Today I am thrilled to share one of my passions with you all – collecting vintage Spaghetti Poodles! These little guys are positively precious, and they add a wonderful sense of cuteness while perfectly fitting into my mid-century modern aesthetic.

My favorite pieces from the collection have got to be the 1950’s Norcrest poodle trio in glasses & bows on the tray plus Lipper & Mann’s ‘NOEL’ set for Christmas time. Also included in this beloved assortment is an array of delightful lipstick holders, planters, vases – it just can’t get any better than that!

UPDATE: You can ready about my collections on a recently published piece in the Antique Trader

Take a step back in time and revel in the kitschy cuteness of 1950s poodles! Back then, these furry four-legged friends were everywhere – from classic Poodle skirts to intricate spaghetti art ware figurines. Ceramic artists crafted unique pieces using a special technique that mimicked the pup’s fur and sparked an excitement for all things “spaghetti” poodle!

Spaghetti art wear is made from clay, porcelain, and ceramic which is applied as “fur” to form various textures of a poodle’s hairdo. To accomplish the spaghetti look, ceramicists and designers would have different techniques like using tea strainers to push the material through to form strands that were then attached to the poodle giving it a pom-pom look or they would swirl it onto to the poodle for a curly look. The spaghetti is very fragile and tends to break or chip over the years.

Vintage spaghetti poodle dogs have once again become quite collectible and it has sparked a new collecting theme for many. These vintage poodles have so much charm and character.

They come in a many colors and styles and can be found highly decorated with rhinestones, bows, glasses, hats, and come in a variety of poses like playing sports, with chain leashes and puppies, depicted as fireman, graduating students, band musicians, snooty, wearing high fashion, smoking, brides and more.

Seems everywhere one looks we are returning to the nostalgia of yesteryear in some ways. Prices for poodles 4” inches – 5” inches tall and depending on condition and decoration can sell for $25.00 – $50.00. Prices go up and you can expect to pay more for decorated poodles with rhinestones and embellishments as well as the larger the poodle size is the higher the price will be.

Christmas themed poodles can go for $85-$125 for the Norcrest 3”-4” inch figurines. Noel poodles can go as high as $275 as they are very hard to find and do not come up for sale often.

When you are out searching for your poodle collectibles be sure to give the item(s) a thorough once-over by making sure rhinestones are all intact and match, spaghetti is intact, paint is not too worn, chained groups are still chained together with their original chains and items that have parasols still retain their parasols.

Flea markets and antique shops are good sources for spaghetti poodles but the internet is your best source today so regularly searching eBay, Etsy as well as Instagram because many sellers are on Instagram and post their collectibles for sale so searching for target hashtags should yield you good results.

Tips for Collecting Vintage 1950s Spaghetti Poodle Figurines

• Damage: Make sure the tail is intact, as this tends to crack or break off over the years. If you are at an antique store and the price tag is around the poodles neck or tail, look under it as sometimes sellers try to hide cracks
• Details: Are all the rhinestones intact, is the paint and color in good condition, are their any chips, cracks, dings, fleabites or crazing to the poodle
• Chained Groups: Make sure the chains are attached and are original and have not been replaced
• Manufacturers: Poodle manufacturer brands to look for are Norcrest, Napco, Lefton, Kreiss and Company, Thames, Wales Japan, Classica, Lipper & Mann, and Relco. Poodles that retain their original foil tags and Made in Japan tags or have a stamped number or makers mark, you can expect to pay more for and are highly desirable by collectors.
• Colors: Poodles that are blue are very rare so snap them up if you come across them. Pink poodles are very desirable and fetch top dollar.

Without a doubt my most favorite poodle of all time is my fluffy snowball Luna who isn’t a poodle at all, but is a Bichon Frise!! A big thank you to my sweet hubby Gary for all the pics and a super fun photoshoot.

The perfect tees for the Poodle collector and lover by Crazy4MeStyle.com