Vintage of the Day: Last Pair of Ball Jar Salt & Pepper Shakers

Well, if last week wasn't a total "Vintage of the Day" fail. It was.

Jeff (my business partner, not to be confused with my life partner, Kyle) and I recently accepted a really big project with foodandwine.com. We'll be doing recipe development and photography. We both do the recipe developing, I do the styling, and Jeff takes the pictures.

It's exciting and pretty amazing, but also time consuming. We're doing 100 recipes a month! So, I'm adjusting to this new schedule (and a new space, right behind the new house... more on that later) and really dropped the ball on my Etsy store last week.

It's pretty amazing that as soon as I stopped adding an item a day, I stopped selling an item a day. So I'm back to it. This time, I'm parting with the last of this lot of tiny Ball jar salt and pepper shakers. I've bumped up the price a bit, because these have been my best sellers by far. I hope to get my hands on another lot and relist them soon.

Tiny Ball jar salt-and-pepper shakers: $12. 

[pyrexandpennies.etsy.com]

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S.O.S.

I'm drowning. In work. Which I realize is a good problem to have, but it's keeping me from doing the things I want to do, like update my Etsy stock, or tell you all about the huge recipe development and food styling project my business partner and I will be doing for foodandwine.com. Oh, and I really want to tell you about the vintage sink I bought off of craigslist today. Well, I got the bottom of it. I have to go back for the other half tomorrow because it turns out that a huge vintage sink on a stand doesn't completely fit in a Nissan, Versa. Nor does it fit the idea of the sink that Kyle had in mind. More on that later...

That little steam of half-consciousness, folks, is all I can muster. I realize this is the worst blog post in the world, but it's time for me to sleep. I plan to have sweet dreams of a sweet vintage farmhouse sink on a sweet vintage turquoise stand.

Vintage of the Day: "How to Plan a House" Illustrated Mid-Century Architecture Book

If you've ever dreamed of building your own mid-century style home, this hefty how-to book is for you.

"How to Plan a House" by Townsend and Dalzell: $24

[pyrexandpennies.etsy.com]

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Vintage of the Day: More Tiny Ball Jar Salt & Pepper Sets

This tiny vintage Ball jar salt-and-pepper set has been so popular I've already sold out of all four I had listed. Luckily, I had a few more tucked away and just listed two more. 

Tiny Ball jar salt-and-pepper shakers: $10. 

[pyrexandpennies.etsy.com]

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Finders Keepers: Vintage Mirror

Since starting this little frugality project, my shopping problem hasn't so much gone away as its gone the way of thrift stores. So, since I'm making less money, at least regularly, I guess I'm failing, big time.

If I hadn't quit my job, it probably wouldn't be an issue, but I'm probably still spending the same percentage of my income on shopping. Not everything I buy is for my own personal pleasure, of course, but I'd be lying if I said some of the thrift store shopping I've been doing lately wasn't for me. I mean, most of it is either for food styling props or my vintage Etsy shop, but some of it is definitely for me.

My little second-hand shopping problem was worsened — or made better, depending on how you want to look at it — by the fact that I discovered my new secret favorite thrift shop after my nephew's 16th birthday party in the suburbs a few weeks ago. It was packed with amazing housewares, including multiple vintage dish sets.

Exhibit A (which is available in parts in my Etsy shop):

Exhibit B (which will soon be available in my Etsy shop):

The only reason these beautiful mustard dishes aren't listed yet is because I want them all for myself. In fact, we've been using them as our primary dishes for about two weeks now. It's the first time I've ever wanted matching dishes. But at some point I made the stupid mistake of bragging to Kyle that the plates were going for $10 a piece on eBay, and he reminded me (again) that my eye for great vintage won't do us much good if I keep everything for myself.

Ugh. Fine. He's right. Again.

So, today, I swapped these back out for my mismatched stoneware. I hope that when I do list them, that they go to a good home. Maybe even to someone who will have me over for dinner. (Please serve pork. In tacos. With lots of hot sauce. And many margaritas.)

But I'm not parting with everything.

You see, I have a thing for vintage mirrors. And since our trip to Chicago, I've been on the lookout for a mirror similar to the one in our room at Longman & Eagle in Logan Square. I even took a picture so I'd remember it.

I'd been looking online, and hadn't found anything I liked for less than about $150. But on my second trip to the second of many locations of my new secret favorite thrift store, I found this beauty for $15:

I don't exactly know where it will go — especially because it's really heavy and I've already had one vintage mirror fall off the wall here — but I want it to be someplace I'll see it every day. For now, it's on this ledge in our bedroom, which is great since it's covering one of the glue traps I put out for those shithead spideymonsters.

This is definitely one of my favorite thrift store finds, ever. Finders keepers this time.

Vintage of the Day: 1950s Fire King Milk Glass with Gold Trim Creamer and Divided Tray

I'm really into gold tones lately, so I've been picking up "new" gold vintage stock. I've also been listing some I've had for a while, including these two pieces of 1950s milk glass from Fire King by Anchor Hocking.

They're new in the shop today and the creamer is only $6.50 and the dish is $14.

[pyrexandpennies.etsy.com]

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Vintage of the Day: Pink Flamingo Pyrex Cup and Saucer Sets

More mugs today! Well, technically, I think they're tea cups. And the pattern is called either Pink Flamingo or Flamingo Pink. I've heard it both ways. (Tomato, tomato.)

I hate to let these pretties go, especially because they're in such great condition, but they should be enjoyed by someone who doesn't need her caffeine in 32-ounce servings. Find them in the Pyrex & Pennies vintage housewares Etsy shop today.

Set of 2 vintage Pyrex Pink Flamingo pattern cups and saucers: $22.

[pyrexandpennies.etsy.com]

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Vintage of the Day: Colorful Fire King Mugs from Anchor Hocking

Here's what's new in the Pyrex & Pennies vintage housewares Etsy shop today: Colorful vintage Fire King by Anchor Hocking coffee mugs. Each is listed individually, so whether you want orange, blue, green, yellow, or the flower (it's called Daybreaker) pattern, you can pick and choose. I'll gladly combine shipping if you want more than one. Prices range from $5.50 to $8 each. I hate to let go of these, but I'm pretty good at finding them.

[pyrexandpennies.etsy.com]

Vintage of the Day: Gold Glam Glassware

Here's what's new in the Pyrex & Pennies vintage housewares Etsy shop today (these will come a little earlier from now on).

I'm featuring two of my favorite finds today: a beautiful seven-piece vintage martini or cocktail set with lots of gold trim and gold handles, and a selection of 24-karat gold Stetson vintage china. 

Seven-piece gilded martini or cocktail set. Six of these beautiful glasses, plus a tall pitcher: $90 [pyrexandpennies.etsy.com]



Dinner/luncheon plates, appetizer/bread plates, and saucers/small plates in the Stetson 24-karat gold Greek Key & Shields pattern: $4–$40 [pyrexandpennies.etsy.com]

These plates need a good home and should never go in the dishwasher or have a Magic Eraser or abrasive cleaner taken to them. If I didn't already have my husband's family's china, I would have tried to fill out this lot to make an entire set for myself. This is the most beautiful China I've ever encountered.

Find these items and more at the Pyrex & Pennies Etsy shop: pyrexandpennies.etsy.com. "New" vintage items added daily. And if you're looking for something in particular, let me know, I love hunting with a mission.

Thanks for looking.

-Emily

Introducing the Pryex & Pennies Vintage Etsy Shop

After talking about it for ages, then opening and quickly closing a not-so-successful booth at a nearby shop, I have finally started my very own vintage Etsy housewares shop, Pyrex & Pennies (of course).

I won't say I was forced into it, but the fact that I was quickly learning the difference between revenue and income lit a fire under my ass. Money is tighter than I hoped it would be right now (though once the freelance checks start rolling in, I should be just fine). And it got scary for a minute. After going through our bills and accounts a few weeks ago, I was just about to hit the pavement to look for a serving job when Kyle asked, "Don't you have anything of value you can sell? You have all of this vintage stuff you claim is so great."

My vintage stuff is great. So I am selling it. At least some of it.

I'm even slowly and somewhat painfully parting with bits and pieces of my vintage Pyrex collection. Not my most loved or rare pieces, or anything that I've been gifted by someone I love. But I'm ready to part with the pieces I picked up along the way just because I was collecting vintage Pyrex. And I'm acquiring "new" vintage Pyrex pieces to list, too. I must admit, though, I'm having the most fun finding and sharing all kinds of other great vintage housewares, like this amazing cocktail set, and these robin's-egg-blue TWA in-flight service trays.

I launched the Pyrex & Pennies vintage shop August 26, but really only populated it late last week. Since then, I've made three sales. My very first one — a set of tiny Ball jar salt-and-pepper shakers — was the most exciting $9 I've ever made in my life. This week, I've sold two vintage cake stands.

To stay relevant in search results and actually have the potential to make some real money, I've decided to list new items every day. I'm sure some days it will feel like a drag, but I am still Emily Farris, so this also gives me an excuse to shop regularly... and responsibly. My total bill for this morning's quick trip to the thrift store was the same amount as the cake plate I sold yesterday. Listing daily also keeps me from having to hide out for a week or so every month to photograph and measure everything. (Though I'd be lying if I said this whole thing wasn't a time suck. It is, but I love all of it.)

The best part? I'll be posting to this blog daily, because I want to post the day's vintage finds for everyone, but I promise it won't be the only thing I post. Pinky swear to the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

For now, though, I hope you'll go browse the Pyrex & Pennies Vintage Etsy shop, and maybe even follow the example of Old Emily and spend, spend, spend!

I'm off to do what I am perhaps worst at: mail stuff on time.