85.00 USD

In a pessimist mood? Read Edgar Saltus's Philosophy of Disenchantment for an interesting perspective on pessimism & misery. The vintage philosophy book makes an interesting counterpoint to the current proliferation of books about happiness and living a contented life.

Originally published in 1885, this edition published in 1925 by Peter Eckler has a beautiful art nouveau designed cover and title page.

I found a small orange scrap of paper inside the book on which someone typed a succinct critical review of the text.

"Mr. Saltus is a scientific pessimist, as witty, as bitter, as satirical, as interesting, and as insolent to humanity as are his predecessors, Schopenhauer and Von Hartmann.

This is an ingratiating account of the pessimism of Schopenhauer, a philosophy, with which it would seem, Saltus is fully in accord. Two-thirds of the book is allotted to Schopenhauer, but the remainder is devoted to an exposition of the teachings of Von Hartmann and a final essay, 'Is Life an Affliction?'"

The book is in good condition. The pages are browned with age but not brittle. The cover shows wear mostly around the edges with fraying at the top and base of the spine, rubbing, bumped corners, and some spotting. Previous owners name in pencil on the front endpaper.

The Philosophy of Disenchantment by Edgar Saltus
Peter Eckler Publishing Company, New York, 1925
235 Pages

Check out my books, records, & paper section for an eclectic selection of interesting titles:
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Happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

28.95 USD

These cute white & gold vintage angel candle huggers will add a touch of whimsy to your holiday table. Popular in the 1950s, candle huggers, or climbers, were made to fit on standard taper candles.

This set of angel candle huggers are unmarked but are identical to Howard Holt climbers that I've seen over the years.

Angel candle climbers are in very good vintage condition. No chips. No cracks. The figurines do have crazing typical of Japanese made ceramics of the period. Figurines show some wear on the bottom.

Measurements: Approximately 4" x 2 1/2" x 2 1/3"; Candle loop is approximately 1/2"


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HappyFortuneVintage.etsy.com

125.00 USD

This Florenza jeweled vanity pen is a rare and beautiful find. The jeweled pen is made up of individual gold beads separated by faux turquoise and faux ruby rings. Vintage pen is topped with a fleur de lis embedded with a faux ruby. The highly decorative pen comes with its original gold-tone stand.

Founded by Dan Kasoff, the legendary Florenza Jewelry Company was a expert designer and producer of high-quality costume jewelry, decorative vanity items and purse accessories. Florenza designed jewelry for many major 20th-century jewelry companies including Hattie Carnegie, Weiss, and Coro.

This is a genuine vintage Florenza piece circa 1960s. The pen and stand are in very good condition. The pen's ink cartridge has dried out and the pen does not write. It might be possible to find a replacement cartridge. The pen is made up of individual beads and which can be unscrewed and taken apart to change the cartridge.

Pen measures approximately 5 1/2" long and stands approximately 6 inches tall including the stand.

I ship internationally. If your country is not listed under shipping, send me a message with your location for a shipping quote.


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HappyFortuneVintage.etsy.com

65.00 USD

Vintage burgundy velvet hand-sewn Muslim kufi cap has a hand embroidered design stitched in metallic thread and faux pearls. Also referred to as a taquiyah or topi, this beautiful vintage hat can be worn or displayed.

From the estate of a textile collector, the hat is from the early 20th century and was gently worn. There are a few stray threads and light wear to the velvet.

The velvet cap is lined with a mauve taffeta fabric. You can see the hand stitching. The embroidery motif is a series of leaves alternating with trees.

Hat has an 8" diameter and 22 1/2" circumference.

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HappyFortuneVintage.etsy.com

325.00 USD

This beautiful lacquer box once belonged to Walter T. Steves, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. The lacquer cigarette box was a gift to Col. Steves from Col. Nguyen Duc De, Chief Adjunct General, Joint General State of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces.

The lacquer box has four beautiful Vietnamese women on the lid and hinges open to reveal three tiered cigarette shelves.

The shelves are made of wood and have metal hinges. The top shelf has slots for 15 thin cigarettes. The middle shelf has slots for 15 thicker cigarettes, and the bottom shelf has 8 slots that look as though they could accommodate small cigars.

The box was used in its time and shows wear. There are scuffs and scratches on the lacquer as well as a few small chips along front edge. The presentation box has a blue plaque on the side which reads:

Col Walter T. Steves
Deputy Acting COS
From: Col Nguyen Duc De
Chief AG/JGS/RVNAF

I found a reference to Col. Walter T. Steves. He served in the U.S. Air Force. He is buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas. His grave stone indicates that he served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

I found a reference to Col. Nguyen Duc De on the Sĩ Quan Trừ Bị Quân Lực Việt Nam Cộng Hòa
Nơi Gặp Gở của những Sĩ Quan Trừ Bị Thủ Đức và Sĩ Quan Trừ Bị Quân Trường Đồng Đế Nha Trang blog - siquantrubi.blogspot.com - stating that "Former Colonel Nguyen Duc De had breathed his last on Sunday December 28, 2008 in Fullerton, California."

The box measures approximately 11 1/4 inches long by 5 1/5 inches wide by 2 3/4 inches high when closed and 5 1/5 high when open. Shelves are approximately 5 3/4 inches by 4 inches.

happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

35.95 USD

Antique German Bible published by the American Bible Society in 1896 has a beautiful decorative cloth binding depicting a cathedral window. Measuring 5 3/4" x 4", the small book fits comfortably in the hand.

What makes this bible extra special is the previous owner's beautiful calligraphy nameplate (Mary C. Hollenback) on the front inside endpaper and a small inserted scrap of paper. There is also the inscription "Easter Sunday 1962" on the page opposite the title page.

The scrap of paper states:
1900 January 14 Rev J. Bartholomew preach his first text in Freidnes (sp?) church 1 Mose, 28, chapter 12 verse. Stony Run. Pa.

The bible is in very good condition. There is typical wear on the binding for an 100+ year-old cloth covered book. Wear is mostly at the corners and the bottom of the spine. Corners are bumped Binding is tight. Pages are clean.

Die Bibel ober die ganze Heilige Schrift des alten und neun Testaments
Amerifanische Bibel-Gefellifschat, New York, 1896
1077 Pages, 5 3/4" x 4"

Looking for prayer books, vintage Catholic items, religious gifts, check out my Religion & Spirituality section:
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Interested in additional books for your home decor or for gifts. Let a librarian (me!) put a custom collection together for you.


You'll find more interesting vintage books in my shop:
happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

28.95 USD

Adorable miniature book with a cool tartan plaid cover will help you brush up your knowledge of all things Scottish.

Published by Gordon Irving & H.B. Langman & Co.Ltd., this small vintage book has gold gilt edges, black & white photographs, and illustrations. Would make a great gift for the Scottish enthusiast.

The book is in very good vintage condition.

Brush Up Your Scotland!
A Tourist's Eye Guide to Who's Who and What's What in The Land of Auld Lang Syne
by Gordon Irving
H.B. Langman & Co. Ltd, Glasgow & London, 1972
192 Pages
4 1/8 inches x 2 1/2 inches

Check out my books, records, & paper section for an eclectic selection of interesting titles:
http://etsy.me/1kIC4bz

Interested in additional books for your home decor or for gifts. Let a librarian (me!) put a custom collection together for you.


Happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

125.00 USD

Add a touch of fun to your office decor or child's room with these vintage Guidecraft Wedgies from the 1960s - 1970s. The figures are wooden wedges which stand on their own and have colorful paint transfer overlays depicting an array of occupations, careers, and pastimes, including a fireman, policeman, two boys with soccer balls, a hippie playing guitar, old man with a newspaper, businessman with a briefcase, gas station attendant, and more.

The set includes ten (10) wood men & boy figures ranging in size from approximately 3 3/4 inches to 5 1/2 inches.

These are genuine vintage toys from the late 1960s - early 1970s. They were played with in their time and show typical wear including scuffs, dings, and paint loss.

I also have a set from the same era of women and girls that I will be listing in my shop soon.

happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

18.95 USD

Daily Maxims A Birthday Text-Book of Proverbs and Wise Sayings is a charming miniature antique book with an inspirational quote for each day of the year.

Designed for the owner to keep track of birthdays, the small vintage book has the days of the year on one side with a blank spaces for names on the other. Each page has a lovely border design.

The book can be used as intended or as a journal.

This is an antique book from the 1800s. It shows typical wear with light soiling and spotting on the cover, tanning paper, a small chip on the cover on the back just behind the spine, some light crumbling at the bottom of a few pages. The pages are clean. The book has not been used as intended and has no markings other than an inscription on the front endpaper " Best Wishes, Fred Norton."


Daily Maxims A Birthday Text-Book of Proverbs and Wise Sayings
Selected from Various Sources
Dodge Publishing Company, New York
Circa 1890s
Undated, 127 Pages
Approximately 4 1/4 inches by 3 1/2

Check out my books, records, & paper section for an eclectic selection of interesting titles:
http://etsy.me/1kIC4bz

Interested in additional books for your home decor or for gifts. Let a librarian (me!) put a custom collection together for you.


Happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

95.00 USD

Vintage Rosenthal China coffee pot in their classic white lotus pattern is a beautifully designed mid-century modern classic. Made in Germany, this fine white porcelain coffee server will look stunning with any decor from traditional to modern.


This is an older Rosenthal coffee pot circa 1950s - 1960s not the more recent Studio Line edition.

The coffee pot is in very good condition. The pot is clean and looks to have been very gently used. No chips. No cracks.

8" tall
9" wide including handle and spout
5 1/2" base diameter
7 cup capacity


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happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

42.95 USD

Fail Again
Fail Better

This often repeated Samuel Beckett quote from Worstward Ho is inspirational yet sobering. You may never succeed, but you can always fail better.

Spelled out in letters from a vintage set of Mitten's Movie Tilers, each white ceramic letter has a metal push pin on the back for use on a bulletin board or soft piece of wood.


Black background not included.

Letters will be sent to you in a gift box.

The letters are in good condition showing typical wear with some light soiling at the edges.

Each small letters measure approximately 1/2" to 3/4".


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HappyFortuneVintage.etsy.com

45.00 USD

I thought this vintage U.S. Postal Service postage paid permit letterpress block indicia from New York, N.Y. was pretty cool when I picked it up at an estate sale.

The research librarian in me set out to discover what the type on the block meant. Here's what I uncovered.

"Sec. 562 P.L. & R." dates the use of this stamp between October 1, 1932 & February 25, 1949.

This letterpress stamp block was used for pre-paid postage on bulk mailings.

"P.L. & R." stands for Postage Laws & Regulations.

Postage Paid Permit No. 2309 was issued to the NY Edison Co and was first used on January 3, 1925.

Consolidate Gas, the parent company of New York Edison, changed its name to the Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc, (Con Ed) in 1936.

The block was used during its time and shows wear. To preserve its aged patina, I have not given the block a deep cleaning. The wooden block has the traces of engraved lettering on the top. I can make out "562" &"N.Y.C."

Block measures 3" x 1 1/8" x 1"

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happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

65.00 USD

Trick See Art!

Rare Harry C. Bjorklund book!

Trick See Art by the 1930s chalk talk art master Harry C. Bjorklund will teach you how to draw awesome comic cartoon figures.

This is a genuine original publication from the 1930s not a reproduction.
The large-format softcover book is in good condition for its age showing wear around the edges, light soiling, creasing, a tear at the base of the cover, tanning pages.


Trick-See-Art A New Kind of Fun! by Harry C. Bjorklund
Novelty Research Artists, Minneapolis
Circa 1939
47 Pages
11 3/4 inches by 8 1/2 inches
Stapled Binding

Check out my books, records, & paper section for an eclectic selection of interesting titles:
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Interested in additional books for your home decor or for gifts. Let a librarian (me!) put a custom collection together for you.


Happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

28.95 USD

Adorable, chippy, and old, this small vintage pig figurine is big on personality.

She appears to be cast out of plaster or some sort of composite material. She has nice detailing and an expressive face.

Through the centuries and in various cultures, the pig symbolizes abundance, fertility, strength, determination, and honesty.

This is an a very old plaster composite figure. She has some surfaces cracks and the paint is chipping.

Approximately 4 inches long x 2 inches high x 1 1/4 inches deep.

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HappyFortuneVintage.etsy.com

28.95 USD

Sometime back in the late 1800s, a small boy boy holding a lion tamer's whip prop stared with a tentative, almost frightened gaze at a Berlin, Germany studio photographer's camera. Over one hundred years later, his image survives on three antique carte de visite.

These carte de visite are part of a treasure trove of photographs from one Berlin family. I have other photographs of this child as well as his parents and sibling. The collection is an interesting visual glimpse into the life of a wealthy German family in the late 1800s into the early part of the 20th century.

Other photographs from this collection currently in my shop:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/232107938/antique-sepia-photograph-postcard-family
https://www.etsy.com/listing/231352701/antique-photograph-carte-de-visite-sepia

Interested in purchasing the entire collection? Send me a message for more information.

Carte de visite were invented in Paris by André Adolphe Eugène Disdéri in 1854. He also developed a method of producing eight separate negatives on one plate making it easier to produce multiple cards of an identical image. In the mid to late 1800s, carte de visite became all the rage and were traded among friends and relatives.

Cards are in good condition for their age showing typical wear including scratches, edge wear, rubbing, fading, and spotting. Each card has the number "3225" written on the back in pencil and as well as the gold gilt stamp of Samson & Co Berlin. The back of one card is obviously darkened with age.

Framed together, these striking carte de visite would make an unusual and unique piece of nursery or boy's room decor.

Cards measure approximate 4 1/8" x 2 1/2".

Visit my shop for more interesting vintage finds:
HappyFortuneVintage.etsy.com

125.00 USD

A beautiful antique book with a stunning decorative cover, The Golden Dawn is an anthology of literature on life, death, dying, mourning, funeral customs, and the Christian afterlife. The compilation includes a diverse range of thoughts on the subjects by writers, scholars, philosophers, doctors, as well as anonymous observers.

The hefty book is in very good condition for its age showing some wear on the cover and corners, light tanning, and some spotting here and there throughout the volume. The binding is tight. The book has beautiful illustrations and gold gilt page edges.

The Golden Dawn or Light on the Great Future In This Life, Through the Dark Valley, and in The Eternal Life As Seen In the Best Thoughts of Over Three Hundred Leading Authors and Scholars
by Rev. J.H. Potts
P.W. Ziegler & Co., Philadelphia, 1881
608 Pages; Illustrated
9" x 6 1/4"

happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

45.00 USD

Diane Von Furstenberg blue turquoise bow tie secretary blouse is as cool today as it was back in the 1980s. Chic retro office shirt, wear it with a suit, skirt or jeans. Big hair optional.

This vintage blouse is in very good pre-owned condition. No holes. No stains. No odors. Faux pearl buttons show wear.




Size 10 label -- fits like a medium/large. Designed for a very blousy look.
Polyester, Machine Washable
27" Length from Shoulder
16" Shoulder to Shoulder measured flat
23" Sleeves from Shoulder
20" Bust measured across front flat
20" Bust measured across back flat
40" Bust measured flat


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happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

19.95 USD

Super cool, funky, and retro, blue, purple, pink & black harlequin print half slip, so hip you'll want to wear this vintage lingerie as a mini skirt.

The slip has its original Olga "first lady of under-fashions" label. Freshly laundered by hand, and ready to wear.

Slip is marked size "L Short." The slip is in very good condition. No holes, tears, or runs. The elastic waistband has some stretch to it.


Measurements taken flat:
16" long from elastic waist band to bottom of hem
14" waist across front
14" waist across back (approximately 28" waist with some stretch)
20 1/4" across front hips measured seam to seam
20 1/4" across back hips measured seam to seam

100% Nylon

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HappyFortuneVintage.etsy.com

25.95 USD

With her gorgeous blue eyes, glamorous dress, and dramatic coif, this 1960s beauty is a stunner against the dark blue background of this vintage hair salon poster.

Published in Chicago by Hair Style of the Month, this original poster was produced for display in hair and beauty salons across the United States. The poster is printed on sturdy coated paper and has an image on both sides.

This poster was displayed in a Chicago hair salon and shows wear. One side of the double-sided poster is slightly faded from the sun. There is a tear on one side and a dark spot on one side of the poster near the top.The poster was stored rolled up for many years. A good framer would be able to straighten it out and make an amazing wall hanging.

Measurements: 20" x 16".

I have a whole treasure trove of these marvelous hair style posters and will be listing them in my shop over the next several weeks.

Several of these posters would look amazing grouped together of a retro look in a modern hair salon.

Additional Hair Style Posters Currently Available:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/198088319/vintage-hair-style-poster-beauty-salon?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/198523575/vintage-poster-hair-style-of-the-month?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/202221003/vintage-poster-vintage-hair-salon-decor?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/218973881/vintage-poster-beauty-salon-decor-retro?


Send me a message if you are interested in purchasing multiple posters. I combine shipping.


You'll find more vintage posters & an eclectic mix of items in my shop:
happyfortunevintage.etsy.com

16.95 USD

Vintage photography studio wedding party portrait provides wonderful insight into 1920s fashion and style. Big beautiful rose bouquets for the attendants, fabulous calla lily flowers for the bride, and lovely lace gowns, clues that this must have been a very upscale celebration.

The portrait is mounted in a gray heavy card-stock presentation folder with amazing silver-leaf border detail. The folder is marked "Adamoff, 74 Market St, Passaic, N.J." Top left-hand corner of the folder is bumped, but otherwise the cover and photograph are in amazing condition for their age.

10 1/4" x 11 1/14"


You'll find more interesting vintage items in my shop:
HappyFortuneVintage.etsy.com