Flashback in Hanover

I spent some time today in the town of Hanover, PA where I lived in the early years of my childhood. Why do I not realize until now how cool this little town is? I drove down Jefferson Street to take a peek at the first house I ever lived in. Wow, there use to be corn fields around my old house but now it's filled up with housing developments. YUCK! Then I drove down Diller road which is right around the corner to see the second house I lived in as a child. I was very disappointed to see the decaying condition of both houses. I guess the current owners don't believe in up keep on their properties... how sad. Then I continued driving down the street until I ran across the house of my dreams! A house I use to ride my bike past on the way to the park all the time when I was a kid. How did I not love this house as a child? How did I not remember this house? I must have been speeding past to fast on my hot pink bike with the banana seat. That damn bike that I would get my bell bottom pants stuck in because it didn't have a chain guard. *I walked home in my underpants, dragging my bike behind me quite a few times because of that missing chain guard. * Anyway, I just thank the sweet baby jebus that no one was behind me because I stopped dead in the street for this sweet little mid century house...my dream house...who ever lives here is one lucky bastard.....

Onto the cool movie theater I use to go to as a child....poor sad theater now but still cool. Then onto York Street Treat for some ice cream. Yum!

Then of course I had to stop in at Yesteryear Antiques Center to check out what was in there. I found a deadstock 50's acetate blouse and a 40's feedsack skirt with cute pocket details.

I wish I had more time to spend in Hanover taking pictures of all the cool downtown buildings that I didn't appreciate when I was a kid. To learn more about what Hanover, PA has to offer check out their website...Welcome to Hanover. I'll definitely be going back sometime soon!

Hey All...

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted but fret no longer DeluxeVille readers because I'm back to show off my new score from my latest auction! First off, I know that inquiring minds want to know just what does MaryDeluxe look like at the ass crack of dawn on auction day? Just what is the customary uniform of the all day auction obsessed? So, here ya go..... jeans, t-shirt, a cardy, and my converse....

So, what exactly was it I was after that I would drag my ass outta bed on an early Saturday morning for?? Why these little beauties of course! Yup, the lamps made me do it.

Lustron Home

I love cute little Lustron Homes! They are very rare and hard to find. But when you do spot one, you'll know exactly what it is because of how original it looks. These all steel houses were built post World War II and were meant to ease the housing shortage for returning military men and their families. Less than 2,500 of these futurist homes were built before the creator and owner Carl Strandlunds went bankrupt in 1950.

I got really excited when I saw a Lustron House for sale in the area I teach in... Lustron for sale Then, I ran across a Lustron group on Flickr and found these wonderful pictures of a Lustron house taken by Joey Harrison. The story is that Mrs. Nation and her husband were the original owners of this little gem of a Lustron. After Mrs. Nation passed away 2 years ago the house went up for sale. Included in the sale of the house was also ALL the original furniture! How very cool is that! Asking price for the house when it was for sale 2 years ago was $69,900. Lustron houses came with all the built ins that you see in the pictures below.

More info on Lustron Houses : Lustron Preservation
More Joey Harrison pictures and more info on the house: Flickr.
Joey also has a very cool Mom and you should check out her vintage photography : Mom's World

Look Sweeter in a Sweater

It's that time of year again, sweater season. This year, I am on the look out for sweaters made by the Featherknit company during the 1940's. I think these sweaters might be hard to find? Does anyone have any featherknit sweaters from the 40's?

Here's one I ran across on ebay a while back. Some lucky gal owns it now! Love the color and style. Hmmm, I really need to learn to knit and then I could just reproduce my own sweaters from vintage patterns.

Find some swell vintage knit patterns from BabyDee on Etsy.

Cat Nappin

Milo is fitting right in

I love my curly bangs today


Rockin my chair...



I'm wearing my new 50's flecked skirt, 50's sweater, and 40's cuban heeled peeptoes!

Going out to dinner with the fella. Gotta get my face on! Hope you all are having a swell weekend!

Kitty Daisy and Lewis

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis!!

Man, these kids sure do swing it!

Kitty Daisy & Lewis '(Baby) Hold Me Tight'

Sunday Best | MySpace Music Videos

Dear Anonymous

Hello Dear Readers,

I wanted to take a moment and respond to a comment that was left by one of you. What you wrote made me really think about my feelings in regard to collecting vintage items. This is what anonymous wrote....

Anonymous said...

I am confused, why is it bad to buy something and sell it for profit? I know a lot of dealers that compete at estate sales etc, and some of them are mean people, but a lot of them are very nice people and do this for a living. I don't think it is evil, and it certainly doesnt warrant wishing bad things on someone, like that they dont sell anything at all. If I buy something for $5 and I can sell it for $100 then that is totally within my rights, conversley if I am trying to sell it for more than it is worth and someone buys it then that is that is their problem. I am a fan of your blog, but this one got my attention and I had to say something.

Dear Anonymous,

Just to clarify some things, I have never written that I didn't want him to be able to resell what he bought. I have also never stated that it's bad to buy something, resell it and make a profit on it. I linked to his auction because I'm amazed at what he wanted for his opening bid! Will someone come along and pay that much for a chair?? Probably! But it won't be me! It sounds like you might be taking things personally due to reasons that have nothing to do with me? You can disagree with me in regards to my opinion all you want but get the facts right about what I said before you respond to me.

Now, in regards to the EHD. I call him that simply because, if it's an advertised auction that has heywake listed for sale, my evil nemesis (An opponent that cannot be beaten or overcome) the heywake dealer will be there. Meaning there will be less of an opportunity for me to be able to afford a piece of furniture... as I am cheap and don't have the money like he does. But what can I say, that is life and it seems that in regard to material things, who ever has the most money usually wins! When the EHD is not around I get heywake pieces at this price. Do I know if this guy is evil in real life?? No! But in regards to my heywake auction world, he will always be the evil heywake dealer.

Now, in regards to me as a person....do I buy from dealers? Yup! Do I try to promote other people's businesses so that more people can buy from them and they stay around? Yup! Do I believe in selling items for profit? Yup! Have I done it myself? Yup!

As for the comments by others left on my blog.... I have taken them in an empathetic, funny way and not meant as actually something mean or with the intention to do harm!

Perhaps Anonymous, you need to lighten up?

MaryDeluxe

Heywake on Ebay

EHD has ALL the heywake he bought up at the last auction listed up on ebay. His prices are insane to me because I know exactly what he bought everything for. Out of all the people bidding on the heywake pieces at the auction, I was the only other person besides him that got a piece of furniture. It makes me wonder if he just stopped bidding against me on that chair on purpose so I would win?? Was he being nice to me?? Nah, he can't be that nice. Here's the other pink pull up chair that he got first dibs on and paid $105 for.... Heywake Pull Up Chair.

Weekend Finds

Did a little shopping this weekend....here's what I scored!

50's red patent leather kelly handbag and a pair of 1950's slingbacks with lucite tipped heels.


A1950's two tiered fiber glass lamp shade.

Two very cool 50's wiggle skirts!

My Newest Family Member

My newest child in my Heywake family! The evil heywake dealer was there so bidding went high but I was able to walk away with one piece of heywake for $95! I gave myself 100 bucks to spend and went over it by $4 because I had to have a 1950's mini light up santa that just screamed merry kitschmas! I met a very nice man there who was trying to buy the heywake dining set for his 1960's ranch house and was out bid by the evil heywake dealer! That dining set with the small buffet, 6 dogbone chairs, and huge 3 wishbone leg table went for a steal of a deal at $1600! I can never hang when they sell pieces all together like that because I be poor! I felt really bad for the guy trying to buy the dining set...I don't think he's fully aware of the cash power of the EHD! He left very upset which made EHD laugh.

I would also like to report that Mr. Hissy Pants has now become Mr Purry Pants! Here we are celebrating my one chair victory over the evil heywake dealer! See, good sometimes does win over evil!