Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 12:23PM 
The Vintage and Flea Shop is Open!
Hey Friends! Look, we know we haven't been posting much the last month or two. That's because the gang here has been busy working on our new online shop! Go to the top of the page and click on our store link. We'll be adding lots of new stuff every week so stay tuned! FYI, you can also find our shop on Etsy too!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 2:33PM Bird Pattern Vase by Vogue Ceramics
We've not been posting lately because we are gearing up for our next Vintage and Flea Garage Sale on Etsy. Stay tuned for details!
One of the items that we'll be selling is the vase shown above. This piece has been in my collection for over a decade and its origins have been a mystery to me.
The vase is marked, Made in Switzerland by Vogue Ceramics, 6006. While you think that would be a great clue, it turns out to be a dead end. The only company I can find that has a similar name is the now defunct Vogue Ceramics Industries, but they only made fine china and this piece looks like vintage art pottery.
If you know anything about this pretty vintage decor piece please share in the comments below. FYI, it measures 14" tall, the widest point is 21" in diameter, and the mouth is 6" round.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at 1:56PM 
Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en: It's the Hap-Happiest Season of All
Learn how to protect your holiday vigor from the scroogiest scrooges with a festive libation and merry pecan pie recipe from Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en!
Other Quirky Velveteen videos:
Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 1:10PM 
Gangnam Style Christmas Sweater
Sure, vintage Christmas sweaters are eye catching, but if you want to out-shine that relative or pal who sports a merry sweater each year read on.
This year you can sleigh your knitted competition with this holiday sweater that has a 'Gangnam Style' twist. The knitted item shown above is fired up with LED lighting.
Justin Bieber Christmas Sweater
For those who are still upset that the Psy's K-pop hit knocked Justine Bieber out the number one spot as YouTube's most watched video, there's also a sweater that uses the boy wonder's image.
While we found both these spirited items on a site that sells super ugly holiday sweaters, we're not sure if either knitted item is available for purchase. You can visit the Christmas Sweaters site to learn more.
Monday, November 26, 2012 at 3:20PM A Kewpie Planter by The Lefton China CompanyVase
Many of us over the age of 35 can remember a time when vintage chatskies could be purchased for under a buck at garage sales and flea markets. Well those days are long gone. Midcentury knick-knacks have been steadily going up in value especially the classic and kitschy stuff. A great example of this are the pre-1955 things produced by Lefton China Company like this Kewpie Planter.
The doll-faced item was made in Japan we believe in 1952 or 1953 because older Lefton items would have been marked “Occupied Japan” and this one is not. It measures about 7” tall and the opening is roughly 2.5”. Luckily, this 60-year-old planter is not chipped. It just needs a really good cleaning. The original Lefton sticker is still on the bottom of the planter along with the item’s identification number: 3631. FYI, here's a neat trick, if you think you have a Lefton collectible but it doesn't have a sticker, you and identify the piece using the number found on the bottom of the item.
While there does not seem to be much written about the company’s history (please correct us if we are wrong), we do know that the founder, George Zoltan Lefton, a Hungarian immigrant who settled in Chicago in 1939 loved what he did. His passion for collecting fine porcelain lead him to establish The Lefton Company in 1941 with the goal of making affordable yet expensive looking china.
So how much is something like this worth? Based on some research we did which included a few convos with Lefton collectors, we think anywhere between $38 - $45 dollars.
Have a few Lefton collectibles you would like to share? Please do in the comments below!
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