everything vintage/what is it worth?

camping at a silver mine

So I went on this trip with Douglas Diamonds jewelry store. We (family owned business) own mines in various places in Nevada and Arizona and visit them periodically to assess their viability. It’s pretty awesome being out in the desert, pretty much close to NOWHERE and NOTHING (we passed a town with that name). You look at the vast sky at night and you just have to say God is everything. Everywhere and EVERYTHING.

mine shaft — that’s Bev

There was this mine shaft — probably from the 1940s — and Bev and Deb and Alayne got lowered down into the shaft on an electric winch. Not me. I’m not going down 60+ feet into total darkness. I’d rather crawl in on the solid earth. Even if it means sliding on rocks, using a rickety ladder to cross an abyss, using a rope to scale a 20 foot rock face, sliding backwards on makeshift stone steps, crawling down another rickety ladder… we had to come out that way anyway!

out of the mine

So what, I got a little dirty.

nice turquoise vein

 We saw a nice turquoise vein outside of the mine too.

Lake Mead and Hoover Dam

After 3 days of primitive camping — you know the kind with a shovel and a hole– we got to spend a beautiful day on Lake Mead with Scott driving our rented speed boat.

jck gem and jewelry show

Then it was off to Vegas for the gem and jewelry show. So nice to have a shower and a bed!

scotty dog earrings

Visit me at everythingvintagesteph and check out some of my findings!

I was recently selling at the Renninger’s Extravaganza antique show in Kutztown, PA. This is part of my booth under the pavilion outside. I did not sell this doll house at 45.00 but I sold a pink one earlier for 25.00. I also sold the print on the left for 15.00. The mirror sold for 20.00.

vintage books

I had a customer who bought 23 of my vintage books at 3.00 a piece. Most of them were children’s text books and some of these Whitman books.

vintage kitchen items

I took a lot of vintage kitchen items too. I did not sell the cookie jars but I did sell most of the older (rusty) utensils and pans.

old school easel and quilt

I took an old school easel the first day and sold it for 12.00. Then I took this one the next day and sold it for 15.00. I had one more but I decided not to take it. I also sold the quilt for 10.00. It had a lot of damage.

vintage fruit

I’m kind of glad I didn’t sell the purse and only sold a little bit of the fruit. This stuff does well on eBay. I did sell the old craft doll heads on the shelf for 5.00 and the old bobbin stand for 5.00.

vintage salt and pepper shakers

Salt and pepper shakers did well. Although these are the ones I did not sell. I sold quite a few pairs for 3-5.00 each. I did sell the little elephant though with the clovers on it — cute! It was a great show. You can check it out at renningers.com if you ever want to go. Also check out my vintage and other items at everythingvintagesteph.com!

incredible hulk character sheet

I have had a lot of success selling vintage character sheets on eBay. They are fun and usually not too hard to find! I found the incredible hulk at the thrift store and he is for sale for 9.99 at everythingvintagesteph.com.

Disney sheet CARS

Any type of Disney sheet, not necessarily vintage, is a good item to spot. I often find them in the clearance bins at Goodwill for less than 1.00 or at yard sales. This one is selling for 9.99 at everythingvintagesteph.com. In the past I have sold older ones such as Super Mario brothers for 48.00 and Masters of the Universe for 46.00.

power rangers pillowcase

Even a single pillowcase is a good find! I usually sell them for about 6-8$ a piece. When I listed this power ranger one in my eBay store, it sold in a few hours and a Care Bears one sold in less than an hour!

vintage sheet

I also have vintage ones that sell for a bit more but they are harder to find, especially in very good condition. Applique and cross stitch or any kind of needlepoint or handiwork is especially nice.

DISNEY Beauty and the Beast sheet

 Check out my selection at everythingvintagesteph.com. It changes almost daily!

nevada turquoise

I recently went mining in Nevada for turquoise (see some of my earlier posts) and found some great pieces. (I am part owner of a jewelry store and we own some turquoise mines). That made me very curious about turquoise, which is one of my favorite colors.

howlite turquoise

 Today I listed a bracelet on ebay that is made of howlite turquoise. Since the bracelet was so beautiful, I was wondering what howlite turquoise was.

I found this great article to explain it… at wisegeek.org.

Here is the beginning of the article…

Howlite, scientifically called a calcium borosilicate hydroxide, is a silicate mineral often used to replicate turquoise. In nature, the stone is white or grey with dark stripes. Although the mineral is often legitimately sold, it is occasionally pawned by dealers as real turquoise, which raises the price considerably.

The mineral was discovered by and named for Henry How, a 19th century Canadian geologist. Initial deposits were found in How’s native Nova Scotia, but have since been uncovered in Southern California as well. The mineral is now generally mined for its use as an imitation stone, although some New Age practices use undyed stones for meditation.

The mineral has a porous structure that allows it to accept dyes uncommonly well. Because of the characteristic streaks found in turquoise, howlite makes an excellent substitute. The Mohs scale hardness of the mineral is only 3.5, considerably lower than the average turquoise hardness of 5 to 6. This rating means that the imitation is more likely to be scratched or fractured than the authentic stone.

Other than this difference, the two stones are nearly identical, and some claim that even jewelers have difficulty telling them apart in absence of ultra-violet (UV) testing. In UV tests, howlite often appears to give off colored fluorescent glows. It also dissolves quickly in hydrochloric acid without causing bubbling, something turquoise will not do.

howlite turquoise

Hope you enjoyed the article and thanks for visiting me at everythingvintagesteph.com as well!

vintage tupperware

Love that vintage tupperware! It really does last forever if you take care of it. Recently I found some pieces that were never used — never even opened up from the plastic bag they were ordered in! These can be valuable items to resell on eBay.

vintage tupperware

Here’s a serve it all set and a pie taker. The receipts are still in the bag, dated 1987. I will be listing these soon on eBay. I have others listed right now.

vintage tupperware 4 ramekins

Like these 4 ramekins with lids — never used.

vintage tupperware servalier bowls

And these servalier bowls. Remember the harvest colors from the 1970′s?

vintage tupperware

I just listed these square plates and mugs yesterday and the auction is already past 20.00. These are not new but are in very good condition with a few scratches and 3 of them have stains.

Here’s a sample of some recent ended auctions:

set of 6 pastel tumblers, never opened 181.50

5 qt deep roaster ovenware new but vintage 152.50

6 pastel tumblers with lids, lightly used 119.99

10 servalier bowls with lids 117.50 (like the ones shown above)

vintage tupperware pickle keeper

 So check your cupboards and your neighbor’s cupboards and your yard sales! Not everything is super valuable, but the better the condition, the better the value. I just listed this pickle keeper at fixed price for 9.99 in my eBay store. It won’t last long at that price! It has some scratches on the outside but the inside is like new! See it at everythingvintagesteph.com. and thanks for stopping by!

need a granite table?

Love the gem, jewelry, and mineral show at Tucson, AZ! This is the second year I got a chance to go and it is so worth the time! It is an 8 day show and you still couldn’t see it all in 8 days! Locations are in and around the city. We were there for 3 days.

picture jasper

The first day we visited the AGTA show at the conference center in Tucson. I don’t have any photos of that because it is not allowed to take photos inside the show. The one above was from another location. The AGTA show is full of licensed dealers who have everything from fire opals, boulder opals, ethiopian opals, emeralds, meteorite, etc. Fascinating just to look.

thousands of beads!

The second day we visited what I call “tent city.” It is a group of hotels and over 50 tents full of jewelry and gems. You can’t even walk the entire place in one day! There were lots of bargains to be had. It was all wholesale so you need to register and show your sales and tax numbers to get in. We were mainly buying for our jewelry store, Douglas Diamonds, but I also buy to resell on eBay.

Deb choosing quartz for necklaces.

She was looking for much smaller pieces but these geodes were so awesome!

just a small section of “tent city”

crystals and quartz

The third day was spent “on the streets.” You can be shuttled all around the city to various hotels where thousands of vendors are set up. It is still mainly for wholesale but there is no registration, so anyone can go. I couldn’t find my favorite spot from last year because I had no idea where the shuttle took me that time. It’s just overwhelming!

just rocks??

They look like just rocks but you buy them by the pound and break them open or slice them for use.

and these are just the amber beads

turquoise in iron ore

It makes some beautiful furniture!

amethyst sterling silver poison box

One of my treasures I am selling on eBay. everythingvintagesteph.com

ashtrays from the 60s

I was selling at the antique show/flea market this weekend. Here are some of the items I saw there: These large ashtrays from the 1960s were selling for 18.00 each. They were ceramic and in excellent condition.

vintage tinware

This pretty tinware tray was selling for 8.00.

ruby glass

 Ruby glass was 9 – 15.00.Very pretty next to the purple too!

vintage children’s books

Vintage books — some of them children’s books — about 12.00 each.

vintage prints

These pretty vintage prints were 5.00, 10.00, and 15.00.

Victorian postcards

Victorian postcards from the early 1900′s only 50 cents each! Now, I live in PA and I am sure prices would be higher or lower in other parts of the country but there are some great deals out there so don’t be afraid to go to your local antique shows or flea markets!

Come visit my grammy’s store at everythingvintagesteph.com and maybe I’ll smile!!

rhinestone butterfly pin

It is very hard to tell if a piece of jewelry is vintage or not. If you know the history of a piece, you can rely on that knowledge but usually there is nothing marked on the piece to be able to tell a date.  Sometimes you can tell by the construction of the piece. This butterfly pin is very detailed (on the back) so I think it is vintage.

abalone sterling silver ring

 This sterling silver abalone ring might be vintage. The only indication I have is that the marcasites around the outside of the abalone look vintage to me. When I found the piece, it was tarnished so that indicates some age, but not much. I feel comfortable calling it vintage although it might not be.

vintage cufflinks

These cuff links, however, I believe are vintage. They are marked TAXCO MEXICO and they are in a vintage style. Still not proof, but getting closer!

vintage Victorian cameo pin

I am at least 90% sure that this pin is vintage! It is a vintage style, I have found others like it from the Victorian period, and it is marked CA with an arrow for “Carl Art”, a vintage designer. It is 12 K gold filled.

large carnelian stone necklace

Research is your best tool but it is very easy to be mistaken. If you love the piece, that is what matters! Click on any of the photos or go to everythingvintagesteph.com to check out these pieces before they are gone!

vintage apron

Vintage clothing can be very fascinating. This apron is from the 1950s and these are very collectible. Not too hard to find either! Everyone had drawers full of aprons in the 1950s and they are still around. This one is in very good condition. You can get half aprons like this one or bib aprons, or fancy aprons.

vintage nightgown

Vintage lingerie and nightgowns are fun too. This baby doll style was popular in he 60s and 70s and is still popular. This one sells for 19.99 in my eBay store.

vintage little black dress

The little black dress is always popular. The vintage ones tend to be quite a bit smaller. Clothing was re-sized in the 1970s so they sizes seemed to be smaller. A size 12 before the resizing was much larger than a size 12 today so always ask for measurements when purchasing vintage clothing if the size is important.

vintage skirt 1970s

Some of the clothing from the 60s and 70s can be very colorful such as this skirt.

vintage hula skirt

Vintage costumes can be hard to find but they are a lot of fun as well and you can expect to pay a decent price for them. This vintage hula skirt was found in an attic and I picked it up at an estate sale. I am selling it in my eBay store for 29.99 or best offer. Check it all out at everythingvintagesteph.com!

A Christmas Story… Ralphie’s tongue

Merry Christmas to all my readers and customers on eBay. Here’s some great Christmas finds that haven’t been snatched up yet. Do you love “A Christmas Story?”

Snowman Christmas hanky

Just found this really cute vintage hanky!

vintage Santa apron

Just found this Santa apron too! No wears, tears or stains — love it when I find it that way! Probably 1960s or so.

ugly New Year’s sweater

I sold out of almost all of my ugly Christmas sweaters but I have more of these beaded tops that work well for an after Christmas party.

Christmas pendant sterling silver

Still have this beautiful sterling silver vintage pendant!

Lois Long vintage tea towel

It’s not Christmas but what awesome Christmas colors! Vintage linen tea towel with strawberries.

Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year!