Unicorns—Rare and Highly Valued Finds

In the antique world, a “unicorn” refers to that elusive find—a rare and highly valued item often not recognized by others. If you are in the know, it’s that piece that you see across the room and can’t wait to get your hands on, hopefully before anyone else sees it! For antique dealers and vintage resellers, it is the hope of discovering such a find that makes one get up early, stand in line and carefully peruse every item on the shelf. Sometimes it is instantly recognizable and sometimes it is just that gut feeling that the item might be special.

TWA destination cocktail glasses

These TWA destination cocktail glasses are one such example. I saw them at an estate sale and was not initially attracted because I’m not usually drawn to black and gold; however, there was something so unique about these that I decided it was worth the gamble—that and the fact that they were $2 each! Once I got home and was able to do a bit of research, I found out they were from the 60s and given to first class international passengers on TWA flights and actually quite collectible.

MCM brass lily ash tray

This Mid Century brass lily might draw your attention, but did you know it has a dual purpose?

The petals can be removed and serve as individual ash trays! Cleverly designed pieces like this are always in demand.

Enid Collins papier-mâché box bag

Anyone familiar with Enid Collins knows how collectible her 1960s box bags are, but did you know the papier-mâché ones are especially so? These are true estate sale “unicorns” as they were made in Puerto Rico when they opened a factory there and nothing compares to their unique hand-tailored designs. An added bonus—Enid Collins lived and worked in the Texas Hill Country so her bags often pop up at estate sales in Fredericksburg and surrounding towns.