Collecting Kitschy Cute Vintage Salt and Pepper Shakers

Do you love collecting kitschy-cute vintage salt and pepper shakers? I do too! Many people love to collect salt and pepper shakers and there are many different types that you can find at flea markets, antique shops, or online. This blog post is all about those irresistibly adorable salt and pepper shakers with tips on colleting different themes, buying and selling and how to find rare ones.

The fun thing about salt and pepper shakers is that they are usually small in size and can fit on your kitchen shelves, desk, windowsills, and right on your dining table so no matter how small of a space you live in, there is room for salt and pepper shakers and they not only fill the practical need of condiments but also provide decoration to your living space. 

Salt and pepper shaker collecting took off in the 1940s-1950s with the creation of ceramics and were being made in a variety of designs, shapes, and themes. Souvenir shakers were especially popular during this time frame as folks started taking to the roads in their Airstreams and Shasta trailers and could pick them up on their road trips at gas stations and rest stops. Shakers from this era were affordably manufactured and therefore affordable to purchase. Today, shakers come in a variety of materials from glass, wood, to metal, plastic and anything imaginable.

My salt and pepper shaker collection is primarily made up of anthropomorphic, animals and vintage Christmas shakers. My requirement is that they have to be cute and make me smile. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt so much and scour internet sites, antique shops, thrift stores and estate sales for rare and hard to find sets. I also enjoy the stories from the collectors themselves and learning what got them interested in collecting and how they found particular shakers. Collecting is also such a fun social activity as most collectors I have met love talking about their collections and sharing knowledge and information. 

Vintage PY Anthropomorphic Toothpaste Girls

Continue reading

Share

Gift Baskets for Vintage & Retro Collectors – Perfect Gifts!

Vintage Holiday Basket 2

Right about now its probably cold outside, maybe even snowing where you are and its mid December with Christmas right around the corner! Do you find yourself in a slight panic asking yourself “What gift do I give the vintage collector”? Well, we hope you find this article helpful as we have put together three gift basket ideas you can create for the vintage and retro collector you know.

Vintage salt and pepper shaker collectors, vintage dog figurine and vintage teacup collectors will all be so happy to find these gift baskets waiting especially for them under the Christmas tree. Putting together a gift basket for the vintage collector is a very personalized and unique gift that surely will be treasured!

Basket 1: The Salt and Pepper Shaker Collector Gift Basket
The container used for this gift basket for the salt and pepper shaker collector can be a vintage basket, vintage colander, small vintage cabinet, vintage mixing bowls, vintage loaf pans, vintage hat box, ceramics/crates, cans, tins and trays to name a few.

Make sure you have an adequate amount of cellophane, netting, or tulles to completely cover the gift basket and have enough left to pull up over the basket to tie it off and secure the items. Fill the bottom of the container with shred, brown primitive papers, or vintage tea towels and napkins to cushion the contents.  Have some nice bows and ribbons and items to embellish the basket like florals, ornaments, and some greenery handy.

Items to include in this gift basket are of course Salt and Pepper Shakers; maybe you are able to seek out and find the rare or hard-to-find shakers your recipient is looking for. Perhaps you are very generous and can include multiple sets or a couple pairs of shakers. Also, including a collectors book specific to salt and pepper shakers that details collecting areas and manufacturers, price guides, what to sell and what to keep would be a nice addition.  Adding some actual gourmet salts and peppers to this basket would be great. Maybe you are able to locate a calendar specific to salt and pepper shakers to add to the basket or have photographed the collection of shakers your recipient has and turned it into a calendar or coffee table book and can add it to this basket – that would be truly awesome!

Basket 2: Gift Basket For The Vintage Teacup Collector
Does your recipient collect Chintz teacups, or only teacups with pink roses, bone china teacups, or a variety of teacups? No matter which type of teacup your recipient collects, you should be in luck and have no trouble finding the perfect one as teacups are everywhere and beautiful vintage and antique ones can be tracked down at antique shops, vintage shops, and even thrift stores and estate sales.

The container used for this gift basket for the Teacup collector can be a vintage basket, a pretty wicker basket, vintage colander, vintage hat box, ceramics/crates, cans, tins and trays, lovely porcelain boxes, and vintage tea caddy’s to name a few.

Make sure you have an adequate amount of cellophane, netting, or tulles to completely cover the gift basket and have enough left to pull up over the basket to tie it off and secure the items. Fill the bottom of the container with shred, vintage tea towels or vintage napkins, even a small vintage quilt or scarf to cushion the contents.  Have some nice bows and ribbons and items to embellish the basket like florals, ornaments, and some greenery handy.

Items to include in this gift are teacups! Make sure the teacup is cleaned before placing it into the gift container. Teacups in whatever pattern and style your recipient collects.  If you have a treasured heirloom that you would consider passing onto a close and dear collector you know, this would be a treasured teacup to receive for certain! Adding a dainty enameled spoon or vintage sterling silver teaspoon along with a nice selection of gourmet teas, sugars and tea cookies. Adding a lovely vintage porcelain creamer and a darling little teacup ornament would be nice additions as well. Also, adding a resource like a collector’s book on teacups and china would be very nice too. Great resource here.
Continue reading

Share