1940s Mandrake the Magician Big Little Book

My sweetie is a magician, so I'm always on the lookout for old magic items while antiquing. Last week I found this great 1940s Big Little book, featuring Mandrake the Magician, the mysterious detective star of comics, radio, and serials. Only problem now is, who gets it: me, the Big Little book collector, or the magician sweetie...

1930s Buck Rogers Big Little Book

Found last week: a fantastic 1930s Big Little book, Buck Rogers on the Moons of Saturn. Like many early Big Little Books, it's in rough shape, but it's still a treasure. The cover illustration shows Buck and Dr. Huer using an anti-gravity ray, which makes everything float. That would be a nice thing to have during the morning rush hour...

1930s Little Orphan Annie Child's Teapot

It's always exciting to find a completer item while antiquing, and at a show this past weekend, I discovered this 1930s child's Little Orphan Annie lusterware teapot, 3 inches wide. I've had a couple of plates and a cup for ages, and even though the pot is missing its lid, it was still a very satisfying find.   Arf!

Vintage Dolly Bakeware

One of my favorite things to do with old toys is to arrange little scenes. Toy cupboards are particularly suited to this, as with the old doll's kitchen cupboard, below. It's a lot of fun scouring antique shows and shops, looking for just the right accessories to bring such a scene to life.
At a show this past weekend, I found this assortment of 1940s doll-sized bakeware, including a wooden rolling pin and metal biscuit and gingerbread cutters. My 20 inch German dolly models below. For scale, the cookie cutters are 2 inches long.

Antique Doll Dishes

Spotted in a tray full of miniatures at an antique show this past weekend were all these wonderful doll dishes and baking accessories. Made of china, they date mostly to the late 1800s, with the tiniest cup and saucer just after the turn of the century. The muffin pan (?) is 3 inches wide, while the smallest cup is just under 1 inch tall.

For a sense of scale, my 14 inch china doll agreed to pose, although she doesn't look particularly pleased about it: