Features
Pinball Wizard Pinball machines stay in the game even 100 years after initial release
Detail of a vintage pinball machine. (Image courtesy of Design Market)Jan/Feb 2024Cover Story Pinball Wizard Pinball machines stay in the game even 100 years after initial releaseby Corbin CrableClack! go the flippers as the ball is launched. Pop! go the bumpers as...
The Reason for the Season Nativity scenes from around the world depict birth of Christ
The Night Arch Nativity is beautifully hand-carved and painted by artisans in Indonesia. (image courtesy of TenThousandVillages.com)December 2023Cover Story The Reason for the Season Nativity scenes from around the world depict birth of Christby Corbin Crable For...
Posters’ Persuasive Power U.S. propaganda during WW II attempted to rally Americans around war effort
J. Howard Miller’s “We can do it!” poster was designed to boost morale among American women who went to work in factories and in shipyards during the labor shortage created by World War II. (Image courtesy of 1st Dibs)November 2023Cover Story Posters’ Persuasive Power...
Honoring the dead Dia de los Muertos has colorful traditions, history in both Mexico, U.S.
A row of colorful skulls sits surrounded by marigolds and other flowers. Both have been longstanding parts of the imagery and altar decoration during the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos celebrated every Nov. 1-2. (Image courtesy of Getty) October 2023 Cover...
A Head Above The Rest, Lady head vases brought touch of class to one’s home
Lady head vases can be found for sale online, with prices for more common pieces ranging from $10 to $100. (Image courtesy of eBay)September 2023Cover StoryA Head Above The Rest Lady head vases brought a touch of class to one’s homeby Corbin CrableThey added a dash of...
Fifty years of ‘Discovering’ began with a modest ‘guide’
Discovering front page images collage by Patti Klinge August 2023 Cover Story Fifty years of ‘Discovering’ began with a modest ‘guide’ by Ken Weyand After spending a decade as a copywriter (and later copy chief) in the advertising art department of The Kansas City...
Pachinko is Japan’s answer to pinball
Photo by Emile Guillemot on UnsplashJan/Feb 2024Everything Old Pachinko is Japan’s answer to pinballby Corbin Crable In this issue of Discover Vintage America, you’ll read about the storied history of the pinball machine, from the controversy it faced in the game’s...
Stores shine spotlight on ethically sourced, sustainable items
https://firefly.adobe.com/generate/imagesDecember 2023Everything Old Stores shine spotlight on ethically sourced, sustainable itemsby Corbin Crable If you’ve ever taken a leisurely stroll throughout the picturesque, quaint downtown Overland Park, KS, you likely have a...
Holiday celebrations made special with cherished traditions
https://firefly.adobe.com/generate/imagesNovember 2023Everything Old Holiday celebrations made special with cherished traditionsby Corbin Crable Far too often, we don’t truly appreciate traditions when we’re living them in the moment. This is especially true for those...
Item tied to former Kansas mayor, his family
Wallet Photo by Jonathan Duran on UnsplashOctober 2023Everything Old Item tied to former Kansas mayor, his familyby Corbin Crable Last weekend I enjoyed my first visit to Merchant Square in Independence, MO, where I had the pleasure of interviewing Jace Sanders, the...
Items crafted in Occupied Japan were designed to kick-start postwar economy
Photo by Tianshu Liu on UnsplashSeptember 2023Everything Old Items crafted in Occupied Japan were designed to kick-start postwar economyby Corbin Crable Made in Japan If you’re a collector of ceramics and porcelain, it’s likely that you’ve checked on the bottom of...
Happy 50th anniversary, Discover Vintage America
As the years rolled on, the cost of color printing became more affordable, and four-color printing became the standard. The printing process has become more streamlined as well, with digital files now being sent to our printers in Breese, IL, where the magic happens....
The history of animal cracker containers and other tins
April 2022 ANTIQUE DETECTIVE The history of animal cracker containers and other tins by Anne Gilbert Chances are that you or someone in your family have eaten animal crackers and loved every bite. Perhaps you are even a collector of the tin boxes they came in....
Collectible old pewter came in many forms
March 2022ANTIQUE DETECTIVECollectible old pewter came in many formsby Anne Gilbert You might be surprised to learn that many items of 17th and 18th centuries still come up for sale at modest prices. Also, there are many collectors around the world, including...
Trendy autograph collecting needs careful research
February 2022ANTIQUE DETECTIVETrendy autograph collecting needs careful researchby Anne Gilbert While many once- popular collectibles are languishing, nothing seems to stop autograph collectors from spending big bucks. The question is, are their purchases...
Some ‘almost’ antique kitchen and dinnerware
February 2025Good Eye Some ‘almost’ antique kitchen and dinnerwareby Peggy Whiteneck When I began collecting mid-century American-made kitchen and dinnerware sets, I quickly learned that even items made by entirely different manufacturers could be pleasingly matched...
Little lights for winter celebrations
December 2024Good Eye Little lights for winter celebrationsby Peggy Whiteneck Candlelit fairy lights (AKA fairy lamps) were popular in the 19th century before access to gas and electrical lighting. George Miller Clarke invented fairy lights in England in 1844, just...
Gobble up these collectibles for Thanksgiving
November 2024Good Eye Gobble up these collectibles for Thanksgivingby Peggy Whiteneck Pilgrim forms made of cloth, straw, or ceramics are useful as decorations for Thanksgiving but not so much for the rest of the year. Broadening our focus, there are many...
Fall in love with New York – quilting adventures with the American Quilt Study Group
November 2024Covering Quilts Fall in love with New York – quilting adventures with the American Quilt Study Groupby Sandra Starley What could be better than touring New York in the Fall with a lot of friends and antique quilts? Not much! Once again I had the...
Adventures in quilt rescue
October 2024Covering Quilts Adventures in quilt rescueby Sandra Starley Several years ago, I acquired a funky leaf appliqué quilt from an online auction. I put in a single small bid, then forgot about the item. I was surprised to find that I was the new owner,...
Journeys in quilt history – political patchwork quilts
September 2024Covering Quilts Journeys in quilt history – Political Patchwork Quiltsby Sandra Starley There is no better way to learn history and have fun than through examining, studying, and researching antique quilts. In preparation for my American Quilt...
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World’s Fair souvenir book reveals styles of the ‘thirties
September 2024Vintage Discoveries World’s Fair souvenir book reveals styles of the ‘thirtiesby Ken Weyand Six years ago in my column, I recalled a trip my mother and her parents made in 1934 to the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago. Recently, I discovered a...
Old ‘Wonder Tower’ in Colorado offered views of 6 states
August 2024Vintage Discoveries Old ‘Wonder Tower’ in Colorado offered views of 6 statesby Ken Weyand Back in the mid-1920s, a favorite ‘”tourist attraction” in eastern Colorado was a crude 65-foot tower built on what was reported to be the highest point between New...
Old brochure touts Ford’s automotive progress – in 1935
July 2024Vintage Discoveries Old brochure touts Ford’s automotive progress – in 1935by Ken Weyand A few years ago, I chronicled the story of a long “road trip” my parents and grandparents took to California in 1935, a couple of years before I was born. My parents and...
“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...
‘Victorian Costume for Ladies, 1860-1910’ (2nd Ed.)
October 2021Books for Collectors“Christmas Through the Decades”By Linda Setnik As the world neared the 20th century during the late Victorian Era, a chapter in the history of women’s fashion was about to come to an end. With a renewed interest in Victorian...