Crazy for My Collectibles

I am so excited to share of my latest treasures with you. I am most excited about this precious Black Americana ashtray! This ashtray is circa 1930s-1940s and made in Japan. It is very rare to come across an ashtray of this type as the cigarette is placed inside the mouth and smoke comes out from the nose that also happens to have a fly sitting on top. These types of vintage ashtrays are extremely rare and fragile so they do not tend to survive over 60 years!

Another two items we are delighted with is this group of 1950s Retro Fish wall plaques with momma and babies and the coloring is phenomenal in pinks, aqua and gold. Also, this magnificent set of rare 1940s pink Black Americana Mammy and Chef salt and pepper shakers with their labels that tell us they are “22 Carat Gold Craft, USA.” If you are interested in these items or would like to more please check here for details.

We had to share our very latest AMAZING finds with you all. These are truly INCREDIBLE Black Americana Memorabilia items from a bygone era. It is not often one comes across these kitchen linens that still retain their original tags! These items are so special and so rare – we have not seen these before and do not know when we might find another again. Please visit our other web sites for additional details or our products pages for these vintage black americana kitchen towels and tea towels.

Black Memorabilia Black Doll Show & Sale from Johnson Shows

The Mall at Prince Georges
3500 East West Highway
Hyattsville, MD 20782
“Located In The Greater Washington, DC Area”

“Celebrating Black History Month”

–Many vendors with Black Dolls, Doll Accessories, Doll Furniture, and Doll-related items for sale
–Meet the African American Doll Artists and Doll Makers
–Dorothy Dandridge Authentic Memorabilia Exhibit
–An Educational Experience For The Whole Family

Details here!

Mark your calendars for the Black Memorabilia & Collectibles Show on April 17, 2010 in the greater Washing, D.C. area Gaithersburg, Maryland.

FEATURING AT THIS WORLD FAMOUS LOCATION:

Vendors with Black Memorabilia and Black Americana Collectibles for sale including historical artifacts and documents, books, figurals, art, autographs, stamps, advertisements, toys, prints, paintings, textiles, dolls, political and civil rights memorabilia, kitchen collectibles, jewelry, postcards, cookie jars, sports memorabilia, photographic items, posters, coins, entertainment memorabilia and much more. Details here.

We get questions from time to time on “What is Black Americana” to “What items are collectible” so we decided to write up this little guide to hopefully answer these questions as we feel there just might be some other folks out there with these questions too. We are always learning and seeking information as this collecting niche is vast and there is still so much to learn.

What Exactly is Black Americana?

Black Americana is also referred to as Black Memorabilia, Afro-Americana, and Black Face Collectibles and these are all terms that refer to collectibles having an African- American theme.

As far back as the 1700s Black Americana porcelain figurines and dolls were being manufactured in Germany, Japan, England, France, Austria, and the United States. The majority of Black Americana items were produced between the late 1800s and the 1950’s. Souvenirs were the biggest market and included novelty items, salt and pepper shakers and bisque children sitting on cotton bales. In the late 1950’s-1960’s these items began to disappear from the market and were no longer being mass-produced.

Undoubtedly, these items are often offensive, but they do represent a historical record of our countries’ past and we then remember how our country over-came those days of so long ago. Many collectors say that they seek out these items today to show their children how races were viewed and how times and things have changed.

We at Crazy4me are crazy about Black Americana kitchen items, specifically Salt & Pepper Shakers, Tea Towels, and Tablecloths. These items can brighten your home so instantly with their jovial themes and bright colors and we truly enjoy them!

The Below Black Americana Kitchen Items Are Very Collectible Today:

• Luzianne Mammy (offered by Luzianne Coffee Co. in the 1950s) we have a rare pair of Luzianne Mammy shakers in our eBay store
• Mammy Cookie Jars
• Mammy Recipe Box (Fosta Products USA plastic red, yellow, green)
• Salt and Pepper shakers (Mammy, Chefs, Butlers, Kids, Natives)
• Spice Sets
• Pie Birds
• Wall pockets
• Teapots
• Jelly & Jam Jars
• Tablecloths & Tea Towels (Embroidered and Printed)
• Aunt Jemima

& So much more!

Interest in collecting Black Americana has seen a huge spike in recent years. It seems folks just can’t get enough of these rare quirky collectibles. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, Spike Lee, and Whoopi Goldberg are avid collectors. Because the demand for Black Americana is so high with little inventory in the market place, new and fist-time collectors are finding it difficult to purchase more than one item at a time. But, there are still some bargains out there to be had as collectors and dealers who have multiples of items will occasionally part with them.
You can find Black Americana collectibles at specific shows across the country that specialize in this with many dealers booths setup to showcase and sell their items. Many antique malls and shops sometimes have these items in stock too. There are also many online Internet antique malls and stores as well as eBay. There are some insane deals to be had right on eBay!

Reproductions & Fakes

No discussion on Black Americana collectibles would be complete without mentioning reproductions and fake items. Several of the cookie jars and salt and pepper shakers are being made out of the old molds today. It can be very difficult to tell the difference between the old and new especially when they bear a maker’s mark. Usually the new item is a tiny bit smaller. Best rule is to know your merchandise and know your dealer. The Internet is a great resource for researching reproductions and there are several good books in the market that not only discuss fakes but list values too.

It has been a crazy couple weeks! Seems like we have been getting really lucky coming across very rare and hard to find collectibles like these latest items: Vintage Black Americana Kids With Corn Salt & Pepper Shakers and this pristine Vintage Black Americana Banjo Player Towel (SOLD). These two items are in superb condition and will be treasured! THESE HAVE NOW BEEN SOLD! THANKS to all who were interested.

Recently I have been getting requests from my blog friends and followers to post up some of my recent “finds” so that is exactly what I am doing here. I came across these original pink 1930s – 1940s Black Americana Twin Mammy salt & pepper shakers, this 1940s era Aunt Jemima Tea towel and this 1940s era Mammy With a Pie Tablecloth and am truly loving them! It is rare to find true vintage items in the condition these are in so that tells me that someone has taken extra special care of them over the years. Items this rare are usually from private collections as I have never found one in a thrift store or at a yard sale or very seldom at an antique mall. My personal collection of Black Americana is really growing and my husband is starting to wonder how much more of the house will these treasures be taking over. I may be forced to part with some due to lack of space. Any how, I just wanted to take a moment and share my latest treasures with you. For those that are interested, I do list items for sale occasionally on this website and you can always visit my Etsy and eBay stores too for something truly authentic, original, and unique!