Any Old Iron!

I have noticed a trend in my buying lately that around 90% of my stock is made of metal. I seem to be drawn to silver, silver plate, copper, tin, enamelled metal, brass and iron. Even when I make a conscious effort to buy something wooden, glass or ceramic I still find myself rushing towards something large, often rusty and nearly always incredibly heavy.  

Luckily I have to keep the weight down on my Etsy shop items otherwise my postage fees would be ridiculous.  Without this constraint I do believe we would have a house and yard full of scrap metal and anyone who's watched the vintage series Steptoe & Son will know that this is not a good thing.

Take last week for example I came away with some lovely buys for my shop but all but one of them (a pretty English teapot) was made from some form of metal.  

I found this super 'Foie gras' set in silver plate

I also bought this gorgeous 'Lu' biscuit display tin from the Belle Epoque era but have decided I can't bear to part with it so it's mine, mine, mine!!!

I did manage to stray from the metal by buying this lovely glass lamp but again it's mine, mine, mine (well it does match my bedside lamp perfectly!)

This money box is a new purchase from my ever growing range of tins

 And this tin I just couldn't ignore because it's so BIG!

These lovely Art Deco knife rests are once again silver plated

And this 1930s Mirror and brush set is a mixture of guilloche enamel and metal so that's kind of departure... isn't it???

This beautiful lantern is made of brass (and a bit of glass!)

And finally, I couldn't pass by this rusty old vintage advertising sign (which was very nearly a keeper but I am resisting... for now!) for the French aperitif 'Byrrh' (please don't ask me to pronounce it).

So I'm afraid that as much as I try to tell myself to stay away from the hard stuff it can be so varied and interesting I honestly can't make any promises!

Vintage Tins

When I'm on the lookout at brocantes and flea markets for interesting items of stock for my Etsy shop one kind of truc that always seems to sell well is the vintage tin. 

Whether you have an industrial, country or vintage/retro kitchen nothing looks cooler than a shelf filled with these treasures from yesteryear.  

Here is a selection of some interesting kitchen storage tins that have either passed through my hands in the past or are available for sale now:-

These Banania tins that originally contained hot chocolate were given a second life by the manufacturer by suggesting various different uses on the back, for example thé, sucre, pâtes and in this case café

I sold this charming little selection of vintage storage tins as a group

When I saw this softly faded pasta storage tin I just had to buy it for my Etsy Shop 

Here are some more novelty tins that could be used and enjoyed not just in the kitchen but anywhere in the home:-

This gorgeous English bureau tin was another item destined for my Etsy Shop 

This tin was a particular favourite of mine as it was possible to put a little padlock on it so that precious keepsakes could be kept secret.  I was sorry to see this one go but I'm sure it's found a good home.

This pretty tin was snapped up just a few days after putting it up for sale

See this colourful little greyhound racing tin on my Etsy Shop

Another cute little vintage tin - this one originated from Belgium

A new addition to my Etsy Shop - an elegant floral money box tin

The great thing about vintage tins is that they are a decorative way to store all the little bits and pieces that we all seem to accumulate.  They make great sewing boxes, button boxes, keepsake and trinket boxes and of course can be used for their original use to store biscuits or sweets.

So next time you open a drawer full of 'useful' little trucs you just can't throw away because you may need them one day (referred to as a man drawer in our household!) why not have a sort through and keep these bits and bobs safe in a selection of beautiful vintage tins.