Romance at Pottery City Antique Mall: Rediscovering Lost Loves

Cabin fever and a driving need for Fiestaware led my buddy Scoobie and I to take a short roadtrip to Newell, West Virginia and East Liverpool, Ohio. While Scoobie had one of those magnificent days of treasure-hunting luck, where pretty much everything she collects was presented to her on a silver platter and even the platter was half-price, I uncovered treasures of another type...

I got the chance to hear tales of my fellow antique archaeologists on their quest for once-lost gems!

It began with the lady standing in front of a display of discontinued Fiesta colors, and I'd enquired about the color she had in her hand. It was a beigey-peach shade I hadn't noticed before, which she told me was "Apricot."

It turns out, this lady had begun collecting Fiesta years ago because the cheerful colors had helped soothe a day of depression, and recently some of that beloved china had come a-tumbling down off the shelf in a tragic display of gravity, broken pieces and a broken heart.

She lost sets in periwinkle, apricot, and lavender (adding to the tragedy, lavender is super-expensive these days) and now she's working to replace her loss.

Well, it turns out the apricot set before her was entirely too pricey-- five pieces for $200!-- so she said she planned to amass what she could separately from various booths in the mall.

I had the fun of encountering her in various spaces throughout the four floor mall, as she'd hold aloft a new missing piece like another important element of her quest. Here a saucer! There a tea cup! Here a bowl! There a plate!

Scoobie and I would cheer with each new discovery.

And I found myself-- having never noticed apricot before-- suddenly seeing apricot everywhere in my travels and wondering if my new friend would stumble on the piece herself in her search.

By the end of her shopping, the lady had recovered almost all the pieces she needed at prices she wanted to pay.

Hopefully joy, Fiesta, and a few stronger shelf brackets, will now be a staple in her home.

It was while Scoobie was checking out at the cash register, that the second tale of antiques redemption came to us. A middle aged man came swiftly to the customer storage area brandishing this wooden contraption and grinning like he'd won some grand prize.

"Have you ever seen one of these before?" he asked everyone at the register. The item in his arms was painted red and had a seat on it along with a long curved rail on the opposite side. I was wondered if it were some kind of a weird farming implement when he explained it was a sled-- a one runner sled-- some kind of "jumper" I believe he called it.  

My thinking was if you did much jumping in that thing, you had better have some wicked kind of good balance or you'll also be doing some cracking and breaking to go with it. But he said, no, it wasn't hard to use and didn't require much balance.

He went on to explain it was exactly the kind of sled he'd had as a kid and had spent years trying to find one like the sled he'd lost.

Saturday had been his landmark moment, and he assured us the jumper would jump again.

But, hey-- that's the romance of secondhand scouring. It may take time, but eventually you're reacquainted with that old lost love, no matter what your personal beloved may be.

Wishing all you nice readers a Happy Valentine's Day of your own. Here-- sniff these...

And have yourself a great day!

Romance at Pottery City Antique Mall: Rediscovering Lost Loves

Cabin fever and a driving need for Fiestaware led my buddy Scoobie and I to take a short roadtrip to Newell, West Virginia and East Liverpool, Ohio. While Scoobie had one of those magnificent days of treasure-hunting luck, where pretty much everything she collects was presented to her on a silver platter and even the platter was half-price, I uncovered treasures of another type...

I got the chance to hear tales of my fellow antique archaeologists on their quest for once-lost gems!

It began with the lady standing in front of a display of discontinued Fiesta colors, and I'd enquired about the color she had in her hand. It was a beigey-peach shade I hadn't noticed before, which she told me was "Apricot."

It turns out, this lady had begun collecting Fiesta years ago because the cheerful colors had helped soothe a day of depression, and recently some of that beloved china had come a-tumbling down off the shelf in a tragic display of gravity, broken pieces and a broken heart.

She lost sets in periwinkle, apricot, and lavender (adding to the tragedy, lavender is super-expensive these days) and now she's working to replace her loss.

Well, it turns out the apricot set before her was entirely too pricey-- five pieces for $200!-- so she said she planned to amass what she could separately from various booths in the mall.

I had the fun of encountering her in various spaces throughout the four floor mall, as she'd hold aloft a new missing piece like another important element of her quest. Here a saucer! There a tea cup! Here a bowl! There a plate!

Scoobie and I would cheer with each new discovery.

And I found myself-- having never noticed apricot before-- suddenly seeing apricot everywhere in my travels and wondering if my new friend would stumble on the piece herself in her search.

By the end of her shopping, the lady had recovered almost all the pieces she needed at prices she wanted to pay.

Hopefully joy, Fiesta, and a few stronger shelf brackets, will now be a staple in her home.

It was while Scoobie was checking out at the cash register, that the second tale of antiques redemption came to us. A middle aged man came swiftly to the customer storage area brandishing this wooden contraption and grinning like he'd won some grand prize.

"Have you ever seen one of these before?" he asked everyone at the register. The item in his arms was painted red and had a seat on it along with a long curved rail on the opposite side. I was wondered if it were some kind of a weird farming implement when he explained it was a sled-- a one runner sled-- some kind of "jumper" I believe he called it.  

My thinking was if you did much jumping in that thing, you had better have some wicked kind of good balance or you'll also be doing some cracking and breaking to go with it. But he said, no, it wasn't hard to use and didn't require much balance.

He went on to explain it was exactly the kind of sled he'd had as a kid and had spent years trying to find one like the sled he'd lost.

Saturday had been his landmark moment, and he assured us the jumper would jump again.

But, hey-- that's the romance of secondhand scouring. It may take time, but eventually you're reacquainted with that old lost love, no matter what your personal beloved may be.

Wishing all you nice readers a Happy Valentine's Day of your own. Here-- sniff these...

And have yourself a great day!

Field Trip!: Serving Up Style at the Fiesta Outlet

I had no idea it was so close. Yes, word on the street was-- or rather word from a fellow Fiesta fan was (because there's not as much discussion on the street about vintage style pottery as you might think)-- the Fiesta Retail Outlet was practically in my own backyard.

And sure enough, it turns out Newell, West Virginia-- home of the Homer Laughlin factory and birthplace of Fiestaware-- was just a hop, skip and a jump away from me. A jump and/or skip of around an hour.

Well, that's all I needed to hear. I've never had the chance to visit a place where things I actively collect are made. And Fiesta ware has enjoyed a long history of nifty art deco style.

So I called up my buddy Scoobie and asked her if she was up for a mini-roadtrip. I knew she'd had her eye on a couple of pieces of Fiesta in Tangerine to go along with some Grand Canyon printed dinnerware she already had. And my Fiesta information source had mentioned that not only was there a Fiesta Outlet there, but a "seconds" outlet. Where you could get pieces with minor flaws at discount...
It was music to the ears.

(Probably involving mariachis and maracas. We like to keep it themic.)

While Fiesta Drive, the location of the outlet, might not come up on Rand McNally directions, you really can't miss it in Newell, off Route 2...

Just head down the long driveway, past the warehouses, and along the river, in back...
There you'll find the outlet entrance...
A peek through the windows gives just a taste of the vibrant color that awaits you. Even on a grey, rainy day, it looks bright and cheerful...
Head to the front doors and pause at the "Brokenware Garden"...
Look, but don't touch! I was happy the snow we'd had piled up for weeks had melted away and I was able to see this little pottery patch...
Inside, there are two rooms. One, with brand new flaw-free pieces, factory-fresh. It's a mind-boggling variety of colors and styles to choose from. Pieces come in boxed sets and as individuals. And the prices are comparable to the rates department stores seemed to be charging for the same items.

Then, on the left-hand side of the shop is the Seconds Outlet. There, pallettes are simply stacked with the Fiesta pieces that the Homer Laughlin folks felt didn't quite measure up.

Some have minor run flaws... Some, the glaze might not be as thick as expected... Some may have chips or color issues or dimples. If you're not looking to collect Fiesta for it's resale value, you can find many pieces which are perfectly servicable and still have great looks.

The Fiesta folks supply sturdy milk crates in which to stack your selected pieces. And while the choice is limited to whatever pieces have been sent to Seconds with flaws, there really is a wide selection. Scoobie did, indeed, get her dream of Tangerine fulfilled with a lidded canister, some big coffee cups, a pitcher and a few other goodies.

I snagged some choice pieces myself-- largely things I knew I couldn't get in the stores around me.
If you visit the outlet and still have some energy, I'd suggest crossing the Newell Toll Bridge ($0.75 gets you there) and heading on over the bridge to East Liverpool, Ohio...
Just five minutes from Newell, East Liverpool is home to the Pottery City Antique Mall...

And there, you have four floors of treasures to peruse-- both pottery and non-pottery alike. My brain was still rather in Fiesta mode, so I picked up a few pieces of Fiesta that aren't a part of their current line...

Like these three fun and very art deco coffee mugs here at left...
From there, you're also not far from BeaverFalls/Chippewa, PA, which is home to Antiques Emporium, or-- northward-- Columbiana, Ohio, which has three different antique shops.

With this kind of grouping, it's more than worth the trip!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed our field trip today and that your virtual feet aren't too sore!

• If you missed Wednesday's Treasure Box post, you can click here and check that out.

And if you have to be heading off, I hope you have a colorful and cheery week ahead of you.

Field Trip!: Serving Up Style at the Fiesta Outlet

I had no idea it was so close. Yes, word on the street was-- or rather word from a fellow Fiesta fan was (because there's not as much discussion on the street about vintage style pottery as you might think)-- the Fiesta Retail Outlet was practically in my own backyard.

And sure enough, it turns out Newell, West Virginia-- home of the Homer Laughlin factory and birthplace of Fiestaware-- was just a hop, skip and a jump away from me. A jump and/or skip of around an hour.

Well, that's all I needed to hear. I've never had the chance to visit a place where things I actively collect are made. And Fiesta ware has enjoyed a long history of nifty art deco style.

So I called up my buddy Scoobie and asked her if she was up for a mini-roadtrip. I knew she'd had her eye on a couple of pieces of Fiesta in Tangerine to go along with some Grand Canyon printed dinnerware she already had. And my Fiesta information source had mentioned that not only was there a Fiesta Outlet there, but a "seconds" outlet. Where you could get pieces with minor flaws at discount...
It was music to the ears.

(Probably involving mariachis and maracas. We like to keep it themic.)

While Fiesta Drive, the location of the outlet, might not come up on Rand McNally directions, you really can't miss it in Newell, off Route 2...

Just head down the long driveway, past the warehouses, and along the river, in back...
There you'll find the outlet entrance...
A peek through the windows gives just a taste of the vibrant color that awaits you. Even on a grey, rainy day, it looks bright and cheerful...
Head to the front doors and pause at the "Brokenware Garden"...
Look, but don't touch! I was happy the snow we'd had piled up for weeks had melted away and I was able to see this little pottery patch...
Inside, there are two rooms. One, with brand new flaw-free pieces, factory-fresh. It's a mind-boggling variety of colors and styles to choose from. Pieces come in boxed sets and as individuals. And the prices are comparable to the rates department stores seemed to be charging for the same items.

Then, on the left-hand side of the shop is the Seconds Outlet. There, pallettes are simply stacked with the Fiesta pieces that the Homer Laughlin folks felt didn't quite measure up.

Some have minor run flaws... Some, the glaze might not be as thick as expected... Some may have chips or color issues or dimples. If you're not looking to collect Fiesta for it's resale value, you can find many pieces which are perfectly servicable and still have great looks.

The Fiesta folks supply sturdy milk crates in which to stack your selected pieces. And while the choice is limited to whatever pieces have been sent to Seconds with flaws, there really is a wide selection. Scoobie did, indeed, get her dream of Tangerine fulfilled with a lidded canister, some big coffee cups, a pitcher and a few other goodies.

I snagged some choice pieces myself-- largely things I knew I couldn't get in the stores around me.
If you visit the outlet and still have some energy, I'd suggest crossing the Newell Toll Bridge ($0.75 gets you there) and heading on over the bridge to East Liverpool, Ohio...
Just five minutes from Newell, East Liverpool is home to the Pottery City Antique Mall...

And there, you have four floors of treasures to peruse-- both pottery and non-pottery alike. My brain was still rather in Fiesta mode, so I picked up a few pieces of Fiesta that aren't a part of their current line...

Like these three fun and very art deco coffee mugs here at left...
From there, you're also not far from BeaverFalls/Chippewa, PA, which is home to Antiques Emporium, or-- northward-- Columbiana, Ohio, which has three different antique shops.

With this kind of grouping, it's more than worth the trip!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed our field trip today and that your virtual feet aren't too sore!

• If you missed Wednesday's Treasure Box post, you can click here and check that out.

And if you have to be heading off, I hope you have a colorful and cheery week ahead of you.

Treasure Box Wednesday: Partying with Fiestaware

While here at The Thrift Shop Romantic, we typically delve into vintage resale finds, there happens to be one so-functional collectible that is still being produced, and hasn't changed much since its birth in East Liverpool, Ohio in the 1930s-- decorative, art deco Fiesta.

I've been picking up pieces of this, both new and used, to balance out the plethora of purple pottery plates I'd found at Big Lots over the last few months. I love the big deep mugs and bowls, but the sheer purpleness of it all was a bit much. It was starting to look like Tim Burton's kitchen cabinets.

But most interestingly, this last week, retail stores actually came through to give me the balance I'd wanted-- and in a huge way. (I know: it gave me a little unnerved shiver, too.)

Department stores Kohls and-- of all places, the normally-pricey Macy's-- have had big sales on the dinnerware. 40% off in the case of Kohls, and Buy-One-Get-One-Free at Macy's.

So I chose some colors I knew would work with my kitchen, and was able to pre-order some to be picked up this very Wednesday evening. It's going to feel a little bit like Christmas, I suspect.

One thing worth noting-- the "Lemongrass" color above has photographed much more yellow than it appears to be in person-- in my kitchen it looks like a bright lime/Depression glass green. Lighting is funny that way...
Which is why I recommend anyone looking to buy Fiesta who hasn't done so before, and might not know what the various color names mean, to make sure you see it in person to start.

I'd noticed the new Kelly Green that's out appears actually way more green-green than it looks online as well. So just a word to the wise.

The other nice thing about the newer Fiesta is that, beginning in the 80s, the Homer Laughlin company began making sure the glazes were lead-free. You can identify many of these pieces by the "lead-free" mark on the bottom.

So tonight, I'll be putting on my sombrero, gathering up my maracas, and having myself a Fiesta! And as always, you're more than welcome to join the party. :)

Have a great rest of your week!

Treasure Box Wednesday: Partying with Fiestaware

While here at The Thrift Shop Romantic, we typically delve into vintage resale finds, there happens to be one so-functional collectible that is still being produced, and hasn't changed much since its birth in East Liverpool, Ohio in the 1930s-- decorative, art deco Fiesta.

I've been picking up pieces of this, both new and used, to balance out the plethora of purple pottery plates I'd found at Big Lots over the last few months. I love the big deep mugs and bowls, but the sheer purpleness of it all was a bit much. It was starting to look like Tim Burton's kitchen cabinets.

But most interestingly, this last week, retail stores actually came through to give me the balance I'd wanted-- and in a huge way. (I know: it gave me a little unnerved shiver, too.)

Department stores Kohls and-- of all places, the normally-pricey Macy's-- have had big sales on the dinnerware. 40% off in the case of Kohls, and Buy-One-Get-One-Free at Macy's.

So I chose some colors I knew would work with my kitchen, and was able to pre-order some to be picked up this very Wednesday evening. It's going to feel a little bit like Christmas, I suspect.

One thing worth noting-- the "Lemongrass" color above has photographed much more yellow than it appears to be in person-- in my kitchen it looks like a bright lime/Depression glass green. Lighting is funny that way...
Which is why I recommend anyone looking to buy Fiesta who hasn't done so before, and might not know what the various color names mean, to make sure you see it in person to start.

I'd noticed the new Kelly Green that's out appears actually way more green-green than it looks online as well. So just a word to the wise.

The other nice thing about the newer Fiesta is that, beginning in the 80s, the Homer Laughlin company began making sure the glazes were lead-free. You can identify many of these pieces by the "lead-free" mark on the bottom.

So tonight, I'll be putting on my sombrero, gathering up my maracas, and having myself a Fiesta! And as always, you're more than welcome to join the party. :)

Have a great rest of your week!