Monart, Vasart, Strathearn

Monart, Vasart, Strathearn

Monart, Vasart, Strathearn

The Ysart dynasty of Spanish glass workers was largely responsible for distinctive blown and cased coloured art glass with swirling decoration, produced by Scottish glassworks from 1924 until 1980s.

The distinctive  range Monart, Vasart, Strathearn  was developed by Salvador   Ysart and his sons.

Together, they made some 300 shapes for vases bowls and leaded jars.

Monart, Vasart, Strathearn

The simple, often oriental inspired shapes, focused attention on the rich and subtle palettes, dramatic colour combinations, and swirling internal decoration designed by Salvador Ysaet.

The basic techniques involved sandwiching small shreds of coloured glass between two layers of clear glass.

Monart, Vasart, Strathearn

The coloured glass could be manipulated, using various tools, to create the swirling patterns.

The more sophisticated, and sought after pieces had an extra layer of external declaration, like the crackled effect on the vase in the photo.

Monart, Vasart, Strathearn

Salvador Ysart and his sons used the same techniques for the subsequent range of Vasart and Strathearn glass, although these are genuinely more limited in range of patterns and colours.

Monart, Vasart, Strathearn

 Monarts original paper labels are often missing, Strathearn glass has a salmon mark.and  vasart pieces are  sometimes signed.

I hope you have found this page on  Monart, Vasart, Strathearn to be both helpful and informative.

Happy hunting from the collectables coach.

History of Glasses

History of Glasses

History of Glasses

Sunglasses of vintage quality have never been more collectible.

From early Ray bans to aviators and 1950s novelty sunglasses, there is a huge variety of retro shades available and they may prove to be an invaluable investment.

Sunglasses first appeared in the 1880s, but only became popular in the late 1920s.

Hollywood stars such as Joan Crawford and cary Grant war round sunglasses in the 1930s and the leading American brand Ray-Ban was founded in 1937.

History of Glasses, aviator sunglasses, worn by military pilots first became popular during world War 11.

Wrap around sunglasses were made very popular  by jazz musicians in the 1950s.

History of Glasses

In the late 1950s, novelty shades with decorated plastic frames were all the rage and are now very collectible.

Classic styles by Foster Grant and Ray-Ban generally fetch from $40-$300 in the early 1960s, the trend was for space age sun goggles.

Later in the decade, John Lennon sparked a trend for wire framed granny glasses.

Designer shades were the must have of the 1970s especially those by Emmanuelle Khanh

Playboy was a big phenomenon in the 1970s, and memorabilia connected to the name is collectible today, fetching from around $80-$200,for a good pair.

The 1980s saw a return to retro shapes such as the aviator and  Ray-Ban wayfarers Cazal  produced large frames that are now popular with hip-hop lovers, and a vintage pair can command up to $700 in today market.

History of Glasses

top tips.for collecting

Watch out for scratched lens, or damage frames as this reduces the value.

Look out for  styles  that are typical of a particular period.

Fakes of top names are common, so check a new pair against a pair that you know to be real.

I hope you have found this page on the History of Glasses  to be informative and helpful.

History of Glasses

Happy hunting from the collectibles coach.

Scottie Dogs

Scottie Dogs

Scottie dogs

Scottie dogs, always cherished by dog lovers, endeared themselves to a wider public throughout the 1920s to the 1950s.

Consequently, the Scottie motif charmed its way on to a vast array of household objects and some delightful advertising memorabilia.

Scottie dogs

The Scottie dog motif is still found today on sweaters, jewellery, novelties, and Christmas items, but the payday of these collectables was from the 1920s to the 50s, thanks in part to the successful advertising campaigns for Texaco and of course black and white Scotch whiskey that featured the fashionable Scottish Terrier.

The appeal of this feisty little animal was enhanced by the fact that many 

well-known personalities of the time, including Shirley Temple, 

Humphrey Borger, and Zsa  zsa  Gabor owned Scotties.

The most famous of them all was president  Roosevelts  black Scottie, Fala, who went everywhere with him.

Scottie dogs

A huge number of items embellished with Scotties was produced from desk accessories to hat pens, ceramics, teapots, cufflinks, posters, compacts, and tape measures.

Prices can range from around £5-£10 for a small item such as a dog shaped button to around £100 £200 for a glass lamp.

 There is great scope for collecting Scottie dogs.

Scottie dogs

Lamps are often the most prized and valuable articles, particularly complete examples from the 1930s and 40s.

Other popular items include bookends doorstops and money banks.

Look to for Scottie dog artwork by British artist Marguerite Kirmse who also was a keen collector of Scottie memorabilia, she created pieces that are now highly valued.

Helpful tips

As there is such a wide range of Scottie memorabilia, it’s best to stick to one theme.

Choose colorful items that represent the style of the period and show the dog clearly.

I hope you have found this page on Scottie dogs to be informative and helpful.

Happy hunting from the collectibles coach.

Powder Compacts

Powder Compacts 

Powder Compacts 

 Powder compacts first appeared in the 1900s, but it was the growing popularity of the car in the 1920s and 30s that helped to take them out of the boudoir and into the realm of fashion accessory.

Increasing mobility after world War one , created a demand for portable grooming kits.

Powder Compacts 

More women began to use compacts and it became socially acceptable to reapply make up in public.

The first powder compact were imported from France and the USA, but in the 1930s there was an upsurge in British production.

Most compacts were made of sterling silver, silver plate, chrome plate, or. Gold plate ,but other metals were also used as well as tortoiseshell, and Bakelite.

From plain to detailed, stylish, and bejeweled,powder compacts came in all shapes and sizes, and prices.

Powder Compacts 

Some even had mechanisms that allowed them to play music.

Elegance gradually gave way to souvenir designs and novelty items , soft toys with compacts, for an example  Schuco soft toy with a concealed powder container.

If these are a little extreme, however, you should aim to seek out stylish compacts with musical mechanisms and novelty examples also.

Powder Compacts 

Coty, Kigu, and Stratton are among the leading names.

Slender compacts from the 1930s decorated in a typical art deco style are particularly popular.

By the 1960s, the advent of compressed powder and disposable containers meant that powder compacts , for practical purpose had had their day.

But there beauty  and the nostalgia they evoke, continue to appeal to both  collector and the fashion conscious.

Collectables coach hot tips.

Powder Compacts 

Make sure the compacts hinge is sound and that it opens and shuts easily.

Do not wash any part of the compact, including powder sifter and puff.

Use an old toothbrush and cotton- wool  bud to clean powder traces from compacts.

I hope you have found this page on Powder Compacts  to be informative and helpful.

Happy hunting from the collectibles coach.

George Davidson

George Davidson

George Davidson

The George Davidson glass works made its name primarily with a range of pressed colored class that satisfied the growing demand for decorative domestic where,.

George Davidson

Davidson had notable success with its opalescent pearline pressed glass in blues or primrose yellow.

Matching sets of tableware, vases, and souvenir, such as photo transfer plates, were mass produced for a keen and aspirational market from the late 1880s until world War one.

When opalescent glass went out of fashion, George Davidson introduced its cloud range, with a swirling streaked and mottled coloured effect that imitated more expensive materials such as marble.

George Davidson

The cloud range was a huge hit and remained in production until world War 11, with new colours being added at regular intervals, which can help date the glass, colours including purple from 1923 are highly sought after, red glass from 1929 with a finish that resembles Chinese lacquer.

Early pieces made when the mould still had crisp definition or the most attractive.

George Davidson

Davison patented a dome shaped flower block, now commonly known as a frog, look for vases and  matching, frog the are not damaged, as this ads to the value.

After World War II, the company never quite enjoyed the same success it did not add any  new styles, and it’s hand made produced glass became increasingly un competitive.

I hope you have found this page on George Davidson  to be informative and helpful.

Happy hunting from the collectables coach.