Listing Day Taylor, Smith & Taylor

Well today has turned out to be a very productive day for me. I was able to list a few new items and at the same time move more glassware and pottery from Blujay to Atomic Mall.

I was finally able to finish moving the last of my Taylor, Smith and Taylor from Blujay to Atomic Mall.

This was one of the great Potteries of the Ohio river valley. Located in Chester West Virginia, It was formed in 1899 as Taylor, Lee & Smith. Because of internal differences Lee left the company 1n 1901 and the name was changed to Taylor,Smith & Taylor. By 1906 Smith had bought out the Taylor's and became the sole owner. Col. Taylor remained on the board and the name was retained even after the company was purchased by Anchor Hocking in 1972 to become the foundation of their pottery division. T,S & T finally closed its doors in 1981. Like so many American potteries a victim of foreign competition.

Taylor, Smith & Taylor at Quality Junk in the Atomic Mall

Enough for today. Thanks for listening...☺☺☺

History on Pottery

I was just listing this beautiful Piece of California Memorabilia in my Atomic Mall Store when the thought crossed my mind that there is a tremendous amount of both American and world history that has been promulgated on various types of pottery. I decided to write a blog article and perhaps add to it as new items show up.

I was particularly excited by this plate for couple of reasons. First from a technical standpoint I believe this is the first Homer Laughlin wall plate I have seen that was issued on the Cavalier (Rim) Shape. I have seen plenty on their Rhythm (Coupe) Shape. The thing I found the most interesting however, was the number of actual little windows into California that are depicted on this single plate.

Here's a list of what I spotted:

• Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco Bay
• Cable Car on Russian Hill - San Francisco
• The Campanile - UC Berkeley
• Rose Bowl - Pasadena
• Palace of Fine Arts - San Francisco
• Mt. Wilson Observatory
• Water Sports - Surfing, Fishing, Swimming
• Redwood Forest
• Capitol Building - Sacramento
• Movie Sets - Hollywood
• Mission of San Carlos Borromeo - Carmel
• Old Whaling Station - Monterrey
• A Golden Map of the Golden State

I would have to say that they hit all the highlights and than some. Remember that this is just one plate. Literally thousands were issued over the years and potteries and decorators continue to crank out history even as it is being made today. Remember also, that plates are not the only pottery pieces on which history has been recorded. Plaques, Mugs, Bowls, Figurines and many others are also out there waiting to be found and admired.

I guess I should mention that this plate and others are on display and for sale in my store.

California Plate at Quality Junk in the Atomic Mall

Thanks for listening..... ☺☺☺

Technical Porcelain and Chinaware Company

Probably many of you will not recognize the company in the title, but you would if I simply called it TEPCO, the more familiar acronym. Most sources state that TEPCO was founded in 1918 by John Battista Pagliero in El Cerrito, California. At first TEPCO's production was primarily just what the name states, Technical and electrical porcelain manufacture. In the years leading up to World War II, TEPCO potters and decorators began producing beautiful airbrushed patterns on heavy ware for the restaurant and hotel trade. By the beginning of the War they were a major player in commercial china. These pieces are very much in demand by collectors today. During the War years the company was the major suppier of china for the U.S. Pacific Fleet. They continued to produce quality restaurant ware right up until the company closed around 1968.

For those who may want to learn more please check out this link:
"Reprint Of An Article About Tepco On The E.Z.Smith Web Pages"

Now for the curious among you who are probably wondering why TEPCO popped into me mind today. I was looking through some piles of china on my back patio that I simply have never got into since I closed my brick and mortar store 5 years ago and came across a number of restaurant ware pieces including a few small TEPCO berry/fruit bowls. They jogged my memory about the article above and so I decided to list them in my store and when I reread the article I felt I had to share it with you'

I am hoping to add more commercial china to the store as time allows. It is an important and continuing part of Pottery history. For now this link should show most of what I have listed.
Restaurantware at Quality Junk in Atomic Mall

Thanks for listening... ☺☺☺

Glass, glass, glass - It's all Greek to me!!!

No disrespect intended to all of you dedicated glassware collectors out there. I just can't seem to be able to get a handle on all of this glass. However I have quite a bit and I am going to try and start researching and selling some of it. I've always had some listed in the various online stores I have tried in the past, but I just have never had the interest in it that I have in the pottery and dinnerware pieces. 90% of china and dinnerware is easy to identify. Come on people, they print the name right on it. Not so with glass. Yes, my hat is off to you who are brave enough to venture into the world of glass collecting.

Without further ad0, I started transferring the glass I already have listed on line to my Atomic Mall store and will be adding more every day for a while. I invite you to take a look from time to time and I apologize in advance for all the mistakes I am sure I'll make. Please do not hesitate to email me and set me straight should you find them. Actually, I welcome constructive criticism.

Glassware at Quality Junk in Atomic Mall

Enough for now. Thanks for listening... ☺☺☺

Sunday Morning Swap Meet

Went to the Swap Meet again today. More to get the exercise than to find anything, but you never know. I did find some pieces that I bought more to research than to sell.

Brief Descriptions:

• Narumi NAR55 Oval Platter. 16.5" long. Gray pine needle branches with small yellow cones in the center of each needle spread. This differs from replacements description, but I am fairly certain that it is the same pattern. My guess is circa 1950's with a probable replacement value of around $75.00. It is in excellent condition with very light trim wear. (Update 06/08/09) Narumi China at Quality Junk in the Atomic Mall


• Homer Laughlin California State Plate in the Cavalier Shape (not eggshell). 10" diameter. White body, pastel blue rim with gold heraldic crosses. Date marked 1956. Excellent condition. (Update 06/08/09) Listed: California Plate at Quality Junk in the Atomic Mall


• Fitz & Floyd (Table Collection) Plate. All white body with a poem about "Friends" in blue. 10 3/4" diameter. Older Fitz & Floyd mark. Original paper label "Japan". (Update 06/08/09) Listed: Fitz & Floyd at Quality Junk in the Atomic Mall

I need to do more research before listing these and will update this post when I list them.

NEW ISSUE
This afternoon I found time to move my remaining Sterling China from Blujay to my Atomic Mall store.

Sterling China of Wellsville, Ohio was founded in 1917. During WWII they were a major producer of china for the U.S. Navy. They produce commercial advertising china products, but also are well known for a line of Russell Wright they first issued in 1948. In 1952 they bought out the Scamwell Company of New Jersey. They used an East Liverpool, Ohio address for business purposes. As far as I know they closed in 2006.

Buy Sterling China at Quality Junk in Atomic Mall.

Thanks for listening...☺☺☺☺

Who said that Saturday was a day off??

Started off the morning at the swap meet. It was slim pickings, but I did manage to pick up a half a dozen Sebring Pottery Rosalie Dinner plates. Almost all in perfect condition except for light wear. I'll try and get them listed soon.

Well I thought this would be an easy day for me, but you know how that goes. "Best laid plans of men and mice." I have spent the bulk of the day working on a fairly large post with lots of pictures for my wife's blog.

Than I finally managed to get a couple of new items listed in my store.

And now I am updating this.

Here are the new listings:

Franciscan Tiempo Gray (Stone) Salad Serving Bowl



Metlox Colorstax Plum Berry Bowls



My apologies for the short post. Time for my "old guy" nap. Thanks for listening....

Not So Quality Junk - Grimwades Butter Dish

Of course this is not a pottery dump, but it is a little like what my house would look like if I didn't screen some of the things I buy at the swap meet or are given to me. Unfortunately one of my idiosyncrasies is that I cannot bear to toss any piece of vintage pottery or dinnerware that has either a high resale value and/or is over 100 years old, regardless of its condition. I am talking about pieces that I could never afford to have in my house or store if they were not damaged. I am not talking about everyday, dinnerware that is cracked or chipped. Like most folks I have no problem finding the trash bin with those. Of course sometimes I have to stare at an item for a month or two before making a judgement call between these two categories. In browsing through my store you will probably find a couple of dozen items like this and I am always very careful to describe the damage. I list this "not so quality junk" in the hopes that some other poor, retired sailor might like to have a beautiful, even if damaged piece of history.



Here is one such piece that I purchased a week ago and have not decided what to do with it yet. It is a Royal Winton Grimwades Covered Butter Dish. Probably circa 1930, but I need to do more research. My guess is that this piece would have a value of around $100.00 if in good condition. There is a good sized chip on the rim in one corner of the bottom which of course degrades it.



There is one other fascinating thing about this piece. If you look at the top above and the bottom below, you will notice that there is absolutely no glaze crazing on the top and yet the bottom is so extensively crazed that it appears to be deliberate. This leads me to believe that this is a marriage of two pieces of the same pattern but issued many years apart. Of course there are other equally plausible explanations, and we may never know the truth.


It is this mixture of age, beauty and mystery that makes it impossible for me to pass these pieces by and toss them in the trash.

Here is some Royal Winton that is listed: Griwades at Quality Junk in the Atomic Mall

Enough for today, Thanks for listening...

Who Said That Change Is A Good Thing??

Ever since I decided to start using this blog again I have been avoiding updating it to the latest format. It would seem that they have updated things in the last five years and they want me to do the same. I know what happens every time I try something new on line. Usually one big mess of my own making.

Today was a slow day around here so I decided to take the "leap of faith" and pushed the update button. I was not disappointed in my expectations. Five hours later and I am just beginning to find the light at the end of the tunnel. I think I'm about half way there and I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm working on it. Things should be back to normal by tomorrow.

Thanks for listening...

Jibber, Jabber, JOBBER !!!!

One of the most confusing things people run into when they are collecting pottery in general and dinnerware in particular is the term "JOBBER". Just exactly what is a jobber anyway? The best definition for our purposes is a company that orders and purchases large quantities of merchandise from manufacturers for the purpose of reselling to retailers rather than directly to consumers.

Examples abound throughout the dinnerware world. All to often, reference publications use the term manufacturer when they are actually referring to a jobber. Further complicating matters Jobbers often use trademarks to refer to a line of merchandise that they are trying to sell. They may order items to be sold under these trademarks from a number of different manufacturers.

Unfortunately, those of us who sell this pottery and dinnerware are even more confused than the people who write the reference material.

Just as an example, Marshall Burns & Company of Chicago. One of their trademark lines was Marcrest. They ordered items for their Marcrest Line from a number of different manufacturers.

Daisy & Dot -- This pattern in the popular Colorado Brown color was made by Western Stoneware, while various other colors were made by other manufacturers.





Marcrest at Quality Junk in the Atomic Mall


Swiss Alpine -- This pattern is almost always unmarked but was made by Stetson for Marshall Burns, again for the Marcrest line.




Almost every major pottery, Homer Laughlin, Franciscan, Taylor, Smith & Taylor and many others sold to jobbers to resell to merchants. Often they sold the same pattern to more than one jobber to be resold under different pattern names.

This led to a common practise throughout the industry where retailers would be offered an exclusive for a certain pattern in their territory, while their competitors were offered the same pattern for the same territory simply under a different name.

The bottom line here is that you must be careful when searching for a specific pattern. It never hurts to do a little research.

Thanks for listening...

Poetry 101 - Life At Night

Another effort to relive my poet years. I'll let you be the judge.


Life At Night

All day she thought about the night
The fun and noise and drinks in sight.

She wanted but to party
To make her life more hearty.

What drew her to this crowd
So drunken and so loud.

Did she feel some hidden need
To erase the world or from it speed.

Those thoughts are left from other years. The habits hard to break.
She fears the pains of daily life. The effort she can't make.

If life is one big party, No problems need she face.
So every night she hurries there. To join the endless race.

No faces she need love, Nor rejections pain to feel.
No reminders of commitments, That were never, ever real.

In this the faces are alike. They want no pain, not yet.
And so they run around each night. Not to worry or to fret.

The Old Guy
17 Mar 2001

Feel free to share if you like and thanks for listening....

Amazing Facts!!! A Sale in July?

You might think it a little presumptuous of me to congratulate myself on having made a sale, but the fact is that July sales for me on line have always been as rare as hens teeth so I am going to brag it up.

It's really not a large sale from a monetary point of view, but it is an item that I always liked and almost (remember I said almost) hate to see go.

"The legend of the Dogwood dates back to the crucifixion. Early lore likens the Dogwood petals, shaped like a cross and stained with red, to the Cross of Calvary"

It is a Stetson China Dixie Dogwood Platter by Joni. Stetson pottery also produced Blue Ridge-esque designs from 1946 to 1966. Stetson employed one of Southern Pottery’s most famous creators, Lena Watts. With her came many look-alike patterns. One of the most common “Blue Ridge” patterns that Stetson adopted was the “Southern Dogwood” pattern. Stetson’s version was often marked “Dixie Dogwood, Joni.” Like Blue Ridge, not all of Stetson’s wares were marked. But, in the case of Dixie Dogwood, there is one simple way to tell the difference. “Dixie Dogwood” has red “blood” dots on the ends of the petals. Blue Ridge “Southern Dogwood” doesn’t. Stetson China used decal transfers for its entire lifetime except for a three year period, 1954 - 1956, when it used hand painting exclusively. Most of the Blue Ridge like patterns were issued then. The "Joni" back stamp indicates ware that was created for "Joni" one of Stetsons largest jobber clients.
Update (08/07/09) More about jobbers: Jibber,Jabber,Jobber

I really must thank the buyer in Washington State for breaking up the monotony of the July doldrums.

I do have a few other Joni pieces in the store if you care to take a look.

Joni China at Quality Junk in Atomic Mall

Thanks for listening....

Church Plates - Faith or Advertising

I do not want to start a controversy here regarding the need for or the right of churches and religions in general to advertise themselves.

What I want to do is point out the beauty of these churches as they are shown on plates. I am sure that most people keep these in their homes as acts of faith. I also believe that churches for the most part use these as a means of fundraising as well as a way to commemorate significant events in their histories. Potteries in almost every country in the world have filled orders at one time or another for these plates and other similar memorabilia.

My point here is that the hundreds if not thousands of these plates that are available at very reasonable prices create an area that most people can afford to collect and proudly display.

I do not have many of these but I am always on the lookout for more.

Church Plates at Quality Junk in Atomic Mall

Saturday at the Swap Meet - Franciscan Tiempo Find!!

Not much action at the swap meet this morning. The only thing I picked up was a really nice Franciscan Tiempo Square Salad Bowl in the Gray (Stone) color. It was covered in dirt and buried in a pile of junk, but it appears to be in perfect condition.



Tiempo is part of Franciscans Metropolitan shape. The line was designed by Morris B. Sanders in 1949. Metropolitan was a duo color line. In 1949, Tiempo, a single color line in the same Metropolitan shape was introduced and eventually issued in 8 solid colors. Tiempo was discontinued in 1954 and because of the relatively short issue period is considered somewhat scarce in any color.

Franciscans Metropolitan and Tiempo lines were typical of solid and duotone color lines that almost every major pottery in the U.S.A. issued during this period that were intended to give the consumer the choice of mixing and matching place settings on the table. I see a resurgence of this preference among homemakers today. This is an excerpt from a Gladding, Mcbean & Co ad in the "China, Glass & Lamps" trade journal Sept. 1950.

"Truly beautiful simplicity of line in New and sparkling House & Garden colors makes Franciscan Tiempo correct for formal as well as informal table arrangements. Each shade is so basically excellent it is perfect used alone. Yet any two ... or three ... or even the four colors may be combined. And like all Franciscan dinnerware, Tiempo is extremely resistant to chipping, crazing and cracking."

I have a fairly large selection of Franciscan in my store.

Buy Franciscan China in Quality Junk at Atomic Mall

Thanks for listening...

A Tribute to Cheri Blum

All to often, those of us who collect beautiful things for our own pleasure tend to ignore the talented people who brought them to us. One such person was Cheri Blum. A talented artist whose star rose quickly in the sometimes whimsical world of art and design. Unfortunately she passed away unexpectedly in November 2003 at the age of 34. I have borrowed this tribute from an ebay review by Carol Slinker of Carols Tag Shop. I could never have said it as well and I thank her for publishing it.

"Cheri's artwork, published by Wild Apple Graphics since 1996 and licensed by Wild Apple Licensing since 1999, has been highly successful in both open edition prints and licensed products from more than 40 companies.

Perhaps Cheri's art has become so popular because of its natural elegance and its peacefulness. Calm, serene lines, simple shapes and freshly created patinas characterize her style. In Cheri's words, “My art has a classical direction, but always with a contemporary spontaneity and simplicity.”

Blum's art reflects the character of the antiques she loved. She perfected a method of painting on cracked linen that conjured up images of Italian villas, or the pattern in an heirloom quilt. Cheri Blum said, "My goal is to take the fine art aspect of the Old Masters and combine it with a worn handcrafted look that suits today’s styles. I love to find unusual painting surfaces and create something from nothing."

Cheri Blum strove to create art that paid homage to the beauty of time passing by. To create the effects of time and weather, Blum even went so far as to put a completed painting in the washing machine.Cheri Blum said about her art: "My artistic style is characterized by its calm, serene lines, simple shapes and freshly created patinas which are combined to create a peaceful balance. Edited of unnecessary detail, there is a depth and lushness to the finished surface which is generated from its rich layering. Descriptive elements are simultaneously present and invisible, resulting in a feeling which is both fresh and weathered."

Cheri Blum's untimely death at age 34 has left her fans saddened. Cheri Blum died in her home by the Sassafrass River in Maryland. The art world is less for her loss."

Carol Slinker

My own knowledge of Cheri's work is limited to the half dozen or so dinnerware patterns that she designed for 222 Fifth (A dinnerware line of PTS America).

I am fortunate to have a few of these in my store.

Cheri Blum Dinnerware in Quality Junk at Atomic Mall
Please enjoy them for the beautiful works of art that they are. Thanks for listening....

Albert Pottery - A Mystery Solved

Several months ago I came across this beverage server and listed it in my store. In trying to research it, I found some threads on MODish.net and discovered that I was not the only one trying to find some info about it. In March 2009 the answer came in the form of a posting by Jacob Albert, the son of the potters (Joesph & Beatrice Albert).
Comment on MODish.net by Jacob Albert

There is more information in this same thread provided by Peter Knobler, the son of the distributor, Alfred E. Knobler.
Comment on MODish.net by Peter Knobler

Since than I have seen more pieces from the Albert Pottery both on MODish.net and around the net. It is definitely mid-century modern and I am now keeping my eyes open for more. The beverage server was made in a number of different glaze colors. Of course it is for sale in my store.
Beatrice Albert Beverage Server at Quality Junk in Atomic Mall

thanks for listening...

Swap Meet News

Went to visit my main supplier today. The local swap meet is getting to be a waste of time for me on Wednesdays.
All of the "Quality Junk" dealers that used to be there have just about given it up because of the bad economic situation we are going through. Fortunately, the flip side of the coin is that more "garage sale sellers" are coming on the weekend to sell what they can to try and make ends meets. I feel sorry for these folks who are forced to sell their memories to pay the rent and put food on the table, but as the saying goes. "One mans trash is another mans treasure". I thank my higher power every day for my Navy retirement. I'm not wealthy, but I don't see my family going hungry or living on the street.

As usual I'm rambling on and on. To make a long story short I only made two buys today. First, a lot of five nice Metlox Colorstax fruit bowls in the hard to find Plum color, which I'll be listing on Atomic Mall soon. The other treasure was a beautiful Royal Winton Grimwades covered butter/cheese dish. It has a bad chip in one corner of the dish, but the cover is in excellent condition and these are really hard to find. I will be doing some research on it before I list it for sale and it may just find a place on my fireplace mantle instead. I'll try and add a picture here later to share it with you.

San Diego Zoo for Dinner???

I have always had a few San Diego Zoo items from a set of dinnerware that was being sold a few years back as memorabilia, About two weeks ago I came across a lot of four more different dinner plates and finally got around to listing them in my Atomic Mall store today. Now that I have a significant number of pieces from the set, I did a little research and decided to pass it along.

The artist is Michael Schnorr. He studied right here in San Diego at SDSU and did graduate work in Stockholm. Rome and Florence. He did a number of murals here in Chicano Park and I saw a number of other references regarding his work on the internet. I think he is a professor at Southwestern College in Chula Vista and resides locally.

I have always been a member of the Zoological Society and while I am not an art critic I have been impressed with the art drawings on the various pieces of this set. They are so realistic you can almost hear them.

Buy San Diego Zoo Dinnerware at Quality Junk in Atomic Mall




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Update 08/31/09: Sold the gorilla plate.
I will add new info as it surfaces. Thanks for listening...

Studio Nova Dinnerware

Spent the bulk of the day updating and transferring the remainder of my Studio Nova dinnerware from my old Blujay Store to Atomic Mall. I don't have a large amount of this fine line of dinnerware but what there is is now there.
Studio Nova in Quality Junk at Atomic Mall
A few examples.



Historical Data -- The Studio Nova brand is a member of the Mikasa family and was created for the fashion minded value conscious consumer. The line was created in 1984and discontinued in 2007.

In the process of doing the update I stumbled on the best site that I have seen for information on Studio Nova by Mikasa. For detailed information on Studio Nova history and patterns,please check it out.
Studio Nova Dinnerware

My thanks to Marie T. Smith, author of "Microwave Cooking for One" for this wonderful site. For more information on her book and on Microwave cooking in general please check out her site.

Microwave Cooking for One