Featured Finds Thread

Car boot sales are big business here. It's a market worth hundreds of millions to the organisers alone - some atttract thousands of stall holders. You get relatively serious dealers at some, alongside the people clearing their tat. I like the house clearance folks, rather. But then, I also like those clearing their own places. They're usually quite well organised: decent burger vans, loos and proper parking. Some, depending on their licence, also have people selling new stuff - one I go to even has a butcher.

 

I did get out to antique malls, thrifts, etc., and found some small gold and sterling stuff. I found two chains for a dollar, wound around a piece of paper, and one was a 15" 14k gold chain, antique mall. Then I found a necklace for $10, older nice cultured pearl, 16" 14k gold chain, $10, antique mall. I got a pair of 14k shell earrings for $6, and two pairs of 10k earrings, one for a dollar, one for three dollars, local thrifts. Right after Christmas, the thrifts were trying to get rid of stuff. Found one where all the jewelry was 50% off. Then I had 20% off coupons saved....woohoo!

 

In the Mexican border area where I grew up, low-end swap meets and flea markets were called "menudo ventas"... menudo sales. Menudo is a hot Mexican soup, enjoyed at all hours of the day. What goes in it you Anglos don't want to know, but suffice to say it's a mix of inexpensive meat and vegetables. So I guess a menudo venta has just that... a little of everything, nothing too expensive.
Now, if you're ever in a border town, you can authoritatively ask "Hay Menudo Ventas hoy?" (Are there Menudo sales today?)
Expect lots of taxidermy frogs, ristras (wreaths made of dried red chili peppers), gigantic paper flowers, and corn husks for making tamales! Bring American cash, amigos, and... watch your pockets!

 

Only one sale yesterday. Not much of interest. This was in the free stuff.

 

terry....u got a good eye !

 

Nice! That looks like a lot of gold.

 

It's gotta be heavy for it's size.....that's a dead give a way right there..!

 

And I'm betting that Terry had a "twinkle" in that "good eye."

 

Hi,
Don't want to be a "Doubting Thomas" but have it checked. I have seen a lot of Italian gold marked like that and it wasn't gold. Usually seen on chains but I guess they may have done pins also.
greg

 

Here's yesterday's Christofle.

 

On that "Christofle" ice bucket.......please forgive me if I'm wrong and I surely hope I am, but I enlarged and sharpened the siggy.....TO ME the "C" looks like a "G" with the little hook at the bottom of it, and the "F" looks more like an "R".....as I said, I certainly hope I am wrong.......

 

I think it is just the serifs of the typeface.

 

In 1935, the third standard full mark was introduced (Figs. 4 a), which was in use until 1983 (Literature: 1, 5). Instead of the initials "CC" it contains the initials "OC" which means "Orfèvrerie Christofle" (Silversmith Christofle). It should be noted that contrary to the "CC" oval/square mark, the "OC" mark is enclosed in a lined rectangular box. We will call this mark "OC" oval/rectangular mark. Another difference lies in the drawing inside the oval. While the standard "OC" oval/rectangular mark contains a bee (Fig. 4 b), the above-mentioned "CC" oval/square mark contains some kind of flower (rosette) instead of a bee (Fig. 2 c). The size of the oval is about 1.6 mm x 2.6 mm (for four items at my disposal), which more or less corresponds to the size of the oval in the "CC" mark (see above). The ratio for the "CHRISTOFLE" inscription is 8.6 (mean value for five items) and again corresponds to the ratio value in the case of "CC" mark. The full mark, used in 1935-1983, includes another unique element to indicate the silver-plating (Literature: 6), namely, a "knight" chess figure between two letters "O" and "C" in a square box (Fig. 4 c). The size of the box varies between 1.8 mm x 1.8 mm and 2.2 mm x 2.2 mm.

​

Fig. 4 a: Standard full mark used between
1935 and 1983 (without numbering)

​

​

Fig. 4 b: The "OC" oval/rectangular mark
Fig. 4 c: The silver-plating designation,
used in 1935-1983


Posted as a learning tool........but credit this author for his fine work...

LITERATURE
1. Marc de Ferrière, Christofle: 150 ans d’Art et de Rève. Dossier de l’Art, No.2, pp.3-73 (1991)
2. Christofle. Orfèvrerie Argentée, 1862-1883. (Reprint produced by Collection Livres, Bruxelles, 2004)
3. Christofle & Cie. Orfèvres Usines à Paris et à Saint-Denis. (Siège Social et Manufacture, 56, rue de Bondy, Paris, 1922)
4. Kathryn Vaughn, private communication
5. Christofle: Marks & History, http://www.925-1000.com/a_christofle.html
6. Dedo von Kerssenbrock-Krosigk and Claudia Kanowski, Modern Art of Metallwork. (Bröhan-Museum, Berlin, 2001), pp. 386-393


David Nikogosyan can be contacted at niko@phys.ucc.ie
Prof. David N. Nikogosyan,
University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- 2010 -

 

Way to go Ownedbybear.....that's some find !!!
& $$$$ to boot !!

 

^5 Bear! Gorgeous and worth a few quid to boot!

You rang? My favorite piece for the weekend is the shoe brush from the furniture makers, undertakes and embalmers. It's only half there, but the advertising was irresistable. Still don't know who made those earrings. They're new. The cross is Brighton from another Good/Ill Will, the rose is plastic, and the ring is sterling enamel and rhinestone. Crystal anyway. Dunno whose, but it's gaudy and a dead fit. The corals are angel skin, 4mm beads, and probably about 20 inches long. They had a nasty brass clasp on them which I've replaced with a decorative one.

 

Good..........then hopefully am proven wrong!!!!!

 

I don't usually find so much flint glass all at once in the thrift shop ... but not complaining (plus two other little non flint glass finds)

some sort of Bullseye (Giant Bullseye, maybe) sugar w/ lid, Bigler compote, Sandwich Star spooner

mystery prism (Giant prism, maybe)pattern item, Diamond Thumbprint compote, Akro Agate custard slag glass oval dish (planter?)

Horn of Plenty compote plus a sterling charm bracelet with patriotic charms.

 

I grabbed the thing simply because I liked the shape and it was heavy, didn't even look at the base at the time. It was black with tarnish, but cleaned very easily indeed, which is usually a sign of good quality plate. It's apparently one designed by Luc Lanel for the SS Normandie and known as Ondulation. I'm almost tempted to keep it, but the lure of a profit......

And yes, af is spot on, it's the serifs. If you look with a loupe, the letters are properly defined.

komo, very useful reference, that! MAny thanks.

 

If you can add that history to the bucket.....then go for the profit !
The story of finding it and selling it, will always be yours !

 

Ah you poor thing.... Too bad you didn't find anything...