ANTIQUEHAVEN

Rooster's has just purchased a neat historical item from Detroit. It is a c. 1900 original framed photo of what is believed to be 12 Detroit Firefighters. The uniforms are consistent with the period. 3 of the men have what appear to be bugle insignias on their collar. Two of the men have one bugle which would signify them being lieutenants and one man has two bugles which would make him a Captain. The frame has it's original paper backing with a label from Henry & Willis at 137 Gratiot Ave. which is in Detroit. A mild bummer is that when the photo was taken all of the Firefighter's hats were illuminated giving them a white glare. Not only did that distort the color of the hats, but, it blocked out any cap badges. There are a few identifiable points: The chairs that the men are sitting in are 19th c chairs. They are sitting in the road which is dirt. Detroit's roads were not paved until after Henry Ford started his auto company in the early part of the 20th c. The ph...

Most Mechanical Penny Banks found at Garage Sales, Flea Markets and yes....Antique Shops are often 1970's Reproduction banks. I've posted pics of a mid-1970's advetisement for 7 different banks that you could purchase for $19.95. If you purchased a 2nd bank, you got it for half-off. These banks included the Uncle Sam, Trick Dog, Clown, Indian & Bear, Artillery, Dentist and Magician. These offers came via magazines, through your bank or any number of other avenues. Dont be fooled by these now 30+ year old reproductions.

I have been a reader of your blog for a while now and truly enjoy the informative articles you have posted. Scrolling down toward the earlier posts I read that you had offered to assist with identifying items and I wanted to take you up on that if you have the time. Came across this ceramic piece a few years back and haven't been able to ID the maker/age. I believe it to be some sort of ceramic food mold. It is 10" wide and 3.5" tall. There is a spot where I was able to see the color of the clay underneath the thick, multicolored glaze that appears to be a deep red/burgundy color. The color under it all appears to be white and there are spots of green as well. Haven't seen anything like it in my experience. There are a number of firing marks on the bottom ribs and it is lightly crazed all over the entire surface. Someone suggested it might be Bennington Pottery. After writing I received an e-mail back from one of the curators of the museum, which stated: "The ...

Rooster's just picked up a fantastic 1920's Detroit Times Newspaper Delivery Wagon on consignment. The consignor's husband won this wagon around 1928 in a paper selling contest. It has been in the family since and is in terrific condition. It measures 39" long x 19" wide. The wagon has 4 wooden gates on all sides and 2 Detroit Times boards. You can see this great wagon at our shop at 5303 S. Telegraph in Dearborn Heights, MI. 313-291-0460.

In the 1920's-1930's, Morton Potteries out of Morton, Ill produced a line of pottery called Woodland. Similar in nature to the work of England's Rockingham and Vermont's Bennington Potteries, it is often mistaken for being manufactured by those potteries. Woodland pieces are characterized by the blending shades of green, brown and yellow with a shiny glaze. Common type pieces include bowls, pitchers, vases, planters, teapots and pie plates. Most of these are found unmarked, making identification difficult. So, these pieces are often lumped into the Rockingham/Bennington category. 6 Potteries operated out of Morton, Ill from 1877-1976. They include Rapp Brothers Brick and Tile Co (1877-1915), Morton Pottery Works (1878-1915), Morton Earthenware Co (1915-1917), Cliftwood Art Potteries (1920-1940), Morton Brick and Tile Co (1915-1936), Morton Pottery Co (1922-1976) and Midwest Potteries Inc (1940-1944). Rapp even had a line called Rockingham, which adds to the confusion.

I have a cousin who has hated smiley faces ever since they first made their appearance in the 1960's. He made the mistake of letting people know how much he disliked these yellow monsters and thus began an endless stream of Smiley Faced gifts for his Birthday, Christmas and any other excuse of a holiday to give him a gift. Not wanting to be rude and throw the gifts out, he reluctantly created a mini-museum in his house, a "Face Place" so to say. This weekend's journeys found me finding a rare Smiley item....A Brearley Bathroom Scale. Likely made during the height of Smiley Mania in the late 1960's to early 1970's, this guy is very hard to find. I bet my cousin does not even have one !!! SOLD $70