This selection of jacks is pretty unique. The center one is a train jack, the outside ones are car jacks.
Vintage Train Jack
Vintage Car Jack
Vintage Car Jack
These are certainly unique to our shop. Have someone on your gift list that just might be looking for one of these. Stop in today and pick it up. In the meantime, check out the great restoration in the video below. Beautiful!
All of Us at Bahoukas wish you a safe and wonderful Holiday!
Remember, we’re closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day. Give us a call if you’re stopping by Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve to be sure we didn’t sneak out early! Yeah, we like to celebrate, too. And yes, we’re watchin’ for ya. So hurry in!
Dads carried metal tins with lunch to their jobs in the coal mines and factories. Of course, it wasn’t long before their children wanted to copy their dads.
… the first commercial lunch boxes, which resembled metal picnic baskets decorated with scenes of playing children, came out in 1902.
The first lunch box decorated with a famous licensed character was introduced in 1935. Produced by Geuder, Paeschke & Frey, it featured Mickey Mouse, and was a four-color lithographed oval tin, with a pull-out tray inside. It had no vacuum bottle, but did have a handle.
In 1950, Aladdin Industries created the first children’s lunch box based on a television show, Hopalong Cassidy. The Hopalong Cassidy lunch kit, or “Hoppy”, quickly became Aladdin’s cash cow. Debuting in time for back-to-school 1950, it would go on to sell 600,000 units in its first year alone, each at US$2.39. In 1953, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were featured on models introduced by American Thermos.
Huge collection of decorated lunchboxes in plastic and metal
Many of the latest additions are complete with thermoses as well. Do stop in and check it out. They are a great last-minute gift for a child in your life – or your favorite collector. Remember, not just great for lunch, but fun for picnics, playing, keeping treasures, and more.
School Desks
Beautiful wooden and cast iron school desk.
The above desk is in beautiful condition. We also have another as pictured below:
Another beautiful wood school desk.
Another choice is this wood desk:
The front of the desk had the bench for the desk that sat in front of it
1881: The Fashion School Desk
The First Model
The first school desk was made in 1880 by John D. Loughlin in Sidney, Ohio. The desk, known as “The Fashion Desk,” proved to be extremely popular across the country. The practicality of the desks allowed for many to be put together in a one room schoolhouse, and the fashion aspect of it was aesthetically pleasing to those in the education industry. Loughlin’s marketing campaign also helped to sell these desks, which would eventually sweep the nation. The “Fashion Desks” were desks attached to one another and were big enough to seat two or three children. Usually, there was an inkwell so that the student could replenish his pen’s supply.
The Sidney School Furniture Company, located in Sidney, Ohio, began manufacturing the popular “Fashion” school desk in 1881. Advertising for the desk claimed, “No desk in the market is made with more care, nor of better materials than the ‘Fashion,’ and none has met with a more popular reception, or gives better satisfaction.” The desk featured a Patent T-head, which eliminated screws and bolts by joining the wood of the top, back, and seat to the legs, which were made of cast iron.
… with writing pad. These are solid and have a shelf on the bottom to place books and bags.
So whether it’s a lunchbox or a school desk, we can add a last-minute ‘surprise’ to your holiday gift-giving. Hurry in. We’re watchin’ for ya so that we can help you with your last-minute searches. Don’t forget, we DO CLOSE for Christmas Day and New Years Day. (Give us a call to be sure we didn’t leave early on the eve of both!) Happy Holidays!
Vintage cake carriers and keepers, also known as cake savers, are once-common items that bring a nostalgic or vintage feel to the kitchen.
Tins have been used for saving and transporting food since the 19th Century. There were also covered metal “pails” for carrying lunches and multi-compartment ones for taking pies, cakes, and other dishes one from place to another.
Cake carriers have a wire, metal or plastic, to hold the pieces together (plate and cover) so that you can transport it. Cake servers usually have a cover that fits over the plate of cake. It often is designed to sit on a kitchen counter and match the kitchen’s decor.
Cake Plates and Stands
beautiful glass cake plates
A cake stand is a structural, stool like object on which cake and other pastries are decorated and served. Cake stands are generally a single plate connected to a pedestal or multiple plates in a tower like hosting object. Cake stands are a form of tableware, they come in different materials like wood, pottery, metal, etc.
… The cake stand came into use in the late Victorian times when afternoon tea came into fashion. Presenting the cake at a higher level above the table gave the cake more attention. Therefore the cake stand usually has multiple tiers and hooped handle for the purpose of carrying.
To offer a beautiful way to display your Holiday Cakes, stop by and see our selection of plates, stands, servers, and carriers. Don’t forget that muffins, cupcakes, and other delicious pastries can be displayed and transported with these items.
It’s a wonderful way to share a message of ‘welcome.’ Just like we do at Bahoukas Antiques when we keep reminding you that “yep, we’re here and we’re watchin’ for ya!”
The above photo is a 1910 Oliver Typewriter available in our store. Here’s a great quote from a collector’s website:
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the typewriter industry was developing rapidly. Before the Oliver typewriter entered the market, text remained hidden from the typist on the underside of the platen as it was typeset until the platen was lifted. This design was convention across many successful typewriter brands of the era. However, the typewriting industry was soon revolutionized by Reverend Thomas Oliver and his eponymous invention. The Oliver typewriter features two towers of typebars which strike down onto the platen, allowing the text to remain visible at all times. With this iconic typing mechanism, the Oliver become known as The Standard Visible Writer.
The history of manual typewriters began in 1575, when an Italian printmaker, Francesco Rampazetto, invented a machine to impress letters on papers. Not until 1714 did a Brit named Henry Mill take out a patent for a machine similar to a typewriter.
It was until 1874 that these typewriters were commercially introduced to Europe and America. By the early 1900s, the electric typewriter would hit the market.
Tom Thumb Cash Registers and Typewriter
Did you ever get one of these for a Christmas gift? The cash registers came first to be followed in 1953 with the Tom Thumb Typewriter.
Tom Thumb toy typewriter by Western Stamping Co.
It was the beginning of the glory days of the durable metal Tom Thumb toy cash register, manufactured exclusively at Western Stamping Co., 2203 W. Michigan Ave.
“I bet they made 600,000 of those cash registers a year for at least 10 years,” said Edna Whiting, 86, of Blackman Township, daughter of Arthur Poole, a company founder.
… The toy cash register’s keys were first attached one at a time. By 1953, they were attached in one process, which upped production and enabled the company to produce half a million cash registers and 100,000 typewriters that year.
Many of us “boomers” probably remember the heavy black Royal typewriter. They seemed to last FOREVER! This interesting quote may help explain why:
To promote the ruggedness of its typewriters, George Edward Smith, president of Royal bought a Ford-Stout tri-motor airplane in August 1927. This plane will drop over 200 typewriters in crates with parachutes to dealers over the eastern seaboard of the USA. Royal will eventually deliver over 11,000 this way with only 10 being damaged.
Many famous writers used their typewriters, often long after the computer arrived.
Author Will Self explains why writers use a manual typewriter: “I think the computer user does their thinking on the screen, and the non-computer user is compelled, because he or she has to retype a whole text, to do a lot more thinking in the head.”
In 1883, Mark Twain was the first to present his ‘typewritten manuscript” to a publisher. The book? Life on the Mississippi
And did you know that J.R.R. Tolkein typed and retyped his Lord of the Rings manually on a typewriter? Jack Kerouac was a speed typist at 100 words per minute!
Read more about writers and the typewriters in the link in the above post.
No matter what the reason: you love to type on a manual typewriter, you’re fascinated by the mechanics themselves, or you’re a collector! Stop by and browse our collection of typewriters. We’re here and we most certainly are watchin’ for ya!
A wonderful collection of hundreds of toy soldiers arrived at Bahoukas this fall. Most of them are “Britains” lead and plastic, some are “Barclay.” Lead ones are from the 50s and 60s; plastic from the 70s.
Britains
William Britain, W. Britain or simply Britain’s, no matter what we are called our name is synonymous with toy soldiers. Since 1893 W. Britain has been producing toy soldiers and military miniatures with attention to detail, quality and authenticity.
According to many websites, including toysoldiersco.com, toy soldier collections have been found as far back as the time of the Pharaohs – 2500BC, when they might be made by wood, clay, stone, or metal.
Toy Soldiers from the hundreds available at Bahoukas
Because lead and plastic soldiers were so widely available, many baby-boomers grew up collecting both. Their closets and shelves were filled with shoeboxes full of painted and unpainted plastic Civil War heroes, spacemen, Nazis, Cowboys, Indians and knights, plus the proudly collected (and-too-often dented) metal figures of exotic “Arabs of the Desert,” Foreign Legionnaires and Zouaves. One day, the Cowboys and Indians might attack a Moon base made of wooden blocks and oatmeal boxes which was defended by Robert E. Lee’s Virginians and Spacemen. The next, D-Day landing craft would be stuffed with American Colonials and GI’s, storming the beach defenses manned by Nazis and Knights! Favorite figures, whether lead or plastic would always be the last to fall or remain standing to triumph.
Early figurines were made from wood, porcelain and silver. Initially, these were crafted for generals and monarchs to be used during war-strategy meetings.
You’ve most likely seen them used in this manner in many movies!
A Wee Bit of History
The W. Britain brand name of toy and collectable soldiers is derived from a company founded by William Britain Jr., a British toy manufacturer, who in 1893 invented the process of hollow casting in lead, and revolutionized the production of toy soldiers. The company quickly became the industry leader, and was imitated by many other companies, such as Hanks Bros. and John Hill and Co. The style and scale of Britain’s figures became the industry standard for toy soldiers for many years.
The Barclay Manufacturing Company was an American metal toy company based in New Jersey that specialised in diecast toy cars and hollowcast toy soldiers. Due to their common availability at five and dime stores, collectors often refer to Barclay’s toy soldiers as “Dimestore soldiers”.
from Wikipedia
A collection of PRESIDENTS in our toy soldiers collections
Besides soldiers, these very collectible miniatures might also include cowboys and Indians, presidents, and more.
The Times Can Change Our Toys
1966 marked a turning point in the history of toy soldiers. International concerns about lead poisoning brought about new laws which banned the manufacture of toys containing lead. William Britains, the best-known producer of 54mm metal figures, ceased production of metals and focused exclusively on plastic figures. Many other companies, like Timpo, Crescent and Cherilea, were forced to do the same.
At this point, collectors began to see new modeling techniques emerging, and plastic toy soldiers were all the rage until the world began to change. In the late 1960s and ‘70s, anti-war sentiment turned the tastes of the public away from military toys like toy soldiers. The rise of the action figure, based on science fiction and fantasy movies, and the rising appeal of video games, changed the collecting interests of younger children.
So, if you remember playing with toy soldiers, eagerly creating the game as your imagination allowed, maybe you want to share that joy with a youngster in your life, or still love to collect them, stop in soon at Bahoukas. They are perfectly sized to make great stocking stuffers this season. And yes, we’re here and we’re watchin’ for ya!
“Why did the Major mean so much to me? Because I was an Apollo baby,” wrote Washington Post reporter Frank Ahrens in 1996. “The Major represented the idealism of childhood and American can-do-ism. If we had put a man on the moon in 1969, just eight years after President Kennedy commanded it, surely Major Matt’s moon station would be a likelihood within a few years.”
Our latest addition to our collectible toys is Major Matt Mason – 3 characters – Major Matt Mason, Civilian Doug Davis (yellow suit), and Callisto – the Space Alien – plus the space station. The baby boomer that owned this sure took good care of it!
What the complete set would be … not sure what all is in the box.
It’s interesting to hear how kids played with these toys using ingenuity and imagination:
For kids like Ystrom, though, the joys of playing with Mason came from some of the simple but ingenious designs that Ryan and his band of defense-industry expats came up with to represent their vision for playing astronaut. “You could take the string from Mason’s jet pack, attach it to a door, and he’d go shooting to the top of it,” Ystrom recalls. “On the back of Mason’s pack there was a psychedelic spiral in orange and black. When Mason flew, it was hypnotic. It’s what we thought we were heading toward.”
GI Joe, 3 uniforms – Marines, Army, Navy Frogman – and Combat Man’s Equipment Case
The case was a knock-off and offered through the Sears and JC Penney’s Christmas catalogs in the 1960s. THE GI JOE character and costumes are the real thing.
Combat Man’s Equipment Case was a rather typical carrying case of the day, constructed of cardboard covered with vinyl, with metal clasps. But this carrying case had a difference. Printed on each side of the carrying case was a painting of a jeep. In the middle of the case, on each side, was a transparent, vinyl window. And inside the case, there was a little shelf where you could seat your action figure.
So there you are – some great items for the collector on your holiday list or great toys for the kids (big and little) on your list. Stop in and see them for yourself. And yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
We celebrate our company’s rich history. Since its birth at a soda fountain in downtown Atlanta in 1886, Coca‑Cola has been a catalyst for social interaction and inspired innovation. Discover the unique moments from our past, like the evolution of the iconic Coca-Cola bottle, the lovable Coca-Cola Santa Claus, and more.
Need a great cooler for your tailgate party or your next gathering?
This cooler allows you to put ice and bottles above and store the wood crates below. Perfect for your summer gatherings! Ideal as a gift for the Coca-Cola collector!
A perfect cooler for the summer yard parties – room for ice and bottles/cans on top and store cartons underneath.
Speaking of Wood Crates
Wood Crates
We have a variety of wood crates available, Coca-Cola and others. They are useful for so many things.
Do you love repurposing things? CLICK THIS LINK for 22 fun DIY ideas!
We can’t close without a great Coca-Cola Christmas Commercial!
Okay, it’s the holiday season and we can’t resist sharing just one of the many cute ads created for Coca-Cola. Enjoy, then stop in to visit us. Yessirree… we’re here and we’re watchin’ for ya!
Just one of many heartwarming and fun videos from Coca-Cola!
Carpentry is a skill that came into being when mankind first decided to build, and crude tools were fashioned to help in the process. While early tools were rough, as time went by, the necessity of having better saws led to the more refined handsaw.
We have a variety of hand saws available in the store that can be sharpened and used or appreciated as a decorative item for a home or shop. (Yes, there are ice tongs in this photo – chuckle – you can read about them in an earlier post).
Paintings
… show saws in use as early as Egyptian times! These saws were made of copper and are depicted as a large blade with no handle.
The hand saw gave mankind the ability to keep warm, cook food, and build homes, barns, churches, and business structures. It’s another tool that we take for granted but was key to our development. Of course, today we have all sorts of electric saws. But we could still build with the hand saw even if we lost ‘the grid.’
By the 1800s, handsaws could be found in almost every home and were used to cut wood for fires as well as building. Various manufacturers such as Sheffield and Cam produced different styles and sizes for different uses, with both flat rectangular edges and sloped rounded end designs. Handles varied as well, some with an opening and others that closed about the hand. Often companies engraved their name across the metal or created fancy curved handles.
Because of its versatility, the handsaw is still an important tool for carpenters and woodworkers today. Today’s models look very much as they did back in the 18th century, but there are significant differences. Handsaws often have plastic handles and removable blades. The metals are often made to be rust resistant; and they can be thicker or multi-bladed for faster cutting. Some models are able to cut through glass, veneer and even metal.
Whether you’re a prepper looking for a useful tool, someone who loves decorating with vintage tools, a collector, or a woodworker that appreciates the vintage tools, we invite you to stop in and see what we have. Of course, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
The journey to get Star Trek: The Original Series on television was a long and arduous one, but series creator Gene Roddenberry had help from an unlikely heroine – Lucille Ball
We have several remarkable collectibles related to the Star Wars series. The above photo is from a 1977 Star Wars Movie Program.
Below we have an amazing 1980 portfolio for The Empire Strikes Back Movie that includes 24 full-color prints with detailed info.
The beautiful art with the detailed information is outstanding, whether you keep them in the portfolio or decide to frame them.
Beautiful Production Printings from The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars.
Star Trek
Star Trek, The Undiscovered Country, press kit – 1991
This unique Star Trek press kit includes a production program and an electronic press kit that includes a movie trailer plus various clips/sound bites.
Star Trek Handbook of Production Information for Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country
A movie enthusiast or Trekkie/Trekker would definitely be interested.
Star Trek VI electronic Press Kit, 1991
The Contents in the Star Trek VI press kit video.
Stop in soon and take a peek. These Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia will definitely be appreciated! Add to your own collection or consider a person on your gift list who would really, really appreciate these collectibles. And yes – we have some I Love Lucy memorabilia as well!
Although best remembered for the S gauge trains of the 1950s that it made as a division of the A. C. Gilbert Company, American Flyer was initially an independent company whose origins date back nearly a half century earlier. Chicago, Illinois-based toymaker William Frederick Hafner developed a clockwork motor for toy cars in 1901 while working for a company called Toy Auto Company. According to the recollections of William Hafner’s son, John, he had developed a clockwork train running on O gauge track by 1905.
Hafner’s friend, William Ogden Coleman, gained control of the Edmonds-Metzel Hardware Company, a struggling hardware manufacturer in Chicago, in 1906 or 1907. Hafner and Coleman began producing toy trains using Edmonds-Metzel’s excess manufacturing capability after Hafner was able to secure $15,000 worth of orders. By 1907, two American retailers, G. Sommers & Co. and Montgomery Ward, were selling Hafner-Coleman aka Edmonds-Metzel trains. In 1908, Edmonds-Metzel adopted the American Flyer brand name for the trains, and by 1910, Edmonds-Metzel was out of the hardware business and changed its name to American Flyer Manufacturing Company.
The above quote shows only a small bit of the story of model trains. If you go to the link for Wikipedia, you’ll find even more interesting information. Today we often give a ‘ho hum’ response to the history of familiar items. But if you take the time to read a bit more about these items, there’s a new appreciation of how they even came about!
American Flyer S-Scale Trains
New, very collectible, American Flyer S-scale model trains
Our latest ‘collection of collections’ is this assortment of newly acquired American Flyer Showcase Line of S-scale model trains. You’ll want to stop by soon and check it out. Start someone on their collection or add to your own.
American Flyer S-Scale Model Trains
Plus we have other trains available including Lionel 0-gauge and S-scale trains, and some H0 as well. Stop in today and browse our collection. We’re here to help you find the perfect ‘starter’ for a new collection or to add to one you already own. We’re here and we’re watchin’ for ya!
Captain Action was an action figure created in 1966, equipped with a wardrobe of costumes allowing him to become Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Captain America, Aquaman, the Phantom, The Lone Ranger (and Tonto), Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Sgt. Fury, Steve Canyon, and the Green Hornet. Captain Action was the Ideal Toy Company‘s answer to Hasbro’s G.I. Joe—although the protagonist dolls of both toy lines were created and designed by the same toy-and-idea man, Stan Weston.
Our Captain Action articulated action figure is in amazingly great condition considering the age and the fact that the original owner actually played with him. He comes with the following: Tonto, Batman, Green Hornet, Capt. America, Superman, and a baseball costume.
Some of the Captain Action costumes!
It’s interesting to note that Captain Action was also used in a variety of items including a comic book series, a book, and a card game.
The holidays are coming and this could be a great gift for a toy collector or a youngster on your list.
Stop in soon and see it for yourself. We’re here. And we’re watchin’ for ya!
Everyone at Bahoukas Antique Mall and Beer MuZeum wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving, hopefully, shared with family and friends. PLEASE NOTE that we are CLOSED for Thanksgiving Day to enjoy our own families and to appreciate all that we’ve been given. Regular hours will return tomorrow and we’ll be open 7 days/week until Christmas Day!
We know that as soon as this holiday is over, folks will be “full steam ahead” for holiday decorating and gift-giving ideas. The above photo gives you a peek at our latest addition to our vintage holiday decorations – beautiful Vintage Santas!
These beautiful very collectible, figural glass ornaments are beautiful. The set, from Santa’s Kaleidoscope, is waiting for just the right home to add a bit of pizzazz to your holiday decor!
Vintage Christmas Decor
Vintage Christmas Decorations
Here’s a sampling of more vintage and very collectible decorations to add a bit of whimsy to your holiday decor. Hurry in. These items tend to go quickly. And yes, we’re watchin’ for ya and are ready to point you in the right direction!
Again, Happy Thanksgiving. Safe travels. Always be grateful!
It is estimated that over the years, more than 300 million miniature Wade figures have been distributed with Red Rose Teas. Does someone you know collect them? And Red Rose Tea is still very popular as are their Wade miniatures!
Miniature Wade figures of farm animals and more
Another Tiny Collection
These miniature Wade Figures offer another ‘tiny collection’ that can be fun to collect. Maybe you have a child that would enjoy creating a collection. Originally called Wade Whimsies, there are several series created through the years.
The American Series #1, (1983 to 1985) consisted of 15 figurines, with one Whimsies packaged in each box of Red Rose tea.
The first animal series included a chimp, lion, bison, bush baby, owl, bear cub, rabbit, squirrel, bird, otter, hippo, turtle, seal, wild boar, and elephant.
Series II ( 1985 to 1996 )
The second series, also of animals, was issued from 1985 to 1996 and totaled 20 figurines. It was selected from a group that had also first appeared in earlier Wade series. The animals represented were the giraffe, koala bear, pine marten, langur, gorilla, kangaroo, tiger, camel, zebra, polar bear, orangutan, leopard, rhino, raccoon, leopard, puppy, rabbit, kitten, pony and cockateel.
Series III – The Circus Animal Series (1994 to 1999) was the third to appear.
Fifteen figurines made up this series, including; ringmaster, human cannonball, strongman, clown with drum, clown with pie, bear, sitting elephant, standing elephant, male monkey, female monkey, lion, poodle, seal, horse, and tiger.
SERIES IV – Endangered North American Animals ( 1999 and 2002 ), was the fourth series.
The 10 figurines were the spotted owl, bald eagle, polar bear, peregrine falcon, humpback whale, Florida panther, manatee, green sea turtle, timber wolf, and sturgeon.
SERIES V – Noah’s Ark was the fifth series.
Fourteen male and female animals, representing seven kinds of wildlife, and a single figurine of Noah and his wife made up the set of 15. They include the elephant, rhino, zebra, goose and gander, hen and rooster, ram and ewe, lion and lioness, and Noah and his wife.
SERIES VI – Pet Shop Friends ( 2006 to 2008 ) was the sixth series.
The 10 animals appearing between 2006 and 2008 were the duck, pony, rabbit, turtle, kittens, puppies, Labrador, budgie, tropical fish, and cat.
SERIES VII – The Wade Red Rose Calendar series ( 2008 to 2012 ) was the seventh series.
One figure representative of each month was included from 2008 to 2012: snowman, cupid, leprechaun, Easter bunny, Mother’s Day flowers, graduation, Uncle Sam, sandcastle, scarecrow, pumpkin kitty, turkey, and Christmas tree.
SERIES VII – the Nautical Wonderland Series, the eighth and current series, was introduced in 2012.
The series includes the compass, conch shell, mermaid, ships wheel, treasure chest, divers helmet, lighthouse, sailboat, seagull, seahorse, crab, and starfish.
They are still creating Miniature Wade Figurines for Red Rose Tea. And the Red Rose Tea website has very interesting information related to their teas as well as their Wade figures.
*In 2012, The Nautical Wonderland Series came next.
Explore our nautical heritage with these twelve figurines. This series illustrates everything to love about the ocean, from the warmth and calm of the beach, to the adventure and spirit of sailing the seas, to the mysteries and legends of the sunken depths.
*American Heritage Series (2016)
Exclusively designed by Wade Ceramics, these splendid, porcelain miniatures celebrate the illustrious history of America, from Colonial Times to the Space Age. Red Rose Tea is proud to depict landmark moments in our national history through these distinguished miniatures.
*World Monument Series (2020)
Explore the globe with these porcelain miniatures exclusively designed by Wade Ceramics! Iconic landmarks, feats of architecture and mysteries of the world are represented. Travel back to ancient times or marvel at modern achievements – the Worldwide Monument Series has it all!
*These are from the Red Rose Tea website. At this site, you can view photos of the latest miniatures.
So stop by and see our collection of Wade miniatures. Maybe you’ll want to add to your own collection or help a young person start their ‘tiny collection.’ We’re here. And yep, we’re watchin’ for ya!
Whether or not you smoke, ashtrays are appealing collectibles for numerous reasons.
First, they are small, which means you can acquire hundreds of ashtrays and display them in a relatively finite amount of space.
Second, they were made out of a wide range of materials, so if you are a fan of art glass, pounded copper, or ceramics, there is bound to be an ashtray for you.
Third, ashtrays were produced during some of the most creative periods in history, which means there are ashtrays for fans of the Victorian era, Arts and Crafts, and Art Deco.
Finally, ashtrays are snapshots of their culture, so it is not uncommon to find ashtrays that were produced to advertise products and events of the day.
Ashtrays came in all styles – silly to beautifully designed, touristy and promotional.
To show you just how diverse ashtray collections can be, here we show you a German Spinner by Gerzt (top center), the resting Mexican (made in Japan), the promotional ashtray from PENROSE, and the horse’s ‘arse’. Yep, something for everyone!
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Did you know that ashtrays are a design element included in the Cooper Hewitt Museum, located in the Andrew Carnegie Mansion on Fifth Avenue, NYC? We sure wish we had one of these in our collection!
Russel Wright designed ashtray
… is displayed at the Cooper Hewitt
Preserving the natural qualities of ceramics in spite of the dominance of machine-produced pottery has been a challenge for designers since the introduction of machinery to the production process in the eighteenth century.
Russel Wright addressed this design dilemma through his biomorphic earthenware. This ashtray, part of a 1949 series manufactured by Sterling China for hotels and restaurants, embodies Wright’s idea of designing machine-made ceramics that simulate their handcrafted counterparts. Flaring up and out from its low base, the ashtray has a curved, asymmetrical rim that appears as though it was pinched and folded by hand. Although entirely molded by machine, the ashtray’s profile suggests the involvement of human contact throughout its production. The organic form also makes the ashtray user-friendly and invites human contact and interactions: the undulating rim is excellent for resting cigarettes, and the groove holds a matchbook perfectly. The groove also allowed restaurant workers to stack multiple ashtrays, the base of one fitting neatly into the ashtray below.
Do you ever wonder who invented the first lighter? No, it wasn’t the Zippo Company, though they certainly improved on it! The first was invented in 1823. The Zippo didn’t come into the picture until 1932.
Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner invented the first lighter known as “Döbereiner’s Lamp.” It looked nothing like the lighters we use today and was also difficult to use and extremely dangerous.
The above lighters can be found in our shop and include: Top left: a cigarette case with lighter, a Queen Anne style lighter, a novelty grenade, military shell, and card cube, a Zippo lighter, and a rather art deco looking styled tabletop lighter.
So if you, or someone you know, has a collection of lighters and/or ashtrays, you just might want to check our collection. We’re here. And we’re watchin’ for ya!
These very collectible radios – and they ALL WORK – include a 1950s Baseball Player Radio, a Panapet 1970s Red Ball Radio by Panasonic, a 1970s Snoopy Radio, and a 1998 promotional Pepsi Cola Radio.
Baseball Player Radio – 1970s
The Panapet radio is a round novelty radio on a chain, first produced by Panasonic in the early 1970s to commemorate the World Expo in Osaka. Two chrome plated dials on the surface are for tuning and volume, and a tuning display is inset on the surface of the ball. The Panapet is AM band only – no FM. There is a jack for a mono earplug. The Panapet came in several colors including red, yellow, white, blue, purple and avocado green.
The Snoopy AM Radio, 1970s, by Determined Productions, Inc.
Connie Boucher, a pioneer in licensing cartoon characters who provided the inspiration for “Happiness Is a Warm Puppy,” a best-selling 1962 book about Snoopy, the “Peanuts” comic strip character, has died at age 72.
Ms. Boucher, who died here Dec. 20 of complications following heart surgery, was a window dresser for I. Magnin in 1959 when she grew dissatisfied with the quality of coloring books available for her two sons. With her husband, Jim Young, she created a Winnie-the-Pooh coloring book, using a character that was in the public domain. The book sold 50,000 copies.
Two years later she founded Determined Productions Inc. to develop other products based on licensing characters. One of her first efforts was a calendar using the characters in the Charlie Brown comic strip.
The Pepsi-Cola Bottle Cap Radio is vintage 1998.
1998 was also the 100th Anniversary of the Pepsi-Cola brand. CLICK HERE for a bit of history. Do you know what Pepsi was originally named before being branded in 1898: See bottom of this post
Whether you love very collectible novelty radios, early transistor radios, or truly vintage radios and phonographs, we have a wonderful collection. Stop in soon. We’re watchin’ for ya!
These photos barely touch on the splendor of beautiful teacups and saucers, teapots, and more. Whether you use them to drink your favorite tea or to decorate with them by adding a living plant or a dried arrangement, these pieces are stunning.
Is there a little spot in your home that needs just what these pieces offer – beauty and color and function if you wish? Stop in and pick your perfect choice today!
One example are these pieces of Japanese teacups and teapot to the left. Beautiful colors in fine pieces waiting for you to put them to good use.
All of these wonderful pieces are just waiting for the appreciative eyes of a lover of all things exquisite.
Need ideas for decorating with teacups? CLICK HERE!
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Do we have teacups?You bet we do!
Maybe you have a youngster who would love to have a tea party with you. Check us out. And you bet, we’re watchin’ for ya and ready to help you find the perfect item you’re searching for.
