Checkerboard

August, 2018

In This Issue

The vintage post card pictured above appears in recognition of National Beach Day, which is celebrated in August.

The jury is in and the verdict is that the 2018 AAAA Convention was one of the best! The "fun factor" was high and an exceptional degree of enthusiasm and energy was present. In this article, we will review the Convention highlights and share lots of photos. The September issue of PastTimes will also feature the Convention but, rest assured, there will be little or no repeats in the photos that are used or the content reported.

The "Numbers"

Attendance was excellent at this Convention. The number of registered AAAA attendees (almost 90) exceeded just about every recent convention over the past several years. We set a new record of approximately 50 selling rooms, including Graniteware attendees. Our Cracker Jack and Graniteware collaborators, along with the public, added up to approximately 250 individuals that had involvement in our Convention.

Satisfaction ratings provided by our attendees provided further evidence of the success of the event. Ninety-one percent rated the Convention as "Excellent", which greatly exceeds the typical rating of around 70%. The Embassy Suites received an 82% "Excellent" rating, which eclipsed ratings of past hotels which were as low as 16%. Meals received a 50% excellent rating versus past ratings of around 20%. About 89% rated their experiences as either a seller or a buyer as either "Good" or "Excellent".

The Hotel

As noted in the satisfaction ratings above, the Embassy Suites Lombard was very well-liked, especially for the food and the beautiful surroundings. The hotel management and staff worked very cooperatively with AAAA both before and during the event to help make the Convention successful.

Attendees loved the fact that all of the rooms were large suites. This permitted sellers to set up their items for sale in the spacious living room and still enjoy the privacy of a separate bedroom behind closed door.

The made-to-order breakfast and evening reception with free alcoholic beverages were also a hit.

Seminars

Attendees were treated to three excellent seminars this year.

Alex Jaramillo, who is the foremost expert on Cracker J ack in the US, conducted a seminar entitled " The Fascinating History of the Cracker Jack Company and those Wonderful Prizes”. He wowed the audience with the history of Cracker Jack and photos of an amazing variety of items that have been produced by the company. Alex was made available as a speaker courtesy of our 2018 collaborators, the Cracker Jack Collectors Association.

Evy Mayer presented a seminar succinctly titled, "Packrat". Her presentation unfolded an almost unbelievable array of collectibles that she has meticulously displayed throughout her apartment. She highlighted strategies for displaying one's collection, especially where space might be at a premium.

Bill Rawski, proprietor of the iconic Zap Props, presented a seminar entitled "“Antique Advertising Used in a Contemporary Commercial Setting”.

He shared his years of experience in transforming his love of everything vintage into a powerhouse commercial enterprise, which now provides props to restaurants, movies, TV shows and others.



Alex Jamarillo

Evy Mayer

Bill Rawski

Silent Auction

After a very long tenure as Coordinator of the Silent Auction, Amy Vehling passed the baton to Bob and Bev Hunt. Bob and Bev did a great job of managing this key Convention event. It ran smoothly and efficiently, even succeeding in ending earlier than usual in order to make room for an extra room hopping slot. They also introduced the innovation of credit card payments for silent auction purchases.

Twenty-one individuals consigned a total of 160 items plus 3 items were donated. Total sales were just under $4,000. There were only 28 items that received no bid and 12 that were buy-backs.

As the photos below reveal, participants were intently focused on the activity and some terrific items changed hands.

Favorite Advertising Exhibit

The Favorite Advertising Exhibit was also under new leadership this year. Gary Cicci and Denise Preble did a wonderful job of planning and implementing this popular activity. Sixteen different individuals entered a total of 24 items into the exhibit.

A special surprise was the exhibition of Reylan Lange's entire collection of flat pocket tins. It alone occupied six 6 foot tables. The massive number of beautiful, small lithographed tins was truly impressive. People spent long periods of time pouring over the hundreds of examples displayed.

The Favorite Advertisng Exhibit was very well-attended and people really enjoyed themselves, as reflected in the photos below, and the time attendees spent chatting after the voting had concluded.

Reylan Lange and his Incredible Display of Flat Pocket Tins

The Winners!

Robert Ray won Best In Show in three categories. In the photo directly above, Robert is receiving his certificates from President Steve Lefkovitz

Room Hopping

Room hopping is the perennial favorite of many Convention attendees. The fact that there were approximately 50 rooms with sellers just added to the excitement this year. Here are some shots of what was available:

Raffles and Games

Attendees were treated to our tradition of raffles and games during the Thursday and Friday dinners. Lenny Kirby once again served as the Master of Ceremonies. As always, he handled his duties with aplomb. Great prizes were awarded thanks to our convention sponsors!

Convention Sponsors

AAAA wishes to thank the sponsors of its 2018 Annual Convention. Please show your gratitude by patronizing these businesses:

Saturday Activities

This year's convention was followed by a robust day of activities available to participants. Once the Convention was dismissed at 9:30 AM, people had the following choices:

With Appreciation

Our sincere thanks go to all who attended the 2018 Convention! There would be no Convention without you. We hope you really enjoyed yourselves!

Heartfelt thanks are also due to our many volunteers. We'd like to express our gratitude to Bob & Bev Hunt (Silent Auction, Seminars), Gary Cicci and Denise Preble (Favorite Advertising), Lenny Kirby (Raffles & Games), Alex Jaramillo (Seminar), Evy Mayer (Seminar and Check-In), Bill Rawski (Seminar), Mandykae Akers (Photography), Ryan Jernigan (Oral Auction), Michele Lefkovitz (Hospitality Suite, Silent Auction, Convention Administration), Dave Delongchamp (Raffles and Games), Ellie Schwimmer (Check-In, Silent Auction), Fred Schwimmer (Silent Auction), Pam Dorsey (Silent Auction), Victoria Lynch (Silent Auction), Carolyn Peterson (Silent Auction), Regina Woods (Silent Auction), Michael Stephens (Silent Auction), Leo Fry (Silent Auction), Richard Cousin (Silent Auction), Dale Peterson (Silent Auction), Jeff Woods (Silent Auction), Joe Lipscombe (Silent Auction), Gordon Addington (Silent Auction), Margaret Carpenter (Silent Auction), Georgia Spillman (Silent Auction), Alan DeLau (Silent Auction), and Jeremy Blum (Silent Auction).

Thanks again to all! Our apologies go to any volunteers who were inadvertently left off this list.

Have you ever wished you could step back in time and actually see an early general store in operation? To see what the store's furnishings, equipment, and product offerings looked like? To witness the personnel interacting with one another and with their customers? To understand the challenges of those early days and their efforts to overcome those challenges?

Well you can. And it will not require you to invent a time machine.

National Cash Register (NCR), the iconic manufacturer of the beautiful early cash registers, created a promotional film in 1917 to educate store owners about the benefits of the new technology they were offering. In this 33 minute silent film, it chronicles the day-to-day operations of a general store in great detail. The visual clarity of the film is excellent and it is fascinating to actually witness the goings-on 100 years ago.

Spoiler Alert!: The film goes on to demonstrate how the innovations provided by NCR helps to transform this simple, little country store into a commercial enterprise that more closely resembles the modern retail establishment of today. It gets a bit dry at times as it delves into the accounting and business benefits of modern technology but, overall, this film is a real treat for anybody interested in the history (and ultimate demise) of traditional general stores.

To view this film, just click here, sit back, and enjoy!

The Indy Ad Show will return to the Boone County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Indiana on September 22-23. Expectations are running high after a very successful inaugural year. Show promoters Nona and Mark Wilson, owners of Northstar Collective, have added another antique show in DePere, WI to their growing stable of vintage events.

The Indy Ad Show is teamed up with an Oil & Gas Show and an Antiques Market, which adds greatly to the excitement. Admission to all three shows costs only $8.00. Approximately 250 antique advertising and toy dealers are expected to be set up. If the past is any indication of what to expect, a virtual cornucopia of antique advertising in all genres and at all price points should be present. Those looking for rare examples in pristine condition should not be disappointed.

The show's hours will be 8:00 AM-5:00 PM on Saturday and 9:00 AM-1:00 PM on Sunday. In addition, an auction conducted by 326 Auctions will take place at 5:00 PM on Saturday.

Stop by the AAAA booth for information about next year's AAAA Convention in Reading, Pennsylvania on July 24-27, 2019.

We all encounter cleverly-named antique establishments in our travels. After all, a catchy name is good for business. There are even resources out there that can help you come up with an innovative name for your antique enterprise. But your Editor of this newsletter got a real chuckle out of the name of an antique business owned by Lynn and Jeanne Burgess in Grove, Oklahoma ([email protected]):

Junk and Disorderly

That one gets my vote for the most creative name in the world of antiques.

If you think you know of a better one, click here and let me know!

One of the most remarkable things about antique advertising is how much it has changed and evolved over the years. We often marvel at the museum quality lithographic artwork graced on early 20th Century posters and product labels. We often think "They just don't make them like that any more!"

Well, in at least one case, antique advertising has gone "back to the future".

The can of Campbell's Soup pictured below looks like it was purchased just last week at the local grocery store. However, a closer look reveals that it was actually manufactured on September 3, 1913. Somehow the fancy elegance of those earlier times was lost on this modest can of soup and it ended up looking like something produced today. Guess the Campbell folks figured the design would stand the test of time. Looks like they were right.

NOTICE: For Sale – Remainder of our B. Heller Co, Chicago 1920’s advertising collection. Wood barrels pertaining to food ingredients, glass bottles of flavorings, food colorings and seasonings, small pesticide containers unused 4 color labels. Call Sally Loeb, 847-648-4449 or 847-432-0002

(Editor's Note: Sally Loeb is the granddaughter of B. Heller)

Amy Vehling, our Membership Coordinator, will be away for almost the entire month of September. Therefore, she will not be opening any membership-related mail you might send to her until she returns. She said to go ahead and send in your membership renewals, etc. anyway but please understand that there will be a delay in her ability to respond.

In this column are those sought-after items of desire that seem to be elusive. If you know where any of these items can be acquired or if you have one available, please click the link to reply directly to the seeker. To place a listing in this column, click here . There is no fee for AAAA members. Up to three listings per member are permitted.

White Plastic 7" Tall "Pole Sign" Thermometers advertising local/regional gasoline/oil/service station brands such as: SPEEDWAY 79; SUPER 98; TOPCO; ROCKET; HANCOCK; BELL; OKLAHOMA. NOT the major national brands like Texaco. Peter Capell. To reply, click here.

Singer Sewhandy Model 20-Green-regular paint, not hammertone. To reply, click here.

National Biscuit Company, Nabisco, Uneeda Biscuit, Uneeda Bakers, Muth Bakery, NBC Bread toys, signage, tins, containers, displays, historical items. Please Email [email protected] or call (937) 205-2232.

Early Cigarette Rolling Papers: Pre-1940’s - American, Zig Zag, Braunstein Freres, Bambino, and Ottoman papers wanted. To reply, click here.

Top Condition Sunset Trail Oval Cigar Tin-White version. To reply, click here.

Convention Hall Coffee Tin-One pound yellow version. To reply, click here.

Antique/Collectible Banking and Financial System "Give-a way" and advertising items. Specifically from Pennsylvania. Alarm devices and such. To reply, click here .

Unusual one pound peanut butter tins . Tin litho or paper label. To reply, click here .

Marshmallow Tins, Smaller than 5 Pound Size. To reply, click here .

American Cookie, Biscuit and Cracker Tins and Boxes . To reply , click here .

Columbian Stove sign made by the Keeley Stove Co. in Columbia PA To reply, click here or call 717-572-3108.

 

Continental Cubes Tobacco Tin: (Larger pocket tin....one size above the normal size pocket). Also large red 3 lb. Franklin coffee tin canister (Ben Franklin face). To reply, click here .

 

VITAMINS advertising, displays, signs, bottles, and anything related: Hadacol is an example. Most would come from the 1930’s thru the 1970’s. Also anything related to cod-liver oil and WEIGHT-LOSS, REDUCING, ANTI-FAT, and OBESITY ITEMS. To reply, click here .

 

Early tin signs lithographed by Tuchfarber, Wells and Hope, Worcester Sign Company, Sentenne and Green, etc. I can pay more for good condition, but would be interested in any condition. Don Lurito  [email protected] also in the directory. To reply, click here .

 

Dwinell-Wright Co. Royal Ground Spice Cardboard Spice Boxes. One side displays horizontally. Approximately 3.75" by 2.25". Any type of spice is OK. To reply, click here .

 

ENSIGN Perfect and ENSIGN Perfection vertical pocket tobacco tins to enhance my collection. Feel free to contact me at 614-888-4619 or [email protected] to see if you can help fill the voids.

 

Ice Cream Advertising.  Mr. Ice Cream desires better ice cream advertising including: postcards, trade cards, letterheads, billheads, booklets, poster stamps, blotters, magic lantern slides, pinbacks, watchfobs and pocket mirrors. Allen Mellis, 1115 West Montana St. Chicago, Illinois 60614-2220.  [email protected] . To reply, click here .

 

Empty tin cans (new) to place vintage labels on. Different sizes preferred. Do you know of a source where these can be purchased in volume? To reply, click here .

 

Tall 1 lb. Mallard Coffee Can - Shows duck taking off. To reply, click here .

 

Chewing gum packs, sticks, wrappers, full boxes, lifesavers, candy bar wrappers, displays, and boxes.  Anything candy related. To reply, click here . 

 

Pre-1900 advertising items related to: barbed wire, farm fence gates, tools for erecting or mending wire fences, and farm fences. Only primary material please--no ads from newspapers, etc. Larry W. Love. To reply, click here .

 

Armour Foods Signs, Cardboards, Store Displays, Die-Cuts Wanted. To reply, click here .

 

Cigar advertising tip trays, pinbacks, or any unusual cigar advertising items. Harry Cohn: To reply, click here .

 

Walt Foster Art Books Store Floor Rack:  To reply, click here :

 

JG Flynt Sir Walter Raleigh Pocket Tin:  To reply, click here .

 

Vintage Photos of General Stores or Soda Fountains . Authentic 1890-1930 examples only--no modern reprints please. Mounted photo or RPPC. Interior or exterior. Send scan. To reply, click here .

 

Firecracker Packs:  Collector buying all old fireworks-packs, boxes, advertising, whatever. To reply, call 931-237-3646 or click here .

 

Lefkowitz & Sons Company Soda Fountain Collectables:  I am seeking any soda fountain product or equipment labeled "Lefkowitz".  To reply click here . 

 

Posters of Beautiful Women or Children Advertising a Drug Store or Country Store Product.  Pre-1930. Preferable with product shown in image. Original frame and good condition a plus--also NOS country store or drug store products, advertising of any kind, or any product with great graphics and full of contents a plus. To reply, click here .

 

Spice Tins WANTED!!   Hard core collector looking for brands I don't have and upgrades for ones I do have. Looking for good old spice tins with pictures. Birds, people, trains, etc. I have a few traders but mainly a buyer. To reply, click here . 

 

Minnesota Brewery Items including Hamm's, Grain Belt, Fitgers, Gluek and others. Also collect rare Minnesota advertising pieces. To reply, click here .

 

Vintage Baseball/Football Cards:  Pre-1970 Only To reply, click here .

 

Clicquot Club:  Lighted Clicquot Club advertising clock made by Telechron and Telechron lighted advertising clock.  To reply, click here .

 

Yellow Kid Wanted:  The more unusual,the better. To reply, click here .

 

Harvard Brewing Signs/Lithographs:  To reply, click here . 

 

Ivanhoe Pencil Tin:  Fair price and also finder's fee paid. Approx 1" diam, 9" long, blue in color, round, with picture of Ivanhoe on horseback. To reply, click here .

 

Noaker Ice Cream Company Canton, Ohio : 13" Round ice cream tray from "the Noaker Ice Cream Company Canton, Ohio" in good or better condition. It has the boy & girl eating ice cream on the front. To reply, click here .

 

B.T. Babbit Soap Advertisement Posters:  See Antique Advertising Encyclopedia (Vol. II) by Klug page 54 and 55. Condition is very important. To reply, click here .

 

DeLaval:  Tin advertising, give-aways and other collectibles produced by the company. To reply, click here .

 

Edmands Coffee Company, Edmands Tea Company, 1776 Coffee, American Beauty Tea, Japan Tea, Devonshire Tea, (imported by Edmands, Boston/Chicago):  Any items such as tins, signs, paper, or anything else related to the Edmands family of companies in Boston is desired. To reply, click here .

 

Heathman Bakery, Dayton, Ohio:  Interested in any items related to this business. To reply, click here .

 

Indianapolis Brewing Company Ephemera: Circa 1920. Specifically looking for signed documents. To reply, click here .

The AAAA Checkerboard is a monthly e-newsletter that is made available to all AAAA members at no cost. The mission of the Checkerboard is to increase knowledge about antique and collectible advertising among AAAA members. The Checkerboard also provides news and updates about AAAA. It is produced each month with the exception of the four months per year when the award-winning PastTimes print newsletter is published. Paul Lefkovitz ( [email protected] ) serves as Editor of the AAAA Checkerboard. Copyright, 2018, Antique Advertising Association of America