One of the things I love most about this vintage photo of a woman (obviously showing off her stockings in an erotic “French postcard” way) is the old boudoir doll on the vanity. You don’t see a lot of photos of boudoir dolls!

More things for collectors to learn from that 1940′s Hint Hunt booklet — this time the tips could explain some condition issues you find with vintage vanity collectibles.  These vintage beauty and cosmetic tips explain why you might just spot pinholes in powder boxes and find beads in perfume bottles. For me, such pin pricks [...]

This is so ephemeral that I can barely stand it! It’s a paper matchbook… With matchheads of “Stay-Tru” Almay lipstick! I’m not sure why you’d want to sell beauty on the idea of putting a match to your lips, or how these survived (mostly intact; one ‘strike’ is missing), but I love it!

I have a modest collection of vintage vanity items; my collection and I have even been featured in Collectors News magazine. Included in my collection are various vintage powder tins, compacts, and refills. Once you get past the pretty packaging (which I’ll admit might take some time!), you notice the names of shades of old [...]