Hearing ghost stories
I often find myself lost in time and losing track of time when I’m wandering through vintage, antique and thrift stores. If I’m not careful, I’ll easily pass hours in the quiet corners of my favorite vintage shops, and having quiet conversations with the merchandise for sale. Before I know it, half my day has passed and I’ve accomplished absolutely nothing but question the history, story and past ownership of old items that are sitting on the shelves and racks.
I’ll spend minutes, sometimes hours, pondering the existence of an old bowl, who had owned it, what their life was like, and the amazing foods that was served from that humble vessel. I’ll pass by an antique chair and imagine the lives of who sat in it, what they were reading while resting in it, where and how it ended up in the store and why it’s forgotten in the corner of the shop.
My quiet obsession is with anything old, faded, used, forgotten and left for sale. All of these relics have a history, a grand story to tell. My ears are ringing and I love to listen.
I love old rotted, paint-chipped wood, rusted metal, old architectural salvage hardware, dishes, bowls, plates, furniture, clothes and everything that has lived through history in someone else’s possession. Anything that was treasured by someone from a past era and that is now sitting in a vintage, antique store has a story to tell. When I pass by old paint cans, I ask what walls their colors had graced. A stack of plates from the 1940’s, flawless of chips or cracks, tells me that their original owner cared for them with caution, keeping them in perfect condition after all these years. I wonder how many dinner parties these heirloom plates have seen and how many generations of families it’s been passed down to.
The price tag isn’t always a reflection of the items value. One time, I found some old cast iron pans, slightly rusted, but in still in perfect form. It was given a value of $5, which I found to be a steal. This was a heavy iron pan that must have seen the days of the Oregon trail, provided many warm meals during the California gold rush, or even accompanied a cowboy along his travels in the great plains. Maybe the sagas I’m envisioning are over exaggerated and only drawing from the romance of American history that I learned in the 5th grade or saw on “Little House on The Prairie”. Regardless, I found that cast iron pan to be priceless. The $5 price tag seems so unappreciative of it’s history.
Silly as it may sound, being surrounded by old, vintage and antique items makes my imagination go on a wild historical ride.
Are there any old items that you cherish? Is there a story behind it? I’d like to hear.
Maybe I’m not the only one hearing ghost stories.
-Diane
I’ve never been one for sets of dishes, but I love going to stores like this and buying the one plate, one cup, one bowl that seems to have gotten separated from its set. I always wonder about that — how is it that the one thing is in the world on its own? I like to think that I’m adopting all of the plate and cup and bowl orphans and giving them a nice new home.
Manggy- Wow, a book of letters sounds just wonderful. What a wonderful peak into their lives and past.
Lisa, Jean, Chez Us- I never knew the history behind those Desert Rose tea cups! I knew they were special when I saw them on that shelf, but really hearing your stories puts tears to my eyes. Thank you.
Lisa- You’re a wonderful baker as well and I can see the love and talent that was passed onto you via your Grandmother’s rolling pin.
Phoo-D – I love old rusted keys, they always stop me in my tracks when I see them in the stores. Thanks for sharing your great great Grandfathers pioneering story, what an amazing man.
Carolyn- Now that’s a cutting board with so much history. Rough edges around the board is proof of all the amazing cooking that she nurtured your family with. Thank you.
Whitney- Thank you too!
Ibby- What a wonderful project!! I’ve always wanted to do work on a genealogy project for my family but never got around to doing it. Thanks for the inspiration.
Beautiful story … we found ourselves wandering through a similar store last night searching for the perfect round dining room table. So many stories to be told in a shop such as this.
The tea cups with the rose on them … my mother had a set of dishes like this when I was growing up – I use to hate them, but now every time I see that pattern I stop and realize how much I actually loved them! Thanks for the great memory, Diane!
I love all things old, starting with old houses, and then everything that goes in them. For years I used to collect worn out stuffed animals, torn and patched and obviously loved by some kid (or adult). I couldn’t bear for them to be discarded. I am currently writing/making a genealogy book about my ancestors 10 generations back and am loving finding out how they lived, what they owned…”fethered bed with bolster and pillow, brass kettel, and yron pot”. I treasure every old thing I’ve ever collected (and there’s lots!) and my connection to the people who owned/loved/used/treasured it before me.
Wonderful post. It is so amazing to find forgotten treasures.
When I saw the Desert Rose teacups in the second to last picture I almost wept. That was my mom’s china, too. She died when I was a little girl. Her face is kind of hazy in my memory, but I still can see her hands holding that china teacup. Thank you for bringing that memory back to me today.
I have my grandmother’s cutting board. She was a phenomenal cook who could always produce at least 5 things from her refrigerator at any one time. I’ve been trying to channel her with my own cooking. She could re-create meals just by tasting them once. I can’t help wondering how many incredible meals were made on that cutting board. It is old and a little termite-bitten, with rough edges, but it is beautiful.
What a beautiful post!
We have a set of large rusty antique keys which come from my great, great grandfather’s farm. They homesteaded in the West, and developed a large orchard pioneering the development of new varieties of fruit through grafting. The colorful stories my grandfather tells of visiting his grandparents on the farm as a boy always come to mind when I look at the keys.
See those teacups on the bottom shelf?? That is my grandmothers china set. I believe it’s called Desert Rose. They sat in her hutch for more than 30 years. When we moved her into assisted living, my Mom took them and I’m sure that when it’s time, they will be mine. I love that set.
One of my most prized possessions is my great-grandmothers wooden rolling pin. It has bright red handles that are nicked and chipped, but other than that, it is in perfect condition. Mom and I guess that it has to be at least 90 yrs old. Everytime I’m rolling out dough, images of her flash into my head. She’s been gone for more than 20 yrs now, but that rolling pin that probably didn’t cost more than a dollar all those years ago, brings her closer to me everytime I use it.
I love these antique food-related items too, but especially in the States I found them to be considerably expensive (except at flea markets, probably, where people just want to get rid of things without knowing the proper value). I do love these pictures that you’ve taken of the shot, I can appreciate the beauty of the individual items 🙂
I don’t have any particularly old things, except for some items my grandfather owned: a set of blunt knives used for wood carving, and a book of letters he wrote my grandmother. I never knew him but having these around, I do feel connected somehow 🙂