Vintage Costume Jewelry (And Some Other Old Stuff)

Don't know if you noticed the new pix on my sidebar entitled "Going to the Street Fair"--that's just a small part of what I've spent the last couple weeks sorting, looking up what I paid for it, pricing it EXTREMELY low (we're going to be a "No Dicker Zone" booth which will probably piss off some people.  Eh.), writing up individual price tags and inventory number tags, and wrapping every single piece in bubble wrap and placing it ever-so-carefully in plastic tubs.  I'm telling you, that stuff is wrapped and packed so well that you could throw it out of an airplane and nothing would break.

Except, don't.  I need to sell it.

I'm also taking a small amount of vintage costume jewelry and a few pieces of old this 'n that.  What with sticky fingers (and I'm not talking about children) and one less person to (wo)man the booth, I just didn't feel like we should deal with locking and unlocking jewelry cases so I'm just taking one and assigning The Money Lady (Lowly Trooper Sally) to show what's in the case.

The Zenith pocket radio is from the 50's and still works, even though it's just AM and the only station I can get on it is the local C&W station (although I have to say I do love their Swap Shop feature where you can swap a cow for a utility trailer or try to sell the eight Lab/Pit Pull/Chihuahua/Blue Tick Hound puppies you found under the house.  The local SPCA fights a losing battle around these here parts where if you even mention neutering a male dog all the men reflexively cross their legs and then back away from you like you're gonna chop off THEIR precious wee-wee!).  The New Testament was issued during WWII, the Zinab Fan Deck is for doing sleight-of-hand magic tricks. 


The Smallest Bible In The World was given to my first husband in 1955 and the giver wrote "To Lynn, A Good Christian Boy" (wishful thinking there, since he grew up to be a raging atheist).

I really hate to give up the commemorative World's Fair spoon and hankie since they were from the Columbian Exposition honoring the discovery of America by C. Columbus which makes both items 118 years old and they're about the only things I own that weren't made during my childhood! 

Here are some of my favorite pieces of jewelry that hopefully will be loved by their next owner(s). 
An absolutely beautiful Trifari pin from 1953:

I found this pin at Kathy's Flea Market (where the fleas are real and they will attack you if you forget to lather on the bug spray before you go)--it was extremely dirty and missing one of the pearls but I still had to have it, especially since she GAVE it to me!  Of course I had to spend some money on the citrine stone but this is now a truly lovely and unique piece of jewelry.

The Christmas Tree pin was found in a big lot of (mostly broken) costume jewelry I bought.  I can replace stones on costume jewelry so I'm always looking for onesy earrings and broken pins with lots of rhinestones.  When I looked at this pin more closely I saw a manufacturer's name on the back: DeNicola.  Turns out Jerry DeNicola was in business for only about 20 years from the 50's to the 70's and his jewelry is kinda sought after.  I was all set to sell it but unfortunately I will have to replace three small rectangular stones on the base.  I actually just noticed they were missing while I was writing about the pin!

I've shown you these large crystal pins before but they are really and truly so spectacular.  The two on the left are pre-WWII and I found both listed in Warman's costume jewelry reference books with a book price of $125 each (the tags say $45 but I changed it to $60 after I thought to myself, "Self, let's not just GIVE these away, ok?").  The feather pin on the right is by Weiss from the 50's.  Then there's that little bee pin and several multi-color and/or crystal flower pins.  All in all, some great stuff that I HOPE will sell, but who knows--this isn't exactly LA or NYC where people know the value of good vintage jewelry.  I have a McClelland Barclay fur clip that I'm not even going to bother taking to the show since I doubt anyone other than the costume jewelry vendor will know who he was.

The hubby just climbed out of his coffin rolled out of bed so once he gets back from Mickey D's we're going to start loading up--we'll be able to start setting up after 5pm this evening and everything needs to ready to go by 10am tomorrow.  I am SO EXCITED!