Monday, October 23, 2006

Retro kitchen

I love retro things from the 40s 50s and even 60s. Below is an earlier post about my dinette. I just think it is cool product design, and it is well made. This table is over 50 years old and still looks great. From the time I decided I wanted a set like this it took me about 4 years to find one. I'm into it $30. That's a pretty good value.

My Fiesta is all new however. I found out that new Fiesta ware is worth as much or more as the old pieces. Unless you have an unusual old form. I have 8 place settings and various pieces, bowls, platters and such. Warhol had a big collection of it, but I started collecting it because my dishes sucked, and I was embarrased when someone came over to eat. People never knew what to get me for gifts. So I told them Fiesta. They can buy me one cup or something and it doesn't cost them much and they know I'm going to like it. Now when people come over to eat they like the dishes and the food even looks better as a result.

And here is another dish collecting tip... Melmac. I did a google search for it and didn't find much. What I did find suggested that It is going to become a popular collectable. I can just tell by looking at the pieces I have that it has value. Now I want to fill my camper with retro Melmac dishes.

I wish the stove in my kitchen was as cool as the stove in my camper.

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Once a year the town where I work has a town wide garage sale. I had been looking for an old metal dinette from the 1940's or 50's. Actually these mostly came from the late 40's and people just think they came from the late 50's. This town wide garage sale is a really good idea. People drive in but I ride my bike. It is much easier to cover the whole thing. I found a metal dinette table for $40. and I talked the people down to $30. But no chairs. So I found a cool set of chairs at the dump in Montana. Someone had left them out of the dumpster instead of throwing them in. I have 4 of them but only use two. They aren't the same color as the table but I think it works perhaps better. I also have a leaf for the table. I have been collecting Fiesta dishes to go along with it. There is a pitcher and salt and pepper shakers on the table in this photo.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wierdly enough, I kind of like it when things don't match (except dishes and silverware, they have to match. . . ). I think it gives the place more character.

I also like Fiesta ware, but some of their colors seem a little loud to me.

don said...

I have a friend from Alaska and they had some dishes that I thought were really cool. They had a native motif on them around the border. If I had a bigger house I'd probably have something formal and then some other stoneware besides the Fiesta.

But instead of odd gifts now I have all this Fiesta. 8 place setting! almost 9 now. all kinds of bowls and platters. It fills a whole cupboard. I have two sets of salt and pepper shakers! It is Fiesta out of control.