Happy New Year From The Creek...

The decade beginning in 1910 was a busy one...World War I, an influenza pandemic, and women's march for suffrage. On a lighter note, the "in" dance was the Foxtrot, pop-up toasters were invented and Nabisco introduced their new cookie - the "Oreo". New slang terms popped up in conversation, like "Something is not all it's cracked up to be", "No kidding", and "Down to the last detail".

So what will be said of 2010 in a hundred years? Your guess is as good as mine. But no kidding, I sure hope it is all it's cracked up to be... right down to the last detail.


Have a safe and blessed 2010.

Cast Iron Doorstops

American cast iron doorstops were developed around 1820 and quickly became a symbol of American upper-class affluence with their popularity peaking in the 1920s and 30s. The foundrys that produced them typically coated them with a monotone finish and then contracted local women to hand paint each one. This practice made them individually decorative while preserving their important function of propping open doors before the days of central air-conditioning. Smaller doorstops, under 7", were used for interior doors but some exterior stops measure as large as 18".

At the onset of WWII, the doorstop craze was extinguished when scap metal was melted down for the war effort.

To begin a doorstop collection, be sure to look at condition - vibrant original paint and castings with sharp detail. Prices can range from $100 to $1000 and up, depending on rarity and condition. For a starting point, go to http://www.doorstops.com/ for some ideas on the wide variety of antique doorstops available in today's market. Pictured here is Little Southern Belle, she is a full bodied doorstop valued at $175-300

An Epic WV Glass Story

Viking Glass was orginially New Martinsville Manufacturing, incorporated in 1900 - and through a chain of events became Viking Glass in 1944 and Danzell-Viking in 1987. Viking closed their doors in 1998 as one of the few remaining glass factories in West Virginia.

Viking was well known for their vibrant colors, choosing to mold glass into seemingly stretched unusual shapes. One of their most popular lines was their 1960's Epic line - well named for the vast variety of shapes - including their trademark slender-tailed bird.

Pictured above are several pieces of Viking Glass in the Epic line - a thistle petal foot candy dish , a turquoise vase and an amber slender-tailed bird. To learn more, check out www.vikingartglass.com.

Recycling America

Did you know that November 15th is America Recycles Day? It is the only nationally recognized day to encourage us to recycle as well as purchase products made of recycled materials. You can find more information at the following website: http://www.americarecyclesday.org/americarecycles.aspx

Being socially and environmentally responsible just makes good sense - for our generation as well as those to come. Stating that we've become a "throw away" society is an understatement -and as a collector of vintage, I see the stark changes that have occured even in as brief a period as the last 30 years. Countless disposable products have been developed to help make our lives more convenient and to hasten our hustle and bustle.

And while I am as guilty as the next person of buying that pre-shredded lettuce to save time, I still prefer to use my vintage Pyrex mixing bowls and my original Fiesta ware - newer products don't have the same charm, nor the lasting power that stand the test of time. Setting the table with 1950's restaurantware not only creates a great conversation starter - it saves those dishes from the landfill! I mean, don't you remember eating ketchup covered crinkle cut fries off of heavy stoneware platters ringed with green trim? Those dishes can take me right back to the pickle jar on the counter and the 5 cent pinball machine in the corner.

That being said, when you think about America Recycles this month, don't just think about cans and newspapers. Think also about purchasing vintage products this holiday season from your local antique shop or online - they make uniquely thoughtful gifts that can spark a fun story to share - or purchase for yourself to create a wonderfully Vintage Christmas! Hmmmm, a blog idea for another day...don't toss out that thought!

Collecting Halloween

Vintage Halloween has gained popularity over the years - while still not as popular as Christmas collecting, it is probably the 2nd most popular holiday for collectors. Quality classic Halloween can sometimes be difficult to find and fairly pricey at times - and beware of the reproduction goblins!! The best defense, other than a silver bullet, sharp stake or necklace of garlic, is a good Halloween collectible book which should give you tips on what items are real and how to spot a fake.

If you are new to vintage Halloween, you might want to start with something small, like postcards - they are easy to tuck away for the season and fun to display each year. The areas of Halloween collecting are as varied as the many costumes we enjoyed as children: die-cuts, composition candy containers, noisemakers, cake picks, games, plastic pumpkins, hard plastic toys, papier mache, lanterns and candy pails. With any area you choose, in no time at all you'll have gathered together a collection to die for!!

Railroadiana

Many people are facinated by old railroads - they were part of the fabric of our lives, connecting our communities in a by-gone era. Collecting railroadiana is one way to remember the romance and glory of the great age of railroads.

Rare Rock Island Railroad Bouillon Cup

Old railroad china is only one small aspect of railroadiana. Sturdy but beautiful, it was commercial grade quality in order to withstand lots of heavy use and to stay in place on rocking dining car tables. Patterns and colors vary by railroad line - many experimented with several patterns and not all were exclusive to a specific company. Some railroads used stock patterns while others had exclusive patterns developed for use in their dining cars alone. Some patterns and pieces are quite difficult to locate which makes them somewhat pricey.

Scarce C & O Railroad Water Can

Tinware is yet another type of railroad collectible, encompassing the many containers and other metal objects used by the railroad companies. Albeit, not all made of tin, these items tended to be rather battered by years of hard use. Because of this, these pieces are typically not as pricey as some railroad collectibles unless a rare item is located or a hard to find logo is found.

Wherever your interest leads you, you can most likely find something of interest since the collectibles range for railroadiana is quite large - paper, lanterns, uniforms, buttons, keys, locks, bells, badges, photos, spittoons, postcards - the list goes on and on. For sure there is something here for everyone and would at the very least make a good His and Hers collectible hobby!

Welcome Friends

I'm happy to announce the grand opening of my own dot com - Muddy Creek Antiques - and am excited to take my antique business to the next level by offering an online professional shopping experience. You can visit me online at http://www.muddycreekantiques.com/ where I specialize in vintage glass such as Blenko, Fenton, Hamon and Kanawha, as well as American Art Pottery and a little of this and that. I live for the thrill of the hunt so please email me if there is some vintage treasure you want me to find for you.

My brick and mortar location can be found in The Old Timey Shop on Main Street in Milton, WV, where I have about 1000 square feet of booth space packed to the brim with primitives, cottage, furniture, great glass, pottery, etc. - something for everyone. Stop by and visit during shop hours of 10-5 Monday thru Saturday and 12-5 on Sundays.