Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Cherishing A Gift Forever!
For my final post I would like to discuss a tradition my
family has been adopting for the Holidays over the past few years.
Traditionally we would always purchase each other’s gifts brand new from a
department store. However, a few years ago my brothers and I decided to purchase
my mother a very exquisite “lady’s head vase.” She had mentioned how much she
liked this particular vase and if you don’t remember from my post on this topic
back in September, most of these vases are quite expensive. This was the first
year we gave a gift that wasn’t “brand new” from a department store. It opened
our eyes to a whole new experience in gift giving. That year my mother was happy
more with her lady’s head vase than anything we could have got her brand new.
When guests come to my parent’s home she always points out that her favorite Christmas
gift is the vase we got her.
This new tradition has helped remind my family that it’s not
the gift, instead the thought that counts. Now keep in mind not all of our
gifts come from vintage/antique shops, however when we find something that one
of us will love it usually makes for the perfect gift. My parents in particular
adore these kinds of gifts because they are very sentimental, cherishing every
moment with our family and pieces that hold fond memories. Great places to find
unique items for a gift are antique shops, flea markets, vintage shops, or
online.
To everyone who has read my blog for this semester of class
I appreciate your visits and comments. From my family to yours “Merry Christmas
& Happy Holidays!”
-Jennifer
Jewel Tea's ever popular "Autumn Leaf" collection!
By now I’m sure you are asking yourself what it is that I
don’t like about antiques and vintage. Well once again I love a line of
glassware known as “Jewel Tea” which was founded in 1899. I have always thought
this pattern was unique and now I can share with you this very interesting
history!
The Jewel Tea Company takes us back to a time when women
were housewives, didn’t drive, money was scarce for people, and door to door
salesman were a common every day event. At one time Jewel Tea was one of the
sixth largest retailers in the country producing and selling teas, coffee,
spices, groceries, and various household items. At this time people still lived
in semi-rural areas and the “Jewel Man” would arrive at your doorstep offering
product. Like many other home delivery companies of this time Jewel Tea offered
incentives also known as a “premium” to their customers as a thank you for
their patronage. The “Autumn Leaf” pattern of orange, browns, and yellows
trimmed in gold was the most popular premiums. This design was made exclusively
for Jewel Tea by Hall China Company.
During the 1930s and 40s a families budget probably didn’t
allow for anything more than necessities like groceries, but thanks to Jewel
Tea they could accumulate lovely dinnerware pieces. Later in the 1940s and 50s
when Americans financials became more prosperous people decided to purchase
Autumn Leaf dishes rather than waiting to accumulate them slowly through
incentives. Autumn Leaf was so popular that Jewel Tea would bring out new items
each season and discontinue the old stuff.
As time went by more women began to drive and purchasing
groceries form the Jewel Man was replaced by going to the Jewel Grocery store.
Thus in 1976 Jewel Tea Home Shopping Service discontinued their dinnerware. The
Autumn Leaf design ran from 1933 to 1976 and during that time approximately 42,000,000
pieces were produced.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Fisher-Price Toys; Enjoyed and shared by generations!
Though I am an adult I still have a childlike soft spot in
my heart when it comes to Fisher-Price
toys. Growing up my brothers and I would spend hours playing with all our toys
many from the Fisher-Price toy line. Now I collect them not only because of
their value but because of the fond memories they bring back from a wonderful
childhood.
The Fisher-Price company was founded in 1930 by Herman
Fisher, Irving Price, wife Margaret Evans Price, and a silent partner Helen
Schelle. As you can see the company’s name was developed by combining two of
the three last names. Intrinsic play value, ingenuity, strong construction,
good value for the money, and action was Fisher-Price’s fundamental toy-making
principles. Unlike the plastic toys developed in the 1950s, early toys were
made of heavy steel parts and ponderosa pine which held up well to heavy use.
In addition lithographic labels were applied to add colorful details and charm.
In 1931 Fisher-Price became a huge success when its three
founders took sixteen of their wooden toys to the “American International Toy
Fair” in New York City. In addition 1931 was the year Fisher-Price produced its
infamous toy by the name “Dr. Doodle” which was also the first Fisher-Price toy
ever sold. As I already noted above it wasn’t until the 1950s when Fisher-Price
began marketing toys made of plastic. The “Buzzy Bee” was the first toy to make
use of plastic material. Later in the 1960s the “Play Family” also known as “Little
People” line was produced and was highly popular. This was the start of the
line of products that I remember playing with as a child, which included people
and animal figures as well as a house, farm, school, garage, and vehicles.
At the age of 71, Herman Fisher retired in 1969 and that
same year Fisher-Price was bought out by Quaker Oats Company. However that was
not the end of Fisher-Price, in 1991 the toy company regained their independence
from Quaker Oats and became a publicly traded company. Following later in 1993
Fisher-Price became a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel and by 1997 Mattel had
decided to market all of its preschool products under the Fisher-Price name.
Since the early 1930s Fisher-Price has created approximately
5,000 different toys. Other brands marketed under the Fisher-Price name include
Disney, Sesame Street, Barney, Dora the Explorer and See’n Say. Unlike many companies
that have since such their doors, Fisher-Price has grown to be one of the world’s
most well know toy companies and these vintage toys and antique toys are some
of the most sought after among antique toy collectors.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover
Throughout my blog posts I have mentioned several times
about items my mother collects, however my love for collecting and history also
comes from my father. His love and collection is much different from mine and
my mothers. My father has always loved to read and as you can guess his
collection consists of hundreds of books which are displayed in the library of
my parent’s home. Growing up I never thought much about the books in our library,
I figured every 10 year old read Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea.”
But as I’ve gotten older I’ve taken more interest in helping them find ideal
books for the shelves.
When purchasing books we look for a variety of signs to
identify if it’s worthy of shelf space. First we identify its condition,
including the binding, signs of missing or torn pages, coloring (if applicable),
and if the book has a dust cover. Books with their original dust cover are worth
far more, however its best if the dust cover is in good condition free of rips
and tears.
Next we look at “rarity,” taking into consideration the
copyright date, how many copies were published, and lastly but just as
important if the book is marked “first edition” or “first printing.” Lastly we
take note of who the author is and if there are any signatures within the book.
Sometimes books will be signed by famous authors or well known previous owners.
My favorites are when a well known famous figure writes a letter to another
person on the inside cover of a book. However before you purchase a book at a
high price with a signature inside, you should have it thoroughly examined by
an expert for its authenticity.
Not that I am at all famous or well-known, but for father’s
day and my father’s birthday I will usually purchase him a “new” book and
instead of a greeting card, I will write him a birthday message on the inside
of the cover. I like to think that maybe in a hundred years someone will read
it and have just a small glimpse into that particular books history of who
purchased and owned it.
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