COLLECTIBLES AND ANTIQUES
| On this page we provide tid bits of information on many of the collectibles
and antiques featured on our
site; as well, we make reference to the many books and articles
where we have collected this information.
We hope your visit will be an informative and enjoyable experience |
| JADITE:
Many of today's Kitchenware collectors have found the lovely green JADITE (JADE-ITE) glassware just as attractive today as it was to the home makers of the forties through the sixties It was produced by the tons by several companies; Anchor Hocking and McKee were two of the larger producers for both home and restaurant use Jade-ite has proven extremly popular with collectors. From the FIRE KING line comes Depression Era patterns such as the distinctive ALICE and the simplicity of JANE RAY. The durable restaurant ware offers an alternative. Mixing bowls and batter bowls abound in Jade-ite. Many dealers have attributed this new found enthusiasm for the green glass to MARTHA STEWART and her use of Jadite on her TV show The origin of Jadite as a force in the glassware industry can be traced to it's development by the McKee Glass Co. in 1930 JADITE An Identification & Price Guide--Joe Keller and David Ross--Schiffer Publishing Ltd. An Unauthorized Guide to Fire King Glasswares--Monica Lynn Clements--Patricia Rosser Clements--Schiffer Publishing Ltd. Collectible Glassware From the 40's, 50's, 60's--Gene Florence--Schroeder Publishing Co. |
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| COOKIE JARS:
The NELSON McCOY POTTERY Co., ROBINSON RANSBOTTOM POTTERY Co., and the AMERICAN BISQUE POTTERY Co. are three of the largest cookie jar producers in the USA Many firms made them to a lesser extent. Today cookie jars are one of the most popular of modern collectibles. Figural jars are the most common (and the most valuable), made in an endless variety of subjects. Early jars from the 1920's and 30's were often decorated in cold paint over the glaze; care must be taken to use very gentle cleaning methods. All sorts of charming and whimsical cookie jars have been produced in recent decades and these are increasingly collectible today Collectors Encyclopedia of McCoy Pottery--Sharon and Bob Huxford The Collector's Encyclopedia of Cookie Jars--Joyce and Fred Roerig An Illustrated Value Guide to Cookie Jars--Ermagene Westfall The Complete Cookie Jar Book--Mike Schneider |
| MAXFIELD PARRISH PRINTS:
Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), American painter and illustrator, born in Philadelphia. Parrish was known as an illustrator for such works as Washington Irving's Knickerbocker's History of New York, as a magazine cover and poster artist, and as a muralist; best known are his witty Old King Cole murals in the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. His romantic landscapes are marked by vivid color and flat, decorative treatment. Parrish is one of America's most celebrated illustrators. During the 1920's and 1930's Maxfield Parrish was considered the most popular artist-illustrator in the United States; his illustrations graced the covers of the most noted magazines of the day. Although for 65 years he was one of the best known and successful artists of his time, Parrish's romantic images seemed passe with the Depression of the '30s. The artist turned exclusively to landscape painting at that time, living and working at "The Oaks" in the artistic and intellectual community of Cornish, New Hampshire, having moved there in 1898, and where he passed away 10 days after a major retrospective of his work in 1966. Today all Maxfield Parrish artwork, including magazine covers, advertisements and calander art is considered collectible but it is the fine art prints that command the most attention. Collectible Maxfield Parrish--William R. Holland & Douglas Congdon-Marten Schfield Publishing Maxfield Parrish Identification & Price Guide--Erwin Flacks--Daybreak |
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| MARX TOYS:
In 1919, after working several years at F.J. Strauss Company, a young man with visions of mass marketing and mass production ventured out on his own and began a toy company. Joined by his brother David a couple of years later, Louis Marx & Company was located at 200 Fifth Avenue, in New York City where it remained for 52 years throughout the Marx ownership. Two basic policies were instilled from the beginning at Louis Marx & Co.: Give the customer more toy for less money, and Quality is not negotiable. Louis and David worked long, hard days and nights to turn these policies into realities, setting an example for their staff and the entire industry. The company soon earned a reputation for excellent quality at low prices, making the Marx brand name synonymous with high value. The 1930's were a period of rapid growth for Marx despite the Great Depression. The first major plant was at Erie, Pennsylvania. Marx Trains ran 'full steam' at the Girard, PA plant, and vehicles 'rolled' out of the Glendale, West Virginia factory. Solid growth continued until World War II, when the factories converted for the war effort. In 1945, following VE day, General Dwight D. Eisenhower invited Louis Marx to join him as Industrial Advisor in Germany. Marx emerged from World War II as the world's largest manufacturer of toys, dominating the production of mechanical toys, model trains, guns, cars, ride-ons, playsets, doll houses, vehicles, service stations, and of course the world famous Yo-Yo, introduced by Marx in 1928. In the 1960s and 1970s, Marx ruled the action figure world with a myriad of adventure characters, such as Johnny West, Rat Patrol, Daniel Boone, Vikings, knights and Indians. The quality and the Magic of Marx have been preserved in its molds. Today, Marx makes Limited Edition Collector toys as well as Mass Market products in tune with contemporary trends. Marx standards are maintained under the proven success formula: High Recognition, Excellent Quality, Real Play Value, and Powerhouse Packaging, all at price points that "shock" America. The Encyclopedia of Marx Action Figures--Tom Heaton--Krause Publications Marx Toys: Robots, Space, Comic Characters--Maxine A. Pinsky--Schiffer Publishing Marx Toy Sampler--Michelle Smith--Krause Publishing |
| SHAWNEE POTTERY: was started
in Zanesville, Ohio in 1937.
The company made vases, novelty ware, flowerpots, planters, lamps and cookie jars. Three dinnerware lines were made: Corn, Lobster Ware, and Velencia (a solid color line) . White Corn pattern utility pieces were made in 1945. Corn King was made from 1946 to 1954. Corn Queen, with darker green leaves and lighter colored corn, from 1954 to 1961. Shawnee produced pottery for George Rumrill during the late 1930's Shawnee can be marked Shawnee, Shawnee USA, USA No.__, Kenwood, and with character names such as Smiley, Winnie, Pat etc. or unmarked. The plant closed in 1961. Shawnee Pottery--Jim and Bev Mangus Collecting Shawnee Pottery--Mark Supnick |
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