I have always been drawn to the vintage 1950 – 1960 poodle dog figurines and collectibles. The spaghetti poodles ALWAYS catch my eye when I am at flea markets, antique malls, and junk shops. I am amazed at the wide variety of poodle collectibles on the market today and we of course have the fabulous 1950s to thank for all the poodles on the market today. I am a Bichon Frise dog lover and proud owner of Luna – our 3-year-old Bichon but those cute poodles, I can’t stay away from them!

Poodle dogs have been portrayed and modeled into figurines and paintings since the early 1920s and in the 1950s poodles were at their peek of popularity. Nearly all poodles figurines and collectibles were made in Japan (as was nearly everything else) and manufacturers such as Lefton, Napco, Napcoware, Replo, Kreiss, Thames Company, Reubens, Shafford, Holt Howard, Vcagco, Ucagco, Arnart, Bradley, Artmark, Ries, Lipper and Mann, Commodor, Relco, Inarco, and Tilso to name a few, were all producing some type of Poodle collectible and Poodle ware from vanity items, to chained figures featuring mamma dog and puppies to parasol ladies with their poodle pooches. Poodles were depicted to look like mans best friend, silly poses, goofy faces, wearing sunglasses, and in playful poses and even with bees and flies on their noses. CUTE!

Spaghetti Poodles:

Spaghetti Poodles were made from clay, porcelain, and ceramic and their “hair” was applied in various ways to form various textures to mimic an actual poodle’s hair do. To accomplish the spaghetti look decorators and designers would have different techniques like using tea strainers and pushing the material through it to form strands that were then affixed to the poodle giving it a pom-pom look or swirled onto to the poodle for a curly look. Spaghetti is very fragile and tends to break or chip during the years and I am AMAZED at the many spaghetti poodles I come across that after 50 or 60 years old and still retain nearly all their spaghetti! These poodles were certainly loved and preserved to keep them in this type of fabulous condition. Many poodles also have applied on them sparkly rhinestones for the poodle’s eyes and rhinestones were also applied to the poodle’s dog collar. Pearls and ceramic/porcelain florals were also added to many poodles for decorations on their heads, hats and various parts of body to mimic pom-poms.

Today’s Poodle Market
Poodles are highly sought after and collectible today. Seems everywhere one looks we are returning to the nostalgia of yester year in some ways. Prices for poodles will vary depending on the region you are located but average pricing for figurines and such are around $25.00 – $50.00 and go up from their depending on the rarity and maker of the item along with size and condition.

I think that currently eBay is the best place to buy your poodle collectibles right now as you will find a vast selection and prices are unbeatable when you can pick up rare poodles for $8.99 and at prices this low it makes starting or adding to a collection possible even in this tough economy.

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, 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.

Oodles of Poodles to Collect:
Poodle dog figurines, poodle dog salt and pepper shakers, poodle dog themed dinnerware and coffee mugs, poodle dog planters, poodle dog candle holders, poodle dog coin banks, poodle dog brooches and pins and jewelry, poodle dog ashtrays, poodle dog scarf, poodle dog embroidered linens like tablecloths and tea towels, poodle dog bells, poodle dog lamps, poodle skirts, poodle dog pincushions, poodle dog greeting cards, poodle dog vanity trash cans, poodle dog lipstick holders, poodle dog wrapping paper, poodle dog aprons, poodle dog plush toys and more as there are also a slew of Christmas Holiday themed Poodle Dog Figurines and Collectibles too!

Photos from Flickr

Crazy4Me

I am loving these cute vintage Christmas figurines that have a “candy cane” theme.  Many of these are made in Japan by the great manufacturers of the era like Napco, Norcrest, Lefton Wales, Inarco, Kriess, Holt Howard, Relco, Replo, Ucago, and Commadore.  These vintage candy cane themed figurines and decorations are increasing in value each year and a couple years ago you could pick them up for $25-$40 dollars and today they can go over $200, especially the Lefton Christmas kids riding on a candy cane. Keeping my eyes open for one!!

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I absolutely adore 1950s vintage Christmas decorations and salt and pepper shakers. Pictured here are some of the adorable vintage Christmas Santa shakers from makers Holt Howard, Napco, and Lefton. Right now the pic of the vintage “Cowboy” Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers are so much fun with all their details of guns and cowboy hat.  I feel a “12 days of vintage Christmas”  collectibles series of posts on the way!! Click on pics to enlarge.

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I was on one of the well-known online charity auction websites recently and won this vintage 1958 Holt Howard Noel Elf Girls Pixieware Candle Holder set and I was sooooo thrilled!  I was the high bidder and let me say that it was not an inexpensive win. This set is very rare and so fragile and I have won items in the past from this charity auction website that when arrived were not quite as described and had lots more damage and I vowed not to shop on the site anymore but, a few months later and bam – I got sucked into another auction. The little faces on these girls were simply irresistible; they have big eyes and long eyelashes. So I paid the fee and shipping too was so high on these girls but they were going to be for my private collection so no worries. Well, they were shipped quickly and arrived quickly and as I was unpacking them I could already tell they were not securely packaged so as I was un wrapping the girls the majority were wrapped in paper towels (I am serious and not joking that they were actually wrapped in paper towels) the “N” survived, the “O” survived, the “E” survived and the final one I unwrapped the “L” had her little head broken off….. I was sooooooooo heart broken! My husband looked at me and shook his head, he felt bad for me and when he found out how much I paid agreed with me to never ever ever buy from that charity auction website again.

Many of you already know that we are eBay Power Sellers and sell on many online places and we specialize in vintage and antique collectibles and hold ourselves to the highest standards when it comes to our items, item descriptions, item packaging and customer service and immediately handle fairly any customer issues that might arise as we do the right thing, but, I have sent emails and left messages for this charity auction website and no one is even getting back to me. One of the main differences of shopping online vs. buying in person is that you can see the item first hand, touch it and hold it and look it over really well to make a decision if you want to purchase it or not and when buying online it is super important for sellers to be honest about the items, the item description and to make sure the item arrives safely to the buyer but, it appears not all online sellers hold themselves to our standards. Now, I guess I will have to search for ‘L” figurine.

These are a few of my favorite things! Its been a HARD and LONG couple weeks…..work has been brutal to me. Looking at some of these vintage Christmas figurines by Napco and Holt Howard are keeping me hanging in there. I wish I could return to a simpler time, a by-gone era where life was simple and and folks genuinely cared for each other. OH Well, I can imagine these times via these lovely vintage Christmas items!! Hope you are all doing great and thanks for visiting my blog today!

St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, Father Frost, Kris Kringle, Pere Noel, Ded Moroz, and Santa Claus to name a few. He may have many different names but he is globally known and loved by all young, and old alike. Yes, he visits once a year, but for some, his presence is felt year-round.

Did you know there are many more Santa Claus collectors than snowmen or angel collectors! There is even a Santa Claus museum, one in Santa Claus, INTexas Santa Claus museum has many rare and fragile Santa Claus figurines made from celluloid; a precursor to plastic material made between 1860s-1940s. This museum also has an extraordinary 1970s Santa made from Readers Digest magazines. and a Santa Claus museum in Texas. The

There are collectors of Santa figurines that keep their displays up all year-round, and why not, it certainly makes for a jovial home when there is a Santa Claus or two smiling at you every time you walk into the room.  Some collectors display their Santa’s according to a particular theme like “Patriotic Santa” where the entire Santa’s are dressed in variations of red, white, and blue and wave little USA flags.

I simply adore the hand carved and hand painted Russian Santa figurines from Russia. An artist that hand carves the figurine from Linden wood then hand paints gorgeous scenes on the figure makes these Santa’s. During the harsh Russian winters, Grandfather Frost and his granddaughter, the Snow Maiden, drive his sleigh from deep within the forests to deliver gifts to the Russian people. Designs on these Santa’s can be so detailed with full painted scenes of children gathered around Christmas trees and Troika – 3 horses pulling a sleigh. Russian wooden Santa’s can range in price from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Great site here for Russian Santas.

Another type of collectible Santa Claus figurine is Belsnickel. A Belsnickel is the fur-clad Santa or Old-World Santa that originated in northwestern Germany along the Rhine. In the 19th century the Belsnickel Santa was not a jolly roly-poly Santa we know today but rather a character that frightened the community. Belsnickel brought goodies for well-behaved girls and boys, and carried a whip and sticks to punish the naughty. Customs varied from community to community, but the enormous role of Belsnickel played in Christmas celebrations is evidenced by the many cookie cutters, chocolate molds, dolls, papier-mâché figurines, scrapbook cut outs, and postcards that survive from the era.

The 1950s-1960s Spaghetti Santa Claus figurines are desired today. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia of the good old days these vintage Santa’s bring to those that collect them. Most of these Santa’s were imported from Japan by companies like Lefton, Irice, Napco, Holt Howard and Inarco to name a few and were painted with bright colors and shiny glazes. These vintage figurines can be bought today for $9.99 – $50.00 and really are charming!

There are literally hundreds of companies and artisans who make Santa Claus figures and collectibles today. Radko, Jurt Adler, Jim Shore, Norman Rockwell, Dept.56, Bavarian Heritage, Lenox, Fitz and Floyd, Disney, etc.. And it would be impossible to mention them all. Also, there are many types of Santa Claus collectibles from Santa Claus Ornaments, Santa Claus Candy boxes, Papier Mache Santa Claus’s, Santa Claus Salt and Pepper Shakers, Santa Claus Tablecloths, Santa Claus Brooches, etc… Also, there are the Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus items too but, that is for another article.

Hope this article opens the doors to many more Santa Claus collectors as why wouldn’t you want to start or add to a Santa collection when it can help keep that special holiday spirit alive throughout the year.

I am so lucky to have the greatest husband on the planet, I know not too many of you men enjoy antiquing and shopping. Hubby and I took a drive to explore a new place over the weekend that turned out pretty Fantastic-ANTIQUE LAND!

Antique Land is located in Plano, Texas, and is HUGE with over 250 dealers and 50,000 sqft. Not bad as you can get your excercise and shop at the same time –Ha! Antique Land is in a strip mall right off the freeway and has lots of restaurnts nearby as well as right next door is a sexy lingerie shop that advertised something about sex in the shower and right next door to it is Planned Parent Hood. Go figure! Anyway, Antique Land is not hard to miss.

You walk in through the majestic doors and see Gorgeous Depression Glass, Crystal, Carnival Glass, Majolica, Sterling Silver, Estate Jewelry, Vintage Clothing & Accessories, Art, Oil Paintings, Collectibles, and some New items too. I am not one that is into collecting glass but boy-oh-boy did I see plenty of items I wanted! The place also has the most INCREDIBLE chandeliers – gorgeous antique glass and crystal along with Italian and Murano too. The first few rows of booths in Antique Land are full of real Antiques and high-end items in the French and English style. Tapestries, mirrors, pillows, rugs, all so gorgeous. Prices match the quality you see. Also, you can find collectibles too. Everything from vintage and retro to kitchenalia, adorable vintage Egg Cups, Napco, Lefton, Holt Howard, Pixieware, Aunt Jemima Black Americana, vintage tablecloths and tea towels, 1950s Poodle dog figurines, vintage Christmas items, animal figurines, Made In Japan items, Fiesta dishes, hard-to- find Fiesta,and soooo much more!

Antique Land is one of the first antique shops I have been in that actually has row names hanging from the ceiling so you do not get lost; Main Street, 42nd Ave… etc… really neat. In the middle of Antique Land is a lovely tea room called Veranda Tea Garden and many people were enjoying what looked to be afternoon High Tea complete with gorgeous tiered servers full of finger sandwiches and pastries.

The staff was very nice and helpful and many dealers were in their booths too so you could talk to them and learn about the items they had for sale.  Antique Land was very well lit, light and bright and cool inside as out side was triple digits. We ended up with some super neat salt and pepper shakers, books, linens, head vases, figurines, and antique art prints. I wish I could have taken home a couple of the chandeliers and bedroom sets and Majolica…. I pointed everything out to my husband and let him know any of them would make me happy for a anniversary, birthday, or “just because”….heheheh.

Antique Land
800 North Central Expressway
Plano, TX  75074
Phone: 972-509-7878  Fax: 972-633-2085
e-mail – info@planoantiqueland.com

Wrapping-up week one of my Pacific Northwest tour, I had a very nice visit at Farmhouse Antiques, located on Portland, Oregon’s Antiques Row in the chic and quirky Sellwood neighborhood. There are over a dozen antiques and collectibles shops among other trendy boutiques and coffee shops that make-up Sellwood’s Antiques Row. Antiques Row is minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Portland and is nestled amongst turn-of-the-century homes, cute cottages and bungalows with lots of blooming trees and colorful Spring flowers this time of year.

Farmhouse Antiques is a charming little shop offering a large selection of antique and vintage quilts, tablecloths, tea towels, postcards, salt and pepper shakers, glassware, 1950s spaghetti poodles, nick-nacks, charming jewelry and so much more! On my visit I walked away with some darling vintage Holt Howard and Lefton pixieware relish jars and pixieware jam jars and a couple Josef Originals figurines (I will post up pictures shortly to share with you all) and I found the pricing at Farmhouse Antiques extremely reasonably especially in comparison to the many other antiques and collectibles shops that make-up Sellwood’s Antiques Row.

Farmhouse Antiques was by far my favorite little shop though the many other shops offered their own specialty items weather your interest is in paintings,  Asian artifcacts, old lace, vintage home hardware from door knobs to chandeliers, and even yard décor.

Be sure you visit Sellwood Antiques Row and Farmhouse Antiques if you find yourself in Portland, Oregon as you will experience a full-day of treasure hunting in a chicly quirky neighborhood with lots of available parking and very friendly people.

Farmhouse Antiques
8028 SE 13th Ave
Portland, OR 97202
503-232-675

We have some SUPER fabulous treasures to share! Estate sales have been awesome so far this summer and we have some hard-to-find collectibles that were just listed in our eBay and Etsy stores.  Napco Noel Santa & Mrs. Claus Salt & Pepper Shaker set. Antique Black Americana Aunt Jemima Shakers, Vintage 1950s Campbell Soup Kids Salt and Pepper Shakers, Holt Howard 1960 Christmas Angel Candle Holder, Vintage Lefton July Ruby Angel Water Lily Figurine, and a pair of Retro Anthropomorphic Onion Salt & Pepper Shakers too! Thanks for visiting today!!

Aren’t these neat? We found these vintage circa 1950s retro collectible Grandma and Grandpa spoon rests recently and just love them. These are listed in the book Price Guide to Holt-Howard Collectibles and Related Ceramicware of the 50s & 60s ~ Walter Dworkin (Author). The Granny spoon rest says ““NO USE CRYING OVER SPILT MILK” and the grandpa spoon rest says “KEEP CONSCIENCE CLEAR, THEN NEVER FEAR”.  Would look so darling in a retro kitschy kitchen.

If you are interested in adding them to your home or collection. Visit here.