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Time Machine » The 1950s

The 1950s are routinely described as “fabulous!” Indeed, the decade gave us Wham-O Hula Hoops and Chevy Bel Airs, Mickey Mantle and Johnny Unitas, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Postwar prosperity and its resulting baby boom were in full swing, televisions became as commonplace as radios had been in earlier decades, and increased mobility spawned a range of businesses that catered to people in their automobiles, from drive-in movie theaters to drive-in restaurants, where roller-skating waitresses brought burgers and shakes to your car.

Any one of these icons or trends would have made the decade memorable. But the 1950s were also fabulous in other, more serious ways. In 1954, despite Cold War fears, the demagogy of Joseph McCarthy was roundly rejected. That same year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled school segregation unconstitutional. And in 1955, Jonas Salk created a vaccine for polio. As for the decade’s “Ozzie and Harriett” reputation, in which dad went to work and mom stayed home with the kids, by the end of the 1950s there were as many women in the workforce as there had been at the height of World War II.

1950s Technology and Culture

After watching the Soviets take the lead in the space race with Sputnik in 1957, the U.S. responded with its own unmanned orbiter, Explorer I, in 1958. That same year, National Airlines began the first passenger jet service in the country. By the end of the decade, the U.S. interstate highway system was well underway, and two territories, Alaska and Hawaii, were finally granted statehood.

Elsewhere in the world, colonial powers were giving back lands and nations they had once ruled. Italy exited Libya; France left Cambodia, Vietnam, Tunisia, and Guinea; and the United Kingdom let go its grip on the Suez Canal zone, Sudan, Ghana, and Iraq. With the help of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro overthrew the Batista regime to become Cuba’s prime minster in 1959. All of these events would have profound effects on the lives of citizens around the world for the next 50 years.

1950s Art and Recreation

In the 1950s, New York City usurped Paris as the capital of the art world, thanks to the abstract expressionist paintings of Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning, as well as the pre-Pop art of Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. Literature became the playground of the Beats, whose principal chroniclers were poet Allen Ginsberg (“Howl,” 1956) and novelist Jack Kerouac (“On the Road,” 1957). First-edition copies of books from this era published by City Lights are highly prized by collectors, as are other 1950s classics—from J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” to Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” which was serialized in a new 1950s magazine called “Playboy” (Marilyn Monroe was on the magazine’s first cover).

One of the landmark events of the decade was the opening of Disneyland in 1955. Built on a former orange orchard in Anaheim, California, Disneyland was an instant destination, which meant that it was flanked by an ample parking lot. By the end of the decade, many of the cars parked in that lot featured tailfins that came to dangerously sharp points—the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado is considered the king of the tailfin cars.

If automobiles were the new toys for adults, Barbie dolls were the preferred playthings for little girls—the early-1959 introduction of Barbie revolutionized the doll market overnight, leaving more traditional companies like Ideal in the dust. For boys there were Matchbox cars, as well as H0 scale model trains, made by Märklin, Lionel, and others.

1950s Theater, Film, and Television

The 1950s were an incredible decade for live theater, particularly musicals. Rogers and Hammerstein alone gave us such classics as “The King and I” and “The Sound of Music.” Other notable Broadway musicals were “Guys and Dolls,” “The Pajama Game,” “Damn Yankees,” and “West Side Story.” Signature dramas included Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Eugene O’Neil’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” and Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot.”

In the movie palaces, fans flocked to see Charlton Heston in “The Ten Commandants” and “Ben-Hur,” John Wayne in westerns like “Rio Grande” and “The Searchers,” and Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s “To Catch a Thief” and “North by Northwest.” Marlon Brando was another box-office draw, appearing in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “On the Waterfront.” Fellow bad-boy, James Dean, shined in “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant” before meeting an untimely end in 1955. As for Marilyn Monroe, “Gentleman Prefer Blondes,” “The Seven-Year Itch,” and “Some Like It Hot” say it all.

Television may have gotten its start in the 1940s, but the medium took off in the 1950s. Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” preceded “Saturday Night Live” by 25 years while “I Love Lucy” led successive crops of family sitcoms, from “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett” to “Leave It To Beaver.” Milton Berle had a show, as did Jack Benny, Bob Hope, and Jackie Gleason. Kids got “Captain Kangaroo” and “The Mickey Mouse Club,” reality-TV fans watched “Queen for a Day,” and newshounds got their daily download from Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite.

1950s Music

One place where television and music came together was "The Ed Sullivan Show," where Elvis Presley performed three times in 1956 and ’57. But Presley was not the only musical superstar of the decade. Frank Sinatra began his storied collaboration with Nelson Riddle in the 1950s, Miles Davis helped give birth to the cool, and Ray Charles enjoyed some of his most fruitful years with Atlantic Records producers Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler.

Down in Louisiana, a whole lotta shakin’ was going on whenever Jerry Lee Lewis sat down at the piano. In Lubbock, Texas, Buddy Holly played a Fender Stratocaster on songs like “Peggy Sue” and “That’ll Be The Day.” And the Man in Black, Johnny Cash, recorded “I Walk the Line” for Sam Phillips at Sun Records.

1950s Fashion and Style

For fashion, the spectrum ran from poodle skirts and cigarette pants to Dior A-line dresses. Grace Kelly wore fitted bodices and full skirts with lots of tule underneath. Chanel gave women smart suits; Schott Bros gave men Perfecto leather motorcycle jackets.

Up on top, some women’s hats that took their shapes, and names, from food—the mushroom cloche and melon hat come to mind. Casques, sailors, and large-brim hats were worn interchangeably, and small cocktail hats were decorated with everything from dyed feathers to faceted beads. Shoes leaned toward the spiky, both in terms of heels and the point of the toe. And purses suddenly got very colorful, with clutches in pinks, purples, and chartreuse. Chanel and Hermes were just two of the big-name designers, while companies such as Wilardy, Rialto, and Llewellyn made novelty purses out of a range of colorful new plastics, including Lucite.

At home, Mid-century Modern was in full swing (although it wasn’t called that then), with Eames chairs around the dining table, a George Nelson clock on the wall, and an RCA television set in the living room. If you were fortunate enough to purchase a new home, chances are good it was in a Levittown-type development, although the style was often basic ranch.

1950s Sports

In baseball, the New York Yankees pretty much owned the World Series, thanks to the play and pitching of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford. The team won the championship six times between 1950 and 1959, and reached it eight times. Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals was one of the decade’s most reliable hitters, as was Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves.

Back in the 1950s, pro football had no Super Bowl, but it did have players like Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts. In a decade that had been dominated by the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions, Unitas helped his Colts to consecutive NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959.

Finally, there was Gordie Howe, who joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1946 and dominated ice hockey throughout the 1950s. Howe helped his team win three Stanley Cups in the 1950s, each time defeating the Montreal Canadiens for the championship.

1950s Related Categories

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 money was… (more)

Elvis Presley That's All Right Mint Unplayed 45 Sun 209$10,000 Ends in 13 hours 45 bids 959 watchers
Elvis Presley Sun 209 78 Rpm$510.00 Ends Tuesday 12 bids 30 watchers
Elvis Presley Original Sun 45 Rpm Record$510.00 Ends Tuesday 19 bids 27 watchers
Elvis Presley Sun 210 78 Rpm$450.00 Ends Tuesday 11 bids 23 watchers
Original Elvis - Sun 210 - Good Rockin' Tonight - Pms$404.04 Ends in 11 hours 15 bids 16 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)

Danish Teak Credenza Sideboard Mid Century Modern Eames$1,521 Ends Thursday 26 bids 74 watchers
Mid Century Danish Modern Daybed Sofa Eames Era 1950s$1,240 Ends in 8 hours 3 bids 58 watchers
2 Dux Danish Lounge Chair Mid Century Modern Eames $920.00 Ends in 13 hours 15 bids 190 watchers
Mid Century Danish Modern Teak Mini Credenza Eames Era$860.00 Ends Thursday 5 bids 62 watchers
Mid Century Modern Dresser Credenza Eames Era Danish 50$599.99 Ends in 11 hours 28 bids 70 watchers

Twin Lens Reflex Cameras

Twin-lens reflex, or TLR, cameras have been around since the 1870s or ’80s. They were initially developed to make it easier, and f… (more)

Rolleiflex Sl66 Medium Format Camera, 2.8/80 Lens $380.00 Ends in 7 hours 9 bids 63 watchers
Kowa Kalloflex K2 Vintage Twin Lens Reflex Camera$308.50 Ends Tuesday 19 bids 57 watchers
Rollei Rolleiflex 2.8f Xenotar White Face 12/24 Camera$299.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 81 watchers
Rolleicord Vb 2 Tlr Type 2 Rollei-werke Fully Working$285.30 Ends in 7 hours 16 bids 50 watchers
Mamiya C330 F + "blue Dot" Sekor 1:2.8 / 80mm + Caps Ex$240.26 Ends in 6 hours 17 bids 55 watchers

Gibson Guitars

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

Vintage 1965 Gibson Es 330 Es330 Guitar & Case$88,988 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 4 watchers
1956 Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty Original Vintage$7,663 Ends Thursday 10 bids 155 watchers
1964 Gibson Thunderbird Ii Bass - Original Sunburst$4,550 Ends Friday 2 bids 47 watchers
Gibson Sj Southern Jumbo Vintage Guitar 1960 & Case$3,999 Ends in 12 hours 1 bid 35 watchers
1953 Gibson J-50 Guitar With An Interesting History$3,550 Ends Thursday 17 bids 78 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 #311 Mickey Mantle Psa 6 Ex-mt Set Break$15,877 Ends Sunday 25 bids 63 watchers
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82 Psa 9 Mint (mc)$3,000 Ends Saturday 15 bids 36 watchers
1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135 Psa 8 Hof Yankees$2,649 Ends Tuesday 20 bids 41 watchers
1951 Bowman Bb #253 Mickey Mantle Rookie Psa 4 Vgex$1,800 Ends Tuesday 29 bids 107 watchers
1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle Rookie Rc Psa 3 Yankees $1,330 Ends in 12 hours 18 bids 40 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)

Vintage Neon Motel Sign$2,500 Ends Monday 1 bid 6 watchers
Firestone Neon Sign Original Buy it Now$500.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 5 watchers
Schlitz Beer Vintage Neon Sign! New In Original Box!$249.00 Ends Friday 1 bid 12 watchers
***vintage 1980's **old Style**neon Beer Sign~in Box$249.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 5 watchers
Weinhards Ale Boars Head Neon Beer Sign Bar Signs Look$199.99 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 1 watcher

45 Records

For people of a certain age, seven-inch 45 rpm vinyl records are what music was, and is, all about. They just can’t think of Elvis… (more)

Elvis Presley That's All Right Mint Unplayed 45 Sun 209$10,000 Ends in 13 hours 45 bids 959 watchers
45 Rockabilly~phil Gray & His Go Boys~rhythm#101-- Hear$665.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 16 watchers
Northern Soul 45-doni Burdick-sound Impression-mint$656.66 Ends Thursday 6 bids 41 watchers
Elvis Presley Original Sun 45 Rpm Record$510.00 Ends Tuesday 19 bids 27 watchers
The Madd Inc I'll Be The One Ikon Rare Garage 45 Hear!$510.00 Ends Tuesday 5 bids 55 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)

Transistor Radios

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

Transistor Radio - Bang & Olufsen Beolit 707$300.00 Ends Thursday 6 bids 12 watchers
Zenith 11 Band D7000y Trans Oceanic Transistor Receiver$199.00 Ends in 5 hours 1 bid 10 watchers
Toshiba 6tp-31 Transistor Radio "bath Scale" Near Mint!$172.50 Ends Sunday 12 bids 29 watchers
Sony Earth Orbiter Crf-5100 10 Band Transistor Receiver$159.00 Ends in 40 mins 1 bid 11 watchers
Rare Toshiba 9tm-40 "robot Radio" Transistor Radio 1961$128.50 Ends Monday 8 bids 32 watchers

Lunch Boxes

The lunch box as we think of it today was born in 1935. That’s when a Milwaukee, Wisconsin company called Geuder, Paeschke, and Fr… (more)

1965 Linus The Lion-hearted Vinyl Lunchbox & Thermos$199.00 Ends Friday 1 bid 3 watchers
1960 Vw Omni Volkswagon Bus Lunchbox Very Rare Exc+$177.50 Ends in 23 hours 4 bids 13 watchers
Evel Knievel Double Signed Lunchbox - Superb Condition$174.50 Ends in 12 hours 18 bids 22 watchers
1968 Star Trek Lunch Box Very Clean With Original Label$172.50 Ends Sunday 16 bids 23 watchers
Dixie Kid Tobacco Tin Lunch Box Black Boy Cotton Bale$170.49 Ends Wednesday 2 bids 9 watchers

Mid-Century Modern

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Herman Miller Eames Chair Santos Palisander + Ottoman$2,000 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 12 watchers
Eames Lounge Chair + Ottoman Herman Miller Rosewood$1,725 Ends Saturday 12 bids 63 watchers
Danish Teak Credenza Sideboard Mid Century Modern Eames$1,521 Ends Thursday 26 bids 74 watchers
Mid Century Danish Modern Daybed Sofa Eames Era 1950s$1,240 Ends in 8 hours 3 bids 58 watchers
Danish Modern Teak Dining Chairs Mid Century Vintage$1,075 Ends Wednesday 22 bids 15 watchers

Ford Fairlane

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Ford : Fairlane Sunliner 1957 Ford Convertible$20,000 Ends Sunday 1 bid 69 watchers
Ford : Fairlane Fairlane 1956 Ford Victoria 2 Door Hardtop$18,100 Ends Thursday 18 bids 139 watchers
Ford : Fairlane Gta 1966 Ford Fairlane 390/427 S Code$17,200 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 56 watchers
Ford : Fairlane Ford 1958 Ford Fairlane$13,315 Ends Thursday 14 bids 73 watchers
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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)

Lee Morgan On Blue Note #4$1,825 Ends in 4 hours 5 bids 77 watchers
Hank Mobley On Blue Note #1$1,512 Ends in 5 hours 4 bids 37 watchers
Jutta Hipp On Blue Note$1,475 Ends in 4 hours 6 bids 59 watchers
Hank Mobley On Blue Note #3$1,225 Ends in 5 hours 5 bids 45 watchers
Lee Morgan On Blue Note #1$1,025 Ends in 4 hours 2 bids 35 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)

Marilyn Monroe

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

Marilyn Monroe Autograph: Signed Mm Cheque + Provenance$1,575 Ends Friday 2 bids 11 watchers
1953 Playboy 1st Issue/ Marilyn Monroe/ Original!!!$1,551 Ends Wednesday 27 bids 95 watchers
Marilyn Monroe Owned Cream And Powder Container Set$780.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 9 watchers
Ooak Marilyn Monroe Harley Davidson Bride Doll$222.20 Ends in 11 hours 1 bid 4 watchers
Marilyn Monroe Signed Check + Profiles In History Coa$182.50 Ends in 9 hours 28 bids 26 watchers

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)

Large Grey Panther Tv Lamp$45.00 Ends in 23 hours 1 bid 6 watchers
Hard To Find Vintage *double Poodle* Lane Tv Lamp$31.00 Ends in 4 hours 13 bids 12 watchers
Black Panther Tv Lamp Kroll Very Nice$30.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 7 watchers
Vtg Black Panther Tv Lamp With Red Metal Blinds Shade$29.90 Ends Thursday 5 bids 6 watchers
60s Royal Haeger Lime Green Comedy Tragedy Mask Tv Lamp$26.00 Ends Tuesday 5 bids 24 watchers

Ericofon Telephones

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

Rare Vintage Ericsson Lm Sweden Ericofon Cobra Phone$75.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 9 watchers
Antique Telephone Ericofon North Electric Company$35.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 7 watchers
Vintage Green Ericofon Rotary Dial Phone$31.00 Ends in 5 hours 8 bids 20 watchers
Vintage Eames Era Ericofon Rotary Dial$24.99 Ends Saturday 1 bid 12 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)

Fabulous 1910 German Karl Bub Tin Wind-up Touring Car$2,225 Ends Tuesday 15 bids 49 watchers
Vintage Tin Toy Car$305.00 Ends Friday 14 bids 20 watchers
Marusan Kosuge Tin Friction 1951 Cadillac Sedan 12"$260.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 32 watchers
1950 Cragston Fire Bird Lll Concept Tin Battery Op Car$202.50 Ends Sunday 4 bids 14 watchers
Vintage Japanese Tin Wind-up Toy Circus Car-mint In Box$110.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 5 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)

Gerald Thurston Lightolier Table Lamp - Sarfatti, Eames$1,026 Ends Monday 16 bids 71 watchers
Panthella Table Lamp Verner Panton , Eames Space Era$282.00 Ends Monday 7 bids 24 watchers
Decorative Modern,mercury Glass,lamps Pair,eames Era$175.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 5 watchers
50s Eames Mid Century Modern Blackamoor Nubian Lamps $170.50 Ends in 12 hours 12 bids 28 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)

George Nelson Chronopak Desk Clock Mid Century Eames$108.50 Ends Tuesday 12 bids 92 watchers
Mid-century Modern Peter Pepper Grid Clock Nelson Eames$70.99 Ends Wednesday 5 bids 54 watchers
Vintage Eames Mid Century Starburst Atomic Wall Clock$64.95 Ends Thursday 1 bid 15 watchers
Huge Starburst Mid Century Modern Eames Era Spike Clock$51.00 Ends in 23 hours 6 bids 8 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 ot… (more)

Vintage 1958 Lionel Set No. 1600 Burlington Passenger$1,775 Ends Wednesday 12 bids 77 watchers
Lionel Hudson Steam Engine #773 Tender #2426w From1950.$1,525 Ends Tuesday 16 bids 54 watchers
Lionel 736 Berkshire & 2671w Pennsy Tender Mtobs 1950$1,200 Ends Sunday 3 bids 11 watchers
Vintage 1958 Lionel Set No. 1608w New Haven Passenger$999.99 Ends Sunday 1 bid 15 watchers
Lionel Prewar Scale No. 701 B-6 Switcher W/ 701t Tender$920.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 33 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)

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)

Gerald Thurston Lightolier Table Lamp - Sarfatti, Eames$1,026 Ends Monday 16 bids 71 watchers
Pair Danish Modern Hanging Lamps Henningsen Space Age$375.00 Ends in 10 hours 10 bids 21 watchers
Panthella Table Lamp Verner Panton , Eames Space Era$282.00 Ends Monday 7 bids 24 watchers
Mid Century Modern Eye Ball Omi Koch & Lowy Floor Lamp$199.99 Ends in 11 hours 1 bid 9 watchers

Pedal Cars

Pedal cars for children first appeared in the late 1880s, when Karl Benz introduced his three-wheel Patent Motorwagen for adults. … (more)

Toledo (restored) Pedal Car$1,899 Ends Saturday 10 bids 39 watchers
1941 Steelcraft Chrysler Pedal Car$660.00 Ends Thursday 6 bids 63 watchers
Gendron American National Toledo 38 - 40 Pedal Car $462.00 Ends Wednesday 12 bids 72 watchers
Untouched 1941 Chrysler Pedal Car, Complete$399.00 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 47 watchers
Vintage Casey Jones No. 9 Train Pedal Car! Wow!$299.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 14 watchers

Stratocaster Guitars

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

1963 Vintage Sunburst Fender Stratocaster Guitar $12,099 Ends Thursday 2 bids 67 watchers
1965 Fender Stratocaster! All Original, Sunburst Beauty$4,600 Ends Thursday 8 bids 55 watchers
1965 Fender Stratocaster Inca Silver (?) Body/hardware$4,504 Ends in 6 hours 1 bid 38 watchers
Vintage Schecter Dream Machine Strat$2,000 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 20 watchers
1990 Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster Mahogany Ultra$1,599 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 9 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)

My Fair Lady Audrey Hepburn Lobby Card Set 1964.$249.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 3 watchers
Audrey Hepburn: 8by10 Original Autographed Color Photo!$69.99 Ends in 15 hours 1 bid 6 watchers
Audrey Hepburn/p.o'toole/rare Orig. 8x10 Trans$59.99 Ends Saturday 1 bid 1 watcher
Audrey Hepburn In Breakfast At Tiffany's - 5222 $46.00 Ends Wednesday 2 bids 12 watchers
Audrey Hepburn "cat Mask" Collection$40.99 Ends Thursday 3 bids 7 watchers

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)

1940 Wurlitzer Model 800 Jukebox-original Plastics-nice$5,100 Ends Friday 4 bids 13 watchers
1940s Packard Pla-mor Juke Box Speaker - Rare Rare Rare$3,050 Ends Monday 7 bids 43 watchers
Rockola Bubbler Juke Box$1,225 Ends Saturday 4 bids 15 watchers
Unusual Peacock Jukebox Wall Speaker Works Perfectly Nr$1,125 Ends in 14 hours 3 bids 33 watchers
Wurlitzer Jukebox With 100 Records$950.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 4 watchers

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 Chair Santos Palisander + Ottoman$2,000 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 12 watchers
Eames Lounge Chair + Ottoman Herman Miller Rosewood$1,725 Ends Saturday 12 bids 63 watchers
2 Dux Danish Lounge Chair Mid Century Modern Eames $920.00 Ends in 13 hours 15 bids 190 watchers
Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman Brazilian Rosewood$810.00 Ends Monday 6 bids 48 watchers
Vinatge Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair Fritz Hansen Eames Era$660.00 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 66 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)

Lot Of 12 Marlboro Zippo Lighters Silver Red Roof$449.44 Ends Thursday 9 bids 18 watchers
Vtg - Zippo Lighter Empolyee G.g. Blaisdall Signed 1972$405.00 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 9 watchers
Zippo 007 James Bond Lighter Set Of 6-new-rare$300.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 6 watchers
Z110 Chicago Music Festival Camel Zippo Nib Very Rare$299.99 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 8 watchers
Z107 Camel Laconia Zippo Nib Rare$259.99 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 6 watchers

Womens 1950s Hats

The appearance of 1950s hats really took shape in 1947. That’s when Christian Dior launched his New Look, which included a line of… (more)

Vtg Fabulous Hat Lot 19 Easter Church Milinary 40s-70s$117.05 Ends in 10 hours 12 bids 25 watchers
Glamorous '50s Pink , Black & White Straw Cartwheel Hat$89.99 Ends Tuesday 6 bids 5 watchers
Stunning Vintage Black & White Dress $51.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 17 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)

Vintage Rotary Phone Snow White Model 500 Perfect!$5.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 9 watchers
Rare North Electric 500 Type Dial Telephone Set$3.25 Ends Wednesday 2 bids 8 watchers
Vtg Telephone Yellow Desk Rotary Model 500 Western Ele$0.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 3 watchers
Old Bell System Western Electric Rotary Telephone 500$0.99 Ends in 8 hours 1 bid 6 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)

Rickenbacker 381v69/12 - Montezuma Brown (2003/4)$4,500 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 28 watchers
Rickenbacker 325 12 String Ri Lennon Mint 1999 Nr!!$3,080 Ends in 11 hours 6 bids 31 watchers
Rickenbacker 381/12v69 Vintage Series 12-string Guitar$2,700 Ends Sunday 1 bid 21 watchers
Rickenbacker Bass 4001c64s Buy it Now$2,025 Ends in 22 mins 20 bids 21 watchers
Rickenbacker 381 Guitar - Figured Wood -from Collection$1,915 Ends Thursday 9 bids 54 watchers

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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 w… 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 much spa… 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 fri… Read more

An Interview with 1950s Vintage Rockabilly Clothing Collector Kim Casamassima

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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 you… 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 of… Read more

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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 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 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-fi… 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

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 h… 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 a… Read more



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