AUGUST!

I have really missed my blog this month.  We have been so busy at the Antique Mall that it just hasn't left much time for here.  I guess that is a good problem.  I might also add that we are conducting an estate sale this weekend here in Lincoln City.  I will post some details and photos of that event here on the blog in a day or two.  We have been pricing like crazy and so far we've done lots and lots of Christmas, lots of sewing and craft supplies and some great vintage children things.  There is much more to do, however.  So until I put up pictures of the estate sale here I will share two things.

Dr. and Mrs. Michio Kaku recently visited our Mall.  Dr. Kaku is one of the world's leading theoretical physicists.  I love his television program.  Aaron and I were thrilled and we totally geeked out.  

What a privilege to meet him!

I have mentioned before that Danielle Herbert inspired me to begin blogging.  Danielle worked with us for a short while and then returned to her native Arizona.  We miss her terribly.  She is so gifted.  Here is a link to her blog.  Check it out and follow her.  I am amazed at her creativity and sensitivity!

http://daniellesserendipity.blogspot.com/

I will be back soon!

Collecting Children's Things

We have always liked collecting children's things whether it be toys, books, blankets or whatever.  Children's furniture has a special place in our hearts but that will have to be the subject of our blog in the future.  This blog begins with a couple of items that turned up lately in our Mall.  The first is an advertising banner for that ever popular product Johnson's Baby Powder.  The graphics are great and the colors so vivid.  This picture only represents one half of the banner and it seemed a fitting way to begin our blog today.

One of our Dealers brought in a store display piece for Playtex Baby Needs.  At first glance it seemed just like another advertising display piece.

And then I began to read the display categories!

Okay Playtex Transparent Baby Pants...that seemed harmless enough.  But then I noticed the Party Pants.

Not only did Playtex make Baby Party-Pants but they were available 

for both boys and girls.

I roared with laughter.  I'm not sure you could promote party pants for babys in todays market.    

I then read further and still can't make sense of this display comment on the bottom of the piece.

For the life of me I can't imagine what would make any baby "Un-socially acceptable" but whatever!  Playtex was certain their products would keep your baby "socially acceptable."  That is so funny.  If you read towards the top Playtex thoughtfully had Horoscope Bibs available, too.  That would be important information for a baby. 

There is no doubt that today the following category would cause some question and alarm among certain groups of people!  One might expect boycotts and rioting.

 You have to laugh or at least we hope you do.  We sure did.

As I mentioned we love children's things and for us it always comes back to family.  I still treasure my niece's first pair of shoes that my late mother so lovingly painted little flowers on.

I can't stand the thought of them ending up in a landfill somewhere so they remain with me in a box where I keep treasures.  In that box you will also find my niece's (Tatiana) first pair of high top sneakers. I think I bought them for her.  When she grew out of them I got them back somehow.  They hung on my rear view mirror in the car for a long time.  They are now tucked away in my treasure box.  I love Tatiana!  She turned 17 years of age not long ago and just finished a tough schedule of chemotherapy and radiation as she fought cancer.  Things look good today for her and her future appears to be very bright.  I stand in awe of her courage!

And since we've moved on to Rick's treasure box what do you find at the bottom of it?  His first baby quilt.  It is a "Three Little Pigs" themed quilt.  I have no idea what will become of it but for now it is my treasure box of keepsakes.  I do hope I was "socially acceptable" when my Mother packed me around in it and I also hope she had my party pants on!

I hope you are all having a good August.  Thank you for reading our blog and even a bigger thank you for all of the kind comments you have given me in our business.  Now...everyone put on your Playtex Party Pants and Rock ON!

Ducks and Decoys

We are often asked about our duck logo.  It has graced our business cards for almost 20 years and "the big red ducks" have been on the front of our building for 13 years.  The duck came about almost by accident.  When Dan and I decided to open a shop we needed a logo on our business cards.  Dan started doodling and the duck emerged.  It isn't a representation of any particular species of duck it is just a doodle!

Since Dan's doodle became our logo it only seemed natural that we would begin buying decoys to place in our shop and home.  This is one of the very first decoys we ever bought.  Dan found it at an estate sale in the Pacific City, Oregon area.  It is very special to us.

We branched out in selecting decoys.  This loon decoy is quite handsome.

Swan decoys are hard to find.  This one may very well have been for a store display or floral shop.  I love it.

This little hollow body decoy has had a rough life.  It looks good with the rest of our primitives though.

The snow goose decoy came from the Virginia Mitchell collection.  We called Virginia "The Queen!"  Virginia had a shop called "herselfs" and she had the very best in country and primitive antiques anywhere around.  She shopped on the east coast and this decoy came from one of those trips.  Virginia passed in 1998 and I miss her very much.

We handled an estate from Coos Bay, Oregon.  This little sandpiper decoy was there and no one bought it.  At the end of the sale I bought it and brought it home.  It is very sweet.

The nose of the sandpiper is made from a twig.  It is marked on the bottom but I have no idea who the carver was.

Many decoys were made to lure in the birds for hunters.  Some were made to be just folk art.  Certainly this one is falls into the folk art category.  A funky duck!!!

This next decoy is attributed to Charles Bergman.  Charles was a renowned decoy carver from Astoria, Oregon.  Charles Bergman lived from 1856-1946 and was well known along the Columbia River.  His decoys have been sold for thousands of dollars.  This one is currently available in our Mall and the Dealer is asking $1750.00 for it.  It is rare and spectacular!

I hope you enjoyed looking at some decoys today.  I love them!  This last photo isn't a decoy at all but a piece of garden art...it's a pelican!  I always know it's summer on the Oregon Coast when I see flocks of pelicans flying by headed north.

Enjoy summer!