Newsletters

Subscribe Now to our Newsletters

Ruby Lane's Past Times Newsletter For October 2009

In This Issue

• Green Perspectives - Oh Yes, and Halloween Too!
  
• YouTube Video: A Halloween Greeting from Ruby Lane!
  
• The Business of Recycling by Debra Helton of Ogee's Antiques
  
• Go Vintage and Go Green! by Karen Soldwisch of Synergy Jewelry and Collectibles
  
• Corning Ware: Who Would Have Guessed? by Lorraine Buckley of Black Dog Kitchen Collectibles
  
• Shop Sampler: Vintage Halloween Decorations, Cards, Pary Favors and More!
  

GREEN PERSPECTIVES - OH YES, AND HALLOWEEN TOO!

This month you'll notice that we've included some shop articles that focus on antique and vintage items as the ultimate form of living green. Originally written for and posted on our blog, our goal is to continue to keep green living top of mind. Enjoy!

YOUTUBE VIDEO: A HALLOWEEN GREETING FROM RUBY LANE!

View our Vintage Halloween Video on YouTube

THE BUSINESS OF RECYCLING BY DEBRA HELTON OF OGEE'S ANTIQUES

When my husband and I started our business in 1978 it was to be an outlet for local artists. Antiques were an afterthought as a means of displaying the art work and having another potential commodity for sale, hence we included the word antiques in our name, Ogee's Art & Antiques. We bought oak furniture pieces (oak was popular in the 70's in Idaho) and began refinishing until we had a good foundation to open our shop. We opened the door two weeks before our Grand Opening and after the first week we realized our shop fixtures, the antique furniture, were gone. We raced to the auction house, feverishly refinished more oak and had a respectable showing when we officially opened the doors. That was the beginning of our recycling business.

We were not like the typical antiques dealers, we had not been collectors. We started selling antiques as a business, as a means to make money to pay bills. However it didn't take long before we realized that we gained pleasure from restoring discarded pieces of furniture and giving them new life, in essence, recycling them.

We reluctantly gave up on the art gallery aspect of our business and branched out with the antiques and collectibles. We have dealt with many facets of the business over the years. Besides furniture, we have restored antique lighting fixtures bringing new light to new homes. Old toys bring smiles to new generations. We have taken care that most everything we sell works as it did when it was originally sold whether it is a wind up toy or an electric toaster. We have always encouraged our customers to use the items they purchased. Why not buy an old ice cream scoop instead of new one, they both do the same job? An old pottery planter has just as much use today as it originally did and it keeps one more item out of the landfill. External horn phonographs have always been one of our favorites. Sure they look great but we sold them emphasizing they were to be used and enjoyed and not meant to be dust collectors...plus they're still fun if the lights go out or if you want entertainment on that one night a week when you chose to not to use the electricity!

We feel the antiques business is unique. We are only caretakers of items, recycling them, often with a bit of a facelift, allowing old items to have a new life with someone else. It is important to us that we don't except that we are a disposable society and that we preserve what we can of the past and recycle our heritage for future generations.

The antiques business is truly the ultimate recycling vehicle. We had always been aware of the importance of recycling but the longer we have been in the antiques business the more we appreciate the opportunity we have to recycle more than just paper, glass, tin and aluminum. So enjoy your time on Ruby Lane and don't forget to recycle!

We invite you to visit: Ogee's Antiques

GO VINTAGE AND GO GREEN! BY KAREN SOLDWISCH OF SYNERGY JEWELRY AND COLLECTIBLES

Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious with an emphasis on greener living. Stores offer re-usable shopping bags in fun colors; services to refill an ink cartridge; and the availability of more earth friendly products. Even schools have Reduce, Reuse and Recycle sales to pass along books and clothing that can benefit others.

A fun and funky way to "go green" is to wear vintage. Scouring local estate or garage sales, flea markets and antique malls will uncover a plethora of treasures. Why not spice up your wardrobe with a conversation-starting vintage handbag? Much to my envy, a friend recently discovered a 1940's Corde black gimp bag with Lucite handle that was quite stylish, at $10, what a steal! Vintage clothing and jewelry is not only interesting, but also constructed of higher quality materials with dynamic designs.

Vintage clip or screw-back earrings can be updated to one-of-a-kind fascinating pierced earrings by adding a French hook. Layering chains for an exciting look or using a chain to secure a glittering brooch makes a lovely look. A floral brooch can add a touch of whimsy to a hat or purse. Embellish bracelets by adding a charm or two or perhaps an entire collection of different charms. A bracelet spilling over with puffy heart charms is quite enchanting. Charm bracelets are a timeless pastime, with historical links to a family. Sleek and stylish, antique cufflinks give a vintage shirt pizzazz and flair!

The flea market, what a delightful way to spend a day and it certainly will be full of surprises! Stroll down memory lane, take the children and you surely will come across what Grandma had in her house, jewelry box or wore. Look for what appeals to your heart and voila, a collection starts, but be careful, it can be addicting!

With a little imagination and a clever eye, vintage treasure hunting will uncover uniquely beautiful adornments to enjoy with an added bonus of saving planet earth.

We invite you to visit Synergy Collectibles

CORNING WARE: WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED? BY LORRAINE BUCKLEY OF BLACK DOG KITCHEN COLLECTIBLES

We've all seen that doll we played with or dish we tossed away while browsing at an antique mall and thought, " if only I had a crystal ball." Being in this business we're always looking around and wondering what will be the next hot item and believe me it's never easy to figure out. I can honestly say that if I save it the chance of it becoming a collectible is slim to none.

So it shouldn't have been a surprise when I started seeing those little blue flowered Corning Ware dishes in antique shops. I thought to myself, "Really? I tossed those when I moved years ago." But since they fit my shop's demographics I decided to give them a shot. I was quite pleased when I realized I had found another popular collectible item to add to my shops inventory.

This was all about a year or so ago. Initially I passed up piece after piece, only going after the ones I found in the box or the harder to find pieces. Well that was a mistake. Now all the pieces are getting increasingly difficult to find. During my last shopping trip I only found a handful of pieces, whereas last year I would have found a stockpile of different pieces. I guess the moral here is once you figure out what people are buying....buy it while you still can!

First introduced in 1957, the Blue Cornflower design was the first pattern introduced by the Corning Glass Company of Corning, NY. It was followed by many other lines, such as the Spice O' Life, All White, Floral Bouquet, and Friendship, to name a few. From a humble beginning of just a few pieces, the line grew to include varying sizes of saucepans, skillets, dutch ovens, teapots, stove top, drip and electric coffeepots, electric cooktops and much more. There was the right size vessel to satisfy any and all cooking needs.

Interesting to note is that the chemical make-up of Corningware was discovered by accident and from this accident came a product that revolutionized glass ware cooking. Now glass could not only be used in the oven, but also on the stove top. It could be used in the freezer and microwave and it was also dishwasher safe. It was also more durable and functional than earlier glassware.

Many collectors of Corning Ware are purchasing it to use as a functional collectible. People like the fact that one piece can be used in so many different ways. Doctors and scientists tell us that another benefit of using Corning Ware is that cooking with glass, especially in the microwave, is much better for your health. Of course, some people collect simply for display purposes. Whatever the reason for collecting, one thing is for sure, this collectible is around to stay!

A wonderful reference guide to this hot new collectible is, "The Complete Guide to Corning Ware & Visions Cookware" by Kyle Coroneos.

We invite you to visit Black Dog Kitchen

SHOP SAMPLER: VINTAGE HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS, CARDS, PARY FAVORS AND MORE!

Emmie's Antique Doll Castle: Antique Vintage Dolls Doll Clothes, Bears, Christmas, Toys, Much More

Darlin' Scarecrow Halloween Fall Decoration

Harmless Halloween fun with this cute ceramic scarecrow centerpiece. Heavy, high quality hand painted ceramic. Nearly 15 tall! Excellent condition. ...

Pieces of Old: An Eclectic Assortment of Yesterday's Past Dolls, Toys, Fine Art, Furnishings Decor

12 Vintage Hallmark Halloween Merry Miniatures Trick or Treat!

12 Vintage Hallmark Merry Miniatures, Halloween Characters Dressed for Trick or Treat! Most of these date from the 1980's and include a Shirt Tales ...

Milady's Choice: All treasures for milady--hand picked from my personal collections, acquired over a lifetime

Winsch Halloween Postcard-Hard to Find-Glamorous Lady Sees Beau in Mirror

HTF Winsch back elegant Halloween Postcard. Unmarked. SUBJECT:A lady wearing a form fitting, very chic dress looks into her hand mirror. The ...

Industrial Blonde: A fine, fun, and funky assortment for discerning collectors

Christopher Radko Halloween Ghost Ornament Slim Spirit

This is a long skinny Christopher Radko glass Halloween ornament with the original label still attached. It is called Slim Spirit. It is a wonderful...

Atkins Avenue Antiques: Quality Antiques, Collectibles Unique Items

Vintage Copper Halloween Bucket Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern with Brass Handle Unusual

For your consideration is an unusual vintage Halloween Jack-O-Lantern Bucket. It is made of solid copper with a brass handle. Time has given it a ...

Lady Liberty's Treasure Chest: Specializing in Holiday Treasures ~ Textiles ~ Primitives ~ Country Decorating!

Vintage Halloween Devil Mask Japan

Vintage Halloween cardboard devil mask marked Made in Japan . Perfect unused condition. 5 1 2 x 8 . I have more vintage Halloween in my shop so ...

Arizona Paperlady: Vintage Paper Items Collectibles From The Past

Pair Vintage Halloween Die-cuts Owl Cat JOL

Pair vintage Halloween die-cuts, the Owl is made by Luhrs measures approx. 6 x 9 inches, light edge wear, otherwise very good condition. The JOL ...

Sorren's-Blue Scarlettshard: Diamonds-Diamonds-Diamonds~Gold, Gems So Much More~Always Affordable~WHY PAY MORE?~LAYAWAY Welcome

Vintage~Halloween~(18) piece Plastic Cake Toppers Cupcake Picks~Pumpkins Bats Witch Skeletons

This is an (18) piece set of Vintage Halloween Cake Toppers or Cupcake Picks. Includes: (4) 3D White with Red Eye Plastic Skeletons-each measures:...

A Bridge To The Past: Cross The Bridge To Our Collection Of Treasures From The Past You Never Know What You'll Find!

Vintage German Original Fur Dressed Witch Mouse Toy Dressed Mouse Halloween

This adorable mouse is dressed as a witch with a black felt cap and hat decorated with red stars. Her eyes and nose are red and she carries a pink ...

Milkweed Antiques: Quality Antiques and Collectibles for 25 Years

Made in Germany Halloween Diecut Jackolantern in Clown Hat Decoration

Welcome to Milkweed Antiques!! The made in Germany Halloween diecuts have incredible detail. They are heavier than most of the other diecuts. They ...
 

Subscribe Now to our Newsletters

---

Copyright © 1998-2009 Ruby Lane Inc. ® All Rights Reserved.

Press the Back button on your browser to return to the previous screen.