Friday, February 25, 2011

The Elusive Owl

 
Owl Group 1
Owl planters, 90 cents _Impact Thrift Montgomeryville.
Plump brass owl $2_Impact Thrift Hatboro.
1970's vintage owl with flowers, $1.40_2nd Ave.
Miniature ceramic owl, 25 cents_Impact Thrift Montgomeryville.
 Perhaps it’s their regal stance or the fact that they can rotate their heads up to 270 degrees, but these nocturnal birds of prey have been something of a secondhand trend.

Crafters, thrifters and vintage enthusiasts have been hunting owls for personal collections, re-selling and up-cycling for some time. A case-in-point example: a basic search of the word “owls” on Etsy yields nearly 59,000 results.

But what is the allure of the owl?

Is it his seeming passivity, just hanging out hootin’ on a branch?

Is it the slow, deliberate movements when he stalks his prey?

Is it his stumpy, feathered body that attracts such a secondhand following?

The world may never know.
But we certainly want to.

What are your thrifted owl experiences? Have your owl sightings been scarce?
Why the owl? Does the Western symbolism of the wise old owl have any connection to their vintage appeal?

And how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?
______________________________________

Our current tally is 39 followers.

9 comments:

DFWgirliegirl Housewife said...

I seem to be finding owls lately, too. I guess all the people who loved owls in the 70's are passing them on for another generation to find. I actually left 2 cuties behind yesterday. I have a few in my etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/people/GirlieGirlsNotions already.

Tiffany

Jackie Jardine said...

Hi, Tiffany. You might be on to something. They're popping up everywhere on Etsy. It's taken me a while to find this little collection. But I'll be keeping an eye out for the owls. I love those little guys!

Nancy said...

Yes, ma'am, I am one of the 39 followers. Where is 2nd Avenue? Next time you are at Impact in Hatboro, come another block in from York Road, to the intersection of Moreland with Penn St. and check Mr. Jim's. Jim himself died last summer but his family is running the shop now. It is not as inexpensive as Impact but there are treasures to be found.

Jackie Jardine said...

Thanks for the tip, Nancy! I'll have to check out Mr. Jim's next time I'm in the neighborhood. The 2nd Ave I go to is in Northeast Philadelphia, right outside of the Franklin Mills mall. It's huge! There are a few others in the state. Here's a link to their hours and locations: http://www.2ndavestores.com/docs/store_locations/default.aspx

Also, I decided to open an Etsy account, after all! Though I think I'll also be opening a store here on the blog (for the non-vintage items). I'll have to let you know how it goes.

monogirl said...

I honestly think the current resurgence of Owl stuff is due in part to the fact that popular kitch items skip generations and partially due to Harry Potter.

Jackie Jardine said...

That's an interesting theory. And there does seem to be a trend where a previously popular kitsch item disappears for a few decades only to blip back on the radar again.

I never even thought about Harry Potter. But it makes sense.

I just love owls. I love hove how stumpy and pudgy they are. Have you ever spotted one sleeping? This one I saw perched on a tree at the side of a highway had his head bent forward and his neck was all tucked into his body. He was sort of nestled in. It was the cutest thing!

Vanessa said...

The owls have come back hard. I want to paint an owl on every item in my antique store booth- I swear- if there's an owl on it, it won't stay in the booth for long.

I thought mushrooms were still just as hot but my mushroom items haven't moved. I might keep them for myself, the Mario lover in me loves them more than the people who browse the shops, apparently...

I wonder how long the owl trend will last before its shelved away yet again...

Jackie Jardine said...

Don't worry, Van. I still love the toadstools. (And Mario, of course). I actually found a framed owl embroidery at the thrift the other day, after I made my owl post as it would figure. I guess I have to make an owl update!

heart.revolution said...

I found one of those owl planters at a yard sale over here in Ardmore!