Collecting: Japanese Lusterware

Perhaps this post would be more accurately titled: Things I am determined to NOT start collecting: Japanese Lusterware" because by golly, I'm trying my hardest to resist with mixed results.

Japanese lusterware is distinctive because of its iridescent glaze and frequent use of the colors orange and a pretty greenish-blue. Once you see a few pieces you can pretty much spot it at 20 paces because it all has a very particular look, despite the fact that there were dozens of manufacturers.

According to this website, most Japanese lusterware dates from the mid-1920s to the end of the 1930s. I assume it was primarily made for export. The items I see most commonly are tea sets, especially children's tea sets.

These are pieces from my dear Gram's tea set that she had as a child. I feel very honored that she entrusted it to me! My Gram passed away last year and was born in 1923, so it is right on that her tea set would have been made during the period listed above.

My first Japanese lusterware purchases were this tiny plate with the pinecones and the tiny orange and blue egg cup. In fact, I purchased the egg cup several years ago at a senior center rummage sale in the town where my Gram lived. I didn't know anything about Japanese lusterware at that point--all I knew was that it resembled her little tea set, so I bought it and gave it to her.

Even before I acquired Gram's tea set, Japanese lusterware always caught my eye when I was out thrifting. Odd pieces turn up not infrequently at the thrift stores and I always looked at them, but never purchased any because I just didn't want to start collecting them. Recently I finally caved in and purchased a bag that contained both this set

and this ashtray.

The set on top is a salt and pepper and what I believe to be a toothpick holder on a clever little tray. The shakers are only a few inches tall.

And then more recently, I purchased this sweet little cup at an estate sale:

I have no idea what it is--the notched lid makes me think of a sugar bowl but generally sugar bowls have two handles. It's just darling and really makes me think of my Gram--she had pet birds for many, many years and I just know this is the kind of pretty little thing that she would have loved.

But now I'm positively determined NOT to buy any more Japanese lusterware! Honestly, the colors don't match anything in my house and I have no where to display them. I found a bag with a few pieces of a tea set recently at the thrift store and I passed it up, so I think I might be cured, but if I find any more sweet little cups with tiny green birds on the tops, I don't think I'll be able to restrain myself!

Is there anything that you're determined NOT to collect?

Collecting: The Happy Hollisters book series

On Monday I showed off one of my thrift finds, a vintage Happy Hollisters book for my collection. In case you're unfamiliar with the series, I thought I'd tell you a bit about them.

The Happy Hollisters series of books was produced from 1953 to 1969 and was a product of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, who were also responsible for the Nancy Drew Mysteries, the Hardy Boys series, and the Bobbsey Twins books, among many others. In most Stratemeyer series, a pen name was chosen (Carolyn Keene for the Nancy Drew books, for example) but the books were actually written by several authors. In the case of The Happy Hollisters, a pseudonym was chosen (Jerry West) but all 33 of the books in the series were written by the same man, Andrew Svenson.

Svenson modeled the Hollister family after his own--the children in the stories are based on his own children and the adventures they had while growing up. The father in the stories owns a hardware/toy store called The Trading Post and the family goes on all kinds of wholesome educational adventures that inevitably include a mystery.

I first encountered The Happy Hollisters books when I was in 4th or 5th grade. My mom had read the books as a child and introduced them to me, and luckily our local library had several titles. I read all that they had, although I'm sure I didn't read all 33 of them.

I started junk shopping and thrifting when I was in college, though I didn't start to do it with any regularity until we moved to Colorado, nearly eight years ago. Since the beginning of my thrifting adventures I've been on the lookout for Happy Hollisters books to start my own collection, and in all of that time I've only managed to find FIVE titles, including the one from last week! That's not counting titles I've found at antique stores, because I'm not so serious about my collection that I want to pay antique store prices. I'm cheap. :)
 
The books do sell on eBay, but really only in large lots. I haven't studied them well enough to know if there are any particularly rare volumes in the series that fetch higher prices individually. It's interesting to me that this lot of 28 went for $247, but this lot of 28 only went for $68. I'd say that second buyer got a deal!

There is an official Happy Hollisters website here, if you want to read more about the books and their author, Andrew Svenson. The series was hugely popular--one of the Stratemeyer Syndicate's most successful. In 2010, some of the titles were re-released in paperback and are even available on Amazon or in e-book format for your Kindle or Nook. Or you can always keep an eye out for the original hardbacks, like I'll be doing!