Author: wisdomlaneantiques

I've been going to auctions, antique malls, flea markets, etc. since I could walk. My lifelong love of anything vintage, old, or shabby (everything really is better with age) is now my full-time job.

5 ways to dress shop for a formal event

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Clothing ideas, DIY, Fashion, Jewelry, Sale at Wisdom Lane Antiques!Leave a comment

5-ways-to-dress-shop

Here’s some great ideas for when you go shopping for a formal event:

#1-Consider a vintage jumpsuit.  Jumpsuits can be found in just about any pattern so you can find one for just about any occasion.  You can find a great one by Westport LTD here.

#2-Don’t be afraid to go vintage.  Pairing a vintage little black dress with a knockout necklace and earrings that you might already have can make a knockout outfit.

You can even add a pair of cool pumps and a snazzy clutch to make that outfit even better.

#3-Choose an off the rack long evening gown—there are many ways that you could go without breaking the bank, like this one by BETSY & ADAM.  You can add a silk shawl to make the look your own.

#4-A jacket (like this one by CITY GUTMAN) or faux fur coat (like this one) can add just the right touch of elegance on cold nights.

#5-A tuxedo like this one or a dressy pantsuit in a bright color like this will turn heads.  A silk tie and blouse can complete the one-of-a-kind look.

You can find some great formal outfits in my Etsy store here.  You can even find some great jewelry items in my my Etsy store here, and me eBay store here.

What kinds of ideas have you come up with for a formal event?

Spotting fake items can be tricky

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Fashion, Purses, Tips for the beginnerLeave a comment

When you are out shopping, you will eventually run into a fake.  It could be a purse, a piece of clothing, or even a piece of glass or pottery.  There are plenty of fake items out on the market, and spotting a fake item sometimes can be rather difficult—especially when the fake is very well made.

I was at several garage sales here recently, and I found two purses that were cheap.  I went ahead and bought them just to learn more about them, and the first one that I ran across was marked PRADA.

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As you can see from the pictures, it was pretty well made, and even marked on some of the hardware.  It turns out that the purse is fake—the material it’s made out of is not the quality PRADA would use, and the markings are also not quite right.

The next one that I found is a Louis Vuitton purse.  It almost looks like it could be something that you could put your tablet computer in.

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I quickly found out that this purse is fake by the way the way the purse is marked on the tag on the front.

I learned a valuable lesson from these purses—it always helps to have a good working knowledge of what a fake looks like.

Have you ever run across a good quality fake that could stump just about anyone?

Wearing and collecting Sarah Coventry Jewelry

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Fashion, Jewelry, Sale at Wisdom Lane Antiques!, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!Leave a comment

From its inception in 1949, Sarah Coventry became the world’s largest direct seller of costume jewelry and an acknowledged fashion leader in contemporary jewelry during the 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s and even the 1980’s.

Sarah Coventry attained worldwide success by offering its well-designed jewelry through in-home fashion shows—also known as the party plan of direct selling.  The company nationally advertised its jewelry in magazines and on network TV.

In a 1978 company brochure, it was stated that “90% of the American population knows the name Sarah Coventry means quality jewelry sold in the home…”  In 1984, Sarah Coventry was purchased by a Canadian firm.

Today, Sarah Coventry jewelry remains a success on the collector’s market.  Right now, I currently am offering a wide array of Sarah Coventry pieces—beautiful and affordable to wear and enjoy—or to even give as a gift.

One of the pieces that I have in my shop is this wonderful bracelet.

1960s-sarah-coventry-carousel-pattern-silver-tone-bracelet-with-different-colored-stones

The pattern on this bracelet is called the CAROUSEL pattern, because it looks like it could be part of a carousel.  You can see the bracelet in my Etsy shop here.

Another great item that would be perfect for either the collector or to wear is this pair of rhinestone chandelier earrings.

1950s-sarah-coventry-rhinestone-chandelier-dressy-clip-on-earrings

The great thing about them is that they are clip on earrings.  You can see this wonderful pair of earrings in my Etsy shop here.  You can see all of the wonderful Sarah Coventry pieces in my Etsy shop here.

What kinds of Sarah Coventry designs have you run across?

Different forms of carnival glass

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Glassware, Jewelry, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!Leave a comment

Carnival glass originated as a glass called ‘Iridill’, produced beginning in 1908.  This was produced by the Fenton Art Glass Company, and the glass quickly caught on.  The 1920’s was the height of the production of carnival glass, and the decade saw huge volumes of glass being produced.

The prices were low enough that everyone could afford, and one of the nicknames that the glass was dubbed was ‘poor man’s Tiffany’.

The keys to its appeal was that it looked a lot like the more expensive blown iridescent glass by Tiffany and Loetz (and others, really).  When the 1950’s came around the name that it has now came about because Carnival glass was often gave away at carnivals.

Today, carnival glass is a fun area to dive into and start to collect.  There are many different forms that you can find.  One such item is something like this vase by Northwood.

northwood

The vase was made in the 1910’s and sports the FINE RIB pattern.  You can see this wonderful vase in my Etsy shop here.  Another form that was made was a plate, like this one by Fenton.

three-fruits

The plate has the THREE FRUITS pattern on it, and it was made during the height of popularity for carnival glass, the 1920’s.  You can see this plate in my Etsy shop here.

Carnival glass was also incorporated into fashion, one example is this bolo tie.

bolo-tie

The slide of the tie features the WINDMILL pattern, and it was made by the IMPERIAL glass company.  The tie was made in the 1930’s, and it would be a fun addition to any outfit!  You can see this bolo tie in my Etsy shop here.

You can see all of the different types of carnival glass in my Etsy shop here.  How many different forms of carnival glass have you run across?

More pottery vocabulary words for the beginning collector

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Pottery, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!, Vocabulary WordsLeave a comment

When you dive into the world of antiques and collectibles, you will find out how things are made.  Here’s some of the words that I’ve picked up over the years about how pottery is made:

Greenhouse—this is the place where pots are kept to harden before they go into the kiln.

Feathering—this is an effect that’s obtained by moving a feather through wet slip decoration.

Salt glaze—this is an effect by throwing salt into the kiln when pottery is being fired.  The salt vaporizes during the firing and a fine orange peel surface is left on the pottery.

What kinds of words have you run across when you are out at your favorite place to shop?

Great Czechoslovakian treasures

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Glassware, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!Leave a comment

Czechoslovakia did not exist until 1918 when World War I ended.  The country was formed as a reward for the help of the Czechs and the Slovaks in winning the war.  It was made up of parts of Austria, Bohemia and Hungary.  In 1993, a peaceful dissolution of the country split it into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Items such as highly decorated dinnerware and colorful artistic vases are very collectible because the country was only around for a very short time—only 75 years.

Recently at an estate sale, I discovered one of these great treasures—a light pink 1930’s Czechoslovakia tango glass vase with black trim.

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You can see this absolutely gorgeous vase in my Etsy store here.  What kinds of finds from Czechoslovakia have you found?

Vocabulary words for the furniture collector

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Furniture, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!, Vocabulary Words, Wisdom LaneLeave a comment

There’s always some terms that you pick up along the way when you either collect a certain area or are a dealer.  Furniture is the same way, and here’s some great vocabulary words that I heard along the way:

Attached Back Pillow: This is a pillow treatment that can’t be taken off the upholstered piece.

Butler’s Table: This is an oval wooden tray on legs whose four sides are hinged to fold out flat when it is set down.

Case Piece: A piece of furniture like this provides interior space for storage.  It could be something like clothing or bedding.

Commode: Today, this means something completely different.  It used to be a low chest that had either  drawers or doors (some sort of cabinet on legs) which usually stands against a wall.

Nest-of-Tables: These are small tables that are used every once in a while and are graduated in size so that they slide beneath one another.

These are only a handful of the words that you will run across.  What words have you heard?

Olympic sports fashion for all

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Advertising, Fashion, Sports items, Sports of all sortsLeave a comment

The Olympics has us all glued to our televisions, tablets, or laptops cheering for our homegrown athletes.  Athletic apparel is always popular—but never more than now.  Wisdom Lane Antiques has a wide selection of new and lightly worn jerseys at reasonable prices.

BASEBALL JERSEY

One item that you could wear is this National League Baseball Jersey for the All-Star Game.  You can see this jersey in my eBay store here.  Soccer is a sport that gets a ton of attention during the Olympics.  One item you could wear during the Olympics is this jersey.

avalon

It’s for the Avalon Soccer Club, and it can be seen in my eBay store here.  Another sport in the Olympics that is popular is basketball, and a great way to cheer the team on is this jersey.

starbury

This great Starbury jersey can be seen in my eBay store here.

I invite you to check out all these and more in my eBay store here, and I also have another post about sports related items as well.  It is titled “Several different types of sports memorabilia” which can be seen here.

What kinds of sports related fashion do you have to wear for the Olympics?

Items fit for the Olympics!

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Fashion, Sports of all sortsLeave a comment

The Opening Night outfits for America’s Olympic athletes are being designed by Ralph Lauren.  His designs are always distinctive, unique and remain fashionable season after season (and year after year, really).  Here at Wisdom Lane Antiques, I have several Ralph Lauren pieces for sale.  I invite you to visit and view items like this jacket:

Lauren jacket
The great thing that this jacket has going for it is that it has a 1980’s tweed look going for it, and it can go with just about anything.  You can see it in my eBay store here.

Another great Ralph Lauren item is this formal dress.

silk lauren dress

This terrific black silk strapless dress would be perfect for when you attend the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, or even an even a formal dance.  You can see this dress here.

If you would like to wear a tie, this POLO tie by Ralph Lauren would be perfect.

polo tie

Not only does this have a dressy look to it, this tie also has a golfer motif on it so that you can cheer on your favorite player.  You can see this tie in my eBay store here.

Students can also have a item that Ralph Lauren made, like this backpack.

backpack

Not only is it made by Ralph Lauren, it also has an American Flag on it to help root on America’s Olympians.  You can see this terrific backpack here.

You can see all of these great items and more items by Ralph Lauren in my eBay store here.

I am also offering an Olympic Games pin from the 1996 Atlanta Games.  This would be perfect to wear with a Ralph Lauren item (or even any vintage jacket for that matter).  You can see it here.

What kinds of Ralph Lauren items have you run across?

I’m now a seller on the Abebooks website!

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Abebooks, Books, Sale at Wisdom Lane Antiques!, Wisdom LaneLeave a comment

Wisdom Lane Antiques can now be found on the Abebooks website!  Over the years, I have acquired a wide variety of titles and learned how to pay attention to the details when buying books.  From first editions, signed copies and even best sellers can be found in my store on Abebooks.

For example, you will find a signed copy of I IS FOR INNOCENT by Sue Grafton (which can be seen here).  You can also find the first edition of FOUR BLIND MICE by James Patterson (this book can be found here).

Another book that you can find there is The Auction Catalog For The Estate Of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.  This is from the Sotherby’s Auction House, and is auction number 6834.  This catalog has the sale prices in it as well, and it can be found here.

You can also find the mystery AS TIME GOES BY by Mary Higgins Clark (which can be seen here), and even the young adult book WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson.  This book can be found here.

Cookbooks like THE COMPLETE NFL COOKBOOK can be found there as well.  You can see this one here.

Take a minute and check out Wisdom Lane Antiques on Abebooks, here.  You’ll find a lot of choices and many bargains!