The Mad Men Influence: Part Deux

The season finale of Mad Men was Sunday night and it did not disappoint... except for the fact that it was the season finale and 13 episodes a season is just not enough. The detail and intricacies that the Mad Men directors and producers pay to the 1960's era is phenomenal - the props department on that set has to be a mid-century modern junkers dream! It is without a doubt the best show on television. Of course, I might be blinded by Jon Hamm's suave demeanor!

I did a little junking last week. And I noticed that two of my best finds were, in fact, mid century modern. Both of these would work well on the set of Mad Men, I am sure! Thursday, I went to the big city of Sedalia to run errands. There is an antique store there, Chelsea's Antiques, that I like to frequent. It is in a historic building downtown and crammed full of vintage treasures. One of my favorite things is the "Treasure Box" that sits outside. Everything in it is $1 a piece. I must say that this box has never failed me - I always find at least one thing to take home with me. This particular visit I found this Zenith Model K725 FM/AM radio. It has the original sticker on the bottom and the last date on it is 1951! It is near mint condition except for a little crack. Chelsea said she couldn't guarantee it would work and I said it was more about the look than the function for me anyway but guess what? It does work! Bonus!

 On Friday, I went to an auction. It has been a long, long time since I have gone to an auction and after this one, I remember why it has been so long... auctions take forever and most things don't go for cheap. I will be sticking to flea markets, antique stores, estate sales, and garage sales from now on - instant gratification is what I'm all about, I guess. I did manage to pick up a couple of items, though. The first is this fabulous travel bar. It was made by Ever-Wear and is just too cool. It was in the bottom of a heap of junk on a flatbed that was going to be passed over. Oh, no it's not! I love travel and I love bars so this will be perfect! I got this gem for $3. It is in the original case with all the original jiggers, plate, spoon, cups, and the fantastic Bakelite handled opener. And there is room for 3 bottles of liquor. My favorite part? The metal tag inside the case with the Trav-L Bar figure! My other purchase was a stack of vintage 1970's cloth napkins - around 50 of them in various designs for $3. I guess it was a $3 day.

Where have you been lately? Have you picked up a treasure that you just love? Even with the onset of cooler weather, there are bargains to be had if you keep looking!