There’s something about vintage red kitchen accessories that makes my heart go pitter-pat. I try to keep it reigned in, as too much would pass over from cute to gag-cutsie. But a recent trip to Goodwill brought a new something-something into my house, an item so freaking cute that there was no way I could resist its siren song. Here, I’ll let you judge for yourself:
A vintage egg beater with painted red handle and an additional tiny Bakelite handle! I consider it to be like jewelry for the kitchen. I know the paint is chipping off the top handle, but that just speaks to the history of this item. $5? You betcha'!
- Here’s a detail shot of Bakelite handle. I love this egg beater so much, I may just take it to the Sears Portrait Studio this afternoon to get photos taken of the two of us together.
Of course, no blog post about my red kitchen accessories would be complete without a sneak peek at what other items have made their way into my home, such as:
- This adorable fruit decal-ed kitchen canister in which I keep my tea. (Garage sale — 25¢)
- My vintage kitchen clock. I swapped an ugly 1970’s avocado green kitchen clock for this one, which was being used in an industrial supplies store in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- This “fringed” piece of vintage fabric which was in my mother’s basement. Note that there is no trim around my kitchen window. (%$*@® never ending fixer upper!)
- I grew up with this strainer, and later found it in my mother’s basement. It’s perfect for keeping fruit, as the air circulates and helps keep everything fresh.
I am seriously thinking about keep an eye out for a small shelf to keep the egg beater in plain sight at all times. And of course, it will hang next to the framed Sears portrait of the two of us.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Fabulous find! My trip to Goodwill today yielded a paperback for $0.75 and a Fiestaware plate for my daughter-in-law for $1.49.
The clock and the strainer are my favorites here, but I wouldn’t pass over that eggbeater! It would get use too since I don’t have one of them fancy modern electrical mixers 😉
Van,
I have lived decades longer than you have, and thus have had A LOT of time to amass a lot of stuff!
Katy
LOL! Too funny. Love it.
I scored a couple things at Goodwill not too long ago. Here’s the post: http://rindymae.blogspot.com/2011/06/junkin.html
I also managed to load up on a bunch of free stuff at garage sales this weekend. Woot woot. Here are those finds: http://rindymae.blogspot.com/2011/06/garage-sale-treasures.html
I subscribe to your blog in Google Reader and love it.
Thanks!
Katy
Egg beater is very cool. Will you use it or just display? This past weekend I snagged a brand new in the box, never been used Waring Pro Yogurt Maker for $14.00. I almost didn’t get it because that seemed high to me but I really wanted it so I bought it. When I got home I looked it up on Amazon where it sells for $80 which is $15 bucks cheaper than the list price of $95.00! Now I’m not sure if I should keep it or save it for a wedding that’s coming up. I’m doing the compact this year and it’s not always easy finding the right present . . . but I really like it.
I have to fess up to a weakness for vintage red kitchenware as well! I adore your canister!
You have to treat yourself once in a while! If you buy vintage you can usually resell them. Ebay has an array of vintage egg beaters with one or two bakelite handles for $9.00 to $35.00. Good job! Did you know about the July 9th I <3 thrifting day? Started by rashoncarraway.com who is Mr Goodwill Hunting. I am sure there is a Portland group. You meet up and hunt for things. Did you find some inexpensive sunglasses? I didn't get prescription ones until I was over 55! AnnW
So drooling over your egg beater!!!! You must be a kindred spirit, because I have a set of metal canisters that could be the kissing cousin to yours. I love decorating with vintage kitchen items. In fact, I scored an antique glass canning jar at Goodwill for $.75 last night ( I use vintage 1/2 gallon, quart, and pint canning jars in my pantry to store bulk food items).
Great find, Katy! I would display it by hanging it on the wall. You could use some kind of hook.
Also love the clock and the strainer.
Katie, I too just got myself a vintage egg beater and a potato masher (with the bakelight handle, nicely chipped) and I placed them on my counter top in a widemouth mason jar! Looks cool that way!
Nice find on the eggbeater!
I have something almost identical from one of my – well, I won’t say favorite, because of what it implies – so let’s say one of my more frequently-used “shopping” places, the “dead relative stash”. (Wherein I offer to help clean out a great so-and-so’s house and get all of the stuff nobody else wanted….”I can have this old bakelite stuff, huh? You’re SURE? Okey-dokey!”) I got a whole set of red bakelite kitchen thingies from my husband’s great aunt – by literally picking it out of the trash bags as the rest of the family was chucking it in disgust. I’m trying to figure out how to display it.
But my absolute favorite shopping place is the other one you mentioned – parents’ basement! My parents – or at least my mom – is a “pack rat”, and so is my father-in-law. I can’t BELEIVE the stuff I’ve hauled out of their basements and attics! In addition to the furniture from the 1910s-1960s, there was flatware, Corningware, enamel cookware, Depression glass, Stengal pottery, kitchy cannisters and other retro kitchen decor, lamps, you name it. (And again, with the nobody else wanting it…”You mean nobody else in the younger generation wants ANY of this real wood furniture, perfectly good cookware, or retro stuff? They’re rather have nice new particle board and that dreary Vera Wang stuff, huh? I can have ALL of it? Okey-dokey!”)
I love my antique and vintage stuff so much that feel like I’ve gotten away with something shady – even though I haven’t. Everyone else WANTS to go into debt to buy new stuff – they think I’M crazy.
Katy, I hope your baby tomatoes won’t be jealous of your new love!
Katy,
I have my mom’s red/white flour sifter (the kind that you pull the handle like a trigger). I’ve finally gave myself permission to give it to Good Will and it is sitting in the box. I’ll try to take and post a picture (not very handy at ‘puter science) and if anyone wants it I’ll ship it on my dime because I’d love to see it go to a good “home”.