If you’re not up too late raking in 2010 Thursday night, Tilman’s Auction in Powhatan is having a New Year’s Day auction filled with all kinds of mid-century goodies! But you’ll have to get to the auction block early, the gavel drops at 10 a.m.

Personally, i think the gem of this auction is the Rock-Ola 1426 Magic Glow jukebox fully loaded with 100 original Elvis records. Making its way onto the scene just after World War II, the Magic Glow 1426 was one of Rock-Ola’s answers to Wurlitzer’s model 1015 jukebox, which may be the most popular jukebox of all time.

Talk about a beautiful piece! I’ve never seen one nicer.

If anyone is still looking for a belated Christmas gift for me, this Rock-Ola 1426 will be perfect! What a gem!

Aside from a nice Coca-Cola vending machine and sign collection dating back to the 1920s, I’d have to say the other token piece of this auction is the vast collection of metal and porcelain signs - particularly those with Richmond connections. I’m a sucker for old advertising signs and Tilman’s got a great collection of them up for grabs. Here are a few of my favorites:

You can check out the rest of the photos from this fabulous auction here. If you go and happen to snatch up a treasure, send me a photo and I’ll feature you on my site. If anyone picks up that jukebox for me, I’ll let you know where you can deliver it!

Well folks, it’s been exactly one year since I’ve updated this site and for that I am truly sorry. 2009 has been the busiest year of my life. Thanks for all your e-mails and comments. I’m sorry if I did not get a chance to reply to each and every one of you.

After seeing a wonderful piece of mid-century architecture here in Richmond suffer the wrath of the wrecking ball (The Inns of Virginia, post and photos to follow), I’ve decided that one of my New Year’s resolutions is to revive this site so we can all enjoy other MC marvels while they’re still around. Time is so precious - whether you’re human or a gorgeous building.

So with that, I’m going to jump start with an e-mail I recently received from Kyle Kranzo, who is selling a whole set of almond-colored MC appliances. Jump on them before they’re gone!

I am selling a whole set of original almond-colored Mid-Century (Circa 1959) appliances. The set includes an amazing Frigidaire Refrigerator, a double General Electric wall oven, and a General Electric built-in range. They are all in GREAT working condition(we use them all currently). I recently moved into this mid-century home and it has a full St. Charles Mid-Century kitchen… including these great appliances.

The refrigerator has a great fold-down compartment inside, plenty of storage, a butter warmer, and tons of other unique items. The handle and accents on the refrigerator are also great! I have never seen anything like them. The freezer is also really neat. You have to press down on the foot pedal near the floor and it just pops it open. Very unique.

The Oven unit (both ovens) work great. It also has a neat meat thermometer that plugs into the inside of the oven and sticks into the meat you are cooking. It then shows you the temperature of the meat on the outside of the oven.

The range works great as well. It has many different settings. The very back left burner does not work…but I am imagining it is just a simple fix. I don’t cook enough for it to bother me.

All appliances include the original Owners Manuals (pictured below).

The Frigidaire refrigerator is from 1960
The General Electric double wall oven is from 1959
The General Electric Built-In Range is from 1959

Please make me an offer on either each item separately or as a complete set. I am aware of the great condition and going prices of these appliances, so please… only reasonable offers will be considered. I would love for these to go to a lover of mid-century design who will appreciate them as much as I do.

Please email me if you would like to see more photos, have any questions, etc. I would also be willing to ship these items if the buyer was willing to pay for shipping.

Thanks.

Between my new house, my new job, getting Burlesque University set up and all my photo shoots, I have been extremely busy.  I apologize for neglecting the site, but bear with me. Things are settling down and Retro Richmond will be back with a vengeance!

So without further ado…check out this fabulous coffee table and side table set that popped up on Craigslist!

If you’ve seen my house, then you know of my love of the tapered leg. I can’t get enough! Unfortunately, I don’t need more tables. So if you’re looking for a great set, grab this one!

Here’s what the seller had to say about it:
Retro style, but yet still classic coffee table with matching end table set. From probably the 70’s this set is in excellent condition and has been in our family since (maybe even before then!)and is need of a good home, because the owner had to move in with family and has no room for them. Feel free to come take a look! Tables are in Mechanicsville Area. A must see!

Here’s someone who doesn’t know what a gem they have! This Heywood-Wakefield set popped up on Craigslist last night with an asking price of $575! I’ve seen the headboard and footboard go for more than that alone.

It looks like three pieces from the Hey-Wake Niagara collection:

5 Drawer Chest

Dresser

Headboard/Footboard

And one piece from the Hey-Wake Riviera collection:

Nightstand

Here’s what the seller had to say:

Check out this great 50s bedroom set. Looks to be made of maple. Very solid and in very good condition. This was used solely as a set in our guest bedroom. Comes with lightly used Kingsdown Queen set. Mirror dresser measures 42 wide by 65 tall with mirror. (top dresser is missing, has apron attached as shown) Tall dresser is 33×48. Side table is 13×26. Mattress set alone cost over $500.

Serious Inquiries only

This is a great find! Heywood-Wakefield is HIGHLY collectible and generally goes for a pretty penny. So snatch this set up! It won’t last long at this price.

A couple of cool things popped up on Craigslist these past few days.

These funky green velvet chairs and ottoman have a great shape! I love the high backs and the tapered legs. They have a very Paul McCobb look to them. If you don’t like the fabric, you could always recover them in a cool barkcloth.

Also, someone has listed a couple of Eames tables by the Aluminum Group by Herman Miller. The seller didn’t post any photos but here’s what he or she had to say:

Very nice Eames round table with aluminum base legs and white laminate top. Measures 42″ diameter. Excellent condition. From the Aluminum Group made by Herman Miller.

I also have 3 task tables of various sizes and heights from this same grouping. All together you could outfit a pretty cool office space.

Price for the round table is $225 or best offer. The other 3 tables are priced from $125 - $165. I will make a nice discount if you buy more than one piece, and a super discount if you buy all 4 pieces. Sorry no pics, but if you are looking at this listing you know the design. Guaranteed to be the real Herman Miller pieces. All labels intact.

It sounds like this may be the table he or she is selling. If one of you happens to snatch these up, send me a photo. I’m interested in seeing which table it is.

Set the coffee pot for 7 a.m. and grab your small bills because if you hit these garage and estate sales early this weekend, you might get a good buy!

YARD SALES

Saturday, July 26 at 8 a.m.
On Monument Avenue between Sheppard and Belmont. Retro sofa with matching
end tables, coffee table and lamps. Many other pieces of furniture and
household items. Some nice, some necessary, some goofy. All priced to sell.
Hope to see you there!

Saturday, July 26 from 8 a.m. to noon
West End YARD & ANTIQUE Sale.
COME to Emi’s House!!!! 1106 Foxcroft Rd. Corner of Foxcroft and Hillview.
1 block North of Patterson Ave. between Three Chopt Rd. and Forest Ave.
Items for sale include these and lots more:
Lots of MUSIC CDs
Hardback and Paperback Books
VHS Tapes
2 Black Canvas Lands’ End Briefcases
GENTLY USED Women’s Clothing, SIZE = Plus 1X, Misses 10-12
Round Wrought Iron Patio Umbrella Table
Modern-style Adjustable Patio Lounger
Office Supplies, Thin-line CD cases, #11 envelopes, Binder clips and more
Stationery, Note Cards, Christmas Cards
Yamaha CD Player (5 discs)
ipod accessories
Camera, PHOTO Studio Equipment, including LARGE Soft Box, Background Stands/Cross Bar
17-speed Schwinn Bicycle
Vintage Herman Miller Office Chair
Mid-century MODERN Desk Lamps
Guitar Books, On Stage Guitar Stand, 1 set Electric Guitar Strings
HUGE antique Dance Studio Mirror
Antique Barrel-top Blanket Chest
10 Blank Zip Discs

ESTATE SALES

Saturday, July 26 at 10 a.m. (Preview starts at 9 a.m.)
Dixon’s Auction will be auctioning off items from an estate at 4710 Shoremeade Road. It looks like they’ve got some art glass vases, a mid-century china hutch, a glass bullet-like planter and probably much more. You can check out some of the images here.

So get out there and grab some cool stuff!

I want to take a moment to apologize to all my readers. I am SO sorry I haven’t updated in a week. I try very hard to update this site daily, but last week I moved into a new place (a VERY cute 1920s bungalow!) and my blogging was thrown off!

I appreciate everyones’ great suggestions for the site, please keep them coming! And now that I’m almost settled, I promise to do a better job to keep everyone informed of the great mid-century finds and places in Richmond.

I’m going to try to snap a few photos this weekend of some of the MCM buildings readers have been suggesting. If you know of a building you’d like to see added to the list, send it to me at olivia@retrorichmond.com and I will try to get it for you.

Again, thanks for reading and thanks to everyone for their kind words.

Now on to some cool appliances!

This gem popped up on Craigslist a week ago and has been re-listed.

The seller also has a brown 1970s butcher block dishwasher included in the listing. Here’s what he or she has to say:

Two fantastic retro appliances! The pictures really say it all. Purchased a mid-century home and remodeled away from the retro look.

Authentic, retro Kitchen Aid Portable Dishwasher with a butcher block style top! Should work as good as expected for a 30+ year old dishwasher! As a very interesting bonus, I have the original owners manual and other materials included with the initial purchase.

Fantastic, retro General Electric Oven! Should work as good as expected for a 50 year old oven!

Please let me know if you have any questions. More pictures available via email…

Why anyone would purchase a mid-century home and then try to move away from the retro look is beyond me. But one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! So if you’re looking for a cool oven, better grab it!

In the market for a retro fridge? Check out this one listed on Craigslist for only $75! What a steal!

Here’s what the seller had to say:

Extra clean, runs great, on wheels, Retro General Electric Refrigerator. Great addition to any retro kitchen! Black with White interior 24″ wide X 56″ tall. Call 804-565-0155 or email any ?’s

$75 OBO Will take reasonable best offer.

These two great pieces would be a marvelous addition to any mid-century enthusiast’s home!

A couple of mid-century pieces just popped up on Craigslist. Check out this great Danish modern rocker for only $40!! This will go fast. I had to stop myself from buying it! (I have a bit of a chair obsession.)

I love the lines of this chair and its low profile. The arms are reminiscent of Knoll. I can’t tell what type of material its covered in, but it looks to be in great shape. It’s a nice piece.

The same seller also has listed a great wooden mid-century sofa and chair frame for $75. These would look fabulous in a Florida room or on a back porch.

On a side note, 719 W. Broad St. will be open tonight from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The owners have posted some interesting pieces on Craigslist recently, but have very sporadic hours. They claim to have some mid-century modern pieces, so it might be worth a peek.

We will be open again at the former Ralph’s Inc. building at 719 West Broad Street, bet. Laurel and Pine Streets this THURSDAY EVENING, July 10, between the hours of 5pm - 7pm. Selling off bit by bit our years of collecting great stuff at auctions, estate sales, and flea markets. It has just gotten toooooo overwhelming! So come by if you can, and you’re sure to pick up a good deal and something unique!

* Lots of gently used furniture from traditional to mid-century modern to shabby chic primitive
* Also, art, prints, and paintings
* lamps and chandeliers
* various trinkets of all types
* vintage and costume jewelry
* fancy leather books for your library
* garden statuary and decorative architectural scraps

Parking on the street directly in front of the building is free after 6pm, and only 50 cents between 5pm & 6pm.

Check out this hip bike that popped up on Craigslist today:

This bike is a beauty! I have been looking for this bike in this color for a while now, but between moving and trying to find a new job, I don’t have the extra $225 clams for this fantastic ride. Boo! If you buy this and let me ride it around the block, I’ll buy you ice cream!

Here’s what the seller had to say:

5 years before man landed on the moon this 1964 Spaceliner was the rocket to your dreams and gas was only .30 cents a gallon!

Now 44 years later it’s the Dream Machine for rocketing past gasoline stations in STYLE !

This Sears SPACELINER still sports it’s original Stardust Aqua paint finish and chrome accents. Brought back to the future with a Brand New: chain, dual spring comfort saddle, sure grip pedals and soft cork handlebar grips and a spanking new set of 26″ x 1.75″ white sidewall tires & innertubes for stellar cruising.

“Spaceliner” this is Houston (804)244-0644, you have a go in 3, 2, 1 ……..

A 1950s kitchen dinette is a must-have for every retro enthusiast! I have one in teal and love it! This fun brown-and-creme dinette popped up on Craigslist today.

Look at those fabulous atomic stars! What a great touch. I love the backs of the chairs as well. Very modern. Here’s what the seller had to say about this set:

Check out this great 50s Table and 4 chairs. The complete set is in Excellent original condition and would make a great addition to your retro decor. Table measures 60″ x 36″ x 29″ high. (With leaf installed) Leaf swivels into place. Really cool and in EXCELLENT condition. Came out of original owners home up in Quebec. Check out original label under all four chairs! Why buy a reproduction?

Serious Inquiries only please!

Someone snatch this up and send me some close-up photos! I’d love to see the chair detail a little more.