Tuesday, February 07, 2012

vintage hollywood head shots

The auction last weekend was a really good one. It was a clear-out of one of their warehouses. Lots of mixed boxes, all going really cheap. I had my heart set on one box of records in particular (Cheap Thrills and a lot of other really good late 60s-mid 80s stuff) which I surprisingly didn't have to fight too hard for. I also won a big box of junk for $10 because hidden deep inside was a stack of Hollywood head shots from the late 30s-mid 40s. ALL of my favorite movie stars were in the stack -




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That one of Lucille Ball is a real stunner - click to view her fullscreen. She was just the prettiest thing then, and had more talent than most.



And at the bottom of the pile was this -



It's really his signature - I compared it to about a hundred examples online. Too bad my name isn't Eddie.

I also scored giant old posters of Greta Garbo (my style icon since high school) and Rudolph Valentino as Son of the Sheik. Now to figure out where the heck I can hang all this good stuff here. I might just have to take down the sheet music in the hallway.

4 comments:

dirtbike said...

what a score!

i should see if there are auctions like that in my area...

Sunshine said...

It really is the most fun! You might be a little shy at first but you'll catch on pretty quick. They'll start with a price that they think it's worth and no one will bid. Then it drops and drops until rock bottom and then everyone pops. That's when to get into the game. In Philly they had one that regularly had vintage clothing specific auctions and those are the best. Victorians in sketchy condition for $2 and such. Great to learn from.

dirtbike said...

that sounds exciting. i always like to rely on a bit of "divine intervention" anyway when i am thrifting, so this seems like taking it to the next level. i will have to research this more. most auctions i know of are in the bay area and are mostly overpriced antique furniture, but there is a huge flea market about an hour away from me that has building that is labeled auctions. i'll have to see if they actually DO have auctions. thanks for the advice, otherwise i might just freeze up when i get in there!

Sunshine said...

I was nervous the first time too - luckily it doesn't cost a thing to get a number and sit and just watch. And the guys at this one here are really nice. They know all the regulars by name and love to chat and talk antiques and hear what kind of prices you've resold their treasures for.

Be sure to go to the previews and really inspect things you're interested in before bidding. Don't be afraid to really dig into the boxed lots and handle stuff.