Here is photo of a small collection of brass submarines I have here at Retroplanet.com. You can find these statues in a variety of shapes and styles but the WWII era subs seem to be the most desirable. I was always under the impression that these would have been handmade by shipyard workers in their spare time. I think that may be the case for some of these, but others were probably manufactured as commemoratives for specific subs.

Pieces like this are sometimes referred to as “trench art”. This term that has come to describe decorative items made from battlefield objects by people involved directly and indirectly in armed conflict. It also includes commercially produced art made from surplus materials after the war.

The first sub I ever bought was in an antiques store in Maine, not too far from the Portsmouth Navy Shipyard, which would make sense. Since then, I have found the majority of my collection on eBay.

With Christmas fast approaching, what better time than now to share my little collection with you. Having the luxury of working at the coolest place on the planet (retroplanet.com), collecting is second nature to me.

I have lots of little collections, but my favorite is by far my Vintage Santa display. Tucked in the corner of my office and displayed in a beautiful Heywood Wakefield corner cupboard, it brings a smile to my face every day.

What started with a couple of vintage Santa’s from my Aunt’s attic and many gifts from friends and family has snowballed into 50 plus pieces. There are little Santa’s, big Santa’s and lots in between from salt and pepper shakers to a vintage St. Nick snow globe.

Today it is snowing so they are in their element, but I proudly show them off year round.

You can find them at yard sales, antique shops and they are plentiful on ebay. Be sure to let your friends and family know, as sometimes these little treasures are tucked away and replaced with new decorations.

Happy Retro Collecting and Merry Christmas

Vintage China Cups, Saucers & Mugs are a great item to collect. It is impossible to know how many different cups are out there so you can always have something to hunt for.

Big restaurant chains and little local joints could have had their logo on cups and mugs. Huge corporations used them in executive dining rooms. You could have also found them on ships, trains and planes. And of course coffee company’s used them to promote their products. So you can see there is no shortage of cups to look for.

A couple of good reference books are Restaurant China Volumes one & two by Barbara J. Conroy.
While searching for cups with logo’s you will also find some very cool generic patterns as well. Most are very affordable and can be used everyday. Also be on the lookout for coffee cans and coffee jars which accessorize your collection nicely.
Happy Hunting.

There are hundreds of different brands and styles of soda fountain glasses and paper cups available for you to collect. Back when the majority of soda was sold at fountains almost every brand had their own glass to serve it in. Early soda fountain glasses actually have a syrup line, this was the mark that was filled with syrup before carbonated water was added. Later,fountain dispensers did this automatically.
By far Coca-Cola has the most styles, after all they have been serving Coke at fountains since the late 1800’s. Some are fairly common, while others are extremely rare and very expensive. Pepsi is not far behind Coke with many to choose from. Hundreds of other brands can be found including but not limited to Mission, Cheer Up, Double Cola, Canada Dry, Nesbitts, Orange Crush, Wink, Seven Up, Dad’s, Klee Ko, Whistle, Vernors, Major Cola, Fanta, Squirt, Hires, Nu Grape, Bubble Up and many more.

You can also expand your collection into restaurant soda glasses from Howard Johnson’s, Friendlys, Steak & Shake and an endless variety of local
restaurants and eateries from all over the country. Most of the above can be said about paper cups as well. The big difference is that most paper cups where thrown out after use making older ones hard to find.

Good reference books for the soda glasses are Soda Pop Collectibles Price Guide and the Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide, both by Alan Petretti.
They cover all kinds of soda collectibles but have pretty good sections on glasses and cups.

While on the hunt for glasses look for boxes of soda fountain straws to
compliment your collection. Coke, Pepsi and other soda brands can be very expensive but generic boxes from Sweetheart, Dixie, Marcel and others can be priced pretty reasonably and have great vintage graphics. A good place to start your collection is on ebay of course but always keep an eye out whenever you are out antiquing. You never know what will pop up.

With the exception of the kitsch factor, I don’t believe bowling trophies to be that collectible but they are fun in a campy sort of way and make a great display for a gym or a game room. They come in all different sizes and styles, from tiny to huge, from wall plaques to clocks. Most can be picked up pretty reasonably however some early ones made out of bakelite plastic can get up there in price. I have found some good ones in antique shops and at yard sales, but keep and eye on ebay and you will find all you could ever want. In general trophies from forties, fifties and early sixties have much more character and substance then most from the seventies and on. While looking for trophies keep an eye out for old bowling team photos which tie in nicely to your display. Happy hunting.

This section of our blog is by no means an authoritative resource for serious collectors. It is more of an introduction or suggestion to collecting and displaying items you may have never considered. I have all kinds of little collections around our retroplanet.com offices. Bowling trophies, world globes, restaurant cups & saucers, Hall tea pots, soda fountain glasses and paper cups, just to name a few.
I am not even sure how or why I started collecting a few of these things. Sometimes collections just happen. I was in an antique store one day and the guy had about a dozen bowling trophies. They where 50’s vintage, kitschy, in great shape and priced right so I bought most of them. So now I start looking on ebay and picking trophies up here and there and before you know it we have about forty on display in the retroplanet.com gym.
If you happen to be a collector of any of the items I write about and would like to contribute please respond to the blog with your tips and advice. Look for other collections coming soon.

BTW if you are a Mexican food lover here are a few recommendations.

Nashua NH, La Carreta Mexican Restaurant (603) 891-0055 The grilled steak tacos are great. Other locations in Manchester and Derry NH.

Naples Florida, La Bamba Mexican restaurant (239) 793-2225 The mexican steak tacos and the pork enchiladas verde are unbelievable. There is also a second location in Naples and one in Estero at the outlet mall.

NY City, Zona Rosa (212) 247-2800 Try the shrimp ceviche and anything else on the menu, it is all great.

Manset Maine ( Southwest Harbor ) XYZ 207-244-5221 Seasonal, The seven chilies chili will knock your sox off and the beef short ribs are a must.

This section of our blog is by no means an authoritative resource for serious collectors. It is more of an introduction or suggestion to collecting and displaying items you may have never considered. I have all kinds of little collections around our retroplanet.com offices. Bowling trophies, world globes, restaurant cups & saucers, Hall tea pots, soda fountain glasses and paper cups, just to name a few.
I am not even sure how or why I started collecting a few of these things. Sometimes collections just happen. I was in an antiques store one day and the guy had about a dozen bowling trophies. They where 50’s vintage, kitschy, in great shape and priced right so I bought most of them. So now I start looking on ebay and picking trophies up here and there and before you know it we have about forty on display in the retroplanet.com gym.
If you happen to be a collector of any of the items I write about and would like to contribute please respond to the blog with your tips and advice. Look for other collections coming soon.