Vintage Samsonite Luggage Care and Decorative Storage Tips: Friday's Find #244


Thank God it's thrifty Friday, Friends! Today's fabulous feature is a little different than usual, because in a manner of speaking, it found me! In fact, thanks to Favorite Son and Darling DIL it was delivered right to my back door. This photo was taken before I cleaned it up, so today I'm sharing my tips for cleaning stubborn scuffs and adhesives, plus a little trick to make vintage luggage really functional for decorative storage... 


vintage Samsonite luggage as decorative storage


I was thrilled my sweet kids thought of me when they were helping some friends clean out a house for an estate sale and set these vintage Samsonite aside for me. They were pretty grimy and in addition to a lot of black scuff marks, both cases had stickers that seemed to have been stuck on forever, but hey--they were also free! So I got busy with magic sponge erasers to clean the surface dirt. Next, I carefully scraped as much of the stickers away as possible, but there was still some residue from the adhesive. I have been using baking soda for a lot of my spring cleaning, so I thought I'd give it a try and I'm glad I did. Not only did it remove the sticker residue, it also naturally brightened the luggage.  


vintage Samsonite luggage as decorative storage


I was pleasantly surprised to discover the inside of the larger case is not only clean, but lined with brown houndstooth that's in great condition. 




The lining in the smaller case was also clean but slightly faded which is expected due to the age. I sprayed the inside of both cases with my DIY essential oil cleaning spray. 


vintage Samsonite luggage as decorative storage


As I've shared before, I use vintage luggage as decorative storage for everything from my vintage Christmas ornament collection to Etsy inventory. Interestingly, I scored the same Samsonite set in a different color at a yard sale several years ago. I knew I wanted to stack them together but I also knew that kind of luggage tower could be cumbersome to move back and forth for cleaning, etc. 


vintage Samsonite luggage as decorative storage


I have used these plant stands on wheels to create a type of trolley to easily move other crates and storage containers, especially those that are stored underneath furniture. I happened to have a matching set of nice wood ones that I found at Ross last year that were perfect. 


vintage Samsonite luggage as decorative storage


Since this is the largest suitcase, I used the pair. However for a smaller suitcase, one might be enough. Now I was ready to stack the other pieces of luggage! 


vintage Samsonite luggage as decorative storage


My Thrift Store Addiction


vintage Samsonite luggage as decorative storage


Until next time, happy hunting! 

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  1. My mom has a set of the lighter colored Samsonite. I'm pretty sure that the set was her graduation gift from college.

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  2. Ooh, I love the color scheme of your sets! Very jadeite-y!
    Have a greet weekend, Cecilia.

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  3. Nice! Free is always good! Good to know baking soda removed the residue and brightened the cases...I'll be keeping that info handy! Love the idea of using the plant trolley to make them easy to use....brilliant!

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  4. Love that luggage. My Mom had some in the green years ago, wish we still had it!

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  5. I love it! Think you need a train case to top it off! This is as good as a small bureau! Did you pack treasures in them as you stacked them? Putting them on casters is ideal!

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  6. samsonite tends to have gummy trim and handles. magic eraser (even the generic) works well on these areas.

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  7. Cecelia,
    O MY!! I just love these!!! I adore the colors!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  8. What great gifts! I have a ton of vintage suitcases that I've stacked in different rooms of the house over the years. Right the're kind of scattered. Maybe it's time to put them all together again! (I use lots of train cases for crafting storage.) xo Kathleen|Our Hopeful Home

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  9. I love them on the rolling cart! That's really handy to have.

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  10. Love the look Cecilia ... sure adds a lot more storage. Adding the rolling carts was a great idea.
    Hugs,
    Audrey Z.

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  11. Ooooh free, my favorite price. Your vintage suitcases look wonderful together. The rolling cart is a genius idea.

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  12. I love your suitcases! I have two of the beige Samsonite ones, but those green are fabulous! They look so good stacked, a new favorite décor idea of mine. For some reason this post went into my junk mail and I just found it....not sure why!

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  13. LOVE both sets of luggage, Cecilia :) Great cleaning and decorating tips, too.

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  14. Love how you stacked them! The rolling stand is perfect.
    Im on the hunt for a smll vintage case (suitcase or wood case) for an indoor fairy garden.
    Seeing these has me itching to find it.

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  15. I am having a vintage stack attack!!!! Love your luggages!

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