Vintage Hometown Art for under $20

Because I just wrote a post on our dining room window treatments, I figured I'd follow that thought up with a post on one of my favorite pieces of artwork, which just so happens to also hang in our dining room.


When we first moved to Plymouth, MA, I knew that I wanted to find some artwork that would reflect our hometown. This house is very special to us, not only because we are in love with the coastal location but because it's our first home as a family.


I like artwork that can be used as conversation starters, such as an usually shaped piece of driftwood, an old photograph or a vintage map of an area that is particularly meaningful to its owners (such as a first date, etc.) Besides making for interesting conversation, seeking out vintage artwork is also a great way to get your hands on some original artwork that can often times be less expensive than today's original (and even reproduction) artwork.


My first instinct was to check out ebay. That site really does have everything and all I had to do was type in "Plymouth" and "vintage" into the search box and literally hundreds of vintage Plymouth possibilities instantly appeared. By quickly skimming through these items, I was able to further narrow down my search to "Plymouth," "vintage", and "print." I then noticed that a lot of postcards were popping up, so I decided to exclude "postcards" from my search because while I do like vintage postcards, I was specifically looking for a print that was at least 8x10" in size. Being aware of what I didn't want helped narrow my search down even further.


When I came across a vintage 1960's menu from a Plymouth waterfront restaurant, I knew I had hit the jackpot:

 I loved the colors of the menu, the price (it was under $20) and the character (the menu even had a lobster surcharge receipt intact and stapled to the top corner of the menu):

 I was blown away by the price differences listed on the menu - $2.79 for a whole lobster???!  Even with the 50 cent surcharge that's a world of difference from today's lobster dinner price!!

I purchased a dark wood picture frame from Walmart. Are all picture frames created equal at Walmart? No - there are definitely some items I walked ran by without turning back. But, this store did have a nice selection of solid wood frames with high quality mats at very reasonable prices, and I knew that once my pretty menu was framed and hanging on our dining room wall, no one would notice (or care) where the picture frame came from.

When I began my search, I didn't know I was looking for a 1960's vintage menu of a Plymouth restaurant. All I knew was that I wanted to find something vintage and representative of our hometown. By putting in some time to my ebay search, I was able to see what's out there and what I didn't want to ultimately steer me in the right direction of exactly what I was looking for. So my suggestion is this - it's okay if you don't know exactly what kind of artwork you are looking for. Be open and willing to search, and it's very important to pay attention to what you don't want, especially when you're not exactly sure what you're looking for. It will help you narrow down your search and you just might stumble across your own needle in the Plymouth haystack...or wherever your haystack might be.

This week I will be linking this post up with the following link parties:

Monday: The DIY Showoff, Between Naps on the Front Porch, Skip to My Lou, The Girl Creative, House in Roses, Making the World Cuter, Keeping it Simple, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Super Stinky Boys, Mad in Crafts, Creating Really Awesome Free Things and http://diyhshp.blogspot.com.

Tuesday: Coastal Charm, Hope Studios, New Nostalgia, The Lettered Cottage, All Things Related, The Herber Family, Tip Junkie, The Gypsy Corner, and Creating a House of Grace.

Wednesday: Someday Crafts, Savvy Southern Style, Faded Charm Cottage, Fireflies and Jellybeans, The Thrifty Home, Blue Cricket Design, and

Thursday: Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Tales from Bloggaritaville, House of Hepworths, Not So Crafty Crafts, The Virginia House, Delightful Order and Allie Makes.

Friday: Chic on a Shoestring, Romantic Home, Finding Fabulous, Common Ground, It’s a Hodge Podge Life, French Country Cottage, A La Carte, Just a Girl, Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Tatertots and Jello and Stuff and Nonsense.