I love to go to the thrift stores.  It’s a modern day treasure hunt – you never know what might be there.  Routinely I look for wares for my business, Southern Vintage Table, and I have gotten pretty savvy over time as to what’s vintage and what’s not.

Well, one day I saw a collection of pretty dishes.  The gold details were prefect and the flowers looked hand painted,  but to me, the pattern just didn’t have that “vintage” look.  I must have studied them for some time, trying to figure out what to do.  My collection was growing and I wanted to be smart with each and every investment.  In the end, something told me to pick up a few pieces, just in case, because they won’t be there tomorrow if I changed my mind.

I chose a set of 4 plates, cups, saucers as well as the creamer and sugar dish.  When I got home and unpacked them, I looked them up on the internet.  Of course, you know the end of the story – they became my oldest pattern in my collection, discontinued circa 1918, according to a major tableware replacements company.

After doing a bit more research, the pattern, Azalea by Noritake, was also a give-away by the Larken Company for buying and selling their products. I also see some conflicting information about the pattern being produced through the 1930s.  But, no matter, it’s vintage and beautiful!

I went back to the thrift store the next day to pick up the remaining pieces, but all were gone.  Needless to say, that’s the tricky part of thrift store buying that many of us know and love.

Lesson learned that day for me – I’ve got alot more to learn!

This beautiful pattern is available at Southern Vintage Table!