Vintage No Fume ashtray

Things we like

The "no-fume" ashtray

Photographing items for Etsy

We will be taking our time stocking our Etsy shelves between now and the official opening in January 2012, largely because we want to re-photograph much of our stuff. Having browsed Etsy before making our minds up whether to commit, we have noticed a difference in the style of photography presented by many established Etsy sellers, compared to other online selling venues.

Regarding other online listing sites, the notion has been drummed into us for years, by helpful bloggers and the like, the advantages of having a light-tent and off-camera flash (that is, an off-camera flash which you can easily trigger, without any front-light - to be discussed another time). While you can, with practice, produce some excellent images which really show off a product, using the light-tent and off-camera flash, the result can look a bit sterile; a bit stark perhaps.

Having done a little reading around, it would seem that there is a preference amongst the Etsy community to take the photos of their items in a more natural, soft, diffused light - this to me screams of "tripod", "low shutter speed, wide aperture" and the blasphemous notion of an ISO setting higher than 100. Hmmmm. It's not that I can't be bothered to set a tripod up, or that I can't keep a camera still, or that I detest a stupidly narrow depth of field. Or for that matter, that in the early days of digital photography anything over ISO100 meant ISO REALLYNOISY, so ISO80 to 100 is all I ever used. I've just got so used to plonking everything in a light tent, with a flash to the side (and my secret blend of diffusing materials), ISO100, 1/200th sec and f8-ish. Photographing (and editing the images of) items to be listed is quite time consuming, and we all want a bit of time at the end of the day for the good things in life. So, this is why I have been sticking with what I know. But, I will have to adapt.

Adapting to an Etsy style of photography will involve a little experimenting. Yay for digital photography! I can experiment forever, and not have to worry about all the woes of film. I like bright light in images. Where I am situated, I just can't get bright, but diffused sunlight through a window, so it will probably still be flash, but designed to look like natural light. That bright flash light still needs to be softened, which reduces the ultimate amount of light. It also needs to be evened out - I am considering a second side flash to give a little fill to the 'shadowy side'. I am going to have to play around with ISO speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings (and so, consider depth of field issues). I actually should have dropped this fear of going above ISO100 ages ago, as I actually have a half-decent camera now.

Another side of Etsy-seller's images I have noticed, is that the item's being sold are given a context. Achieving this is probably more demanding than lighting the object. I've noticed, you have to have other objects, materials, bits and pieces relevant to the item for sale: you have to dress the image, if you like, in much the same way as you might dress a shop window. This takes a certain eye for composition and a cupboardful of props.

We are planning on being on Etsy 'proper' by January 2012 (although we are "filling up the shelves" between now and then - you are still welcome to buy). The priority will be on getting the items listed, but we will do our best to show images that show the items, maybe not in an Etsy style at first, but in a way you would like to see them, as if you were to pick them up in a shop and inspect them.

Hope we can show you some nice piccies of our nice things. Please feel free to comment.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/collectini

 

Our first etsy listing - Chance Glass pin tray

Although we are not officially opening our Etsy shop until January 2012, it will still take time to get the shelves filled, so between now and then you will see items appear in the shop. It is OK, you don't need to wait until January 2012 to buy, you can still go ahead as usual.

Not being used to Etsy, we found it took a little longer than it would to list on any of the other online retail sites. Sure we'll get used to it though! It seems you have to think in USD$ regarding the pricing of the item and postage, so if any of our prices seem erratic, please ask why. Anyway here is our very first Etsy offering, a cute little Chance Glass pin tray.

Vintage Lador ballet dancer vanity case music box plays Dr Zhivago

Wind her up and off she spins to the sound of Lara's theme. Close the box and you see a wonderfully patterned lid.

6 Vintage Toledo Spain Mini Cocktail Swords and Wooden Barrel Stand

These will look great on your vintage themed bar. Very stylish, some might say a little kitsch! Exact era they were manufactured is unknown, but we reckon  they could sit comfortably in a themed bar spanning 50s, 60s or 70s depending on just how 'modern' or otherwise you have set the tone. There are six swordpicks, and they are dispensed from a wooden barrel ornamental stand. The picks are clearly a metal, but I don't know which type?? There are minor signs of use and age though no apparent damage. Each pick is about 3 inches long. The barrel is about 3.5 inches long.

Vintage Lembird Lemon Squeezer

This little lad is no longer with us. He has gone home so to speak. The family of the chap who bought this from us, were involved in its manufacture, back in the mists of time. Nice to know they've been re-united.

Party season!! Vintage cocktail forks and wooden fish 1950s ? 1960s ? 1970s ?

Fabulous accessory to help set the vintage mood of your party. There are six forks here with wooden handles and they are dispensed from a stylish, if not a little kitsch, carved wooden fish.  The fish stands about 5 inches high - the forks are just under 4 inches long. 

Vintage gardening book: Grapes, Peaches, Nectarines and Melons

We love the look of old books, but what makes them even more enjoyable is if they are still of practical use. This one is probably 1940s, going by the style of the illustrations. It is a great guide to growing Grapes, Peaches, Nectarines and Melons. Outside, the jacket looks scruffy, and inside it is well-foxed, but don't you think that only adds to its vintage appeal?


Those of you who already know us, will know that we have oodles of books that are taking up far too much space, so it is time to move them on. With the new Etsy shop opening in January 2012, we will be very choosy about what we list there - at first, while we settle in, our books probably won't be listed. We will though be posting pictures and descriptions of them here, for all to see what we have, so if you see something you like, just ask via @collectini on Twitter.

Tall slender black cat very vintage, very 19V0s

This lovely little lady is now sitting happily, purring away on someone else's mantelpiece. Fortunately she left her sister and cousin with us, so keep a look out for them here.

With the party season warming up, here's something to keep things cool

Although it will keep things cool, this vintage Insulex ice bucket is just the right lovely warm colour for a Christmas party. Keep the drinks cool, but keep the atmos comforting and warm!

Mistress Kate Signed Artist's Proof Enid Elliott Linder

It is finding little goodies such as this which makes the hours trawling round car boots and charity shops worthwhile.

Vintage Kitsch print Dupont Paperboy

Typical of the images you would see on the walls of many British homes in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, along with others by JH Lynch, Tretchikoff, Dickens, Palmero etc.  This is a print by M. Dupont. I don't know anything of the artist, so any info would be welcome.

Knitting 20's and 30's originals by Nancy Vale

This is one we always look out for on our travels - when we find a copy it doesn't stay with us for very long - there is always someone who wants it. It is a 98 page book collection of original patterns, with other bits and pieces from the period peppered inbetween the patterns, such as period adverts etc.

Vintage Kenwood Mini A 361 food mixer

A must have in every kitchen of the latter part of the 'mid-century' period. These looked the part, did the job and were affordable. The same still applies, if you are wanting that themed look in your kitchen. This is a collectable that sells at a very affordable price.

Vintage Kay Football Bagatelle

Something for the boys. Would look smashing hanging up in a bar or a games room.

Etsy shop to launch in January 2012

We have decided to open an Etsy shop in January 2012. Follow blog for upcoming details.

Just a simple stylish green vintage clock

 

Tel-Tru vintage kitchen thermometer

Club Tropicana earworm part 2 - Retro 1980s style, cocktail glass style lamp.

Retro 1980s style, cocktail glass style lamp. I love the frosted effect!

 

 

Missing you already - mid century salad serving spoons.

iGuzzini Lamp - rather pretty isn't it?

B.O.A.C. in-flight catering kitchenalia.

Has anyone been watching Pan-Am? We've got to start watching it yet. It has been recorded and when we find a couple of spare hours to relax, we will catch-up and soak up the styles of the era. I wonder if their in-flight catering bits were anything like these items. These were used in B.O.A.C. aircraft prior to it becoming British Airways.

What to do with the leftovers from your Saint Andrew's Day Supper

What to do with the leftovers from your Saint Andrews Day Supper. Make scones of course, then fry them up with bacon and egg. Yesterday's breakfast.

Dough

 

Bake

there were four but one fell out of the oven into my mouth before I got a chance to...

 Fry then serve

Saint Andrew's Day Supper - Haggis & Clapshot followed by Cranachan

With it being Saint Andrew's Day yesterday, we thought we'd have a bit of supper that had a bit of a Scottish feel to it. Haggis is probably the first thing that springs to mind (although others might grunt out "deep-fried Mars Bar", all neanderthal-like), however... knowing what haggis is made from, the thought of putting it past my lips has never appealed. Time to be brave!

Half an hour later I have a shopping basket full of the ingredients I will need: potatoes, turnip, (some of you will call it swede - it's the bigger of the two, which I call turnip), real butter, a bunch of chives and black pepper. For the sweet - cranachan: whipping cream, oats, heather honey, a measly tin of raspberries and a bottle of whisky (yes that is the correct spelling!). Oh hang on! I've forgotten something (this might have been deliberate, as I am still unsure). Yes, the haggis. I eventually find the little corner, on the bottom, out of sight, where the haggis nest. 

I feel a little pang of relief that there is no haggis left, only a pile of  'vegetarian' haggis. Yet my curiosity is getting the better of me, and as I scan the supermarket shelf further there are packets of microwave haggis, in neat little slices. Two to a pack - one each, and just a handy enough size for those who are timid to try this out.

Fast forward an hour or so. The dining table is all dressed up in its best tartan finery, a couple of bottles of cold Crabbies Ginger Beer awaits and there sitting looking all lonely in a puddle of peppery gravy, next to a tower of clapshot, is a little disc of haggis, which was fried in bacon fat. A teeny-weeny wee toaty thing! And we're ready to dig in.

The first tentative mouthful of spiced animals innards passes the lips!!

YUM absolutely YUM!! I suppose I should say fan-dabby-dozy!

We Collectinis are now haggis converts.

I suppose I should try and paint a picture. The flavour is somewhat reminiscent (to me anyway) of a kind of mixture between Scottish black-pudding (i.e. more spicy and way less fatty than other black pudding), Scotch pie and stovies (stovies will be another blog entry some time). Being teeny, toaty, it did go own rather quick. Which meant cranachan time.

Cranachan, again, is something we've never tried. This is a lovely mixture of cream whipped thick, raspberries soaked in a heather-honey & whisky mixture, and sugar toasted oats. Funnily enough that didn't last too long either. 

All was washed down with a bottle of ice-cold Crabbies ginger beer. 

Must consider St Andrew more often.

Wee Willie Winkie by William Miller

Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toon,

Up stairs an' doon stairs in his nicht-gown,

Tirlin' at the window, crying at the lock,

"Are the weans in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?"

"Hey, Willie Winkie, are ye comin' ben?

The cat's singin grey thrums to the sleepin hen,

The dog's speldert on the floor and disna gie a cheep,

But here's a waukrife laddie, that wunna fa' asleep."

Onything but sleep, you rogue, glow'ring like the moon,

Rattling in an airn jug wi' an airn spoon,

Rumblin', tumblin' roon about, crawin' like a cock,

Skirlin like a kenna-what, waukenin' sleepin' fock.

"Hey Willie Winkie, the wean's in a creel,

Wamblin' aff a bodie's knee like a verra eel,

Ruggin' at the cat's lug and raveling a' her thrums-

Hey Willie Winkie – see there he comes."

Wearit is the mither that has a stoorie wean,

A wee, stumpie, stousie, that canna rin his lane,

That has a battle aye wi' sleep afore he'll close an e'e-

But a kiss frae aff his rosy lips gies strength anew to me

Car boot goodies at Fleming Park

A few weeks back we decided to do a car boot sale at Fleming Park. The beauty of this one is that it is indoors, so ya ain't gonna get wet if it rains - better still, neither are your goodies. It went rather well, considering you don't get a full morning, though you do get about an hour+ to set up, and we needed that hour. We made the mistake of bringing out our usual load: this translates as "fill every available corner in the car with goodies". Unfortunately, with this being an indoor boot, the space allocated to you is rather limited, compared to some of the outdoor ones we have done - this isn't a criticism - the organisers are fantastic and it is a good set up. A sports hall though is somewhat smaller than a large field. We did eventually get all our stuff nearly out on display, thanks to the understanding of the organisers - some of it had to be left in the boxes, so punters would have to rummage. This isn't a bad thing. There is a little pang of pleasure to be had when you have taken the time to rummage to the bottom of a box and found a real treasure, that someone else has missed, because they couldn't be bothered to dig deep. This was a really good day, if somewhat short, compared to the 'crack-of-dawn' boots we have done. Due to the lack of time, it is fast paced, and goodies seem to fly off the shelf a bit quicker, and there is a definite atmos of "FOMO" amongst the punters. Here are some snaps of our disorganised state when we arrived.

Some finds from our rummaging over the past week

 

A few bits and bobs we have picked up over the week

Vintage Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Book 1939

With Christmas on the way, isn't it time we posted a related find? This was a wonderful find. Sadly, we have moved this one on now, though gladly, we took some pictures beforehand and can let you have a peep at this wonderful old book. It was published in 1939, and considering it was a children's pop-up book, it lasted considerably well over the years. No more talk, eh? Just feast your eyes on the pictures.