Searching for Collectibles
Buddy L Trucks Copied
Reproductions of four Buddy L trucks are now being delivered to customers with a fifth model scheduled to be available in several more months.
New Lead Penny Toys
A dealer at a midwestern flea market was recently offering several different miniature cast lead penny toys. By the time we heard about them and got to the booth, this was the only one left. Our sample cost $10. All the toys were of turn of the century steam powered equipment.
Rooster cocktail shaker
another $1,000+ Deco shaker reproduced
New cast iron lamp bridges from China
Bridge lamps are named for an arm or "bridge" that holds the bulb and shade out and away from the lamp base (see Fig. 1). They were at the height of their popularity during the 1920's and early 1930's. The majority were cast iron; better quality versions were brass. Figural bridges can double or quadruple the price over lamps with ordinary or plain bridges.
Head Vases Reproduced
New head vases are available around the country. The 6″ high example shown below was purchased in an antique mall for $22. The seller had 20 pieces of the example shown. A similar new head vase was also purchased in a gift shop for $20.
New Halloween Collectibles - A Variety of Items and Figures now Available
Reproductions of Halloween collectibles aren't limited to jack-o-lanterns. There are a number of new products made in the style of vintage Halloween collectibles.
New cat and owl cast iron andirons
These cast iron cat and owl figural andirons have been seen in brochures and catalogs from several sources. These once retailed for around $60 per set.
New Dr. Seuss items
Theodor Geisel, better known under his pen name of Dr. Seuss, was both author and illustrator. Although his main charactersincluding the Cat in the Hat, Grinch, Horton and legions of unruly haired creatureswere originally designed to interest children in learning to read, the weird creatures make highly colorful and unusual collectibles.
New Halloween Paper Mache
There's a lot of new Halloween material offered in the online auction sites right now. Many pieces described as paper mache containers are not true paper mache at all. The majority of the piece are simply painted factory-made cardboard boxes or factory-made boxes with bits of crepe paper glued on.
Paper Mache from Old Molds
A German firm has begun using original pre-1940 molds to reproduce paper mache candy containers and novelty figures. Reproductions have handpainted details and some amount of hand finishing. The new containers and figures are retail priced $30 - $75; comparable originals can sell for $150 - $500.