Chinese Antiques

Antique Vases, Bowls, Statues, swords and more

Vintage Antique

December 10th, 2008

Angie

Vintage Antique Reviews

Lodge Logic LPGI3 Pro 20-by-10-7/16-Inch Cast-Iron Grill/Griddle

$40.99

The American-based company Lodge has been fine-tuning its construction of rugged, cast-iron cookware for more than a century. No other metal is as long-lasting and works as well for spreading and retaining heat evenly during cooking. Lodge’s Logic line of cookware comes factory pre-seasoned with the company’s vegetable oil formula, and is ready to use right out of the box. This professional-size …

Wabash Valley Farms 25008 Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper

$19.89

There’s more to going to the movies than seeing the movie itself – it’s the popcorn! Now, with the Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker, you can make fluffy, delicious popcorn just like you get at the theater. The stay-cool hardwood handle turns the stainless steel paddle inside, preventing scorching and burning, and making certain every kernel pops up like it should. The steam vents on top allow moisture to…

Farberware 50124 Classic Yosemite Stainless Steel Percolator

$18.72

Sleek percolator brews 4 to 8 cups coffee. A permanent filter basket (no messy paper filters needed) provides modern efficiency. The handle is synthetic (to stay cool) and slightly textured, a combination ensuring safe, comfortable pouring. Because the percolator is made of highly polished 18/10 stainless steel, the beauty of its gleaming mirror finish is long-lasting. To fully maintain the finish…

Paper Trail

$9.95

All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed….

South Pacific (Original 1949 Broadway Cast)

$9.85

Based on James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Pulitzer prize-winning South Pacific is one of the most beloved musicals ever to hit the stage. The appeal is simple: a collection of stunning compositions–immense symphonic sound orchestrated by Rodgers collaborator Robert Russell Bennett–and characters with a simple though cohesive through-line. On this original Br…

Antique Music Box Collection (6-cd Box Set)

$84.99

Mainya Music Entertainment brings to you this 6-compact disc collection (over 7 hours of music) representing the most comprehensive audio recordings of antique music boxes ever produced. This box set contains 384 songs (some by early American composers which have never been recorded until now) including: waltzes, polkas, marches, dances, cakewalks and two-steps. Also includes numerous sacred songs…

Erin Brockovich [VHS]

$0.01

Much will be made of Julia Roberts’s wardrobe in Erin Brockovich–a brash parade of daring hemlines and Wonderbra confidence. Roberts is unabashedly sexy in the title role of this fact-based comedy-drama, but she and director Steven Soderbergh are far too intelligent to rely solely on high heels and cleavage. Susannah Grant’s brassy screenplay fuels this winning combination of star, director, and …

Martha Pullen’s Fancywork: Vintage Clothing Care and Repair, Most Beloved Embroidery Stitches, Padded Satin Stitch by Machine

$9.98

Vintage Clothing: Martha Pullen shares vintage clothing and lines (restoration, preservation, reproduction, and dying). Hand Embroidery: Margaret Boyles teaches the most beloved heirloom embroidery stitches by hand. Padded Satin Stitch: Claudia Newton teaches a “brand new” technique for heirloom padded satin stitch by machine….

Hidden Treasures: A Collector’s Guide to Antique and Vintage Jewelry of the 19th and 20th Centuries

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Texas Sold ‘Em

$1.99

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Cleaning Your Vintage China

I love the thrill of hunting down vintage items for myself and for my stores. But it can be dirty work. Finding pristine mid century items, for example, can mean digging around in the back of kitchen cupboards at estate sales for the quality wedding list pieces, the treasured dinnerware or glassware which has been carefully stored, seldom used, often forgotten …

Spotting a gem through decades of kitchen grime is only the first step. The next challenge is the cleaning. How do you best remove years of accumulated grease and dust without spoiling your prize?

Of course, the first place to start would be warm water and mild detergent. But be careful! Please ensure your china is at room temperature first – do not bring it in directly from a cold car in winter and plunk it into warm water. Vintage china can be very susceptible to extremes of heat and cold, and this kind of treatment may cause it to crack, chip or craze.

Before starting, check the label on your detergent to ensure it does not contain any bleach or lemon, both of which can be too strong for old china.

Pad the hard surfaces of your sink area to prevent accidental knocks. Immerse each piece separately and rub gently with a soft cloth. I would not use a scrubbing pad or brush as this could cause scratching or worse. Rinse with warm water and air dry.

Often a gentle wash is all that is needed. However, there are times when even hot soapy water will be powerless against the grease monster.

I have seen a product called Spray 9 recommended, but this is a professional product and cannot be bought at your local store. If you have a large amount of china to clean up it may be worth a try. There are many other products out there, such as Formula 409, which are also known to work against grease and grime, although they are not recommended for food preparation surfaces, which makes me hesitant to use them.

So far the best product I have found for cleaning vintage china is our old helper Bar Keepers Friend. I first saw this recommended on Pyrex Love for cleaning Pyrex dishes (it has proved very helpful for removing metal marks!) and decided to try it on some particularly grubby dinnerware. You can plainly see the results in the photo below.

Bar Keepers Friend is non-toxic and safe to use on objects and areas which will come into contact with food, and this is why I feel most confident recommending it. You should be able to find it at your local supermarket or DIY store, if not it is available online. The outcome can be spectacular, but as always, use your common sense and do not use on areas where there is gilt or decoration over the glaze.

So, you have cleaned up your item and maybe you now discover that there is crazing present. The worst kind of crazing comes with brown staining in and around it, and this can totally ruin the look of a piece. As a dealer, I don’t usually sell anything with this type of damage, except very occasionally when I feel it adds some character. One thing I am definitely not comfortable with is cleaning up the staining before sale. However, this is quite a common practice and there is a technique which works very well. You may want to try it if you have stubborn stains to remove from your own pieces.

To remove stains from crazing you will need to obtain peroxide from a beauty supply store, and cut it with water at 1 part water to 2 parts peroxide (note, these instructions are for peroxide – do not use bleach! Also, ensure you wear gloves and appropriate eye protection!). Immerse the item in the solution in a tupperware or glass bowl, cover with a lid or saran wrap, and leave. It may take up to a week for the brown marks to disappear. Do not use this method where there is cold glaze, gilt (gold) or other decoration over glaze.

So there you have it, a step by step guide to cleaning up your found vintage china. Now that you have achieved the desired result, please remember to take care of your special items. Rinse stored china every few months under warm water to remove accumulated dirt, and you should never again have to subject it to the deep cleaning procedures I have described.

Disclaimer: The techniques above are provided for information only. Please use your own discretion at all times. I cannot be held accountable for the results of using these procedures.

The products cited are not paid references. They are simply products which I have used or had recommended to me.

Turner wall accessory- musket with powder horn antique vintage?

My husband was given a large framed musket with powder horn from his grandma, but he doesn’t know anything about it or when she got it. It still has a blue and white sticker on the back stating “This is a Turner Wall Accessory” looks pretty vintage. I would like to know any information about Turner Mfg. Co., when this product was made, if the musket was real, what year it was made, if it’s worth anything etc. thanks!

Sorry, I don’t think it is a gun, it is a wall accessory. The gun is made of plastic or pot metal, it isn’t real and doesn’t shoot. Turner is still around and they make all sorts of things to hang on the wall.