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| TexasWare |
I have spent a couple weeks separating a boatload of Melmac I received all at one time. Today I took many different styles of one brand into the store (shown in photos), TexasWare and their later version called DallasWare.
Because of the
great popularity with most housewives for being colorful, unbreakable (can be
broken), and practical many additional companies jumped on the bandwagon
and also produced a great selection of Melmac dinnerware.
This post just talks about Texas Ware/Dallas Ware
STORY
BEGINS:
" One of the hottest, newest, funniest kitchen collectible isDallas
" One of the hottest, newest, funniest kitchen collectible is
That was info I didn't know before, I always thought or heard they stopped in the late 1970's. I got online and did some research for us because I had never seen so many colors and patterns in TexasWare before now, I was only familiar with the multi color spatter bowls,restaurant ware and mint green.
PMC was
once the largest maker of molded melamine dishware in the
world.
Its innovations included the first two-color melamine pieces
and stacking drink tumblers.
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| Stackable Cups |
In the '50s and '60s, Texas Ware ads in
national magazines featured June Cleaver-like models touting such
patterns as "Fleur de-Lis," "Golden Wheat" and "San Jacinto ."
They also
made lots of restaurant ware in pastel colors with divided dishes, trays and
the famous stackable cups. These continued into the 1980’s and 90’s, but the
dinnerware sets for home lost favor in the 70’s because of the use of
dishwashers and microwaves which were harmful to these
products.
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| DallasWare |
I have not been able so far to find the data for when the product name was changed to DallasWare. Interestingly you can have two pieces exactly in color,shape,and style side by side, one will be marked TexasWare the other DallasWare.
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| TexasWare Grill Plate |
One blog I found claimed the white grill plate by TexasWare shown here in photo are considered rare. I do not know if that is true or not,but I have two.
But some
of the most sought-after Texas Ware pieces are ones that were made
more as an afterthought and seldom advertised. They're the multicolored mixing bowls - variously called spatter, splatter or speckle ware - the company made as a means of using up surplus or "reject" manufacturing materials. When they were new, the bowls never sold for much.
more as an afterthought and seldom advertised. They're the multicolored mixing bowls - variously called spatter, splatter or speckle ware - the company made as a means of using up surplus or "reject" manufacturing materials. When they were new, the bowls never sold for much.
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| Spatter Ware Bowls |
A three-bowl set went for less than $2 in the
late '50s, about $5 in the '80s. Today you find these bowls
priced from $25 to $40 each depending on condition and color combinations.
Reminder these photos showcase what has been added to the inventory
and are looking for good homes !
This article made me smile. Although it is old, it's not near as old as the plate that I ate off of tonight. It was in the Golden Wheat pattern and I have been using it since 1964. My mother gave me a complete set for eight. I'm not sure why for so many, but perhaps she hoped that I'd have some friends someday.
ReplyDeleteOther than a few minor browned scratches, all of the pieces are in amazingly good condition. They've been through stints at the university, a tour in the Army, while raising a family, except for the time when my wife decided that plastic ware was "beneath our station" and have now returned to work as my everyday dinner ware of choice.