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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Period: Mid-20th Century
Period: 1980s
T. Cooke London Brass Prismatic Nautical Navigation Compass with Stand
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage T. Cooke of London England prismatic compass. Brass case with mirrored lid interior, folding prism, metallic brass face, and short stand able to be screwed onto a tripod for ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Flair Magazine, Complete Set, February 1950 to January 1951 (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
This is the complete set of the 12 monthly issues that were ever printed of "Flair", which at the time of its production was very stylish and innovative, it folded after only one yea...
Category

1950s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

40 inch vintage Pinokkio by Giocattoli Brevettati Galetti 1960's, Italy
Located in The Hague, NL
Offering a beautiful, large Pinocchio made of solid wood, A great 100 cm high and al parts are movable. He has only suffered a few injuries over the years and created beautiful pat...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Pine

Vintage Dunhill Table Lighter with Applied Eggshell Lacquer, circa 1930
Located in London, GB
A vintage Dunhill table lighter with applied eggshell lacquer decoration. circa 1930 This wonderful rare design table lighter by Dunhill has bee...
Category

Mid-20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Nikon Camera Lighter, 1980s Japan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cool vintage table lighter in the shape of a Nikon camera. Tons of detailing to metal camera. Made in Japan. Excellent condition. Comes with original box. Good working condition. Gre...
Category

1980s Japanese Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Marx Toys Key-Wind Tin Lithograph "Jalopy" Toy Car with Box
Located in Fulton, CA
A mechanical wind-up tin lithograph toy car by Marx Toys. "Jalopy" Circa. 1940's. Excellent original working condition. Includes original box.
Category

1940s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Tin

Boat Blueprint of the Runabout Vamoose
Located in Norwell, MA
1930's boat plan by Naval Architect William Atkin of the V bottom runabout "Vamoose". The plan is in great detail showing hull lines, profile, deck plan, et...
Category

1930s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1960s Vintage Greg Noll Custom Longboard
Located in Haleiwa, HI
Mid-1960s Greg Noll custom longboard. Features gorgeous bright red panels, redwood stringer, and three piece wooden tail block. Beautiful jet-black single fin with signature wide squ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fiberglass, Foam, Hardwood, Softwood

Boat Blueprint of White Cap II
Located in Norwell, MA
Sleek boat blueprint design by John L. Hacker for a twenty four foot utility boat "White Cap II". The sleek vessel is shown in great detail with hull ...
Category

1930s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

CURTA Type II Mechanical Calculator
Located in Mexico City, MX
An important CURTA Type II mechanical calculator by Cortina Ltd. Mauren. Made in Liechtenstein, manufactured in april 1954. Serial number 503108. Black body with 11 digits for data e...
Category

1950s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Antiques Carved Asian Jade Pendent on A Silver Chain
Located in Toledo, OH
This beautiful antique silver necklace is adorned with an Asian style carved jade pendent. The handmade sterling chain has unusual links and jade beads th...
Category

Mid-20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Jade, Silver

1950s Coppola e Toppo Sculpted Crystal Collar Necklace Smokey Red Surrealism
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Statement Collar Necklace, with an intricate design of Smokey Crystal Beads with Shades of Deep Blood Red & Bright Red Crystal Beads Woven into a Sculpted Design. Coppola e Toppo Sig...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Crystal

Jewelry By Architects
Located in New York, NY
First American edition monograph on jewelry designed by a who's who of Postmodern architects from the collection of design impresario Cleto Munari, who commissioned the pieces featured in the book. Includes work by Mario Bellini, Michele De Lucchi, Peter Eisenman, Michael Graves, Hans Hollein, Arata Isozaki, Richard Meier, Allesandro Mendini...
Category

1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Ships Telegraph From Oil Tanker
Located in Norwell, MA
Polished aluminum ships engine order telegraph by Nunotani Keiki Seisakusno Lto, Amgasaki Japan. Twin face design. Faceplate commands are full, half, slow, dead slow, stand by and st...
Category

1960s Asian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

Fishing Trawler Blueprint
Located in Norwell, MA
Ships blueprint for a 127 foot Booth Fisheries fishing trawler the legend plate reads Gielow Incorporated, Naval Architects and Engineers, New York. Mar...
Category

1940s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Ships Telegraph By Bendix of Brooklyn NY
Located in Norwell, MA
Polished brass ships engine order telegraph by Bendix of Brooklyn N.Y. Serial number CB-13402-5A is also shown. Ships commands slow, half, full, stop, astern and ahead are the displa...
Category

1930s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Mid Century Modern German record player, radio by Siemens , 1950s
Located in Gaggenau, DE
Mid Century Modern German record player, radio by Siemens , 1950s The radio is in fully functional. Dimensions: 43 D x 120 W x 111 H It is in good vintage condition, however,...
Category

1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Teak

Yacht Club Commodores Flag
Located in Norwell, MA
Nautical boat flag in frame. Yacht Club Commodores flag showing three stars surrounded by a knotted rope. White hoist with brass grommets. Set into a custom frame. Weight: 5 lbs Ove...
Category

1930s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Linen

Mid-Century, Waldorf Wooden Sheep with Brown Sheep Fur
By Peter Kraft
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cute, Mid-Century, decorative sheep by Waldorf with genuine brown sheep wool and a carved wood face and legs. Vintage accent piece with leather ears and light patina. In original co...
Category

1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Sheepskin, Wood

Schiaperelli Fashion Review Paper Dolls in Full Color, 1st Edition 1988
Located in London, GB
Published by Dover publications, Inc, New York, 1988, Soft-back Most fashion historians would agree that to review the incredible career of Elsa Schiaparelli  is, in essence, to rev...
Category

1980s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Framed Nautical Flag with Yacht Club Badge
Located in Norwell, MA
Nautical Flag for a boat with embroidered patch with W.Y.C and Fouled anchors. White linen flag with hoist and grommets. Mounted to a custom frame. Weight: 4 lbs. Overall Dimensions...
Category

1960s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Linen

Les Bijoux de L'Art Déco aux Années 40 - Melissa Gabardi, 1st Edition, 1986
Located in London, GB
Published by Les Édition de L’Amateur, 1st French edition, Paris, 1986. Hardback with French text. 700 illustrations, with 300 in colour and 400 in black and white. Illustrated t...
Category

1980s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Frog Lighter, 1980s Japan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cool vintage table lighter in the shape of a seated frog. Made completely of metal with a hollow body. Beautiful silver color with details like small spots all over the frogs bogs. C...
Category

1980s Japanese Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

1950s German Newspaper Advertising Tin Clips Midcentury Graphic Design Set
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Small collection of light duty metal clips, from German newspapers. Silkscreen on thin metal. All working. Kölnische Zeitung (Cologne Gazette) Frankfurter Rundschau Rheinische P...
Category

1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Tin

1942 US Navy Quartermasters Mark II Spyglass Military Maritime Ship Telescope
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Hayward Lumber & Inv Co of Los Angeles nautical maritime military ship spyglass / telescope / scope. Quartermaster, Mark II, 16 Power, Chemical & MFG Division. This telescop...
Category

1940s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Brionvega Radio Cube mod. TS502, Richard Sapper and Marco Zanuso
Located in Rivoli, IT
Brionvega TS502 Red Cube Radio with Knobs, designed by Richard Sapper and Marco Zanuso
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

T. Cooke London Brass Prismatic Nautical Maritime Navigation Compass
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage T. Cooke of London prismatic compass. Brass case with pierced sight line in the lid, folding prism, metallic gold tone face, and short stand able to be screwed onto a tripod ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Exclusive Book Antológica Berrocal 1955- 84 Sculptures & Work of Miguel Berrocal
Located in Benalmadena, ES
Exceptional and extensive compilation of the magnificent work and autobiography of Miguel Berrocal, ranging from exhibitions and collections to his monumental works, passing through ...
Category

1980s Spanish Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1960s Coca-Cola Trade Sign 'Drugs & Soda' From WPB, Florida Clematis Street
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
1960s Coca-Cola Trade Sign: 'Drugs & Soda'  Salvaged from a pharmacy on Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, Florida  A piece of Americana history: a 1960s Coca-Cola Trade Sign advertising "Drugs & Soda," salvaged from a pharmacy on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, Florida. This sign stands as a rare survivor, retaining its original presence and bearing the iconic Coca-Cola logo that has resonated through generations. Untouched and naturally preserved, this dual-sided sign is a testament to the golden era of soda fountain culture. Standing at an impressive 55.5 inches high, including the hanging brackets, it commands attention with its vibrant polychrome finish. The sign itself measures 45 inches high by 46 inches wide, with a depth of 8 inches. This artifact not only embodies the fusion of pharmacy and soda fountain traditions but also serves as a nostalgic reminder of a bygone era. Its presence evokes memories of simpler times when soda shops...
Category

1960s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Asprey & Co. London Guilloche Wafer Petrol Lighter In Solid .925 Sterling Silver
Located in Miami, FL
Wafer petrol pocket lighter designed by Asprey & Company. Beautiful wafer lighter, created in London England by the luxury house of Asprey & Company Limited, back in the 1963. Crafted during the post-war period with a rectangular shape in solid .925/.999 sterling silver The lighted is embellished with an amazing engine turned guilloche decorations and is fully dismountable for servicing. Fitted on top with push semi automatic button. Excellent craftmanship depicting an odd and geometric shape, It is in perfect condition with no dents or previous restorations. Weight: 43.50 Grams, (27.88 Dwt). Measurements: 56 mm by 39 mm by 6.5 mm (2.20 x 1.53 x 0.26 Inches). Hallmarks All parts are stamped with British crown marks, the lion head mark for the city of London, the maker's mark A&Co. Ltd. associated to Asprey, the mark for the assay of the .925 silver, the letter H for the years 1963-1964 and signed, "ASPREY LONDON MADE IN ENGLAND Y7 A&CO LTD H REGD No. 856727". Asprey The company was established in England in Mitcham, Surrey, in 1781. Founded as a silk printing business by William Asprey, it soon became a luxury emporium. In 1841, William Asprey's elder son Charles went into partnership with a stationer located on London's Bond Street. In 1847, the family broke with this partner and moved into 167 New Bond Street, the premises Asprey occupies today. From its central London location, Asprey advertised 'articles of exclusive design and high quality, whether for personal adornment or personal accompaniment and to endow with richness and beauty the table and homes of people of refinement and discernment.' An early specialty was dressing cases. Asprey crafted traditional cases and designs, mostly in leather, suitable for the new style of travel ushered in by railways. As the business grew, the company acquired manufacturing facilities and hired silversmith, goldsmith, jewelers and watchmakers. In the 1920's, commissions poured in from around the world, from American millionaire J. P. Morgan to potentates such as the Maharaja of Patiala, who commissioned a huge teak travelling trunk for each of his wives, in which each trunk was fitted with solid silver washing and bathing utensils with waterspouts of ornate tiger head and lined with blue velvet. Asprey cigarette...
Category

1960s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver, Sterling Silver

British Royal Navy Signal Flag Letter Z
Located in Norwell, MA
Linen nautical signal flag representing the letter “Z” in the Royal Navy. Sturdy white hoist with brass grommets. Custom frame. Weight: 7 lbs. Overall Dimensions: 23"H x 27"W Made: ...
Category

1980s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Linen

Stunning Art Deco Cigar Humidor by Baromdor.. Birdseye Maple and Walnut
By Brand Barometer American Association
Located in Buffalo, NY
Stunning Art Deco Cigar Humidor by Baromdor.. Birdseye Maple and Walnut.. Classic 1930s design. Superior quality and construction,, Great desk accessory, sleek .simple design
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Birdseye Maple, Walnut

British Royal Navy Searchlight and Signal Light
By Francis Searchlights
Located in Norwell, MA
Superb and substantial marine beacon by Francis Searchlights of Bolton, England. From the Ministry of Defense, British Royal Navy. With shutters for...
Category

1940s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Solid Brass Ships Telegraph By Bendix
Located in Norwell, MA
Highly polished engine order telegraph by Bendix of New York. With painted faceplates with ships commands full, half, slow, stand by, stop, ahead and astern. Twin face design, two ha...
Category

1930s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Memoirs: Year of Decisions and Years of Trial and Hope, Signed by Harry Truman
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Truman, Harry. Memoirs by Harry S. Truman: Year of Decisions [and] Years of Trial and Hope. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1955-1956. Special Kansas City Limited Edition. Two Volumes...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1950s Central European Metal and Wooden Scooter
Located in High Point, NC
Step back in time with this authentic 1950s Central European Metal and Wooden Scooter, a whimsical piece that captures the playful spirit of yesteryears. Its sturdy construction features a combination of robust metal and solid wood, telling the tale of a bygone era where durability met simplicity in design. The scooter boasts original painted wheels with charming patina, and a spring mechanism that speaks to the ingenuity of mid 20th-century leisure inventions. Perfect as a unique decorative item in a vintage-themed space or as a conversation piece in an eclectic collection, this scooter is a nostalgic nod to the simple joys of childhood. It stands not just as a relic of the past but as an ode to the timeless appeal of classic toys.
Category

Mid-20th Century European Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

20th century French Jean Patou Factice Bottle Perfume
By Jean Patou
Located in LEGNY, FR
Large bottle of perfume "L'instant de Guerlain" dating from 2003. Fake liquid. Ideal for decoration in a bathroom. Stamp "Made in France" at the back. ​
Category

1960s French Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Glass

Midcentury Advertising Mirror "Airliner" San Telmo Cigar Co Bay City Michigan
Located in Weiningen, CH
Midcentury advertising mirror "Airliner" San Telmo Cigar Co. Bay City Michigan on a chain Some wear on the edges.
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mirror

Per Qualche Dollaro in Piu / For a Few Dollars More
Located in London, GB
Original photographic production still for Sergio Leone's classic Spaghetti Western "For a Few Dollars More" staring Clint Eastwood. The piece is conservation framed with UV plexigla...
Category

1960s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Framed Diego Maradona Signed Napoli 89/90 Home Shirt Football Vintage Retro
Located in Cambridge, GB
New Stock ✅ Framed Diego Maradona Signed Napoli 89/90 Home Shirt Genuine and authentic signature from Diego Maradona on a real Napoli home shirt from league winning season 89/90 wi...
Category

1980s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Cotton, Satinwood

Danish Design Midcentury Pianette by Louis Zwicki in Mahogany, 1950s
Located in Elshout, NL
Danish design A rare Danish midcentury pianette made of mahogany. It is called pianette due to the 82 keys rather than the standard 88 of a full size piano. This pianette is made by ...
Category

1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Naturalist Collection of Bound Marine Botanicals
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Enchanting book of marine botanicals lovingly collected, dried, pressed on paper and bound in a folio with abalone or mother of pearl covers.
Category

Mid-20th Century English Organic Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Shell, Seagrass, Paper

Aperture Photography Magazine Collection of 6 Early Issues 1950s
Located in Chicago, IL
Aperture Photography Magazine Collection of 6 Early Issues 1950s. Not real familiar with rating condition of magazines and books. Please ask any questions. Appear to be in nice condition as a set with some minor wear. APERTURE: Volume 5, Number 1 Published by Aperture, Rochester, New York, 1957 8vo., 42 pp, illustrations from photographs. Pictorial stiff wrappers. Fine. Includes an editorial and an essay, "Peeled Paint, Cameras and Happenstance" by Minor White; a continuation of "More Books for the Creative Photographer"; Part 3 of "The Education of Picture Minded Photographers"; Beaumont Newhall on "Teaching the History of Photography"; and a portfolio "Ellis Island" by Shirley Burden with his, and Lewis Hine's images. Covers illustrated by Walter Snyder and Ansel Adams. Aperture Vol. 4 No. 1. Rochester, NY: Aperture, 1956. First edition. Softcover. An early issue of this long running photography magazine. Features a selection from "Creative Photography - 1956 with text by Van Deren Coke. Includes images by Charles Sheeler, Arnold Newman, Reva Brooks...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Vintage 20th Century Dutch Fixed Gear Bicycle, Amsterdam c.1950
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
An impeccably restored Dutch fixed gear bicycle from 20th-century Amsterdam. Crafted in the 1950s, it boasts polished metal mudguards, a chain guard, and vintage-style handlebars. It...
Category

Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Vintage 1980s Keith Haring Exhibition Catalog
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Keith Haring 1988 Martin Lawrence limited editions catalog: Features 49 color and 19 black and white printed illustrations and also includes an exhi...
Category

1980s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Framed Set of Samoan Island Vintage Postcards
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Evoke the allure of the Samoan Islands with this charming framed set of vintage postcards. Featuring nostalgic imagery capturing the essence of Samoan culture and landscapes, this co...
Category

1950s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Paper

A. A. MILNE. Winnie The Pooh. SIGNED AND DATED BY CHRISTOPHER (ROBIN) MILNE !
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: MILNE, A. A. TITLE: Winnie The Pooh. PUBLISHER: London: Methuen & Co., Ltd, 1965. DESCRIPTION: SIGNED AND DATED BY CHRISTOPHER (ROBIN) MILNE. 1 vol., 7-7/16" x 5-1/4", ill...
Category

1960s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Marx Toys Cowboy in Jeep Tin Lithograph Wind-Up Toy
Located in Fulton, CA
1950's Marx Toys tin lithograph and plastic wind-up Jeep with Cowboy driver. Notice cowboy boots and steer horns mounted to front grill. Excellent, original working condition.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Tin

1980s Gorgeous Piero Fornasetti Backgammon in Excellent condition. Made in Italy
Located in Milano, IT
1980s Gorgeous Piero Fornasetti backgammon for Dal Negro in walnut wood , the set is in excellent condition and includes four dices, the doubling cube, two dice shaker, all 30 checke...
Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Walnut

Mural Painting Of The Mexican Revolution 1921-1960: 1960 1st Edition Folio Book
Located in Rochester, NY
Mural Painting of the Mexican Revolution 1921-1960: Fondo Editorial De La Plastica Mexicana, Mexico. Banco National de Commercio Exterior S.A. 1960 1st edition - one of 5000 copies i...
Category

1960s Mexican Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Polished Aluminium Lockheed Constellation Model, circa 1945
Located in London, GB
A wonderful cast aluminium model of a Lockheed Constellation; circa 1945. The world's first airliner to have a pressurised cabin. Mounted on a newly made stand, all polished to a mir...
Category

1940s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

Mid-Century Madonna Bronze Statue 64 cm
Located in Palermo, IT
Mid-Century Madonna Bronze Statue 64 cm. Complete and in good condition. Found in a noble apartment.
Category

1960s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

Mings 14k & Diamond Pierced Earrings
Located in Toledo, OH
These beautiful Mings diamond pierced earrings are 14k gold with 1 ct of diamonds. The back of these earrings are stamped 14k and Mings. They are 1"x1" and are 14 grams.
Category

1980s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold

Set of Three Midcentury Danish Vikings Figures by Jacob Jensen
Located in San Diego, CA
Set of three midcentury Danish Viking figures made of mixed woods by Jacob Jensen, circa 1950s. The figures are in good vintage condition and measure: 5...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Teak, Walnut

Picasso à L'oeuvre – Photographs by Edward Quinn 1965 Book
By Roland Penrose, Edward Quinn 1
Located in London, GB
Picasso à L'oeuvre – Photographs by Edward Quinn 1965 Published by Manesse-Verlag, 1965. An intimate photographic biography by Edward Quinn with text written by Roland Penrose. Wonderful photographs capturing Picasso working and relaxing, from his finished pieces to his home and studio - including intimate interior and still life shots...
Category

1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Rare Mid-Century Modernist Sterling Silver Petal Earrings By Art Smith
Located in Brooklyn, US
Exceptional and rare sterling silver petal earrings designed by Greenwich Village modernist jeweler Art Smith in the 1950's. Smith is considered a master jewelers during the modernis...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Sterling Silver

1950s Central European Metal & Wooden Scooter
Located in High Point, NC
Introducing the 1950s Central European Metal & Wooden Scooter – a delightful piece of post-war history that captures the essence of childhood fun from a simpler time. This charming s...
Category

Mid-20th Century European Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

EVANS 1952 For Loyal Automatic Table Lighter In the Shape Of Large Leather Boot
Located in Miami, FL
Automatic table lighter designed by Evans. Stunning automatic lighter, created in America by the Evans Company, back in the 1952. This very handsome piece has been crafted in the shape of a boot, most probably as a promotional item by the Loyal Boots Company. It is made in genuine cordovan leather and chromed steel. These full automatic Evans lighters...
Category

1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Antique and Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities for Sale

Antique and vintage collectibles and curiosities can bring whimsy and wonder to any interior. 

Decorating with old scientific instruments, historical memorabilia and vintage musical instruments, as well as other authentic collectibles and curiosities that can be found on 1stDibs, presents an opportunity to create a unique, natural history museum-like atmosphere in your home that can provoke conversation as often as it pays tribute to how far we’ve come in understanding our world. 

And bringing collectibles and curiosities into your space is actually on trend — Wunderkammern, or curiosity cabinets, were all the rage in Europe during the 1500s and continued to have adherents there and in the U.S. in the following centuries. Today, however, they’re experiencing a real surge in popularity and influencing how many interior designers are furnishing and decorating homes — combining contemporary with antique, scientific with tribal, earthly with extraterrestrial, Les Lalanne tables with Flemish tapestries.

The original Wunderkammern were entire rooms filled with objects demonstrating their owners’ worldly knowledge: A proper one included artificiala or preciosa (objets d’art); naturalia (such as skeletons, shells, minerals); exotica (taxidermy or dried plants); and scientifica (scientific instruments), frequently alongside religious relics and ancient artifacts.

Pay tribute to a history of rich and diverse musical traditions that have taken shape all over the world by decorating your home with a collection of antique and vintage musical instruments — with a little help from strong hanging wire or some wall hooks, vintage brass instruments such as a gong, French horn or trumpet can help elevate a home office or complement the efforts you’ve made to ensure a welcoming vibe in your home’s entryway. Bells or antique wind instruments can add provocative metallic contrasts to dark woods as tabletop decorative objects.  

Create an intriguing focal point with Georgian scientific instruments, such as stick barometers with mahogany cases or lacquered brass telescopes. These items stem from an era named for the monarchies of the four King Georges, who ruled England in succession starting in 1714 (plus King William’s reign, which lasted until 1837). Just as there was beautiful jewelry produced during the period that today is coveted by collectors, there is much to be found in the collectibles and curiosities realm too.

Wanderlust, nostalgia and a shared love of good design are contributing factors to certain trends in decorating — just as vintage trunks and luggage have reappeared as furniture or home accents in a bedroom or foyer, decorating with globes, maps or nautical objects is similarly rooted in the allure of travel and a penchant for the stylish finishing touch that collectibles bring to our homes.

Find a wide range of antique and vintage collectibles and curiosities on 1stDibs.

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