The Most Impressive Vintage Item You Wanted but Could Not Afford?

[Chas]

It's a tie for me.

(1)A 1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible. Burgundy red with a cream-colored top. Ironically, now that I'm settled financially I could probably swing it but the car and the moment have passed beyond my sight. Alas.

(2) A massive collection of 1930's-50's boxing memorabilia; poster-portraits of the great boxers of the era- the kind that used to hang in boxing gyms. I found it in an antique mall somewhere south of Seattle and there were portraits, numerous boxes of candid photos etc. There was one of Jake LaMotta jogging with his trainer wearing a cable-knit sweater and wingtip shoes; a signed portrait of Joe Louis. The whole shebang was going for over $15k and the seller (whose dad was a trainer) wouldn't sell single items, only the whole collection en masse. I hope that it went to a museum.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

An M1 Carbine that had come from Alcatraz.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The entire surviving archive of the Audio-Scriptions broadcast transcription library. Founded by Ezekiel Rabinowitz of New York in 1934, Audio-Scriptions was the "clipping bureau of the air," and recorded every talk, speech, and address by any public figure so that it could offer them copies for a fee. The original recordings were kept, preserving the single most impressive archive of 1930s public-affairs broadcasting in existance. The company went out of business in the late 1940s, and the whereabouts of its archive was unknown until I was approached in 2001 by someone who had crates full of mysterious aluminum records in their garage and wanted to know what to do with them. He sent me a listing, and when I got up off the floor, I offered him, I think, $1500 for the lot -- not for profit, but to preserve them. He didn't think that was enough and ended up donating them to the Library of Congress for a tax write off.

 

[1930artdeco]

Hey since money is no object, I would like a clipper. Of course I would have to start my own business flying people to Hawaii in 1930's class and style.

Mike

 

[Shangas]

My family heirlooms. Specifically, my grandfather's chopsticks, bound Chinese encyclopedia, and the steamer-trunk with which he came to Malaya from Singapore in the 1920s.

If not that, then I would love a...a...a...Oooh there's too many things to name!!

 

[Fading Fast]

About eight years ago walking by an antique store, I saw a two-foot-high statue / figure of a man in 1930s attire. He looked straight out of the advertising (think "Apparel Arts") of the time: he had an exaggerated square jaw, aquiline nose, blue eyes, blonde hair and was wearing a full cut three piece tan suit, a shirt with a collar bar and tie, wingtips and a fedora - all very Florida resort and all very tactile to fabric texture despite being done in plaster. The store owner told me they called him "Palm Beach Man" and that he was an in-store haberdashery display piece from the 1930s. He cost $5000. I have never spent a tenth of that on a decorative item or an antique and the price was so beyond my range of acceptability that I never really considered it. That said, I did think about it at the time and have ever since. I guess I'm glad I didn't buy it because I just can't see spending $5000 dollars on a display item (and I really didn't want my depression-era Dad to have to rise up from his grave and kill me for being stupid with money), but I think about it all the time, which says something.

 

[Shangas]

Antiques shops are the dens of addiction for us. We all see things that we cannot have. I have seen beautiful things in antiques shops which I could never afford. Desks, writing slopes, chairs, things made of ivory, and other such items. It is a real wrench to pull yourself away...I wish I could buy those things.

One thing that I would love is a striking and chiming clock, pendulum clock mantle clock or one of those cute brass carriage clocks. I think that they are really cool.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Keep an eye out and one will turn up, and most of them will come back to life with just a good cleaning and oiling of the movement. The Seth Thomas "Sonora Chime" clocks of the 1900-1915 period are still easy to find, and were very well made.

 

[Edward]

I'd love something connected to Bogart's films.... in particular, the actual bird from the Maltese Falcon. Also, a nice deco motorcycle, and a matching scooter. and the Gatsby House. And Oakley Court Hotel. And a penthouse in Florin Court. and....

 

[Smithy]

This:

...or this:

...or this:

 

[AntonAAK]

I'd love something connected to Bogart's films.... in particular, the actual bird from the Maltese Falcon.

Me too. This baby here. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/maltese-falcon-statue-sells-eye-660048

 

[Panadora]

A home would probably be at the top of the list, but ...


HDMY Dannebrog (A540) - 1932

 

[Horace Debussy Jones]

A 16th century Flemish painting, perhaps by Pieter Breugel.

 

[Seraph1227]

A 1934 Ford V8, they're going for over 50 large fully restored. I could buy one, but wouldnt live to enjoy it

 

[GHT]

Back in the early 1960's, here in the UK, we went through a period of monumental change. A third of our rail system was ripped up, most of it lost forever. Some to industrial building, other's to new homes, but some, just a few, were retained. We have a series of heritage railways now, run mostly by volunteers. One or two track beds were retained too. These became bridleways, footpaths and off road cycle paths.

And, scattered around our country, one or two of the old stations have been painstakingly restored. It might be fifty years or more since the last train left, but visiting one of these restored stations, you wouldn't know it.

A few years ago, my wife and I went to the wedding of one of her ambulance collegues, their nuptials were held at one such station, in the delightful Hampshire village of Horsebridge. At the station of the same name. How I covet that home, how it brings out the sin of envy in me. How jealous I am. When money is no object:
Horsebridge Station will be mine.

 

[Fading Fast]

Back in the early 1960's, here in the UK, we went through a period of monumental change. A third of our rail system was ripped up, most of it lost forever. Some to industrial building, other's to new homes, but some, just a few, were retained. We have a series of heritage railways now, run mostly by volunteers. One or two track beds were retained too. These became bridleways, footpaths and off road cycle paths.

And, scattered around our country, one or two of the old stations have been painstakingly restored. It might be fifty years or more since the last train left, but visiting one of these restored stations, you wouldn't know it.

A few years ago, my wife and I went to the wedding of one of her ambulance collegues, their nuptials were held at one such station, in the delightful Hampshire village of Horsebridge. At the station of the same name. How I covet that home, how it brings out the sin of envy in me. How jealous I am. When money is no object:
Horsebridge Station will be mine.

That is a fantastic looking place. I am usually unmoved by weddings held at historic places as, to me, the wedding usually seems overwhelmed and diminished by the venue, but in this case, owing to the simple charm of the station, the wedding and station look in perfect harmony.

And, then, take away the wedding and you have an incredibly charming station.

My best wishes to you - I hope you get it one day.

 

[Shangas]

I'd love something connected to Bogart's films.... in particular, the actual bird from the Maltese Falcon. Also, a nice deco motorcycle, and a matching scooter. and the Gatsby House. And Oakley Court Hotel. And a penthouse in Florin Court. and....

If I had anything connected with bogart, it would be Sam's piano!!

 

[Talbot]

 

[Stearmen]

I thought about it a lot, then I realized, it's a no brainier, Fire Station No. 2! Unfortunately, if it ever did come up for sale, I'm sure it would be out of my price range. Still, there isn't a week that goes by, that I don't go past it!

 

[1mach1]

One of these, please.