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Fun Under The Big Top Circus collectibles reflect colorful history, memories
This vintage-looking circus tent evokes a feeling of nostalgia and memories in the making. (Image courtesy of Vecteezy.com)August 2024Cover Story Fun Under The Big Top Circus collectibles reflect colorful history, memoriesby Corbin CrableRevelers young and old have...
Adventure Awaits Travel posters jump-start travelers’ wanderlust
The Royal Mail Lines Pacific Line took travelers to any number of South American countries. The cruise ship company’s life was short, operating only from 1932 to 1965. (Image courtesy of antikbar.co.uk) July 2024Cover Story Adventure Awaits Travel posters jump-start...
Privacy, please Outhouses were a part of daily lives in centuries past
Outhouses usually were located 50 to 100 yards from the back of one’s home. (Image courtesy of Daniel Coronoa / Unsplash.com) June 2024Cover Story Privacy, please Outhouses were a part of daily lives in centuries pastby Corbin CrableWe all take indoor plumbing for...
Two of a kind Salt and pepper shakers make inexpensive, colorful collectibles
These shakers have their original cobalt blue glass liners with silverplated frames and lids. (Image courtesy of Antiques and Teacups) May 2024Cover Story Two of a kind Salt and pepper shakers make inexpensive, colorful collectiblesby Corbin CrableIt’s one of the...
What a doll! Barbie continues to inspire after all these years
Barbie, seen here in her original design, made her debut at the North American International Toy Show in 1959. (Image courtesy of Flatiron Nomad)Apr 2024Cover Story What a doll! Barbie continues to inspire after all these yearsby Corbin CrableRuth Handler had seen it...
Landing Among the Stars NASA collectibles enjoy resurgence in popularity
The NASA logo, also referred to as “the meatball,” was designed by a NASA employee in 1959, the year after the organization was founded.Mar 2024Cover Story Landing Among the Stars NASA collectibles enjoy resurgence in popularityby Corbin CrableAmericans will be...
The Greatest Show on Earth
Photo by Becky Phan on UnsplashAugust 2024Everything Old The Greatest Show on Earthby Corbin Crable For generations, circuses have given the American public the chance to forget their troubles and be entertained by physical comedy, fantastic feats of derring do, and...
We all scream for ice cream in July
Photo by Brooke Lark on UnsplashJuly 2024Everything Old We all scream for ice cream in Julyby Corbin Crable In 2024, July celebrates its 40th anniversary as National Ice Cream Month, so grab a spoon and enjoy a heaping scoop while I share a bit about its history. July...
If you sprinkle when you tinkle…
Photo by Adobe FireflyJune 2024Everything Old If you sprinkle when you tinkle…by Corbin Crable This month’s cover story relays the history of outhouses, those quiet but stinky outdoor private places where everyone did their business in the 19th century. First,...
The seasoning with a storied history
Photo by Lachlan on UnsplashMay 2024Everything Old The seasoning with a storied historyby Corbin Crable Everyone knows there are two types of people: Those who crave sugary snacks, and those who would prefer something salty instead. I’ve always fallen into the latter...
Action figures were toy industry’s answer to Barbie
Photo by D A V I D S O N L U N A on UnsplashApril 2024Everything Old Action figures were toy industry’s answer to Barbieby Corbin Crable As little girls in the late 1950s and early 1960s played with a new doll named “Barbie,” their younger brothers probably wondered,...
Space Age design dominated postwar America
https://firefly.adobe.com/generate/imagesMarch 2024Everything Old Space Age design dominated postwar Americaby Corbin Crable This issue of Discover Vintage America will present decades of vintage NASA collectibles, which have chronicled our fascination with space...
Commemorative collectibles depict historical events
July 2022ANTIQUE DETECTIVE Commemorative collectibles depict historical eventsby Anne Gilbert Commemorative items for Collectors The recent celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee has created many commemorative items for collectors. There are t-shirts,...
Some surprising facts about early American folk art portrait artists
June 2022 ANTIQUE DETECTIVE Some surprising facts about early American folk art portrait artists by Anne Gilbert Paintings and prints of family ancestors, whether they are American, Chinese, English, or from another country, continue to be popular collectibles. They...
Mustache sentiment cups make trendy bargains
May 2022 ANTIQUE DETECTIVE Mustache sentiment cups make trendy bargains by Anne Gilbert Take a look -- Mustaches and beards are seen everywhere! It couldn’t be a better time to give a second glance to gifting or collecting antique and vintage mustache sentiment cups....
Quilt art by the piece
May 2025Good Eye Quilt art by the pieceby Peggy Whiteneck Most of us are familiar with quilted bed coverings, which have a history going back centuries. We’re also familiar with the prices the best of antique quilts can command today. Quilts can be found in many...
Laying down a Tile
September 2025Good Eye Laying down a Tileby Peggy Whiteneck Wall tiles aren’t just an antique decorative accent but a treat for modern collectors. They have a long history: Ancient tiles were being used for paving various surfaces as early as centuries before Christ....
Hold that door! Doorstops have been around as long as doors
March 2025Good Eye Hold that door! Doorstops have been around as long as doorsby Peggy Whiteneck These days, what with open-concept home layouts and modern-style sliding and other doors, we don’t have much use for doorstops anymore – except of course - as a...
Bow Tie or Neck Tie quilts – when fashion meets quilting
March 2025Covering Quilts Bow Tie or Neck Tie quilts – when fashion meets quiltingby Sandra Starley While many quilt pattern names from the 1800s are cloaked in myth, mystery, and marketing, the Bow Tie pattern is clearly a representational block depicting male...
Fall in love with New York – AQSG adventures, Part 3
February 2025 Covering Quilts Fall in love with New York – AQSG adventures, Part 3 by Sandra Starley Every fall, quilt historians and people who just love old and new quilts attend the annual meeting of the American Quilt Study Group (AQSG). So much happens during the...
Fall in love with New York – quilting adventures with the American Quilt Study, Part 2
December 2024Covering Quilts Fall in love with New York – quilting adventures with the American Quilt Study, Part 2by Sandra Starley Every fall, lovers of quilt history (old and new) meet to share research, treasures, and friendship at the Annual Meeting/Fall Seminar...
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Keokuk, IA, celebrates 10-year restoration of 1891 Union Depot
December 2024Vintage Discoveries Keokuk, IA, celebrates 10-year restoration of 1891 Union Depotby Ken Weyand Back in its day, the massive and ornate Victorian-style depot building built in 1891 was a centerpiece of Keokuk, IA. Then a bustling transportation center,...
Poster recalls Ozark Air Lines, TWA, and an exciting cross-country flight
November 2024Vintage Discoveries Poster recalls Ozark Air Lines, TWA, and an exciting cross-country flightby Ken Weyand Recently, I found an old aviation poster, rolled up in a corner. It’s a reminder of the days I had a love affair with aviation, writing about its...
‘Forgotten airport’ found in Kansas City Area
October 2024Vintage Discoveries ‘Forgotten airport’ found in Kansas City Areaby Ken Weyand When I was putting together the 1970 book, “Aviation History in Greater Kansas City,” a few of the old-time pilots I interviewed mentioned the old “Police Airport” in North...
“Valentine Treasury: A Century of Valentine’s Day Cards”
February 2022Books for Collectors“Valentine Treasury: A Century of Valentine’s Day Cards”By Corbin Crable What would the month of February be without the traditional exchanging of Valentine’s Day cards with your sweetheart or best friend? It’s a ritual we all...
“Cabbage Patch Kids Collectibles” By Jan Lindenberger
January 2022Books for Collectors“Cabbage Patch Kids Collectibles”By Corbin Crable The birth of the Cabbage Patch Kids craze in 1983 changed the doll industry forever – and made a veritable mint for Coleco, the company that produced the dolls. But, as author Jan...
“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...