Seemed like pretty often, a sleigh turned up at auction around Christmas time. Since most of the auction houses have temporarily closed and moved online, I haven’t seen any this year. But several have appeared…
Category: Christmas
A well-preserved collection of vintage handkerchiefs
Posted in Christmas, collectibles, and Personal items
When I saw the five binders in the glass case at the auction house, I assumed they contained postage stamps. I wasn’t that interested in anyone’s postage stamp collection – which seem to be ubiquitous at…
Christmas gift ideas from 1902 Strawbridge’s catalog
Posted in Advertising, Christmas, and Ephemera/Paper/Documents
At auction recently, I came across a 1902 Christmas catalog from Strawbridge & Clothier, and it spoke of a time when this store and its counterparts were the place to go for shopping in Philadelphia. The gifts…
Even the auctioneer was a bit astonished when the item came up for auction. “It’s the first one I’ve ever seen,” he said. He wasn’t alone. It was the first for me, too. Christmas decorations end…
As soon as I saw the tiny tree, I was excited. It looked exactly like the Japanese maple that turns a deep red in my front yard. The one that coaxes neighbors and strangers to…
Can you guess what this Christmas gift is?
Posted in Christmas, and Guess what it is
The big square gift box still wore its wrapping paper covered in poinsettias and a big red bow. The paper was a bit faded, and the gift looked as if it had never been unwrapped. I…
Vintage holiday greeting cards for you
Posted in Christmas, and Greeting cards
As you celebrate the holidays with your family, I wish you warmth and love as expressed in these greeting cards from the early 20th century. “Christmas Greetings and all good wishes for your happiness throughout the coming…
The auction-house website called it a “one-horse open sleigh,” offering a photo of a familiar wintertime vehicle that made a simple song into a national treasure. “Dashing through the snow In a one-horse open sleigh Over…