Friday Favorite Flea Find: November 7, 2025
A dusty warehouse, a hidden corner, and one ecstatic collector later, this glorious Royal Haeger find proves that mid-century magic still hides in plain sight.
I found this mid-century stunner while poking through a dusty old warehouse, the kind of place mostly filled with "another man’s treasures." Every surface was cluttered with clear glass, chipped ceramics, and worn-out furniture long past its glory days. I was certain there were no treasures to unearth, and I was ready to give up, but my neighbor was having so much fun pulling “only slightly broken” furniture out of the wreckage that I kept going (and she was my ride after all).
Then, tucked away in a dark corner, with what I can only assume was a dirty dusting rag stuffed in the opening, I spotted it: a tall, elegant, GRUBBY silhouette that made me stop in my tracks. Beneath the grime was a 16-inch Royal Haeger pitcher vase, its (once and soon to be again) matte white lava-textured exterior giving way to a smooth, glossy turquoise interior. It was mid-century modern perfection, elegant and sculptural, begging to come home with me for the love and care it so desperately needed.
I snatched it up and nearly tripped over my own feet as I rushed over to the warehouse owner. Trying not to look too eager, I asked him what he wanted for it. He gave it a bored glance and said, “Ten bucks.” I held my breath as I retrieved my wallet. In the back of my mind, the soundtrack in my head swelled, not quite Pomp and Circumstance, but something equally grand and triumphant. Maybe Ode to Joy. It was definitely the moment for a song of victory.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Haeger Pottery, especially their mid-century designs. The company really hit its stride during the 1950s and ’60s, when designers introduced those sleek, modern forms with daring glazes. The textured “lava” exteriors paired with glossy, jewel-toned interiors like turquoise, coral, and chartreuse were pure atomic-era artistry. Haeger turned everyday vases into sculptural statements that captured the optimism of the mid-century moment.
Now this beauty has found a home on my mid-century-style gold and marble shelving unit, which I’ve repurposed as a television stand. It flanks one side of the TV, while my monkey-in-a-fez double-light lamp holds court on the other. It’s the perfect pairing of whimsy and design—a little retro Hollywood meets Illinois pottery perfection.
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