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Time Machine » The 1950s

1950s Related Articles

Guest Column: Collecting Vintage Cigarette Lighters

Cigarette lighter collecting is a hobby that never gets boring. Just by browsing eBay auctions for ten minutes, for example, I recently found a lighter shaped like a lion’s… Read more

An Interview With 1950s TV Lamp Collector Mark Stevens

What got me interested in TV lamps?  I’ve always had an interest in the tackier artifacts of the 1950s and 60s. The cheesy stuff, the kitsch. Old B movies, monster and sci… Read more

An Interview with Vintage Pinball Machine Collector Clay Harrell

I didn’t really get into to pinball machine collecting until maybe 15 years ago, but when I was a freshman in college, video games were really big. I went to Purdue Univers… Read more

An Interview With Marilyn Monroe Movie Memorabilia Collector Scott Fortner

I don’t actually remember exactly when I became a Marilyn Monroe fan, I’ve basically been collecting Marilyn items my entire life. I started collecting Marilyn Monroe per… Read more

Guest Column: Collecting Vintage Transistor Radios of the 1950s and 60s

Perhaps you recently saw a picture of a cool looking pocket radio from the early 1960’s and were reminded of your carefree, youthful days? Maybe it was the pastel colors or… Read more

An Interview With Vintage Guitar Collector Clay Harrell

I grew up in upstate New York in Rochester, and started playing guitar when I was about 10 years old. We had this place in Rochester; called the House of Guitars. It was this… Read more

An Interview With Vintage Television Set Collector Steve McVoy

In the 1950s when I was a teenager I used to work for a television repair shop and we’d get sets from the 40s every once in a while and I was fascinated by them. So in 1999… Read more

Guest Column: Collecting The Parker 51, A Classic Vintage Pen

The Parker "51," produced by the Parker Pen Company, is considered by many collectors to be the best pen ever made. Developed in 1939 and introduced in the U.S. market in 19… Read more

Guest Column: Collecting Vintage Souvenir Snowdomes

These wonderful snow-filled objects are a world of fascination in themselves. Just shake one and see if you can resist the silent magic it evokes, not unlike an actual snowfa… Read more

An Interview with Miriam Haskell Costume Jewelry Collector and Author Sheila Pamfiloff

I’ve been interested in jewelry since I was in high school. I’ll be 60 in September, so that’s a lot of years. I wore jewelry and collected it. I liked the jewelry of o… Read more

An Interview With Classic Chevrolet Collector and Schwinn Bicycle Aficionado Jim Snell

I’ve been around Chevy cars my whole life and had them when I was in high school. It’s a lifetime thing. Some people do Fords; others Chryslers. It can be as easy as what… Read more

An Interview With Vintage Slide Rule Collector Mike Konshak

I’m 61 now, and I’m an engineer. I was thinking if I ever wanted to collect something, I would probably collect slide rules because they’re small, they don’t take up … Read more

An Interview With Eames Collector and Mid Century Design Aficionado Steve Cabella

As a teenager, I collected everything from vintage bicycles to Coca-Cola to Victorian stuff. Once I realized some of this stuff contained concepts of art and design, I starte… Read more

An Interview With Fiesta Dinnerware Collector Heidi Kellner

I started as a collector and I’m a web designer, so I thought I would design a website from my passion. I threw it up there and people just found me and it started to take … Read more

An Interview With Vintage Bolex Movie Camera Collector Michael Tisdale

Collecting Paillard-Bolex cameras was something I started doing by accident. It was a combination of several interests I had, including, photography, broadcasting and even co… Read more

An Interview with 20th Century Decorative Arts and Mid Century Modern Expert Frank Maraschiello

Mid-century Modern used the technology of mass production to produce good-looking pieces of furniture out of the latest materials. A number of these materials became commonpl… Read more

An Interview with Vintage Football Card Collector Mike Thomas

I collected football cards when I was a kid, back in the late ’60s, early ’70s. Then I set them in the closet for about 15 to 20 years and picked them up again in 1989. A… Read more

1950s Related Categories

Marilyn Monroe

One of the earliest media and pop culture mega-stars, Marilyn Monroe left behind a wide range of vintage collectible memorabilia. … (more)

Joe Dimaggio Marilyn Monroe Autographed Paper Jsa Loa$739.00 Ends Sunday 17 bids 33 watchers
1953 First Edition Marilyn Monroe Playboy Magazine Nice$330.00 Ends Sunday 16 bids 29 watchers
Marilyn Monroe Prod. Signed Check Payable To Herself$315.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 8 watchers
Vintage Marilyn Monroe By Andre De Dienes 25$300.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 1 watcher
Marilyn Monroe Merlot 1985 Red Wine Sealed Collectible$250.99 Ends Monday 10 bids 25 watchers

Rickenbacker Guitars

Even though Adolph Rickenbacker is credited with being one of the co-creators of the first electric guitar in 1931, the company th… (more)

1974 Rickenbacker 4005 Wb Bass Mapleglo Vintage$3,350 Ends Sunday 10 bids 109 watchers
1965 Rickenbacker Bass 4000/4001 "mccartney" Restyled $1,900 Ends Sunday 5 bids 67 watchers
Rickenbacker 370 12, Mapleglo W.extras$1,700 Ends Thursday 1 bid 11 watchers
Brand New Rickenbacker 4003 Bass, '09, Never Played!$1,425 Ends Sunday 2 bids 49 watchers
2009 Rickenbacker 4003 Mapleglo *mint Condition* Nr$1,350 Ends in 21 hours 11 bids 58 watchers

Neon Signs

The first neon advertising sign was used for a Parisian barber in 1912. Since then, neon has been used to add color highlights to … (more)

Original Ford Neon Sign, Double Side With Wings$5,000 Ends Monday 1 bid 26 watchers
Old Vintage Orig. Ford Porcelain Neon Dealership Sign$1,125 Ends Sunday 3 bids 45 watchers
Rare 30's Budweiser Beer Neon Antique Advertising Sign$610.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 33 watchers
Hood Tires Neon Sign$405.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 16 watchers
Van De Kamps Bakery: Original Neon Motorized Sign$405.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 8 watchers

Mid Century Modern Lamps

Vintage Mid-century Modern lamps are characterized by simple lines and a fun space-age feel. Whether designed by a big name like E… (more)

Mid Century Venini Murano Glass Tapered Table Lamps$997.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 32 watchers
Early Ed. Serpente Table Lamp Elio Martinelli Eames Era$399.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 20 watchers
Killer Majestic Z Lamp 50's Super Clean Eames$305.00 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 37 watchers
Mid Century Laurel Mushroom Lamp Brass Base Fabulous!$262.85 Ends in 5 hours 5 bids 14 watchers
Pierre Cardin Midcentury Lamp Hollywood Regency Eames$199.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 19 watchers

Stratocaster Guitars

The Stratocaster was not the first Fender solid-body electric guitar—that honor belongs to the 1950, one-pickup Esquire, which w… (more)

1961 Fender Stratocaster$12,953 Ends in 22 hours 13 bids 81 watchers
1958 Fender Stratocaster$10,105 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 71 watchers
Vintage 1966 Fender Stratocaster Strat Electric Guitar$10,000 Ends Sunday 32 bids 141 watchers
1963 Oly White Fender Stratocaster Strat$6,100 Ends Monday 6 bids 52 watchers

Ericofon Telephones

A very groovy phone concept imported from Europe: originally designed by Ericsson in Sweden, manufactured and distributed in the U… (more)

Beige Ericofon North Electric Company W/original Box$49.99 Ends Saturday 1 bid 6 watchers
1950's-60's Ericofon Almond Rotary Phone Telephone Mint$49.00 Ends in 3 hours 1 bid 15 watchers
Retro Vintage Ivory Ericsson Ericofon Cobra Phone$47.53 Ends Monday 11 bids 27 watchers
Vintage Red Ericofon Cobra Phone-sweden-works$30.99 Ends Sunday 5 bids 21 watchers
Mint Green Ericofon Phone Telephone Non-working Parts$26.66 Ends Sunday 7 bids 2 watchers

Lunch Boxes

The lunchbox phenomemon began in the 1950's, the daytime equivalent of the TV dinner. Aladdin and American Thermos were the two ma… (more)

Beatles 1965 Lunch Box With Thermos Beautiful!! Wow!!$499.99 Ends in 23 hours 1 bid 20 watchers
1977 Abba Super Rare Vinyl Dome Lunchbox Mint R10 Wow!!$401.77 Ends in 2 hours 8 bids 19 watchers
1967 Rat Patrol Vintage Lunchbox Mint Unused W/ Tag !!!$272.09 Ends in 2 hours 8 bids 15 watchers
Superb Children Dog Pail Biscuit Lunch Box Tin 1900s$260.66 Ends Sunday 8 bids 26 watchers
Near Mint Unused 1959 Steve Canyon Lunchbox And Thermos$250.00 Ends Saturday 7 bids 12 watchers

Chevrolet Bel Air

General Motors Chevrolet division produced the Bel Air from 1953 to 1975, initially as a premium car, then mid-range and ultimatel… (more)

Blue Note Records

Blue Note Records was founded in 1939 by Alfred Lion, who was soon joined by associate Francis Wolff. Lion signed the prime jazz a… (more)

Blue Note 4031 Hank Mobley Wynton Kelly 1st Pressing Lp$420.55 Ends Sunday 11 bids 67 watchers
Duke Jordan-flight To Jordan-blue Note 4046-w.63rd-$386.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 25 watchers
Blue Note 1537 - Lou Donaldson - Lexington - 1st -$374.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 32 watchers
Blue Note 4023 Hank Mobley Dizzy Reece Wynton Kelly Dg!$370.00 Ends Sunday 11 bids 20 watchers
Cliff Jordan: Blue Note 1565 W.63rd Lee Morgan Rvg Lp$360.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 27 watchers

Pedal Cars

Pedal cars, first developed in the 1890s, reached the height of their popularity in the 1920s and 30s, and saw a resurgence in the… (more)

Rare Vintage 1950 Murray Torpedo Deluxe Pedal Car (mib)$2,025 Ends Sunday 7 bids 78 watchers
1932 Auburn Pedal Car Steelcraft American National Org.$810.00 Ends Wednesday 9 bids 31 watchers
Great Vintage 1950's Murray Torpedo Pedal Car Restored $255.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 21 watchers
James Bond 007up Store Display Aston Martin Pedal Car.$139.50 Ends Sunday 4 bids 17 watchers

Ford Thunderbird

The Ford Thunderbird was introduced in 1955 as a sporty, luxurious two-seater car and then went through several design iterations.… (more)

Eames Chairs

Charles and Ray Eames, who pioneered modern chair design in the 1940s and '50s, were responsible for some of the most innovative c… (more)

Herman Miller Eames 670 Rosewood Lounge Chair & Ottoman$4,258 Ends Sunday 26 bids 92 watchers
Eames Miller Rosewood Lounge And Ottoman 670 671 Mint !$1,713 Ends Sunday 6 bids 44 watchers
Eames Soft Pad Group Executive Chair, Bronze Leather$1,500 Ends Sunday 1 bid 4 watchers
Set Of 6 Knoll Chairs Designed By Saarinen Eames Era$1,225 Ends Sunday 8 bids 31 watchers
Set Of Six Knoll Saarinen #72 Side Chairs Eames Era$1,225 Ends in 4 hours 31 bids 35 watchers

Mickey Mantle Memorabilia

The most famous switch-hitter of all time, Mickey Mantle holds a notable record: the longest home run ever. At 565 feet, many thin… (more)

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle # 311 Psa 8 Nm-mt Yankees$26,000 Ends in 1 hour 44 bids 297 watchers
1957 Topps Complete Set - - Mantle, Robinson$1,782 Ends Sunday 18 bids 35 watchers
1/1 Logo Auto Jersey Patch Lot Jordan Ruth Mantle Look$$1,525 Ends Sunday 13 bids 62 watchers
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle #253 Rc/rookie Yankees Nice$1,025 Ends Wednesday 21 bids 53 watchers

Ford Fairlane

The Ford Fairlane, produced from 1955 to 1971, began as a premiere full-size car with curvy lines and a distinctive stainless stee… (more)

TV Lamps

In the 1950s, the first decade of mass television adoption, there was a common belief that watching TV in low light could damage o… (more)

Danish Mid Century Modern Oval Desk Tv Lamp Ca. 1960's $66.00 Ends Monday 11 bids 66 watchers
Vintage 1955 Econolite Winter Snow X-mas Tv Motion Lamp$61.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 45 watchers
Antique Mid Century Modern Siamese Cat Lane Tv Lamp$53.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 41 watchers
Vtg Electric Light Eames Black Panther Tv Lamp ~mintnr*$46.00 Ends Saturday 16 bids 23 watchers
Vintage Siamese Cats Tv Lamp$42.50 Ends Sunday 7 bids 26 watchers

Chevrolet Corvette

Chevrolet introduced the Corvette in 1953, and continues to produce it today. As with many sports cars, the 1960s Corvette models … (more)

Jukeboxes

The first coin-operated phonograph made its debut at the Palais Royale in San Francisco in 1889. The brainchild of Louis Glass and… (more)

Wurlitzer Juke Box Mint Conditon$3,001 Ends Sunday 23 bids 48 watchers
Rock Ola Cd Juke Box$1,550 Ends Friday 9 bids 25 watchers
Vintage Ami Jukebox, Multi Horn High Fidelity, 1958$1,034 Ends Sunday 4 bids 35 watchers
Seeburg Jukebox 1958 Model 161$1,034 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 30 watchers

Gibson Guitars

Gibson vintage guitars have their roots in Kalamazoo, Michigan where, in 1894, an eccentric, self-taught luthier named Orville H. … (more)

1964 Vintage Gibson Firebird V 100% Orig W Case$7,900 Ends Saturday 30 bids 134 watchers
1996 Gibson Super 400 Ces - Natural$7,000 Ends in 7 hours 1 bid 33 watchers
1959 Gibson Les Paul Special 100% Original 59 Ex!$5,600 Ends Sunday 23 bids 140 watchers
1962 Gibson Es-175 D With Pafs!! $5,103 Ends Saturday 30 bids 94 watchers
1966 Gibson J-200 Acoustic Guitar$5,000 Ends Monday 1 bid 9 watchers

Model 500 Telephones

The model 500 was the Bell System's mainstay phone for decades (1950s through 1980s), first as a rotary dial and then push-button.… (more)

Western Electric 500 Rotary Dial Telephone Phone Pink!$91.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 22 watchers
Classic 1957 Vintage Black 500 Desk Phone !!$58.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 4 watchers
Vintage Itt 1978 Light Blue 500 Rotary Telephone$17.50 Ends Thursday 3 bids 2 watchers
Vintage Western Electric Rotary Dial Phone 500 Red 500$15.50 Ends Sunday 4 bids 7 watchers
Working 1956 Metal Dial Western Electric 500 Phone $9.99 Ends Sunday 2 bids 5 watchers

Elvis Presley Records

In the 1950s, selling singles was a bigger deal for up-and-coming rock ’n’ rollers than selling albums. That’s where the mon… (more)

Elvis Presley Double 45 Ep + Picture Sleeve Spd-22 $269.00 Ends Tuesday 15 bids 25 watchers
Pure Elvis Dj-promo-very Very -very” Rare” $250.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 4 watchers
Mint Elvis "how Great Thou Art" Ps/45 74-0130$249.99 Ends Sunday 1 bid 7 watchers
Elvis Presley Blue Moon Of Kentucky Rare Sun 45 # 209$249.95 Ends in 20 hours 1 bid 25 watchers
Elvis Presley: Elvis, Lpm-1382, Second Album, Near Mint$112.50 Ends Monday 6 bids 6 watchers

Zippo Lighters

The Zippo Manufacturing Company was founded by George Blaisdell in Bradford, PA, in 1932. That same year he created the first Zipp… (more)

25 Vintage 1950s 5 Barrel Zippo Lighters 2032695 - New!$1,309 Ends in 2 hours 16 bids 53 watchers
1940-41 Brushed Chrome Finish Metallique Ad Zippo - Nr$305.01 Ends Sunday 6 bids 19 watchers
Zippo Camel Butterfly Z593 Made In 2000$300.00 Ends Sunday 13 bids 29 watchers
Zippo Marlboro Very Very Rare And Hard To Find$299.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 6 watchers

Postwar Lionel Model Trains

During World War II, Lionel’s Irvington, New Jersey factory was kept busy fulfilling government war contracts for binnacles and … (more)

Lionel #2345 Western Pacific F3 Units W Boxes Nrmint!!$2,948 Ends Sunday 11 bids 73 watchers
Lionel 2368 B & O Twin Motor Ab F-3s 1956..super Mtob$2,125 Ends Wednesday 9 bids 40 watchers
Lionel 773 Passenger Set 2148ws 1950$1,826 Ends in 18 hours 22 bids 109 watchers
Lionel 2332 Pennsylvania 5 Stripe Early 48' Gg-1 Mtob$1,525 Ends Sunday 10 bids 49 watchers
Vintage Lionel Post-war 2363 Ill.cent.,with Ob's Mint!$1,325 Ends Sunday 6 bids 25 watchers

Eames-Style Lamps

As with most Eames-influenced designs, lamps of this period are far simpler than their predecessors. Long, narrow stems and metal … (more)

Early Ed. Serpente Table Lamp Elio Martinelli Eames Era$399.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 20 watchers
Killer Majestic Z Lamp 50's Super Clean Eames$305.00 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 37 watchers
Pierre Cardin Midcentury Lamp Hollywood Regency Eames$199.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 19 watchers
Swedish Modern Hans Jakobsson Swag Lamps Danish Eames$195.00 Ends Tuesday 5 bids 30 watchers
Vico Magistretti Desk Lamp Colombo Aulenti Eames Era$149.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 6 watchers

Audrey Hepburn

Known for her classic beauty and ballerina figure, Audrey Hepburn was a leading actress in the 1950s and 60s, starring in such fil… (more)

Audrey Hepburn 08 Celebrity Cuts Dress Cut Auto 1/1$486.00 Ends in 1 hour 6 bids 25 watchers
Paramount, Audrey Hepburn "holly Golightly" Barbie Doll$66.52 Ends in 5 hours 8 bids 13 watchers
1998 Barbie Audrey Hepburn Breakfast At Tiffany's Nrfb!$66.00 Ends in 4 hours 5 bids 15 watchers
1999 Audrey Hepburn~breakfast At Tiffany's Doll~mib$51.00 Ends Monday 11 bids 12 watchers
Audrey Hepburn Doll- Breakfast At Tiffany's Mattel 1998$43.50 Ends in 23 hours 2 bids 6 watchers

Danish Mid-Century Furniture

Danish Modern tables and chairs, desks and dressers, and other types of furniture from the post-war period are recognizable for th… (more)

Mid Century Danish Modern Lounge Chair Eames Selig$867.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 70 watchers
Vintage Mid Century Danish Modern Teak Credenza Eames $799.99 Ends Sunday 15 bids 78 watchers
Hans Olsen Frem Rojle Danish Modern Eames Wegner Era$750.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 16 watchers
2 Danish Modern Slipper Lounge Chair Mid Century Eames$695.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 114 watchers

Mid-Century Modern

Mid-century Modern describes an era of style and design that began roughly in the mid-1940s and continued into the mid-1960s. It i… (more)

Herman Miller Eames 670 Rosewood Lounge Chair & Ottoman$4,258 Ends Sunday 26 bids 92 watchers
Eames Knoll Chihuly Glass Seagreen Macchia Pair $1,891 Ends Monday 9 bids 21 watchers
Early Richard Schultz Knoll Petal Side Table Eames Era$1,825 Ends Sunday 19 bids 75 watchers
Eames Miller Rosewood Lounge And Ottoman 670 671 Mint !$1,713 Ends Sunday 6 bids 44 watchers
Eames Soft Pad Group Executive Chair, Bronze Leather$1,500 Ends Sunday 1 bid 4 watchers

45 Records

RCA Victor developed and marketed the 45 rpm (rotations per minute) phonograph record format in the early 1950s, and it became syn… (more)

Two Plus Two On Velgo ~ Mega Rare Northern Soul 45 Hear$2,225 Ends Wednesday 9 bids 163 watchers
45 The Fix Vengeance In This Town Punk Hc Most Scarce 7$2,080 Ends Monday 18 bids 90 watchers
Northern Soul - Troy Dodds - El Camino *ultra Rare*$910.00 Ends in 23 hours 17 bids 102 watchers
Northern Soul - The Groovettes - Reness - *ultra Rare*$780.00 Ends in 21 hours 8 bids 80 watchers
Mel Mcgonnigle Rattle Shakin Mama Rocker 45 Rpm Rare!!!$600.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 12 watchers

Transistor Radios

The transistor, forerunner of today’s microprocessor, was invented in the early 1950s by Texas Instruments. After Emerson, Philc… (more)

Regency Transistor Radio Tr-1$345.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 25 watchers
Transistor Radio - Bang & Olufsen Beolit 800$172.50 Ends Monday 10 bids 15 watchers
Vintage Grundig Danish Modern Old Transistor Radio L@@k$158.50 Ends Tuesday 12 bids 55 watchers
Vintage Regency Tr 1 G Transistor Radio 1955,56 Look$158.50 Ends Sunday 8 bids 39 watchers
Mib Zenith Royal 790 Navigator Transistor Radio No/rsv$127.50 Ends Sunday 6 bids 13 watchers

Mid Century Modern Clocks

After World War II, design evolved from Art Deco and Streamline Moderne to Mid-century Modern, which reigned from the mid-1940s un… (more)

Vintage Starburst Sunburst Atomic Eames Era Wall Clock$137.50 Ends in 19 hours 8 bids 33 watchers
Mid Century Modern Eames Era Howard Miller Wall Clock !$103.50 Ends Sunday 2 bids 27 watchers
Nambe Mid Century Modern Collection Clock Bowl Tray$95.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 2 watchers
Vintage Starburst Sunburst Atomic, Eames Era Wall Clock$66.00 Ends in 19 hours 7 bids 36 watchers
Vtg Starlite Lighted Clock Eames Mid Century Starburst $51.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 10 watchers

Tin Model Cars

Tin toy cars saw their heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, before being displaced by diecast models in the 1970s. One of the first manu… (more)

Rare Chrysler Imperial 1962 Original Tin Toy Model Car$3,336 Ends Sunday 24 bids 112 watchers
50's Tin B\o Lincoln Futura Concept Car,nmib,batmobile$999.00 Ends in 18 hours 17 bids 103 watchers
Marusan Sunbeam Tin Motorcycle And Side Car $450.00 Ends Wednesday 6 bids 26 watchers
Tin Friction Concept Car Buick Lesabre Yonezawa Japan$191.50 Ends Sunday 6 bids 69 watchers
Antique Wind Up Marx Tin Amos & Andy Fresh Air Taxi Car$180.50 Ends Wednesday 5 bids 24 watchers


1970s1960s1950s1940s1930s1920s1910s1900s1890s1880s1870s1860sPre-1860s