Well. there is a new obsession in our house. Jadeite. You know, that jade green glass that you have seen on Martha Stewart’s TV shows, through her set’s cupboard doors. With its vintage feel and beautiful colour it is no wonder that Martha probably collected ALL THE PIECES IN THE WORLD YEARS AGO!!! Some days I HATE her, other days I LOVE her!!! Truth though, the minions that she sent out into the world to comb garage sales, vintage stores, antique markets and estate sales for her pieces did a spectacular job!! Maybe I should hire them!!
That being said, Todd and I haven’t been having a bad time of it. I mean the hunt is a big part of the fun, and we have collected quite a few pieces in a short time. It’s quite amazing just how much value there can be in some of the pieces. Our biggest surprise so far though was actually the first piece we bought. We walked into an antique market, found this wonderful little 5 inch bowl and bought it, just because we liked it. We paid less than $40 for it, and decided to find the other sizes that would complete the set. Of course, as always, Todd struck out into the electronic world, and began searching for info. That’s when he found that we had found the most desirable and rarest of this set of bowls, the holy grail 5″ fireking jadeite swirl bowl. Determined to complete the set the very next weekend saw more antique markets. The set quickly got completed, and we were both amazed to find that 1. full sets of these bowls sell for $400 complete. 2. the 5″ bowl can sometimes wear a price tag of $250 alone!!! Blind luck prevailed for once I guess! I’m still wondering if Todd will ever trust me enough to let me USE these bowls in our kitchen though. I have a growing suspicion (based on the re-arranging of shelving in the kitchen to “showcase” them) that maybe, just maybe they are intended for show only…..
Anyhow. I thought you might all appreciate some of the beautiful things from the past, and figured I would post a pic or two of the things we have found. Of course, it didn’t stop at that set of bowls. I decided to drag home a couple of decorative console bowls in jadeite that I just loved the shape of (not fire king, just unmarked pieces I loved). Todd also fell in love with a “batter bowl” it of course is Fire King also (Todd is kinda brand loyal that way) but I’m not complaining. There is also a set of “refrigerator dishes” that are lovely. Todd has found the smallest one, but is till hoping for a couple more in the larger sizes, or the ones with their jadeite lids, (instead of the clear glass) but that will probably take time and a bit more money since they get kinda pricey. But, hey, it’s the fun of the hunt trying to find what you want for a decent bargain right???
So, what things do you like to collect? How do you display them? What kind of meaning do they bring to your life? Feel free to comment below, you never know, in our travels I might just find YOUR bargain for you!!!
Duane
Duane & Todd's Kitchen 