The Great Clock at Rouen

It is very enjoyable to look through an old magazine or book and see a photo and wonder what the place pictured in the book or magazine looks like now compared to the past or if it even exists at all.  This photo in a 1943 National Geographic is an example of that type of thought.  The Grosse Horloge built in 1511 in Rouen, France was in danger of being bombed during WWII.  The caption at the bottom of the photo scan to the right states that National Geographic pictures like this may be used as models for restoring war damaged  shrines of Europe. During WWII a quarter of the Roen Old Town center was burnt down.

The clock was restored in 1997 and was highlighted by a company called Neo Light  in 2003.  The photo's on the Neo Lights website are stunning. This would be something worth seeing if ever in this part of France.  Pictured below is a photo of some of the detail of the arch below the clock.          

There is only one hand on the clock that shows the hour and the days appear in a window underneath. A minute hand must not have been as important in the 16th century.  A bell is rung from the clocks belfry at 9:00 pm sounding the curfew every evening. 

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Texaco Iconic Ad

Texaco is such an iconic brand that anything bearing the logo or name has become collectable and bears a prominent display.  According to logoorange the five pointed logo star was created in 1903 as an obvious reference to Texas.

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The discovery of oil in Southeast Texas was what gave rise to The Texas Co which later became Texaco.  With the rise of the American automobile came the need for "filling stations". Texaco along with other now iconic brands filled the need for gas and oil along the growing network of Americas roads. Texaco was the first to have filling stations in all of the lower 48 states.  What made the brand so recognizable to the American public was the aggressive promotion of the brand with radio and television. The best part of this story is that Texaco  is still with us as a part of Chevron.

Heinz 57 Vintage Ad

I did not know until this moment the meaning of 57 in Heinz 57 until I posted this vintage ad to Ebay.  What it means is one of 57 varieties. The term "Heinz 57" used for mixed breed dogs makes sense now.  The 57 varieties taken from Wikipedia:

Heinz Oven-Baked Beans - Pork and Tomato Sauce Heinz Oven-Baked Beans - Pork no Tomato Sauce Heinz Oven-Baked Beans - Tomato Sauce no Pork Heinz Oven-Baked Red Kidney Beans Heinz Cream of Asparagus Heinz Cream of Celery Soup Heinz Cream of Green Pea Soup Heinz Cream of Mushroom Heinz Cream of Oyster Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup Heinz Bean Soup Heinz Beef Broth Heinz Clam Chowder Heinz Gumbo Creole Heinz Mock Turtle Soup Heinz Scotch Broth Heinz Noodle Soup Heinz Pepper Pot Soup Heinz Vegetable Soup

Heinz Consommé Heinz Onion Soup Heinz Mince Meat Heinz Puddings—Date, Fig, and Plum Heinz Peanut Butter Heinz Cooked Spaghetti Heinz Cooked Macaroni Heinz Pure Jellies Heinz Apple Butter Heinz Gherkins—Sweet or Sour Heinz Mixed Pickles—Sweet or Sour Heinz Chow Chow Pickle Heinz Sweet Mustard Pickle Heinz Dill Pickles Heinz Fresh Cucumber Pickle Heinz Strained Foods Heinz India Relish Heinz Sandwich Spread Heinz Pickled Onions—Sweet and Sour

Heinz Spanish Queen Olives Heinz Stuffed Spanish Olives Heinz Ripe Olives Heinz Pure Spanish Olive Oil Heinz Tomato Ketchup Heinz Chili Sauce Heinz Beefsteak Sauce* Heinz Pepper Sauce—Red or Green Heinz Worcestershire Sauce Heinz Prepared Mustard—Brown or Yellow Heinz Evaporated Horseradish Heinz Mayonnaise Heinz Pure Malt Vinegar Heinz Pure Cider Vinegar Heinz Distilled White Vinegar Heinz Tarragon Vinegar Heinz Rice Flakes Heinz Breakfast Wheat Heinz Tomato Juice[5]

*Beefsteak Sauce was renamed Heinz 57 Sauce in 1940.

Check out this wonderful history of the Tomato.

This Wonderful Ad is for Sale

Fisher Body a body parts maker and a division of GM was a major war parts supplier during WWII.  They supplied gun and tank parts until the end of the very end of world war two. Dramatic ads like the one below were placed in magazines to show the companies contribution to the war effort. The scene was painted by Dean Cornwell a well know artist who did illustrations for Cosmopolitan and other well known companies.

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Collecting Boyd's Bear.

 If you are a teddy bear collector you have probably heard of Boyd's Bears.  Boyd's Bears started in 1979 by Gary Lowenthal and his wife Justine. The first jointed bear called "Matthew" was the first official Boyds Bear. Marketing success was found by the Lowenthals by selling to upscale gift shops and avoiding the discount store. The Boyd's Bears are also hand sown and inspected which added to the success of the company.

TEDDY BEARS FOR SALE


 Many people have an area of their home to display the collection they have. Boyd's Bears can also match the occasion or season.   The two mohair bears shown are from earlier collections and were won at an auction with a lot of dolls that my wife wanted.  I had no idea that they had some value.  They just looked like a plush toy a kid would drag around and not something that would sit in a display like a porcelain doll.

Grand Central Station GCT

 Grand Central Terminal at the corner of 42nd Street and Park Avenue in New York City is iconic to most Americans.  Travel+Leisure magazine October 2011 survey claims that Grand Central Station is the 6th most visited tourist attractions in the world.  Having visited New York I wonder if this is just because you end up there at one point or another.  The ad I clipped and shown below has some interesting artwork depicting the blue ceiling and making it even more grand than it already is.

The Milwaukee Road.

I love vintage ads.  I remember as a child being thoroughly entertained by just sitting and looking through old magazines.  I especially loved the rich colors and artwork of the ads.  Now that I am older I enjoy the the ads that are specific to the 1940's and the history of those that portray WWII, such as the ad above.  Before  finding this Ad, I had never heard of the Milwaukee Road.  The Milwaukee Road was the class 1 rail line of Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad that operated until 1980.  This ad has everything that I love to see Americana, Railroad stuff and good art work with wonderful information and Uncle Sam in a top hat, all from the 1940's.  One of the great things about collecting ads like this is what you will find.  I found a wonderful web site dedicated to the Milwaukee road called Milwaukee Road Historical Association.  It is a well put together site that offers links and a company store.   

THIS AD IS FOR SALE!

I recently won a pair of antique iron clamp on skates at an auction because I liked the looks of them and the price was right. Stamped on the skates and covered with rust was Winslow's National Club.  The name it's self evokes vintage images of men in suits and women in long dresses skating on ponds.  It is nice to own them and I am definitely going to keep my eyes open for more like them. The history of skates itself is interesting.  In the 14th century the Dutch were using wood and iron skates on the canals.  John E. Strauss in 1914 invented the type of skates pictured below that became popular and lead to all the skates used today.

Auctions 
 Buying from auctions for resale is an outcome of my collecting vintage items for fun and to decorate our home. Often times when antiques or collectibles are bought at an auction you will end up with items that you didn't want or are extra item that will gather dust.  Storage and tying up your money in something that you didn't want or cannot get rid of can be a hazard of auctions and estate sales.   The solution is to sell it on EBay for enough profit to help purchase the next collectible item you are looking for.

Buying for resale can be daunting.  You have to know the value of the things you are bidding on.  Both the retail value and the wholesale value or in other terms the antique store value and EBay value. EBay value is often times much lower than antique store list price and even lower when you consider shipping.  Some knowledge of what you are buying is required.  Resist the urge to bid to on things you have no knowledge of.  If you have that gut feeling that you have found a long lost Van Gogh or Monet try and win the bid but realize you may be stuck with a painting or item of no value.
Go early and scan what is displayed at the auction and have an idea of what you want and what your limit will be.  Bring a partner with a note pad and knowledge of other items of value.  Communicate your limits and have them tug on your sleeve when you get into a bidding war.  Know what items you want to keep and what may be good for resale.   If you want an item that you will not resell you may want to bid up to or over the retail price.  Know it is the auctioneers job to get the highest price for the seller. They split many collections that should stay together in order to bring a higher price.  Have a poker face and try not to show excitement over something you know has value. Human nature is competitive and someone else may sense the bargain from your excitement and start a bidding war.    Jumping in to the bid takes practice.  Sometimes the auctioneer will lower the price when no one bids and that is the time to jump in.  

Antique fishing lures are very collectible. Just Google fishing lure with the word "antique" or "vintage" and see how many sites come up. When I go to auctions or yard sales this is one of the first things I am attracted to and this is because they have some folk art attraction that takes me back to an earlier more nostalgic time.  Antique Fishing Lures and Old School Baits Field and Stream article explain much of the passion for collecting these lures.

Vintage Fishing Tackle

Airline Safety Cards are Collectible

Airline safety cards are documents that are put into the seat pockets of airlines to instruct passengers on an aircraft about safety procedures and emergency conditions that may happen during a flight. They are specific to the airline and aircraft model they are placed on. These cards are not supposed to be removed from the aircraft seat pocket for good reason but some passengers do because they have become collectible.  There is a whole subculture of people who collect these cards with the same passion that some collect stamps. There are even conventions where people who collect safety cards can go. An interesting site is Airtoons which offers portraits with the same graphic design as safety cards.  

Airline collectables