Painted Milk Can

As the weekend arrives, Havre de Grace is excited to be celebrating two ‘firsts’ this Saturday. From 1-5pm is the GRAVITY Youth Event at the Lock House Museum. From 3-8pm is our first Upper Chesapeake Bay PRIDE EVENT at the Concord Point Park (by the light house).

We encourage you to enjoy these events… but please make time to stop in and say ‘hi.’ Chat with George about his ‘Collection of Collections!’

This beautiful handpainted milk can would brighten up a special spot in your home. It’s from Witchwood Farm, which we believe is in New Jersey.

Stop in and see this for yourself. It just might be that special item you’ve been looking for. And yes, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Digitabulist

… collecting thimbles

When was the last time you looked at a thimble? I fondly recall my grandmother’s sewing basket and the wonderful array of thimbles it held. There were porcelain ones with images of little dogs, beautifully crafted metal thimbles with intricate designs, and a very special one that featured the name of a long-ago general store which my grandparents frequented.

from AntiqueTrader.com
Collecting thimbles
Thimbles – metal to porcelain

Yes, a ‘digitabulist’ is a collector of thimbles!

In the past, thimbles were popular advertising vehicles, especially in American culture.

Along the band of some thimbles, logos, company names and even political parties or candidates were featured. In fact, political thimbles came on the scene in 1920, the very same year the 19th Amendment was ratified — guaranteeing women the right to vote.

from AntiqueTrader.com

Interested in starting a ‘tiny collection’? It won’t take much room but could really be interesting. CLICK HERE for a ‘How to’ from WikiHow.

Collecting Thimbles
Many thimbles were advertisements!

We invite you to stop by and see the ‘tiny thimbles’ we have. Yep, we’ll be watching for ya!

Gingerbread or Mantle?

Tic Toc Tic Toc

This 1920s Gingerbread carved clock with chimes is a beauty.

This Linco mantle clock from the 30s could use a little “tlc” … but you’ll find it very worthwhile. The chimes of this wind-up clock are simply beautiful.

Mantle Clock

If you’re interested in a wonderful clock, stop by Bahoukas and see what we have. If it needs repairs or ‘beautified’, we highly recommend the very capable artisans at Stephens & Stephens Clocks. They’re right here in Havre de Grace and have a long history of restoring and repairing clocks. They’ve worked for some very prestigious customers.

Stop in today. If you love the sound of the clock chimes, ask George to let you listen to the beautiful Linco mantle clock. Yep, we’re always watchin’ for ya!

Collectibles and Flowers…

a perfect combination

Create a setting with a few flowers and an old pitcher.

Then sit down and enjoy…

A tiny pitcher with a sprig of tiny flowers makes a wonderful collectible arrangement.

Now you can sit down and begin your novel…

Inspiration…

Noticing these shelves with a mix and match of old vases and pitchers are what inspired this post. With summer fast approaching, flowers from your garden or picked while walking a country path make a wonderful arrangement in an old, collectible vase.

What collections do you have?

A simple bouquet of flowers from your garden and “VOILA!” – a perfect bit of summer on your table, bookshelf, or window sill.

This beautiful swan vase looks absolutely stunning with these flowers.

Stop in to Bahoukas Antique Mall today. You’ll find a dizzying array of collectibles to display your summer flowers. Pitchers, bowls, glass jars, vases, and so much more are waiting for you to choose a couple to take home! And of course, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Wednesday Surprise Box #8

Camping? Picnics?

Silverware to add to your camping/picnic gear!

STOP digging silverware out of the garbage!

No need to worry about losing it. Silverware perfect for Camping.

Are you always losing your silverware at picnics or when you’re camping out?

We have a couple of surprise boxes that will give you what you need while making concerns about losing it a non-issue! Seriously, extra serving pieces and/or settings will allow you to quit worrying if you lose a piece.

From serving spoons, to knife, fork, and spoon settings, we can help. Stop in anytime to find the extra pieces you need. We make it easy for you to quit worrying about losing silverware at the camp site.

Yep, we’re here at Bahoukas Antique Mall and Beer MuZeum. And you already know, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Mother’s Day Ideas #2

Beautiful Cookbooks!

Cookbooks – just arrived!

These cookbooks just arrived last week. They are beautiful, in excellent condition, and would make a most wonderful gift for the mom in your life who loves food and loves cooking. (Who doesn’t!?!?)

There are others in the store, too. So stop by soon. We think these beautiful choices will go fast.

Remember, Mother’s Day is THIS SUNDAY!

Yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Easter Bunnies

Look What We Found On Our Shelves!

Families of Easter Bunnies – need a home!

Look what we discovered sitting on a shelf. These delightful Easter bunnies of assorted sizes are sure to make someone’s Holiday … well, just super special. Stop in soon and see for yourself. We’ll keep lookin’ for more hidden gems while we’re waitin’ for ya! Bahoukas Antique Mall in historic downtown Havre de Grace is ready to say, “Welcome!”

Vintage Easter

…a few beautiful items for the collector in you

vintage Easter items including vintage paper

We have a few very special vintage collectibles that you might want to add to a collection…

Easter Eggs and Little Lamps

Here we have a couple glass/porcelain eggs and lamb decorations. Collectible and so cute!

Decorative Eggs Come in all Sizes

These very collectible decorative eggs might just be the perfect addition to a very special Easter basket or a unique Easter decoration.

So come on in and see if one or two of these wonderful vintage Easter collectibles is perfect for your celebration. Yep, you know we’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Beautiful Decorated Eggs

Celebrate Easter ~ Celebrate Spring

Beautiful Pysanky Decorated Eggs

Beautiful decorated eggs have a long history.

 “In pre-Christian days, eggs were associated with many different springtime rites,” says Lubow Wolynetz, curator of folk art at the Ukrainian Museum in New York City and the Ukrainian Museum and Library in Stamford, CT. “In Ukraine, for example, people were an agricultural society. A late or cold spring had an impact on crops, so people attempted to harness the power of the sun to bring about the resurrection of nature.”

And what reminds you of the sun? An egg with its bright yellow center and the life that springs from it, says Wolynetz. Many cultures throughout Europe embraced the idea that eggs had life-giving associations. In Ukraine, people began the practice of “writing” the eggs, called pysanky (from the word pysaty, meaning “to write”). They adorned them with symbols such as the sun, a triangle, or lines that encircle the egg. 

from CountryLiving.com

And just how are these beautiful eggs created?

Pysanky eggs are hand-drawn creations — first in pencil using guidelines to section off an egg into a grid pattern, and then with detail within the grid. Afterwards, pencil lines are covered with beeswax and layered with colors of dye, similar to the batik work done on fabric.
 
But the intricacy of the design is not what makes a pysanka beautiful. Even simple patterns can be just as striking as detailed ones. The key to a beautiful traditional pysanka is symmetry and precision (although symmetry does not always play a role in contemporary patterns). By precision, I mean that the design is drawn within a grid that has been laid out meticulously, usually with a tape measure. If a pysanky is only divided in half, each half will measure exactly the same. Similarly, in quadrants, each will measure exactly the same. The entire design, whether simple or detailed, depends on these first measurements to be exact. This is especially important if the egg will be very intricate! 

from MarthaStewart.com

The early spring tradition became a beautiful Easter tradition.

For Christians, the Easter egg is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Painting Easter eggs is an especially beloved tradition in the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches where the eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross. Easter eggs are blessed by the priest at the end of the Paschal vigil and distributed to the congregants. The hard shell of the egg represents the sealed Tomb of Christ, and cracking the shell represents Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Moreover, historically Christians would abstain from eating eggs and meat during Lent, and Easter was the first chance to eat eggs after a long period of abstinence. (Orthodox Christians continue to abstain from eggs during Lent.)

Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions. An egg hunt involves hiding eggs outside for children to run around and find on Easter morning. Eggs are rolled as a symbolic re-enactment of the rolling away of the stone from Christ’s tomb. In the United States, the Easter Egg Roll is an annual event that is held on the White House lawn each Monday after Easter.

from HuffPost.com

Visit our FB page and let us know what your Easter Egg Traditions might be. Do you hide eggs for the family to find on Easter morning? Is it a family event to color Easter eggs?

Be sure to stop by and see these beautiful pysanky eggs. We don’t have many, but they are beautiful. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Deviled Egg Plates

… from Roman Days to Southern Tradition

Serving deviled eggs at picnics and cocktail parties may have been de rigueur in post-World War II America, but these classic creamy concoctions did not originate in the United States. Although they weren’t prepared the same way, the roots of modern-day deviled eggs can be traced back to ancient Rome, where eggs were boiled, seasoned with spicy sauces and then typically served at the beginning of a meal—as a first course known as gustatio—for wealthy patricians.

from HISTORY.com
beautiful egg plates just in time for Easter
Just a few of our beautiful egg plates in time for Easter celebrations.

We have a nice variety of egg plates to serve those delicious deviled eggs after they’re all discovered from their hiding places on Easter Sunday. Knowing that the deviled egg goes back to Roman Days, you’ll be proud to serve this wonderful tradition on these gorgeous plates.

By the 13th century…

… stuffed eggs began to appear in Andalusia, in what is now Spain. An anonymous cookbook from this time period instructs the reader to pound boiled egg yolks with cilantro, onion juice, pepper and coriander and then beat them with murri (a sauce made of fermented barley or fish), oil and salt. After stuffing the mixture into the hollowed egg whites, the two halves were then fastened together with a small stick and peppered.


from HISTORY.com

But history is one thing. How we love deviled eggs and the beautiful plates we serve them on… well, that’s another thing!

No other Southern food, not barbecue, not fried chicken, elevates the dish upon which it is served.
But the deviled egg does.

from OurState.com

According to OurState.com – Since 2000 Fiesta Ware has introduced egg plates…

There are egg plates for anyone’s taste. They come in an Easter-egg array of colors: cobalt blue, marigold, persimmon, sunflower, plum, scarlet, tangerine. They’re made of milk, Carnival, or Depression glass. Trimmed in gold or silver. And shaped like Easter bunnies, Christmas trees, butterflies, watermelons, ladybugs, hearts, geese, wreaths, pigs, shamrocks.

from OurState.com

We invite you to stop in and see what we have in our collection. Make your deviled eggs the ‘talk of the party’ when you present your favorite deviled egg recipe on a beautiful plate. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Spring brings summer fabrics!

Need an iron?

Irons from this century

These irons might look familiar to you. Well, maybe to your mom and dad. Electric irons make your cotton clothes look sharp and pressed!

Although clothes made of ‘permanently pressed’ fabrics made needing an iron less necessary, there are still folks who like ‘that perfect crease.’

quite hard to date these slickers, sleekstones’, slickenstones, in german language, glättstein gniedelstein, gniddelstein, grindstein
these glass iron smoothers are believed to have served as a pressing iron. The earliest linen smoothers date from the Viking to the Middle Ages, and the latest were made in the 18th century.

from Roman Glass Makers

Do you know what this is? Is what they call a linen-smoother made from very slick stone. They were used from the days of the Vikings through the Middle Ages and into the 18th century. Who would have guessed!

The forebears to modern electric irons, these flat irons are often triangular or come to a point to make it easier to iron around buttons. The heft of a sad iron would help it hold heat, as well as to press the fabric flat. To protect fabric and surfaces from singeing, sad irons often came with metal trivets to rest on, and these are often-beautiful, intricate, and collectible examples of metalwork that were made in a myriad of designs.

The earliest metal flat irons were forged by blacksmiths in the Middle Ages. These were heated on an open fire or a stove, and the metal handles had to be grasped with a thick potholder, rag, or glove. Women had to be careful not to track soot or ash on the clothing they were ironing.

from Collectors Weekly
flat irons often filled with hot coals or heated on a coal or wood stovetop

Of course, they can be cleaned up and used as a bookend, a doorstop, or just a unique item for your decor that is most certain to be a ‘conversation piece!’

Stop in today and check these out (even if you have no intention of ironing your summer clothes)! We’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Cast Iron Banks & Figures

… always an intriguing collectible

Cast Iron Banks and Figures

Rise of the middle class…

Mechanical banks were first manufactured in the late 1800s, as the middle class emerged and grew in prosperity during the Industrial Revolution. Hence, the concept of earning and saving money became more and more important, particularly as a value to impart to children. At the same time, Victorian Era tinkerers were experimenting with mechanical technology, including spring-driven and windup devices.

The era also saw a shift in how toys were made. Originally crafted out of wood and cloth, more and more toys were fabricated out of cast-iron and mass-produced in factories, giving their adult creators a chance to express their commentaries on daily life.

fromCollectorsWeekly

At Bahoukas, we have a variety of antique and reproduction cast iron figures and banks. Stop in to see us and add one to your collection. Absolutely, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Need a Pack Basket?

Basket Backpack – Adirondack

Basket Backpack

This unique basket backpack needs an owner.

It was sitting on a high shelf and we just realized it was up there. It has many possibilities:

  • Picnic Basket
  • Use when fishing
  • Trappers Basket
  • Foraging for Mushrooms
  • Gather produce from your garden
  • Even a Laundry Basket

Have an idea that might make this basket useful to you? Stop by and see it soon. We only have one! Yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Edison’s Genius

Edison’s Gramophone 1912-1914

Beautiful Edison Gramophone 1912-1914

Bahoukas Antique Mall has a beautiful 1912-1914 Edison Gramophone with a selection of wax cylinders. It’s a beautiful piece. Edison had a wonderful view of the many uses that would benefit society that included dictation, recorded books for the blind, music boxes, and others.

Another view of the beautiful Edison Gramophone available at Bahoukas.

One use was to have music available for soldiers, that gave them a taste of home through familiar music. Though not considered by Edison, he welcomed the opportunity to acknowledge the sacrifice of American and Allied Nation’s soldiers in WWI. You can listen to Edison here:

Edison speaking public on a phonograph – 1917

Edison Invents the Phonograph 

Many of the uses Edison suggested for the phonograph have become a reality, but there were others he hadn’t imagined. For example, the phonograph allowed soldiers to take music off to war with them. In 1917, when the U.S. became involved in World War I, the Edison Company created a special model of the phonograph for the U.S. Army. This basic machine sold for $60. Many Army units purchased these phonographs because it meant a lot to the soldiers to have music to cheer them and remind them of home. This is an audio clip of Edison himself in which he expresses his pride in the soldiers and reminds Americans of the enormous sacrifice and contribution made by the other allied nations. 

from AmericasLibrary.com

Stop in soon and see this beautiful Edison Gramophone. We have others as well as newer model phonographs/record players. You do know the records are coming back – right? Well, we’ll be watchin’ for you!

Cast Iron Door Knockers

and their interesting history

… the history of door knockers begins several thousand years ago in Ancient Greece.

Greeks were a bit picky about unannounced visits to their dwellings, and it was considered a breach of etiquette to enter without warning.


Where Spartans would simply shout their arrival, the more sophisticated Athenians preferred to use a door knocker.

from Five Minute History

Doors had replaced hangings to provide better safety and privacy, and upper-class Greeks had slaves whose sole purpose was to answer the door.


It’s a bit like having a butler, but one that was chained to the door to prevent them wandering off. If they didn’t die of boredom, they’d fall asleep, and so to wake them up, visitors rapped the door with a short bar of iron attached to a chain.


from Five Minute History

It wasn’t long before some Greeks realized the short bar made a good weapon with which to attack the householder. So property owners fought back with new technology.


The knocker evolved into a heavy ring fastened to the door by a plate—dual purpose knocker and handle!


from Five Minute History


One of the most enduring themes for knockers has been the lion’s head.
Traditionally regarded as the king of beasts, the lion’s head symbolizes bravery, nobility, strength, and valor.


Lion’s head knockers were popular in the American colonies up until the revolution when the Eagle took precedence.


from Five Minute History

So we encourage you to visit Bahoukas and take a peek at these wonderful cast iron door knockers.

They’re really fun and will most certainly have your guests stop and enjoy! Yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Tiny Bubbles…

oops.. Bottles!

tiny bottles are great for creating your very personal tiny collection - at Bahoukas in Havre de Grace
Tiny Bottles are so intriguing…

What is it about those tiny bottles we find in antique stores? So many sizes, shapes, colors, they’re just fascinating.

We have a wonderful collection of tiny bottles.

Shades of blue and clear glass bottles - beautiful on a window sill - Bahoukas in Havre de Grace
Shades of blue glass bottles

This selection has a few larger blue bottles. Can’t you picture them lining a window sill. Maybe you see them with a few wildflowers or a single white stem: a petunia, or a single white rose, or maybe just a beautiful white daisy.

No matter how you use them, tiny bottles make for a wonderful ‘collection’ and add a bit of personality to your home or office. Stop by soon, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Tiny Dogs

We missed these little ones…

Just like skunks, kittens, and birds, tiny dogs are VERY collectible

Earlier in the year, we shared a wonderful selection of tiny collectibles. Somehow we missed these three photos of tiny dogs – all shapes, sizes, breeds. Some look very poised and others are just silly and cute!

Tiny dogs 2

It’s never too late to start your own tiny collection. These cute little 4-legged fur-balls just might create the perfect beginning.

Tiny Dogs 3

Hey, it’s Valentine Day this week. Here’s a thoughtful item to add to their collection. Or maybe you think someone special would like to begin their very own collection. Either way, we’ll be here and, yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!

Wood Tools and

Crocks, Jugs and more

Miscellaneous collectible tools
Collection of Wood Tools and more…

For the woodworker, we have a variety of vintage tools plus a few others. Come check out our collection and see if we’ve got one to add to yours!

very collectible jugs, crocks, bowls and more at Bahoukas
A small portion of our pottery, jugs and crocks!

It’s been awhile since we’ve posted a selection of our crocks and jugs. But we have some beautiful items. In the coming blustery days, if you’re braving the weather, come on by. Yep, We’ll be watchin’ for ya!

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