Vintage Deal of the Day: November 30, 2009

{Whether you prefer to sing along with your favourite holiday records in the living room or take to the streets and spread cheer by caroling, this wonderful 80 page, soft cover book of classic Christmas songs is sure to be a delightful musical treasure and wonderful addition to collection of holiday keepsakes. 1930s “The Christmas Carolers Book in Song and Story”, which features lyrics, sheet music and illustrated background information on numerous timeless Christmas carols, can be had for a song ($8.95 US, to be exact) from etsy seller Grandmother’s Attic.}


Can you believe we’re on the last day of November already? Yikes, where did the past month zip off to? Wherever it skedaddled to, what’s certain is that the holiday season is really starting to come out in full force. I love the merriment and festivities, the beautiful spirit and timeless messages that fill December, and to that extent plan to make the bulk of the Daily Deal posts in the coming weeks Christmas and winter holiday season centred. There are scores of vintage deals to be had on holiday pieces, and what better time to showcase such bargains than right now?

Wishing you each a glorious and gorgeous month of December!

Saturday Snapshots {November 28, 2009}

“Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.” ~ John W. Gardner

{Two vivacious young women share a friendly embrace in this delightful snapshot. Their clothes (and what looks to me like tanned skin) would indicate this photo was either taken someplace warm (on vacation perhaps) and/or during the summer months, though no background information whatsoever is provided. I would estimate this lovely photo to hail from the mid 40s to mid 50s, and am smitten with the gals' adorable outfits and hairstyles.}



{Two young lads seem to be deeply immersed in their reading of the newspaper, in this elegantly composed outdoor shot. Were they brushing up on current events or intensely studying the comic strips?}



{A quartet of brunette women smile for the camera as they model their gorgeous pastel hued evening gowns, looking, in the prettiest of ways, like the sweets in a package of Pillow Mints. Aside from their marvelous chiffon dresses (and floral corsages), what I adore about this lovely image is the fact that it was snapped with the ladies standing in front of a mirror, thus allowing the viewer to observe the backs of some of their hairdos and outfits.}



{A loving young aunt (“Marilyn Thomas Howell”) and her two nieces (“Cindy and Susan Lambert”) endear the winter chill, wrapped snugly in their coats and scarves, in this endearing slice of family life shot from the late 1950s.}



{Three romantic couples pose tenderly under a large maple tree in this wonderful shot that was snapped in July of 1959 (had it not been dated, I would have been inclined to ponder if it was a Valentine’s Day photo), upon the back of which is written the singular, but very apt word, “sweethearts”.}



{There is something so wonderfully charming (not to mention idyllic) about this cute image of a child and her pet together in a foliage abundant front yard. The backdrop and the young girl’s outfit are so beautiful that one might almost mistake this photo for a vintage movie still from the 30s or 40s.}



{Looking sleek in head-to-toe black to match her stunning car, this woman seems to be radiating with happiness and pride over as she leans against her gorgeous set of wheels.}



{A man – whose garb resembles a cross between a milkman and a navy officer’s uniform – coxes a playful dolphin out of the water with a fish, in this terrific action shot taken at Aqualand in the 1950s.}



{This deeply sweet image, the person who posted it wonderfully informs us, was part of an album of shots that they saved from the trash one day! Thank goodness they did, for its pages are chocked full irreplaceable image showing a US service man who fell in love with a Japanese woman and the life they would go on to build together in America.}



{A striking young women, whom the poster of this shot identifies as their mother, Rosalie, smiles with such effervescent grace and beauty in this hand tinted photograph, that one can’t help but feel as though they’ve been transported back to 1944 and is standing right there in the studio as her portrait is snapped.}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


How true are the words in this week’s quote? Who amongst us hasn’t instantly wished that they could expunge something they’d just done, only to be left with the reality that the hands of time can only reach forward. I know I have (oh so many times), but the key, I’ve come to realize, the older I become, is that it pays off more to concentrate on what you’re going to draw next, instead of pining away with remorse, sadness or gloom over what cannot be lifted off the canvas on your existence.

I know this edition of Saturday snapshots is being posted on Sunday evening, but I hope nobody minds too terribly much (as I’ve mentioned before, it isn’t imperative to me that this weekly post goes up on Saturday itself, so long as it appears at some point over the weekend). Some of my conditions have been flaring for the past few days, so I’ve been a tad slow in getting new posts out as of late. I'm not completely out of commission though, I'm happy to report, so new posts are gradually making their way up to the blogging front-line :)
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Vintage Deal of the Day: November 28, 2009

{If I’m not meandering through the endless pages of etsy, I’m probably checking out the ever-changing selection of items on eBay (sound familiar? ;D). One of my neatest finds this week was a vintage full felt skirt in a chipper bright green hue covered with various Christmas motifs. Though this wonderful skirt, which fits up to a size 33.5 inch waist, does have a few small marks on it (why not cover them with more appliqués?), it’s still entirely wearable and absolutely adorable! This festive piece is being offered by eBay seller madamenllie (who will ship internationally), its auction is on for about three more days, and the current price is $6.95 (US).}


Thank you so much to everyone who has entered (and blogged about) Chronically Vintage’s Jessie Willcox Smith art print giveaway, the response to this contest has been amazing!

If you haven’t posted a comment yet for your chance to win, fear not, this giveaway is open until 11:59 (EST) Monday night (the 30th). If you’d like to possibly win a beautiful set of eight vintage prints strung on elegant ribbons, please be sure you enter the giveaway before it’s too late! One lucky winner will be drawn on Monday and announced in a blog post that very same day.

Wishing all of you the best of luck with the giveaway, and a splendidly fun Saturday!

Five for Friday {November 27, 2009}

...Less than a month before the magical jingle of sleigh bells once again fills the air, still plenty of time to get everything done – or so at least it seems on paper! One strategy I find works well is to try and check off as many of your big tasks three or four weeks ahead of time as you can. Shop and wrap gifts, bake and freeze goodies, decorate your home, trim the tree, and send out your cards in the coming days, thus helping to relieve the amount of things to do long before the 25th rolls into clear sight. Some of those very activities are filling my upcoming weekend, coupled with catching up on this week’s wonderful blog comments, and devoting plenty of time to just relaxing and savouring the last few inklings of autumn that remain....


♥ ♥ ♥


{To jazz up any wall in your house with a hefty dose of
gorgeous vintage art}


{Sporting a classic burlesque poster entitled “Casiono de Paris”, this 24 inch wide by 32 inch long canvas stretches across a wooden frame, ready to be hung anyplace you please – from the bedroom to the powder room. Its sultry image of a pretty redheaded dancer and serene pallet of night time hues is sure to look breath-taking in any corner of the house. Vintage print on canvas, $90.35 (Cnd) from Overstock.com.}


{To add sizzle and grace to your holiday party wardrobe}


{In cool blue tones that channel pure serenity and elegance, this chic 1950s floral brocade evening dress is as charming as it is timeless. Perfect for everything from office Christmas parities to New Year’s Eve celebrations, this dress would become a perpetual favourite in your closet year after year. 1950s blue brocade dress, fits up to a 39” bust/33” waist, £40.00 (UK pounds) from online vintage seller, Martha’s Closet.}


{To keep thoughts of spring, with birds melodically chirping from the blossom clad branches, close to your heart all year long}


{A sweet little bluebird perches atop a gold tone branch in this lovely and playfully enjoyable necklace that is sure to make all who come in contact with it burst into a smile (after all, how can you not love a cute vintage looking birdie?) “Necklace of Happiness” metal bird charm and chain, $14.99 (US), from ModCloth.}


{To ensure you have plenty of extra seating whenever company drops by}


{Looking as though it could have traveled through time straight from the counter of a 1950s malt shop, this sleek chrome and turquoise bar stool would make a welcome addition to many a vintage lover’s home decor. “Blue Retro Bar Stool”, £85.00 (pounds), from Dotcomgiftshop.}


{To carry the necessary “must haves” and assorted sundries of everyday life in charming vintage style}


{This beautiful little woven wicker handbag in a deeply classic navy blue hue would look just as amazing during the summer with a sundress as it would nestled against your favourite wool skirt all winter long – and at the bargain price of just $15.00 (US), how can you not find yourself drawn to this vintage purse? “Le Amiche” 1950s or early 60s handbag available from etsy seller Thirteen Bees Vintage.}


How are you each on this lovely last Friday in November, sweet dears? I’m busy as a bee, whipping up a chocolate coconut custard cake (say that five times fast! :D), doing a good once over of the apartment before the weekend (I try to tidy every day, but especially like things to be neat on the weekend, when my husband and I are both home, so that we can just relax and not think about what chores might need to be done), and addressing my holiday cards to go out in the mail (hopefully no later than the start of this coming week).

The snow has held off here so far, despite the fact that it’s looked as though a blizzard could burst forth from the heavens at any moment all week. With the anticipation of snow in the air, the approaching holiday season seems all the more festive, and has me in a jolly mood!

I really hope that you’re also in happy spirits, and that this weekend will be a gorgeous and very fun filled one for everybody!

Vintage Deal of the Day: November 25, 2009

{Will Santa still believe you’ve been good all year if you hang this alluring stocking off the fireplace mantle or foot of the bed? Of course he will, for Santa knows all vintage loving gals are sweeter than sugar right to their cores! :D With just one month left until Christmas Day, it’s high time to start decking the halls (and the living room, and kitchen, and bedrooms, and – every spot in your abode!), and what more enjoyable way to incorporate a shot of vintage cheer into your festive decor than with an adorable pin-up girl Christmas stocking? Three different patterns of fabric featuring sultry lasses (such as the blonde bombshell pictured above) are available for $15.00 (US) a piece from etsy Deluxe Junque.}


Before Christmas arrives however, my wonderful US friends and visitors have Thanksgiving Day to look forward to tomorrow. From the bottom of my heart I wish all those who are gathering to give thanks, share in a beautiful meal, and honour the splendor of the autumnal harvest on Thursday, the utmost of joy and serenity as you celebrate this meaningful day.

Vintage Deal of the Day: November 24, 2009

{Add an elegant and delicate hint of sparkle to any holiday ensemble with this delightfully lovely little pair of clip-on snowflake earrings. Their gold tone and subtle red and green rhinestone detailing are sure to make the perfect addition to your festive jewelry box. If you’ve melted over these beauties (which would also work so prettily as brooches or hair clips), whirl your way over to etsy seller Ava Firenze, where these 1950s earrings can become yours for $14.00 (US).}


Good morning, sweet dears! I want to extend a very warm, heartfelt thanks to those who stopped by to wish me a joyful “Stellaversary” yesterday. Reading your own touching stories about your believe pets and about how much you also adore animals brought tears of happiness to my eyes. There is no denying what a profound and wonderful impact a pet (or pets) can have on a person’s life, and I love knowing that many of you have also been deeply touched by your furry (or feathered – or finned) friends. Thank you again so much (from both Stella and I) for helping to make my happy celebration even more joyful and memorable!

On this Tuesday morn, which marks one month until Christmas Eve, I hope that you’re all doing splendidly, and that as we head full on into the holiday season, you each have a truly amazing remainder of 2009!

Happy first Stellaversary!

What on earth, you may very rightfully ask, is “Stellaversary”? Well, it just so happens that the word Stellaversary is a completely homemade term I created as a way of marking the date when we first brought our darling cat, Stella home. As today, the 23rd of November, is the one year anniversary of when she came into our lives, I am hereby proclaiming this date to the first annual Stellaversary!

Though both my husband and I had the pleasure of growing up in homes with pets, as a couple, Stella is the first animal that we can jointly call our own. We’re both massive animal lovers and had known from day one that we wanted a pet (or two...), but for the first few years of our relationship our lives were in too much of a state of flux (several moves – including overseas, waiting for life altering decisions from Immigration Canada, etc) for us to have responsibly taken on a pet.

Last year, for the first time ever in our life together, things began to settle down, (positive) outcomes were finally reached, and we knew that at long last it was OK for us to consider bringing home a pet. We didn’t set out on this exact date one year ago with the intention of bringing home a cat, we’d actually gone out to buy a dining room table, of all things! Well, we succeeded in finding a beautiful one of those (on sale!), and afterwards continued bopping around to various places in that part of town.

As the evening wore on we found ourselves at a PetSmart which just happened to be one of the locations that includes an in-house animal rescue adoption centre. All of the cats at PetSmart are ones that have found their way their from animal shelters (such as the SPCA) and who are looking for loving “forever” families of their own. Both my husband and I are huge supporters of adopting shelter animals, so when we saw two adorable, 11 week old kittens staring up at us through the viewing glass of the cat corner (of the store), we instantly asked if we could look at and hold them.

Though we would have loved dearly to be able to have brought them both home with us, we knew that it would be much more economically responsible for just get one cat. The pair that batted their sweet golden eyes at us were brother and sister, of whom we decided to adopt the girl, Stella (at the time she was the calmer of the two, a trait that we thought would make her a good house cat – as we live in a high rise apartment and she wouldn’t, and isn’t, allowed outside...little did we know then that she had a secret rambunctious side that would put the Energizer bunny to shame!).

After speaking with the person in charge of the cats (who told us that the kittens were feral strays, but had no further information about their background other than their age), we loading up a shopping cart (at PetSmart) with everything (and then some) that a young kitten might ever want or need, paid for our kitty supplies, and with hearts bursting to the breaking point with love and excitement, brought our new kitten home.

For the first few days she was very, very shy (she camped out under the sofa for the most part), yet after a little while our new baby cat warmed up to us. We named her Stella (the Italian word for star, as her grey fur and sparkling yellow eyes both reminded me of stars in the night sky) and suddenly we came to realize how very much our lives had been missing without this wonderful animal in it.

Jump ahead a year and Stella is every bit as adorable today as she was back then. Full of spunk and energy, she’s a bright, inquisitive, massively energetic cat who loves to run around the apartment, exploring ever nook and cranny, play with her (plethora of) toys, sleep in her kitty condo (a gift from my parents to their “grandkitty”), and curl up with my us from time to time for a good snuggle.

Stella is not the most “lap cat” of felines, but for all her playfulness, she is exceedingly sweet and often seems to know when I’m feeling extra rough health wise. On such days she’ll curl up with me in bed or on the sofa as I watch TV, purring loudly and nestling her little grey face into against me. Whether she knows it or not, Stella is a therapy pet. Though it was us that saved her, in so many ways she has also rescued us.

She is also a joy, a blessing, and a truly wonderful animal. It’s nearly impossible to fathom how life would be today if we’d not brought Stella home. Though we may very have adopted a different cat at some point, they would not have been our darling Stella. Just as with children, no two pets ever exactly alike, and when it comes to wonderful kitties we could not have found a more darling pet than our sweet Stella.


{1. Even the best of us must rest sometime, 2. A vision of cuteness, 3. "Mommy, mommy", purred Stella, "I saw another one, it's up there, look!", 4. I'm not vicious! You just caught me mid-yawn :), 5. Contemplating everything that flutters, flaps or flies, 6. Pink is the love you discover, 7. Stella wishes everyone a sunny Sunday, 8. Stella ponders whether or not she should steal yet another strawberry from the "human's" curious display of temptation, 9. Sunshine makes me sleepy, 10. What is this strange, warm, wonderful light?, 11. Reach for your dreams, 12. Such a very serious look, for one so young, 13. I'm so precious. Twelve images, to represent each delightful month that we’ve had her, plus one more to symbolize my love for Stella, make up this mosaic that shows the many expressions and moods of our precious grey tabby. All photos were taken by me and are from my Flickr stream.}

My dear friends, please join me in celebrating one year of a life filled with the pitter-patter of four tiny paws, and in the merriment of my endless love for my cat, as we mark the first ever Stellaversary!

The Sears Wish Book catalogue: a time honoured tradition

For many who have grown up in North America few things are apt to bring back a flood of holiday nostalgia quite like thinking about the annual Sears Wish Book catalogues of our youth. Produced and distributed well in advance of the “big day” each year, these large, glossy paged tomes were the fodder for many a child’s wildest dreams of what may lay in store for them under the tree come Christmas morning.


{Santa beams his jolly smile festively from the cover of a 1957 Sears Christmas catalogue, an image that I’m sure countless kids were thrilled to see appear in the mailbox in the autumn of that year.}


While Sears and their catalogues have been around for considerably longer, the Wish Book (also known as the Sears Christmas catalogue) itself first debuted in 1933. Stocked with a seemingly overflowing menagerie of everything from holiday decorations to shoes, jewelry to scores of toys, the Wish Book quickly became a beloved publication for families across America and Canada.

Though I have never had the pleasure of holding a vintage copy of a Wish Book in my hands, I do recall the 1980s and 90s versions with a good deal of clarity and many a happy memory. Back in those days (and I’d venture to guess in the decades leading up the eighties) the Wish Book was somewhat different from the iteration that exists nowadays, though of course there were endless similarities too. Yesteryear Christmas catalogues seemed to devote more pages catered directly to children. Perhaps it’s just the perception of my imagination, but I seem to recall a much larger (and more diverse) section of toys in the Wish Books of my youth, compared to those of today.

Like many children the world over, I wrote heartfelt letters to Santa as a youngster, promising him that I had been tremendously good all year and asking for a handful of items (I seem to recall my parents telling us we had to limit the number of things we requested). Though I didn’t honestly always end up getting what I’d asked for, the notion that I could, maybe, just maybe, watch a toy or two materialize from the pages of the Wish Book into a present under the tree was more than enough to fuel my love of Sears’ Christmas catalogue.



{A doll house so pretty I would still be thrilled to be given such a present at the ripe old age of 25, was amongst the offering in the 1947 Wish Book, and no doubt was something that tons of little girls implored Santa for that year.}


Gone are the days of penning notes to St. Nick and of thinking I could hear reindeer hooves stomping on the roof, if I listened carefully enough. What remains however is a soft spot in my heart for the Sears Wish book, which I still eagerly run out to bring home and pour over each year as fall starts to resemble winter.

I dream of one day finding a vintage (circa the 40s or 50s) copy of a Wish Book that my wallet can smile about, but until that day happens (such catalogues have many a fan on sites like eBay, who snap up not only Wish Books but Sears catalogues from other times of the year, too), I know that there a fantastic online source that showcases entire copies of vintage Wish Books.

The aptly named source I’m talking about is Wishbookweb.com, a site that brims with not only scanned copies of Sears Wish Books, but also a handful of other holiday season catalogues from chains such as Spiegel, and Lord & Taylor (with catalogues spanning the decades from the 1930s to the 1980s). The images (such as the ones in this post, which hails from Wishbookweb) on this immensely handy website (it is, for example, a tremendously useful source of images that show women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing from vintage catalogues) are well sized, clear, and chocked to gills with enough images to keep you entertained and fascinated long after the last Christmas stocking has come down.

As the years roll by and no doubt paper copies of old Christmas catalogues become harder to find, it is a joy to know that such a website exists for all those who wish to view (or relieve pleasant memories of) copies of Wish Books from the past.

I personally have this site bookmarked and return to it often throughout the year as a reference source for all manner of vintage items one might encounter in a Sears catalogue. It is, however, at Christmas when I most find myself spending hours flipping through the (virtual) pages of the old Wish Books on that site, imagining the countless people, both children and the young at heart alike, who poured over these Wish Books when they were brand new, fantasizing about the Christmas gifts they most wanted to both give and receive alike.


{No matter your ages, there was always something in the Sears Wish Book that was bound to catch your eye. These lovely tie neck jersey blouses from the pages of the 1945 catalogue might have found themselves on the lists of both mom and big sis alike.}


As the Christmas season descends upon us, I thought this weekend would be the perfect date to post this entry, giving you a few weeks to immerse yourself in these wonderful old catalogues, daydreaming that you could still stock your letters to Santa with items from their pages. If you also look back affectionately at thoughts of the Sears Wish Book, I would love to hear about your Christmas catalogue memories.

Saturday Snapshots {November 21, 2009}

“Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us.” ~ Henri Matisse

{The sharpness of this shot is what ropes in your attention first, but milliseconds later you realize that you’re even more enamoured with the refined beauty and definitive grace that radiates forth from the strikingly lovely young women in this classic 1940s portrait.}



{A mother keeps watch over her three young sons as they tuck into pink balls of cotton candy, in this shot for which no background information is provided. Given the setting and the crowd in the background, I tend to think they might have been enjoying a fun day out the county fair or a carnival that was in town for the weekend.}



{Here a lone trouser wearing woman reaches out gingerly to feed an elk (or is it a reindeer?) who just happens to sport a rather impressive set of antlers. Though no information is given for this shot, I’d venture to guess it’s from the 50s and was probably taken a zoo or animal park of some sort, judging by the tall wire fence separating the two.}



{Though your eye may naturally gravitate towards the woman pushing her bike up this bustling street in Copenhagen, Denmark, there is a trove of assorted sights to see in this lovely city scene image from 1955.}



{Dashingly good looking and dressed to the nines, a handsome young man and his beautiful date (don’t you just adore her pink halter neck dress?) pose on the sidewalk (perhaps in front of one of their homes) before heading off to senior prom is this terrific colour shot that I’d peg to be from the 50s.}



{No people fill this shot, yet is seems to be every bit as alive as if they had, for the sophisticated, artfully presented furniture in this gorgeous 1937 living room seems to take on a chic life of its own the more you stare at this delightful vintage home decor image.}



{A love-struck young couple steal a smooch atop the pavement of what appears to be a tennis court; she in an alluring zebra print bikini, he in a pair of swim trucks, both of them looking as though they could have stepped right of a 50s or early 60s surfer film.}



{A preciously adorable, curly fur covered white poodle almost seems to be smiling or laughing playfully for the camera, as he (or she) sits atop a metal chair (though it almost looks to be a children's slide or even a lifeguard’s seat) adorned with cute images of Charlie Brown.}



{Seated closely around a table in a busy eatery, a group of young women, circa 1956, tuck into their meals while visiting the Hollywood Farmer’s Market in LA. While this shot is terrific for many reasons, it was the unconventional expression of the gal sipping her carton of milk through a straw that really made this photo memorable for me.}



{From the narrow street lined on both sides with (now vintage) autos to the snow slicked sidewalks, from her dainty pearl necklace to the whimsically sweet dear motif on her sweater, there is nothing about this wonderful and understatedly elegant photograph that I don’t love immensely.}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


Thick fog like grey marshmallow fluff hung heavy in the air through part of the week, yet it broke today and a trickle of sunlight rapidly waltzed across the living room through the half-drawn shades for a brief while. So too, as Matisse – that brilliant magician of colour, peer of Picasso, creator of myriad remarkable pieces – insightfully points out, can the thick cloud that is the contrast worries, doubts, and stresses that perpetually surround us as we venture onwards, also be parted by the light we create from how we love our lives.

In a way this message – as so many do – ties back to fact that we often have the ability to mastermind a very sizable percentage of our personal level of joy. Of course there will always be grey days, tempests, and fogs that only time itself can part. Yet within every person this world has ever known, lies the ability to seek out and embrace sufficient happiness so that you can always shine enough of a light ahead to see the next step on the journey of life.

Following up on two hairstyling product questions

A few days ago I posted about the fact that my brand new, never before used set of hot rollers was acting oddly. Upon plugging it in for the first time, it began to smell quite noticeably and even emitted a tiny whiff of smoke! Apprehensive to continue heating up the set, I turned it off immediately and consulted my deeply knowledgeable readership about hot to proceed instead. Many of you offer up terrific ideas and help (including finding a contact number for the company for me), which I greatly appreciate.

I took all of your suggestions to heart and, armed with our fire extinguisher – lest the worst should happen, I tried heating up my hot roller set again (in a less draft prone part of my apartment, in case the smoke had actually been a puff of steam the first time around), and while I didn’t see in any smoke, after just a couple minutes a harsh chemical scent became instantly noticeable. I turned the set off and decided right then and there that’s its going back.

The odour that was produced just doesn’t seem normal to me, it almost smells like the rollers themselves are burning, though when I touched one, it hadn’t even gotten very warm yet (the instructions said to heat up the set for ten minutes, it was plugged in for all of about two). Yes indeed, the hot rollers are getting tucked back in their box and returned to Shoppers the very next time I need to head over there. Hopefully the next set of hot rollers I try out with work like sans any such issues!

Delving a bit further back, in September I wrote about my perpetually ongoing quest to find plastic and/or entirely nickel free bobby pins (as I’m immensely allergic to nickel). Then as with this past week, I was touched deeply to receive a slew of very helpful suggestions and ideas as to where to look for such a product (which oddly, does not seem to be mass marketed these days).

At least two of my wonderful readers provided me with eBay links to packages of plastic bobby pins (one vintage, one modern) that were listed at the time, and I’m thrilled to report that I was able to bring one of them home. (The other auction had ended before I got to it and my messages to the seller, to see if they possibly had other packages, went unanswered.)

The package of plastic bobby pins I got from eBay hails from the 1950s and contains a handful of pink plastic bobby pins that are a bit shorter and wider than the usual metal varieties. These points don’t detract from their effectiveness in the least though, and I’m happy to say they work like a charm.


{The eBay auction photo for the first set of vintage plastic bobby pins that I won there after turning to you guys for help. I love both them – and the delightfully cute backing they came on – so very much. Huge thanks for helping me find these!}

Through my own ongoing search I’ve also found another pack on eBay, which I just won a few days ago (they haven't arrived yet). These plastic hair grips are vintage as well, though they appear to be black and a little longer than the pink ones. They weren’t the cheapest things ever, but as with the other plastic vintage bobby pins I already have, I figure if I treat them with kid gloves, they should last me quite a while.

However, bobby pins by their very nature are rarely the longest lasting of items, so I’m going to keep searching eBay, etsy and elsewhere frequently for other packages (modern or vintage) of plastic grips. Having found some now though, I can’t begin to tell you how much happier my sensitive skin is! Finally I can put up my hair and not have the knowledge looming in the back of my mind that I’m going to develop a rash (contact dermatitis, to be exact). I have a number of “challenges” when it comes to styling my hair (insanely sensitive skin that makes using almost any hairstyling product impossible, my nickel allergy, super fine/thin hair, etc), but being able to banish one of them from my mind is a huge relief.

Thank you again so very much to all those who helped me in my search to find plastic bobby pins and to those who provided your very useful impute about the hot roller set. You’re all the best, and I love knowing that if and when future hair related quandaries pop up, I can turn to you!

Wishing you each a marvelous weekend – and many happy hair days of your own!