Golden Lion Antiques

While back in Minnesota, my mom and I found a fabulous store in St. Paul called Golden Lion Antiques - it's one of those that had things jammed in every corner, from glasses to mickey mouse figurines to vintage dresses to old farm ephemera to books to 40s Christmas ornaments to I know not what.  The owner is at least 75, and he also does a good deal of work with estate sales, so I think the hours of the store are rather sporadic. 

One of my purchases of the day --- see the Paris duo?  I'll repost pictures once they are cleaned up and ---gasp--- on the wall in my apartment.  They're signed "Anio" --but my detective work so far hasn't yielded any more information about the artist.

A knitting machine

The owner and I are really on the same wavelength...milk glass, metro shelving, glassware sorted by color...

I have my own collection of these lovely German advertising art pieces from the Guggisberg cheese company!

It's really so hard to give you the feeling of just how chock full of stuff this place was --- about 16 rooms, plus creepy, creepy basements. 

I also bought a beautiful 1947 edition of Omar Khayyám Rubaiyat.  I'm still in awe of the illustrations.

I also, erhm, bought a wedding dress.  Not necessarily my wedding dress, but hey, it was gorgeous ivory satin with a beautiful boatneck top and train---no stains and no rips, a marvel for something at least 70 years old.  It was $40.  I totally bought it. 

I didn't have a mannequin around, so please excuse the use of padded hanger...but yeah, it's wonderful.  Comparable prices for similar 1940s satin wedding gowns--$450.  So if nothing else, it's an investment piece.  And it's pretty.  So there, Roth IRA.  When you're as pretty as this dress, I'll think about it.