Skinner auction catalogs

June 2013 auction catalog

 

June 2012 auction catalog

 

Did you know that you can find all the catalogs for Skinner, Inc. auctions, including their quarterly fine jewelry offerings, online at issuu.com? Clear your calendar because time means nothing when these things are full-screen. The layout is luxe and the product groupings are sensational. I wanted to climb inside the jewelry catalogs and try on the rings. It really felt possible. With every click of the right arrow I whispered another obscenity. Mercy, mercy, mercy - how can there be so many beautiful things?! You should also explore their recent oriental rug and carpet, fine musical instrument, and Folk Art auction catalogs. 

"Fashion decrees a festoon necklace ..."

It's day two of festoon madness! Woo hoo! Well, I found these advertisements for costume festoon necklaces in my "Everyday Fashion of the Twenties" book and I loved reading them. A couple take-aways for me? Well, to start I'm going to address all of you as Milady from here on out. I'm also planning to incorporate the word tasty into as many jewelry descriptions as possible in the shop. Finally - $2.50? Where is my DeLorean?!

I'm famous!

 

My name appears no less than twenty times in this adorable little pamphlet for an incredible and life-changing product called "Duff's Ginger Bread Mix." According to the good people at D. Duff & Sons, thanks to this no-fuss mix a host of homes will be having ginger bread oftener and it will be mighty good for the ingredients are the best obtainable.  I'm guessing this cute ingredient book is from the late 30s or early 40s. I wonder if this stuff was any good? I suppose we'll never know!

Winter coats, 1983

      

       

Yet another glimpse into the fabulous world of early 80s fashion, courtesy of my old copy of the 1983 Fall/Winter JCPenney's catalog. My mom had a couple of these coats for sure! You can see other vintage catalog posts here.

Maternity shopping, 1983

I continue to find endless entertainment in my beat up copy of the 1983 JC Penney winter catalog. This time, since I've got a little lad coming in December, I flipped right to the maternity section to check out my options. Wow - they loved their jumpers and tunics back then! Because everything for sale here is basically a glorified muumuu, you can't even really tell these ladies are pregnant. Quite the opposite of today's maternity fashion, which is all about flaunting your bump!

Mother, guess what I have for you!

Mother's Day is this Sunday! This 1927 ad reminds us all that moms are hoping for a little something on this day - maybe something sparkly. The mom illustrated here is already sporting three rings (including a cocktail pinky ring), a filigree link bracelet and a rad brooch. And it appears that little Barbara just gave her a sweet lavalier to boot! I'd be gazing all spacey-eyed into the distance, too, if was wearing six pieces of Art Deco jewelry.

Buying a Jean Jean jewel for your mom this week? Let me know if your order is for Mother's Day and I'll include a little something extra with her package!

Egyptian Revival Soap

This gorgeous soap ad is a classic example of America's obsession with all things Egyptian leading up to, and during, the 1920s. (Egyptian Revival jewelry from the 1920s is absolutely rad, incidentally.) The discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 put everyone over the edge. Heck, if they had advertisements like this for Palmolive today I would be buying that stuff by the master case.

Image from the Ladie's Home Journal, February 1917

Art Deco ring design

These artist sketches leave me pining for the Art Deco designs of yore. Just look at the rings! Oh what I would give to travel back in time and visit a jewelry counter. I love the intense structure of the settings and the strong, confident lines. This ring I just listed in the shop looks like it was created using one of these designs.

Images taken from Authentic Art Deco Jewelry Designs edited by Franco Deboni and arranged by Theodore Menten

Don't I know you from somewhere?

It is always fun when I recognize a piece of antique jewelry from an old ad, catalog or price guide. Here are two 1930s pins that I've now had the good fortune to see in print and in person! They are both going in the shop today.

Plakastil

I recently purchased a few prints of 1920s tobacco ads done by Ludwig Hohlwein, an artist known for helping to develop a style called plakastil - or poster style - at the turn of the century in Germany. I was really taken by these, with their bright watercolors, interesting shading, and hand-lettered text.

Work it out 2011 | Part 2

Yesterday we discussed what to wear when you start your fitness regiment in 2011, now let's talk about some at-home workout tips:

♦ Workout in your basement or rec room whenever possible. It builds character.
♦ Always wear a side ponytail when you are weight training on the trampoline at home.
♦ Everything is more fun when you wear striped compression tights, especially leg lifts.

♦ Whatever you do, don't let go of the treadmill handle bars.
♦ Let a friend know when you start your workout, just in case repetitions "D" or "K" don't quite work out and you need rescuing.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Work it out 2011 | Part 1

It is just about time to start thinking about New Year's resolutions and I thought I would nudge you along with a two-part blog feature on fitness. Today's post is about how to look your best when you are out on the track . . . or just learning against the fence next to the track . . . or even just standing on astro-turf. Whatever you are doing to get fit in 2011, here are some things you should consider for the best results:

♦Try wearing sheer pantyhose under your shorts. It feels really great.
♦Buy two velour tracksuits the color of your grandma's den. One for you, one for a friend.
♦Feather your bangs before you head out for a jog. You will feel like you are going faster.
♦Ditch the socks. You don't need them if you've got pantyhose on silly!
♦If you find yourself leaning against a fence with two guys with amazing hair, please don't stare.

Tomorrow's post (and then back to jewelry, I promise) features some of the equipment you will need to reach your fitness goals in 2011.

1932 wishlist | necklaces, etc.

I know your eyes might still be bulging from the ring post, but I had to share a few other jewelry selections from the 1932 Fort Dearborn Catalog. I think the Victorian Revival jewelry (aka "Jewelry in the antique") is especially fascinating.

So charming

I found this ad in an old catalog and just had to share. How great are these charms?! Don't you wish you could see the camping charm? Or how about the motor boat racing charm that they mention? I'm really in love with the "Girls' Athletics" charm, which appears to celebrate the talent of standing quietly in a gym uniform. I've got to start collecting these.

A relic

When I cracked the cover of this book, I made a noise that I normally reserve for sporting events. That is because I realized I was holding a relic of American retail history - a 1932 wholesale catalog from the Fort Dearborn Watch and Clock Company. This 900 page catalog features jewelry, furniture, linens, accordions, luggage, candy jars, and just about anything else you can think of. It was intended to be set out on the counter at department stores for customer's to flip through and select from. Sister copies of this catalog are in libraries - they are extremely, extremely rare.

This book has enough material to fill the blog for over a year. Every page is outstanding and reveals so much about the time period. I took it to a local consignment shop to show my favorite lady, Susie, who was born in 1933 - the year after the book was published. I joked that I would like to buy all the rings and purses at the 1932 prices and she reminded me (rather somberly) that, at that time, the average American worker made $3 a week. So, buying a $30 ring was a big deal. Anyway, Susy and I looked through the book together and when we were done she said, "Just add two zeros to these prices, and you have today's value." I think she is just about right.