The piggy bank’s history goes back to the Middle Ages. Check out this interesting trivia!
Believe it or not, the basic piggy bank used to be far more than just a childhood relic. The concept of stashing cash in hollowed objects has been around for nearly six centuries – before banks themselves were even dreamt up. from Business Insider
Bahoukas Antique Mall in Havre de Grace has a delightful collection of banks – yes, including ‘piggy banks!’ Left to right they include: a mechanical cowboy souvenir bank from Havre de Grace First National Bank & Trust (not for sale), a J. Chein tin bank that says “Happy Days Bank,” a glass piggy bank (I remember these!), a large chalk ceramic Piggy Bank, an advertising piece – Sinclair Dinosaur Bank, a glass ‘fox’ bank that originally had drink flavoring in it, U.S. Mail box cast iron bank from the 1920s, and a 1930s cast iron piggy bank!
Along with the amazing history of the Pygg Pot, we share the desciption below:
Pygg is an orange colored clay commonly used during the Middle Ages as a cheap material for pots to store money, called pygg pots or pygg jars.[3] There is dispute as to whether “pygg” was simply a dialectal variant of “pig.”[4] By the 18th century, the term “pig jar” had evolved to “pig bank”.[5] As earthenware was supplanted by other materials, such as glass, plaster, and plastic, the name gradually began to refer specifically to the shape of the bank, instead of what was used to make it. fromWikipedia
So, tell the truth, did YOU know how piggy banks got their name? As we keep sharing, you just never know what you’ll see and learn when you stop by Bahoukas Antique Mall and Beer MuZeum in Havre de Grace. As you know, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
… play with a bow, some with picks, many with plucking and strumming
Above we have a beautiful violin (autographed, but we don’t recognize the names – maybe you will), a dulcimer, a Bauer Bowl Mandolin, a Russian balalaika, and the frame of a banjo. Oh yes, and a tambourine! (Come on… let that 60’s child out and enjoy a bit of rhythm!)
The balalaika (Russian: балала́йка, pronounced [bəɫɐˈɫajkə]) is a Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the third string is a perfect fourth higher. The higher-pitched balalaikas are used to play melodies and chords. The instrument generally has a short sustain, necessitating rapid strumming or plucking when it is used to play melodies. Balalaikas are often used for Russian folk music and dancing. from wikipedia.org
Listen to an explanation and hear the beauty of this instrument in this video:
If you go to another blog post on our site, CLICK HERE, you can also enjoy the beautiful sound of the dulcimer and the mandolin.
Music seems to be as old as the human race. It has comforted us, given us joy, led us to war, and created amazing celebrations.
“While language splits the world into detailed, distinct pieces, music unifies the world into a whole,” Perlovsky writes. “Our psyche requires both.”
Included in our firefighter collectibles are a brass fire nozzle, a VERY toxic Glass-O-Matic Fire Extinguisher (glass fire grenade) with holder from the 1950s, a Joppa-Magnolia fire hat with badge, two Fire Dept. badges (Des Moines, IA and Chief Fire Police, Pioneer Hose Co., Cumberland, MD) and a 1960s ceramic “World’s Best Fireman” statue!
Early glass fire grenades were full of a salt water solution with added bicarbonate of soda or muriate of ammonia. Due to the use of salt water as an ingredient the fire grenade was advertised as non-freezing. Carbon tetrachloride, a dangerous chemical, was used as the fire deterrent in many glass fire grenades. At that time the dangers of its use to the body were unknown. It can cause damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys and the brain. The carbon tetrachloride is easily absorbed into the body through the skin and lungs. People of the late 1800s were not aware of this.
Carbon tetrachloride was used in making refrigeration fluid and as a cleaning fluid by dry cleaners during the last century. It is now banned and is considered a hazardous material. However the fire grenade worked by robbing the fire of oxygen through a chemical reaction.
The glass fire grenade was designed to be used like a military grenade — thrown at the fire to put it out. So the grenade usually had a long neck in order to grasp it. It had a decorative round body, looked like a bottle, and was made in a variety of colors — cobalt blue, olive yellow, green and clear.
The tear-drop shaped glass grenades were made to be placed in a wire rack on the wall in a strategic place. The pointed end was placed in the hole of the rack.
Our 1960s “World’s Best Fireman” ceramic statue might make a very special firefighter a unique Father’s Day Gift (or Valentine’s Day). Just sayin’! So be sure to stop in to Bahoukas Antique Mall and Beer MuZeum. We always have something new and ‘lots of old’…. we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
If you lived through the 1980s, chances are you owned, listened to or watched the tiny blue gnomes named The Smurfs. They’re actually much older than that, as Belgian cartoonist Peyo created them way back in 1958. And since then they’ve been entertaining (and boring the minds out of) millions of people around the world. Which brings up the question: How can the Smurfs be both universally popular and so boring that watching their “adventures” makes you want to take a smurfing gun and smurf yourself? from 8 Facts About Smurfs That Are Actually Kind of Interesting
In the above photo, you’ll see that Bahoukas has a wonderful variety (well, as much as possible with the little blue Smurfs characters) that include new PEZ Dispensers, Chatter Chum – pull the string and he talks (the largest on the right), a Push-Puppet Smurf (in the middle), the tiny PVC Smurfs (in front) and a collection of Smurf Character glasses (14 in all) produced in 1982 by Wallace Berrie & Co.
Smurfs
The storylines tend to be simple tales of bold adventure. The cast has a simple structure as well: almost all the characters look essentially alike—mostly male (a few female Smurfs have appeared: Smurfette, Sassette, and Nanny Smurf), short (three apples high),[5] with blue skin, white trousers with a hole for their short tails, white hat in the style of a Phrygian cap, and sometimes some additional accessory that identifies a personality (for example, “Handy Smurf” wears overalls instead of the standard trousers, a brimmed hat, and a pencil above his ear). Smurfs can walk and run, but often move by skipping on both feet. They love to eat sarsaparilla (a species of Smilax) leaves, whose berries the Smurfs naturally call “smurfberries” (the smurfberries appear only in the cartoon; in the original comics, the Smurfs only eat the leaves from the sarsaparilla).
The Smurfs fulfill simple archetypes of everyday people: “Lazy Smurf”, “Grouchy Smurf”, “Brainy Smurf”, and so on. All Smurfs, with the exception of Papa, Baby, Smurfette, Nanny and Grandpa, are said to be 100 years old. There were originally 99 Smurfs, but this number increased as new Smurf characters appeared, such as Sassette and Nanny. All of the original Smurfs were male; later female additions are Smurfette and Sassette—Smurfette being Gargamel’s creation, while Sassette was created by the Smurflings. from Wikipedia
What role did the SMURFS play in your growing up years? Or how did you cope as a parent? It’s most interesting to learn some of the changes connected to the SMURFS in the U.S. where they were changed from the original black characters to blue.
Five Euro Smurf Coin
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Smurfs, the Belgian Mint issued a five Euro Smurf coin. The limited edition coins come in numbered boxes – only 25,000 were produced! The Five Euro Belgian Smurf Coin was produced in two forms, colored and plain silver. Both coins have a diameter of around 1″. The coin reads “Les Schtroumpfs 1958 – 2008”, “50” in the middle, “Peyo 2008” underneath that, and “De Smurfen” on the bottom. The Smurf coins were issued by the Royal Belgian Mint and are a series of commemorative coins from Belgium. from BlueBuddies.com
Photos of the coin from the same sight:
So there you go … more than you ever wanted to know about Smurfs. Ready to add to your collection? Maybe you’re ready to start collecting. Either way, stop by Bahoukas Antique Mall and Beer MuZeum to see what we have. Of course, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Yes, we have nearly every state of souvenir magnets and shot glasses. So if you’re missing one or two for your collection, stop in soon. Of course, we encourage you to ‘start’ your collection if you haven’t done so yet!
Of all that you might collect, these items are small and easy to pack as you travel the countryside. They’ll fit wrapped in a sock or t-shirt and placed in your backpack or suitcase. Great reminders of trips you’ve taken. With a plus side that you can truly use them! Celebrate a trip by sharing a favorite liquor in your shot glasses. Or actually use your refrigerator as a display for all to see – yes, on your refrigerator!
Or maybe you’d like to start a favorite grandchild on their collection. Once again, we have nearly every state. What a fun way to share your stories and leave a legacy.
So, whether you’re ready to begin, or to add to, your collection, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
What did you do with your bubblegum charms? Did you make a bracelet or a necklace? Did you add them to a keychain?
Here at Bahoukas Antique Mall we have a huge assortment of bubblegum charms. Have you considered creating a fun piece of jewelry or accessory that utilizes some of our collectible charms? NO? Well think about the stories you’ll hear if you share a bubblegum charm design with someone special. What a great little gift idea!
Maybe you’d like to create a special “You are my lucky charm” Valentine Gift. CLICK HERE for a possibility. (The charms are different, but you’ll get the idea.) Maybe you’d enjoy making a special pin for mom or grandmom with a few bubblegum charms, or add a few to a keychain for dad. Stop in and take a peek at the variety of charms we have. It’ll surely spark a fun idea. Or possibly create something For St. Patrick’s Day or even Easter! And yes, we’ll be watchin’ for ya.
We have an entire cabinet filled to nearly overflow with green Depression Glass. In addition, the 3 pieces in the center of this photo are beautiful Czechoslovakian glass – a malachite perfume set by Ingrid.
Malachite is a green copper carbonate mineral which occurs naturally and has concentric layers. It polishes to a high gloss and is used for ornaments. Malachite glass is intended to look like malachite, or more generally, to look like marble.
If you’re looking for a unique collector piece, or a beautiful work of art, you may just want to drop by Bahoukas and see this beautiful display. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
The Jewel Tea Company’s Home Shopping Service began to phase out their home service in 1981. So many of you still remember the home delivery service.
Autumn Leaf dinnerware often made its way into American homes through “The Jewel Man,” a door-to-door salesman employed by the Jewel Tea Company of Chicago. This is where the collector’s nickname “Jewel Tea” originated. New items were added to the collection through 1980, and the pattern has many fans today. from TheSpruce.com
Called ‘mobile stores’ at the turn of the century (1900s) Jewel Tea set themselves a step above the competition by ‘advancing the premium’ rather than the customer receiving after so many purchases. The story goes something like this:
There were many tea companies at that time, and they all sold door-to-door, giving premium coupons with grocery purchases. When enough coupons had been saved, the customer had a choice of premium items offered. One day Mr. Ross knocked on the kitchen door of a prospective customer and had hardly stated his business when she grabbed a broom. He returned later that same day and learned that the lady had saved coupons for six months buying coffee and tea from a “wagon man” and had expected to get a rug with her coupons. However, the wagon man stopped coming around. Mr. Ross quickly offered her a premium to be left with her first order, to be paid out with a later trade.
Evidently the door-to-door salesman of the early 1900’s brought products to folks who may not normally have considered their products.
“Direct Selling” was useful for introducing new types of goods or new brands and enabled manufacturers to keep their products from losing to the competition at department stores. The rise of door-to-door selling in the 1920’s helped fuel the scientific homemaking movement, which provided housewives with labor-saving devices. from Birth of a Salesman – the transformation of selling in America by Walter A. Friedman
Stop in to Bahoukas to see some of the Autumn Leaf pattern pieces that we have. Yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Do you have memories of a bell as a child? Did mom call you to the table with the ringing of a small bell? Did she call you home with a bell? Or if you lived on the farm, maybe you had a large bell that brought you in from the field. Many remember a teacher having a bell on her desk. What do you remember?
Whether you’re looking for a pretty bell for a shelf or table, a functional bell to call the kids into the house or to bring everyone to dinner, we have a wonderful collection for you to peruse.
Did you know?
The largest swinging bell in the world is the World Peace Bell in the Millennium Monument of Newport, Kentucky, United States. It has a weight of 66,000 pounds and a diameter of 12 feet. It was cast in 1998 by the Verdin company.
The above link to Owlcation has some wonderful facts about bells. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a smaller version to add a bit of color and conversation to your home, stop in and check these out. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
I believe we may have posted these before Christmas. Most of them came in just before the holidays. There are many different sizes, colors and patterns.
If you’ve ever thought a couple oil lamps would add a touch of warmth and light to your home or get-away cabin/cottage, now is the time to stop by and choose the ones you’d love to have.
Oil lamps are practical, functional and beautiful. Pick up a couple in case of an electric outage. Pick up a few others just for the ‘ambiance’. Beautiful and practical – a perfect combo for any reason. Stop by. We’ll be watching for ya!
Molds, pans, ladles, beaters, mashers, graters, and more…. There are so many very useful items and kitchen collectibles at Bahoukas Antique Mall. You need to check these out before you head out to buy a new one. Many of them will easily last another 50 years. Seriously, flour sifters, measuring cups, egg slicers, and … well… come check it out. Trust me, there’s a wonderful variety of very useful and collectible kitchen items. Stop in and browse. Yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Do you still use fine china, stemware and napkins?
Sometimes we find it sad that in our fast-food lifestyle, everyone seems to be looking at their phones instead of the people that are with them. So every now and then we love to post a few collectibles in the hopes that you just might want to bring some of the old entertainment ways back to your lifestyle now and then. In this photo is a beautiful set of dishes by Haviland Limoges of France. This is their floral pattern. Imagine your delectable dinner being served on this beautiful collection.
History
David Haviland was an American businessman from New York dealing with porcelain. While seeking out new business interests, he arrived in Limoges, France and by 1842, he was able to send his first shipment of Limoges porcelain to the United States. He was also key in adopting a new process by which to decorate porcelain pieces developed in 1873.
In 1890, David Haviland’s son, Théodore Haviland, built a very large and prominent factory in Limoges and introduced a variety of new processes for firing and decorating porcelain pieces. The Haviland company has since been overseen by grandson William Haviland, and great-grandson Theodore Haviland II.
Present Day
Haviland & Co. is still operating as Haviland Company, though the facilities are now modernized and now sell silverware, crystal, and giftware in addition to porcelain.
This shelf offers fine decoys by local carvers such as Bryon Bodt and Steiner Pierce. Beautiful boat models with several by Tony Vincenti – yes, another local. Plenty of various nautical items like lamps with a duck base, various seabirds, mugs and glasses, and a wonderful selection of “Old Salts of the Sea” figures.
Below are two beautiful sailboat models by Tony Vincenti. There’s is another large sailboat by Tony that is not in the photos. These beautiful boats sit on a Civil War Era dresser, walnut with a marble top and oval mirror. It’s an exquisite piece.
As always, we encourage you to stop in and browse. Think we don’t have anything you need or want? We encourage you to check the category 44 Days of Gifts or just browse the Blog. We’re pretty sure you’ll be surprised! And on that note, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
With the beautiful stained glass design on this mirror, the pizzazz added to ‘fairest’ will have everyone looking beautiful. Consider it a ‘magical mirror.’ It’s about 30″x40″ and is quite stunning when you view it in person. So stop by soon. It’s a perfect time of year to be looking out for those items to add spring sparkle to your decor. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
I’m a little teapot – short and stout – here is my handle – here is my spout. When I get all steam up, here me shout. Just tip me over and pour me out.
These two shelves are just a very small selection of of the teapots available in our shop.Nearly every color and shape can be found – small to large. Besides using for tea, they make beautiful planters. Of course, they would be a wonderful collection to add a bit of color and maybe even whimsy to your home. Stop by soon and browse the shop. Choose the ones you’d love to have. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
(And in case you really don’t know the teapot song, we thought we’d give you this little video. It’ll make you smile on a chilly day like today!)
The Victorian Sofa is perfect for a young girl’s smaller dolls. Burgundy cloth on a beautiful wooden frame is a perfect ‘seat’ for a variety of dolls including the Victorian Stuffed doll on the right. Of course, Mickey Mouse or a little doll with boots and coat will also enjoy the sofa.
… to Masters of the Universe – STRIDOR
STRIDOR carries He-Man to victory. And we have two of these awesome war horses sitting on the shelf waiting for the perfect owner.
We encourage you to stop in soon and see not only these items, but the variety of toys and games for the young and the young-at-heart. We’ll be watchin’ for ya.
Beautiful Pair of L.E. Smith Blue Glass Ballerina Lamps
This pair of blue glass lamps are by L. E. Smith Company (Mt. Pleasant, PA) and feature two ballerinas on each lamps with a beautifully detailed blue glass lampshade. They stand about a foot tall. Any ballerina (young or old) would love these exquisite lamps.
The L. E. Glass Company has a most amazing history. CLICK ON THIS LINK for just one perspective. (Please note the company and the museum are no longer in operation.) There is also a most interesting book: L.E. Smith Glass Company: The First One Hundred Years by Tom Felt and published in 2007 available at AMAZON.
We hope you’ll stop in soon and check out these beautiful lamps. Someone you know may love them as a gift. We’ll be watchin’ for ya.
We have a pair of these amazingly beautiful vases.
They are 1800s Victorian – hand-blown glass and enamel painted. The colors are exquisite. The shape is beautifully fluid. You must see them to appreciate just how spectacular these vases are.
If you looking for a beautiful ‘conversation piece’ that will stand out in any room, or if Victorian is your home decor, one – or both – of these vases will most certainly add a stunning beauty to your home.
Stop in soon and see these for yourself. And yes, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Along with the amazing history of the Pygg Pot, we share the desciption below:
