What’s not to love about a game where you can shout out words like “wicket” and “booby”?
So put on your whites and join me on my lawn for a game fit for the royals.
Yes, I’m officially a croquet snob (remember my first vintage croquet set find) since I found this musty, dusty old relic – an antique croquet set – in the garage of an estate sale.
Jacques Croquet Set London made in England for Abercrombie & Fitch …
in it’s handmade green wooden box splendor filled with wickets and mallets and other cool thing-a-ma-bobs.
I was almost $3,346 richer …
if my find was a full croquet set like this one auctioned at Christie’s!
Once my crying subsided and I mixed myself a strong cocktail to console myself, I did what any antique loving gal would do …
I cleaned up that box and lugged it inside where it now resides happily (but it does mock me) in my vestibule.
I forgot to mention my “booby” prize!
The heavy duty steel wickets are now being used as hose guides – no more smashed hydrangeas.
Booby prize #2 – 43 1/2 inches – an absolute perfect fit in my entrance vestibule!
It’s no $3,346 …
but it sure is one heck of a booby prize!
See all of my vintage finds here.
P.S. for all of your inquiring minds, a booby is a ball that hasn’t passed through the first wicket
P.P.S. My friend Kirby asked me some probing questions – and I answered if you’d like to read more here.
super cool find! love it, kelly!
So awesome! I’ll be over for a game of croquet this weekend! 😉
xo Heidi
I have many options for a comment here, and I hate to disappoint you but I’m going with the safe one….that is a fine looking croquet box in your entry way.
Bliss
That’s a heck of a find! I’m a little jealous here!
The box itself is an awesome score, but I love how you’ve figured out how to use the wickets and balls too. Awesome!
It is a wonderful and exciting find. I would have been so excited. I am drooling now! lol Great post.
love how the story ends! your bits + pieces look fabulous just as they are!
Oh so COOL!! Great find Kelly!!!! I love croquet too!! 🙂
I love it, We use to play croquet as kids. I have my eyes on an Amish made one.
Way to make the best of it all. Coolest hose guides ever too! Coming your way from Kirb Appeals interview of you today! Glad to find you.
Holy Hose Guides!!! What an amazing score. What is it about seeing a familiar “brand” that gets your heart thumping? I’d say that your find was definitely NOT a booby, lol. xoxo jules
It fits perfectly! What a find! I would have paid $3,345 for it….but that extra dollar just put it over the top. 🙂
Have a great day rock star!
karianne
I love playing croquet but I love what you did with your set even more!
What a fabulous find….all there or not!! Love it! and it fits perfectly. (oh and love your side light window and floor in that room too…gorgeous!)
Nancy
Yours look fabulous! Yes, it would have been nice to have the money but you have Character!
Lovely re-use/re-purpose. I think your set looks well-loved and like it’s actually been used for a few games of croquet. Love the look of your box so much more than the Christie’s one. As Kalalmity Kelli said, “you have Character” and I’d add CHARM.
Well, what a “booby” prize it is!…the box looks better in your foyer than in a museum or on a display shelf…and your “wicket” hose guides are the greatest!…I am sure you are the only one in town, or maybe in the country that has those wonderful wickets in you garden!!…Now don’t let the kids play croquet in your hydrangeas!
Love croquet, love your find! Wish it had been a full set (what was it missing?) but I do love what you’ve done with it!
And to think I was excited to find an old almost set this week. It has 3 wooden balls and 4 mallets. Love your great find and the way you have it displayed! Now I’m trying to figure out how I can display my almost croquet set.
Love this find and your booby prizes are awesome too. It was obviously meant to be yours.
Another rad find! Who needs the dough- you have a rad little spot in your front room and you get to say “booby” for an appropriate reason! 😉
xoxo Becca
Using it in the hydrangeas like that all but makes up for the incomplete set, right? What a coolio find, girlie!
I think you will get at least $3,34….7 of enjoyment out of your set. Way to go!!!
I used to play croquet at my grandfathers every time we visited in South Carolina. I would love to find one of these sets…even if it wasn’t the kind that would make me rich! 😉 Love what you did with it!
Awesome find! I absolutely love how it looks in that space!
that is so seriously cool, and totally you and I couldn’t help but chuckle every time I read booby. 🙂
I have a croquet set, but it’s from Target circa 2000. Yours is way cooler. And thanks again for the interview!!
Well now, my son is actually a nationally (and internationally) rated croquet player! He was a croquet pro for a year at the US Center in Palm Springs, FL — largest croquet center in the world with 12 croquet courts. Oddball factoid: when one travels with one’s croquet mallet, one carries it in a gun case!
That is a great find even if it’s not worth 3 grand!
It’s gorgeous and any find that comes with a good story is always priceless!
I used to love to play croquet as a little girl. All the names are still a mystery to me.. but I loved to hit the ball with the hammer thingy. So glad to know if I missed it’s a booby! Love Love Love it where you have it now. So much more priceless than selling it. ~Lisa
What a great find! It’s too cute!
Awesome scores regardless. That box looks awesome, actually perfect in your entry Kelly!
I LOVE this!!! It looks great in your entry! See you soon @HavenConference!!!
~Angela
Well, that is just adorable! Sorry you aren’t richer from it though. LOVE the croquet balls under raps! I have mine in a big wooden bowl on my coffee table, and I get nervous when little boys come over. I had 3 so I know how they operate!
I have saved my set from 1968. I love it, even though I never really knew the correct rules to play. We just made up the rules as we went. But it was still great fun, and I will never get rid of the set I have.
OMG Kelly! Despite it not being $3K, it’s still very pretty, so your still in great luck with the set you got! Hope you find consolation in doing a lot of things with your set while your girls are away. 🙂
hysterical! love the colors, perfect in your vestibule! So mad I’ll be missing you at haven. uugh
I’ll take it! Lots of dollars or no, it’s beautiful.
I am glad you cleared up the booby issue. I was wondering. Great idea for the hose guide. My Hydrangeas get smooshed. I just love that you get to say “Vestibule” when describing something in your home. Vestibule, Vestibule, Vestibule. It’s fun for me to type it too. Such a great word, but not booby.
Such a fabulous find…even if it is worth a little less then you hoped. I love it!!
Hi, so funny I just came across this. I too just picked up a very old and rare Jaques Croquet Set in the Original Wooden Box. Thought it was the whole set when I got home realized I had an awesome vintage box from London with 4 original wooden mallets. That all! So now I am trying to figure it’s value or what to do with it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/croquet/10911088/Jaques-of-London-the-company-that-invented-croquet-ping-pong-and-Happy-Families.html would be a good place to start !
Hi, Kelly! Very cool website; thank you! About an hour ago, I found out that the “polo” mallet which has been hanging on my wall for years is actually a croquet mallet made by Jaques of London (!) and have since been digging to find out how old it is. Thought you might be able to help ?
The mallet is 38 1/2″ long, the head is 9″ long and 3″ in diameter. The crack in the head tells me that it might be Very Old because the Lignum Vitae they used is aged for so long and very tough.
There are no markings or colors or metal on the head, nor any indication that there ever were.
Would love to send you pictures if that would help?
Thanks for your time, Kelly, and hope to hear from you when you can.
Randy Phelps in Xenia, Ohio
Hi Randy – I wish I could help but I have no idea! But it sounds like a great piece – enjoy it!