Vintage Cameras: Collection or Decorating Element?

When guests walk into our home for the first time, it's not the abundance of vintage knotty pine woodwork and paneling that elicits comment (maybe they're just being polite). Nor is it my extensive collections of vintage Thermos, flower frogs or our books. Not even our Hoosier cabinet, antique wooden ice box or Stickley postal table. The oohs and aahs frequently are directed at my collection of more than 150 antique and vintage cameras.

"How many do you have?" people generally ask.

"More than 150," I always say, not quite sure of the number anymore.

Years ago I started a haphazard inventory of my cameras, but I didn't keep it current. So, I lost track of how many total cameras I have and how many are duplicates.

That's about to change. My husband gave me McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras for Christmas. It has more than 1,200 pages of photographs, descriptions and current values of cameras. It's the bible of camera collectors.

Cataloging my collection is one of my goals for the new year.

I've acquired most of my cameras at estates sales, but my own Brownie Flashfun (left), which I received for my 11th birthday, and my mother's Vigilant Junior Six-20 (right), which she received as a high school graduation gift, formed the basis of my collection.

Increasingly, I see vintage collectible cameras integrated into home decor. Indeed, they can make a nice addition in almost any setting.

In recent years--at least in my neck of the woods--I've been disappointed to see that estate sale proprietors, as well as many flea market and antique dealers, have grossly inflated the price of collectible cameras they offer--often up to five or six times the actual value of the camera. That means the casual collector or the young couple who just wants to pick up a camera or two to add interest to their decorating are paying much more than market value.

If you're interested in adding a few vintage cameras to your home decor or collecting for yourself or a young hobbyist, you'll discover that they're not difficult to find. Collecting vintage cameras such as the Kodak Brownies, many of the Ansco, Argus and Agfa models and several of the simple pocket type cameras that have come on the market since the early 1900s can be very affordable. The brightly colored models from the early 1960s, such as those seen above, are still in circulation and won't dent your pocketbook too badly.

Most of the Kodak Brownie models--and there are well over 50 Brownie types--have a market value of $20 or less. Many are in the $10 and under range. A good number of folding cameras from a variety of makers can still be purchased for $20 or less. Box cameras come in many shapes and sizes and often at a reasonable cost.

That said, as I noted, these same cameras can also carry price tags that are heftier than those mentioned above. To be fair to dealers and vendors who come across vintage cameras infrequently, finding reliable values that can be used in pricing is not as easy as it is with glassware, kitchenware and other more common antique and vintage items. The McKeown guide my hubby gave me is one of few--and, I believe, the most reliable--price guides on the market. It's expensive and not easy to find, other than on-line.

As you can tell, I have a love affair with antique and vintage cameras. I'm absolutely not an expert on them. But, I'm happy to share my camera hunting experiences or assist--if I can--if you have a curiosity about collecting cameras or a specific camera you'd like to find out more about. Feel free to leave me a comment below and I'll get back to you.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Sunday Show Off
Sunday Showcase
Sunday's Best
Creative Mondays
Make the Scene Monday
Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop
Cowgirl Up!
Junkin' Joe Fabulous Finds

At the End of the Paper Trail

Since midsummer, when I acquired a captivating collection of ephemera, I've been conflicted about revealing its story. It's a compelling story, for sure. But, for me, it's been difficult to determine how to tell it appropriately.

I've been collecting since I was a child. It started with four-leaf clovers (it was a small collection), insects and butterflies, stamps and postcards and troll dolls. Today, my collections range from milk glass to amber glass, cameras to Thermos, flower frogs to pottery stars, vintage Colorado kitsch to vintage linens. And more.

Each person who feels compelled to collect does so for reasons unique to the collector. I don't know what drove me to collect as a child. Perhaps so I could have many of something my younger sister didn't have. Maybe to earn that next Girl Scout badge. Maybe it was simply because I found the things I collected to be interesting.

I continue to collect today because my collections all have special meaning to me. My grandmother gave me my first piece of Fenton milk glass when I was about 13 and she took every opportunity to expand my collection. Today, I still pick up pieces that catch my fancy.

When my mom gave me the Kodak Vigilant Six-20 folding camera she'd had as a girl, I dug my own Hawkeye Flash Fun out of storage and another collection was born.

My passion for vintage Thermos began with the beat-up model that resides in the likewise beat-up metal lunch  box my farmer grandpa took with him to the field every day. And, so it goes with me.

This past summer, I read a story in the hometown newspaper about a local woman who had been featured on one of those cable television shows about hoarders. I still have never seen one of those shows, but I've seen the commercials for them. This woman's story sounded similar to how those commercials appear.

Over the years, she had amassed so much stuff that she could barely turn around in her house. But, she had gotten help and was slowly clearing the clutter out of her life. The newspaper article noted she was having the second of two sales that weekend. (How did I miss the first? I still wonder.) I had to go.

I wasn't sure what to expect at the sale, but certainly was surprised to see the woman hosting it herself. I was thrilled to find a large selection of ephemera--just the type I like to incorporate in my handmade journals and other craft projects.

Souvenir ticket stubs. Travel brochures. Vintage drink napkins. Unused hotel stationary and envelopes. Corporate stationary and business cards. Handwritten ledgers. Old books. The selection went on and on. I quickly filled up a couple of small boxes with an eclectic collection of ephemera dating back to the early 1900s.

Today, I find most of the items in my collections at estate sales, garage sales and thrift stores. I seldom am lucky enough to learn the stories behind the pieces. So, I play a game with myself and try to imagine the secrets that are locked forever in the treasures I find.

When I presented these wonderful paper treasures to the woman to settle up, she picked each one up, gently handling it as if she knew she was parting with a piece of herself. She was a delight, telling me the story of each. Some were funny, some poignant. Most of the ephemera originally belonged to her parents or grandparents. Much had been her father's and was related to his business.

I was touched by the stories, but also a bit saddened that her compulsive hoarding had forced such a fun and witty woman to part with memorabilia that had been dear to her.

As we were wrapping things up, she asked, "Do you like handwritten papers, too?"

"Very much," I responded.

She asked her daughter to show me the handwritten letters. "The box under the table," she told her daughter. To me, "Go ahead. See if there's anything in there you'd like."

I followed her daughter across the room and, as she pulled a sealed box out from under the table, I noticed a handwritten warning on the lid:  DO NOT SELL.

But, the daughter opened the box and told me to feel free to pull out anything I was interested in. The box was packed so tightly, I could barely get my fingers in it. The contents were a collection of  personal, handwritten letters from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as a wonderful collection of vintage cards. Birthday. Christmas. Sympathy. Enclosures. Victorian. Art deco. Mid-century modern. Beautiful.

Most items had handwritten signatures, many with personal notes. All with original envelopes and stamps intact. A collector's dream come true.

When I realized what I was sorting through, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation. And, as I gingerly looked through some of the contents, the woman approached me.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"It's all very wonderful. And very personal," I said.

"You know," she said. "Saving these is what got me in trouble in the first place. And now I must part with it all." She gestured broadly around the large space where many of her other belongings were displayed.

As she walked away, I hesitated, but out of respect for her generous gesture, selected a few small, more impersonal cards and called it a day.

Every day, in my work room, I see these boxes of papers whose stories I do know. Paper I normally would have incorporated into several projects by now sits untouched--for the moment, too precious to use. It serves as a constant reminder that every treasure we acquire does have a story. But, perhaps it's best simply to imagine what that story might be.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Vintage Thingie Thursday at The Colorado Lady
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours
Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove

There's Nothing Like a Good (Old) Book

We're a family of readers and book lovers. Nearly every room in the house has built-in or freestanding bookshelves. Our lower-level library shelves cover two walls, floor to ceiling.

Yep. Our collection is extensive. Classics. Contemporary. Poetry. Prose. Fiction. Non-fiction. Mysteries. Sci-fi. Fairy tales. Tall tales. Children's stories. Vintage readers. Humorous. Not-so-humorous. Reference. And, yada, yada, yada.

Hidden away in my craft room is another collection of wonderful books. Here are the books that most people would reject because they are beat up, torn up, colored on and in and generally destined for the trash heap.

I love those books! I extend their lives and usefulness through my craft projects. I scan their wonderful illustrations, decoupage their pretty pages and preserve their prose as handmade envelopes.

This weekend I picked up a great collection of vintage books in fair condition at a local estate sale. I got the entire bunch for a song. All were published between 1917 and 1921, so I'll certainly be scanning some images for projects. Over the next few weeks, I plan to share some with Karen at The Graphics Fairy so that all of you can use them in your projects, too.

Take a look at these beauties!

This nice bird book was published in 1929, too late to share images from, so it will take a place of honor on the Bird Shelf, next to a nice collection of other avian-related books, both new and vintage.





Make it a great day!

Linking to:
Sundae Shake Up at Jacque's Soda Parlor
Sister Sunday
Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbng Newbie Party
VIP Party at Designer Garden
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Time Travel Thursday
Flea Market Finds at Her Library Adventures
Vintage Thingie Thursday
Potpourri Party at 2805 



Postscript: Turkey Talk

If you saw my earlier post, Turkey Crossing, you've read about the adventures with our wild turkey flock. This is a postscript to that story.

The past few weeks, the turkeys appear to have been molting. Barney and I have found a number of feathers in the yard. Barney wants to fetch and chew them up, I want to gather them up.

So, I've been gingerly collecting them and spraying them with overpowering shots of Raid to kill any mites  or other microscopic insects. And, I have given more than a passing thought to the potential for bird flu and any other disease they might carry. But, so far that hasn't stopped me from collecting these beautiful specimens.

My collection of feathers isn't large, but I have enough to put to good use in my early fall decor.

The large feathers are a nice complement to a beautiful art deco Gonder pottery vase I picked up for a couple of bucks at a garage sale this summer. The striped feathers are from the wing, the dark feather with the bronze edging is a (shake a) tail feather. This sparse, but striking, arrangement now sits on our hearth.

The smaller feathers, with their fluff and iridescence seemed perfect for one of my vintage amber vases. I accented this arrangement with a couple of blue jay feathers I found in the yard. This pretty collection started out on the distressed sofa table, along with the frog princess lamp and a vintage clock. The personality of the small bouquet seemed to tie in nicely to the whimsical setting.



Ultimately, it ended up in the center of the dining room table atop a gorgeous handmade cake plate and under a cloche. This presentation pairs with a stack of three amber cake plates on the dining room buffet. I wish I could have provided photographs of the final groupings, but my photography skills aren't good enough to compensate for the heavy glare of all the glass and mirror in the dark red dining room. Here's the best shot I got.



At the end of a summer in which the heat and humidity took a tremendous toll on my cutting garden, it was fun to create a couple of little bouquets that look fresh and colorful and will last for years to come.

Linking to:

Motivate Me Monday
Sisters of the Wild West
Homemaker on a Dime
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Very Merry Vintage Style
Coastal Charm
Blue Cricket Design
Stuff and Nonsense--Fridays Unfolded
Designer Garden
A Creative Princess: It's a Party
Farmhouse Friday

The CSI Project

Welcome to Moonbeams & Fireflies!

And so I venture out

The internet is flush with excellent blogs that give voice to talented creative women and men. For me, venturing into this space is more than slightly intimidating. But, I’m not one to shy away from a challenge, so, as I often do, I’m jumping into the deep end of the pool knowing little more than how to dog paddle. It’s bound to get easier as I go along, right?

Since our children have left the nest, I’ve rediscovered the rewards of doing the things I’m passionate about:  gardening, sewing, treasure hunting for items to fill out my various vintage collections, photography, repurposing found items—and the list goes on. My husband is my biggest supporter. And, he’s a good sport about the mess I make and time I devote to my many projects.

Moonbeams and Fireflies is my way of sharing thoughts and experiences about all those things I enjoy in my “free” time. And, it’s a way for me to link up to and share some of the incredible work I’ve discovered others are doing.

Moonbeams and Fireflies also is a tribute to my wonderful parents.

Dad loves astronomy and remains a star-gazer into his 80s. When I was eight or nine years old, he built a telescope so we could experience the moon and stars at closer range. It was during those heavenly outings with Dad that I fell in love with that mysterious, round-faced Man in the Moon—a romance that continues today.

 

On summer nights, star-gazing often was combined with a thrilling dash to catch fireflies. Mom outfitted canning jars with fine mesh in place of the metal seals, turning them into firefly lanterns for my sister and me. The release of the fireflies at the end of the evening always seemed so bittersweet.

Many years later, when my children were small, Mom created a more whimsical version of her canning-jar firefly lanterns. What wonderful treasures these are!

Building on a foundation

In the past couple of years, I’ve discovered a multitude of exceptional blogs that have inspired me to go digital with my writing. My 30+ -year career (it's not over yet!) is built on a foundation of writing and editing—for other people and mostly in the world of print. This writing, now, is just for me. And, if you’re inclined to follow along with my ramblings, I’m happy to have you be a part of the world of Moonbeams & Fireflies.