Author Archives: Alexandra Ray

Restorations: A Vintage GE Radio

Restorations: A Vintage GE Radio

Okay, I’ll admit it – to call this a “restoration” is indeed a bit of a stretch.
But I had a whole thing going on.
So for the sake of continuity, I’m sticking with it.

On a recent thrift trip to my local Goodwill,
I spotted this rad radio.

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At a glance – it looked cool; it appeared to be in great condition – it was six bucks.
But – did it work???
I plugged the cord in to Goodwill’s handy dandy outlets
so conveniently made available in their electronics section and –
it worked!!!

BUT –
I spotted it –
I found the Achilles’ heel.
The radio was missing its volume knob.

Yet, I couldn’t leave the thing behind.
I carried it awkwardly around the store.
(Always grab a cart, folks – take it from me.)
I went back to the electronics section.
I put it back on the shelf.
I picked it up yet again.

I took it home with me.
I was DETERMINED to make it work.

When I got home and plugged the radio in,
I realized the volume was actually stuck at a decent level.
Maybe I could have accepted the radio, flaw and all,
but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I couldn’t stop myself from researching and trying to come up with some sort of a solution.

Eventually, after having researched radio parts (expensive!)
and attempting to brainstorm (more like a brain fog!),
I Googled “Makeshift Radio Knob”.
I found this YouTube video where this dude
replaces his car radio knob using rubber Vacuum Caps.
I wondered if I could apply the same concept to my radio.
I took a trip to AutoZone.
I didn’t know if it would work –
I knew I needed the Vacuum Cap to be considerably long to actually stick out of the radio,
and to get technical – the diameter of the hole on the Vacuum Cap
needed to be approximately two tenths of an inch.
I picked one out randomly,
stuck it in where the radio knob should go,
and voÍla – it fit perfectly.And it WORKS perfectly.
I can achieve background noise.
Or, I can let my neighbors listen in on my radio jam sessions if I ever choose to do so.

That’s all there is to it.
While I can’t claim complete originality for the idea,
I really do think more people need to be aware of this ridiculously easy fix.

There is a solution to every problem.

Antique Mall Haul: September

Antique Mall Haul: September

Well, it’s been a while.
Let’s see if I remember how to do this.

I say it’s been a while – it’s been nearly a year.
But this is honestly the first time since my last post that I actually felt like making another.

I took another trip to the St. Charles Antique Mall recently
(you can read my review of the mall here)
and I thought – “Heck, why not?”
So here I am.
It’s nothing grandiose and this obviously does not concern a new antique mall,
but I did pick up quite a few things and I thought I would share them with you.

Here goes nothing.

For some reason I have recently become fascinated with sconces, of all things.
(Yeah I know, I don’t know why…)

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If you personally know my family,
you may know of our belief in the ultimate superiority of mason jars.
Or perhaps you know we claim the motto that everything is better in a mason jar.
When I saw this Crown mason jar, I was first impressed by its size,
but what really caught my eye was the lid.
Now, I do not believe the jar is original to the lid.
The lid is an antique A&W lid that would have sealed a jar of A&W Root Beer –
around the rim are the words,
“Take home a jar of A&W Root Beer.”
I have a semi-emotional attachment to A&W –
my grandfather used to buy me their mini corn dogs when I was a kid.

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Meet Tommie.

 

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I was stoked to find these NASA patches at the antique mall.
Patches, to me, signify stories. They fascinate me.
I recently went to an Apollo 11 exhibit at the Science Center
and there was a display about patches that explained their meanings
and I was actually absolutely enthralled.
I am enjoying researching these and learning their stories.

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And that’s about it.
Thanks for “voyaging” back to my little piece of the “blogosphere”.

 

 

A Vintage Tradition: To Take a Break

A Vintage Tradition:
To Take a Break

I do not own this image. This image belongs to www.pinterest.com.

As some of you already know,
this blog was, in part,
started as a required project as part of my education.

Now, that does not mean
that I did not have a personal desire
to start the Vintage Voyager blog.

However,
now that this blog is no longer a requirement –
it is no longer something that I have to do –
I am confronted with a decision.

This is what I have decided.

I am going to participate in that age-old tradition
of taking a break.

Especially with the Christmas season approaching,
I will be taking the rest of the month of December,
and perhaps some of if not all of the month of January,
to take this break.

At the end of this time,
I will reevaluate where I stand
and then make the decision of what the future looks like
for the Vintage Voyager blog.

In the meantime,
I wish to thank all of you very much
for your support of me throughout this journey.

I appreciate all of you.

And please allow me to wish you a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sincerely,
Alexandra

A Very Vintage Christmas: Gift Wrapping

A Very Vintage Christmas:
Gift Wrapping

Last night, I went down on Main Street in Saint Charles
for their Christmas Traditions,
where all of Main Street is lit up and decorated for Christmas.

And so,
I have finally started to get into the
“Christmas Spirit”.

And as such, I thought I would share how
I wrap my Christmas presents
in a sort of “vintage” way.

Before I start wrapping presents,
I put my Bing Crosby Christmas vinyl record on my turntable.
I personally can’t take too much Christmas music,
but it is one of my traditions to listen to this album
at least once during the Christmas season
since I was first given my record player
as a Christmas gift years ago.

First of all,
I use brown craft paper to wrap all of my presents.
The good thing about this is that it is
much cheaper
than your typical wrapping paper.
I am able to buy this paper from the dollar store.

Secondly,
I use masking tape instead of regular Scotch tape.
I personally like the look of this tape better than the more typical option.
I do not know how it compares in price –
I just always have a roll lying around.

And thirdly,
once I have wrapped the gift,
I tie it with twine.

I personally like to use twine
because it makes the present look like
a vintage parcel.

However, you can feel free to dress it up in any way you choose.

In the end, you will have a beautiful package.

Would you ever choose to wrap presents in this fashion?

Tell me in the comments!

Antique Mall Haul: November

Antique Mall Haul: November

If you did not read last week’s blog post, do so now.
But don’t forget to come back to read this post!

Below is a picture gallery of all of my purchases
from the antique malls I reviewed
in my last blog post.

Read on to learn more about each item!

I purchased a lighter from
Camp Flea Antique Mall + Vintage Market.
I think I paid too much for this.

Oh well.

If you have been following my blog, you know of
my slight fascination with lighters.

When I went to
Ozark Antiques and Collectables,
I searched the whole place to no avail.
It was only when my friend went to check out
that I saw that the front counter
was actually made up of jewelry cases.
There was a blue and gold something
that was partially covered by other jewelry.

I asked the man behind the counter to show it to me
and beheld much to my pleasure a cameo
that I bought immediately.

And finally, at Yesteryears Antiques & More,
I found a gorgeous
black, white, and gold teacup set.

Best part?
It was 50 percent off.

And that is all folks.

Do you like galleries or slideshows better?

Let me know in the comments.

Mall of the Month: November

Mall of the Month: November

It is time for a new Mall of the Month blog post!
If you missed my first ever Mall of the Month blog post,
you may read it here.

A week ago, I voyaged out to Nixa to meet up with a friend
{shout out to Koty!}
to explore all of the vintage we could find.

The antique mall that I knew
I wanted to check out is called
Camp Flea Antique Mall + Vintage Market.

Camp Flea turned out to be what it claims to be.
It is an antique mall. It is a vintage market.
It was, in my opinion, a pretty even combination,
offering both areas of items that are more
“modern vintage”
and those areas that are more typical of the
“true antique mall.”

The best of both worlds.

Here is the plot twist.
When my friend and I pulled up to
Camp Flea Antique Mall + Vintage Market,
I realized that I had wound up in some sort of
Antique Mall Heaven.

There wasn’t just Camp Flea –
there were two other antique malls steps away from each other.
And so I had a heyday.

The second antique mall I went to was
Ozark Antiques and Collectables.

I think that this was the smallest of the three,
at least from what I experienced.

In my opinion, this was the closest of the three
to the type of place that you can dig.
There are many collections in this place to take a look at.

From what I saw,
and considering what I bought,
I would also say that this place is the mall
with the cheapest prices.

And last but not least, we headed over to
Yesteryears Antiques & More.

My poor friend barely got through this one.

Let’s just say that this is the one antique mall of the three that I would say
is geared more toward the senior crowd.
I would also say that this is the most expensive of the three malls.

However, personally,
this was the antique mall that I believe I enjoyed the most.

Ultimately, I believe that this is a great place to go antiquing!

While these antique malls are so close in proximity,
they each offer something unique from the other.
I think that there is truly something for everyone here,
and I would love to go back one day.

Below is a map of where all three antique malls are located.

Which antique mall would you be most interested in visiting?

Take the poll below!


And don’t forget!
Next week I will share my Mall Haul on the blog!

Want to know what I got
on this antique mall shopping spree?

Come back next week to find out!

The Vintage Voyager’s Collections: Vintage Books

The Vintage Voyager’s Collections:
Vintage Books

Today on the blog
I wanted to do something a bit different
and share with you one of my personal collections.

I decided to share with you some of my vintage books.

Personally, I love books.
They literally hold a place in my heart.
I value them.
Books mean a lot to me.

So when two things that I love –
vintage and books –
are combined as one, that is special.

The book in the above picture is
Dina Cashman
written by Kathleen Norris.

This book is copyrighted 1941.

I love that this book still has its dust cover
and bears an inscription.
I can’t make out all of the inscription,
but what I can make out reads
“Mrs. Dippel, Xmas 1943.”

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Next is my copy of
Of Mice and Men
written by John Steinbeck.

This book is copyrighted 1937.

I was able to purchase this book for three dollars.

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 Thirdly is
The Elements of Reading and Oratory
by Henry Mandeville, D.D.

This book was
“Entered According to Act of Congress, in the year 1849”
as well as in 1850.

This book is not in great condition,
but I love the inscriptions.

The inscription in the back of the book particularly stands out to me.
This was a man’s book for school,
and bears the inscription reading
“Samuel B. Herrington’s Book
Mt. Union Seminary April 20th (?) AD 1854.”

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And finally,
I want to share with you my copy of
Merry Men and Dr. Jekyll
by Robert Louis Stevenson.

This book is copyrighted 1911.

I have never read Merry Men,
however, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
is one of my favorite books.

I love that this book contains a portrait of
Robert Louis Stevenson.

Also, this book still has some uncut pages!

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Do you collect vintage books?

What is your favorite book of all time?

Please tell me in the comments!

Restorations: Antique Crystal Lighter

Restorations:
Antique Crystal Lighter

It was a month or two ago
that I spotted this antique crystal lighter
and knew that I had to have it.

Specifically, I saw a picture of it on
 the Facebook page for the Lutheran Resale Shop of Jennings.

My friend works there,
and so I called her and asked her to hold it for me.

I wound up paying five bucks for it.

When I first got my lighter,
all it would do was give off sparks.

I knew that some restoration would be in order.
With help from my Uncle,

{shout out to UM!}
I learned that since there were sparks,
all I should need to do was to put some lighter fluid in it,
and it would be good to go.

At first, I thought that the fluid would go in to the crystal base.
Turns out I was completely wrong there.

The lighter is actually composed of two parts:
the base and then the actual mechanism that is the lighter.

So, I needed a screwdriver to open up the lighter,
and some lighter fluid.

I also learned that it is the screw in the middle
that must be opened,
not the other that is further off to the left.

When this middle screw is removed,
there will be a white… something.

This is the second thing that threw me off.

But I learned that this is essentially the wick of the lighter,
or rather, it is what absorbs the fluid that leads to the wick
that will allow for the lighter to actually light.

As far as lighter fluid goes, I picked up some
Ronsonol Lighter Fuel
from my local Walgreen’s for around seven bucks.

All I had to do was put a decent amount of
lighter fluid in, and bingo!

Let there be light!

 Do you own one of these things?
Would you be interested in finding one and restoring it yourself?

Let me know in the comments!

BLOOPERS:

Turns out I had a friend join me
during the photography process.

This was before I used my screwdriver as a weapon against him.

But let me assure you
*NO BEETLES WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS BLOG POST*

Vintage Music: A Halloween Playlist

Vintage Music:
A Halloween Playlist

Halloween is upon us.
I celebrate through music.
Halloween is not Halloween without good Halloween music.

So today on the blog, I want to share with you
some of my favorite songs that are ideal for
a vintage Halloween playlist.

{First of all, I must establish the fact
that the information shared on today’s blog post
is verified by Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians
accessed through the Gale Virtual Reference Library,
as well as the Biography in Context section of Gale,
allmusic.com,
and each video comes from YouTube.}

According to Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians,
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
was the man to originally record the song
“I Put a Spell on You”.

This song somewhat stands apart from the others in this playlist, as you will see.
Or hear, rather.

However, this is an essential song that I do not
want to exclude from this playlist.

And so, I am not going to.

Tommy Dorsey recorded the song
“Satan Takes a Holiday”
in August of the year 1937.

https://youtu.be/eITKaaIY1fU

Glenn Miller had his last number one
with his 1944 hit
“That Old Black Magic”.

I don’t think this song would typically
be considered strictly a song for Halloween,
but its title and lyrics go along with our theme
and I absolutely adore Glenn Miller
so in he goes to this playlist.

https://youtu.be/WrV1IvbjNZc

According to allmusic.com,
Duke Ellington recorded “Haunted Nights”
in the year 1929.

https://youtu.be/kxb1y9JInaQ

And finally,
according to the Biography in Context section of Gale,
Artie Shaw recorded the song
“Nightmare” in the year 1938.

This is one of my all-time favorite songs
and it is perfect for a Halloween playlist.

https://youtu.be/22z-JJSd9mA

If you would like,
you may tell me which song you like best from this playlist,
and share with me your favorite Halloween song.

Happy Halloween to you all!

Citations:

Helander, Brock. “Animals, The.” Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, edited by Nicolas Slonimsky and Laura Kuhn, vol. 1, Schirmer, 2001, pp. 90-91. Gale Virtual Reference Library, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=scccld_main&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX3491800435&it=r&asid=5612f193d4896940f2bc9575667a0ad0. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017.

“Dorsey, Tommy (actually, Thomas Francis Jr.).” Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, edited by Nicolas Slonimsky and Laura Kuhn, vol. 2, Schirmer, 2001, pp. 921-924. Gale Virtual Reference Library, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=scccld_main&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX3491803181&it=r&asid=d03462fb9e05b84059085ad91639d85f. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017.

“Miller, (Alton) Glenn.” Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, edited by Nicolas Slonimsky and Laura Kuhn, vol. 4, Schirmer, 2001, pp. 2447-2449. Gale Virtual Reference Library, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=scccld_main&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX3491808766&it=r&asid=48388e2caec74c6ded8b67709cca85b2. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017.

Dahl, Bill. “Screamin’ Jay Hawkins | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links.” AllMusic, AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/screamin-jay-hawkins-mn0000309458.

“Artie Shaw.” Contemporary Musicians, vol. 57, Gale, 2006. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1608004678/BIC1?u=scccld_main&xid=1e7c7d47. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017.

Antique Mall Haul: October


Antique Mall Haul: October

Last week on the blog,
I started the Mall of the Month series.

To go along with that, by way of a follow up,
I want to share some of my finds with you!

So, after every Mall of the Month post,
I thought I would proceed the following week
with an Antique Mall Haul post.

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First of all,
(actually I can’t remember what I picked up first, but I will start here…)
I found this dark green and gold bowl.

Is it chipped?

Yes.

Is it most likely not truly antique or vintage?

Maybe, I honestly don’t know.

But my downfall is
all things dark green and gold,
and so I picked this up to keep some of my jewelry in.

I also picked up this 1986 centennial pin,
which celebrates the 100th year of the
dedication of the Statue of Liberty.

I collect brooches and pins – I liked the colors in this pin,
and the history that it represents.

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Up next, I got this nature magazine from the year 1923.
I mean, how awesome is that?

1923.

I couldn’t pass it up.
It was published in September,
meaning that this magazine just recently turned 94 years old.

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And finally, I almost always pick up some records
when I go to the St. Charles Antique Mall,
because in all honesty they are really cheap
from the booth I get them from.

This record is by some dude named Ace Cannon.

I have no clue who he is.

 But I thought that it was really cool that the record came
with the little labels that you would put in a jukebox.

So, these are my finds!

How do you like this Antique Mall Haul post
as a follow up to my Mall of the Month posts?

Let me know in the comments!