Postcards: Windows To The Past

Postcards are more than just a method of communication, they’re little bits of history. They show buildings and cityscapes as they appeared in the past; they provide images of clothing worn and lifestyles in bygone eras; they give a running progression of transportation methods through the decades. We see holidays celebrated, landmark events commemorated, and important people venerated. Vintage and antique postcards truly are windows to the past.

This is part of the allure of collecting postcards. If the card was mailed, it has the extra added interest of containing a postmarked old stamp. In addition, many collectors have told me that they also enjoy reading the personal messages written on the back, which give insights into the lives (and sometimes loves!) and travel habits of people from all walks of life.

Postcards also are a very popular and very manageable collection. Because they’re small and thin, hundreds can be kept stored together in a single box; they can also be displayed in acid-free photo albums, or even framed and hung as wall décor. Organizing is easy and is usually done by category. Besides the regular flat cards, there are fold-out postcards that open up to reveal an accordion-style length of pictures.

Many postcards are quite inexpensive, but some of the examples in certain categories, like Halloween, can run into the hundreds of dollars for a single postcard. In order to afford those coveted pieces, many collectors build a nice collection of less expensive cards, then sell off duplicates or others that they no longer want and gradually acquire the postcards of their dreams.

If your collection includes some old unused postcards, you’ll probably interested in attaching a date to them, which is a bit more difficult without a postmark to guide you. According to the web site Postcard Values, the first commercially produced postcards appeared in the United States in 1893 and were sold at the Columbian Expedition in Chicago. Here are the date guidelines given by Postcard Values:

~ “Private Mailing Card, Authorized by Act of Congress on May 19, 1898” appeared on the back of American postcards up until December 24, 1901.
~ A postcard without a line down the back to divide the sender’s message from the recipient’s address indicates that the postcard was printed before 1907. No messages, only addresses were permitted on the backs of postcards until March of 1907.
~ Old postcards that say Printed In Germany were made up until 1915, when WWI caused German presses to close.
~ A white border around the picture on the postcard dates it between 1915 and 1930.
~ Linen paper with vivid colors was used for postcards between 1930 and 1944. However I have seen some linen postcards from the 1950s as well.
~ Postcards with shiny, color photographic images were made from 1945 to the present. There are postcards with actual photographs, but most of these are black and white and usually you’ll find the type of photographic paper used on the back of the card.
~ Some unused postcards include the stamp price in the stamp area; this will give you a clue as to when the postcard was printed. See the Rate Chart at Postcard Values for this information.

There are plenty of postcard shows around the country; start attending these and you’ll not only become quite educated in the subject, but you’ll also find hundreds of thousands of selections at your fingertips. There are also postcard collector WebRings online so you can chat and exchange information with other people who share your passion. And check out the informative website, About Postcards here at Blogspot for more specific information about particular types of postcards.

You can find all kinds of ephemera at Collector's Cottage - stop by for a visit!

Small Talk on Butter Pats

What’s only 3 inches around, beautiful to behold, and highly collectible? The answer: butter pats! These small treasures make a rich and interesting collection, yet they won’t break the bank or overwhelm your breakfront.

Butter pats were always used in the formal table settings of well-to-do Victorians as well as on the tables of royalty. Several different types of butter shapes would be used in a butter dish, from a small square of butter, to a molded elegant shape like a rosette, to a pat of butter stamped with a butter stamp that showed the family crest or other significant image.

Although butter pats were first made in the mid-1800s, they reached the height of popularity in the Victorian era between 1880 and 1910. Made by some of the most elite porcelain houses in the world, butter pats came in a wide range of shapes, colors, and patterns. Some were made as part of entire dinner sets, while others were made as sets of their own that could be coordinated with existing dinnerware. In addition, “blanks” of butter pats (as well as other types of porcelains) were available for ladies to paint on their own, a lovely and cultured pastime of the era.

After the Victorian era, dinner services and flatware sets became less complex and leaned more toward simplicity, with fewer specifically-defined objects and more pieces serving multiple purposes. Butter pats gave way to bread-and-butter dishes, which are twice the size of the butter pat. While there are still some companies that make butter pats today, the demand is a fraction of what it was a hundred years ago; though they can be made for retail sale, these pieces are more likely to be found in high-end hotels and restaurants.

With so many styles, patterns, and manufacturers to choose from, you might wonder what the most sought-after butter pats are (this, as we know from all areas of collecting, can change from time to time). Mary Dessoie (butter pat collector and founder of the Butter Pat Patter Association) writes in her informative article, “All Buttered Up For Collecting!”, butter pat aficionados are paying premium prices for butter pats no longer in use by international airlines, who would use the diminutive plates in services for first- and business-class customers. Also in demand are butter pats from diners, hotels, railroads, and steamship lines.

As collectibles, butter pats can be very affordable, with many pieces costing $10 or less. But don’t get too cozy with this price – as with any collection, most people start small and then move on to more valuable pieces. Dessoie writes that in 2003, a circa 1889-1915 Wabash railroad butter pat marked “Greenwood China, Trenton, NJ” sold at auction for $1,525, even with a chip on the piece’s face. Hand-painted portrait pats with well-dressed Victorians are also highly collectible, as are salesmen’s sample pats that were used to show prospective buyers the colors and style of a manufacturer’s china patterns.

Dessoie’s article also states that a single butter pat in the Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica pattern, considered the world’s most prestigious pattern and one of the last luxury 18th century services still being produced today, can sell for $550 with a wait time of up to one year. Another article by Dessoie, entitled “Advertising Miniatures”, gives more examples of higher prices fetched by some types of butter pats. In this article, she also informs new collectors of how to spot fakes so your collection will be authentic.

But don’t let those higher priced pats discourage you – price is not the issue with personal collections. Beautiful butter pats by Staffordshire, Spode, Limoges, Royal Doulton and many other manufacturers are easily found, as are specific patterns like Blue Willow and Geisha Girl and more general styles such as flow blue, chintz and majolica. The most interesting collections have examples of many different types of pats. The old adage holds true in all areas of collecting: Buy what you love, and you’ll never be disappointed.

Hen On Nest Collectibles

Hen on Nest covered dishes have been around since at least the 1800s, and their unique charm has turned them into popular collectibles. Shirley Smith, an author and expert in the field with a wonderful hen-on-nest collection of her own, says that there are 50 companies that are known to have made hen on nest dishes, and possibly another 40 companies as well. She’s identified 191 different sizes or forms and she believes there are even more out there. You can see some wonderful pictures of Shirley’s collection on the National Milk Glass Collectors Society website.

You can find glass hen-on-nest dishes in just about every color imaginable, in many different finishes, and in sizes ranging from less than 2 inches to over 8 inches in length. Depending on the size, these sets are called by a variety of terms, from trinket boxes and candy dishes to covered dishes and ring boxes. There are other animal covered dishes as well, including rabbits, cats, swans and dogs, but the greatest number is in the hen design.

In her article, Shirley talks about the importance (and fun) of identifying the pieces of your collection according to age, manufacturer and style. One cautionary note that she emphasizes about buying sets like this is to check the set carefully for a “marriage” – that is, a top and bottom that were not originally meant to be together, but which somehow ended up together as one unit.

Knowing manufacturers’ marks, when one is present, is another important piece of information. Certain manufacturers made their hen-on-nest sets in specific types of glass during particular years; anything else may indicate a reproduction. Also every individual part of the hen and nest tells a story, from the shape of the eye to the weave of the basket; Shirley has a wonderful illustration of this in the article.

Once you’ve observed the details of the piece carefully, you can use some of the many research books to determine the make and age of your set. Knowing the marks of hen-on-nest manufacturers will, of course, help a great deal if your piece has a mark (paper labels aren’t as reliable as impressed or embossed marks, as they can sometimes be switched from other pieces). Although you’ll probably find the most information in a guide/value book like Shirley’s, a wonderful online resource to get you started is Hen On The Nest, which lists information about 18 hen-on-nest manufacturers’ marks including Westmoreland, Fenton, Indiana Glass, Imperial Glass, Boyd, Mosser and more. The site also has a lot of other information (and plenty of pictures too) about these collectibles, as well as a link to a Yahoo group called Frank’s Hen Discussion Group. There’s nothing better than sharing your collecting passion with other like-minded people!

Toothpick Holders – Diminutive Beauties

Toothpick holders are proof that just because an object is designed for utilitarian purposes doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful as well.

Some of the most beautiful toothpick holders are made of porcelain or glass and can have very unique shapes and patterns, though there are some highly desirable sterling and silver plate examples as well. As with other types of antiques and collectibles, values range from extremely affordable to very pricey, depending on scarcity, craftsmanship, and desirability. Because the variety is so great, I’ll just cover a few basics here to get you started and include links to organizations with a lot of expertise.

Glass
In its day, Pressed glass, sometimes called Pattern glass, was less expensive and more durable than crystal, but it was still made to be attractive. (There seems to be some debate as to whether Sandwich glass is the same as Pressed glass; in talking to antique dealers, many said that it’s the same thing, while others said there was a difference in manufacturing. I still don’t have the definitive answer!)

According to the Early American Pattern Glass Society, manufacturers began making pressed glass around 1850, with the majority being produced during the Victorian era in the 1880s. It remained popular until about 1910, when people became more interested in buying crystal. But when the Depression hit and money was tight, pressed glass became the affordable choice. Renamed Depression glass, new patterns and colors were created and its popularity surged again.

Pressed glass, cut glass, and satin finish toothpick holders are all undeniably very attractive and can be found in a rainbow of colors including amberina, ruby, canary, cobalt, amethyst glass, and milk glass; these are but a few examples. While some people collect according to material, theme, or style, others collect toothpick holders according to manufacturer such as Fenton, Fostoria, Westmoreland, or Mt. Washington.

Porcelain
Fine porcelain manufacturers like Nippon and RS Prussia have turned out what I personally consider some of the most beautiful toothpick holders. These miniature works of art can be adorned with detailed hand-painted or transfer patterns and can have embossing, handles, and pedestals. According to an article by Sandy Raymond of the National Toothpick Holders Collectors Society (an excellent organization with a wealth of information for anyone interested in collecting these little gems!), toothpick holders made by RS Prussia come in several finishes, including lustre, matte, pearl, glossy, iridescent, pearlized, and satin. Two of the most sought after designs are scenes and portraits.

No matter what the material, toothpick holders can claim any number of shapes including miniature vases, pitchers, urns or even loving cups; some may have a character or animal attached to the holder itself, or take the form of an open-topped Toby. Regardless of the style, in the end, toothpick holders are as charming as they are appealing.

Check out Collector's Cottage for many examples of fine glass and porcelain pieces.

Victorian Hair Receivers

It has often been said that “hair is a woman’s crowning glory”, and fashionable Victorians were truly believers in this sentiment. Toward that end, hair receivers served an important role in helping Victorian women look their best.

Vanity sets were very commonplace in the Victorian era, and, whether the set had many pieces or just a few, a hair receiver was usually one of the components. Mostly round in shape but sometimes square as well, hair receivers are easily identified by their center lid hole where one or two fingers could poke hair pulled from brushes and combs into the receiver underneath.

Considered collectibles today, in Victorian times and even as late as the 1950s, hair receivers had a far more practical application. A daily ritual of vigorous hair brushing left quite a bit of hair in women’s combs and brushes, and this hair would be removed and pushed through the opening of the hair receiver.

When enough hair was collected, women could then use the tangled balls of hair to make ratts (also spelled “rats”) by sewing the ball of hair into a small sheer net. Because the use of any makeup beyond a touch of face powder could give a woman the disgraceful reputation of being a “painted lady”, a lot of effort went into designing attention-getting hairstyles with height and volume – this included what we would call “big hair” - large, full updos made possible by tucking ratts into various areas of the hairdo.

There were other uses for this collection of hair, too: it was sometimes used instead of feathers as stuffing for small pillows or pincushions, it could be sold to make wigs, and some believe this hair was also used to make hair jewelry, though other experts feel that the tangled hair was not usable for such fine work, but rather combed hair would be cut deliberately to make this type of jewelry.

You can find hair receivers made from a number of different materials, including porcelain, celluloid, wood, metal, and glass. They can be footed or sit flat on the dresser and they were made in various countries, including Japan. The prices for these collectible pieces can range from under $10 up to well over $100 for fine antique examples.

Hair receivers and other Victorian treasures can be found at Collector's Cottage.

The Beauty of Nippon

If you’re at all familiar with antique and collectible porcelain, the name Nippon immediately evokes images of beautifully painted porcelain pieces of all types. Richly colored, highly decorated and frequently boasting intricate gilt-work, authentic Nippon pieces are highly collectible and can command prices as impressive as the workmanship.

As seasoned collectors know, the word Nippon is another word for Japan. Back in the mid-1800s, the once secluded Japan, which had closed itself off from the world and hadn’t allowed European visitors since 1683, finally opened its doors to world trade and tourism, which brought a torrent of westerners to this mysterious land. Immediately, highly-skilled Japanese artists began learning and implementing new artistic techniques and forms used in other areas of the world. From this point on, there are many examples of this, some of the most common being Japanese porcelains with English themes. Other countries also benefited from this exchange of ideas, so it's also not uncommon to find Japanese-themed English wares.

You can date some Nippon pieces by the backstamp: those with the backstamp that actually contains the word “Nippon” were manufactured between 1891 and 1921; after this date, the US government ruled that the word “Japan” be used instead. This decision stemmed from the 1890 McKinley Tariff Act, which in part stated that all imported items had to be plainly marked in “legible English words”. The US had decided that “Nippon” was a Japanese word, and therefore had to be replaced for imports.

According to the International Nippon Collectors Club, there are currently a total of 249 known backstamps for Nippon ware. These include the well-known rising sun and M-inside-wreath, as well as a star, maple leaf, globe, flower, pagoda, and geometric shapes, plus lots more.

But before you pay premium price for that piece of Nippon, be aware that there are plenty of fakes on the market. Some faked backstamps are poorly done and rather obvious, but others that were done in more recent years are extremely close to the originals and have fooled even long-time collectors. Other tell-tale signs of a fake are gold decorations that look burnished instead of bright, slightly different mold styles, different interior lid shapes, etc. However, because some of these newer pieces are being made from the original mold patterns, they are being considered reproductions instead of “fakes”. Still, they do not hold the same value as authentic Nippon.

The best way to know what to look for right down to the last detail is to educate yourself. There are several excellent identification and value guide books about Nippon; my favorite is Van Patten’s ABC’s of Collecting Nippon Porcelain. Whenever I go out in search of Nippon, this is the “Nippon Bible” that goes with me. Author Joan Van Patten shares a world of information in this book, which is also filled with spectacular color pictures of hundreds of pieces. One very interesting section has images of old Nippon ads from the early 1900s – you could buy two 3-piece hand-painted Nippon dresser sets with tray, hair receiver and covered puff jar for 45 cents! Another catalogue ad offered a 14-piece chocolate set free with a $3.80 purchase or $3.80 in coupons. Imagine the value of those sets today….

Check out Collector's Cottage for a wide selection of beautiful porcelains!