Charm Beauty

My interest in vintage matchbooks dates to 1999/2000. A good friend's boyfriend of the time, Joel, was a passionate and knowledgeable matchbook collector and introduced me to Phillumeny, or matchbook collecting. Joel referred to it simply as "The Hobby."

Joel and his dad had a match cover collection that they estimated was in the tens of thousands. They would take road trips to go to match collector conventions and were always on the lookout for matchbooks to trade or sell in the pursuit of a prized specimen to fill a hole in their vast collection.

I had been gathering some ephemera (paperdolls and hair product packaging) to use on little decoupage box projects. I was excited to find the world of matchbooks -- a new source for old images at a reasonable price.

My first buy was from ebay -- a collection of about 100 beauty and barbershop matchbooks. Even though I had ventured into the ebay buying world before, Joel was experienced in the details of matchbook auctions on ebay. He was my able adviser, helping me determine the collection's value and how low I could bid and still win (the answer - $15).

I love this little collection. The clip art didn't work as well for my decoupage, but I did end up using many of the images for little fridge magnets that I gave as gifts that year.

My second matchbook group came from Joel as a loaner, which I interpreted as "keep as long as you need." Joel specialized in sports matchbooks, and the ones he lent me were all duplicates and less valuable.

I love these match covers -- the "action shots" are so disarmingly graceful, the old school uniforms and two-color printing. And, while I do cherish these little beauties, I am prepared to state, for the record, that I will release them to their rightful owner (if he ever asks).

I'm starting to scan some of my favorite matchbooks in the large -- full matchbook format -- and uploading to a Flickr matchbook set.

A little DIY video

Cluttershop hits the little screen with this DIY video on eco-fashion-lifestyle site Sprig.com.

Most talented video-maker Jennifer has now moved to eco news & commentary site Grist.com, where she makes even more videos, like this - Umbra Fisk on cleaning green.

Another go with the Franklin Signet

After more trial and error, poking around online for information and some repair work, I think learned how to wrestle the Franklin Signet Embosser into submission.

Here's what I learned -- mostly from the very helpful ebay seller Malcom's Machines:

1. Matchbook stamper. My little hot foil machine is actually made specifically for stamping matchbooks.

2. Old foils are probably fine. Foils should last for decades, if cared for (kept away from damp, heat, etc.). Also, thanks to Malcom's Machines, one should tear off about a foot of the old foil before using again.

3. A new cord helps. Besides causing me great fear of electrical shock or fire every time I plugged it in, the old cord was not conducting heat very well. My local vacuum repair shop fixed me up with a new cord after only two hours and 15 bucks. The impressions are much more consistent now.


I wish I had saved more of the ends of used foil that came with the machine, like this one. None of the foils showed any dates after 1959, so I'm guessing that was the time of its last use.

Tinkering with the heat settings and the different colored foils was also very helpful. Some worked better than others -- the basic black is great, the red was a disaster and the metallic green is lovely when it works, but most often it doesn't (blurry).

Now I can get a pretty clear and consistent stamp on items like these, destined for the Etsy shop -

Franklin Signet Embosser

I decided to revisit the hot foil stamping machine that I bought it in 2003 at an estate sale. The little machine, eight-or-so boxes of type and loads of hot foil cost me $15. It's small and easy to carry from workspace to shelf. Nice and portable.

This is my second hot foil machine. My first was a massive Kwik Print model 86. It was rescued from my old employer's trash pile back in 2000. It was far too big and unwieldy to fiddle with. After seven years of lugging it through several office moves and one house move, I finally decided to donate it to an architectural salvage shop.

But, I still have my Franklin Signet portable model, and today I found a manual online for a similar machine made by Kingsley.

These cards are pre-manual.

One of the boxes of type.

Betsy McCall

Betsy McCall goes to school
Originally uploaded by cluttershop

McCall's magazines were one of the first things I hunted in antique stores. I knew the Betsy McCall paper doll from the magazines my mom bought in the 1970s and 80s. Looking for old magazines with the paper doll page intact became a good way to occupy myself when accompanying my mom and grandmother on their many antiquing excursions.

I still reflexively open all old McCall's magazines I see at flea markets and antique shops. If Betsy's there, the magazine goes into my pile.

Here's to Betsy -- my first proper antiquing fixation.

Inventory finds

Vogart pillow top detail
Originally uploaded by cluttershop

January is inventory month for Lewisburg's antique stores. At the shop where I work, it means lots of sorting and culling and pulling out old items for a trip to Mt. Dora in Florida in February. It also means good deals on older items for shoppers (and shop employees).

This is partially completed embroidery pattern that I retrieved from the bottom of a basket of linens.

I love these old Vogart embroidery kits -- sort of the needlework version of Paint-by-numbers. I'm finishing this one to be framed with some other needlework of houses.

More inventory goodies to come.

Paint-by-numbers

Paint-by-numbers - winter scene
Originally uploaded by cluttershop

Several years ago I started buying vintage Paint-by-numbers. Because there are so many around, I established a few buying guidelines to limit my collection and possibly reign in the clutter.

I have two basic guidelines for my Paint-by-numbers acquisitions:

1. never spend more than a few dollars each ($10 max, but only if absolutely necessary)

2. limit purchases to pastoral scenes

A few odd paintings have found their way in over the years but I'm happy to report that I've never spent more than a few dollars for any one painting.

All of my Paint-by-numbers have come from the Fairlea or Pence Springs flea market.

Corto radiator

Corto radiator
Originally uploaded by cluttershop

This radiator catalog was a 2003 ebay purchase related to my bungalow fix-up project. That first summer of rehab work was directed by a new friend and old hand at house repair named Robert. He loved radiators and worked hard to convince me to paint my radiators bronze rather than cover them with those wood and metal radiator covers.

He won and my radiators looked quite stunning. The picture above is the first image in the catalog. I loved the stark simplicity of and respect for the humble radiator in this picture. A fitting tribute to my friend Robert who showed me the way.

Radiators in context - a couple of illustrations from the catalog.

Plumbing catalog

I picked up this small catalog of household plumbing fixtures in Fall 2003 shortly after I bought my 1918 fixer-upper bungalow.

The catalog represents a phase of my hunting old house parts catalogs -- partly looking for inspiration for my renovations and restoration. Mostly, I think I was just charmed by the illustrations of domestic bliss.

The catalog isn't dated, but it appears to be late 1920s or early 1930s from the looks of the fixtures featured inside. Too late and far too fancy for my modest little house, but still a great resource for early 20th century American bathroom design.

See more catalog pages on Flickr

hog #42

hog #42
Originally uploaded by cluttershop

I found these odd little glossy prints in a box of farm-related ephemera on my last trip to the Fairlea flea market. Each picture is numbered on the back in a very official manner. I'm not sure what the official purpose was, but for 10 cents a piece, I could hardly go wrong.

I bought 15. Three went into my mom's Christmas stocking. The rest are for me.