Fall Shopping Tips-Welcome to PA DUTCH COUNTRY!

Whether it feels like it or not, fall is on the way!  There are many great places to shop for unique treasures in my area and if you are lucky enough to be in day trip distance, I'd like to share some with you! I generally consider myself in a PRIMITIVE hot spot.  Farmhouse and shabby is plentiful in PA Dutch Country.  One great thing about my area is that work and spending ethics of the prior generations led many to hold onto their items so we are good picking for not only primitives, but MCM as well.  Some great fall shopping can start at the great flea markets and antique shows in the area.  Renningers Antiques (renningers.net) hosts 3 EXTRAVAGANZA's throughout the year and the final weekend is September 22-24. The Kutztown location offers Thurs-Sat shopping and Adamstown, about a 1/2 hour southwest is open Sunday.  Make sure your grab a $1 off coupon on their website towards admission!  The market is all outdoors and vendors bring all sorts of goodies. Be prepared to wheel and deal!  There is great food inside the farmers market to grab a cooler and take home some PA DUTCH delicacies.  Don't forget to stop by Fleetwood Antique Mall, fleetwoodantiquemall.com just south of Kutztown!  My space is on the 2nd floor, rear but there are a few others selling MCM so check them out!  The mall has a very unique selection of curiosities and it is a fun stop.  GRQ used furnishings is housed there at the moment as well so many nice things at reasonable prices. 

Another fun place to shop is Jakes Flea Market http://www.jakesfleamarket.com in Barto on Route 100 just north of Boyertown.  Open Sat and Sun, the earlier you arrive, the better.  By noon most vendors are packing up or already gone.  Also pop in Fensty's Flea Market http://fenstysfleamarket.com which is just north as you head into Bally.  This indoor market has just expanded and includes a bid board area, flea market and many vendors.  They have hours Friday-Sunday, with an anchor shop, Another Man's Treasure, having some weekday hours.  

My favorite Flea market has to be Shrupp's Grove http://shuppsgrove.com/ . It is in a wooded area and under the shade of trees.  It almost feels like a fair.  This market is open Sat and Sun and is in Adamstown, south of Reading.  Adamstown is full of retail antique shops and you really need a few days to get through them all.  You will need to pick to find great deals but the selection cannot be beat.  This is definitely a higher priced zone so if you are shopping on a budget, be prepared for sticker shock! 😜 

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy some fall flea markets and I surely hope things cool off soon around here!  There is nothing like a good road trip and keeping your eyes peeled for thrifts and sales is so much fun.   

Not in my area?  No worries!  I ship almost everything in my inventory!  

Need more inspiration?  Please check out this great blog post on Invaluable, which even cites Bucks County PA as a top place to shop......I agree, but you need a fat bank roll.  It is a great area to visit and I usually hit the Golden Nugget Flea Market in Lambertville, NJ just across the Delaware River,  a few times a year.  :)   http://www.invaluable.com/blog/roadmap-for-summer-antiquing-in-america/

SHOP NEWS

I have been working hard the last few weeks and things are moving out.  If you have your eyes on something, don't wait much longer!  I still have some beautiful restored chairs looking for homes and many fun lights.  Reach out at anytime with questions or to request shipping info.   

I am adding new items to the etsy shop often. Please check back.  My eBay shop (eBay.com/usr/madmodworldvintage) is featuring new items I get from my wholesaler, Primitives by Kathy. Very cute items I feel enhance my brand.  I just added a nice collection of cotton throw rugs/door mats I feel are perfect for home or camp!  The booth space is stocked with Halloween and I just sold some larger items so added some new pieces.  Getting ready to restore some ceramic Christmas trees and beef up my listings for the holidays! 

Xo Malissa

These beauties are still available! 

Check out the new items at the shop!  

Summer Sale, Current Projects and New Pics.

The following sale opportunities are now happening!  Take 10% off order in the etsy shop now through July 31st, use code PYREXSWAP at checkout.  madmodworldvintage.etsy.com 

Also you are invited to take 10% off all items in stock at my booth 2R09 at the  Fleetwood Antique Mall in Fleetwood, PA  I will keep this sale on through July 4th for sure.  Please note Mall hours are 10-6 Wed-Fri with SPECIAL HOURS during the Kutztown Folk Festival!  They will be open Monday and Tuesday that week, July 6th and 7th!  The Mall has also combined forces with Berks County icon GRQ Used Furnishings so you definitely want to pop by the mall and have a look!  Great eclectic shop with items from all eras, unusual finds and so much more.  I really love my mall so come take a look.  Don't forget, if you are close enough to visit the mall, I can have ANY of my online inventory there for you to pick up!  All you have to do is give me a few days notice and I will take what you want to see out for you!  My space is not that large, but I will do my best to accommodate!  

DINING SET- new pics, seats redone!

The Drexel set I have is all cleaned, touched up, new black sueded fabric on the seats and ready to deliver.  It really is beautiful!  Sad that I do not have the 4th chair, but knowing this seats 10 anyway, you can totally add a set of different chairs to pull off the look and I suggest something totally different like a set of Bertoia wire chairs.  I am sure if you continue to look a matching set will pop up but in the mean time, the mix up look is pretty hot right now and you can use that to your advantage!  If you know anyone searching for a set, please send them my way!  I have this priced very low under market value and would love to find it a great home.  etsy listing for pick up/delivery (REGIONAL buyers) please, Chairish.com/shop/madmodworldvintage for white glove shipping.  My chairish listing will probably be live in the next day or 2.  

Many touch ups, lacquer applied and new seat covers in sueded charcoal have been added.  Such a great set!

Heywood Wakefield restorapolooza!

I am in the process of sanding my first 2 tables of 6.  My stains are here and this will be the first time I am trying the wheat finish so am looking forward to that.  I have a lot of hand sanding left, but spent some time after work today using a sander on the larger flat table tops.  Plus I got some tips from my boss and coworker.  The beautiful tiered cocktail table is reserved and going to be refinished in wheat.  I will also do one pair of the floating top step end tables in wheat and they are up for grabs.  I will then do the 2nd pair of step end tables in champagne.  The corner table could go with either set so will do that one last to match either stain.  I am excited to make these pretty again!  Of all of the things I find, restore and find homes for, Heywood is what I choose to keep in my home and that is why I choose to save it. If you search back through my blog posts, you can find some recapping my Heywood restorations.  It is probably about a year old now!  It is amazing how many projects come and go in a year!  Click on the PAST SAVES tab to see pics and info from some of my prior Heywood Wakefield restorations.  

Pole lamp is serviced, brass polished and it is ready to use!

My husband got to go over the pole lamp and it is ready to use.  A word of safety advice on these things.  Both pole lamps had wiring issues.  You will not find them unless you take apart the pole and inspect.  My husband has test sets to check for shorts, etc.  Any loose fixtures were tightened.  I still would not leave any vintage light on unattended.  Please note with this light there is damage from a hot bulb on the gold shade.  Using LED bulbs can help prevent that in the future, but once again, keep a check on your vintage lamps so that you know they aren't getting too hot for the shades.  It is a real shame to find damaged items and surely you will not want to be responsible for that.  Many people used bulbs with too high a wattage, but in general, a light bulb gives off a lot of heat.  Be smart and stay safe!  

I just shipped out the adorable blonde record cabinet!  That beauty had some of the most views of anything I have ever listed on etsy!  Glad she finally got herself a home!  So many more awesome items are available!  I know I have been sourcing some higher end items lately and I do love being able to bring those things to my shop, but I am aware that they are not for everyone.  Thanks for following along in my adventures and please share my info with folks you may know in the design field, mcm enthusiasts and people looking to redecorate.  I appreciate the support and referrals!  

xo Malissa

This week- coming adventure in Pyrex Swapping!

Next weekend I am going to be heading to my first Pyrex swap meet in the Baltimore, MD area!  I am really excited to meet up with other collectors and their families.  Should be a fun time and I already have a few trade deals hammered out so will have lots to tell when i get back!  For those of you who are interested, I will definitely do a write up on the experience!  This is a nicely organized event and I believe they are expecting about 75 collectors/shoppers plus family and support!  I am pretty much all packed- Pyrex wise, and will add some other goodies of interest from my inventory as I pack the van. 

Not sure what is up the with weather this week but it is cold and yucky once again in the Northeast.  I have a list of projects to do but am waiting for warmer sunny weather to spend days in my garage working.  Before I start my next restoration, I have a few things to finish on items I have listed.  The chrome dinette chairs I just listed will be taken apart so I can clean the chrome underneath.  There was a lot of surface rust on them, but it cleaned right off with some tricks.  I can get the underneath better by taking the legs off to finish.  I try my best to clean things up and these were very labor intensive, but I want them to look great for their new home.  That said, I also found out about another rust removal product I would like to try on the vinyl.  One chair has some rust stains on it.  Hoping this might do the trick.  Generally they are in ok shape and the pattern on the vinyl is so awesome!  Here is a look.

Set of 4 Dixie Dinette chrome kitchen chairs in fabulous atomic vinyl!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!  <3 <3 <3  Close up of this awesome pattern!  Dark blue, light blue, grey, metallic gold and silver.  It is fabulous!

Diamond Chair update:  I have this chair listed in a few major markets because, well, I know it is not for everyone.  I received a message from a lovely woman, Mary Thorp, who found my listing and thought enough to reach out and let me know she approved of my restoration work.  It makes me truly happy for feedback like this.  This woman founded the Harry Bertoia Research Project, which catalogs known pieces of his work.  Ms. Thorp is a lecturer, aficionado and expert on Bertoia.  Knowing how much the artist and his works are loved and admired, I am very proud to have gotten a response out of someone who is an expert in this area.  If you are lucky to own any original pieces of Bertoia sculpture, you may register them with her page.  Mary is an asset to preserving the legacy of the artist and his works.  Fabulous!

I think things are starting to move again.  I have had some sales over the weekend and things are shipping out.  A little relief in a stressful time as my husband is still on strike…..we are 5 weeks into it and growing weary and poor.  Thank you for your support as every sale is much appreciated!  Have a great week and look forward to a great review of the swap next week!  

xo Malissa

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend.

Welcome to the grand finale of my latest restoration!  I spent Friday trekking to my friend's to retrieve my diamond chair, now all welded and super shiney in it's gloss black powder coat finish.  I started the trip by swinging by WXPN's free at noon because it is totally free and a great place to hang out when in Philly on a Friday!  ​I almost talked myself out of stopping for foam thinking I could fill with cotton I already had. As I was waiting to get on my ramp to cross town I realized that was a dumb move as the supplier I go to in Philly is a wholesaler and if I get home and decide my cotton idea sucks, my only choice is Joann's and that place is overpriced with a not always stellar selection.  So I got off 676 at 8th and headed to Katz's Upholstery.  I decided on 1/2" foam and got 2 yards.  I took my roll and headed to NJ.  My friend was at work so I collected my chair, left him a Vanagon part I picked up for him the night before at our local supplier, used the restroom and headed to an estate sale he tipped me off about.  Due to my slow recent sales and our strike situation, I was not in the market for much but I did snag 2 pair of vintage Sears binoculars and a cool melmac ash tray.  

I left town with a kick ass cherry pie and headed back to PA, just in time to take my kids to a dance at their school.  ​Of course I was thinking about my chair while my kids were dancing to 'shake it off' but the work would have to wait!  

Saturday I got to work on the cover.  Over the last week I opened the seam maybe 12" or so, then dumped out the powdered foam, scraped as best as I could at what was stuck to the fabric inside and washed in the tub by swishing in cold water with a mild detergent and rinsing a few times.  I did test the fabric and it is indeed wool.  I hung over the side of the tub to dry so as not to stretch the fibers.  

Washing the cover.  Yuck, eh? 

My first step was to cut the foam.  Remember, I am using in a 3-D contoured situation, so I realized I would need to compensate.  I started by cutting the left side to match the side of the chair.  Using a bag of flour to weight the seat down, I followed with the right side. There is excess foam now that needed to be removed so I decided I would cut a V out and the center top and bottom, then spray adhesive to close it up.  ​

Removing the foam excess to contour the seat. 

My spray adhesive idea worked well once the glue started getting tacky.  I placed the foam inside and evaluated.  I thought a little cotton would help fluff it out a little so cut a piece the width of the chair and put on top of the foam.  The kids tested and said yes, the chair was comfy and they loved it!   

Kid tested. 

So this morning I got to work sewing it all back up and then took my pics.  I did decide to list the chair because I have a lead on another I could repeat this on and would like to save it if I find a home for this one.  So here are some pics, see listing on etsy for more details if you are interested and please send friends! If you know anyone looking for furniture and appreciates my era, please send them to my shops!  I would greatly appreciate the referrals! ✌🏼️  Thanks a bunch and thanks for all your support!  I had a great April in the mall!  Xo Malissa https://www.etsy.com/listing/279478194/knoll-harry-bertoia-large-diamond-lounge

Naked.  Look at her shine! 

In her threads. 

Besides the foam deterioration, the cover is in great condition!  Charcoal wool with some orange ombré into white threads through like stripes.

The shock mounts were cleaned and conditioned.  They would be expensive to replace but luckily, these are still in great condition.   

Original label dates this to the 50's.  I suspect this is an early production chair.  So happy I could help it get ready for it's next 70 years! 🎉 

LAST CHANCE FOR SALE AT SHOP!

It's Extravaganza weekend at Renningers!  Coming out to Kutztown, PA for the shopping festivities?  Make sure you stop by the space at Fleetwood Antique Mall!  We are only about 3 or 4 miles south of Kutztown on Route 222.  I think I will be camping this weekend but we are making the call kind of last minute due to our situation....aka, this strike is showing no signs of ending at this point.  With that said, please peruse my online inventory and reach out by Thursday evening if there is anything you'd like to see in person!  I will get it there for you and make room for it.  I left some new things there over the weekend and plan on adding some more this week but really don't know what will be hot so really trying to think about it.  MY SALE IS ON through the weekend....one item 10% off, 20% off multiples.  Many other vendors and running sales too and the mall itself is a great eclectic mix of genres and NO CRAFTY CHALKPAINT CRAP!  So many co ops in our area are filled with the junk to jazz crowd and you won't find any of that at our mall which is one reason I really love it there!  Hours WED-SUN 10am-6pm.

Pic from the weekend.  I will probably add some more items this week! 

NEW EBAY SHOP!

http://www.ebay.com/usr/madmodworldvintage?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

I am not a huge fan of ebay for selling but when you have LOTS of inventory you need to move, you get desperate to try a new venue, ultimately meeting more folks and picking up new fans.  I moved my Heywood end tables fast so I will be cross listing more furniture over there.  Please note that ETSY is my lowest fees so if you are looking for something, I do prefer sales via etsy if you have to choose.  I was able to work with my customer through an offer but ebay is definitely not set up to handle that like etsy, but is still better than chairish.  So it is a learning experience!  My favorite thing is there is NO vintage restrictions so I am currently offering my retro themed kitchen towels in that market and they are really flying out the door!  I can get more fun items like that from my wholesaler and do longer run buy it now listings which is very cool and I will definitely shop for more once my cash flow picks up.  If you shop in my ebay store, PLEASE do not forget to leave feedback!  I really need some since I opened this account brand new for my business dealings.  I have been buying and selling for years on ebay but needed this new account.

Primitives by Kathy is known for their awesome kitchen towels!  I try to pick up some that fit my themes.  You will find these, boomerang themed and camping themed towels in the eBay shop. 

DIAMOND CHAIR

I have not seen my chair in the flesh yet but I was thrilled to get some pics back of it all put together by my dear friend!  I am a lucky girl!  It looks great!  I am still working on the cover as I ended up putting it on the back burner last week packing up the end tables and then I picked up some new chrome dinette chairs over the weekend that I started cleaning.  IF ANYONE is looking for a diamond, I would consider parting with this one only because I know of another for sale locally that I can hopefully get and restore.  I do not have the budget right now to buy it myself, but if someone wanted this one I could do it.  Please message me.  I just realized yesterday you can order new production large diamonds at $2500!  My comps lead me to believe one with minor issues; rust, covers with crunchy foam, to go for about $1000 and major structural issues would be less.  I would probably list it at $1200 or so on the open market, as restored.  I would go less for a friend and fan.  Please reach out of you are looking for one and we can talk.  They are such a treasure, much larger footprint than I imagined, but so very artsy and stylish!  If you have the means to accommodate, it is a stunner! 

Here she is all restored! 

I am available most weeks for deliveries on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  Please reach out if you are in the eastern-central PA areas, NJ, NE MD areas!  I may travel farther depending on the situation. 

Have a great week! Xo Malissa