How A Missing Vintage Versace Led Me To A Mid Century Modern Mosaic Find Of A Lifetime.
I’ve sold the same vintage Versace appliqué shirt five times. It’s a fantastic pale blue 90’s shirt and everybody loves it. Every time the sale goes wrong and in a different and exciting way. The last time was my fault, I relisted it on eBay after the third failed sale and lost it on the fourth. I mean literally, not emotionally, I actually lost it. It completely and utterly, and I thought irretrievably, disappeared.
Vintage Versace Jeans Couture applique shirt
I apologised unreservedly to the buyer and issued an immediate and full refund and never heard from her again. I put it down as a complete mystery until several months later, last week, I found a perfectly wrapped and packed, but not addressed, parcel down the back of the sofa when I was trying to reach one of Begonia’s catnip toys. There it was, mystery solved, I couldn’t find the previous buyer so relisted it again last Sunday.
I’m normally in bed by ten these cat mom days, got to get up early for the breakfast service, but for some reason I checked my emails at 10.45. Someone had requested to Buy It Now for £28, the asking price was £25. My first reaction was ‘oh no....that bloody shirt....what fresh he’ll doth bring”, but it was a gorgeous shirt and usually when someone messages you at that time of night it means they really want the item and are worried they’ll lose it in a bid, or they need it immediately. I’ve been there.
I messaged a polite reply and happily accepted their offer, then I inspected the shirt and found it had a loose thread, here we go, so messaged them back to break the news. We amicably agreed on the starting price of £25. She paid immediately, I promised to send it the next day and we could both retire to bed happy by quarter to one. Could this finally be peace for the Vintage Versace Appliqué number? And for me?
Vintage Versace applique
I’ve been rotating all the post offices within a ten mile radius, and based on the least chance of being accosted by a gammon or offended by a rude cashier, and I’ve settled on the one over the park.
Corona cases are rising again, all my instincts tell me to stay in, but for my sanity I’m going into the odd shop, with great reservation and sanitation. There is one particular charity shop next to the post office that had been closed for months and sells mostly high-end expensive antiques where the professional furniture dealers always get to the good stuff first, but it was open today so I doubled back on myself and thought I’d venture in.
I looked at the knick-knacks, but short of a chipped set of vintage avocado bowls and spoons, everything was as usual uninspiring and overpriced. I thought I’d just go upstairs to creep around the furniture. The first thing I saw was a honey-coloured antique split bamboo cane cabinet, SOLD, knew it. I squeezed through the Formica and MDF and then, behold, before me, it could not be true... a four foot long, mid century modern, mosaic abstract coffee table, covered in cobwebs, and so beautiful I almost threw myself prone across it.
No price. I took a picture.
Mid Century Mosaic table found in a charity shop
Every step downstairs was like a step in zero gravity. I waited at the counter, behind a bullet proof screen, in a tabby cat mask.
“Hello, you have a coffee table upstairs with no price, do you know how much that is please?” ... “let’s go up and have a look..”
“I have a photo...”
“oh that’s just come in, that’s £25”..
“I’ll take that please”.
Mid Century Modern Mosaic - Mine.
Then ensued the most delicious struggle to get it out of its corner and down the round stairs, a lighthearted giggle with a group of women who backed me up in my choice, and a lovely exchange with the lady on the till.
These conversations with strangers used to be daily delights pre-pandemic and it felt joyous to experience those moments once again. The sales lady came round from her bullet (virus) proof screen to ask me what I was going to do with it, I said I had just spent four years and my life savings renovating a run down Victorian terrace and now I’m going to re-redecorate my whole house around it.
It felt great to be humping heavy things back to George Michael (my car) again. The excitement of battling to get weird and wonderful things in the back seat and then the anticipation of fighting to get it out again when we got home was very comforting.
When I carried it over the threshold I did not know I would not need to re-redecorate and that my whole house was ready had been actually been waiting for it. The moment I put it down in what happened to be the perfect place, I realised just how incredible it was. It’s a genuine piece of high end Mid Century Modern mosaic furniture and it’s mine, and I got it in the same week I found the Joe Colombo Arno glass cups. What a week.
Thank you Versace. I had a I feeling I would be seeing you again, but she just messaged me she loves you!
Joe Colombo Mid Century Modern ‘Arno’ glass coffee cups.
