In the early 1900's many Americans experienced new wealth. They displayed their wealth by having elaborate table settings. A set of china may be glass, porcelein, or pottery. Many extra pieces were used at the table.
One of those was the mayonnaise. Picture yourself planning for a big social dinner in 1920. You have plates and silver. What do you do with something like mayonnaise? You can't just set a jar on the table! Instead, you have a three-piece glass set. A small plate with a bowl on top filled with mayonnaise and a scoop/label ready to scoop up the mayo.
You can find mayos made in Depression era glass and in porcelein. I started this collection because I like glass, but I don't want a complete dinner set for each piece I like. At an antique show in Nacogdoches, I found a pink glass mayonnaise in a style that was called elegant depression. Since then I have picked up mayonnaise sets on ebay and at various shops and shows. For today's table they are great for dips as well as mayonnaise.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Dolls
It might sound a little scarry, but I do collect dolls. As many collections go, sometimes they get out of control. I didn't put any boundaries on the dolls so I have all types and sizes. When I was growing up, I didn't have a lot of dolls. So, at some point I decided I wanted some dolls.
With collectible dolls, they often have a number on the side of the doll's neck or on the torso of the doll. A number like 101 of 350 means that the doll is the 101st doll produced in an edition. Now, they might not actually make as many as 350, but they won't make more. Usually, the smaller the number the better. Also, a smaller edition is better. So, doll 1300 of 3500 wouldn't be as interesting to a collector as a doll with a smaller number.
I pick dolls that I like the look of--maybe they remind me of a family member or friend. That is why I have a red headed toddler doll who reminds me of my nephew. Space can get to be an issue for dolls. That is why my latest dolls have been 8" vinyl Alexander dolls that I can get at a convenient price at Tuesday Morning.
I like writing about my dolls--now I have to go commune with them!!
With collectible dolls, they often have a number on the side of the doll's neck or on the torso of the doll. A number like 101 of 350 means that the doll is the 101st doll produced in an edition. Now, they might not actually make as many as 350, but they won't make more. Usually, the smaller the number the better. Also, a smaller edition is better. So, doll 1300 of 3500 wouldn't be as interesting to a collector as a doll with a smaller number.
I pick dolls that I like the look of--maybe they remind me of a family member or friend. That is why I have a red headed toddler doll who reminds me of my nephew. Space can get to be an issue for dolls. That is why my latest dolls have been 8" vinyl Alexander dolls that I can get at a convenient price at Tuesday Morning.
I like writing about my dolls--now I have to go commune with them!!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Polish Pottery
When I visited my sister who was living in Germany at the time, she was fascinated with Polish Pottery. This is a ceramic pottery that is made in Poland and features white and cobalt blue in the most basic patterns and other colors in more ornate designs.
Four of us hopped into a giant van and headed from Germany to Poland to buy pottery. At that time Poland had not been opened to western visitors for very long. Armed guards waved us over to the currency exchange. You couldn't bring any Polish money in to or out of the country. We brought lunch with us because you couldn't leave your vehicle alone even if you could find a place available to eat lunch.
My sister was usually the first out of the van to go scoop up the individualized pieces of pottery. The best were those labeled 1 (you could also find 2 and 3 which were lesser quality and less expensive). We also looked for hand painted pieces that were signed by the painter who painted them. At that time you could buy a lot of pottery for very reasonable prices.
I have cheese keepers, butter dishes, baking pans, plates (these were the hardest to find), bowls, and a lot of other items. They are great to put in the oven or to take to events. Now you can buy it on QVC where they call it Polish Stoneware. There are also various stores that carry it, so I have added to my collection since my one trip to Poland. This is the first collection I ever started by going to Poland!
Four of us hopped into a giant van and headed from Germany to Poland to buy pottery. At that time Poland had not been opened to western visitors for very long. Armed guards waved us over to the currency exchange. You couldn't bring any Polish money in to or out of the country. We brought lunch with us because you couldn't leave your vehicle alone even if you could find a place available to eat lunch.
My sister was usually the first out of the van to go scoop up the individualized pieces of pottery. The best were those labeled 1 (you could also find 2 and 3 which were lesser quality and less expensive). We also looked for hand painted pieces that were signed by the painter who painted them. At that time you could buy a lot of pottery for very reasonable prices.
I have cheese keepers, butter dishes, baking pans, plates (these were the hardest to find), bowls, and a lot of other items. They are great to put in the oven or to take to events. Now you can buy it on QVC where they call it Polish Stoneware. There are also various stores that carry it, so I have added to my collection since my one trip to Poland. This is the first collection I ever started by going to Poland!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Refrigerator Magnets
I have a collection of refrigerator magnets. I have tried to limit it to the rubberized kind from places I have been. I ended up with a few that have photos and a few odd ones. Again, you need to decide what limits you will place on your collection or you will have all kinds of items you did not plan on.
A collection of refrigerator magnets needs a place for display. The obvious place is the front of the refrigerator. My refrigerator front was almost entirely covered with my collection of magnets from places I had traveled to. They are very nice as a travel collectible. The price is usually from about $1.99 to $5.99 depending on where you are. It is easy to pack them in your luggage. They don't take up much space.
So, what is the down side? My refrigerator stopped working and I had to invest in a new one. I opted for the latest trend--stainless steel. Mine is stainless steel on the front and is plain black on the side I can see above my counter cabinet. I had to remove all the magnets from my old refrigerator and found that magnets do not stick on stainless steel! So, I boxed up that collection and started over. My new magnets are on the side of the refrigerator that is not stainless steel so my collection zone is much smaller. A collection like this does not have much monetary value as the items are mass-produced and readily available.
A collection of refrigerator magnets needs a place for display. The obvious place is the front of the refrigerator. My refrigerator front was almost entirely covered with my collection of magnets from places I had traveled to. They are very nice as a travel collectible. The price is usually from about $1.99 to $5.99 depending on where you are. It is easy to pack them in your luggage. They don't take up much space.
So, what is the down side? My refrigerator stopped working and I had to invest in a new one. I opted for the latest trend--stainless steel. Mine is stainless steel on the front and is plain black on the side I can see above my counter cabinet. I had to remove all the magnets from my old refrigerator and found that magnets do not stick on stainless steel! So, I boxed up that collection and started over. My new magnets are on the side of the refrigerator that is not stainless steel so my collection zone is much smaller. A collection like this does not have much monetary value as the items are mass-produced and readily available.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Is it a collectible or a craze: The Beanie Baby Saga!
I could write a whole blog just about my experiences with Beanie Babies. If you don't know what they are, they are a toy stuffed with bean-type pellets. I first became engaged when my brother who was traveling started purchasing them for his young children. I warned my sister not to buy one for her three young children but the toys were addicting. For me, the hunt was the most fun. At one point my brother had a Beanie store in tubs under his bed where his children could "purchase" a Beanie Baby for good behavior.
One of my most memorable experiences was a Memorial Day weekend in 1997 when McDonalds came out with their first Teenie Beanie Baby toy for happy meals. They had a lot of different animals so we needed three sets for my brother's kids, three sets for my sister's kids, and I wanted a set. That first year, each McDonalds started with the first Teenie Beanie Baby and sold it until they were out and moved on to the next one. You had to buy a Happy Meal to get the Teenie Beanie Baby which resulted in a LOT of happy meals. I was on my mobile phone (it was a BAG phone in my car) with my sister and brother coordinating our purchases.
However, the best day was the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. My sister lived in the Kileen area of Texas and there were a lot of McDonalds. We buckled the three kids in the back. We spent the day driving to eight or nine McDonalds. We would sometimes go in and get the happy meals and let the kids play in the recreation area. We also went through drive-throughs. The boys really only liked catchup on their burgers. At one restaurant which was apparently trying for a quick pace, when we handed the Happy Meals to the boys to eat, one of them moaned "it has TWO hamburgers in the sack!". I will say that after that day it was a long time before the boys wanted another happy meal!
In retrospect, how valuable were those Teenie Beanies or any of the Beanie Babies? They were produced in mass quantities so their long term value is probably not very high. During the craze period some people paid hundreds of dollars for a single Beanie Baby that they were interested in. I got one of the first Princess Diana beanies in memory of Princess Diana. I put it in a raffle auction for a non-profit and it earned $300 with people putting in $1 tickets. I have more Beanie Baby stories I could share!
One of my most memorable experiences was a Memorial Day weekend in 1997 when McDonalds came out with their first Teenie Beanie Baby toy for happy meals. They had a lot of different animals so we needed three sets for my brother's kids, three sets for my sister's kids, and I wanted a set. That first year, each McDonalds started with the first Teenie Beanie Baby and sold it until they were out and moved on to the next one. You had to buy a Happy Meal to get the Teenie Beanie Baby which resulted in a LOT of happy meals. I was on my mobile phone (it was a BAG phone in my car) with my sister and brother coordinating our purchases.
However, the best day was the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. My sister lived in the Kileen area of Texas and there were a lot of McDonalds. We buckled the three kids in the back. We spent the day driving to eight or nine McDonalds. We would sometimes go in and get the happy meals and let the kids play in the recreation area. We also went through drive-throughs. The boys really only liked catchup on their burgers. At one restaurant which was apparently trying for a quick pace, when we handed the Happy Meals to the boys to eat, one of them moaned "it has TWO hamburgers in the sack!". I will say that after that day it was a long time before the boys wanted another happy meal!
In retrospect, how valuable were those Teenie Beanies or any of the Beanie Babies? They were produced in mass quantities so their long term value is probably not very high. During the craze period some people paid hundreds of dollars for a single Beanie Baby that they were interested in. I got one of the first Princess Diana beanies in memory of Princess Diana. I put it in a raffle auction for a non-profit and it earned $300 with people putting in $1 tickets. I have more Beanie Baby stories I could share!
Collecting Santa Claus Figurines
More recently I decided that I wanted a collection of Santa Claus figurines. I have a mantel and I wanted to put them on top of the mantel during the holidays as a collection. Now, a collection like this can easily get out of control. I decided on very specific parameters--the Santa Claus figures could be from 4 to 6 inches tall, they could be made of glass, resin, or wood, they could be traditional or non-traditional.
Sometimes when you have a collection, your friends and relatives hear about it and want to "help you." I was not interested in any Santas that were like dolls or had fabric clothing. Of course, what did I get the first year--an 18 inch Santa doll type figurine with fabric cape! Sometimes, the translation is "anything Santa". So, over the years I ended up with Santa wreaths, Santa Christmas tree decorations, Santa wall decorations, and about any other kind of Santa you could imagine.
If you know someone who collects items with a certain theme--owls, snowmen, kittens, dogs, you may want to check and see if they are still collecting that item or if they are looking for a particular thing. I have a couple of friends who wanted Nativity scenes but after a few years they had to yell "stop" because they just had too many to adequately display.
Sometimes when you have a collection, your friends and relatives hear about it and want to "help you." I was not interested in any Santas that were like dolls or had fabric clothing. Of course, what did I get the first year--an 18 inch Santa doll type figurine with fabric cape! Sometimes, the translation is "anything Santa". So, over the years I ended up with Santa wreaths, Santa Christmas tree decorations, Santa wall decorations, and about any other kind of Santa you could imagine.
If you know someone who collects items with a certain theme--owls, snowmen, kittens, dogs, you may want to check and see if they are still collecting that item or if they are looking for a particular thing. I have a couple of friends who wanted Nativity scenes but after a few years they had to yell "stop" because they just had too many to adequately display.
Collecting Paperweights
I have been collecting paperweights for a long time. I started when a company that I had a credit card with offered a new paperweight every couple of months with a total of 12 paperweights. They were glass and were from some of the famous glassblowing companies of the world. Something happened and I only ended up with ten.
After this start, I decided to collect paperweights on my travels. I collected one in Reno, Nevada, when the gambling gods temporarily smiled on me. I had three nephews come visit over several summers and took each one to Space Center Houston to see NASA. I bought a different paperweight to represent each visit. I took several cruises and bought a paperweight during each of them.
One thing about a collection--it helps if you limit the size and shape of the collection. My paperweights are all glass with a dimension of four inches or less. Paperweights can really vary in cost depending on how they are made. If they are hand blown and/or numbered as part of an edition, they can be more expensive. Some can be very economical. I have a variety. I really like paperweights--although they can get dusty. Perhaps that is why most of my collectibles fall into the category of "dustables"--things that need to be dusted.
After this start, I decided to collect paperweights on my travels. I collected one in Reno, Nevada, when the gambling gods temporarily smiled on me. I had three nephews come visit over several summers and took each one to Space Center Houston to see NASA. I bought a different paperweight to represent each visit. I took several cruises and bought a paperweight during each of them.
One thing about a collection--it helps if you limit the size and shape of the collection. My paperweights are all glass with a dimension of four inches or less. Paperweights can really vary in cost depending on how they are made. If they are hand blown and/or numbered as part of an edition, they can be more expensive. Some can be very economical. I have a variety. I really like paperweights--although they can get dusty. Perhaps that is why most of my collectibles fall into the category of "dustables"--things that need to be dusted.
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