Friday, November 12, 2010

Vintage Vanity

1940's ad currently on ebay
I love vintage style, and love a bit of vintage lifestyle too! A while back I fell in love with the idea of owning a vintage dresser set. There's something so glamorous and appealing about the idea of a lady picking up pretty matching beauty tools at a beautiful vanity table getting ready on a morning or, for an evening out (even if the reality has always been a million miles away from a Jean Harlow boudoir scene)

These days of course it's all high tech curling irons, throw away plastic combs, and hair brushes that look like they were developed by NASA. I love how the new stuff works, but miss how the old stuff must have felt. I was lucky enough a bit back though, to find a practically unused (maybe even unused) set, with  all it's pieces, even in it's original box from the 1940's!

Some items have been ready to go from the start, things like trays, pots and mirrors which just needed a bit of a clean, other things like the manicure set and brush need a little TLC before they are going to be usable again. The plan is to fix them up so that they can get a new lease of life all over again!
My vanity set!

 I hope I can bring things like the nail file back up to working condition, but in the mean time I'm pretty happy checking the back of my hair styles with the pearly pink mirror, and pulling bobby pins and cosmetics from the various pots, boxes and trays!

(have a spare $4,400? you could pick up a set that belonged to Ms Harlow over on Ruby Lane )

12 comments:

  1. These are so pretty and cool, my mom collects them and she has a few sets that she rotates on display in the bathroom, but that big one you have on the bottom is adorable with the double heart shaped back!

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  2. Who are those dapper guys in the pictures?? Love it!

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  3. Aww wow Caro-Chan your mum must have some great sets! I bet they make a great display in the bathroom, I'd love to see photos some time if you have any!

    As the the dapper looking fellas in the frames Becky, they are the original photos that came with the set, the guy in the bottom is Charles Farrell, and the other one I know the face but can't quite place the name (it's bugging the heck out of me but my mum will know when she flies in tomorrow!)

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  4. Such a gorgeous set, I also really love the guys in the photos :P

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  5. So I had originally thought the 2nd fella was Clark Gable, then thought not, but apparently it is, so there we have it Charles Farrell and Clark Gable!!

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  6. I saw one of those same exact sets at an antique flea market. It was pretty nifty!

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  7. Love your posts! Thanks for this...and I was sure I had a extra 4400 sitting around someplace. :)

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  8. Wow, what a gorgeous vanity set...and how cool is it to have vintage pictures of the heartthrobs of that time original to the set!
    I've always imagined having a beautiful space with satin and lace where I could happily put on my makeup and do my hair, without having to worry about competing for space with anybody.
    Those beautiful brushes and mirrors would kick any beauty routine up a notch. Now I'm going to keep an eye out for these sets in antique stores!

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  9. That is one lulu of a set. I love the colours. You'd have to feel like a diva using those bits and pieces. sigh What a perfect way to start your day!

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  10. Oh my goodness!! You're so lucky. That set is simply AMAZING. And still in the box! I'm dying of envy over here. I've been searching for a vintage vanity set for some time now, but they're always in disrepair. Yours is gorgeous. Just gorgeous.

    ♥ Rebecca Jean
    Midnight Maniac

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  11. It was such a find! There was one that had never been used up for grabs at one point. It even had the original tissue paper wrapping on most of the tools unopened. Almost cried when I lost the auction!

    Stalking ebay seems to be the way to go though, I stalked for a few months and 3 or 4 sets in a similar state to mine came up in that time so I'm sure you'll be able to find one!

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