These irons might look familiar to you. Well, maybe to your mom and dad. Electric irons make your cotton clothes look sharp and pressed!
Although clothes made of ‘permanently pressed’ fabrics made needing an iron less necessary, there are still folks who like ‘that perfect crease.’
quite hard to date these slickers, sleekstones’, slickenstones, in german language, glättstein gniedelstein, gniddelstein, grindstein these glass iron smoothers are believed to have served as a pressing iron. The earliest linen smoothers date from the Viking to the Middle Ages, and the latest were made in the 18th century.
Do you know what this is? Is what they call a linen-smoother made from very slick stone. They were used from the days of the Vikings through the Middle Ages and into the 18th century. Who would have guessed!
The forebears to modern electric irons, these flat irons are often triangular or come to a point to make it easier to iron around buttons. The heft of a sad iron would help it hold heat, as well as to press the fabric flat. To protect fabric and surfaces from singeing, sad irons often came with metal trivets to rest on, and these are often-beautiful, intricate, and collectible examples of metalwork that were made in a myriad of designs.
The earliest metal flat irons were forged by blacksmiths in the Middle Ages. These were heated on an open fire or a stove, and the metal handles had to be grasped with a thick potholder, rag, or glove. Women had to be careful not to track soot or ash on the clothing they were ironing.
flat irons often filled with hot coals or heated on a coal or wood stovetop
Of course, they can be cleaned up and used as a bookend, a doorstop, or just a unique item for your decor that is most certain to be a ‘conversation piece!’
Stop in today and check these out (even if you have no intention of ironing your summer clothes)! We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Mechanical banks were first manufactured in the late 1800s, as the middle class emerged and grew in prosperity during the Industrial Revolution. Hence, the concept of earning and saving money became more and more important, particularly as a value to impart to children. At the same time, Victorian Era tinkerers were experimenting with mechanical technology, including spring-driven and windup devices.
The era also saw a shift in how toys were made. Originally crafted out of wood and cloth, more and more toys were fabricated out of cast-iron and mass-produced in factories, giving their adult creators a chance to express their commentaries on daily life.
At Bahoukas, we have a variety of antique and reproduction cast iron figures and banks. Stop in to see us and add one to your collection. Absolutely, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
After centuries of writing with quills dipped in ink, people in the 1800s began embracing fountain pens with internal ink reservoirs that were filled with eyedroppers. Almost until the end of the century, fountain pens were notoriously fickle devices. They routinely leaked and the flow of ink onto the writing surface was uneven.
Fountain pens have always served as the quintessential combination of beauty, tradition, and dexterity. But did you know they’re also tools of environmental consciousness? Join our tour of the fountain pen’s history, infinite varieties, and remarkable powers. With tips for shopping and maintenance. By TIM REDMOND
Thirty-two years ago, when I was a young writer struggling to pay the rent and eat, I walked into an art supply store in San Francisco and put down $120 for a pen.
My friends thought I was nuts: that was, literally, half a month’s rent, a month’s groceries. A pack of ten ballpoint pens went for a buck; what on Earth was I thinking?
Collecting fountain pens has its own vocabulary, just like any other collectible. CLICK HERE for the basics of fountain pens.
Fountain Pen Nibs
A fountain pen nib is the metal writing point at the end of the writing instrument. Virtually all quality fountain pens use solid gold nibs, both for their durability and for the smoothness of the writing experience they provide. Cheaper steel and gold-plated nibs, on the other hand, have a tendency to deteriorate and are harder to customize or repair, whereas a solid gold nib can last a lifetime (and more).
Pressed Steel, Die-Cast, Matchbox, Hot Wheels, and Dinky
Old metal cars – pressed steel and die-cast (some plastic)
We have a wide variety of collectible cars, trucks, and more. Above is a wonderful collection of pressed steel and die-cast cars and trucks – with a few wood and plastic as well.
MatchBox cars and more…
Is there anyone who didn’t have their own collection of MatchBox cars? Is there someone in your life who may want to actually start their own collection. We have an interesting varietly of collectibles including MatchBox, Hot Wheels and Dinky to name a few.
MatchBox cars and so many others. What a wonderful way to start a collection.
It’s to be a bit rainy today. Drop by and see for yourself what we have in the store. Maybe you’ll want to purchase a couple to add to that youngster’s Easter Basket!!! Just an idea!
The most famous use of prizes in the United States (and the word “prize” in this context) is Cracker Jack brand popcorn confection. Prizes have been inserted into every package of Cracker Jack continuously since 1912. A familiar jingle to people who watched television in the United States in the 1960s and ’70s goes “Candy-coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize. That’s what you get with Cracker Jack!” Cracker Jack sales are not what they used to be, with much more competition in the snack industry and less creative prizes. The most valuable prizes found in Cracker Jack are the baseball cards distributed in 1914 and 1915. Although most of the prizes recently are just printed paper, in 2004, a complete set of 1914 Cracker Jack baseball cards — including the highly sought after “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and Ty Cobb cards — was sold for a record $800,000.
Prizes in boxes, gum, cereals, machines – well, just about anything someone can tuck a tiny prize into – are always fun. Stop by and see our Wednesday Box Surprise – a huge case of charms.
Let us know how you use these tiny charms: jewelry, art, shadow boxes? Yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya. After all, it’s the first day of Spring 2019!!
We had a wonderful assortment of vintage medical/advertising items – many from the 1940s-1950s – brought into the store a few months ago. Stop by and check it out if you’re a vintage medical collector.
Vintage medical hygiene and creams
From Sloan’s Liniments to foot powders, tonics to tooth powder, cough medicines to thermometers. This is a beautiful variety of 40s-50s vintage medical pieces and advertising. Stop and talk with George soon. Browse and see what you might like to add to your collection.
Vintage medical collectibles
Vaseline creams, tinctures, and Watkins products are just a few of these 1940s-1950s medical collectibles. It’s an amazing assortment if you’re collections include vintage medical items.
Yep, we’re here. We’re believing in Spring. And we’re waiting for you. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Bahoukas Antique Mall has a beautiful 1912-1914 Edison Gramophone with a selection of wax cylinders. It’s a beautiful piece. Edison had a wonderful view of the many uses that would benefit society that included dictation, recorded books for the blind, music boxes, and others.
Another view of the beautiful Edison Gramophone available at Bahoukas.
One use was to have music available for soldiers, that gave them a taste of home through familiar music. Though not considered by Edison, he welcomed the opportunity to acknowledge the sacrifice of American and Allied Nation’s soldiers in WWI. You can listen to Edison here:
Edison speaking public on a phonograph – 1917
Edison Invents the Phonograph
Many of the uses Edison suggested for the phonograph have become a reality, but there were others he hadn’t imagined. For example, the phonograph allowed soldiers to take music off to war with them. In 1917, when the U.S. became involved in World War I, the Edison Company created a special model of the phonograph for the U.S. Army. This basic machine sold for $60. Many Army units purchased these phonographs because it meant a lot to the soldiers to have music to cheer them and remind them of home. This is an audio clip of Edison himself in which he expresses his pride in the soldiers and reminds Americans of the enormous sacrifice and contribution made by the other allied nations.
Stop in soon and see this beautiful Edison Gramophone. We have others as well as newer model phonographs/record players. You do know the records are coming back – right? Well, we’ll be watchin’ for you!
They’re not in a Surprise Box, but it is an interesting shelf. Among the items are old typewriter ribbons and a Pitch Master Tuner. Below is a quote from an article that talks about the movie from 2012 titled “Pitch Perfect.” Yes, there are 3 movies altogether.
Pitch pipes are pitchy. Like, I don’t even know why we use pitch pipes anymore. They sound like dying cats. But we keep using them because they are classic, and at the end of the day everything about a cappella has its roots in the old school, bougie, landed gentry with matching blazers, etc.
Do you remember being in the chorus and having someone use the tuner to get everyone on pitch and ready to sing?
Below is a unique use of the Pitch Pipe as a sound healing tool to tone the instrument of your body, mind, and spirit.
As you see, we learn a lot of things working at Bahoukas Antique Mall. We love sharing it, too. So yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya. Come on in and pay us a visit.
Doors had replaced hangings to provide better safety and privacy, and upper-class Greeks had slaves whose sole purpose was to answer the door.
It’s a bit like having a butler, but one that was chained to the door to prevent them wandering off. If they didn’t die of boredom, they’d fall asleep, and so to wake them up, visitors rapped the door with a short bar of iron attached to a chain.
It wasn’t long before some Greeks realized the short bar made a good weapon with which to attack the householder. So property owners fought back with new technology.
The knocker evolved into a heavy ring fastened to the door by a plate—dual purpose knocker and handle!
One of the most enduring themes for knockers has been the lion’s head. Traditionally regarded as the king of beasts, the lion’s head symbolizes bravery, nobility, strength, and valor.
Lion’s head knockers were popular in the American colonies up until the revolution when the Eagle took precedence.
The animated characters in the TV commercials for children will include something old (Speedy McGreedy and Gilbert Giddyup, who have been used in Hardee’s advertising previously and something new (Frankenstein Mouth and Supermouth).
“Through characters like these, we want to generate the idea that there is no better way in the world to satisfy your appetite than by going to Hardee’s,” said Thomas W. Carey, a senior vice president and management supervisor of Benton & Bowles.
Wilber Hardee opened his first namesake restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina in 1960. Five months later he had his first franchisee and over the years his burger chain has spread to become a favorite throughout the Midwestern and Southeastern United States.
Fifteen years later they celebrated the opening of their 1,000th restaurant. In the 80s with a little help from the California Raisins, they introduced their Cinnamon and Raisin Biscuits. By the end of the 80s, they’d opened their 2,000th location. Today, among other items, they are known for their Thickburgers(R) line.
If you’re looking for something fun and you happen to be a Hardee’s Fan, stop and check this out! Yep, we’re here and we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Chalkware is an American term for popular figurines either made of moulded plaster of Paris (usually) or sculpted gypsum, and painted, typically with oils or watercolors. They were primarily created during one of three periods: from the late 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century, during the Great Depression, and during the ‘mid-century modern’ era as decorative lamps, figurines and wall decor from the 1940s-1960s.
These figurines were often hand-painted, sometimes glazed. When Carnival chalkware was popular in the 30s through 50s, it could be hand-painted or sometimes air-brushed. Below is an excerpt from a great article in ANTIQUE WEEK:
Condition of carnival chalkware, like other collecting categories, does affect price, but thankfully not all that much. The nature of chalkware lends itself to being easily chipped. That’s understood. The coloration is also known to fade mainly because these items were rarely glazed. Carnival chalkware might have worn a coat of beeswax or varnish for protection, but often their porous surface was left as is straight out of the mold with only paint as its finish.
Speaking of paint, the earliest carnival chalkware were usually painted by hand, so looking at the quality of the paint job helps collectors get a feel for when it was made.
Starting in the 1920s, many pieces were air-brushed to speed up the process and because of this, details, especially facial details, suffered. To hurry along production even more and cut down on the cost of hiring air-brush artists, stencils were later employed with details becoming even more generic.
Another indicator of age is the amount of paint on a piece; especially human figures like the Kewpie Doll, Sailor or Cowboy. If both the front and back of the figure is painted, it was probably made in the 1940s. Additions on the figure can also be an indicator. Glitter is often found on pieces made after 1930. Other additions can include feathers or even a wooden “cigarette.” Many animals made between 1935 and 1950 have glass eyes.
What prizes did you win from the days of going to the carnival in early to mid-1900s? The history of chalkware is fascinating.
Stop in and see us soon. Check out our selection. And yes, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
At Bahoukas Antique Mall & Beer MuZeum we have a wonderful variety of toy sets to play house, buy groceries, cook and bake in the kitchen, and more.
The following describes a bit of ‘toy history.’
A great selection of kids’ pots, pans, coffee pots and more!
A toy is an item that is used in play, especially one designed for such use. Playing with toys can be an enjoyable means of training young children for life in society. Different materials like wood, clay, paper, and plastic are used to make toys. Many items are designed to serve as toys, but goods produced for other purposes can also be used. For instance, a small child may fold an ordinary piece of paper into an airplane shape and “fly it”. Newer forms of toys include interactive digital entertainment. Some toys are produced primarily as collectors’ items and are intended for display only.
The origin of toys is prehistoric; dolls representing infants, animals, and soldiers, as well as representations of tools used by adults are readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word “toy” is unknown, but it is believed that it was first used in the 14th century. Toys are mainly made for children. The oldest known doll toy is thought to be 4,000 years old.
Playing with toys is considered to be important when it comes to growing up and learning about the world around us. Younger children use toys to discover their identity, help their bodies grow strong, learn cause and effect, explore relationships, and practice skills they will need as adults
Kitchen accessories, baking tins, hand mixers, rolling pins and more – sized perfectly for kids!
Besides perfect toys for kids, it didn’t take long for marketers to realize the value of making kid-size representatives of their ‘brands.’ Who didn’t want a refrigerator “Just like mom’s.”
The following is a perfect example of this new marketing tactic that quickly built a huge toy market from the 1950s forward. (photo courtesy of Smithsonian Nat’l Museum of American History and Sears)
Pop into Bahoukas and see what fun items might be perfect for one of your youngsters. We really do have some great items. And yes, we’re watchin’ for ya!
By the fifties, America was moving firmly past the Second World War and into an era of unprecedented prosperity. More and more Americans felt they could afford some pleasant distractions. About this time Joseph and Gennaro Giammarino got together with John Cuomo and Abe Shikes to create a company that would become an icon of the American toy industry – Aurora Plastics Company. While you could fill a book with the history of this innovative business, we will focus on their contribution to slot cars and only briefly touch on some of their many accomplishments.
By the end of 1976, AFX sales hit their all-time high of about $45 million on the back of the stunning popularity of the new technology. Quite an increase from the roughly $15 million in sales for the line in 1970.
In doing a bit of research, we’ve been made aware that slot car racing is still alive and well in many countries. This interesting book, published in Dec. 2018, is an example of this interest.
THINGIES, a Retro Futuristic Slot Car Story
Here at Bahoukas, we have a small collection of slot cars as well as a number of slot car tracks.
Slot Car Tracks by TYCO available at Bahoukas Antiques
You can visit the Spanish site (also in English) SlotCar Today and discover how active the slot car hobby is today! It’s fascinating to realize how actively the concept of slot car racing is today.
Plus AFXRacing.com gives a great account of the many countries with a history of slot car racing.
Stop in and visit us. Yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Handcrafted necklaces carved from nuts. The large are Brazil Nuts.
On a day of snow, sleet, ice and hopefully clearing late, it seems the perfect time to share these “Crazy Nutz” hand-carved necklaces. A local person has a relative from out of the area who meticulously carves these little faces.
You have to admit that they are both funny and cute! And come on, be honest, can’t you picture the guy sitting in front of a tv watching his favorite show while periodically glancing down to carve one of these faces.
The medum are carved from Almonds and the small from Pistachio.
Give us a call to see if we’re in the shop today – Wed, Feb 20th. Then come on in and check these necklaces out. Truly unique. No two are exactly alike. They’d also be great on a key chain.
We have a fun-filled box of key fobs where you just might find one to add to your collection. And discovery is so much a part of ‘antiquing.’
Did we mention that we have a wonderful group of college-age guys who, when they’re all back home, have a “man-tiquing day.” Yep – “Man-tiquing” – what a wonderful phrase.
They actually get up and go “Man-tiquing” on Saturday morning. Their interests are wonderful old fountain pens, which they actually use. And it seems they also love old cameras.
For an antique shop owner like George, this is music for their hearts. So, stop by and see us. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
What is it about those tiny bottles we find in antique stores? So many sizes, shapes, colors, they’re just fascinating.
We have a wonderful collection of tiny bottles.
Shades of blue glass bottles
This selection has a few larger blue bottles. Can’t you picture them lining a window sill. Maybe you see them with a few wildflowers or a single white stem: a petunia, or a single white rose, or maybe just a beautiful white daisy.
No matter how you use them, tiny bottles make for a wonderful ‘collection’ and add a bit of personality to your home or office. Stop by soon, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Just like skunks, kittens, and birds, tiny dogs are VERY collectible
Earlier in the year, we shared a wonderful selection of tiny collectibles. Somehow we missed these three photos of tiny dogs – all shapes, sizes, breeds. Some look very poised and others are just silly and cute!
Tiny dogs 2
It’s never too late to start your own tiny collection. These cute little 4-legged fur-balls just might create the perfect beginning.
Tiny Dogs 3
Hey, it’s Valentine Day this week. Here’s a thoughtful item to add to their collection. Or maybe you think someone special would like to begin their very own collection. Either way, we’ll be here and, yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
For the woodworker, we have a variety of vintage tools plus a few others. Come check out our collection and see if we’ve got one to add to yours!
A small portion of our pottery, jugs and crocks!
It’s been awhile since we’ve posted a selection of our crocks and jugs. But we have some beautiful items. In the coming blustery days, if you’re braving the weather, come on by. Yep, We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
