Vintage Christmas finds for teatime

Saturday's shopping included some fun finds at an antique mall in Villa Rica and a thrift store in Douglasville, and while I usually don't buy any vintage Christmas goodies this late in the year (I like to Christmas shop in July, when the thrifting is thriftiest), I actually found some bargains this "late" in the fall. And one reason I mention this is that I am on the lookout for any *vintage* publications with Christmas recipes. I have quite a few but am looking for more for a project I'm working on, so … if any of you happen to see or own old Christmas recipe clippings or booklets and care to share a photo, well, I would be most grateful!

My favorite purchase on Saturday was a vintage Christmas teacup, and surprisingly, it was just $6.95 at the antique mall. I have some other pieces that match it, but even if I didn't, I rarely turn down a vintage Christmas teacup that's under $10. The silver paper labels on the bottom are worn and I can't read them, but if I do a little research, I think I can figure out the maker. I was also hoping to find a new vintage Christmas tree pin at the antique mall, but alas, I didn't see one.

My other "vessels" were even better bargains. The four mugs (no maker, just a number on the bottom) were 20 cent each (new "tea mugs" for this Christmas), and the miniature Santa mug, while cracked and chippy, has character. He was 50 cents at the antique mall.

My other fun find from the thrift store was a box of old ornaments (nothing remarkable inside, and I'm pretty sure most of them were not Shiny Brite), but I loved this old box and figured it was worth $1.01 for the decor value.

Note the Uncle Sam and Santa Claus. Is it a fair assumption that this box was made around World War II? I just love forties and fifties Christmas items, and the prices at the thrift store are great. I also found a couple of inexpensive rhinestone pins, but alas, I found no vintage Christmas tree pin. 

I got back home late that night, and in the mailbox was a surprise from my friend Joy that made me smile from ear to ear … a vintage Eisenberg Ice Christmas tree pin! Now isn't that some fun timing? And don't worry. I'm not one of those women who puts up her Christmas tree the day after Halloween, but I do believe in shopping early for Christmas, and since I collect vintage Christmas items, I need to be vigilant at this time of year. We now return to our regularly scheduled month of Thanksgiving!

I'm dreaming of a retro Christmas

Like many of you, I imagine, I now have so many Christmas decorations that I could decorate my house several times over. This year, I have developed a real hankering for the retro colors and designs from the fifties and sixties, so that's what I used to surround some of my Christmas teacups on the tea trolley this year.

My favorite antique mall find of the season: a white plastic tree with flocked velvet poinsettias and fake pinecones. (I can remember when ladies wore plastic floral corsages at Christmas. Can any of you?)

For those of you who, like me, were born between 1930 and 1970 (I was born the last year of the Baby Boom, 1964), I highly recommend this book, Under the Tree, which shows the dolls, trains, games, and other toys that were so popular during these years. I shared it with my husband for the first time recently, and he spotted an erector set just like the one he got as a child.

I've also started collecting vintage Christmas cards when I spot them for a reasonable price. I love the bright colors and designs on these. (I've also discovered vintage nativity cards, and I'll share those another day once I've got my nativity sets placed.)

I love pulling out my Christmas teacups each year, and it's almost like discovering a new gift when I reach into the box and find poinsettias and holly gracing some bone china cups and saucers. And I will indeed use them all during the month of December. It makes sipping so much more festive!

Another fun antique mall find this year was this Rushton Santa Claus doll. I loved his vintage look and thought he'd be fun to decorate with. As I was paying for him, a man came up and told me he believed this doll was from the thirties. 

Santa's shoes looked pretty old, so I thought, "Hmm. Maybe." But then I got home, did a little research, and discovered Santa is actually a doll produced by Coca-Cola in the fifties (if you look at his left hand in the photo, he is missing the Coke bottle), and it sold for $3. Not surprising, really, that I'd find one of these in this area since I live near Coke's home office.

And this is the topper on the cute little Santa mug arrangement I got last month at that Christmas market. My tea-themed tree is up (I'm saving those photos for another day), and it's truly beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! How about at your house?