From the eBay Files...

Howdy! I realize that this is an epically late post by now, but as I mentioned in my Extra File post, initially deciding not to do the Americana theme for this month sort of threw me off even more than I already was. I'm going to go ahead on with it though and focus on both the good and bad about what the time period represented. Americana is an unofficial era in 20th century American history that is all about the nostalgic patriotism and pride of being American. Based off of early 20th century small-town beliefs, Americana brings attention to what is referred to as "The Good Ol' Days" through images and things that inspire that sense of patriotism. From the late 1800s until around the late 1940s or so is the usual time period that Americana is represented in, but a twist was put on it back in the '70s, when bohemian elements entered the fray. Today, however, it isn't given quite as much attention as it was back in the day but I thought it would be nice to revisit some of those things this month. Independence Day happens to be one of my favorite holidays and around this time of year, I always feel that nostalgia the most. It also gives me an excuse to indulge in reading up on my American history. So throughout the month, I thought I'd give a little education on Americana and what it's about. Per usual, we kick things off with eBay. Let's check it out!

Set of 7 '20s & '30s Vintage American Pamphlet Cookbooks, $7.99

This is a set of cookbooks in pamphlet form from the '20s and '30s and these were quite intriguing to me as I've never seen these before. A few of these cookbooks show their age, but that's what I like about them. The flaws show that they were well-used and loved. Now if this was a gown, I'd like it to be in great condition. But when it comes to books, as long as the damage isn't significant, I like seeing that it was well-loved over the years. Each cookbook focuses on something different, so I'd imagine for most home cooks of that time, owning all of these would create a well-rounded list of learned dishes. 

Original 1918 WWI Usanite Compass, $60

The longer that I have this blog, the more that I realize that I love antiques of all kinds. Rare war pieces like this compass are among my favorites. I really enjoy looking at how different war materials and accessories change over time, but the main reason why I love things like this so much is because I wonder about the stories behind them. Were they part of any battles or just extras, who had them, what happened, all of those are the questions that I ask myself first. As I've said many times, vintage to me is just as much about history as it is a petticoat or a fainting chair. I wonder where this compass went, who used it, and who's had it over the years. I think that's probably more interesting to me than the item itself. 

American Furniture 1620 to Present, $9.99

When I study different time periods in history, my interests usually veer more toward English history, since the majority of my favorite eras took place over there. My favorite eras in American history don't come until the years that Americana was being established. So when I saw this book, even though it's only about furniture, I jumped on it. Truthfully, aside from what I was taught in school about American history, I don't know much about American history in any category, so this book promises to be rather interesting. To me, anyway. lol 

Vintage 1950s Seeburg Wall-O-Matic 100 Song Jukebox, $250

The main way that people got their music fix when out on the town back in the day was via jukebox, where all the current hits and some of the oldies were added and you could play them for a quarter. I've loved jukeboxes since I was small(er); my generation came at the tail end of the jukebox age so when I was a kid, finding a restaurant that had one was the most amazing thing ever to me. lol This looks like a tabletop jukebox, which I saw most often at smaller diners or restaurants. I'm really curious as to how you'd reprogram these; does anyone know?

A 50-card set of 1930s Goudey's Baseball Cards, $1750

Baseball (initially I'd had a typo and wrote 'baeball,' which I'm sure in some circles is actually a word lol) is largely regarded as the quintessential American sport. I happen to believe the all-American sport is football, but what do I know. Anyway, with baseball having said accolade, it is a large part of the Americana mentality, which brings me to this deck of Goudey's cards. There are 50 in the deck featuring a number of baseball stars from the '30s. For collectors, enthusiasts, packrats (who are usually one or both of the above), or vintage store owners, I think this would be quite the acquisition, which explains the price. 

Vintage 1949 Hudson Miniature 1914 Regal Coupe Model Car Kit, $15

American-made cars are another part of the Americana mentality, which brings me to this 1949 Hudson model based off a 1914 Coupe. I like model cars, but just for looking. My interest doesn't extend to putting them together. lol I wouldn't mind starting a collection of old model cars like these though. This is from 1949, so it's actually quite amazing that all of the pieces are still intact. According to the seller the box has a little damage, but it still has all of the pieces, so that's pretty awesome. I'm not much of a car enthusiast in general, but classic cars always get me. 

1918 WWI Chicago Daily News Military Pocket Reference Book, $17

This is another well-loved book, another item from the first World War. In a further demonstration of my lack of knowledge concerning American history, I didn't know that there were pocket reference books for soldiers. I couldn't see everything that was in this book, but from the details that I did see, a small English-to-German translation guide is included to help the soldiers articulate the basics if conversing with those who don't speak English. There's also a calendar, announcements, and other useful information from the time period included inside.

1943 Esquire Date Book with Hollywood Pinups, $29.99

This is a personal planner/date book that Esquire released back in 1943, with a pretty great collection of pinups sprinkled throughout. Pinups are also a large part of Americana, partially because of their popularity with the military units during wartime and also because....well, they were gorgeous. Is any other reason necessary? lol I've never seen one of these before but I love looking at pinup photos; I'm mad they don't make these anymore. Vintage aside, however, I wouldn't mind a beefcake version of this datebook. At all.

1950s Diner Booth and Table Set, $2000

Small businesses like barber shops, diners and ice cream parlors were really popular throughout the majority of the time that Americana was being established, as these were seen as solid representations of American culture. When I was younger, these were still quite popular in certain restaurants but in recent years have been phased out for more contemporary furniture items, but I've always loved these. If I were to have a breakfast nook in my future home, I've always liked the idea of having a diner set there. This is a genuine set from the '50s, and it's not only in good shape, but costs a lot less than I'd have expected an entire diner set to cost, especially considering the age.

Rare 10s or 20s Ragtime Concert Plaque, $69.99

Folk, bluegrass, country and other American-based music are another notch in the Americana belt because those genres are said to be the roots of American music. It is in these genres that you'll hear about the country's history and during the height of Americana, it was these areas of music in combination with blues and jazz that embodied American culture. That brings me to this ragtime concert plaque from either the 10s or 20s, which I think was an awesome find considering its age. I actually think that from a collector's standpoint this is grossly underpriced. 

That wraps things up for the first Americana-themed File for July. I'm still feeling my way through this theme; as I mentioned before I had some issues when I first started finding things for the month. I still intend to stick to it, but I'd be lying if I said it hasn't become a bit difficult. I'll go into more detail about my thoughts on what I found in this month's Vintage Spotlight, which should be up either this week or next. I hope you enjoyed this collection of items and I'll see you soon!