Raccoon Falls

06/01/2019

It's yard sale season again! I didn't have to travel too far to snag some vintage collectible glasses. Many of you may remember these, or at least remember someone who had them. In 1973, Pepsi products sold at fast food joints came with a collectible Looney Tunes character glass. This first set contained 18 different characters. They were made by two glass companies, Federal and Brockway. The Brockway are a thicker glass, while Federal ones are thinner. Many believe there are 4 times as many Brockway as Federal, but both sell equally well, and the easier to find Brockways actually sell slightly higher. Pepsi followed up with other characters over the years, including several Harvey Comic characters like Casper, Wendy the Witch, and Hot Stuff. Jay Ward characters such as Bullwinkle, Rocky, Boris, and Natasha, also had stints on collectible glasses. These are still in demand and can be found for a song (.25 to $1.00) at yard sales. Be on the lookout for Slow Poke Rodriquez, he continues to sell for $50 or more.

05/20/2018

Ceramic Christmas trees were all the rage in the 60's and 70's. Grandma liked the convenience of decorating and cleaning up, while women were actively attending ceramic classes and creating wonderful handmade gifts. The trees came in a variety of sizes and most had a base which housed a small 40 watt bulb. The tree rested on the base and the holes in the tree were fitted with miniature Lite Brite like "bulbs". When the light was turned on it shined into the tree and the bulbs appeared to light. Today ceramic trees garner good money at auction. Incomplete trees, missing bases or lights still fetch upwards of $15-$30, depending on size. Yard sales offer a better place to find a bargain, but check carefully. Missing lights can be replaced, but the bases can be pretty pricey and not all bases fit the various molds. I currently have two distinct trees for sale in my shop. The smaller one does not have a base, the larger Holland mold tree has a clear star on top.

07/27/2017

If you were to look up the term "Atomic Age" in the dictionary most reference the time when nuclear weapons were first used at the end of WWII. In the collector's world Atomic Age refers to items post WWII through the 1950's as well as a style of design. Atomic age design and the items of that time period are particularly collectible. The Atomic Age, and fascination with science and space led to many unique designs. My particular favorite are double and triple ringed fiberglass lamp shades. Other design elements like stick star patterns, often found on china like Salem's North Star pattern, or shapes depicting shooting rockets or "Sputnik" were also very common. The colors of the time included pinks, pale or baby blue, and golds. Wood, fiberglass and aluminum were also popular materials, especially aluminum since it was widely used during the war years, as other metals were in high demand for the military war effort. I especially am fond of everyday household item made of anodized (colorized) aluminum.

07/02/2017

Raffia Ware always transports me back in time. The contrast between the burlap material and vibrant pastels shout 1960's. Most of the vintage raffia ware was produced by Marvel plastics under the Thermo-Temp name. Most people don't know that The Mallory Randall Corporation promoted the Thermo-Temp line AND Thermo-Temp Raffiaware. Much of the vintage raffiaware came to the home as a way of promoting home delivered dairy products! It was also available in gas stations and even movie theaters. Promoting your business through premium giveaways were popular up until the 70's. Thermo-Temp on the other hand could be found in department stores like Sears. Nobody is certain when exactly they started being available, but most documentation available dates raffiaware as late as 1958.

06/26/2017

Just getting started here. I love learning about everything vintage. Tell me what you'd like to see or what vintage goods you are interested.

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06/25/2017

In the height of the digital age, vinyl records and turntables are making a comeback of sorts. Two of my favorite vintage finds are Amfile Platter-Paks and Disk Go cases! These record storage cases are fun and super retro. Platter-Paks cases came in various colors and designs. They typically held fifty 45 records and included files and an index. The Disk Go cases held more 45's than the Platter-Pak cases, but they were plastic and had no filing system, the records simply stacked on top of each other. They came in a few colors, but the blue and pink seem to be the most popular. There were some produced with a Beatles silhouette, and they command a high price. Watchout because people have been creating their own version of the Beatles cases using vintage Disk Go cases.