-
- Editors
Note:
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- This
column is a regular feature in the Wayback Times.
-
- If
you have questions for The Old Guy, drop us an e-mail or a letter
and we will get it to him.
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- If
The Old Guy doesn't know the answer to your antiques and collectibles
question, he will pin down an expert who does.
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- Topics
to date:
- Florida
antiques
- Beer
cans
- Vintage
radio
- Fishing
lure
- Fountain
pens
- Stereoscopes
- Punkinhead
- Hoosier
cupboards
- Carnival
glass
- Blue
Willow china
- Buddy
L Toys
- Antique
business
- Old
photographs
- Eatons
catalogue
- Fiesta
dinnerware
- PEZ
- Royal
Doulton Toby Jugs
- Bonnet
chest care
- Postcard
collecting
- Art
Nouveau, Art Deco
- Fishing
lures
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- Ask The Old Guy
- A Q&A for antiques
and collectibles
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- Dear Old Guy;
A few years ago the Wayback
Times ran an article on antique markets and shows located in
Florida. Is there somewhere that we can access this information?
-
- We found it most useful when
you first published it. We are heading south shortly after the
Christmas holidays.
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- Thank you for your time.
Deborah Forster,
Barrie
Dear Deborah,
Thanks for your inquiry. The Wayback Times has received many
requests of the same nature, which has prompted us to run
another article listing some of Floridas antique shows
and markets for our readers in the January/February 2010 issue.
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- I hope this helps you and others
who are interested in exploring some locations
in the sunny south.
Have a safe and enjoyable trip.
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- The Old Guy
-
- You can reach the Old Guy
by mail: The Wayback Times, RR1 Hastings, Ontario, K0L 1Y0 or
email asktheoldguy@waybacktimes.com
and we will pass the message on to him. The Old Guy does not
find, buy or sell items on behalf of Wayback Times readers.
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-
- Dear Old Guy,
- My husband picked up this old
beer can at a yard sale last summer and was wondering if it is
worth anything. He is thinking of starting a collection to display
in our bar in the basement and wants to know if you have any
advice.
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- Mary Persaud,
Brantford, Ont.
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- Hi Mary,
There are lots of beer
can collectors all over Canada and the U.S. and many attend canventions
in both countries. There are beer can clubs, newsletters, price
guides and beer can collector shows as well.
Many items connected with breweriana are also collectable, like
beer trays, beer advertising, beer signs and even beer calendars.
Your husband's can is from The
Falstaff Brewing Corporation in the United States and was produced
in the 1970s. It is worth about $5 dollars in good condition.
Beer can collectors will focus on certain brands, manufacturers
or design themes.
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- Both Labatts and Molsons
in Canada had several different series of collectable cans depicting
history, sporting events, teams and even the Olympics.
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- The most valuable cans are the
cone tops which were produced from the mid 1930s
until World War II. These cans sell well into the hundreds of
dollars depending on condition unlike most collectable cans which
can be picked up for a few dollars. Unfortunately, some cone
tops are being reproduced. Apparently, STP engine treatment can
tops are being added to older cans and sold as original cone
tops.
True collectors desire
only clean, dent free, unscratched cans. Most collections consist
of empty cans that have been opened from the bottom so that the
pull tab or pop top remains intact. Having
to choose between starting a beer can collection or a stamp collection
wouldn't be too difficult for me. I would rather sample different
cans of beer than lick stamps.
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- Thanks for your question.
-
- The Old Guy
-
- You can reach the Old Guy
by mail: The Wayback Times, RR1 Hastings, Ontario, K0L 1Y0 or
email asktheoldguy@waybacktimes.com
and we will pass the message on to him. The Old Guy does not
find, buy or sell items on behalf of Wayback Times readers.
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-
- Dear Old Guy;

My husband and I purchased this old radio at an auction in Ottawa
recently and would like to know if you can provide us with some
information on it.
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- It still has the Stromberg-Carlson
label on the front, but no other numbers or dates of manufacture.
It is in excellent condition and works great.
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- We love it and would appreciate
your help.
Thank you,
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- Deb and Raymond Archer
Ottawa ON
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- Hi Deb and Raymond;
Your radio does look like it is in very good condition. The burled
walnut veneer is very attractive,
The Stromberg-Carlson Company manufactured this particular model
in Rochester, New York, back in 1935. They originally started
out as a telephone
manufacturing company in 1894 but evolved into a radio manufacturer
by 1923. The company's quality was so good it was often referred
to as the Rolls Royce of radio manufacturers. Your specific model
has what is called an airplane dial. This is a round dial with
a pointer that covers a full 360 degrees, similar to aircraft
instrumentation of that era. Above the airplane dial on your
model is a cats eye which is a vacuum tube
that aids in tuning in the broadcast and short wave signals that
your radio receives.
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- This radio should give you many
years of enjoyment and parts and tubes are still available for
most repairs. A word of caution, however. Most vintage radios
are not fused and therefore are not protected from abnormal operating
conditions. Never leave it on when there is nobody in the house.
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- Today's value in its present
condition is between $185 and $250. Enjoy your purchase and thanks
for your email.
-
- The Old Guy
You can reach the Old Guy by mail: The Wayback Times, RR1 Hastings,
Ontario, K0L 1Y0 or email
asktheoldguy@waybacktimes.com
and we will pass the message on to him. The Old Guy does not
find, buy or sell items on behalf of Wayback Times readers.
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-
- Dear Old Guy,
- I found this fishing lure in
an old tackle box of my dad's. It doesn't have any name or label
on it.
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- It is yellow in colour with
gold spots. Would you be able to tell me anything about it or
if it is valuable?
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- Thanks,
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- Philip Redman,
Collingwood, ON
Thanks for the question, Philip, .
The wooden lure that you have is called a Globe and was manufactured
by Pflueger (The Enterprise Mfg. Co.) in Akron, Ohio. Originally
produced from 1909, Pflueger Globes are very collectible, partially
because of their unique shape. Yours would have been made between
1930 and 1966.
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- If you tug gently on the head
of the lure you will find that it pulls away from the body and
springs back. Globes were made with that unique feature during
those years only. The purpose of this spring system was to make
it easier to untangle weeds when fishing. If you have a magnifying
glass you will be able to see that your lure is marked on the
propeller blade with the Pflueger Bulldog trademark.
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- There are newer versions of
the same lure (without the spring-back feature) that have "made
in Hong Kong" stamped under the Bulldog image.
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- Your yellow Globe with the gold
spots in its present condition is worth about $40. If you would
like further information, you can find it on the Canadian Antique
Fishing Tackle Association website at www.cafta.ca.
It also has links to several other informative sites.
The Old Guy
You can reach the Old Guy by mail: The Wayback Times, RR1 Hastings,
Ontario, K0L 1Y0 or email
asktheoldguy@waybacktimes.com
and we will pass the message on to him. The Old Guy does not
find, buy or sell items on behalf of Wayback Times readers.
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-
- Dear Old Guy;
- I am thinking of starting an
old fountain pen collection which I feel will enhance my small
collection of antique poetry books. I live in a rather tiny apartment
with limited space and thought that pens would be fairly easy
to display in some nice cases without taking up too much room.
The problem is, I have looked at many different pens at shows
and shops in the Ottawa area but have no idea where to begin
or what to look for. Some of them were quite beautiful but the
range of prices scared me off. I need some advice.
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- Carol Watson,
- Ottawa, ON
-
- Hello Carol,
As a new fountain pen collector, you'll be in good company and
derive years of enjoyment from searching for - and finding -
this popular collectible. Acquiring vintage fountain pens has
become a growing obsession with many collectors. The number and
variety of pens out there can be intimidating. Browse through
some collector books and surf the internet to get an idea of
which type of pen appeals to you the most. Once you have an idea
of what's available, the first thing I would suggest is to start
your collection with a few pens of higher quality rather than
purchasing a lot of cheaper bargain pens.
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- There is an old saying in the
antique business that goes, "What is common now, will always
be common.
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- The fountain pen was invented
way back in 1830 but was not manufactured and sold commercially
until 1884. Today, some collectors focus on what is referred
to as the "Golden Age" of fountain pens, which refers
to pens manufactured before World War II. Others will concentrate
on collecting pens made only by one company. The Big Four of
pen manufacturers are comprised of the Sheaffer Pen Company,
Parker Pen Company, Wahl-Eversharp Company and The Waterman Pen
Company. There were also hundreds of other manufacturers producing
millions of fountain pens as well.
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- I know of some collectors who
acquire fountain pens based solely on their ink filling systems.
The earliest systems used an eyedropper to fill the pens with
ink. Different forms of pump fillers, such as lever fillers,
vacuum fillers, crescent fillers and cartridge fillers followed
these. In 1913 Waterman produced a rare pen that required a Waterman
coin that was used to depress the ink sac to fill the pen.
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- There were even pens that required
you to blow into the end of the pen with your mouth to compress
the air sac, and when you stopped blowing the sac would draw
ink into the pen. (I highly suspect that this quite often had
disastrous results.)
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- The choices for starting a vintage
fountain pen collection are almost endless. Some are exquisitely
beautiful and others very utilitarian. You might consider locating
a dealer in your area who is knowledgeable about pens and can
help with advice. As well, there is an excellent website that
I would highly recommend at: vintagepens.com.
It covers just about everything you will need to know to start
your collection including identification, pricing, and repairing
vintage pens.
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- Many of the general antique
guides have fairly good sections on pens and there are also several
books written that are specifically about fountain pens, which
you would find useful. Books are handy to carry along to shows
and shops for reference purposes as well.
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- Thanks for your question. I
hope this information helps.
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- The Old Guy
-
- You can reach the Old Guy
by mail: The Wayback Times, RR1 Hastings, Ontario, K0L 1Y0 or
email asktheoldguy@waybacktimes.com
and we will pass the message on to him. The Old Guy does not
find, buy or sell items on behalf of Wayback Times readers.
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- Dear Old Guy,
My father left me a Steiff Teddy
Bear that he had as a child. I believe it was given to him in
the late 1930s. I would appreciate any information you could
give me on its history and value. My sister thinks it could be
quite valuable. Enclosed you will find pictures of it. Thank
you.
Nora Webster,
Brampton, ON
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- Dear Nora;

It is a Steiff bear and many are quite valuable. Let me first
give you the "bear facts" about the Steiff Company.
Margarete Steiff was born in Giengen, Germany in 1847.
She was crippled with polio as a small child and spent the rest
of her life confined to a wheel chair.
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- Margarete began taking sewing
lessons and became an accomplished seamstress. By the age of
30, she was running her own company, manufacturing and selling
clothing and outerwear. In 1886, she began manufacturing felt-covered
pull toys and stuffed animals including an elephant with an s-shaped
trunk that eventually became the Steiff Company trademark.
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- During the next several years,
the toy making division of her company out sold the clothing
manufacturing part and the rest is toy history.
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- The Steiff Toy Company began
making stuffed toy bears in 1892, but the famous stand- up style
bear with jointed arms and legs did not appear until 1902. That
same year in the United States something happened that would
help ensure the success of the Steiff Company for years to come.
This as they say "is the rest of the story."
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- President Theodore (Teddy)
Roosevelt was on a hunting
trip in Mississippi. To ensure he would get a kill on his trip
to their state, the hosts arranged to tie a captured bear to
a tree to await the great white hunter. The president found this
appalling and refused to shoot the bear.
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- When hearing of this story,
Clifford Berryman, a political cartoonist with the Washington
Post, depicted the incident in a cartoon referring to the bear
as Teddy's Bear. The cartoon was featured on the front page of
the Post and from then on every political cartoon Berryman drew
that included the president, Teddy's Bear would always appear
in the background. (It was similar to the way Andy Donato's
bird always appears in his Toronto Sun cartoons.)
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- After viewing Berrymans cartoon,
Morris and Rose Michtom, candy store owners in
Brooklyn, N.Y., recognized an opportunity. They made a stuffed
toy Teddy's Bear and displayed it in their candy store window.
The bears began selling so well they closed the candy store and
started the now famous Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. Eventually
the term "Teddy's Bear" evolved into teddy bear.
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- The Steiff Company in Germany
joined the Teddy Bear parade and have been producing high quality
teddy bears ever since. An embossed button sewn into their left
ear distinguishes Steiff teddy bears. The first buttons were
either blank or featured that elephant image mentioned earlier.
After 1906, the Steiff name appears on the button.
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- Older Steiff teddy bears have
brought sellers incredible prices at auctions and toy sales.
In 1994, Yoshihiro Sekiguchi, founder of the Teddy Bear
Museum in Izu, Japan, paid more than $200,000 for a 1904 cinnamon
Steiff bear at auction. Your bear is not in that range, but it
is still worth between $250 and $300 in its present condition.
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- "Arctophily" is the
term used to describe teddy bear collecting and the following
are a few hints to help collectors estimate the approximate age
of their bears.
- Teddy bears manufactured in
the early 1900's had prominent humped backs, long legs and arms
and long protruding snouts and tiny ears.
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- Bears from the 1920's had shorter
arms, legs and feet. In the 1930s, bears had rounder heads and
noses and their ears became much larger.
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- From 1945 on teddy bears became
much cuter, less bear like and the humped back disappeared.
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- Thanks for your question, Nora.
I hope my information covers more than the "bear necessities"
of teddy bear collecting.
-
- The Old Guy
- You can reach the Old Guy
by mail: The Wayback Times, RR1 Hastings, Ontario, K0L 1Y0 or
email asktheoldguy@waybacktimes.com
and we will pass the message on to him. The Old Guy does not
find, buy or sell items on behalf of Wayback Times readers.
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-
- Dear Old Guy,
- My wife and I attended the Fort
Henry Antique Show in Kingston this summer after seeing their
ad in the Wayback Times, and I must thank you folks. It was a
great show and an amazing place to visit. I would recommend it
highly to anyone interested in our great country's history. While
we were there, we purchased a stereoscope viewer and set of six
photo cards from one of their dealers for $85. We have since
bought additional cards and it has turned into a great form of
entertainment with our friends and family. I would like to know
if I paid a reasonable price and would appreciate it if you could
give me some information on the history of these 3D viewers?
-
- John C. Twiford,
- Oshawa, ON
-
- Hi John;

Thank you for your e-mail. I have been to the Fort Henry Show
before and it is an incredible place to visit and a great venue
for an antique show.
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- It sounds like you got a good
deal on your purchase. Depending on condition, the hand-held
stereoscopes sell in the $75 to $125 range even without a set
of cards.
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- Many years back, long before
DVDs, Ipods and televisions, most households owned a collection
of viewing cards and stereoscope. They were tremendously popular
during the late 1800s and up until the 1920s. The original concept
of the stereoscope goes back to 1838 and is attributed to Sir
Charles Wheatstone of Gloucester England. He proved that
the human mind could perceive objects in three dimensions, creating
the illusion of depth when each eye receives a slightly different
view. His first stereo cards were hand drawn because his invention
preceded photography.
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- In 1859, Oliver Wendell Homes
developed the hand-held style viewer that you have. A camera
with two separate lenses took stereo pictures and both were mounted
on a card separated by approximately the same distance that is
between the average adult's eyes. The resulting images enabled
viewers to travel the world, view history and even enjoy comical
scenes in 3D in the comfort of their own parlours.
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- Eventually, other forms of entertainment,
like radios and movie theaters, signaled the end of the stereoscopes
huge popularity. Lots of single viewing cards and card sets can
still be purchased at reasonable prices if you care to add to
the enjoyment of your stereoscope.
Thanks for your question.
-
- The Old Guy
-
- You can reach the Old Guy
by mail: The Wayback Times, RR1 Hastings, Ontario, K0L 1Y0 or
email asktheoldguy@waybacktimes.com
and we will pass the message on to him. The Old Guy does not
find, buy or sell items on behalf of Wayback Times readers.
-
-
- Dear Old Guy;
- I have very fond Christmas memories
of a toy bear that was Santa's helper back when I was a child.
His name was "Punkinhead." I can't seem to find any
history on him. My kids keep joking that Punkinhead is a figment
of my imagination and my two granddaughters think I'm losing
it. I would appreciate any information you could give me about
this bear.
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- Susan McBain
Toronto, Ontario
Dear Susan:
Charles Thorson, an animator for the T. Eaton Company,
was the creator of "Punkinhead." This lovable bear
first appeared in the Eaton's Santa Claus Parade back in 1947
and showed up every Christmas as Santa's helper.
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- Thorson also illustrated the
first booklet, "Punkinhead The Sad Little Bear." It
was a 16-page booklet distributed free to children at the 1948
Santa Parade and throughout Eaton's stores that Christmas. Thirteen
more booklets followed in the next several years, along with
a slew of Punkinhead-related products that Eaton's marketed successfully
across Canada. There were Punkinhead watches, children's clothing,
puppets, storybooks, colouring books, records and even a line
of children's furniture decorated with Punkinhead's image. He
even appeared in television commercials for Eaton's in the 1950s.
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- The actual toy bear, with its
characteristic blonde tuft of hair, was manufactured in England
by the Merrythought Toy Company exclusively for the T. Eaton
Company. Punkinhead was produced in three sizes and soon became
a favourite at Christmas time for kids across the country. To
add to his fame, Canadian country singer Wilf Carter recorded
a song about the well-known little bear.
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- Sadly, by 1960, poor Punkinhead
was well into hibernation as far as Eaton's was concerned. He
is still quite collectable in Canada, occasionally showing up
at antique toy shows and on eBay. With a little bit of searching,
you might be able to pick up a Punkinhead for your granddaughters
as proof that he did exist.
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- Thanks for your question.
-
- The Old Guy
- The Old Guy wishes all of the
Wayback Times readers and advertisers a very Merry Christmas
and a happy, healthy holiday season.
-
- (Image used with permission
of Sears Canada Inc.)
-
- You can reach the Old Guy
by mail: The Wayback Times, RR1 Hastings, Ontario, K0L 1Y0 or
email asktheoldguy@waybacktimes.com
and we will pass the message on to him. The Old Guy does not
find, buy or sell items on behalf of Wayback Times readers.
-
-
- Dear Old Guy;
My husband and I just
purchased an antique kitchen cupboard from a dealer near Barrie.
We both love it, and it looks great in our farmhouse kitchen.
The metal plaque on the top of the cupboard says Knechtel
Kitchen Kabinet but the dealer at the antique store referred
to it as a Hoosier Cupboard. Was he incorrect by
calling it that?
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- Pattie and Bill Harnum,
- Peterborough, ON
-
- Dear Pattie,
The cupboard you purchased was made by the Knechtel Furniture
Company of Hanover, Ontario, probably in the early 1900s, and
is commonly referred to as a Hoosier Style cupboard.
The original Hoosier Manufacturing Co., based in New Castle,
Indiana, was the largest manufacturer of these practical, all-in-one
kitchen workstations. Thousands of these kitchen cupboards were
produced for the ultra modern kitchens of the early 1900s and
Hoosier Cupboard became the generic term used by
most people.
Other major manufacturers of these cupboards included McDougall,
Kitchen Maid, Sellers and Napanee. By 1930, builders started
designing houses with built-in cupboards or cabinetry and the
glory days of the Hoosier came to an end.
Most Hoosier cupboards or, as some people called them, The
Womans Workbench, were four feet wide by six feet
tall and comprised of three sections; the bottom, or base section,
usually on casters, contained up to three drawers on one side
and a large door on the other side, which opened to reveal ample
space for pots, pans, and bowls.
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- The biggest drawer was often
metal lined for storage of flour. The middle section contained
a metal or porcelain counter, which could be pulled forward and
used as a work surface. Under this shelf were two shallow drawers
used for utensil storage. The top section was not as deep and
had a roll up (or tambour) door, smaller double doors with shelves
and metal racks to hold recipe cards or cookbooks. There was
also a long door that hid the four sifter.
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- A whole new world of collecting
can open up to people wishing to stock their Hoosiers with original
accessories. Sugar bins, coffee and tea canisters, salt and pepper
shakers, and Hoosier spice jars are just a few. Original sets
of Hoosier glassware are very collectible.
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- In its day, the Hoosier cupboard
was a modern time and work saving device. Today, they are much
sought after by antique lovers and people restoring older homes.
Reproduction hardware like hinges and drawer handles are widely
available.
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- Enjoy your Hoosier and thanks
for writing.
-
- The Old Guy
-
- You can reach the Old Guy
by mail: The Wayback Times, RR1 Hastings, Ontario, K0L 1Y0 or
email asktheoldguy@waybacktimes.com
and we will pass the message on to him. The Old Guy does not
find, buy or sell items on behalf of Wayback Times readers.
-
-
- Dear Old Guy
- I have recently started collecting
carnival glass because I just love the look of it, but I don't
know much about it. How old is it and do you know how they produce
those beautiful colours? Should I worry about buying reproductions?
-
- Bree Riley-Mitsu
London, Ontario
-
- Dear Bree,
Carnival glass, commonly referred to as the "Poor man's
Tiffany Glass," is probably the most collected type of glass
in today's marketplace. The Fenton Art Glass Co. was one of the
first manufacturers of carnival glass back in 1905. The name
carnival glass is derived from the fact that thousands of pieces
were given out as prizes at fairs and carnivals. It quickly became
very collectable due to its beautiful appearance and reasonable
cost. Many pieces, depending on their colour and patterns, can
still be purchased for under $100, but the more rare and harder-
to-find pieces can fetch thousands of dollars.
-
- The process of making carnival
glass involves applying metallic salts to the still- hot pressed
glass as it cools. This results in the beautiful iridescent sheen
that first attracted you as a collector. Fenton produced over
100 different patterns but other prominent manufacturers include
Northwood, Westmoreland, Imperial, Millersburg, Dugan & Diamond
and U.S. Glass. There are over 2,000 identified patterns in circulation.
-
- Most manufacturers had ceased
production by 1930, but new carnival glass has been reintroduced
to the market for the past 25 years. It is usually quite easy
to tell the difference between an original piece and a reproduction,
but having said that, there are also some excellent reproductions
that can fool even a seasoned collector. Fenton itself has reissued
many patterns.
-
- If you have access to a computer,
there is an excellent web site by David Doty that enables
you to look up pieces of carnival glass by pattern, shape, or
manufacturer. The site is http://www.ddoty.com
and it contains over 4,000 photos and 16,000 pages dedicated
to carnival glass. It also includes information on fakes and
reproductions as well as current values.
-
- There are also many books available
and several carnival glass collector clubs in Canada. The Canadian
Carnival Glass Association is holding its 25th convention out
your way in Brantford Ontario in September. They will have carnival
glass for sale, a free ID clinic and an auction. The dates are
September 18, 19, and 20. If you need more information on the
convention or would like to become a member, you can contact
Ginny at 905 686-1885 or Pauline at 519 752-3057.
Books are an important resource for any collector. One book that
comes highly recommended is The Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival
Glass, 11th Edition by Mike Carwile. This new publication
is discussed in the Wayback Times Book Review (this issue). It
just might be the perfect way to start your library on carnival
glass.
Thanks for your question and enjoy your collection.
-
- The Old Guy
-
- You can reach the Old Guy
by mail: The Wayback Times, RR1 Hastings, Ontario, K0L 1Y0 or
email asktheoldguy@waybacktimes.com
and we will pass the message on to him. The Old Guy does not
find, buy or sell items on behalf of Wayback Times readers.
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