I don't know that this post is really about vintage going wrong as it is about disasters that happen when you buy vintage goods. It happens rarely as long as you inspect the object before you buy or are prepared to accept mild flaws as long as the item can still function. The most disasters happen to me (I don't presume to speak to other vintage buyers) with teapots and vases. For example, I purchased a bud vase at an estate sale. It appeared worthy, no cracks or obviously flawed. I came home, filled it with a little water, stuck in a rose from my garden, and placed it on the window sill. A few minutes later as I'm cooking dinner, I look up to see a puddle of water running off the sill. The whole bottom did not meet the base by the smallest of margins. The last thing that I want to do is repair a vase or toss it. So this vase has been relegated to dry/silk flowers only.
At a few sales last weekend and the weekend before, I happened on three teapots, one single cup and two larger pots. I usually resist teapots because they tend to be heavily flawed from use. Not only that, I could go bonkers buying adorable teapots. So I have very exacting standards to keep my house relatively clutter-free. Two of the teapots were gorgeous greens, perfect for autumn tea drinking. The other was an inexpensive, common white teapot -always classy and perfect with any afternoon tea for-one. Because of my busy schedule, I didn't blog about any of them or even set up the photoshoots. But when I was not feeling well yesterday, it was raining and tea seemed like the perfect escape along with my new Vogue magazine. I mustered up the energy to put together a cute tea spread with the new deep olive Japan made teapot with it's perky autumn colored flowers and gold stripes. I love these types of teapots. They are commonly in brown so I was excited to find an olive one (I already own a few brown ones). I poured in two cups of hot water, steeping some delicious Stash Moroccan Mint tea with a dollop of honey. Side note: I adore Stash teas and Moroccan Mint Green tea is the BEST comfort tea ever. putting a few Lark Fine Foods Salted Rosemary cookies into my Fiesta ware bowl, I gathered up my teapot and mug by the handles and barely moved. The handle fell completely off the teapot. It rolled onto the counter with tea sloshing everywhere including around my IPhone! I was left literally holding the handle and gaping at the mess. Don't worry the IPhone was fine.
There are a few lessons here. The first is that no matter how much you inspect an item, it may have hidden or cleverly disguised flaws. There had been a repair to this teapot. It was the most stealthy repair of a vintage item that I have ever seen. The master of this repair had matched paint so carefully that it was literally impossible to see any crack or break line at all. Secondly, glue does not hold up under the strain of hot water. I imagine that this was a family item that someone repaired for sentimental value, knowing that it would not hold up but they weren't going to use it anyway. Or someone broke it by accident and didn't want to be found out. Either way, no one in the selling or buying parties knew this. Lastly, while I am sad that I never got to enjoy tea from it, I paid such a small price for it that I'm walking away from it. A seasoned vintage shopper knows that there will be a few failures (like the other teapot that I bought years ago with a hairline crack in it's belly.). So now I am looking to salvage what I can of the sale. The lid is chip free and may fit another green teapot that I own so I will try it and some small good will come of it!
But for every disaster there are a few triumphs. I boiled more water, cleaned up the second teapot, after inspecting it even more carefully for hidden surprises and made another round of tea. I paid considerably more for this teapot ($8) and would have been heartbroken if the same thing had happened. It is a Sadler English teapot, more decorative and less for everyday use. It is numbered on the bottom and gilded. The wear of this teapot is minimal which surprised me when I first saw it. I came late to an estate sale and didn't really expect to find anything but there it was. I tend to like odd colors and that's why I think people had been passing it up. It's the most vibrant shade of pale olive green paired with a rustic brown. My pictures are not very good but I think you will get the idea.
It's also so shiny that I could not get a good picture without glare. The good news - it held up to my tea time delight! You can see here my Fiesta ware bowl and Harry Potter mug (not really a delicate match for the teapot but that's ok). The cat (Kit) would not leave me alone. He was completely fascinated by tea time as you can see down below.
Any vintage disasters that you want to share?
"Don't break, little teapot!" says Kit.
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