As you may have noticed, I’m a big fan of creative reuse. And when it comes to antique tabletop, the possibilities are endless. The Victorians had a special piece of silverware for nearly everything—bonbon scoops, bacon forks, lemon picks, cake breakers to name a few (click here for more). Today much of this food-specific silverware now reads as alien, but that doesn’t mean these objects don’t have a use.

The other day I had lunch with an old colleague and friend, Eddie Ross, and he was telling me that of all the things he sells at his Etsy antiques shop, silver-plate toast racks are by far his most popular item. Though his customers may have purchased them to step up their Sunday brunch presentation, my guess is most of them didn’t buy these racks with toast in mind. A compact silver accessory with a series of rungs, a footed base and an ornate handle—that doesn’t say “breakfast” to the average lover of creative reuse: it says “organization.” For bills or stationery, a toast rack is the chicest way to file. Plus, it would be so eye-catching on a desk or in a foyer.

Though I love the thrill of stumbling upon a treasure at a flea market, when you have a specific type of item in mind, the Internet is the way to go. I did a quick search for “toast rack” on a few of my favorite online sources for antiques and found these pretty options available for purchase right now.

Etsy.com continues to be a fabulous source for one-of-a-kind designs, and Eddie Ross’s Etsy shop is among the best. He features vintage finds, all under $100, and he always delivers handy tips on how to enjoy them. Eddie is also of the toast-rack-organizer philosophy and suggests it for this English brass piece, which is selling for $90.

LiveAuctioneers.com is another great online source for antiques. This silver-plated toast rack is a great buy—especially considering that it comes with a three-footed dish (we’re not sure why, but it does). Starting bid is $50; auction ends November 27th.

Ebay had over a 100 options, with starting prices at $2. I liked this one by Asprey London for its simplicity and ball feet. Valued at $52, it’s for auction on eBay until November 14th.

And cleverly enough, Mothology has caught on to the demand for toast racks, and it is now making gorgeous reproductions: $84 for the small and $148 for the large. 

Anne E. Collins
Executive Editor, PointClickHome