Features
Knuckle Down Marbles remain the small wonder of the toy world
Artist Norman Rockwell’s illustration “Marble Champ” beautifully depicts the intense competition of marble play. (Image courtesy of Etsy) May 2026Cover StoryKnuckle Down Marbles remain the small wonder of the toy worldby Corbin Crable There’s plenty of debate...
Making dinner delightful Fiestaware brings color to the party
Soup, salad, cereals, salsa, snacks! There is a perfect bowl for everything, according to Fiestaware Factory Direct. (Image courtesy of fiestafactorydirect.com) April 2026Cover StoryMaking dinner delightful Fiestaware brings color to the partyby Corbin Crable For...
Collecting Coca-Cola Coke antiques chronicle company’s history
Retro advertising poster shows Coke hawker at girl’s ballgame. (Image courtesy of pinterest.com)March 2026Cover StoryCollecting Coca-Cola Coke antiques chronicle company’s historyby Corbin Crable When it comes to collectibles, nobody beats Coca-Cola. The fizzy...
Adorable Keepsakes Hummel figurines come from religious background
“Sister’s Children” limited edition figurine, created to celebrate Hummel’s 100th Anniversary, sold at auction for $3,750 in 2021. (Image courtesy of invaluable.com)Jan/Feb 2026Cover StoryAdorable Keepsakes Hummel figurines come from religious backgroundby Corbin...
Deck the halls with Hallmark Keepsakes help collectors make their season merry and bright
Hallmark’s Christmas offerings include more than ornaments for your tree. This tabletop decoration pays tribute to “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” which first aired in 1965. (Image courtesy of Hallmark.com)December 2025Cover StoryDeck the halls with Hallmark Keepsakes...
A salute to militaria Military collectibles preserve history of service to country
Examples of militaria from the Great War can be found at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO. (Image courtesy of U.S. News and World Report Travel)November 2025Cover StoryA salute to militaria Military collectibles preserve history of...
Don’t lose your marbles: American games at the turn of the century
Photo by Nick Fewings on UnsplashMarch 2026 Everything Old Don’t lose your marbles: American games at the turn of the centuryby Corbin Crable Get your favorite cat’s eye polished, because in this issue of Discover Vintage America, we’ll be doing a deep dive into the...
A celebration of craftsmanship
Photo by Viktor Forgacs - click ↓↓ on Unsplash March 2026 Everything Old A celebration of craftsmanship by Corbin Crable It seems like there’s a day and a month designated to just about every cause, awareness, and activity out there. This month, we honor the handmade...
Coca-Cola’s not-so-secret ingredient
Photo by Fabian Schunk on Unsplash and Photo by Iulia Buta on UnsplashMarch 2026Everything Old Coca-Cola’s not-so-secret ingredientby Corbin Crable Before we get into the history of Coca-Cola collectibles in this month’s issue, let’s address the elephant in the room –...
Making Valentine’s Day extra sweet
Photo by Joanna Stołowicz on UnsplashJan/Feb 2026Everything Old Making Valentine’s Day extra sweetby Corbin Crable Here at Discover Vintage America, we’ve covered the history of Valentine’s Day, the history of Valentine’s Day cards, and even the story of how those...
Kansas City’s veritable Christmas playground
The annual tree lighting at Crown Center, Kansas City, MODecember 2025Everything Old Kansas City’s veritable Christmas playgroundby Corbin Crable If you’ve ever sent or received a greeting card, chances are, it was a Hallmark card. But the Kansas City-based Hallmark...
An illuminating experience
Photo by Horst Heuck on UnsplashNovember 2025Everything Old An illuminating experienceby Corbin Crable Arecent issue of Discover Vintage America shone a light on neon lights – their history, their function, the way they evoke a sense of yearning for an earlier age....
Prices vary for early Russel Wright-designed items
1927 - 2023ANTIQUE DETECTIVE Prices vary for early Russel Wright-designed itemsby Anne GilbertThe big hunt for Russel Wright (1904-76) Fiesta pottery, chrome objects and furniture that began in the late 1970s and ‘80s, has leveled off, as have prices. It all depends...
Would you recognize a Chinoiserie-finish antique?
May 2023ANTIQUE DETECTIVE Would you recognize a Chinoiserie-finish antique?by Anne GilbertJapanning or Chinoiserie Whether you call it Japanning or Chinoiserie, if it was made before the 20th century, call it expensive. Even some examples made in the early 20th...
Once-popular painted porcelain plaques can be pricey and reproductions
April 2023ANTIQUE DETECTIVE Once-popular painted porcelain plaques can be pricey and reproductionsby Anne GilbertPainted Porcelain Plaques Back in the 1970s and ‘80s, 19th-century small or miniature painted porcelain portrait plaques were hot collectibles. When they...
Silver jewelry from Native American artisans
May 2026Good EyeSilver jewelry from Native American artisansby Peggy WhiteneckMost Native American jewelry consists of silver with natural stone or shell insets. However, those purchasing it should be aware that Native American jewelry has been widely imitated by...
You might see a geisha girl in a teacup
April 2026Good EyeYou might see a geisha girl in a teacupby Peggy WhiteneckI purchased a Japanese lithophane (AKA lithograph) teacup at an antique mall several years ago. Unless it was marked as such or unless one looked carefully, it would have gone unidentified as a...
Shaker antiques: A gift to be simple
March 2026Good EyeShaker antiques: A gift to be simpleby Peggy WhiteneckA religious sect called Shakers, founded by a woman with the modest name Anne Lee, came to New York from England in the late 18th century. The group’s official name used after emigrating to...
America’s greatest hits – quilting edition – Part II
May 2025Covering QuiltsAmerica’s greatest hits – quilting edition – Part II by Sandra Starley Creating a presentation on 250 years of American Quilting and Quintessentially American Quilts for the American Quilt Study Group was a fantastic opportunity to study...
America’s greatest hits – quilting edition – Part I
April 2025Covering QuiltsAmerica’s greatest hits - quilting edition - Part I by Sandra Starley In crafting a presentation on 250 years of American Quilting and Quintessentially American Quilts for the American Quilt Study Group, I had a wonderful history...
The MAINE Event– Quilty adventures with the American Quilt Study, Part 3
March 2026Covering QuiltsThe MAINE Event– Quilty adventures with the American Quilt Study, Part 3 by Sandra Starley Every fall, quilt historians and other people who love old and new quilts attend the annual meeting of the American Quilt Study Group (AQSG). So...
Discover your cheer at What Cheer Flea Market
May 2026 Discover your cheer at What Cheer Flea Market Hailed as “one of the don’t miss flea markets in the Midwest, the What Cheer Flea Market returns to the What Cheer Fairgrounds, May 1-3. Fabulous flea finds at the market include antiques, military...
Find your next treasure at Brownville Spring Flea Market
May 2026 Hit the road for Kansas flea markets in early May A duo of flea markets in small Kansas towns will provide the ideal opportunity to spruce up your home with collectibles, décor, and more for the summer months. These longtime flea markets in Sparks...
Hit the road for Kansas flea markets in early May
May 2026Hit the road for Kansas flea markets in early May A duo of flea markets in small Kansas towns will provide the ideal opportunity to spruce up your home with collectibles, décor, and more for the summer months. These longtime flea markets in Sparks (east...
Arkansas traveling: retracing a 1921 road trip
May 2026Vintage DiscoveriesArkansas traveling: retracing a 1921 road tripby Ken WeyandMy Aunt Florence was unique in her day. The oldest of eight orphans, she became a social worker and later a state employee in Arkansas, where she lived most of her life. One of the...
Pennants helped students show school spirit in 1914
April 2026Vintage DiscoveriesPennants helped students show school spirit in 1914by Ken WeyandMy “cedar chest of family history” produced another couple of items: a pair of college pennants, well over 100 years old. They were among the few things my dad, Elmer Weyand,...
Making a telephone call was challenging in the 1940s
March 2026Vintage Discoveries Making a telephone call was challenging in the 1940sby Ken Weyand Growing up in the 1940s on a Missouri farm had its challenges, especially coping with the nearly four miles of dirt roads that separated our family from the nearest...
“The No. 1 Price Guide to M.I. Hummel: Figurines, Plates, Miniatures, & More” – By Robert L. Miller
February 2026Books for Collectors“The No. 1 Price Guide to M.I. Hummel: Figurines, Plates, Miniatures, & More” By Robert L. Miller By Corbin Crable Any devoted collector of M.I. Hummel figurines knows there’s more to the brand than just the small...
“The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Metal Lunch Boxes,” 2nd ed. By Allen Woodall and Sean Brickell
September 2025Books for Collectors“The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Metal Lunch Boxes,” By Allen Woodall and Sean Brickell By Corbin Crable School days have officially returned, and with it, memories of that fabulous piece of pop culture, the lunch box. The...
“Tomorrow’s Heirlooms” By Trina Robbins
March 2025Books for Collectors“Tomorrow’s Heirlooms” By Trina Robbins By Corbin Crable Ladies of the 1960s and ‘70s often looked pretty in polyester (and paisley, too). Twenty years of fashion trends for women are covered in Trina Robbins’ “Tomorrow’s...