WINDSOR PLACE ANTIQUES

I've been giving a lot of thought, these days, to marketing and social media. While I love, the visual feast that is Instagram, I'm still quite old-fashioned, with a weakness for paper and ink. Victorian trade cards (state of the art business marketing tools back in the day) are one of my favorite categories of ephemera- the graphics, wit and vivid colors are captivating. I have some amazing examples in my collection.

That said, don't neglect to follow my Instagram account for daily posts and first dibs on new merchandise. You can now purchase items (any items with a listed price) directly…pretty nifty…almost as cool as…trade cards?

 

Trade cards originated in England in the 1700s with tradesmen advertising their wares. But the advent of lithography in the 1870s made it possible to mass-produce them in color, leading to a golden age from 1876 to the early 1900s when halftone printed newspaper and magazine ads became more economical.

Trade cards typically had a picture on one side and an ad on the other. Some of my personal favorites were produced by the Soapine soap company of RI. Their cards were so clever and charming- especially the reoccurring theme of washing the whale with the caption "Soapine DID IT". Adorable.

For more on Soapine and their trade cards, you can read this article Whale Washing by the Ephemera Society.

Some other examples of trade card-like advertising were quite elaborate. Some companies produced collectible series, such as Arbuckle Coffee's state cards.

Or fancy die-cut cards

Still other companies produced lavishly illustrated pamphlets as a premium to their customers, such as Chase and Sanborn's lovely North American Birds.

Or the cute Seven Barks health tonic- the cover is pictured below, but the booklet also contained entertaining stories.

 

 

 

WE WILL BE CLOSED

FOR VACATION

DEC 25th-JAN 6^th

 

SHOP OUR STALL AT THE

BROOKLYN FLEA AT INDUSTRY CITY

OPEN EVERY WEEKEND 10-6

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In closing out the year, I'd like to thank all of my wonderful customers and look back at some of my favorite things that came and went in 2015.

 

Happy Hanukkah!

We will be having special holiday store hours and festivities. We will be open until 8 pm on Thursdays & Fridays this week and next (Dec 10, 11, 17 & 18). For those of you who would like to get some holiday shopping in after work or after dinner, we will be sweetening the deal with some homemade holiday cookies (baked by Cynthia), and libations. Regular hours 12-6 will apply on Saturdays and Sundays.

Things are beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the shop, with lots of vintage Christmas ornaments and ephemera.

Remember…

Antique maps and prints make thoughtful and personalized gifts. Please let us know if you are looking for a particular subject matter, place or date. We have a large inventory of maps and prints in the back of the shop. With a few days notice we can have them packaged and ready for gift-giving. Come in to the shop or e-mail special requests to rebecca@windsorplaceantiques.com

 

As I delve into my big Thanksgiving grocery shopping, it seems like a good time to acknowledge the good old A & P. The dying grocery giant goes out of business, at the end of this month, after more than 150 years.

Just a few weeks ago I stumbled onto a great estate sale of a former A & P manager in New Jersey. Over the years, he salvaged and collected some wonderful A & P merchandise. I feel fortunate to have acquired some great original pieces.

The signs, below, would have been used in this era. It's so much fun to look at the displays and the prices (!)

I will be putting many of these items up for sale in my Etsy shop. Maybe you can find a new life for them in your home or shop.

A few other fun pieces that I came across at the sale were promotional pieces and give-aways, like this 1950's A & P "Play Store".

A & P was founded by George Gilman in 1863, on Vesey St in NYC, as The Great American Tea Company. I have some wonderful tins dating back to it's early years. The green one, in the photo below, dates back to between 1863-1869.

In 1869, when the trans-continental railroad was completed, the name was changed to The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company to reflect the exciting expansion of the market. The company continued to grow at a rapid pace and to innovate throughout the 19th century and well into the 20th century. It became the largest grocery chain in America. It lost it's way in recent years or failed to meet the new demands of the 21st century marketplace. We have our Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Costcos…all good, but somehow not the same.

Wherever and however you buy your groceries, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Dear customers and friends,

We have been busy here at WPA building exciting inventory for the fall and upcoming holiday season. We also have a new Google 3D virtual tour to share with you. Click on the image below to move around the shop.

 

 

We are asking you to comment, review, engage with and SHARE this link with your friends, family, neighbors, or anyone else, near or far, who might be interested in our wares. Like us or review us on *YELP too! And there's always our lovely instagram account to follow. Newest and best merch shows up here first.

Last bit of news: I have a big booth at the new and exciting Brooklyn Flea & Smorgasburg Winter Market at Industry City in Sunset Park. It's chock full of prints, ephemera and gifty goodness. Open this weekend through March, Saturdays & Sundays 10-6. It's an awesome space and totally worth a trip to check it out.