Tip Top Tins

I can't seem to put a good tin down recently, so here are just a few of my vintage finds from the past few weeks.

There's just something about their retro patterns and vintage style of illustration that gives each of these tins their very own personality.

Many tins are very hard to place, however some are stamped. The orange biscuit tin (above back) dates from the 1960s and was produced by Baret Ware, whereas the festive Christmas cake tin is stamped Regency Ware, but I'm unsure of the date. The two blue beauties below are a three-tier and single cake tin from the same range but I am unsure of their date and origin.

Luckily, our jolly Harlequin tin below is marked 'James Pascall, Mitcham, Surrey'. Pascall used to work for Cadbury's before setting up his own sweet shop with his brother in 1866. No doubt this wonderful tin once contained his famous fruit Bonbons! Find out more about Pascall here.

There are many sites that sell similar tins, so if you're keen to get your hands on some, here are a few of my favorite: H is for Home and Wooden Donkey.

Alternatively, leave a comment and make me an offer :-)

Holm Sweet Cathrineholm

Without doubt, my favourite things to find are these elegantly designed enamel wares from Cathrineholm.

So simple and stylish, with the most thoughtful use of colour, there's something so endearing about them that this Lotus pattern is being snapped up by me and many other collectors alike everywhere.

These little finds were designed by Grete Prytz Kittelsen (born Oslo, Norway in 1917). She's renowned for her stainless steel and enamel work with Cathrineholm of Norway which started its production of enamel in 1907. Grete’s patterns and designs were a major influence on Scandinavian design in the forties and fifties, many of which won her numerous prestigious awards.

Unfortunately, these are now becoming increasingly difficult to find, but places like hisforhome and Wooden Donkey have a wonderful selection. Drop by and say hello. They're a lovely bunch.

If you enjoy Cathrineholm just as much as me, visit the 'Lovers of Cathrineholm Design' Flickr group here. Or, if you've got a collection, top it off with this fantastic poster from Handz's Etsy shop here:

Thank You Dieter Kunzemann.

I love to buy and sell bits I find. But over time numerous people have told me I have a knack for finding specific things they collect. And it all started with this Dieter Kunzemann (DK) jug.

I bought this from a Car Boot Sale last summer. After my usual research I found that DK was born near Leipzig, East Germany in 1928. He trained with his father-in-law, country potter Chris Harris, producing numerous sgraffitto decorated wares in the late 60s and 70s before his work with Coldstone Pottery and this, his green series. His stamp is a simple DK:

I soon sold it on ebay to someone who was just starting a collection of Dieter Kunzemann pottery. But not two weeks had gone by before I found this rare cheese dish...

 Then, last month I stumbled across this snack tray (it's huge! 16" long)...

I sold all three to the same collector and have been keeping my eye out ever since. I've also been inspired to start this blog.

So Thank you Dieter Kunzemann.

If there's anything you collect, tweet me at @things_i_find or leave a comment below and I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Ice Cool.

This morning I ventured out to my first Car Boot Sale of 2011 and found one of these ice cool Crayonne ice buckets.

After a bit of digging on Google, I found that this sleek, stylish and beautifully simple design, was part of a collection by Crayonne called 'Input' ABS Plastic series: Designed by Martin Roberts & Conrad Associates (UK) in 1973.

The 'Input' series won the UK Living Award for Good Design in 1974 and the Ice Bucket 'Input 14' of the series is present on the NewYork MOMA collection website HERE

 Can't wait to find all these other colours!

Drumbo the Elephant.

I recently picked up these Drumbo elephants from the 'trunk' of a car at Stratford Racecourse's weekly car boot. 

They're plastic money boxes designed by Luigi Colani in the 1960s for Germany's Dresdner Bank. They come in three sizes and four colour variants: Green, Yellow, Orange and Red.

Buy it here.