Tiny Plastic Toys--Cracker Jack

Although the Cracker Jack prizes were the smallest toys a child could play with, they were fun and made you use your imagination. I loved to eat Cracker Jack's but I couldn't wait to get to the prize inside. I kept a box full of them as a child, but they have been long ago lost or thrown out. Recently I found a tin full of them. Good memories, I couldn't help but smile inside and out. I dumped them out and began to sift thru the little treasures.

Some of the prizes I found were: animals, spinning tops, whistles, tools, key rings, sports figures, circus people, a trophy, and others. Some of the prizes were the kind that needed to be put together. Many of the prizes needed some assembly. Some were as simple as snapping two pieces of plastic together. “Look what I just made.”

About a year ago I had a bracelet made with Cracker Jack toys. It was constructed with a heavy elastic cord and safety pins. Each pin held a different Cracker Jack toy. I put it in the shop for $25.00 and it was gone very quickly. I was sad to see it go, but I could tell the person that bought it was thrilled.

Many Cracker Jack toys have no markings on them at all. Some of the markings are: The C. J. Co; Cracker Jack, C. J. C. O; The Cracker Jack Co, and Cracker Jack SP.


http://members.cox.net/jeepers/archives.html
A good website for Cracker Jack toy archives. Shows photos of toys and their names and meanings. Pretty cool.

Haggling – the dealer’s perspective

I found this article and it is right on so I decided to share.

Haggling over the cost of merchandise is a practice centuries old – a practice alive and well in the antiques market. For buyers, the temptation to ask for a better price is just too strong to deny. For sellers, coming down a bit on the price is often a good way to make a sale. It’s a practice that can benefit both buyers and sellers, but can, at times, be a bother and annoyance.

I understand the anger some dealers have over haggling. Not all customers are polite and some can be downright rude while trying to negotiate a better price. While I hope my columns anger no one, I do not apologize for what I’ve written about haggling. Like it or not, haggling has been a part of commerce for centuries, and it’s here to stay.

I’ve been on both sides of the haggling process. I consider myself primarily a collector, but I do have a retail sales license and have dealt in antiques for many years. I once had an antique shop. I’ve had booths in antique malls. I’ve sold antiques and collectibles on eBay and at traditional auctions. I’ve set up at antique shows and flea markets. I know what it’s like to be a dealer as well as a collector. Having been on both sides of the haggling process gives me insight into what it’s like for both the seller and the buyer.

I like to focus on the positive, but the negative is more instructive. Let me give you the dealer’s perspective by relating some of my less than pleasant experiences with buyers. Buyers can consider this a guide on what not to when seeking a better price.

At a recent flea market, I took some of the stoneware I’ve been culling out of my collection. Among the pieces was an eight gallon jug, circa 1890. I had bought the stoneware pieces long ago and wanted to clear them out, so I priced them very reasonably. The jug had a very small, old chip. In my area, such a jug in that condition is usually found priced at $45-$65. I priced mine at $38. One collector offered me $30 for the jug, nearly 25 percent less than the market price. A discount of 10 to 15 percent is about as much as a buyer can expect. I offered to come down to $35. In a rude tone of voice the collector announced, “Well it’s chipped! It’s not worth that!” She was entitled to her opinion of course, but I didn’t like the rude delivery. Needless to say, we didn’t strike a bargain. The lesson for buyers here is that rudeness will get you nowhere with most dealers.

Another piece I took to the flea market was a nice 1-gallon jar, circa 1900. It was a beautiful piece with a nice ochre glaze. I would generally expect to see such a jar priced at around $25-$35. I knew I’d probably paid about $8 for mine and priced it at $18. If it sold, it would be quite a profit for me and quite a good buy for buyer. A collector asked my best price. I offered her the piece for $15. She countered with $10, nearly 50 percent less than the asking price, which was already significantly below the value of the piece. I wasn’t willing to take less than $15, so there was no sale. In this case, the collector wasn’t rude, but her offer was unrealistic. Collectors shouldn’t expect dealers to give deep discounts. As a dealer, I’m also not fond of the counteroffer. When I’m asked for my best price, I give it. At that point it’s take it or leave it.

As a dealer, I’ve found myself on the receiving end of extreme rudeness from those who use such rudeness as a tactic to get a better price. Let me throw in a quick disclaimer here – the vast majority of collectors are very kind and polite. Remember, we’re exploring the negative side here. Over the years I’ve heard such comments as “That’s twice what that’s worth!” “In that condition, it isn’t worth anything!” “You’ll be lucky to sell that for half what I’m offering!” “It’s obviously a reproduction!” “That’s far too high!” Most often, the comments are made in a rude tone. I’m so accustomed to enjoying my encounters with buyers that the rude individuals are a bit of a shock. I find such comments insulting. I always try to price my items for a bit less than they can be found elsewhere. That way buyers will purchase from me and not the dealer next to me. I’m well aware damage detracts from value, so when a piece is damaged, I price it accordingly. When someone comes along and criticizes my prices or my integrity, I’m not inclined to give them a better deal. Rudeness will get a collector nowhere with me and I’m sure most dealers feel the same.

It costs a lot more to deal in antiques than most collectors realize. I used to set up at a nice flea market in Princeton, Ind., about 15 miles from where I lived at the time. I went there because it was close, spaces were reasonably priced, there were a lot of buyers and sellers, and the flea market was well organized. It cost me $35 for a spot for two days – very reasonable considering some flea markets charge as much as $150. I was also out the expense of gas for three round trips, one to set up, two to sell. That’s 90 miles of driving, not an insignificant cost with high gas prices. There was also my time to consider and all the work. It takes me several hours to unpack all my collectibles for a flea market and just about as long to pack them up at the end. Then there’s the work I did at home, cleaning, pricing, and packing – days worth! If you’ve never set up at a flea market, take the amount of work you think it takes a dealer to set up, multiply it by 10, and you’ll have it about right. Add to this the time and cost of gathering pieces to sell and you’re looking at a lot of time and expense. I think it becomes understandable then, that dealers are not pleased by rudeness or ridiculously low offers.

There’s nothing wrong with haggling for a better price. As a buyer, I often haggle. As a seller, I accept it. It’s a great way for buyer and seller to come together, but it’s not a pleasant experience when one party or the other gets rude. Don’t hesitate to haggle, but avoid the mistakes made in the examples above. If you do your chances of success will be much increased.

The collecting conundrum

by Art Elder

Have you ever wondered why collectors collect? The mystery has been studied by scholars through the years trying to answer this conundrum. Why collectors collect what they do is another fascinating topic.

It has been said that, as the human form developed, there were first hunters, then gatherers, followed by collectors. Almost everyone collects something – but why? One only needs to watch children to see they will pick up and put in their pockets just about anything they find that is bright and colorful. Perhaps that proves that in spite of our numerical age, all collectors are still just kids at heart. Or – possibly there is a hidden collecting gene in all of us that the researchers have not yet discovered! But wait – maybe it is just the basic survivalist instinct in all humans (and many other animals) to save for the hard times in the future. Perhaps it is merely the thrill of the hunt. Some ask if collecting can result from a medical condition or an addiction. After all, psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud once said that his collecting was an addiction, rivaled only by his craving for nicotine!

Collecting is usually pursued as an interesting hobby, although occasionally, some collectors are known to become obsessed. The majority of collectors ascribe the incentives and stimuli they receive from collecting to one or more of the following:

• The knowledge gained by learning about the items they collect.

• The networking with fellow collectors.

• The pleasure that they derive from finding and acquiring a new and much sought after object that fills a gap in their collection.

• Memories and recollections – particularly the fond memories of childhood – may frequently determine what a collector chooses to collect.

• Sometimes the collected item may have nothing to do with the collector’s childhood, but rather something that is discovered later in life, and is found to be particularly interesting to the collector. An example might be Civil War memorabilia.

Here are the views of three frequently quoted experts:

Marjorie Akin, an anthropologist at the University of California, Riverside, has studied the subject of collecting and wrote in her book, Passionate Possession, the Formation of Private Collections that people collect for a connection to the past and memories. Akin wrote, “Objects can connect the collector to the historic, valued past.”

Akin also includes four other reasons why people collect. The first is to satisfy a sense of personal aesthetics. Secondly, to please personal tastes. Third, to show individualism. Akin concludes the fourth reason is the collector’s need to be complete, and the sense of completion is one of the main drivers of collectors. She adds that collectors may choose a subject to collect because of the challenge there is to complete the collection. Akin said she has seen people cry out in relief once they find the final piece and their collection is complete.

Kim A. Herzinger, a Professor of English at the University of Southern Mississippi, and an award-winning author and avid collector, provides another twist on obsession with collecting. He wrote, “Collecting is a means by which one relieves a basic sense of incompletion brought on by unfulfilled childhood needs. It functions as a form of wish fulfillment, which eases deep-rooted uncertainties and existential dread.”

Herzinger adds that collecting may also become a passion. “Collecting, like most passions, has the capacity to let (the collector) live in another world for awhile. If I could tell you why passion allows us to inhabit another world, I would stop collecting.”

He adds that the collector becomes engaged in a kind of worship. “The collector is experiencing the kind of sensory transcendence that we most closely associate with religion or love. Like religion or love, the collection is a kind of security against uncertainty and loss.”

However, if these reasons seem too implausible or complex, then Kurt Kuersteiner, offers one refreshingly simple reason. In his published article, “Collecting Collections,” Kuersteiner wrote, “I believe the main reason people collect something is a basic interest in the topic.”

Walter Annenberg, former publisher, philanthropist, and ambassador to the United Kingdom said simply, “If it moves me, that was enough. Being moved is what collecting is all about.”

In reality, there are probably as many different reasons as there are collectors. Collectors are individuals. The debate over the reasons will go on and on, but the one truth that cannot be denied is that people will continue, whatever the reason, and they will continue to collect the items that interest them – whatever that may be.

It is reported that Albert Einstein once said, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted, counts.”

What Einstein meant in this fascinating quote can be interpreted differently. I prefer it to mean that, for a collector, what is important should be the personal attraction to the collection, and not its size or value. The enjoyment of the collecting process is what really counts.

Being--Going--Green

The Green Thing

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, " That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.
In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.
We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smarta-- young person.

Comments of 1955

I’ll tell you one thing, if things
keep going the way they are,
it’s going to be impossible to
buy a week’s groceries for $10.00.

Have you seen the new cars
coming out next year? It won’t
be long before $1,000.00 will
only buy a used one.

Did you hear the post office is
thinking about charging 7 cents
just to mail a letter.

If cigarettes keep going up in
price, I’m going to quit; 20 cents
a pack is ridiculous.

If they raise the minimum wage
to $1.00, nobody will be able to
hire outside help at the store.

When I first started driving, who
would have thought gas would
someday cost 25 cents a gallon.
Guess we’d be better off leaving
the car in the garage.

I’m afraid to send my kids to the
movies any more. Ever since they
let Clark Gable get by with saying
DAMN in GONE WITH THE WIND,
it seems every new movie has
either HELL or DAMN in it.

I read the other day where some
scientist thinks it’s possible to put
a man on the moon by the end of
the century. They even have some
fellows they call astronauts
preparing for it down in Texas .

Did you see where some baseball
player just signed a contract for
$50,000 a year just to play ball?
It wouldn’t surprise me if someday
they’ll be making more than the
President.

I never thought I’d see the day
all our kitchen appliances would
be electric. They're even making
electric typewriters now.

It’s too bad things are so tough
nowadays. I see where a few
married women are having to
work to make ends meet.

It won’t be long before young
couples are going to have to hire
someone to watch their kids so
they can both work.

I’m afraid the Volkswagen car
is going to open the door to a
whole lot of foreign business.

Thank goodness I won’t live to
see the day when the Government
takes half our income in taxes. I
sometimes wonder if we are
electing the best people to
government.

The fast food restaurant is
convenient for a quick meal,
but I seriously doubt they
will ever catch on.

There is no sense going on short
trips anymore for a weekend. It
costs nearly $2.00 a night to stay
in a hotel.

No one can afford to be sick
anymore. At $15.00 a day in
the hospital, it’s too rich for
my blood.

If they think I’ll pay 30 cents
for a haircut, forget it.

Cookbooks

This is an exclusive excerpt from the Antique Trader® Collectible Cookbooks Price Guide

What makes a cookbook collectible?
It’s a question we are often asked, and one for which the answer depends on who’s collecting and why. Besides those who just want to find great recipes and make good things to eat, there are those who collect books based on value, and some wanting to preserve or explore a culture, a style or a place. Others just love reading interesting cookbooks (as some do novels).
Collectible is in the eye of the beholder, whereas value, in simple terms, is more a measure of how much one is willing to pay for it.
The special charm of collecting cookbooks is that there is an enormous range of sub-categories of interest, making most cookbooks desirable, though not necessarily valuable.
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1955 by Margie Blake









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Ida Bailey Allen
The original domestic goddess, America’s Mrs. Allen, nee Ida Cogswell, was born in 1885 and has been credited with bringing nutrition, world cuisine and formal cooking to thousands of average housewives (it is also said that she invented the marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole). An avid cook, “domestic science” professional and a practicing dietitian, she was the first woman in history to bring food to the masses using all available media outlets: in print, as the author of more than 50 cookbooks, including The Best Loved Recipes of the American People, and as a contributor to more than a half dozen major magazines (Good Housekeeping, Parade); on the radio, as the host of a popular radio show; and on TV, acting as television’s first female food host on Mrs. Allen and the Chef.
Confessing that the radio was “a fearsome thing,” she nevertheless went on to pioneer a popular radio show for homemakers and founded the “National Radio Homemaker’s Club,” which surprised her with its overwhelming success and delighted her with the way it united women while they “kept house.” Her power to influence was demonstrated one Christmas when she suggested that women could wear red Christmas dresses to please their children, and stores reported a surge in requests for red holiday garb.
Mrs. Allen was also the queen of the sensible kitchen, penning some of the first books dedicated solely to budget cuisine, cooking for two and efficient timesaving meals.
**************************************

1943-1957
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Peg Bracken
As a working mom in the ’60s, Bracken struggled along with her female coworkers and friends to balance home and work. The result was several comedic books in the “I Hate to ...” series. The refreshing look at the challenges of housework for a working woman presents her angst with a frank humor that is still hilarious.
The original I Hate to Cook Book manuscript—a truly funny and revealing look at the changing domestic roles of American women, as well as a collection of easy recipes—was turned down by many male editors who worried it would offend women. It went on to sell over 3 million copies. Sassy and smart, Bracken’s cookbooks are destined for the collector’s shelf.
Advertising executive, copywriter and self-described humorist, Bracken died in 2007 at the age of 89.
***************************************

1950
**************************************
Betty Crocker
The ubiquitous Miss Crocker, arguably the most famous American culinary icon, was actually invented in 1921 when a General Mills ad in the Saturday Evening Post elicited over 30,000 responses requesting recipes and asking for baking help. Who was the perfect person to answer all these letters? A homey sounding first name was added to the last name of company director, William Crocker, and Betty was born, a bouncing 30-something homemaker, filled with good cheer and cooking savvy. An authoritative yet friendly signature for signing the letters was chosen from employee handwriting samples via a company contest.
Morphing in her image portraits from a grey-haired baking expert to a contemporary cookery professional, Betty has sold over 60 million books since her full-length debut of the 1950s Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book. The book set the standard for all of Betty’s (and many other authors’) future works, which were designed to make cooking easy, accessible, fun and unfussy, as she reliably remains today.
Betty Crocker’s contributions to American cooking are so prolific and iconic, a recent “biography” of Betty documents her success.
********************************************
Manufacturers’ booklets and pamphlets
With the introduction of processed foods in the late 1800s, food manufacturers cooked up a new way to introduce their brands in a national marketplace: advertising pamphlets and booklets. Appliance and cookware manufacturers (mixers, refrigerators, stoves, pressure cookers, etc.) also found informative, inexpensive recipe booklets an effective way to instruct and inspire new users on the successful use of their products. For more than a century, these little publications have served as a mainstay promotional tool for introducing products and building brands old and new.
*********************************

1943 Guide to good meals under wartime conditions of rationing and food shortages
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Charity cookbooks
Charity cookbooks are commonly referred to as fundraiser or community cookbooks, or as “spirals.” Regardless of what they are called, charity cookbooks are collections of recipes that have been published in America as fundraisers, for over 140 years, by churches, schools, service groups and other fraternal and cultural organizations.
While there are many commercially successful cookbooks that began as fundraisers, like The Settlement Cookbook and Junior League cookbooks, there are many more that were published in very small quantities or that were created by the hands of volunteers themselves, using whatever methods and resources they could muster (typewriters, mimeographs and copiers).
Cover and interior art is sometimes commercial clip-art, but the more endearing examples feature the artistic expressions of inspired volunteers, as is the case with the charity cookbook Like Mama Used to Make. There are many qualities that make a fundraiser cookbook desirable, not the least of which is the preservation of regional recipes. Also, look for books that are older (pre-1940s) and feature:
Local advertisements
Contributors noted by name
Anecdotes or historical information
Photos of local buildings
Handwritten recipes
Contributions by celebrities
Unusual or interesting bindings
Handmade or have exceptional illustrations

The category of charity cookbooks offers a special appeal for collectors, telling the personal stories of different eras, cultures, regions and the people who contributed to them. As you read through the recipes, essays, poems and anecdotes, you get to know the communities and the period in which these books were created.
****************************************

1967 Includes Sonny&Cher,The Monkees,The Hermits,Rolling Stones,and more.
*************************************

Focus your collection on a particular sub-category or passion. This might be anything from a collection of cookbooks from your region to a collection about confections, cakes or cocktails. From a buyer’s point of view, focused and complete collections are more desirable than a disparate gaggle of books. From a collector’s perspective, it will make your treasure hunting more manageable.

The Clue of The Broken Locket

Excerpt: Nancy caught a glimpse of Ruth Brown disappearing into the car. Her suitcase was handed up after her.
Nancy flung herself out of the automobile, intending to board the train herself. But she was to late. It began to move, rapidly picking up speed.
"Don't try to board!" Bess called frantically, fearful lest Nancy recklessly might attempt it.
"There goes Ruth Brown again", George groaned. "Such Luck!"
Nancy lost no time in bemoaning the situation. She turned and ran into the station,but was back again in an instant, hurling herself into the driver's seat.
"That woman bought a ticket to River Heights!" she informed them tensely. "Are you girls game for a speedy ride?"


********** ********** ********** **********
Did you read the Nancy Drew Mystery series as an adolescent? I did and what a way to get involved in a good mystery. Especially since the detective Nancy Drew was a teen that always solved the mystery. I really can't remember how I was introduced to the Nancy Drew series but I sure was hooked. I spent many an hour one summer at the library reading these books, lost in the mystery and trying to solve the mystery before the book did. I so enjoyed being in the world of the story, I never shared the discovery of these books with my friends because I didn't want them to spoil my time lost in that world. How selfish !!! The funny part is apparently the character rubbed off on me because many friends made the comment that I should grow up to be a detective. To this day I still love a good mystery when I have a chance to read one, which isnt often enough.
Well I've finally matured enough that now I am ready to share the joy of these novels. I recently aquired these and have them available in the shop. I have the early copies from the 1930's thru the 1950's. These editions are interesting because the wording and language are what we would consider old fashion. These Novels were updated and rewritten thru the years for a more modern perspective. I enjoy and prefer the way they were originally written. Come by,get one or more,enjoy a good easy read or share with a young one near and dear to your heart. I guarantee you/they will enjoy and possibly become temporarily lost in them like I did.

********** ********** ********** **********
Did you know the author name Carolyn Keene is a pseudonym (AKA). Many different authors became involved thru the years including daughters of the publisher. The first author was Mildred Wirt Benson and here is a brief biography:
As the author of the original Nancy Drew series of mystery novels, Mildred Wirt Benson (aka Carolyn Keene) shot to fame penning thrilling tales concerning a fearless and stylish teen detective who never failed to get to the bottom of the case. Born in Ladora, Iowa, Benson was the first person to receive a master's in journalism from the University of Iowa, in 1927. As a reporter who never backed down from a challenge, the future author laid the foundation for a literary creation that would enthrall generations and inspire numerous adaptations even after Keene herself halted writing Nancy Drew adventures. Paid 125 dollars per tome and receiving no royalties for the books or their resulting spin-offs, Benson continued to write novels (including the Penny Parker mysteries) and work as a reporter, all the while bound by an agreement with the publisher to keep her identity as the originator of Nancy Drew secret. Though her shrouded identity remained uncovered for years, she was finally revealed as the originator of the series when one of the publisher's daughters attempted to take credit and Keene was forced to testify in 1980. Working tirelessly well into her nineties, the tough writer wasn't slowed by failing eyesight, and even returned to her desk a day after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 1997. After going into semi-retirement in 2002 (at the age of 96), Benson died shortly after being struck ill at her Toledo Blade desk.

One Hundred Years Ago 1911

The year is 1911 --- One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1911:

************ ********* ************

The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.


Fuel for a Ford Model T was sold in drug stores only.


Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.


Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.


There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.


The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.


The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !


The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour.


The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year ..


A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year,

a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year,

and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.


More than 95 percent of all births took place at home .


Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
were condemned in the press AND the government as "substandard."

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month,
and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from
entering into their country for any reason.

The Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars...

The population of Las Vegas , Nevada , was only 30!!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was neither a Mother's Day nor a Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and only 6 percent
of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter
at the local corner drugstores.

Back then pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion,
gives buoyancy to the mind, Regulates the stomach and bowels,
and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health!"
( Shocking? )

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help .......

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !

Some generic info about vintage TOY ROBOTS you might not know

This tin plate, circa 1960s Robotank-Z space robot is fully functional with flashing lights and retracting machine guns. In mint condition with original box, the robot is marked "Made by T.N. Made in Japan."




1. Toys were being made in Japan before World War II broke out, but it was after the war ended that Japan seized the opportunity to use industries like toy manufacturing to strengthen its struggling economy

2. The first toy robot (a windup) is believed to be Japan’s Robot Lilliput – believed by some to have been made as early as 1938, while others think it was in post-war1940s – this was quickly followed by the unveiling of the more well-known Atomic Robot Man. This robot was given out at the New York Sci-fi convention in 1950.

3. The design of many Japanese robots of the 1950s was significantly influenced by the world’s fascination with space exploration, at the peak of the Space Race.

4. For collectors toy robots bring their own challenge of authentication – as many robots made in Japan have an American company logo – which doesn’t accurately identify who made it

5. In 1950, prior to the electronics and toy push, only 1 percent of products imported to the U.S were made in Japan. In 2010, 6.4 percent of U.S. imports came from Japan – with automobiles topping the list.

6. Japan’s toy robot makers were “going green” long before it became the movement it is today – and at the time it was out of economic necessity that they would use tin cans cast off by plants used to make tuna cans or powdered milk cans, to make smaller toy robots

7. One of the pioneer companies of Japanese toy robot production was the Tokyo Toy Industry Group.

8. Japanese toy makers were the first to use battery-operated motors in their toys – taking toys beyond clockwork operation

Standing 12 inches high, this marked Made in Japan robot has a host of special features. As the space man walks his chest pops down and a video action screen appears then closes.

Fenton Art Glass

If you are a lover/collector of vintage/current Fenton Art Glass---now may be the time to purchase as much as possible.

Posted by Antique Trader Staff


WILLIAMSTOWN, W. Va. - After 106 years of continual production, the Fenton Art Glass Company announced Wednesday it is ending production of its collectible and giftware glass products and is exploring the sale of its equipment and other assets. The company has faced financial challenges since its restructuring in 2007, and recent developments combined to force the shutdown of its traditional glassmaking business.

“The market for our pressed and blown glassware has diminished,” company President George Fenton said. “We cannot sustain the overhead costs. Our employees have worked hard and efficiently, so this is a very sad day for us. Shortly, we will begin the process of shutting down our main furnace. Remaining employees will be finishing existing glassware from the company’s inventory that will be available through the Fenton Gift Shop as well as the company’s web site and Fenton dealers across the country.”

As a part of winding down the traditional business, Fenton Art Glass is exploring the sales of one or more product lines.

“We know that our many customers and friends will have questions,” Fenton said. “Our website will be updated regularly beginning the week of July 11.”

Inquiries regarding sales of equipment and other assets should be directed to Fenton Art Glass at its asset management service.

Management at the Fenton Gift Shop is evaluating the impact of the termination of traditional glassmaking at Fenton Art Glass. “The Fenton Gift Shop is in discussions with Fenton Art Glass, the glass manufacturing company, to provide customers with a wide range of samples and special decorations as well as final quantities of limited edition pieces,” said Randall Fenton, President of the Fenton Gift Shop. “The annual Tent Sale in Williamstown starts Friday, and the Fenton Gift Shop and the outlet store in Flatwoods, West Virginia, remain open.”

Founded as a decorating company in Martins Ferry, Ohio, in May 1905 by brothers Frank L. Fenton and John W. Fenton, the Fenton Art Glass Co. constructed its factory in Williamstown during the fall of 1906. The first glass pieces were made there on January 2, 1907. During its 106-year history, Fenton introduced the first iridescent ware, now known as “Carnival glass,” as well as classic patterns such as Hobnail and a wide variety of handmade colored art glass as limited editions.

Salvaged Bicycle parts and Corrugated Building parts

Just some Inspiration

A Bicycle Garden in Queens New York

And how about this Watch Dog for some relaxing in a swing? Made of salvaged corrugated building parts.

Art can be fun,weird,obscure,dark,but mostly inspiring. These made me smile so I wanted to share. Have an Inspired Day

Remember that urge to dig you had as a child? Are 19th century artifacts still buried in your backyard?

http://blog.antiquetrader.com/blog/2011/06/29/Are+19th+Century+Artifacts+Still+Buried+In+Your+Backyard.aspx
Article by Antique Trader Staff

Remember that urge to dig you had as a child? Some people never grow out of it. I don't blame them because there's treasure buried under the dirt and ash that fill 17th and 18th century privy and cistern holes.

Back in 2009 I had a chance to talk in depth with privy digger Rick Weiner of Allentown, Pa.

He gave me all the ins and outs of digging and shared some of the phenomenal finds he's uncovered.

Today I opened my email to get an exciting update.

Rick was digging an old 1870s cistern and uncovered some great items. He says he usually stays away from cisterns (underground storage tanks for rainwater): "Digging cisterns are a gamble, but this one payed off for us."

Rick sent these photos of the items he found in the 1870s cistern: (Note they are in perfect, undamaged condition.) A salt-glazed jug, a very old beer mug, and a stoneware beer bottle ... all supporting evidence: the cistern belonged to a tavern. Another exciting find he shares is from a privy: a trio of carved pipe heads.

Here part of the story of Rick Weiner:

Rick Weiner is a digger. He started digging bottles at the age of 15, when his grandmother got him hooked by having him help her dig for store stock in a 1920s milk bottle dump. She was co-owner of the Barn Store, an antique store in the Pocono Mountains.
His primary choice of digging sites has changed since the early digs with his grandmother. Now, he prefers to excavate old outhouse pits that were in use from the 1850s to the turn of the 20th century. Anything after 1900 is “too new” for his collecting interest. In his opinion, the coolest bottles are from before 1903, which was when the automatic bottle machine came into service and pushed hand-made bottles out of production.

It’s finding these old 19th century bottles that makes his collecting world go round; he says, “The more good stuff you find, the more you want to dig and find better stuff.”

When he’s lining up digs, he finds houses that were built from the 1850s-1870s and asks the homeowners’ permission to dig. After getting permission, he checks the property lines and starts to look for the privy sites. It may be as simple as looking for a depression where the ground has settled unevenly, or it may take careful and patient probing to find the sites. He says sometimes when you’re probing and can’t find the pit perimeter, you just have to rest, clear your mind, and try again.

Patience pays off. On one digging occasion, they found 14 privies in three yards, which kept them busy digging for two years.

In his digs, he has found everything from 1850s druggist bottles to the quack medicine bottles so popular in the 1800s to poison and eight-sided soda bottles. Of course he’s found items other than bottles as well. After all, anything that was carried along on the trip to the outhouse was potential privy fodder.

Rick has had several articles published in Antique Bottle & Glass Collector magazine. He has also recorded his most memorable digs and posted many of his most memorable finds on his Web site, www.19thcenturybottlediggers.com.

Also watch this utube video of him at work and some finds.

Antique Glass Salt & Sugar Shaker Club

One of the more specialized glass-collecting clubs in the nation is The Antique Glass Salt and Sugar Shaker Club. Though highly specialized, the AGSSSC will be taking part in the Mega Glass Convention, which will be held July 7-9, 2011.

The Club was founded by the late Dottie and Bill Avery in 1983 with the mission to encourage, promote and support the collection and study of late 19th and early 20th century glass salt and sugar shakers. The AGSSSC also aims to stimulate interest and education of members and the general public about antique shakers by providing written documentation, research, news articles and opportunities for meetings and discussions on specific related topics, such as coil-top salt shakers, early carnival shakers and Vaseline shakers. The Club is also highly active and an instrumental resource in identifying and valuing antique shakers.

AGSSSC members are entitled to attend the annual convention as well as receive the Club newsletter, “The Pioneer,” which is published several times each year. The cost of membership is only $25 per year per family. Susan Ryan, president of the Club, says the greatest benefit is sharing knowledge and forming new friendships. She says, “It’s great to be able to share your passion with another individual who appreciates your enthusiasm for shakers without saying, ‘You collect what?!’”

With 165 current members, the organization is large enough to move about the country for their national conventions but small enough, and tight-knit enough to hold “mini-conventions” – events where a member will host a get-together for sharing collecting experiences and the displays in their homes.

The AGSSSC’s annual conventions began in 1986, and have been held throughout the United States. What the convention locations have in common is they are usually held near a museum with a large glass exhibit. The 2009 convention was held in Corning, N.Y., and club took a tour of The Corning Museum of Glass.

Ryan said the most popular activity at the national convention is “room hopping.” It is a time for members to renew old friendships and also allows a member to see and maybe buy a hard-to-find shaker or two, either directly from another member, or at the shaker auction. Also popular are the competitive displays; different categories are represented and voted on by the attendees.

This year, from July 7-9, the Antique Glass Salt and Sugar Shaker Club will be taking part in the Mega Glass Convention in Overland Park (Kansas City), Kans. Some of the other participants in the Mega Glass Convention include the National Toothpick Holders Collectors Society, the Early American Pattern Glass Society, and the National American Glass Club, just to name a few. The Mega Convention will take place at the Marriott Overland Park Hotel.



Learn more about the AGSSSC or v contact membership chairman Jan Eldridge at 413-783-4629.

AGSSSC’s Identification Project among valuable club benefits

The Identification Project has been a key activity of the AGSSS club. Many members have beautiful shakers that have not been pictured in literature. In order to give those shakers a “pedigree,” the club took on the challenge of establishing an “Identification Project.” AGSSSC members submit an “unknown” shaker to the identification committee for review.

The committee then researches the shaker to see if it can be found in any published literature, including old catalogs. All information found on the shaker is then published in “The Pioneer” for review and for further research by members. To date, the club has successfully reviewed more than 1,000 shakers and assigned names to a majority of them. This is an exclusive Antique Glass Salt and Sugar Shaker Club benefit.

Touch

Mom always fussed--look with your eyes not your hands. Well according to this study Mom was/is wrong.

According to an MIT study touching an object influences your judgement about what to buy!!

The study found that shoppers had more confident impressions when they touched something. Most collectors already know this but some whom have grown up in the computer age only shop online, they are then sometimes disappointed in their choices.

So if you are one who frequents shows,shops,flea markets, etc, where you can feel collectibles instead of buying online you are being smart according to the study. TOUCH always helps us to make better decisions. Also some reproductions such as iron objects can't be detected unless touched. Many reproduction iron pieces are rough textured to the touch, where as old iron is much smoother to the touch. Another good example is buying chairs, without touch you do not know if it sits hard or soft and if sturdy or rickety.

If you are in my shop and I ask if I can open a case and let you see something better or up close and you hesitate, I then may remark-- I won't make you buy it, just letting you see better.

I really am giving you the chance to make a better decision.

Show Mom Some Local Love this Mother’s Day.Independent We Stand | Independent We Stand

Show Mom Some Local Love this Mother's Day.

Click on photos to read what they say. Very Funny stuff.