This whoZwhatsits is sterling silver, from the 1890s, and is part of the Stirer Estate (which we’ll be sharing soon).
Have you guessed yet?
This is a holder for opera glasses. It’s in amazing condition. And we had to really search to find out what it was. Then to learn that it telescoped as well – WOW!
As you can see, we always have fun with our ‘discoveries’ and encourage you to stop in soon. Discover your favorites at Bahoukas Antiques. And you know, we’re always watchin’ for ya!
We thought we’d entice you to visit by sharing a variety of items in this post. Whether you’re a kid or a kid-at-heart, we have some nifty items. You can also find some Vintage Baltimore advertising pieces, a game, and more.
We believe this game is a 3D Tic Tac Toe but we don’t have any directions. Can you figure it out? We’ve seen similar online, but none exactly like this one. It’s our recent whozwhatsit!
Vintage Newsstand Advertisement Pieces
We have a variety of Sun Papers advertisements in the shop. (Not recent reproductions) Stop by and see if you might enjoy a couple to frame and have in your collection or decor!
Above is a Sunday Sun (Baltimore) newsstand advertisement for TV Weekly – I believe this is one of Charlie’s Angels – Farrah Fawcett
On the left is a vintage Sunpapers (Baltimore) newsstand advertisement for ‘expert baseball coverage.’
Vintage Shoes and Boots
A variety of vintage women’s boots from the 1900s with one pair of 1880s.
These women’s boots are so unique. Maybe you’d like the whole set or just a pair to perk up a special place in your home.
Men’s Boots
This handsome pair of men’s leather, riding boots are wonderful, but the wooden boot trees are what make this item extra, extra special.
Skediddles
Do you know what a skediddle is? We weren’t sure until we did some research. But this Mickey Mouse Skediddle is pretty cool. It’s a 1968 Mattel toy.
Mickey Mouse Skediddler
This is just the cutest toy from 1968 Mattel. Check out the 1968 vintage commercial below.
Sometimes we have way too much fun…
With Easter in another week, it’s a great time to stop in and see what might work perfectly to fill a basket or decorate your home. No matter what, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
In 1968, tempered glass sphere models emerged that would eventually shatter, sending glass shards into the face of the user and anyone nearby. In the early 1970s, manufacturers changed them to plastic spheres suspended on each string. When they were swung up and down, banging against each other with a lot of force they made the loud “clacking” sound. Clackers are similar in appearance to bolas, the Argentine weapon. They are formed out of two solid balls of polymer, each about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, attached to a finger tab with a sturdy string. The player holds the tab with the balls hanging below and through up-and-down hand motion makes the two balls swing apart and back together, making the clacking noise that gives the toy its name. With practice one can make the balls swing so that they knock together both above and below the hand.
Clackers have also made some appearances in pop culture media. They are featured in the television shows of Dan Schneider, most notably the 2007 episode of Drake & Josh, “Megan’s First Kiss,” and in the 2008 Zoey 101 episode “Rumor of Love”, which described the toys as “the hottest in the 1993 Netherlands”, and which increased interest in the toys. Clackers were a plot point in the 1993 “Love and Sausages” episode of The Kids in the Hall TV series. They were also used as weapons by Joseph Joestar, the protagonist of the “Battle Tendency” arc of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure; their appearance there is anachronistic, as “Battle Tendency” takes place in 1938.
Or maybe you just remember driving your mom crazy with the ‘clacker’ sound!!! Check out this video!!
Showing you how Clackers – also known as “Knuckle Busters” – work!
DIRECTIONS FOR USING
Directions for using Clacker Balls
We don’t recommend using these since they are the originals and we don’t want anyone hurt. But if you’re a collector of toys, they’ll be a great addition!
EXPLODING CLACKER BALLS
Did you ever have the clacker balls explode? Evidently, it created quite a stir. At one point the FDA, Society for the Prevention of Blindness, and even the Consumer Product Safety Commission deemed them a hazard. Read more about them by CLICKING HERE
It appears that you can still get Clacker Balls. They are made of plastic and do not shatter. The noise will still make one crazy. (chuckle)
Don’t forget to stop in soon. We’re watchin’ for ya!
It is always intriguing the items you can find in our shop. These Brodie Knobs, also known as ‘suicide knobs’ are just one of those unique finds!
Let’s look into the background of these “Brodie Knobs” which teens from the 50s and maybe early 60s will remember:
The “Steering Wheel Spinner Knob” was invented by Joel R. Thorp of Wisconsin in 1936. The Brodie name is a reference to Steve Brodie and was meant to describe all manner of reckless stunts. The device is often called a “suicide knob” because of being notoriously useless for controlling the wheel during an emergency. It is also called a “knuckle buster” because of the disadvantage posed by the knob when letting go of the steering wheel after going around a corner, the wheel spins rapidly and the knob can hit the user’s knuckle, forearm, or elbow. If the driver is wearing a long-sleeved shirt, the protruding accessory on the rim of the steering wheel can also become caught in the sleeve’s open cut by the button. Other names include “granny knob” “necker’s knob” and “wheel spinner.”
Contrary to popular opinion, these Brodie Knobs are not illegal. You can check outthis post and do your own research.
As we love to do, here’s another interesting tidbit for those of you not familiar with these Brodie Knobs:
The term “necker knobs” came about when it was discovered that the driver could steer his car one-handed and wrap his free arm around his girlfriend, who was usually resting her head on the driver’s shoulder.
In researching for this post, we were surprised by the fact that this Japanese Samurai Helmet made of 5-yen coins is actually a popular craft. Here’s a quote from one story we read about a Tokyo grade-schooler back in the 1980s who created an entire suit of armor:
an entire suit of Samurai armor in coin craft
@take14aki estimates that the armor and helmet required somewhere around 1,750 coins to put together, which works out to 8,750 yen in legal tender.
It’s interesting to learn that there are quite a few pieces of Samurai armor created with Japanese coins and tokens. Want to view more? Do a search for <Samurai Coin Helmets> and see for yourself.
Detail of our amazing handcrafted Samurai Helmet made of coins
While researching, we also found this interesting Samurai project from the Lego Ideas site! Who would have thought!
Just like we tell you all the time, we are most definitely a “Collection of Collections.” Some are very unique items as you can tell from our beautiful Samurai Coin Crafted Helmet. We hope you’ll stop in and give it a look! It’s quite an amazing piece and in great shape! (Of course, we wouldn’t want to wear something like this in battle!!!)
Do you have a pie bird to vent your pies? Have you seen this singing bird-choir and wondered what that’s all about? Maybe you thought they were waiting for ‘mommy to drop them a worm’!
Oh, don’t know what they are? Check this out:
A pie bird, pie vent, pie whistle, pie funnel, or pie chimney is a hollow ceramic device, originating in Europe, shaped like a funnel, chimney, or upstretched bird with open beak used for supporting or venting a pie. … from Wikipedia
A little more detail of these little pie birds. They stand a couple inches tall. Some folks like collecting them.
Pie funnels were used to prevent pie filling from boiling up and leaking through the crust by allowing steam to escape from inside the pie. They also supported the pastry crust in the center of the pie, so that it did not sag in the middle, and are occasionally known as “crustholders”. Older ovens had more problems with uniform heating, and the pie bird prevented boil-over in pie cooking.
The traditional inverted funnels, with arches on the bottom for steam to enter, were followed by ceramic birds; and from the 1940s they have been produced in a multitude of designs. This trend has been particularly noticeable in recent times, due to their increasing popularity as gifts and collectors’ items rather than simply utilitarian kitchen tools. … from Wikipedia
Want a more recent reference to using pie birds? Click here for a video with MARTHA STEWART!
The “Steering Wheel Spinner Knob” was invented by Joel R. Thorp of Wisconsin in 1936. The Brodie name is a reference to Steve Brodie and was meant to describe all manner of reckless stunts. The device is often called a “suicide knob” because of being notoriously useless for controlling the wheel during an emergency. Brodie knobs are also known as “necker knobs”, because they allow steering with one hand while necking with the passenger. It is also called a “knuckle buster” because of the disadvantage posed by the knob when letting go of the steering wheel after going around a corner, the wheel spins rapidly and the knob can hit the user’s knuckle, forearm, or elbow. If the driver is wearing a long sleeve shirt, the protruding accessory on the rim of the steering wheel can also become caught in the sleeve’s open cut by the button. Other names include “granny knob” and “wheel spinner.” __from Wikipedia
We won’t ask how you know about the Brodie Knob. I’m sure some of you out there in cyber-space have a few stories you probably don’t want to share. 🙂 Watch for our next WhoZwhatsIt…. next week!
Yeah we have a winner Becky Fitzgerald is correct…..Mothball atomizer to attach to a vacuum cleaner
ANSWER: Mothball atomizer used to treat closets and storage areas for moth damage prevention. Attaches to vacuum exhaust end. Glass canister was filled with moth ball flakes and used to fumigate.
We are starting an identification game and want to see how many people can guess what the item is. The item’s identity will be revealed every Monday and a new item will be put on.
We’ll be playing it on facebook and then we’ll post it here. Join us!
WhoZwhatsIts #1
First Clue:
approx 3 1/2 inches long and 3/4 inch wide; round also tapered on the ends Guess what it is!!!!!!!!
Next Clue:
All very good guesses but none of them are right – CLUE – North & South
We want to know what it is and what it’s used for!
Final Clue:
It’s magnetic
DID YOU FIGURE IT OUT? Here ya go….
It was a Magnet to put down a cow’s throat to make its way through to pickup any nails or metal the animal may have swallowed!!!!
