It Has To Be You™: September's Treasures: From Alpine Villages to Herman Miller Swivel Chairs

September's Brimfield Antiques Show capped off a successful season of treasure hunting. Ideal late-summer weather, zero traffic hassles, and quality time spent with good friends all contributed to a great outing.

As usual, I came home with a few treasures that were not on my shopping "list," plus one item that was. Here's the item that was on my list...

I felt lucky to find this "Electrified" Alpine Village, complete with all nine buildings and light set, in its original box. The dealer said the light set didn't work, so I got it for just $15. When I got it home, I was able to get the set to work by using bulbs from another set I already had. I'm planning to create a display with these on my fireplace mantel this Christmas (I'll probably post photos here in December).

Note the BARKERS sticker. It's dated 10/78.
Barkers was a (now defunct) discount store founded in Orange, CT by Irving Barker in 1957.

Back of the box with important instructions.

Definitely a vintage piece, with U.S. manufacturer info on the box side.

Probably my favorite find this outing is my Herman Miller (Eames design) swivel chair – an excellent deal at $40. I've seen similar pieces at on-line auction websites for $200 to $350 depending on condition. This one isn't in perfect condition, as it has a couple of small rips on the upholstery and a raised squiggle flaw on the seat, but the swivel mechanism works perfectly, and it's super-comfortable to sit in.

Its original label is intact on the underside – Herman Miller, Inc. Zeeland, Michigan. I'm guessing this dates from the 1960s, though it could be a bit newer. I placed it at the end of my hallway for now, but I'm planning to move it to my bedroom at some point.

Continuing with the furniture theme, I also found this cool mirrored side table. I asked the dealer how old it was, and he estimated 1970s. I especially like its column shape on three little feet. It only measures 23 inches tall and 27 inches in diameter, so it will fit virtually anywhere. I currently have it in my living room next to a rocking chair. This was also a good deal for $40.

Lastly, I found a large skeleton key (for $7) to add to this year's Halloween display. This one measures 6 inches long.

Naturally, I was drawn to this charming table and bench set, painted with Christmas scenes. It's the same size and style as the set I currently have in my kitchen. If I had the room, this might have come home with me for the holidays.