Collecting Modern Facsimiles of Historical Playing Cards

Rod Starling, based in Reeders, PA, is a long time collector and authority on early United States playing cards, and one of the founding members of the collectors club 52 Plus Joker. This article was originally published in the club’s Clear The Decks newsletter, Vol. 22, #2 and is reproduced courtesy of 52 Plus Joker.

Collecting facsimile playing cards can be an interesting window onto the world of historic and antique playing card decks. In a recent … (continue reading)

A Guide to Christmas Antiques and Vintage Christmas Decorations

Ever wonder about that box of vintage Christmas decorations in the attic? From wooden nutcrackers to glass Christrmas tree ornaments to 1930’s Lionel model trains, this article can help you identify what vintage or antique Christmas items might be in that box. Your cherished decorations might be valuable, and even if not, you can sure have a whole lot of fun decorating with them!
Christmas Trees: From Simple to Space Age

Decorating the tree, like many … (continue reading)

Collecting Antique and Vintage Playing Cards

Miriam van Houten and Joop Muller run DXPO Playing Cards, a great information resource on antique and vintage playing cards, and a member of our Hall of Fame.

People are often surprised when we tell them we collect playing cards. They all know how to play games with cards and have all held them in their hands before, but they’ve never realized that ordinary playing cards come from a long history of … (continue reading)

Collecting Vintage Sewing Patterns

Lizzie Bramlett is a collector of vintage clothing and sewing patterns, and can be reached via her website, Fuzzylizzie.com

Paper sewing patterns were first manufactured in the middle of the 1800s. These first paper patterns were designed by Ellen Curtis Demorest. Starting in 1860, these patterns were sold through her magazine, Mme. Demorest’s Mirror of Fashion.  In 1863, American tailor Ebenezer Butterick was the first to create a sewing pattern in various sizes.  It was his … (continue reading)

Collecting Vintage Cigarette Lighters

In this article, Eric Beeson talks about collecting vintage cigarette lighters, including brands such as Zippo, Ronson, and Dunhill.

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 head, one made of jade and gold, and an electric lighter in the shape of a woman’s face that hangs on the wall…. (continue reading)

Collecting Antique Ball Jars

In this article, collector Bruce Wayne Schank talks about collecting antique Ball jars (fruit jars), and the history of the Ball jar. Based in Pompton Plains, NJ, Bruce can be reached via his website, Balljars.net.

One of the most common fruit jars ever produced is the lowly Ball jar. Historical figures show that from between Sept 1, 1894 until Dec 31, 1961, 41,256,856 Gross jars were produced by the Ball Glass Mfg Co. A staggering … (continue reading)

Toy Cars, A Healthy Addiction

Paul Chenard shows off his impressive collection of race car toys and automobilia, focusing mostly on European racing history.

I’ve been collecting vintage toys since 1982. I started slowly and methodically, partly for lack of information, mostly for lack of finances. I used to collect any metal transportation toy that I found interesting, anything that caught my eye (and that I could afford). In the late 80s, a Canadian-made Chime tin wind-up racecar toy from about 1935 … (continue reading)

An Introduction to Identifying and Collecting Antique Quilts

Kimberly Wulfert is a quilt historian and collector whose website, www.antiquequiltdating.com, is a member of our Hall of Fame.

Many antique quilt collectors think of themselves as caretakers of historical documents, made at the hands of the needlework sisterhood before them. Their quilts speak to them and tell their story through clues in the style, fabric, pattern, quilt stitches and sometimes stitched or inked words, names, cities or dates.

The first time I went to an all … (continue reading)

Vintage Transistor Radios of the 1950s and 60s

Michael Jack, whose personal Flickr website is a member of our Hall of Fame, is a collector of vintage transistor radios.

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 atomic aged designs that caught your eye? Or the chrome highlights that attracted your attention? Nonetheless, you find yourself actively seeking them out at the … (continue reading)

Early Typewriters of the Late 1800s

Martin Howard’s website, antiquetypewriters.com, features his collection of antique typewriters and typewriter accessories, and is a member of our Hall of Fame.

Collecting antique typewriters circa 1900 has been a wonderful experience for me over the years. My collection is really just the tip of the iceberg, as literally hundreds of distinct collectible typewriters were manufactured. There are so many more interesting models that my search will never end. For a collector, though, this is tantalizingly … (continue reading)

The Evolution, History, and Imagery of Playing Cards

Simon Wintle is the man behind The World of Playing Cards, a great reference source on antique and vintage playing cards and a member of our Hall of Fame.

For over six centuries – apart from its functionality as a number game – the playing card has been chosen as a medium for artistry, aesthetic endeavour and ornamental design, ranging from hand-painted and engraved cards for medieval patrons, to the chromo-lithographic delights and transformation cards of the … (continue reading)

The Parker 51, a Classic Vintage Pen

Ernesto Soler is a pen collector and the webmaster of Parker51.com, a member of our Hall of Fame.

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 1941, it soon became widely imitated by most pen manufacturers. To this day, its shape and design remain widely recognizable and it seems to never become dated.

My … (continue reading)

Understanding Antique Radios

Phil Nelson runs Phils Old Radios, a member of our Hall of Fame, and a great resource for information on antique radios.

You’ve just acquired an old radio, but apart from the manufacturer’s name on the front, you don’t know a blessed thing about it. Learning more about your radio may satisfy your curiosity, or it may serve a practical purpose such as helping you get repair information. Here’s how to go about identifying an antique … (continue reading)

A History of Dimestore Christmas Village Houses

In this article, the late Ted Althof, who was known as Papa Ted, gave us an in-depth history of decorative dimestore Christmas village houses and other vintage Christmas decorations. A page at CardboardChristmas.com is now devoted to his memory and interests.

The following is a history of these wondrous little artifacts called cardboard Christmas village houses – a history devoted to establishing some … (continue reading)