I’m a sucker for serendipity. I asked about coincidences for a giveaway a while ago, and delighted in the comments. And to date, this one is still the best serendipitous moment I’ve ever heard.
Anyway, I’m about to go into major photo shoot mode for book #2, and for the past few months, I’ve been doing some prop scouring. I knew I wanted some vintage-looking ephemera — particularly a film camera — so I’ve been casually browsing through thrift stores and flea markets whenever I could.
I wasn’t having much luck in finding what I had in mind, and one day when I was taking a walk around the neighborhood, I noticed that a bookstore near my house was having a close-out sale. Although I’m a huge aficionado of book shops, this one was dedicated to all things nautical (not my particular interest), and always appeared closed so I had never been inside. I’d sort of suspected it was a front for nefarious activities (given the maritime theme, modern-day pirates, perhaps?). Curious about the sale, I walked in.
They’d already cleared out the books and all that remained were shelves upon shelves and odds and ends that seemed out of place. A baby carriage, for example. The shop had been around for more than a decade, apparently, and the owners loved to collect paraphernalia. But now they were moving out of state, and wanted none of it. And then I saw it: the vintage camera.
As I beelined for the camera, I also spotted wooden spools and awesomely distressed wooden crates. I was smitten with the “Happy Home Brand” crate and snatched it up without hesitation. It pleases me immensely that the box used to contain figs from Seattle (I like to paint figs. In fact, I happened to be doodling some a couple of days ago, which you can see below). The Schwabacher Brothers were enterprising Bavarian-born Jewish merchants that dabbled in various businesses, and in one of their stores, they “sold everything from a needle to an anchor.” My kind of guys.
I’m excited to include my new-to-me camera (and the crate and spools) in the upcoming photo shoots. Right now, it’s resting on the most current draft of my book — 230 pages! I need to finish editing (and cutting a lot out) by next week, and when I look at all those pages, it feels a bit daunting. We’ll see if that sewing I had been looking forward to will actually happen.
But the point is this: you never know where you’ll find the treasures you seek. I certainly didn’t expect to find them in a mysterious bookstore, but that seems appropriate, yes?
It is wonderful! Love it all.
I think these will work rather nicely with the photos I’ve got planned indeed 🙂 Thank you, Greta!
Hi Sanae,
isn’t it amazing that once people used to transport and present figs in a wooden crate? Once the figs were sold, what would they do with all the crates? Do they reuse them? are the repurposed or send back or something? everything was packaged so nicely, think feedsacks and stuff. where have all those things gone? And why someone once thought: ‘ oh those wooden crates are so unpracatical and ugly, lets use sheer plasitc and Cardstock, instead, yeah thats modern!’
i’m afraid i’m sentimental now, sigh.
Greetings from Germany
Marit
I was thinking the same, Marit! What happened to all those boxes?? Back in the day, they must have repurposed and although there are some cool packaging these days, you’re right, the plastic/cardboard combo leaves a lot to be desired :-).
The vintage stuff looks great, Sanae.
Thank you, Asmita! I love stumbling upon just what I was looking for!
Oh, I love it when that happens! Good for you. They are great finds!
Isn’t it the best feeling? I had an ultimate serendipity purchase when I was drooling over a particular mid-century style dining chair on Craigslist a few years ago. They were selling for beaucoup $$, though so I just admired them from afar. Then, not even a week later, I happened to be at a thrift store and saw the very same chairs for $8 a piece! I bought both, and though they’re not the name brand, they’re awesome.
Truly serendipitous – they are all lovely. Can’t wait to see them in your book.
Last year we bought an old wooden dresser, a really beat-up old thing, and when we got it home I opened one of the drawers to discover that it had an improvised divider made from an old section of wooden crate. On it was printed ‘cape cod fillets, product of south africa’. I used to live in cape town… and that little bit of wood made me gasp with delight. Don’t you love lucky coincidences!
Oh, I love the unexpected connection to Cape Town whilst in Australia (that’s where you are, right?)! My husband’s parents live on a street with the name “Cape Cod” in it so I rarely associate cod with South Africa, but that totally makes sense! Thank you, Marisa!