unmarked McCoy pink butterfly planter...

It never hurts to look through collectible books and note items you wouldn't mind finding someday. They stick in your brain so when you come across and unmarked version-- voila!-- a great piece at a good price!

At the Riverfront Antique Mall in New Philadelphia, I got these terrific framed African Queen movie promo cards...
I'm not sure how old they are, but I chose two of about seven that were there depicting stills of the movie...Longtime readers may recall, I've gotten a chance to see the actual African Queen boat down in the Florida Keys, and have decorated my office at work with photos and some artwork related to this theme, so these cards will add to that grouping.

The only other item I picked up at the Riverfront Antique Mall was this Homer Laughlin tree-printed mixing bowl...

I'd thrifted a much smaller one of these about six months ago, and loved the Arts & Crafts style to it. I may fill it with fruit and display it in my livingroom along with my more green and leafy McCoy pottery.

And last, this came from the Salvation Army a week or two back, but I forgot to take photos...
My friend Scoobie spotted these moonstone Anchor Hocking sherbet dishes. I'm lucky to have a shopping bud who actually remembers some of the stuff I'm interested in-- because these totally would have escaped my sight.

So that about docks this voyage of Treasure Box Wednesday. And happy sailing to you through this week! May your metaphorical waters be calm and clear. (And without leeches.)

Three States, Two Antique Malls, One Big Day

Road trip! Hop in the car with my friend Scoobie and me, and buckle-up, because today we're going on an antiquing adventure. I've never taken you all out to New Philadelphia, Ohio before. So there's no time better than today!

We'll head through three states on this journey. Which sounds like a much bigger deal than it is, to be honest. We'll set out from our home base in Western Pennsylvania, go straight through West Virginia (which, given the part we're going through, takes all of five minutes), and zoom clear into Ohio.

This is the nifty bridge we have to go over to get to Ohio, from West Virginia.





And don't worry, I wasn't trying to take photos while driving here. All of these fun ambiance shots are courtesy of Scoobie, riding shotgun. A true friend is someone who's willing to put up with taking pictures for your blog! Thanks, Scoobie- you're a gem.

By the way, Scoobie also expresses her regrets she wasn't able t0 get a local color shot of buzzards, enjoying some roadkill along the highway, but I said I thought you all would probably be all right for having missed that.

Here we are, making the turn for Dennison, along Route 250 West, which will be our first stop.


And no, we're not stopping at Coal Museum, the Clark Gable museum, or even the lawn ornament place with the giant stone dogs out front...


We're stopping up here...



The Route 250 Antique Mall! I'd come across this place on accident on my very first trip to New Philadelphia. And of course, I'd HAD to stop. Inside there are a wide array of vendors, with some very reasonable prices on many things. I'm not sure if we're allowed to photograph inside, but I snuck off a shot or two.


For my trash-to-treasure friends, I think of YOU all when we spot these t-to-t bedframe benches.


And me, I come up with some more of my Hazel Atlas Moderntone dinnerware. At $1 and $2 a plate, I am one HAPPY girl!


I also find an excellent handpainted World War II hankie bag-- though the tag indicates the vendor thinks it's some kind of purse.



With the Route 250 Antique Mall scoured, now we head off here...


There used to be three of these Riverfront Antique Malls-- one in Beaver Falls, PA, and one in-- I believe-- North Carolina, but the other two have closed. This is the last of the last. But it still seems to be busy.

And what do we find here? Well, Scoobie cleans up on some of her beloved Avon Ruby Glass pieces (I believe you all were with us before when she triumphed with her Avon Gravyboat discovery. This coup was similar.)

And me, I found some more sheep planters, just in time for Easter... (Dig that sheep in overalls! How funny is that?)



I also find a couple of vintage cookbooks.


After being pretty much all antiqued out, we leave the Riverfront Antique Mall decide to stop for an elegant early supper at La Maison de Pain Italianne...

Ah, yes, when you travel with The Thrift Shop Romantic, it's first class all the way!

• For a look at last week's thrifted treasures, if you didn't catch it-- you might enjoy Wednesday's post: "Treasure Box Wednesday: Cheap Chicks Choose China." Just click here.

• And because it IS Easter, and this made me laugh and question my own sanity, I thought you might also get a smile from the post currently on my humor blog -- It's Marshmallow Peeps doing a take-off on The Great Escape. Click here.

And no, don't even ask how this popped into my head. :) Too much sugar, maybe.

Have a terrific Easter for those who celebrate, and for those who don't, I hope Spring is treating you well!