What Is It? #1

Updated with answer...

Years ago I loved to watch Liar's Club, a television show that challenged contestants to decide which celebrity panel member was telling the truth about the use or function of a mystery item. Some were obvious but others were truly puzzling.
I was reminded of the show when I came across some obsolete vintage objects in the basement and wondered if anyone would know or could guess their function.

What Is It? #1 is from the 1950's.

I have half a dozen but each is used separately.

It's used outdoors.

The end of the spiral has a protective rubber cap.

Cats love dirt.

 And the mystery object is...

an outdoor beverage holder.

Basement babble

I intended to write about forgotten basement treasures. However, looking at photos provided me with a fresh perspective and I was no longer inspired by the original idea. Too much typical basement clutter detracts from the vintage pieces. Instead I've decided to post a few general pictures and use individual objects in the future for more focused topics as I did with the ceramic poodle. 
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The Youngstown wall cabinets were moved from the kitchen to the basement during a late 1960's renovation and are in surprisingly good shape with minor rust on the inside shelves.

Inside: early 1950's Melmac, three partial sets of grocery store china, depression glass, vintage beverage glasses, Monterey Pottery, Peter Max dinnerware, Pyrex glassware and Corningware.

The Youngstown floor units didn't fare as well. Apparently the doors weren't cleaned when the cabinets were moved to the basement and the corrosion is unfortunate.

Looking inside one of the drawers- The round things with nifty stylized kitchen graphics are like miniature shower caps and were used to cover jars, bowls, etc.

Inside one of the cabinets. Avocado green percolator and fondue plates. The old waffle iron is one of those indestructible appliances that was still working when it was replaced with a newer model.

These photos remind me of hidden object puzzles.
Metal ice trays, rabbit ears, poker chip caddy, thermos jugs, repro carnival glass, grocery store dishware.

Cootie game, metal clamp-on roller skates, ceramic poodle, old elementary school books, Ball jars, 1960's hotdog cooker, Little Mac hamburger cooker (Remember the Joe Namath commercials?), milk glass, lawn edging, assorted ovenware.

There's an unexpected benefit from taking these photographs. After moving here I undertook a major cleanup of the basement. By examining the small areas captured in photos I've noticed more that I can get rid of.

Oodles of Poodles

While looking through my photos of vintage trash and treasures stored in the basement something caught my eye and I ran downstairs to see what it was.

Old roller skates, a couple of vintage thermos jugs, dead flashlights, boxed Cootie game...

Wait a minute... Is that a POODLE?

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As soon as I picked it up I recognized this desk organizer. A thick spiral of gold-tone medal that looked like a large spring ran down its back to hold letters and envelopes. The tail was a black pen. There's a reservoir on top of its head that holds the remnants of a small sponge used to moisten stamps and seal envelopes.

Sponge remnant on top of head. Photographed on vintage tree stump.

Finding this poodle reminded me of others and I was able to locate them all. It was like a treasure hunt. :) 

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In the late 1950's one of Mom's lifelong friends came to visit and brought me 7 or 8 plushies that appeared to be carnival game prizes. I remember receiving two large teddy bears. And a couple of poodles.

This little guy is mad. He lived in the attic far too long and his ribbons need to be ironed.

My spaghetti ceramic poodle. I named her Tippy because her base is uneven and she rocks slightly.

The only visible damage is chipped paint on her hat.

Little Golden Book published in 1952. Pantaloon the poodle wanted to be a baker and attained his goal through an act of kindness.

Scatter pins. These were a popular accessory in the '50's and usually came in sets of two. Some like my poodles were "twins" while others were related like a horse and colt.

I remember when my mother bought this adorable couple at the five-and-dime. According to the price tags these were $1.19 each and purchased at J. J. Newberry. This could be the store whose name I wasn't sure of in my Christmas post. These may not be poodles but they sure are cute.

 

Years ago I learned an unfortunate lesson while cleaning another vintage ceramic figurine. Painted details that were added after the piece was glazed and fired will wash off. Now I use a drop of shampoo on a soft moist cloth to rub away stains and dirt. I can't remember where I heard of using shampoo but it's a very effective cleaner and gentler than most other products.

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Finally, a paint-it-yourself project from a craft kit. This odd plaster dog looks vaguely like a cockapoo.

Dog? What dog?

What's in the basement?

I've been living with so much inherited stuff for so long that I no longer see it. While looking at pictures I'd taken in the basement to use as examples of my mother's selective pack-rat hoard I was surprised by what I hadn't noticed. There's a lot more to be done before presenting it here but I had to show off a little something that vintage decorators will appreciate.

My home's original kitchen cabinets were moved to the basement during a mid-1960's renovation.

Edited to add a picture of the Youngstown wall cabinets.    

1950's Christmas decorations

I took a few quick photos before taking down the tree and un-decorating the house.

1950's variety stores, popularly referred to as five-and-dimes, sold a fascinating assortment of inexpensive products. My mother frequently took me to one of these stores when we lived in Newport, RI. (I think it was Kresge's but 55 years later I'm not 100% certain.) The wide wooden floorboards creaked as customers walked back and forth and there were long aisles of glass counters set on sturdy wooden bases. I can still remember the lingering smell of wood polish. I have some interesting vintage jewelry from the 3/$1 bin but will save that for another time.

Most of these creche figures were purchased at what-I-think-was-Kresge's for less than $1 each and were made in Italy. Four smaller angels were a Christmas gift from relatives. The original cardboard stable was falling apart after being used for 4 decades and I reluctantly retired it to a high shelf. This replacement is adequate but doesn't have that distinctive vintage appeal.

Three Napco ceramic angel figurines. Santa is a mystery. He appears to be made of papier mache covered with wax. There are no identifying marks and so far my online research hasn't turned up anything like him. Any ideas?

This Royalite snowman is illuminated by a small interior light bulb. It appears that he needs a good cleaning but the "dirt" is actually scratches on his legs and stomach. The red plastic boots were a popular '50's novelty that originally contained candy.

A trio of plastic reindeer with Rudolph in the background. 

Years of incorrect storage corroded my old figural glass ornaments and they are now kept safely in a china cabinet. The mushroom, vase and table lamp- and a Santa that's too fragile to hang- are all that remains of a large collection that was destroyed when my dad accidentally dropped the box they were stored in. It was a sad day, indeed. The angel is almost as old as I am. And the cats are modern tree lights.

 

I frequently use eBay as a reference for determining an item's age and manufacturer and was surprised to find that many of the decorations on this page are available there.