Need some place to put your "new" vintage Christmas toys? (Status: Max the cat approved)

Maxipuss posing beside one of my favorite finds ever, a 1957 Spacemaster tin toy chest!

DCM pair in holiday colors (Status: Hometown find)

Found this pair of 60s or 70s Eames designed, Herman Miller DCM chairs in my hometown.  They aren't perfect but the price was right.

Butter fingers! (Status: scratch and dent acclaim)

Found a Lane Acclaim coffee table in a small town just east of my hometown...but...Oops!

Pair of Jo Wallis lamps (Status: I have an orange crush on these)

A very cool pair of ceramic lamps signed "Jo Wallis"that I found a month ago at the Morse Rd. Goodwill.

The future was so bright they had to have wild shades (Status: fiberglass-a-rific)

When I walked in the door of the Hilliard Goodwill, I could see this Majestic table lamp glowing like a beacon from across the room.

I grabbed a shopping cart and was prepared to use it as a plow if anyone got in my way!

Acclaim haul (Status:Achieving a little acclaim)

The Sunday before Veterans Day, I stopped at a garage sale.  There was a chair that, from  the street, looked promising but turned out to have been cat clawed.  Chatting with the women having the sale, they mentioned having an orange chair in the basement and I was welcome to check it out.  The chair was a bust but I did see this...

Picasso guy's last stand- READERS DIGEST (Status: bad hair day)

This is it, I swear; no more thrift store Picasso stories.  The December issue of Readers Digest (the Miracles issue) is on the news stands now and if you open it to page 128 you can see this bozo and the Picasso print he found.

Looking in Profile; Drexel Profile dining table (Status: Hometown-ish super find)

While visiting my hometown, I was perusing Craigslist listings for the neighboring towns; this was just listed as "dining room table with six chairs".

NOT by Luther Conover, a green fiberglass wingback chair (Status: Max the cat approved)

 Last week I took a swing through the Greater Columbus Antique Mall; as I was leaving this chair was coming in.  I didn't have the cash on me at the time but I made a point of stopping by yesterday to see if the chair was still available. 

Thrifts over flowing with manna! (Status: Bubba and Max the cats approved)

Summer has come to an end and the drought at the thrifts seems to be ending as well!  Witness the bounty brought forth by the thrift gods on 10/22/2012.

Fall Flea sale (Status:cool furniture, cold temps, wet weather)

Fall Flea was held in the Short North Arts District on Sunday, October 7th.  I had a booth, that's why I was doing all of that refinishing (duh).  It rained, it was cold, sales were low and I had the flu.

Refinishing trilogy finale- Danish surfboard coffee table and step end table (Status: refinishing like a mofo)

I think I've got the hang of this refinishing thing; I may not be a professional but man can I breath some life into battered furniture!  For my last refinishing project post, I'm showing off a step end table and a low Danish style coffee table.

Adventures in refinishing part 2, a round cocktail table (Status: I like my refinisher shaken, not stirred)

This pencil legged cocktail  table was priced right at the South High St. Salvation Army for a refinishing experiment; it ended up so nice that it sold in the first hour I had it available!  

Refinishing projects part one- Danish style chair (Status: Bubba the cat approved)

I have picked-up a few project pieces over the months that were scratched, scuffed or battered with the intent to refinish them and sell them at the Fall Flea on October 7 (yes, I'm a tad behind in my posting). I'm kicking this series of posts with the Danish style chair that I found on my Indiana/National Road thrifting trip. 

Overview of my Indiana haul (Status: wrap-up and introducing another cat to the blog)

Last post about my Indiana/National Road thrifting trip.  Just some better looks at the goods PLUS you get to meet anther neighborhood cat, Max.

Greenfield Indiana to Richmond Indiana (Status: last leg of the great Indiana thrifting tour)

The rarity on this trip, a crazy expensive Mid Mod piece-$1200 for this cool lamp in a small antique place just west of Cumberland Indiana.

Hickory, Hoosiers and where the movie was shot (Status: Kinda like a religious experience)

A short post that has nothing to do with Mid Mod goodies but this is a vintage basketball gym.  This is the gym that was used for the Hickory High School gym in the movie Hoosiers, it is located in Knightstown Indiana, between Indy and Richmond Indiana.

Indiana picking part the third (Status: East side of Indy to Greenfield)

There are lots of thrifts and antique places between Indy and Richmond Indiana, I had a list of 19 thrift stores and antique malls to start with and I found LOTS more along the way.  I didn't actually buy that much but, I found items here and there.  Let's join the National Rd at the Salvation Army located at 8310 E. Washington St (the National Rd/Rt. 40 through Indy).

DomiStyle, resale furniture store in Indianapolis (Status: Eastern Indiana Pt. 2)

Hi all,

While passing through Indianapolis I tried to hit a couple of small antique malls located in the Fountain Square district, unfortunately they were closed by 5:00, when the Readers Digest photo shoot ended, BUT I stumbled on this great furniture resale shop named DomiStyle (1315 Shelby Street, Indianapolis 64203).  Here are a few highlights.

Readers Digest pays for a thrift trip across eastern Indiana (Status: Picasso strikes again)

Readers Digest called me up to see if I would drive to Indianapolis for a photo shoot regarding the Picasso, to appear in their year end "miraculous" theme issue. They would pay my gas for the drive to Indy and back to Columbus so I decided to have an epic "pick" along the historic National Road (Route 40) through the thrifts of eastern Indiana and western Ohio; I will post the highlights over the course of the next week.  Wheeeeee, driving and thrifting fun!

A golden burst of inspiration (Status: always confusing Ben Seibel and Ben Sherman or is it George Segal and Steven Segall)

So, as I have seen other more illustrious bloggers mention "It's been slim pickin's out in them thar thrifts".  It has been so bad that I have been driven into antique malls; indeed, that was where I found this great set of Raymor Universal "Golden Burst"dishes and serving piece  that was designed by Ben Seibel.

Eames upholstered shell chair (Status: new cat chair)

Last week I made a quick trip over to the antique mega malls in Springfield Ohio where I found my kitten Toutou's new favorite chair.

Aug 17 is National Thrift Shopping Day! (Status:the thriftiest time of the year)

Here's the deal- So, you find one Picasso print at the Volunteers of America and now you are considered a "prominent local thrift blogger", to help celebrate and promote National Thrift Shopping Day (Friday Aug 17) you and a couple of other local bloggers get offered a $50 gift Certificate to use in one store (you must pick one and only one store) between Aug 10 and the 13th.  You must then blog about your finds and tag Volunteers of America in the blog.  Sounds cool to me and I say "Yes" (DUH)!

Bountiful Boontonware bonanza! (Status:Hometown score)

Just a few days prior to last Sundays Summer Flea, I drove to my hometown to deliver a desk to my father and to pick-up the Richardson Brother table, chairs and buffet (from the Peabody collection designed by Larry Peabody).  While there, I hit the Salvation Army store and found this huge 42 piece Boontonware set in the showcase; oh, it was also Wednesday, which means 50% off day!  Yea for me!

Oh, dear God, what have they done! (Status: Blue-silia nightmare)

A pox upon ye painter of Brasilia!  This was a Broyhill Brasilia desk.  Found on Craigslist.
"Broyhill Brasilia desk. Over 50 years old. marble knobs. painted blue now but can be changed. Excellent condition, $275.00."

Summer Flea sale (Status: selling some of my booty)

I mean, like, Pirate treasure "booty" not my backside booty...sheesh!  Anyway, I paid for a spot at the Summer Flea (sorta the hipster flea market of Columbus) that is held three times a year (Spring, Summer and Fall).  It was a HUGE success for me despite some very iffy weather.

What were they thinking?!?!?!?! (Status: shakes head sadly)

While in the Indianola Volunteers of America, I did a double take, then a spit take, when I saw this Amiga scoot around.  What could make me almost lose my cookies?

Mixing it up on ya' (Status: more blenders!)

I had a great month for blenders and I know that you folks like blenders almost as much as I do!

Federal Glass Pom Pom glasses (Status: Mint in box!)

I'm surprised that I don't trip over mint boxed sets of Federal Glassware all of the time, considering the plant was here in Columbus.  

Before I had Lego I had Playplax (Status: thrilling find for me)

Maybe two years ago I was reading Dwell magazine when I spied a small, multi colored sculpture on a coffee table in a picture.  The sculpture brought back a looooooong ago memory of a toy from my childhood, whose name I could not remember, and I have been looking for that toy ever since that day.

That is one stacked coffee set (Status: dark roasted)

I found this nice little coffee set in the Delaware Antique Mall about a month ago. 

(I know, it seems like it has been that long since I last posted...).

Disco days lighting (Status: everything's shiny)

My usual hunting ground, the Volunteers of America on Indianola, provided these two lil' disco biscuits of retro lighting.  Chrome and smoked glass is not really my thing but the price was right and they are in great condition.

Happy Father's day! (Status: havin' a "pop" with my pops)

My Dad taught  me important life skills, like how to drink beer, early in life.

I've got a can do, can opener, attitude (Status: Bubba the cat approved)

Bubba stopped by just as I was bringing in my cool new vintage electric can opener into the house and stuck around for a quick picture (and some food).

Dansk-e schoen, Goodwill (Status:Flattered by flatware)

I made a super nice score of vintage Dansk flatware at the Morse Rd. Goodwill last week.  This is some pricey stuff, scored for cheap; sadly only one complete place setting and a number of other pieces.

Chinese style T.V lamp (Status: this really is junk)

Chinese style gondola TV lamp; since these chinese boats are called "junks", I guess I bought a real piece of junk (ba-da-bum)!

We hold this table to be self evident (Status: makin' a Declaration)

A Drexel Declaration coffee table that I found six months ago.

Memorial Day thrifting (status: Thank you to all the Vets)

Right off the bat- My Grandfather served in WW1, My Dad had a brother who was injured at Pearl Harbor then latter killed at the battle of Leyte Gulf and my father was in the Air Force in the Korean War.  I appreciate all of the sacrifices of our veterans; they gave the us freedom to pursue of passions, like thrifting.  Here is tidy little group of stuff  I found on Memorial Day.

Check out this crazy atomic dish pattern (Status: German Village garage sale round up)

I dragged a bunch of "stuff" to the other side of downtown Columbus  to sell at the German Village garage sale last Saturday.  I didn't bring anything great, just a bunch of odds and ends that I wanted to clear out of my house.  I sold a bunch of the "stuff" and only bought this little lot of super cool, super rare, super atomic Stetson dishes.

Selling ...uh...lots of "stuff" at the German Village garage sale (Status: seems to be the season)

I have been a busy little bee, 0r Bee-opfish this past week as I worked on refinishing and refurbishing some items to sell today (SaturdayMay 19) at the annual German Village community garage sale.  I'm a little short on pictures but here are two chairs I stripped and reupholstered, that I will have at the sale.

Picasso guy interviewed on CBC radio (Status:hello to my readers in the Great White North)

Friday, out of the blue, the whole Picasso print thing flared up again.  I ended up doing an interview with the New York Daily News, ABC News (dot) com and the Canadian Broadcasting Company radio show "As It Happens".  Here is a link to the CBC "As it Happens" web page where you should be able to hear the segment http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/blog/2012/05/11/the-friday-edition-28/ (I couldn't get it to work)

Also the New York Post had a tiny article with a typically punny Post headline "Pica$$-o my, what a find!"

New barware (Status: let's have a drink with the Bopfish)

Time was I could drink like a fish... a Bopfish, perhaps?  On my way back from my home town I stopped at an antique mall in Delaware Ohio where I picked up this set of ten glasses.

Over shadowed hometown thrift trip (Status: variety in the haul)

The week that the Picasso thing started blowin'-up, I went to my hometown to see my dad and I pulled in a small haul of choice goodies from the thrifts.

My new vintage book bag (Status: I wax poetic)

I'm a thrifting guy, but sometimes you have to go to other sources to find exactly what you are looking for; in this case I wanted a great beat-up,vintage leather book bag, that would hold my MacBook, with one or two generous outside pockets and a strap (pen loops would be a bonus).  I found almost exactly what I wanted in Austria (not Australia), on Etsy!  Meet my new book bag...

Picasso guy on Anderson Cooper Show (Status:Really, time should be up)

Here are a collection of links to the follow-up storys of my Picasso find (Really, this is the end of the “Picasso guy” saga)

Link to the Anderson Cooper Show.

There are two short clips that are excerpts from slightly longer pieces on the show.

http://www.andersoncooper.com/videos/

http://www.andersoncooper.com/videos/

Here is the follow up article from the Columbus Dispatch 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/25/thrift-store-picasso-is-sold-for-7000.html

Two local television stations also shot interviews with me but they do not appear to have posted them yet.

NYC thrifting (Status: Bubba likes Danish ceramics)

New York was originally named "New Amsterdam" so I suppose it is only appropriate that I hauled in some Danish ceramics (plus a little metal owl sculpture).  Here is Bubba casting his regal, pirate cat gaze over my booty and declaring that it meets his standards.  Last plug: I'm on the Anderson Cooper Show Wednesday the 25th!

What cha' doin' on Wednesday? (Status: T.V. party))

I will be appearing on the Anderson Cooper Show Wednesday the 25th (check your local listings for a time and station)!

NYC next week (Status: Jet setting)

14:59 and holding...
I'll be in New York City next week; that's really all I can say at this time.
I promise to get back to posting cool thrift finds soon.

Home town Hey-Wake find (Status: A pair in the hand is worth on in the wild)

I found this pair of Heywood Wakefield 304 end tables in a furniture resale shop located in a small town near my home town.  

Roll that time back a couple of minutes (Status:I thought it was all over)

This morning I had a phone call about doing an interview with a local radio station but then, around when the station was supposed to call back for the interview, Inside Edition called!  They are going to fly a reporter to Columbus tomorrow for an interview.
I have no idea what happened with the local radio station; I assume they called when I was on the phone with Inside Edition and so I missed my window.

00:15:01 (Status: Times up for Picasso guy)

This should be the last post related to my spurt of Picasso print notoriety.
Last Friday I was contacted by a producer for Good Morning America.  She wanted to get me on GMA this week but I found out today that the appearance will not happen.  The Easter week show had been completely booked  and there was no space.
The news cycle has now passed me by.
00:15:01

ABC News.com weighs in... and casts doubt (Status: I'm still convinced)

A couple bits of information are incorrect in the story and could affect the conclusions of the dealer:

• I DID photographically enhance the signature
• The signature is on the lower right NOT the back 

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/pablo-picasso-print-bought-columbus-ohio-thrift-store/story?id=16031445

Obviously authentication will be needed but I am convinced.

The guy who donated my Picasso print has come forward (Status: finders keepers)

Here is a link to the story in the Columbus Dispatch.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/03/30/for-picasso-donor-cest-la-vie.html

He said an expletive when he read the original Dispatch story (LOL!)

Blast off with these Apollo glasses and carafe (Status: Spacey but not Kevin)

I found these in a new junk store in my hometown about a week ago.  I see the glasses pretty regularly but not the carafe.  The photo shoot gave me an excuse to get out my old GI Joe Mercury space capsule.

Sudden death overtime minute of fame (Status: lookie, I'm on the T and V)

Here is a link to a report on my thrift store Picasso that ran on the local NBC affiliate.  Must be a slow news day here in Columbus.  The reporter keeps mispronouncing my last name (it's pronounced beau-dish not Baa-dish).  Yes, they had me reenact discovering the print.
http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2012/mar/28/6/signed-picasso-print-bought-thrift-store-ar-981344/

Fifteen minutes of fame (Status: George Clooney is famous, not me)

The Picasso find has hit the local news.  I am on the front page of the Columbus Dispatch and I was interviewed by a local Television station, today.  Here is a link to the story from the Dispatch web site.  There is also a video, where I look dorky -what the heck is up with my over animated eyebrows?
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/03/28/possible-signed-picasso-print-bought-at-thrift-store.html

Yugo-mod, Slavic modern or Danelavic modern folding rope chairs (Status:Tough to follow-up post number 100)

Hard to follow up finding a signed Picasso so let's just go back to business as usual-finding cool stuff!

Today I found these two Yugoslavian made, danish folding rope chairs at the thrift.

Post number 100, where in Bopfish finds a Picasso at the thrift store (Status: No joke)

Heywood Wakefield haul Pt 2 (Status: Wheatie goodness)

Just noticed that this will be post number 99 for the ole Bopfish blog; I am combining what would have been posts 2 and 3 of the Hey Wake haul so that post 100 can be all by-it-self special and not seem like an after thought to the Hey Wake haul.

Heywood Wakefield haul (Status: part 1 of 2)

Last week I spotted an ad on Craigslist for a guy selling a storage unit full of Heywood Wakefield furniture, CHEAP.  Okay, it ALL needs totally refinished but, did I mention that it was CHEAP?  I picked up a few potentially nice pieces, starting with these  four C157 side chairs.

Time for a little art 2 (Status: sequel)

My previous post named "Time for a little art" has been a perennial top five post, even hitting the top spot for a while, so it's time for a sequel.  Three pieces of vintage consumer grade artwork for your viewing pleasure.