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Columns

Hubley Manufacturing Company

The Packard taxi is straight out of a 1940s film noir.
by Douglas R. Kelly Hubleys have been pushing their way onto my radar screen lately. Over the years, I’ve more or less pursued the Pennsylvania-based toy maker’s “Real Toys” series ...

Wanted: All the Funny Pages – Bill Blackbeard, Funnies Collector

Portrait of Bill Blackbeard, ink and gouache original by Alfredo Alcala. San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum
by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor Imagine trying to gather all the grains of sand before the next wave hits the beach and takes them all away. This was the mission ...

The T in Tinplate

Great period artwork graced the Bing Model T boxes, this one for the Touring Car.
by Douglas R. Kelly Most people familiar with automotive history know that Henry Ford’s Model T put America on wheels. In fact, the T changed the course of history, being ...

A Bird in the Hand

Along with this hardtop, the CM Ford Thunderbird also came in a convertible version.
 by Douglas R. Kelly American toys that are made in Asia are nothing new. Over the last 35 years, many American producers have switched production to China. Before that, Japan and ...

Coin Banks: Cold Hard Cash

The radio bank was made by Reliable in Canada, but examples often turn up with the Ideal logo.
by Douglas R. Kelly Strange, but I don’t remember ever owning a piggy bank. What I did have growing up was a plastic bassett hound bank, which I’ve since learned ...

British Americans

This 39 series set, despite missing the Chrysler and with a sun-faded box, still sold for $4,100 at Vectis Auctions in 2011.
By Douglas R. Kelly There’s an old saying among collectors that is more than just an old saying: “It’s not so much the toys/paintings/table clocks that matter … it’s the ...

Prize Power

A superb Chris Craft model from Kellogg’s.
by Douglas R. Kelly Who doesn’t like winning prizes? Real prizes, that is, the good stuff … a jumbo stuffed animal at the carnival, or a cool treasure you pull ...

Wishful Thinking

The Hubley tow truck passes muster in terms of originality, even if it does sport a few small paint chips.
by Douglas R. Kelly You’d think I’d know better by now. I’ve been hunting and grooving on vintage toys for more than 40 years, and I’ve learned my share of ...

The National Museum of Funeral History: The Heritage of Death Care

The National Museum of Funeral History unveiled its new, highly anticipated George H.W. Bush Memorial Exhibit, honoring the 41st President of the United States and his wife, Barbara Bush.
While not a favorite topic for discussion, “death care is one of man’s oldest professions,” according to Robert L. Waltrip, an undertaker turned collector on the topic. In 1992, Waltrip ...

Upholstery Across the Ages

Completed Bench by Leif Johnson
by Leif Johnson, TLC Upholstery, Palmer, MA, interviewed by Judy Gonyeau The true beginnings of upholstery took place in Ancient Egypt. Animal skins and dressed leather was stretched across a ...

One Hundred Years of American Trunk Innovation

Circa 1850 “Hourglass” Saratoga trunks (top and right) photo: Paul Norton
By Paul Norton Trunks and travel articles tell a story of adventure and intrigue. The impulse to travel—into town or overseas—required bringing along one’s necessities. As 18th and 19th century ...

The Courting Chair

John H. Belter Rococo Revival rosewood carved and laminated tête-à-tête, chair ca. 1850-1860
by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor When two were courting in early 19th century France, Victorian England, or during America’s Gilded Age, maintaining one’s perceived virtue was paramount. Keeping a pair ...