I thought I’d start the series off with a word we’ve discussed on the blog before, although it was about 2 years ago. But it’s still a good one!! Anthropomorphic collectibles are still very popular.
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Anthropomorphic collectibles are all those fun things you’ve seen for years but maybe didn’t know the name for. Now you do.
According to the dictionary “anthropomorphism” means “ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman things”.
It’s all around you. Really. Anything by Walt Disney. Yup. Mickey…he’s anthropomorphic.
Thomas the train? You got it.
Mr. Peanut? An anthropomorphic classic!
(Anthropomorphic tea rests from my personal collection.)
But really, anthropomorphic items are quite collectible! Kitschy and cute, these salt and pepper shakers, tea bag rests, planters, teapots, jam pots…the list goes on…were found in your local Five and Dime in the 40s and 50s. They were also given out as prizes for games such as Bingo.
Most of these novelty items took the form of vegetables, fruit, animals or utensils with smiling faces.
Or…maybe not so smiley. I think I narrowed this planter down to a turnip…but I’m still not sure if the headscarf is for a particular purpose, like a toothache. I was imagining this planter being given with a cheery plant as a Get Well gift. Hmm. I listed this cutie awhile back and she sold the same day for $24.
As shown earlier with the example of Mr. Peanut, sometimes the anthropomorphic item was for advertising purposes.
These salt and pepper shakers depict “Handy Flame” and were used by the Indianapolis Gas Company (other companies, too, I believe) to promote and spread the word about cooking with Natural Gas. I had the creamer that matched the set but a buyer asked me to separate it out so they could buy it on its own. They sold for a combined total of $26.
So why is this good to know if you sell vintage? Well, because vintage anthropomorphic items sell..and sell quickly. Plus you’ll want to use “anthropomorphic” as a keyword in your listing or as a hashtag in your social media promoting. I’ve also seen #foodwithfaces as a tag on Instagram.
For kicks, I took a look at some of the highest priced kitschy anthropomorphic items and it seems that the maker to look out for is Py / Miyao. There is even a collectible guide I found that may be a bit hard to track down but I found a few copies on Google. The author is Belinda Evans.
Sometimes the pieces are just marked “Japan” and may originally have had a Miyao sticker, so it pays to do your research. As you can see on that book cover above, one of the telltale signs of Py seems to be the shape of the eyes, with that triangular cutout in the black. Just a tip. Py made other designs as well and distributed to companies like UCAGCO and Lefton. You can read a bit more about them here.
Let’s finish up with a look at some items on Etsy that show the range of products that fit under the “anthropomorphic” umbrella.
Enesco Winking Cat teapot by Bob’s Good Junk on Etsy. (One of the biggest shops on Etsy for anthropomorphic items!! Great stuff!)
Snack Plate Set by Brooklyn Street Vintage on Etsy
Not just for the kitchen, anthropomorphic items can also be found in jewelry.
Cat Playing the Accordion pin by Green Kitten Vintage on Etsy
And the anthropormorphic theme also extended to linens and tea towels.
Embroidered Tea Towel by Upswing Vintage on Etsy
And of course, you can DIY your own anthropomorphic items!
Happy Fruits Transfer Pattern by Atomic Dog 67 on Etsy
So the next time you’re strolling the thrift store aisles or scanning the tables at a yard sale and you feel like someone is watching you…you might want to take a closer look!
What about you? Have you collected anthropomorphic items before? Have you bought and sold them? Any favorites?
Thanks for joining me on my first installment of Selling Vintage A to Z. Next up will be another term we’ve discussed here…although again, it was awhile ago.
B is for…..BrutalistÂ
Good to know! I don’t see much of that in my thrift shop wanderings but I will keep an eye out.
You just missed the annual AtoZ Challenge in April held each year. This would have fit in perfectly.
Thanks for reading! I hope you can find some someday…the stuff is super cute. Oh well…I wish I had been ready in April for that challenge. Always too much to do!
I love the Mid Century Anthropomorphic stuff, most I find ends up in my cupboard đŸ™‚ Thanks for including my plates!
Nothing wrong with that! lol. Those plates are super cute!
Great read! I found you from your post about this on the Thrifting Board just so you know!
Welcome! Thanks for coming by!
Thank you so much for including my shop in your article. You made my day. I am a bit obsessed with anthropomorphic collectibles because you can’t help but smile when they’re around. My husband says it looks like Willy Wonka decorated our house. I can’t imagine it any other way. đŸ™‚
Kind regards,
Catherine
Bob’s Good Junk
LOL. Sounds like fun!
Wow…this is fabulous education for me! Thanks for putting your much valued time into this blog! Love it! Nancy
Thanks! And…you’re welcome!
Thanks for the information. Very informative.
Thanks!
I love this post for so many reasons. I learned alot AND you left some nice links for me to follow to learn even more. Your photos are beautiful and you write really well. Don’t stop writing this blog! I look forward to reading all the way to Z!
Thanks so much!!
Great read. Thank you for the information!
Sure thing! Thanks for coming by!
Thank you so much. I found quite a few pieces in our thrift shop today. The happy apple set. 2 sets of shakers, adorable, cream sugar, dual jam pots and the tea pot. Only thing is there are no lids for the teapot and jam set. Do you know there are replacement lid sites I can purchase. Thank you so much. Really enjoyed your post. Cindy.
The only place I’ve seen replacement pieces of things is on Replacements dot com. If you know the maker…that’s an option. Your set sounds cute! There are also groups of vintage kitchen stuff on Facebook and you could put out an ISO (In Search Of)