Our Favorite Collectibles

Courtney Allison: Antique Mirrors

I once wandered into an old antiques store sale with a sign on the front door that read, “Enter at Your Own Risk.” I laughed, but once inside, I could see it was a sale where you might have wanted a pair of gloves and a mask. In the basement of the store, there were stacks and stacks of frames leaning against each other. I spotted one that felt heavier than the rest.

Wiping away the years of dirt and dust off a small corner off the “glass,” I was delighted to find it was an old mirror. I hauled it upstairs and purchased it for the major bargain price of $3, not even knowing what it looked like underneath the layers of grunge. Once home, after cleaning it up, I found a charming pale-green paint covering the carved frame and the loveliest mottled finish in the glass. It is now a favorite mirror and one whose story it’s always fun to tell.

Courtney Allison: Antique Mirrors

I have a thing for mirrors—all shapes and sizes—and have been known to drag home the tiniest of mirrors for setting on a shelf. The largest of mirrors may require a truck and a few strong folks to help load. My favorite things to look for are that mottled-looking glass, old gilding and chippy patina on the carvings on the frames.

The best thing about mirrors is that they send sunshine and light through your room, and you can enjoy them as they are and appreciate their frames and character, even if they don’t reflect as well as they used to. They are easy to tuck into a corner, lean against a wall or serve as a statement piece almost anywhere.

Anne Brink: Beautiful Baskets

My favorite collectibles are baskets. They have a very long history, dating back to at least 7000–8000 BCE. They appear in every country and culture, not to mention folklore and literature. From Moses’ basket bed in the bulrushes to the basket Little Red Riding Hood carried for her grandmother to the brown-and-yellow basket of the jazz standard “A Tisket, a Tasket,” baskets are functional and beautiful. And their uses are without limit.

Whether made of reeds, rattan, cane, wood, wicker, wire, sheet metal or baleen, baskets help us store, gather, organize and transport everything from fabric remnants to papers to jewelry to coffee beans to a picnic lunch.

Anne Brink: Beautiful Baskets

I love using old baskets in my home as décor. They might be antique, French, early American, African, Brazilian or made by indigenous people from Alaska or anywhere. They come in all sorts of sizes and colors, with handles or not, and with or without lids. I have used baskets to hold rings, mail, receipts, bread, faux flowers, important papers, fruit, laundry, and many other items. A large, handsome basket prominently displayed can be a statement piece in a room. I especially like to show them off as beautiful objects, on their own or as part of a vignette.

I’ve found lovely baskets at flea markets, antiques shops, friends’ attics, garage sales—almost anywhere. Just be sure to take your shopping basket, and happy hunting!

Margie Monin-Dombrowski

I don’t know what it is exactly that draws me to vintage scales. Maybe it’s because there’s a certain nostalgia behind the trustworthy tools of yesteryear that makes them relics. Even with chips and rust stains, these timeworn items can decorate your home like pieces of sculpture.

Margie Monin-Dombrowski

Modern versions pale in comparison to the charm of vintage kitchen scales. While you can find kitchen scales from the turn of the 20^th century, you don’t necessarily have to buy an authentic antique; believable reproductions are readily available as well.

Whether the look you’re creating is industrial, retro, girly-romantic or cute and country, there are many different styles of kitchen scales to choose from. Your best bets for sourcing one could be your local antiques store, an online Etsy shop or a flea market. Proudly display your vintage scale on a shelf, decorated with fresh flowers, in an antique cupboard or on your countertop for all to see and admire.

Kris Christensen: Old Books

I am more than willing to judge a book by its cover–and also by its spine, interior illustrations and that comforting fragrance wafting from old pages. Out of my assorted collections, I continually find myself investing time, energy and appreciation in my old books. I hunt for them at Friends of the Library sales or antiques shops, I arrange and rearrange them in vignettes throughout my house and, of course, I read them. Usually with a large mug of English breakfast tea.

Kris Christensen: Old Books

When I was growing up, my parents’ house was filled by the volumes handed down from generations of avid readers. When I first picked up Pride and Prejudice or Huckleberry Finn, I was reading a vintage edition with the names of my ancestors inscribed on the front pages.

Some of these family heirlooms moved with me to my own home, but most of my books are strays–picked up here and there for a few dollars–with an occasional splurge when I see a gorgeously gilded cover with fancy lettering.

KariAnne Wood: Pretty Plates

I collect white luncheon plates. You know, it’s the mini plate with a place for a cup on one side. These luncheon plates used to be a staple at bridge parties in the 1940s.

My obsession began when I found one at a thrift store for $1.00, and then it became a giant treasure hunt for me. I’d scour estate sales, yard sales and junk shops—all in the hope of finding another elusive luncheon plate. The only rule I had was that I couldn’t pay over $1.00.

KariAnne Wood: Pretty Plates

The collection that started with one plate and one cup is now rounding on 75 sets. The plates are stacked four or five high on the shelves in my butler’s pantry. This is also a collection that we use on a regular basis. I pull them out for every party, graduation, shower and celebration. They’re so much more affordable than paper plates and paper cups. And the best part?  When the party is over and the guests leave, I rinse them off, dry them and put them back on the shelf until it’s time to party again.