Can you read this label?

[Duer 157099]

I think I see:

"Philippine Crafts" and below that: "Exclusively Designed for W. & J. Sloane"

??

[zabet]

1. Cannot be sure...

have you tried taking a piece of tracing paper and making a rubbing of it? This will pick up the indentations not visible to the eye and possibly give you more of the stamps imprint.
It it worth a try to see. What is it on?

[Duer 157099]

2. Hi cj, thanks for the suggestion

I always forget to try that, it's a good trick (especially if you have onion skin paper! remember that stuff? I wonder if wrapping/tissue paper would work.)

However, in this case, it looks like it was an incomplete imprint, where the middle section just wasn't impressed. But I'll try it on the beginning of the word.

It's just a plain wooden serving tray, very nice wood and great patina. Seems I'm on a "tray" kick too these days, lol.

I feel a little conspicuous posting so many threads here, but aw what the heck, we're all friends, I hope you guys don't mind. I have dozens more I would post but I don't want the whole first page of threads to have been started by me!

c'mon people, start some threads and take the pressure off me! :D :hi:

[zabet]

3. Post away!!!

This is the only forum I check regularly any more since insanity has seemingly taken over. ;)

I have a lovely wood tray that a woman I know, her mother lived overseas and purchased in in the early 40's. Lovely but, sadly has no markings, is a laaaaarge sized one too. You never realize how handy trays are until you get a couple and start using them. I have several of the 'plastic' trays of different colors that I could not live without in my kitchen.

[Duer 157099]

9. Re: trays - exactly what's been happening to me

I've noticed that there's tons of Couroc trays available and most go unsold. I have a couple, and the only downside is that they are a bit heavy and bulky (relatively speaking). But sturdy and nice!

[yy4me]

4. Post away, if we don't know, at least we can learn from the replies.

Our time will come...but first I have to learn how to do it. Have digital camera, also have no brain for figuring how to get the photo from the camera to DU. I can manage to e-mail my photos. This old granny is so un-tech savvy, its laughable.

[Longhorn]

5. Open an account at a free photo storing service.

I use www.photobucket.com. (Others may have other suggestions.) Since your photos are already on your computer, all you do is upload whatever photos you wish to post. Once a photo is uploaded, underneath each photo are some choices of codes. Copy the direct link and paste it in your post. You can preview to make sure it looks the way you want it to. Let us know if you have any questions! :hi:

[grasswire]

6. I've meant to thank you for your enthusiastic posting!

It feeds the itch, if you know what I mean and I think you do!

I've got two big opportunities coming up in the next two days.

An old huge church is going to be demolished and everything inside is for sale starting Monday morning. After my experience of picking up a mid-Century modern limed oak credenza for five bucks last year at a Sunday school sale, I'm totally tingling at this news. Whee!

And a friend of a friend is closing her second hand shop, selling everything starting tomorrow. She left for three months in Tibet and her teenage son is selling everything. Ha! I got his cel phone number so I could ask if he would let me in early. I'd be glad to help him, even.

But the sad news is that my cousin held an estate sale for his mother's stuff without telling me about it! I happened to read the ad in the newspaper after the sale was closed! I can't believe that happened. Lots of stuff in the ad was stuff I would have bought from him. Sigh. 1940s glassware, dozens of old movie cameras and gear, etc.

The real fear is that a late 1700s sea chest was in that stuff. My sister and I recall that my grandmother gave it to this same uncle whose stuff was sold today. It belonged to our ancestor. Gah! I can't even think about that; it makes me ill.

[Duer 157099]

7. I feel your pain - Gah! is right

Well good luck at the church sale, and with your friend's shop - get there early indeed. If it were me, I'd probably bring a truck too, lol.

As for family selling things - I had an interesting experience today along those lines. There was a craigslist ad for some 60s items (including an, ahem, molded white plastic chair...), so I went on over (as fast as I could) and immediately took all 3 items without even looking closely at them. Two siblings were clearing out their recently departed mother's house, and it was evident that their mother had 1) very good taste in furniture and 2) took exceptional care of her things.

But here's what struck me: in conversing with the sister about the items, she mentioned that she had grown up with them (the tables/chair) in the house (one was a glass top, and we were discussing the merits/downsides of such, with kids in the house). At one point she made a comment about remembering that they (the kids) could never touch the "good furniture" (and really, this stuff was in such pristine condition, it's clear that nobody could touch it, lol). Her mom took great pride in selecting and maintaining these wonderful pieces.

And I got all 3 pieces (two tables and one chair) for $100.

That's the price for a lifetime's worth of effort and diligence, for all her hard work making sure the furniture survived without one scratch or dent. I was really sad as I was driving home, and I made a silent vow to the mom that I would treasure her things -- and would NOT let my son touch them, EVER! (lol)

Because I know that when I'm gone, there's a very great liklihood of the same thing happening to all of my treasures.

BTW, I'm still trying to identify these 3 pieces, it's not as easy as I had thought. Although one is easy because it's stamped with "Lane" and while I know they made just about everything during that era, this one is such a beautiful design, I'm trying to figure out the designer.

The chair is not any obvious (Knoll, Eames, Saarinen) because of a difference in the legs - but I haven't yet identified it. The daughter seemed somewhat familiar with "Eames" because she said she didn't think it was an "Eames" chair because her mom would never have been able to afford one (uhhh... but this chair was clearly authentically vintage, from the 60s... wasn't Eames whole point to make affordable furniture? it's kinda funny how people think, huh...

[Duer 157099]

8. Naturally I found one of the tables on ebay

It just amazes me how whatever I buy, there's one on ebay. The one I got was the coffee table, but I love those end tables! Too bad she didn't have those too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270239562379&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=017

[Whoa_Nelly]

10. W&J Slone info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._&_J._Sloane

Google just the W&J Sloane furniture...lots of hits for this furniture retailer.

Hope this beginning info leads you to more specific info regarding the burn stamp mark.

[grasswire]

11. I recall going to a W&J Sloane store years ago in LA

...and it was definitely upscale.