Other people’s trash- vintage card catalog.
One of our elderly neighbors moved to Florida… His son came by and asked Paul to give him a hand moving some furniture down from the second floor.
When Paul came home, he was carrying a box.
He said – I brought you something.
I said – A BOX OF CATS?
But it wasn’t. It was a box of old glass juicers.
The Hoarder Troll hopped around spastically… because there is NOTHING more useless than TWELVE vintage juicers.
I said – I CANNOT believe you brought me all of these!
Paul said – I guess I really love you… plus, they were free.
Then he said – there’s something else in the car. It’s an old card catalog. I am not sure if you will like it, but I figured it was outdated useless trash, so I should bring it to you.
I cleaned everything up… And then left it in a pile on the dining room floor. Because once something is mine, that is good enough.
But also because I really have NO IDEA what to do with the juicers… Aside from a DIY-lemonade party, I cannot think of a single time I might think to myself– gee, I wish I had a WHOLE BUNCH of juicers.
Plus there is the added pressure of how obviously I must do something Pinterest-y… I’m pretty sure what I need here is some moss and a rustic wire basket and maybe some chipped old teacups and primroses?
Please use your imagination.
If I were a better blogger, I would fill the drawers with some kind of impractical, borderline-deranged vignette… Something that would make you question why you are not the sort of person who has whimsical vintage displays involving aged terracotta and antique silver bud vases.
But if you look closely, you will see a streak in the dust, and some cat prints on the coffee table… So CLEARLY creating whimsical vignettes should take a backseat to dusting.
September 30, 2014 @ 11:29 am
I’m envisioning a sparkly kitchen chandelier for your Liberace Versailles Kitchen, made of those beautiful juicers.
September 30, 2014 @ 11:31 am
The juicers aren’t too big, they are fabulously textured clear glass, and they have handles. They would make an exceptionally cool, edgy chandelier! Hang them from an interesting, aged of course, structure. (I can see something metal.) intersperse small Edison bulbs and you’d have a show stopper! The current Mason jar trend that’s hit the design world will have nothing on this!
September 30, 2014 @ 11:32 am
The juicers…get those battery fake candles (the really short ones) put it under the juicer to creat a glow then fill juice basin with flowers, or small ornament balls, etc… I think they would be super cute.
September 30, 2014 @ 11:38 am
I don’t think I need a juicer but I love the card catalog…not sure what I’d do with it but heck, if it’s free, I’m with Paul, it’s worth hauling home. Pressure, do a post showing us how cute you can make it, maybe with a disco ball sitting atop it.
🙂
Karen
September 30, 2014 @ 11:42 am
You could dabs some melted wax or hot glue a pin to the tip of the juicers to turn them into candle holders? It is a kooky idea, but it might work.
The card catalog would be a awesome low-tech way to store recipes.
September 30, 2014 @ 11:46 am
I spent a few hours haunting antique shops in order to find one of those juicers (for the princely sum of $5.50, I might add) after using my mother-in-law’s glass juicer and finding it fabulous. So I agree that they are too useful to be put to merely decorative use — using them as gifts sounds great.
September 30, 2014 @ 12:06 pm
Those juicers are so pretty! I don’t know why they make me so happy too but they are awesome!
I have a couple of card catalog cabinets like that and they are actually very handy. They are the perfect size for holding seed packets, boxes of tacks and paper clips, rubber bands, etc. All those weird little things that you need to access but also need to get tucked out of the way because you store more of them than use.
September 30, 2014 @ 12:11 pm
I was going to say the juicers need to be turned into some sort of light fixture but I like the water feature idea even more. Or hey, you know those stands that hold cupcakes in like a tree shape? If you had one that would fit the juicers, then you could have it on your huge marble island and decorate it in whimsical fashion for various holidays and seasons. You could mount them on the wall in a tree or star shape, carefully lit with a baby spotlight. You could leave them in a box in your dining room for months until they become part of the decor.
The card catalog needs no purpose or function. It’s just cool all on its own. Like you. xoxo
September 30, 2014 @ 12:14 pm
We use our old card catalog for batteries. When you can the bazillion pack from CostCo, I open it up and just dump them in the drawers. I use one drawer for tape, scissors, whole punch, and other desk like things I want close at hand. A flashlight is in a drawer with the batteries, because there was extra room and of course, you never know. Needlepoint bag with all the travel chargers plus power converters for all our international jet-setting. Does an impulse trip to Ireland count? I love it and would like a wall of them for all the [crap] stuff I need to get off the coffee table.
September 30, 2014 @ 12:14 pm
First off, your husband is adorable. Wouldn’t you rather be brought a box of glass juicers than a bouquet of roses? I would! I love the juicers and I’d suggest hanging them all in a row from a shelf in your new kitchen. Old glass ones are hard to find and lovely (and actually very useful) and now you have an instant collection! As for the card catalogue I rather like it on your tray table but it makes a great pedestal for something else and the drawers are an excellent shape for all sorts of things. I had one I used for recipe cards (until I got the iPad and made all that digital) then it became a most excellent lipstick hoarding drawer.
September 30, 2014 @ 12:31 pm
I think a drooled a little at the thought of a lipstick hoarding drawer.
September 30, 2014 @ 12:14 pm
Kitchen. Please. PLEASE!!!!! LOL.
September 30, 2014 @ 12:15 pm
Are you kidding me? I think the juicers would look stunning on glass shelves in a lit cabinet in your “new” kitchen! The light would bounce off of all the prisms in the glass and add a cheery air to your kitchen.
September 30, 2014 @ 12:29 pm
Another lovely illustration of why Paul is a keeper. Besides the fact that you love him, on his own, he fed your inner Hoarder Troll! If that isn’t perfection in a man, I don’t know what is. I like the citrus gift basket and the party favor ideas; can’t wait to see how you use them. The card catalog gave me goosebumps! It sent a bell pealing in my head! Fabulous find! I could hear your Hoarder Troll screaming, “MINE!!!” On second thought that bell I hear could be my Lower-Level Crazy letting me know it’s still there. Great story. Thanks for sharing.
September 30, 2014 @ 12:40 pm
I must admit I was disappointed in the card catalog because I thought it was going to be one of those old wood ones from the library. But you will find some use for the metal one anyway. As for the juicers I’m in line with everyone else in why someone would have 12 juicers unless they were left over from a former retail business. I have my grandmother’s juicer but it’s a lime green color. I love it.
Your husband is a saint.
September 30, 2014 @ 1:33 pm
Those juicers, all different, are a collection. They really don’t need any other special or practical use. All collections, especially of older items, look great displayed together. Your next step should be acquiring more examples, not disposing of these ones. –Jim
September 30, 2014 @ 1:55 pm
I must say, your Paul is a keeper…my hubby nor any of my friends’ hubbies would do that for us at all…all they say is, “why did you bring that junk home…”
The juicers would be great as a gift at Christmas time…buy a box of oranges/lemons and give a juicer along with it…
The card catalog…if it were mine, I would paint it a really pretty color and store my makeup in it…
Looking forward to hearing about your next treasures!
September 30, 2014 @ 4:16 pm
You string them together with gold ribbon, put gold candles on them, string white lights between them and they are your Christmas mantelpiece. Of course, some lemons spray painted gold would help. Maybe some lemon leaf garland too. You’re welcome.
September 30, 2014 @ 4:26 pm
I actually COLLECT old juicers — and have way more than a dozen. Some are green and others are clear; some are big and others are small. To my mind, they work WAY better than anything to juice oranges, lemons and limes. Some of them have this neat little border of glass dots that magically holds the seeds. They stack well – and there is something just so lovely and solid about them. But then I’m biased. Anyway, loving your blog. Thanks for writing it:)
September 30, 2014 @ 4:31 pm
Don’t give them away except to people who understand what a treasure they are. I have my grandmother’s juicer and I still use it. No modern juicer; sometimes low tech things are the best.
What a great guy your hubby is.. As another person wrote here: Happy wife, happy life!
So true, so true..
September 30, 2014 @ 4:34 pm
I can’t stop laughing at the Hoarder Troll hopping around spastically! And I love that your husband “figured it was outdated useless trash, so I should bring it to you”. Just made my day!