Toys spotted on the shelf at Antiques On Broadway.
Category: Frat Boys
Cigarette Butts — Get It?
The part of the cigarette that’s left when you’re done smoking is called a “butt” — and back in the day, millions were made on toilet-themed ashtrays. These are just a few we’ve had. The one sans donkey is a bit confusing… It has one small potty or chamber pot for matches, another for ashes, and the center toilet bowl is for “cigarettes”. Perhaps the “butts” thing didn’t translate well. Or maybe this is for fancy folk who have both the inclination and the time to separate their ashes from their butts.
Both vintage tobacciana items were made in Japan (one in Occupied Japan) and are china Lusterware pieces. You can find lots of other versions of vintage toilet ashtrays on eBay, naturally.
We don’t always talk about our antique business here (we mainly do that here — sometimes here), however, I have to say that neither of these items were clean when we got them from the estate. So I had to take a tweezers and pluck out each old cigarette butt from the miniature toilets. It was very difficult to do with that toilet the donkey’s pulling because the bowl’s hole is so much smaller (however, butts can — and do — go where the bowl widens at the bottom). Not that you really care; but that’s the facts. The butt facts.
PS I wonder if women always made men put these toilet seats down too?
I Remember When You…
Didn’t have a pit to hiss in.
PS Been rather busy with our antique business; but now that the flea market season is over for us, we’ll have more time to scan & blog again.
Duck Hunting
Consider it training, hunting for vegetarians (depending upon the donut recipe), or just a silly party game, this vintage shooting gallery game idea came from that vintage donut party book.
Is It Time For Facial Hair To Go?
Take a side, shave a side (burn), and maybe make it in the movie.
Wrestling From Chicago, 1954
Arcade Dreams
Children Who Play With Their Food
Grow up to be adults who play with their food. And even become magazine editors who encourage others to play with their food.
Exhibit A: How To Run A Successful Party: Party Ideas, Games, Fun, For Children & Grown Ups!, written by Elizabeth King (Fun Editor of Parents’ Magazine), copyright 1945, Doughnut Corporation of America. (This booklet, courtesy of my daughter, bears the name of Otto’s Bakery.)
In these 30+ pages, are so many ways to play with donuts, I’m nearly speechless. Here are just a few of the games to play with donuts.
A horse racing game played with donuts:
Replace the pies with donuts for a donut-eating contest:
A donut relay:
And, of course, the most popular donut games for all ages… Donut Dunking Contest, Donuts-On-A-String, Pass-The-Donut, and Pin The Dunk-ee. (Click to see larger scans.)
Oh, there are more “most popular donut games for all ages” too! Though, as a parent, I’m not sure kids should be encouraged to play some of this smutty-stuff. Donut Treasure Hunt, Donut Snatch Dance, Donut Nose-Pushing Race, Dunking Relay Race, Chicken Fight with donuts, Donut Balancing Race, Donut Archery Contest, Donut String Kiss Stunt, Donuts From The Sky.
This is by no means all of the games — nor all the things you can do with donuts. I’m just feeling the need to eat. And plan a party, maybe…
This Is The Steelmark
Vintage ad for ARMCO, featuring the steelmark which would become the Steelers logo; Good Housekeeping, May 1961.
Seagrams Scotch Girl
Circa 1960s; via.