The day before Cyber Monday is time for our “vintage is an awesome gift” sermon. Instead of explaining all the usual reasons (giving things with a history, giving things with a small environmental footprint, giving a gift that required thought and effort to find, giving things that are better quality than things available now) we’re going to use a couple examples from this week’s fresh to market vintage to illustrate the point.
The bakelite mahjong tile pin would be an amazing gift for your favorite mahjong player because it’s unique and unexpected. While teachers, for example, are overwhelmed with apple-themed merchandise, it’s not often you find the perfect accessory for a mahjong lover. You can be reasonably sure he or she doesn’t have one.
And the ladies tobacco tin would hit the right note with someone who collects Victoriana, tobacciana, vintage tins, vintage advertising or antique English literature. It’s a small delight that would definitely not be mistaken for some bauble you picked up on Amazon.
We surprise many of our family and friends with a vintage gift that could never see coming. We spend serious folding money on some of them, and others we spend chump change on at a thrift–but the thought that went into each gift is exactly the same size. Which dovetails nicely with this and every week’s fresh to market vintage. You never know what’s coming your way, but we each put a lot of thought into what to showcase.
The Plume & Atwood Mfg. Co. Advertising Glass Paperweight
The company of Plume and Atwood procured factories and rolling mills in Connecticut to manufacture rods, sheets and wire in brass, copper and German silver for metal workers and artisans. Some of these mills and factories were originally built for clock parts. I did see in an ad online that this company also made lamps. How clever to sell finished products as well as to utilize the very materials that they were made of. This paperweight has suffered decades of abuse, and yet remains a testament to the paper weight company that made these nifty advertising items. There is almost a BB gun divot over the “B” in “Brass.” And yet the paperweight survived. Now that’s a great paperweight!
Advertising Paperweight, $74.99
-Mary Ellen, AuntHattiesAttic
Bakelite Mahjong Tile Brooch
This brooch is signed on the back “Debby Beck 1995.” The bakelite mahjong tiles I’m guessing are older than that date. So I assume it refers to when the brooch was created using three vintage tiles. My research has found a few other similarly created pieces by the same artist. She was most likely local to Southern California as the pieces all seem to be located within the region. I’ve found no other information about her. If you have any info, please let us know in the comments. Meanwhile, this would make a fun gift for a bakelite lover. If you are so inclined, there is also a matching bracelet in the shop here.
Bakelite Mahjong Tile Brooch, $32.95
-Pam, Vintage Renude
Vintage “Arcadia Mixture” Tobacco Tin c. early 1900s
In keeping with the company marketing it as tobacco for women, the tin features quotes from “Lady Nicotine” written in 1893 by J.M. Barrie, a Scottish novelist much better known as the author of Peter Pan.
Arcadia Mixture Tobacco Tin, $25
-Linda, Selective Salvage
1960s Dime Store Treetop Angel
She’s not fancy. She’s mostly plastic, wire and nylon. But there’s something charming about this treetop angel. Her most likely point of original purchase would have been the five and dime store, or maybe a hardware store. You have to admire the two lights that are her arms. And as if her plastic head and abdomen weren’t enough to steal your heart, her lights blink. She is unlikely to be invited to be part of the White House Christmas or anywhere else posh, but she just might be perfect on your tree with all its vintage ornaments.
Tree Top Angel, $18.
–Laurie, NextStage Vintage
That’s this week’s fresh to market vintage lineup. As always, different things from our four different viewpoints. That also applies to our posts–we each pick subjects that are very different, so you never know what you’ll find on Vintage Unscripted.
One way to never miss any of our posts is to subscribe to our once a week email newsletter. It’s delivered on Sunday has links to all our posts from the previous week. It’s a dandy way to spend a few minutes with a cup of coffee and some awesome vintage.
Do the mahjong bakelite tiles make you wonder about bakelite? We can help you wonder no more with our post on identifying bakelite.
