Wise things on which to spend your money

[rebness]

So I was antique hunting in Paris back in January and came away with some modest stuff, because... yeah, antiques are expensive. God knows why I couldn't have a cheaper hobby.

I'm honestly not interested in how much an antique can fetch; I just like old things and I marvel at how fragile things pass intact over the centuries. One of my favourite finds is this old collection of Italian drawings I picked up in Basel. I also have a great collection from Barcelona, but you know what? You can't beat Liverpool for antiques at rock-bottom prices.

Today, I popped along to Tuebrook market. It hardly rivals La Boqueria; it's all cheap chocolate and dubious clothing and bric-a-brac. I went along for a cheap n' cheerful mosey and came back with... ANTIQUES. OMG! And I spent a princely sum of £5.50 on them. I think I need to go along more.




I got this Victorian washbowl for £5. It's faded in some places and it's obviously missing its pitcher, but I just think it's lovely. The stamp marks dates it to between 1890 - 1895.



My camera is not good at close-up shots, which is a shame - the detailing on the birds is gorgeous.








I got this for 50p! I can't narrow the dating down further than 1892 - 1936, but I'm not complaining at that price.


Okay, so let me show you two of my favourite books from those that I have collected from a secondhand bookstore in the city centre.



1886 edition of Hamlet.



One of the weirdest things is all the adverts I often find in old books. Whilst one side of me is offended at adverts for bloody Beecham's in a book, the other side of me loves this glimpse into Victorian buying habits.



This is what I look for, most of all. I love finding old books with handwriting in them. Look at that elegant script! I wish I could write like that. I can barely scrawl my name in biro these days. :(



Back cover.


The book below is one of my oldest possessions. It's a collection of old Spectator articles, bound in 1753.



It's very delicate and has seen (several) better days.



Alas! Not much in the way of gorgeous 18th century script. Again, apologies for my stupid camera.









I love this typeset! Also, every time I read part of this book, I get hopeleſſly confuſed by the S thing.


Hmm. Totally going back to that bookstore to hunt out an older book next payday.

Comments

[mcgarrygirl78.livejournal.com]

That Hamlet is made of much awesome. Actually, all the stuff is but Hamlet especially.

I dont collect antiques, though I am fond of bric-a-brac. The oldest thing I own is an original ceramic hippo from the film Fantasia that has 1941 on the bottom. My dad gave it to me when his mother died cuz hippos are my favorite and Fantasia was one of my favorite movies as a child. I actually have a lot of ceramic and porcelain hippos.

The S thing confuzzles me too. Some of the buildings in Olde City have signs written like that still intact.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

I had much geekish squeeing over that, I admit.

Aww, that hippo thing is kind of cute. <3

It's stupid of me. No matter how many times I tell myself it's not a goddamn f, I still read it as that. Derp.

[mothergoddamn.livejournal.com]

Don't put any of that old shit near my coat.

[keep-warm.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE TUEBROOK MARKET

[rebness.livejournal.com]

SHURRUP. JUST COS YER MA GETS HER KNICKERS FROM THERE.

*Ahem*

I seem to have come over all Huytonian.

[keep-warm.livejournal.com]

LEAST MY MA FUCKEN WEARS KNICKERS! WE'VE ALL SEEN HER RAT ON THE WALL OUTSIDE THE BLUEBELL, BEFORE IT GOT BURNT DOWN. AGAIN.

It's catching, that.

[saffronlie.livejournal.com]

So pretty! In my mother's more aggressive antiquing days, she bought me a Victorian A pendant when I was about 10. I was in awe that she trusted me with something so old. I love it. Nowadays she only collects milk jugs, not necessarily antique.

My supervisor likes to buy second-hand books inscribed to or from well-known people; he's had quite a lot of luck in stumbling across them. When I had to read old newspapers for my job I was amused by all the advertisements, too. Apparently Beecham's can cure basically everything.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love old jewellery! I wish my mum had -- would trust me with stuff like that. Aww!

I am jealous of your supervisor.

Oh, yes! The best is the old adverts which state you can cure baldness or consumption or any kind of imaginary disease with just a spoonful! Fantastic stuff.

[iskra667.livejournal.com]

Pretty birds! My mum's obssessive about blue on white design old china like your jug, though she prefers plates. She has piles of them. I used to be able to find basketfull of stuff including blue plates for a few quids at the bric a brac tent of the emmaus near my house, but now they got rubbish (possibly since the recession, people throw away less!) I have a thing about pretty old wooden boxes BECAUSE YOU CAN KEEP THINGS TIDY IN THEM!!! :D

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Hahahaa. Well, you know. It's very practical. :D

[timeofnoreply.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I love antiques. You'd probably have a field day at my house - we've all kinds of random American Civil War things just lying around.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

I'd be in heaven! D:

[marvystoop.livejournal.com]

WUV!

You know i like me some old books >:-) I still have the Welsh books you gave me :)

My favourite kinds of antique books are journals, which is one of the strangest of the oldies i have. If i find it i'll photograph it but to this day i haven't a clue what the crap the person who wrote it is badgering on about, i'm pretty sure they spent half their time in Church. It's a bit of a yawn-fest.. but it's old, so a keeper.

Handwritten things are teh best.