3.16.2011

Three Cheers for Hoarding Niche Tools!

I've decided that when I become old and truly weird (pronounced: eccentric), I want to have a collection of some sort (shhh...don't tell Michael as he has zero tolerance for hoarding of any kind).  However, I'm having a hard time deciding what I should collect, which is okay since I shouldn't be starting any collections so long as we live in 600 square feet.

Most of my collection ideas revolve around consumables, like maybe...

...teacups?
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...bowls?
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...or vintage Pyrex?
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Every now and then, I toy with the idea of collecting vintage bar ware.  It's funny because I'm not really a big cocktail drinker.  I'm sure you're thinking that I've just fallen victim to the sexiness of Mad Men, and I'm not going to argue with you on that point.  But there's just something so fascinating to me about all of the detail and attention and accouterments that come with cocktail-making.  And for who knows why, I LOVE niche tools.  I mean, seriously, because of cocktail-making, we own an absinthe spoon and like six different kinds of glasses--including a set for sake and whole other set just for limoncello.  How cool is that?!  Ok, well, maybe I'm the only one that thinks this cool.  Some of you may even be thinking we might have a drinking problem.

Anyway, about that bar ware collection...  In nearby Old Town Alexandria, there's the most adorable vintage bar ware store called The Hour, and seriously, it makes me want to quit my job; slip on a swing dress, a petticoat, and my finest pearls; and start whipping up cocktails for the inevitable moment at 6:00pm when Michael comes through the door chiming, "Honey, I'm home!"  (Again, let's not tell Michael about this because he often says--with visages of Betty Draper in his head, I'm sure--"Why don't you learn how to make me some of these cocktails?" And yes, you have free reign to judge him for even suggesting this.)

Check out some of their offerings:




A little pricey, but how beautiful?!  If you're in the neighborhood, you should definitely check this shop out.

If you live nowhere near Alexandria, Etsy has some pretty decent and affordable offerings, too.  Like these:

$48.00 from Etsy seller Hydrangea Row
$28.00 from Etsy seller Wise Apple Vintage
$49.50 from Etsy seller Good Vintage

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8 comments:

  1. I seem to be collecting children (four so far) ;o) i really loooove old suitcases too. they make my heart pound at garbage sales and antique stores. when i bring them home i always find some junk (aka toys) to shove in them. love those pics...makes me wanna have a drinking problem. haha.

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  2. I have a small collection of cheesy coffee mugs from different places I've been, and I display them on a mug tree. Some are from lamer places like Philly or Chattanooga, other are more exotic, including Tegucigalpa and the top of Half Dome. Sadly, I couldn't find one in Morocco, so I settled on tea glasses and a silver tea pot.

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  3. I bet you can totally get Michael on board with a barware collection. Did I tell you about how my MIL wanted to collect something for me so I told her buttons? I love em and they don't take up any room, so it seemed like a win-win.

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  4. It's funny you should mention that. I started collecting vintage Pyrex a little over a year ago. And I love it!

    But I have a problem with hoarding anything kitchen related.

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  5. I have refrigerator magnets, most of which are hideous and/or corny. But at least they are functional!

    I think you need that red set from Good Vintage. It is way cute. Oh! And I have this Mad Men app that shows me how to make all of those retro cocktails, including Old-Fashioned (Don Draper's favorite). It lets you make a virtual cocktail, then "drink" it. Hilarious.
    *Joce

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  6. Oops, I meant the set from Wise Apple. But the golden one is very nice too. :)

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  7. I have a thing for birds. So that pitcher and cup set just about sent me through the roof. I come by it honestly, I truly think its genetic. My paternal grandmother had a bird room: curtains, birdcages, those birds you get a craft stores made out of feathers. I loved it in there.
    My maternal grandmother had one of those clocks that chimes a different birdcall on the hour and cups and saucers with birds on them.
    I had wreath my mom helped me make with magnolia blooms and a nesting bird on it, and I had a key hook from anthropologie with birds. It's not so much a collection of objects, but a theme.

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  8. Oh collections. How they have marked periods in my life. I love your posts--they make me smile.

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