Past Points Vintage & Antiques

Past Points Vintage & Antiques Come see us right under One Wakefield Place in Rochester, NH! Stop in - you'll never know what we've found this week!

We buy and sell items from all over the timeline - from Victorian ship documents to sterling silver to vinyl and vintage board games.

Chalk it up to the classical method of write and repeat at schools!Before chalkboards were phased out in the early 1990s...
05/29/2026

Chalk it up to the classical method of write and repeat at schools!

Before chalkboards were phased out in the early 1990s, the National School Slate Company of Pennsylvania had been producing chalkboards - from the personal sized to the wall-sized- for education since 1884! This 15" x 21" inch was most likely used by students to practice writing and 'rithmetic in class, as it is a little to large to be taken home to practice.

Ir would be perfect as a kitchen or porch item, writing your grocery list or reminders on.

And your total will be....These are in great shape for being 140+ years old, one having a intact label, and strong sprin...
05/28/2026

And your total will be....

These are in great shape for being 140+ years old, one having a intact label, and strong springs on all three. These receipt holders, or bill files, were typical used in general stores and banks to keep track of orders, receipts, and bills.

These would make great period pieces for a workshop or give a historical touch for a local café when you're dropping off the check!

Not the "rub my belly for good luck" variety.Kannon, the Buddhist "deity" (boddhisatva) of compassion and mercy (Guanyin...
05/27/2026

Not the "rub my belly for good luck" variety.

Kannon, the Buddhist "deity" (boddhisatva) of compassion and mercy (Guanyin in China and Avalokiteśvara in India), and her variations are treated as protective elements in Asian religion and cultural design. Kannon was widely adopted as a symbol of peace following WW2, with statues of her erected for the mourning of the dead - the Ryōzen Kannon in Kyoto, the Heiwa Kannon in Utsunomiya, and the Tokyo-wan Kannon in Chiba are notable examples.

The uptick in foreign tourism to Japan as her role in global trade grew introduced many items and motifs into the U.S. at a household level. The Daibutsu at Kamakura is the second largest bronze Buddha in Japan, dating back to the 13th century and one of the most recognized tourist attractions in Japan. An American tourist probably picked this little one up as a souvenir during a trip!

Pretend to be a smuggler and use it to store your treasures (or as pantry storage).Most likely from the 1980s, this crat...
05/26/2026

Pretend to be a smuggler and use it to store your treasures (or as pantry storage).

Most likely from the 1980s, this crate was used to ship K2Co3- potassium carbonate- to Boston for use in making huge amounts of Asian sauces for distribution to supermarkets and restaurants. The solid wood construction and stamps are pretty cool!

Could also be converted into a side table or lamp stand if you're feeling crafty- right now, it'll be holding our vinyl record overflow!

" Seated in thy golden chariot, thy lions with long trappings covered, all the vast coast of the Orient saw thee... " - ...
05/23/2026

" Seated in thy golden chariot, thy lions with long trappings covered, all the vast coast of the Orient saw thee... " - Nonnus, "The Dionysiaca" (5th C. AD).

This is my favorite item that came into the shop this week - an awesome reverse painting of the Greek God Dionysus! Most likely originating from a trumeau mirror (a looking glass with an art panel framed above it) or perhaps a wine cabinet (to fit the theme), this piece certainly shines!

The epic poet Nonnus composed the Dionysiaca, the longest existing poem from Greco-Roman antiquity- a behemoth of literature consisting of 48 BOOKS and nearly 21, 300 lines, it heavily influenced later Byzantine and poetical works.

Funnily enough, many high-minded Victorians thought Nonnus too bombastic and flowery, preferring the true classics of Homer and Sophocles (Nonnus did break from Homeric meter intensely)! Thomas Love Peacock, a close companion of Percy Bysshe Shelley, was often thought odd for his fondness of the "Dionysiaca", an enthusiasm that might have bled over to Shelley and his works like "Ozymandias".

Here's to Dionysus- the original life of the party!

Be a person with many hard (or look dashing if you're not good at multi-tasking).The hat industry in American history wa...
05/22/2026

Be a person with many hard (or look dashing if you're not good at multi-tasking).

The hat industry in American history was vital commerce, supplying millions of jobs during periods when a bowler, derby or pork pie was an indispensable part of any man's attire. The Hat Corporation of America and other major industry players were also a major target for the National Recovery Administration in 1933. This new agency sought to boost the economy through bringing labor, manufacturers and government together to create the "codes of fair competition", meant to protect the worker and offer affordable goods to the people of the USA.

While popular with the public, this NRA ended in 1935 (definitively dating our newsboy cap within two years!) when it was ruled unanimously unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. It had provided the executive branch the ability to operate with legislative authority, which they often used to interfere with intrastate commerce (an obvious breach of state vs. federal rights of government). The better parts of the NRA's policies were adapted into the Wagner Act later that year.

A hat and a history!

05/21/2026

It's Sir George Wade's minute menagerie!

Produced in England starting in 1954, the popularity of these small figurines exploded overseas when they were included as promotional items in Red Rose Tea starting in 1967. The majority of the dozen we have in stock are part of the American series #1 & 2, when Red Rose began sale in the U.S. in 1983. There are also one or two from the Circus Series, which was released in the late 90s.

Adorable and small, they make whimsical additions to your window sill or bookshelves - we sell them for $4 each!

05/20/2026

Earn those merit badges and get ready for any situation!

We love retro advertisements and mid-century information visuals! Before the advent of the internet, micro-manuals, pamphlets, and newsletters, these would be ordered or issued for training and self-informing. Thus they had to be eye-catching and fun to use- attention spans have always been a consideration! Organizations such as what eventually formed into AMVID (Army Multimedia and Visual Infromation Directorate) and the Boy Scouts took great care in parsing their informational booklets and training materials for readability and information retention!

Have you appreciated any vintage physical media lately?

05/17/2026

If you were well to do in New England, chances are this is where you furnished your abode.

Bigelow Carpet of Clinton, MA was founded in 1837, and became the premier American carpet makers when Erastus Bigelow invented the first power weaving loom for carpets. It's also credited for introducing Persian carpet styles into the American mileu in force as this power loom doubled the amount of carpets produced in 1839-40, a number that tripped by 1850. Suddenly, broadloom and area carpets became a furnishings standard rather than a rarer luxury.

Paine Furniture had similar origins starting in 1835, growing from a small cabinet maker on Blackstone Street to one of the largest manufacturers and dealers of furniture in the nation. By 1914, they had a ten story showroom that spanned the entirety of the Arlington block in Park Square.

Now, if only it was still possible to get mahogany furniture sets for $38....

05/16/2026

The birds and the beasts!

The shop is currently organizing a collection of prints and sketches, mostly from natural history books and bestiaries from the 1790s-1840s- some hand-colored, others sketches or aquatints.

Building your own grimoire? Come check them out- we're currently investigating framing options!

05/15/2026

Running the kitchen in antique style!

Lacroix knives, easily identified by their "running chef" logo, produced fine cooking knives in the French style for the discerning chef from the late 1800s until about 1960. The Sabatier style, a full tang knife with a triple riveted handle, became iconic of rustic European style cuisine during the early 20th century- a comfortable light weight knife that was good for chopping, slicing, mincing and dicing. Versatile and c'est magnifique!

Address

11 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH
03867

Opening Hours

Wednesday 12pm - 7pm
Thursday 12pm - 7pm
Friday 12pm - 7pm
Saturday 12pm - 7pm
Sunday 12pm - 7pm

Telephone

+16034985346

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Past Points Vintage & Antiques posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Past Points Vintage & Antiques:

Shortcuts

Share

Category