Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

  • About MHC
    • Disclosure
  • Dollhouses/Minis
    • Hummingbird Cottage
    • The Studio (Formerly TSP)
    • Dove Cottage
    • The Lake House
    • The Folk Art Dollhouse
    • The Modern Dollhouse
    • Dollhouse Source List, Information and Tutorials
  • On the Road
  • Collecting
    • Roseville Pottery
    • McCoy Pottery
    • Egg Cups
    • Bakelite
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Archives for collecting

Monday Morning Catch Up

January 27, 2025 at 9:13 am by Claudia

A slightly cluttered corner of the den.

We finally went above freezing yesterday and I could hear the drip, drip, drip of snow on the roof all day long. The same goes for the next few days. So our lovely white snow will be melting. I’ll miss the sunlight bouncing off the white snow. The light streaming through our windows has been wonderful. There’s still snow on the ground today. I hope it sticks around a bit longer.

Don is sick and is feeling pretty miserable. He played that gig on Friday night and he was playing near the door to the street, which kept opening and closing while he was standing there – the temps were below zero at that point. The next morning, he felt miserable. It seems he caught a chill which blossomed into a big old cold. Bless his heart, he really doesn’t feel well at all.

The puzzle arrived. It’s a newish Laurence King puzzle – The World of Oscar Wilde. Wilde wrote what I consider the perfect play, and it’s one of my favorites: The Importance of Being Earnest. It looks like it will be fun. King’s puzzles are always beautifully designed.

Okay. I did another video tour – I had to take advantage of the winter light flowing into the the corner of the den where the girls live. It’s often a little dark there, which makes photography problematic. But the light that day was perfectl. It’s up on my YouTube channel, but you can watch it here.

Visit YouTube – my account: claudiathechroniccollector

My Blythe Doll Collection

I also named my channel. (Don’t worry, it will be a modest little channel.) The name? Claudia the Chronic Collector. Might as well get these collections on video while I still have them!

Hope you enjoy it.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: Blythe dolls, collecting, Don 22 Comments

Behind the Glass Doors

January 18, 2025 at 10:05 am by Claudia

Good morning. We are taking the Christmas tree down today, spurred on by the approaching snowfall that will hit us tomorrow. Have to get the tree out in the woods for food and shelter for the critters, and get the ornament storage bins packed and back in the shed. That’s this morning’s agenda.

On the shelves in the kitchen hutch.

Bottom: a pitcher full of bakelite utensils. Behind that, a Fiesta teapot with more old utensils. And an Emma Bridgewater pitcher sitting on top of two pieces of Fiesta, and the beautiful set of china I purchased many years ago. A green Harlequin plate in the back. Harlequin was manufactured by Homer Laughlin, who made Fiesta, as well.

Middle: some brown transferware, a small pitcher that was my grandmother’s, Emma Bridgewater mugs, a favorite vase in the back, a candleholder given to me by my mom, the very, very old red transferware pottery shard found in our yard, a Harlequin tea cup and saucer, and a very old piece of early McCoy pottery. Plus some vintage plates along the back wall.

Top: More Emma Bridgewater, a yellow pottery shard (looks like Harlequin) found on the property, a ruby red glass cup with “Lee” on it – which is Don’s middle name and the name of his dad, a Jadeite mug, a Fiestaware teapot, a platter in the same pattern as our dishes (same pattern my grandmother had) and one of my favorite pieces of McCoy.

The outside (there are two doors at the bottom.) The cabinet had those stainless steel 50s modern handles and I replaced them with glass handles. On top: vintage Fiesta mixing bowls and a gravy boat, two pieces of McCoy, a glass bottle we found on the property, and some sheep.

The Fiesta is all from the large collection I used to have. I sold the majority of it when we were still living in San Diego, but I did keep several pieces that I couldn’t bear to part with.

Okay. Off to get the bins from the shed. It’s time to say goodbye to our beautiful tree.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

 

Filed Under: china and pottery, collecting 22 Comments

Some News and the Final Day of the Egg Cup Tour

March 27, 2024 at 8:53 am by Claudia

This will be a longish post!

News: Don’s car will cost about $1000 to repair. Frankly, we didn’t need this right now. But then again, who does? It’s never the right time. We had it towed to the mechanic yesterday and it turns out the mechanism that controls the all-wheel drive broke. The car is almost 18 years old, so… Anyway, though we could get by with just one car – we have in the past – it’s easier and more convenient for us to keep his Honda Pilot, which drives beautifully (except for the other day) and is very roomy. It’s the perfect SUV for him, especially when he’s carrying his equipment for gigs. Also, we often have to drive out of town for work and leaving someone behind with no car is not a good idea. I’m not sure when we’ll get it back. Thursday or Friday, I suspect.

Given the circumstances, it’s fortunate that Don finally booked an acting job for two episodes of a series! Yes, after more than 6 years (2 of them in lockdown and several months of the actor’s strike) of no work, he got a call from his agent. I am so happy for him! He needs the work, yes. But more importantly, he needs to feel like he still has a career. The character is a Mummer (remember the Mummer’s Parade in Philadelphia?) so Don played his banjo during the self-tape audition. He shoots both scenes/episodes in one day – a week from today.

I guess we know where that paycheck is going.

Okay. I finished a puzzle:

This is a vintage map of Canada based on the 1946 Census. I have always been fascinated by maps, so working on this was a true pleasure. Three of my grandparents were born in Canada, as well as my mom, so I have a special fondness for that country. And for Michigan and the Great Lakes, which also figure prominently. It’s by Cavallini.

Drum roll: The Final Day of the Egg Cup Tour!

This beauty – a Holland mold that was hand painted by someone. These molds were made specifically for clients who wanted to paint the mold themselves  – much like we see in certain shops today. I think this particular painter did a bang up job of it. It’s a large egg cup, at least 6 inches high. I think this was a gift from a reader.

The grand finale:

My prized collection of 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs egg cups. Originally very inexpensive, sometimes even free in a cereal box, they became rare and quite expensive for many years. My friend Nels searched high and low for his before the days of eBay, and he paid several hundred dollars per cup. By the time I started to collect, they were still out of my range, but as eBay gained traction, the prices dropped. They’re still somewhat pricey for egg cups -$30 – $70 a piece depending on the rarity. Much better, however, than $200 or more per cup, which was what I was seeing in the early days of collecting.

It took me 17 years to complete the set. I found Doc first, then Dopey and Bashful. And that is where it stayed for several years until I found another. I eventually posted about my collection in an egg cup collectors group on Facebook and a woman from Orillia, Ontario contacted me. (Mom and Grandma were born in Orillia.) She had a set available, but I was only interested in three of them. We negotiated the price. She was still under the impression they were going for the prices of several years ago and I had to update her on that. And Sneezy, Happy, and Snow White arrived at the cottage. The set became complete when I found Sleepy. For some reason, there are two Sleepys out there – one that was on the exact same mold as Sneezy, which made no sense, and another that was the actual Sleepy. That’s the one I found, though I still think I’d like to find the imposter Sleepy some day. It took me 17 years to find the correct Sleepy.

There are a few egg cups I didn’t include because they’re rather plain. I might have missed a few others as well. If I notice that, I’ll post them. I did find out some other information about one of my cups.

Remember this cup that I found in a the Paris Flea Market? It’s open on both ends – the only one like that I own. A woman from France posted her collection on the Egg Cup Collectors page and I noticed a cup very like this one. I did a bit more research and discovered that they are called diabolo egg cups – I’ve yet to figure out why the ‘devil’ enters into the name – and I think they are more prevalent in Europe. Back to this woman’s collection – it’s full of egg cups with that unique kind of French transferware design that I love. Oh my heavens. I am entranced! Remember that big bowl I purchased in Paris with a red flowery transferware design? Same kind of thing. Every cup is in red or blue or gray in that delicate oh-so-French decoration. If she gives me permission, I’ll post a copy of one her photos on this blog so you can see what I’m talking about.

I see a new group of egg cups in my future.

Okay. Grocery shopping, the library, mailing a package at the post office, and the bank are on the agenda on what will be a rainy day.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: collecting, Don, egg cups 40 Comments

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 56
  • Next Page »
  • Email
  • Instagram

Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

Thanks for stopping by.

Searching?

The Dogs

The Dogs

Scout & Riley. Riley left us in 2012. Scout left us in February 2016. Dearest babies. Dearest friends.

Winston - Our first dog. We miss you, sweetheart.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse, read and enjoy. All content is my own; including photos and text. Please do not use anything on this site without permission.

Disclosure/Privacy Policy can be found in the Navigation Bar under ‘About MHC.’

Also, I love receiving comments! I do, however, reserve the right to delete any comment that is in poor taste, offensive or is verging on spam. It’s my blog. If you’re a bot or a troll you’ll be blocked. Thanks!

Archives

All Content © 2008 - 2025 Mockingbird Hill Cottage · Log in