Features
Tupperware: An American icon
A housewife hosts a Tupperware party in the 1950s. (Image courtesy of Click Americana)June 2023Cover StoryTupperware: An American iconby Corbin CrableThey’re durable, they’re colorful, and they’re cherished hand-me-downs that have survived decades in your kitchen and...
Fill ‘er up! Oil and gas collectibles remain popular with collectors
A metal sign advertising Mobilgas from the company that would later become Exxon Mobil. The company used the mythological winged horse Pegasus on most of its advertising and logos. (Image courtesy of eBay)May 2023Cover StoryFill ‘er up! Oil and gas collectibles...
Just Your Type – Typewriters find second life as beloved antiques
(Image courtesy of Patti Klinge)Apr 2023Cover StoryJust Your Type Typewriters find second life as beloved antiquesby Corbin CrableHear that clickety-clack as the keys pound away. Feel the smooth keys under your fingers as they fly across the keyboard. Marvel at...
Walk Like An Egyptian, Egyptomania Resurrects Country’s Magic, Mysticism
(Image courtesy of Classic Media)Mar 2023Cover Story Walk Like An Egyptian Egyptomania Resurrects Country’s Magic, Mysticismby Corbin Crable Though fascination with all things Egyptian has endured since the ancient world, it wasn’t until the last 200 years or so that...
It’s a date! Celebrate your love with these old-fashioned date ideas
(Image courtesy of Classic Media)Jan/Feb 2023Cover Story It’s a date! Celebrate your love with these old-fashioned date ideasby Corbin Crable With the arrival of Valentine’s Day comes a certain anxiety, whether you’re heading out for a first date with a new love...
Our favorite Christmas characters Yuletide TV specials continue to draw nostalgic audiences
(Image courtesy of Classic Media)December 2022Cover Story Our favorite Christmas characters Yuletide TV specials continue to draw nostalgic audiencesby Corbin Crable The holiday season is a time for nostalgia, savoring warm memories created with friends and family –...
Anniversary is a time to remember days, people past
Photo by Lucas Law on UnsplashJune 2023Everything OldAnniversary is a time to remember days, people pastby Corbin Crable50th anniversary This year includes a couple of very special occasions that are near and dear to my heart. The first, we’ll celebrate with all of...
Good luck finding these long-gone jobs
Photo by Leon Seibert on UnsplashMay 2023Everything OldGood luck finding these long-gone jobsby Corbin CrableGas Station Attendants It’s about that time of year when people pack their bags, gas up their cars, and hit the road on a summer vacation or road trip. Our...
Bring on the bunnies
Apr 2023Everything OldBring on the bunniesby Corbin Crable Easter Sunday is coming up quickly, on Sunday, April 9, and if you live in Kansas City or are at least from here, that can mean only one thing – a trip to the Country Club Plaza to see the Easter...
Turn the page on old reading habits
Photo by Catherine Hammond on UnsplashMar 2023Everything OldTurn the page on old reading habitsby Corbin Crable March is National Reading Month, and with it comes a greater awareness of the benefits of reading. Established to honor Dr. Seuss, one of the first...
How to finally keep your new year’s resolution
Photo by Tim Mossholder on UnsplashJan/Feb 2023Everything OldHow to finally keep your new year’s resolutionby Corbin Crable Keeping your Resolutions How are you doing on keeping your resolutions for the new year so far? Still going strong? Or maybe you’ve...
Support your local small businesses this holiday season
Photo by Tim Mossholder on UnsplashDecember 2022Everything OldSupport your local small businesses this holiday seasonby Corbin Crable Ideal gift for that special someone If you’re still looking for the ideal gift for that special someone on your holiday...
How do you display your collection?
March 2023 ANTIQUE DETECTIVE How do you display your collection? by Anne Gilbert Curio Cabinets Whether a collection is large or small, over the centuries, furniture was made just to show it off. It began in ancient Rome, with royalty and the wealthy, who used table...
Toy farm tractors come to town for child and adult collectors
February 2023ANTIQUE DETECTIVE Toy farm tractors come to town for child and adult collectorsby Anne Gilbert Antique Toy Farm Tractors Farm toys have been collected for decades. One of the most popular categories is the small toy farm tractor. While late 19th century...
Victorian Gothic revival furniture can be weird and pricey
December 2022ANTIQUE DETECTIVE Victorian Gothic revival furniture can be weird and priceyby Anne Gilbert Victorian Gothic revival furniture You might think that Victorian Gothic revival furniture was made for Halloween. The carved, devilish-looking heads on chairs are...
A Collector’s History with Fenton Art Glass
September 2023Good Eye A Collector’s History with Fenton Art Glassby Peggy Whiteneck I’ve been a member of the Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America, founded in 1976, for several years. Unfortunately, I joined not long after Fenton itself ceased making glass in 2011....
Collecting California Figural Pottery
August 2023 Good Eye Collecting California Figural Pottery by Peggy Whiteneck Even though most of the best-known are no longer operating, the sheer number of potteries born in California could well have made it the ceramic capitol of America. The earliest California...
The abiding appeal of Depression Glass
July 2023 Good Eye The abiding appeal of Depression Glass by Peggy Whiteneck Depression glass is one example of a collector category that, despite its historic denigration by many in the antiques trade, has staying power with collectors even though it was cheaply made...
French Star or American Star revisited
September 2023Covering Quilts French Star or American Star revisited by Sandra Starley One of my all-time favorite antique quilt patterns is the French Star. I love sharing information about the block and hope to uncover more antique quilts featuring this design. I...
Still crazy after all these years! Crazy Quilts – Part II
August 2023Covering Quilts Still crazy after all these years! Crazy Quilts - Part II by Sandra Starley Crazy Quilts have been an iconic part of quilt history since the 1800s. Similarly, Discover Vintage America has been a sustained force in antiques and history since...
Crazy quilts showcase beauty in irregularity
July 2023 Covering Quilts Crazy quilts showcase beauty in irregularity by Sandra Starley What do a Victorian parlor, a Wizard of Oz char-acter, and a Batman villain have in common? Crazy Quilts! From ladies’ magazines in the 1880s to The Patchwork Girl of Oz in...
Vaile Mansion to host Champagne and Chandeliers fundraiser
December 2023 ... Vaile Mansion to host Champagne and Chandeliers fundraiser Put on your most festive holiday otfit, it’s time for the Vaile Mansion’s big Christmas fundraiser, Champagne and Chandeliers, in Independence. The Vaile Victorian Society will host the...
Old recipe book shows how business plans can change
July 2023 Vintage Discoveries Old recipe book shows how business plans can change by Ken Weyand A comb-bound book was recently unearthed among my old files – a reminder of how far Discover Vintage America has come since my fledgling efforts as a journalist/publisher...
Old coloring book recalls WWII
June 2023Vintage Discoveries Old coloring book recalls WWIIby Ken Weyand One of the items I’ve saved from my childhood is a coloring book, and its subject matter makes it a bit special. “Fighting Yanks” measures 11 x 14 inches, with a full-color display of warplanes,...
1900 ‘Health Book’ advised rural families what to do before the doctor comes
May 2023Vintage Discoveries 1900 ‘Health Book’ advised rural families what to do before the doctor comesby Ken Weyand Wealth of healthy living advice in 1900 A small hardbound book, part of my family’s accumulation of “old stuff,” contains a wealth of healthy living...
“Collecting Classic Video Games”
January 2022Books for Collectors“Collecting Classic Video Games”By Corbin Crable “Collecting Classic Video Games” Just in case you can’t tell, this month’s issue of Discover Vintage America is all about Generation X collectibles, and video games came of age as...
“Christmas Through the Decades”
November 2021Books for Collectors“Christmas Through the Decades”By Robert Brenner Christmas history Those interested in Christmas history will find Robert Brenner’s “Christmas Through the Decades” a colorful, informative and easily accessible guide to Christmas...
‘Christmas By Design: Private Homes Decorated by Leading Designers’
November 2021Books for Collectors‘Christmas By Design: Private Homes Decorated by Leading Designers’By Patricia Hart McMillan and Katharine Kaye McMillan Everyone could use a bit of escapism during the holidays. Take a break from the rigors of entertaining for...