With Independence Day nearly upon us, I thought it was time to celebrate America through its iconic figures of the last century. This is my list ... you could add your own, debate my choices or just give thought to those Americans that have influenced you, your experiences, your life. My choices were based on the simple criteria that they must have made an impact on me through their achievements, their fortitude and their contributions to society in the 1900s. Are there more ... sure ... but I only have so much space. (BTW: These are in no particular order.) Have fun ... and make your own list. Ali ... The Greatest ... both in the ring and in life Babe Ditrickson (Zaharias) ... such a great athlete who influenced women's sports as no other has Leonard Bernstein ... a true American musical icon ... I remember listening to him on the radio as a child Julia Child ... if you love to cook ... and I do ... she has to be on the list ... transformed much of the ...

Happy 4th of July ... Vintages will be open on  Sunday July 3rd 11am-5pm (closed on July 4th) Bring your friends, relatives and out-of-town visitors to Vintages, the most unique store in Los Gatos.   Here at Vintages we strive to offer a wide selection of Made in America products. These are mostly handmade by Americans in America ... American artisans ... local and country wide. Ask us and we will point out the many items that help our local economy and the hard-working people of the Good Ol' U S of A ! Here is a little gallery with a selection of our inventory. Los Gatos Souvenirs ... all made locally Cuff Bracelets made with Georgian Cut Steel Buckles mounted on leather Boxed Sets of Magnets ... single magnets also available ... made locally Antique Mother-of-Pearl Game Token Pendants ... wire-wrapped locally Decorated Muslin Bags ... hand stamped locally Colorful Wood Art ... from Wisconsin Clay Tile and Sculptures ... from Fr...

Napa Valley is a fun place to spend a day or a weekend. Last month we spent a few days up there with family. We stayed right next to some vineyards ... not hard to do in St. Helena ... and had several marvelous sit-down wine tastings. The whole adventure started at Beringer Vineyards with a full tour of the historic property, including the gardens, the caves and both a barrel tasting in the cave and educational tasting in the kitchen. Founded in 1875, Beringer Vineyards is considered to be the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley and is listed under the National Register of Historical Places. The Beringer Brothers Winery (as it as known for a century) had its first harvest and crush in 1876. With Jacob Beringer serving as Winemaker and Frederick Beringer as financier, the brothers made approximately 40,000 gallons of wine (18,000 cases) that first year. Today, Beringer Vineyards is a huge wine company, but still manages to keep the ...

Czech Glass Crystal Necklaces Bohemia, once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is now a part of the Czech Republic. It played an important role in the history of costume jewelry . In the 19th century, Bohemia became famous for being the glass center of Europe. It was in Gablonz, at the end of the Victorian Era , that Austrian jeweler Daniel Swarovski introduced the first cut-glass crystals to successfully imitate the look of precious gemstones … diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Even today Swarovski glass crystals are considered top-of-the-line. Since Bohemia became part of the Czech Republic after WWI, we think of glass art objects as Bohemian glass, and stones for jewelry as Czech glass or crystals. During the 1920s, Czech glass beads were strung into gaily colored necklaces, which swung from the necks of flappers. Sometimes filigreed settings held a handful of singular glass stones, heavier rectangular brooches were crammed to their c...

We just got these three old toys ... perfect for Father's Day. Wood and tin construction from the early 1900s, these are timeless ... and very collectible. Canton Pacers ($149.00) Ad from Jan 1899 Home Decor Magazine This Canton Pacers pull toy is fabulous and was introduced in the 1890s. It's about 16" long and made of wood and tin. The horses trot along when the toy is pushed or pulled. Tinker Mule ($89.00, as found) Auction Catalog listing The Tinker Mule is from the now famous Toy Tinkers, Inc., makers of Tinker Toys! This one is made of wood, a hard rubber and some metal rods. (Alas, the mule lost his snout a long time ago.) It is fully articulated. Made for a short period from 1928-1931. Porter Pushing Cart Tin Toy ($89.00) The last is a tin plated metal luggage cart pushed by a porter. The porter walks along when pushed or pulled. This is c1900. These are only available in our Los Gatos shop at this time, but feel free to email u...