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The journey of a thousand miles begins with...the perfect pair of shoes.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Pottery Barn, Eat Your Heart Out!


Now, we all love Pottery Barn. Their stuff is gorgeous and makes us all wish we lived a cleaner, neater, prettier, PB style lives. The interwebs are FULL of PB knock offs and their catalog is like porn for women. What many of us don't like about PB are their prices. Honestly, they are ridiculous.
This past weekend was the AMAZING Heidelberg Holiday Bazaar, which is put on my by the HD Community Spouses Club (of which I am a member). The bazaar brings vendors from all over Europe and is just amazing. The prices have been jacked up a little, but it's cheaper than traveling to Turkey for rugs or scouring various antique markets throughout France or Sweden or Germany for the perfect buffet or china hutch. The vendors range from antiques to chocolates, to cheeses, to wines, to Scandinavian sweaters, to Italian pottery, to Russian china. Seriously, if you can imagine it, it's probably there. It happens over Columbus Day weekend every year and is a much anticipated event.
While wandering through the maze of vendors, I came across a few things I'd seen in the PB catalog that made my heart skip a beat, but at a price that made my debit card run for cover.

See these dough bowls?  Aren't they gorgeous?  If you buy them from PB, they range $199-$249.  Are you kidding me?   Look what I found at the Bazaar:




Isn't it gorgeous?  Want to know what I paid?  $47.  That's right, $47.  It's HUGE!  Those are real apples in there!

For over a year I've been obsessed with baguette boards.  They are harder to find in Germany and I've only seen a few, but didn't like them for one reason or another.  At the Bazaar, vendors had them by the barrel full (literally, they were displayed in open top wine barrels) and I had so many to choose from.  Here is the PB version for $129:

Pretty!  There were at least a hundred of these at the bazaar.  I picked them up, looked them over, weighed them in my hands (some were heavy, some were light depending on the wood used to carve them) and tried not to giggle over the price.  I chose one that wasn't as neat and smooth as the PB version.  I liked its roughness.









And I paid $35 for it!  Could you die from the pretty????  I can use it for so many different seasons or for serving breads at the holidays.  I love it!!!!

Of course, I don't get all my cool stuff from the Bazaar.  A lot of our vintage decor comes from flea markets.   I love old cameras.  I do NOT love PB's price for them though.  $149, each?  Check out my collection:




The most I paid for any of them was 10 Euro (about $13).

PB no longer has the found seltzer bottles on their site, but these found soda bottles (which I will be looking for at the next flea market) are close enough.  Would I pay $69?  Nope.  For my vintage seltzer bottle, I paid 12 Euro ($15).   I'm on the hunt for more!  I really liked this one because of the streaky glass.



$149 vintage sled? Meet my $25 version (decorated for Easter because I have no current pics):



I realize how very lucky I am to live in Europe where I can find all of these wonderful items for a fraction of what I would pay if I had to buy them in the States. I'm thinking of starting my own stockpile and opening up an online shop with much, much lower prices than PB. :)

I'm linking up with Amanda.

Weekend Bloggy Reading


26 comments:

The Nester said...

dying to get a bagette board $35?! I wanna move to Germany.

Jenna said...

I bow down to your decorating skillz! WOW!

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Love both of the dough bowl and the bread board, they are fantastic. You really should open an etsy. Great items and at much better prices than here. Hugs, Marty

Unknown said...

that's so cool! When are you going to start taking orders?

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Not only am I jealous that you get to visit Heidelberg on a regular basis, but the PB "knock-offs" are fabulous...much better than the PB stuff!! Love love love how you styled everything. :) Thanks so much for joining my party! :)

Jennifer said...

Oh.Wow. That baguette board is awesome! I just love how you've decorated it with the little pumpkins. And I just LOVE the price! Thanks for sharing :)

Melissa Miller said...

WOW! Everything is really cool and reminds me of PB. Love it all sweet friend.

Thanks for coming by today. I've missed you! :)

Michaela said...

Oh fun! I love all your decorations. The little pumpkins and candles are so cute. And I just adore vintage cameras. Something about them make me so happy!

Stopping by from Amanda's link party (:
Happy weekend!

~Michaela

Unknown said...

Stopping by from Amanda's, saw your dough bowl and I believe my heart skipped a beat! I loooove them and the way you styled everything, and am in awe of your great finds. Thanks for sharing!

-Ann Marie

Charlene said...

Seeing those old cameras in your picture reminded me of my Mom's brownie camera. I remember her taking pictures of us as we grew up, how the film went in and where she put us to use the light. I found it some time ago in a cedar chest of her things I have still. I took it out and placed it on an end table in the living room. It looks right there; just as though I had set it there ready to take outside again and snap a picture.

family of 4 on the move! said...

Love the dough bowl! Gorgeous!

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Wow - look at all of those great deals! I saw those big wood bowls at PB too - they are so wonderful! Yours are just as cool! You lucky girl!

xox
Jen

Satakieli said...

Love the wooden bowl and the baguette board! I missed the bazaar this year, but I'm waiting for the carver at the christmas market when it starts so I can get my hands on some lovely bowls and suchlike, saw them last christmas and regretted not buying anything ever since!

KimMalk said...

I absolutely adore your finds. How lucky for you, you have them displayed beautifully.

Stephanie Lynn @Under the Table and Dreaming said...

Love LOVE LOVE your fabulous finds. The dough bowls are amazing! Great displays. Hope you are enjoying your weekend! ~ Stephanie Lynn

Jennifer Bowen said...

Great finds! I especially LOVE the vintage cameras. I definitely have to go shopping with you. Will you come over to my house and help me decorate? LOL Seriously, I'm not well versed in interior decorating. You truly have a knack for it.

Vicki said...

These are the best finds I've seen in blog land this week! I can't believe the dough bowl and bread bowl. Great job! I have a collection of vintage cameras too. I didn't pay more than $5-10 each. My local antique store has a vendor that is 60% off right now on cameras...I may have to treat myself! Enjoying your blog. Nice to meet you.

Vicki at Rusty Rooster Vintage

All That Glitters said...

wow!!!! I'm seriously in love with your deals!!!! You go girl!!!

Take care!
Jennifer

Megan (Best of Fates) said...

I had no idea stuff was so much cheaper in Europe - now I feel all ripped off!

The Smits said...

http://www.doellinger-antiques.com/

Doellingers near Illesheim sells at the Bazaars but I think it's cheaper to go to their warehouse - he has those bread boards for 15 euro and takes VAT forms. Also there's a place a Roth near Nuremberg, his prices are better but doesn't have as huge of a selection

Cheryl said...

Love, love, LOVE your dough bowl and baguette board!!!

Joy said...

What great finds at great prices, you lucky girl!!! My dough bowl is always in use, mostly holding various fruits but occasionally it gets prettied up with fun items. I love a item that can be both useful and decorative!

Candy @ The Little Round Table said...

Love your bargains! Pretty bowl and board for sure. Thanks for stopping by to see mine too, I do appreciate it.

You might be interested to see some of my prior posts .... not bowls, but probably something very familiar looking. :-)

http://www.thelittleroundtable.com/2009/11/care-to-share-glass-of-wine-show-and.html

And some other related posts with the tag "Germany"

http://www.thelittleroundtable.com/search/label/Germany

Candy

Nonie said...

Love that baguette board..I want one now!

jamie said...

Me, too, on the baguette board...Love the look and the way you used it!

Kristina said...

super cool! I'm a military wife down in Sicily and it's so hard to find things here!! i was looking at those wooden bowls myself but PB is RIDICULOUS! I've been making a lot of my own things as well. good on ya!!

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