Tonight's topic on the radio show is Collecting, so I thought I'd revisit a few of my favorites. Call it an obsession, but what can I say? I like pretty things! Speaking of, do you remember these salt spoons? They're all different materials, including glass, bone, horn, ivory, and Lucite. How pretty is that?
Fire King Jadite's another absolute favorite. The green is just so beautiful! These shell dishes had originally been used for candy, but I love serving risotto in them, especially topped with fresh grilled scallops. Just because a piece was made for a particular use doesn't mean you can't come up with something entirely new!
Though I have more pressed glass cake pedestals than I know what to
do with, I can't help but keep collecting them! I especially love them for serving hors d'oeuvres at a cocktail party. Talk about drama!
Silver, as you might know, is a particular obsession of mine. Whenever I'm at the flea market, I love digging for it! You never know what you're going to find in all those bins of tarnished onsies. Call me crazy, but I even love polishing it! This collection of antique silver trophies is very countryside chic to me. And now that Jaithan and I actually do live in the country, I love them even more! Trophies are beautiful on their own, but they're also great for holding flowers, candies and even salt and pepper at table settings.
I love anything monogrammed, and these antique linen hand towels are definitely a favorite! And just because it's not your monogram doesn't mean you can't have it! In fact, I love combining all the different styles. Plus, you never know when a monogrammed hand towel you just happen to find will make the perfect gift for a friend!
Last but not least, ironstone platters I've collected for years, ever since my catering days back in high school. In our old apartment in the city, I used an antique pharmaceutical cabinet to display them. Here in the country, Jaithan and I just finished doing the butler's pantry. Another idea, especially if you run out of shelf space, is to group them on a wall in a dining room. That way, when you want to use them, they can come right
off the wall and onto the table.
But enough about me and my obsessive compulsive collecting, what about you?
I SOOOOOOOOOOO hear ya! I collect everything including dust! :O)
All the same collections but for the ironstone – I recently found a great ironstone tea set but it was really the first group of pieces that moved me. As you know, you and I agree to disagree on finding joy in polishing silver – oh, I only wish I would come to love it. Hope you’re well and loving the new place, The Hostess
Hello from Canada! This past year I’ve been into religious icon paintings and prints (they are all in a drawer..don’t know what I’m going to do with them), old denim items for a future art project, fantastic vintage brooches, antlers (I only have 1 so far) and all the items you mentioned except the green dishes.
Hey, So many years of being into garage sales and flea markets,we have old radios, glass and old doorknobs,coke trays,pocket watches.
Now I mainly look for things I really need.
Milk glass. Cake plates. And I especially love to find a great memento of WW2. My favorite is a little tiny Bible with a gold hard cover. I was told they were carried in the soldier’s shirt pocket to protect the heart.
Fabric
Silver as well
blue kutani
wooden thread spools
books
paintings
scarves
ties
did I mention…Fabric? LOL
I would love to collect more, but with a baby due within the next 3 weeks, money and space is a little tighter than usual.
My favourite thing to collect is vintage Dior silk scarves. I have about 20 or so. I like to wear them, so other than turn them into pillows or frame them on the wall which would render them unwearable… do you have any suggestions for display of them?
I also like to collect onesie tea cups & saucers. I plan to hold a high tea at home one day with friends and use them all!
Do you mind if I send my silver over to you for polishing??? LOL!
Cheers,
Michelle – Sydney, Australia
my butterflies are taking over the house. Maybe you have a suggestion for what to do with some of them?
Hey Eddie,
Great show with Olivia tonight!
As far as my personal collections go, I’m kinda partial to linens, artbook, and CHINA. (serious china-whore here) I remember walking through a little antique store about 15 years ago and saw the marvelous little tartan-clan cup and saucer from Adderly (early 1900’s). I walked past it several time because I KNEW it was gonna be like a gate-way drug and I would become obsessed with them. As well I have.
I think I have about 40 of them (from the US and England and Scotland) now as well as teapots, serving pieces, and tons of dinnerware.
But, the best part is, I use it everyday. I agree with you about collecting items that can be part of your day to day life.
Oh, and cashmere sweaters. lol.
I guess I am a collector of bakelite knives,thanks to you.I also love transferware and have it in blue,black and pink/red I mix it with plain white or the green leaf majolica plates.Great show tonight I will be back next Sunday with my proper Blog radio Manners.kathysue
I listened in on the radio tonight. I came in as you were talking about pictures taken of the deceased. You two were having too much fun!! haha.
My mother had a unique collection at one time. She collected “hands”. It was sort of strange to go to her house and see all of these hands everywhere. Sort of reminded me of “Thing” from the Addams Family.
With very limited space and memories of dusting all of my mom’s collections, I have kept it to one item – Yarn and even that is kept to a limit of 10 projects or so…though I have lumped socks into single project and have about 20 knitted socks worth of yarn.
I don’t really collect things – my compulsively organized self gets a little freaked out when things are out of place, so I only buy things I have a place for. That said, I do keep an eye out for cheerful vintage kitchen tablecloths from the ’40s and ’50s and antique Latin textbooks and etiquette books.
My husband and I love country auctions. I look for the monogrammed items plus embroidered bureau scarfs and make beautiful pillows from them…with a few beads sprinkled (sewed) here and there, they bring back memories of someones grandma doing the beautiful handwork, a dying art. Love your posts!
My heart skipped a beat when I saw those green shell dishes – beyond gorgeous! Tracey xx
Hi, Eddie, I must confess: I’m also a collectahollic… from Spain. Like you, I keep on collecting little (and not so little) vintage pieces and I cannot stop!! You can see some of them in my blog http://vintage-and-chic.blogspot.com/2009/02/cosinas-que-me-gustans-little-things.html
Thanks for being so inspiring!
Silver napkin rings. I especially love the ones with names on them…at dinner: “I’m Frank!”, “I’m Sophia!”. Anything I collect has to be useful, not just for decoration. Not sure how I would display napkin rings? So they are in a drawer.
Vintage Fabric
Jadite
Depression class, yellow and green
tea cups
vaccumes
Mantel Clocks
Are the biggest ones that I collect. You have turned me on to vintage linens. I would love to start collecting enginer prints. I love how they look framed and on the wall.
I have a small collection of old wooden boxes. They hold my art pencils/pens/crayons/rubberstamps etc…
Anything I collect now must be usful.
I had a sheep collection once. They were cute but just collected dust. I kept a few just for fun. I also have a beautiful collection of my mother’s shell art. Mirrors, lamps, framed shells etc… I don’t mind the dust that they collect!
Although I am actually starting to thin out my collections I have and had many pieces of Woodfield by Steubenville–a leaf shaped dinnerware. it came in gray, gold, chartreuse, rose, brown, teal and is great mixed and layered.
I also collect motto ware, as well as Doulton Character Jugs and Figurines of Henry and his 6 Wives. Then there is Christmas, but that is wretched excess! And finally I love old magazines–to read history as it was happening and the feeling of omniscience–knowing what will happen in the future. Also all those articles about the future home…kitchen…etc. It is amazing how the classics reappear and remain fresh!
Eddie,
I am always on the “hunt” for antique silver trophies. But living in hunt country myself, I am not the only one who has caught on to these beauties so they can be quite expensive. Just wanted to tell you that in one of my magazines, someone had a lamp made out of a silver trophy that looked like yours! Just a suggestion for a chic, Eddie fabulous, country estate 🙂 kind of look.
PS-You inspired me! Last week, I polished a tarnished looking silver tray that was a wedding gift. It looks great and is now on my kitchen countertop with salt and pepper shakers and a blue and white porcelain pitcher to hold utensils. Thank you!!
Are there any L or S towels in that collection you feel the need to gift? 😉
Love the jadeite shell bowls, and the trophies! Oh, oh, much polishing for Karena. I pull pieces in and out. Collections: art, art glass, books, scarves, and yes I do spot that monogramed K napkin :)!
Hi Eddie!
Depression glass is my passion. Be it one-of-kind or a set of 12 I look for it. I have a piece or two from my great grandmother and more from my grandmother. With the bulk of my “inherited” collection coming from my mother. I love the glimmer of the pale subtle colors of the glass. And oh the elegance of silver trophy cups. They look awesome just standing alone or filled with flowers or even small fruit. But alas I have to limit my acquisition of those – my house soon looks like a trophy shop! Oh then there is….and….. 🙂
Thanks Eddie.
Ciao!
You are a true collector! My taste runs towards old, tattered books, old math books, cake stands, white platters, vintage ribbon, trim and sewing items, hand-written recipes, Fannie Farmer cookbooks (especially the Boston Cooking School editions), and broken jewelery. Just to name a few. 🙂
I have too many collections to list all of them. I collect octagonal depression glass and octagonal items. I started with octagonal pink diamond-quilted dessert plates with stemware to match, moved to green and then moved to amethyst dinnerware. I have a large set of the “Moroccan” pattern amethyst glass in plates, bowls, coffee cups, etc. and that led into any item of amethyst glass except no “black” amethyst. I have octagonal tables, silver trays, boxes, etc. to carry out the theme. I also have some octagonal white ironstone.
I also have a huge collection of Autumn Leaf depression china and kitchenware including the bowl sets, tablecloths, canisters, trays, etc. I collect almost anything with a cat on it or shaped like a cat and am especially fond of the cat-shaped flowerpots from the 1930s.
I collect china, royal doulton toby mugs, waterford crystal, silver. I would like to collect more, but my house is only so big.
For me, it’s etched glass. It’s just so romantic and pretty. I love opening my cabinets and seeing shelves and shelves of it all lined up!
And just so you know, your blog is last on my reader, because it’s my very favorite!
How funny, I just bought a salt spoon yesterday…I love your site – Glad I found it! I also love your Butlers Pantry. Just finished my own if your interested check it out. All the best to you! I will definitely be back!
I go through stages of collecting, right now I’m obssessed with anything enamel from pitchers, to funnels; before that it was ceramic pitchers… I’m feeling linen towels starting to happen.
Hi Eddie,
I hope you had a lovely week-end, I like to collect cocktail napkins, I just love em….dishes, roosters…another little collection I have going is old cameras !!
Thanks, nice post,
Kathy 🙂
ps I so agree dishes can have many purposes 🙂
Those scalloped milky green dishes are wonderful. I absolutely love them. Oh the dinner party I’d throw!
I totally understand your silver obsession! Check out the ‘Bibliophiles Anonymous’ post on my blog to see my silver collection (modest compared to yours, I’m sure)!
I don’t really have any collections and it makes me kind of sad because everytime I see other’s collections I want my own. I adore Jadite. I always drool over it and say I want to collect it but I never treat myself. I really have to start. Always the mom. Thanks for the reminder.
oh, so many collections, so little time! I collect stationery (the really nice kind usually) and cool wrapping paper. I also want to add to my new collection of teapots, but may have to wait until we have more room!
Tabitha
http://www.fromsingletomarried.com
Eddie, I’m begging you, do not buy ivory.
All the best to you and Jaithan in your new home!
love the jadeite shells!! i’ve never seen them before!! also love the vintage trophies… I haven’t really started any collections per se, but I do gravitate towards white ware & whenever I see something I don’t already have, I usually pick it up if it’s for a great price!! I also use Pottery Barn’s white dinnerware & then supplement it with vintage dishware, so I guess I sort of collect pretty little plates too!
xoxo,
Lauren Liess
My sister gave me a few snowy-white monogrammed linen dresser scarves she bought at an estate sale. I made two lampshades from three of them. One lampshade highlights my initial: C. The other has three initials on it. She just bought it because she thought it was pretty but later we realized the three initials are the initials of my mother, my daughter, and myself! The lampshade construction method was the traditional, wrapped wire, silk-lined, tightly stretched and trimmed with bias edging. A very satisfying project and they look great in my living room.
I collect postcards. I have vintage cards, cards from far away places (recent addition is Tajikistan!), and weird places (Toad Suck, Arkansas, for example). My problem right now is finding the best way to display them. I have 187 right now, and framing them individually is just impractical (I have too many ‘favorites’ to only frame 5-10!). Any ideas from anyone??
Lady of Guadalupe themed items, flowered Limoge plates and cheap jewelry. I’m a hi-low person.
Hi Eddie,
My mom and daughters and I love to poke around in antique shops and flea markets and have found some wonderful things. I collect old cinnabar cigarette boxes, solid silver purses with the gorgeous monograms, and little occupied Japan figures among other things. Everything has a story of who owned it and where it came from so there are lots of memories attached to every item.
Will be listening on Sunday!
Holley
You know, every time I see silverware I always think about how we had a party in our home and people were wandering everywhere. Well, the next morning I discovered my favorite antique silver spoon and butter knife were missing. It was so rotten to know someone did that. I have yet to find a replacement I love as much. Sigh. But you know, in the grand scheme things… 🙂
I love the salt spoons and the monogrammed linen hand towels!!
I love collecting pretty things too and at the moment its all about gloves, white,black,and coloured gloves – satin, leather and lace!!
Sara
I love your tortoise shell looking salt spoons. I found my favorite treasured salt spoons (and little forks) out in the steppes of Mongolia carved from Yak bones.
Eddie:
So glad to see others are as crazy about antiques as I am. I love that you can buy things that are unique and made with such great quality. I collect so many things from antique pepper grinders, ironstone, european baskets including womens purses from France that are amazing. I love brown jugs, handblown glass, wrought iron, hotel silver, paintings,etc. etc. So addicting………….
Love all of this!
The monogrammed antique linen hand towels look lovely. I find logo design fascinating and enjoy collecting everything from ancient monograms to modern logos.