It feels like I haven't done a Treasure Hunting Report in ages!
My treasure hunting really slowed down this year because I've been increasingly picky about what I buy - plus the deals have been few and far between - so I haven't shared treasure hunting reports like I used to in years prior. But as I was cleaning over the weekend, I realized that I have scored a few gems so I wanted to share. (I can't be the only person who lovingly admires my treasures while I dust...?)
Here are the vintage finds that made the cut and found their way into the lakehouse recently.
First up: I enjoyed a major win at the Salvation Army auction - which is something I rarely muster up the motivation to do, because you need to sit through the ENTIRE thing to pay and it can take hours and hours. This time the bidding went crazy high (I'm talking $500+) on some items, so it was an intensely entertaining evening, plus my Mom came with me which makes everything way more fun! We could not believe the bizarre things that elicited a bidding war.
Anyway, you're probably thinking, "get to the goods - what did you BUY?"
Okay - but first I need to share a back story, so you realize why I was so excited about this particular auction and why I was willing to let my butt go numb on a grubby chair for hours on a beautiful summer evening. Ten years ago I found an ice cube shaped Iittala crystal votive candle holder at a yard sale for a buck. Hubby and I had just moved 1500km and were living in a strange city so we loved to yard sale with friends on the weekend to explore. Plus we were all broke and looking for deals! I've treasured this little candle holder ever since because it always reminds me of our life in Kingston. I'd always wished I had a pair, but I could never find one online because I had no idea what it was called or when it was produced. I even asked around at the local Finnish boutiques, to no avail. So imagine my surprise when I spot one in the Sally Anne auction case, in a lot with other Iittala. After a decade of searching!
The lot was a real hodgepodge: the ice cube votive holder I wanted (which is simply referred to as the Ice Cube and was produced in the 1980s), three Ultima Thule shot glasses, a pair of two ring Festivo candle holders, another Ultima Thule candle holder and an Ultima Thule plate - which was, sadly, chipped. I ended up winning the bid for only $41 CAD - the Festivo candle holders alone are worth $60-100! Plus my Mom had an uneven set of Ultima Thule shot glasses so I happily gave her the trio (although I wish they'd been a more practical size, like the Highball Glass or the Old Fashioned glass). But I suspect this is the universe telling me I need to go to my Mom's place more often and drink liquor.
;)
I planned to sell the Ultima Thule candle holder but it's so pretty that I might just keep it.
Iittala is my weakness. All told, that's a lot of $$$ worth of Finnish crystal - but I would have paid that just for the pair to my mystery cube. I'm so happy!
Plus my Festivo collection grew that tiny bit more... I often get asked where to buy those gleaming crystal candle holders but most of my collection was gifted to me and the rest I have bought through the classifieds or thrifted. You can find them on Etsy, Chairish - this is a GREAT deal on a massive 6-ring pair that would make a gorgeous statement - or eBay. Local Finnish boutiques sell them but I think Bed Bath & Beyond does too.
I just love adding to this collection, it's just a thrill when I can scoop up another one (or two). Is it greedy to hope that one day I can find a pair for my Iittala bird? He gets lonely, I'm sure... I'm obsessed with this dusty blue one but this dreamy white one is a favorite too. They're SO expensive though, I can't even imagine what a Sally Anne auction on one of those would be like. Madness, pure madness.
Anyway, that's my most recent score. But there have been a few other lucky breaks.
Way back on my birthday in June, my Mom and I went for a little day trip to celebrate because I feel like my birthday is as much a special day for her as it is for me. So we went to Grand Marais, a little Minnesotan town nearby, for lunch and some shopping and we hit up my favorite antique shops, thrifts, and flea markets. At the flea market, I scored another Krenit bowl (here's the same one - I think - on Etsy) for a cool $7. A bit more than the $2 I paid for my bigger one, but still a ridiculously good price. It's funny because I had JUST said to Hubby, maybe two days earlier, that I wished I had a pair because sometimes we have so much fruit the one bowl isn't enough. Plus I think by now you've realized I like pairs of things...
It's in nice condition with some light scuffs that pop up way more on camera, but no chips or staining - plus it still has a "Made in Denmark" label! I'm so happy with this birthday score. If you're pining for one, this Etsy listing seems like a sweet deal, although if you happen to have $500 lying around this turquoise one needs a home, lol. The new ones are a bit spendy too, but I have loved my Krenit bowl for years and years so even if I had splurged, the cost per use would be so low. For a similar look, this Project 62 enamel tray is a steal at $10!
I love that I have two now and the different in shape/height is perfect. Plus I can always use this one for salad (its intended purpose I believe - I just need the matching salad tongs). I really enjoy the special memory attached to it as well. My Mom and I had such a lovely, peaceful day together so I am really glad to having this little memento.
That same day, I also picked up a pair of petite Cathrineholm bowls which I had planned to sell but just keep hanging on to! I hadn't ever seen a design (in person) that wasn't the classic lotus pattern. They're too cute and their blue/white and black/white combo is begging for some kind of Halloween treat, no?
Wandering around an antique mall in town one day, I found a mug that looked awfully familiar. Hubby's Aunt and Uncle are both talented potters (you might remember these beautiful mugs his Aunt mailed us, on which will forever remain my happiest mail day).
For awhile his Uncle made these East Coast island mugs. We had one already so imagine my surprise to see his very distinctive mug at an antique shop 2000+ km away from where he made and sold them! Seriously, what ARE the odds that it ended up here, for me to find? Of course I bought it! I can't link to them because I'm fairly certain there are none in production anymore but here's a handmade turquoise pottery mug I love on Etsy, in case you're now needing a blue mug after seeing my pair (the struggle is real, I totally understand).
These scores stretched out over four months so it's really not a lot, but I'm so happy with these finds because they're each special in their own way. And looking back, I feel kinda lucky!
Have you found any sweet treasures? I'd love to know! Or tag me on Instagram so I can come snoop - I just really enjoy seeing the neat things people find.
