Absinthe Hour

Set your absinthe table on the cheap using eBay

Collecting absinthe antiques is not a cheap hobby. I’m just getting into it after a decade of drinking the stuff and if you stick to dealers, you’re going to part with a lot of cash, hella fast. Saying that, buy a few bits from reputable dealers, get your feet wet, read a lot and research till your brains turn to mush, then try scouting out your own bargains. Bargains will appear, trust me.

There’s loads to be written here on the subject and from the perspective of an absinthe antiques newbie, but really I just want to talk about a couple of bits I recently found on eBay. They are not specifically ‘absinthe’ antiques – in fact, the auctions did not mention absinthe at all – but after you do enough research, you can pick up the things not marketed to the absinthe geek, and often for a fraction of what you might pay otherwise. This phenomenon is not unlike what has happened with expired film on eBay. It used to be that a bucket of expired film would run you a few pounds, and there was tonnes of it out there. Now, with the popularity of toy cameras and a resurgence in film usage, expired film auctions will almost always mention “Lomo” or “Lomography” and in doing that, command a higher price and far more competitive auction.

Absinthe stuff is no different. But here’s what to do…

Look for things that you need for the table setting: Fountain – not much chance getting one of those not marked for absinthe… move on. Glasses – this we can do! Ale glasses often doubled as absinthe glasses and it’s easy to find them without any mention of absinthe whatsoever. Take the one in this photograph:

Recent eBay find: 19th century ale/absinthe glass

I was scouring the “Listed in category: Pottery, Porcelain & Glass > Glass > Date-Lined Glass > Victorian (c.1840-c.1900)” section and found it. It shares much in common with the East, Mazagran, and Périgord Flute, but was only listed as a 19th Century Ale Glass. We have a winner! Best part is that the price was £3.99 plus shipping. No mention of absinthe, maybe never held absinthe, but it will look great full of the louched stuff on my table.

Sugar Tongs – there are LOADS of them on eBay and some going for ridiculously cheap prices. The first pair I picked up:
Johnathan Bell and Son, sugar tongs 1897
Cute, yes? Yes. And cheap at under £10 shipped, but I was able to more than halve my cost for a much more interesting pair:
Antique claw sugar tongs, silver plated

There are fascinating sugar tongs out there. Some are like ornate scissors, some plain, long, short- you name it. Victorian and Edwardian sugar tongs are plentiful and go a long way to making your absinthe arrangement look complete.

Don’t forget a water jug or carafe. I found a lovely Victorian green-glazed terracotta pitcher for £12 at a tiny antiques shop in Launceston the other day. It’s lovely and the perfect size to hold about three glasses worth of iced water. There are plenty of jugs on eBay.

I hope this gives you some ideas. Having an absinthe arrangement as they did in the Belle Époque is not out of your reach. A little patience and a sharp eye will get you on your way towards an impressive accessories collection.

I’ll have more on my quest for absinthe antiques in future posts here, but for now- happy hunting!

THE reference for antique absinthe spoons

I grabbed a copy of this from a seller on Amazon.fr – a good price, new in plastic wrap, and it will pay for itself with the knowledge it’ll be giving me.

THE book

It’s not easy to get ahold of, but if you want to search, here is the ISBN-10: 2951531613 and the ISBN-13: 9782951531611.

THE book

I feel much more confident in my bargain hunting now. :)

Antique sugar tongs, 1897

Johnathan Bell and Son, sugar tongs 1897

I just got these for a great price on eBay.

The auction description:

By JOHNATHAN BELL & SON – SHEFFIELD 1897

Silver Plated
Sugar Tongs ( 105mm/4⅛”)
All pieces are stamped on the underside of the handle.
This is vintage cutlery but has been well looked after with just a few signs of wear.

They’re just cute as can be!

Absinthe is only absinthe if it’s from Val-de-Travers?

Sorry, nothing to see here.

Winning stuff is fun

I still subscribe to the La Fée newsletter and in a recent one I spotted a contest… Read an article, email them the answer to their question, and maybe win. So I entered.
Tada! I won and received two free bottles from La Fée. (Granted, I would’ve loved the XS products instead, but I’ll take my prize and be grateful. :) )

I won free absinthe (free is always good)

Now, Parisienne (also sometimes labeled Parisian) is far from being a favourite of mine, but I’ll drink it if it’s around. One thing I’d like to experiment with is making absinthe chocolate truffles and so this will be perfect in cooking. The NV is something I’m curious about but wasn’t ready to buy – to be honest, I’d rather the money go towards a bottle of one of my favourites – but now that I have it, I shall try it and review it.

Santé!

© Jennifer Dixon 2007 - 2010. All rights reserved. absinthehouratgooglemaildotcom