Someone reading my last entry on cufflinks suggested having my wrists pierced so I could wear cufflinks with short sleeve shirts, but enough about wifey.
I did elude to my collection accumulation of tie tacks, clasps and bars. One look in my dresser drawer confirms I have more than the needed amount, and the accumulation could be considered a collection. Many are symbolic or advertising pieces. Ordinary types, gold or silver with stone centers, straight or curved bars, monograms, or geometric designs will be ignored for this discussion.
Selling to industrial companies these many years probably lead to my attraction of the genre of industrial tie bar collecting.
While every yard sale, flea market and antique store has tons of costume jewelry and gaudy earrings for wifey to select from, I find few examples of either cufflinks or tie bars, but that adds to my thrill of the hunt. Thankfully, the scarcity of these items does not reflect in their prices, which makes this collectable an easy drain on the bank account, and an item that doesn’t require a large amount of space.
Most examples I have were only a few dollars, some acquired from companies I worked with, some purchased in bag lots with cufflinks and an occasional piece of costume jewelry – for less than a buck each piece.
The collection would be much larger if wifey didn’t sell many nice pieces on ebay or in her mall booth. Examples with Allis Chalmers, Harley, John Deere, Caterpillar or advertising from other industrial giants always bring good prices.
The tie clasp not only serves as an advertising item, conversation piece, helpful in holding your tie out of your pea soup, but also reflects the style of clothing of the times. Wide bars were popular in the era of wide ties – 40-50s – while the tie tack or very small clasps were used with narrow ties during the Beatles’ craze of the 60s.
Most of the advertising tie bars are from the 70s – to early 80s. Most are not signed by the manufacturer, although the Swank name is on some, several are marked Mercury Industries and Anson produced “gold filled”, and usually finer examples. Fraternal organizations always have good quality pieces, and seem to be plentiful.
Today, beside myself and a few bankers who wears ties, I can’t remember the last time I saw my doctor, dentist or insurance agent in a tie – so alas, the clasp is close to dead.
In my assortment, of special interest is my Neenah Foundry Tie clasp,
my first advertising tie tack in the shape of a countersink
from Severance Tool, a company I sold for, an A.C. Spark Plug, the Sockethead Capscrew, one from Michigan Bell and Evinrude Motors.
From time to time I do wear one of these with a tie (Still Sold in Department Stores) when making sales calls. None of the engineers or managers I consult with wear ties any more and I bemoan the lack of attention to dressing up, even in elegant restaurants, at parties and social occasions. What concerns me most is the lack of new product being produced for future collectors to enjoy!
Oh, and don’t listen to my daughter – I do not wear a tie when cutting the grass!
“Gotta Collect? Then You Gotta Connect – Join our Collectors’
Community”
July 12th, 2008 at 6:02 PM
Thanks for sharing some pictures of your collection. I have over 200 tie bar, clasps, etc that use to be my grandfathers. He was always so proud of his collection, and every time he would find a new one at a yard sell or thrift store he was sure to show everyone. When he passed away 13 years ago, and my grandmother asked me what I wanted that was his and was shocked how much I wanted the tie bar collection. It will be forever priceless to me, as each one holds great memories.
July 17th, 2008 at 3:33 PM
I have been researching ”Mercury Industries” of Plattsburgh, NY and can confirm that they were only in business from 1956 to 1964. Their sister operation ”Mercury Toy Company” was started in 1957 but also closed in 1964. The toy tooling did however pass to Gibbs Mfg. Co. of Canton, Ohio (late 1800s to 2005). One interesting point is that the head offices of Mercury Industries were in Canada and the three owners were all Canadians residing there as well.
The history of the toy molds goes on until 1983 if you are interested. They were actually made for Mercury in Italy.
Regards,
Peter
July 18th, 2008 at 6:52 AM
Rene,
Thanks for sharing the memories of your Grandfather and his collection. You honor him by keeping his prized items. My collection is small, but each has a memory, or connection to part of my life. A collection passed from one generation to another is inspiring.
July 18th, 2008 at 7:08 AM
Peter,
Thanks for the info on the time line for Mercury Industries, it gets tucked into my file of info for collecting. From your response I would guess your interest was more on toys then on tie bars. I’ll have to start watching for their name on toys also. But do I need another collection?
Thanks again,
The Dean
November 17th, 2008 at 7:22 AM
DOE,S ANYONE OUT THERE REMEMBER HAVING SEEN OR OWNING AN METAL TOP
THAT WAS MADE TOO SPIN BY PUSHING DOWN ON A PLUNGER IT ALSO SANG //NOT
MUSIC PER-SE BUT MADE A SOUND WHICH I NO LONGER REMEMBER .THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE 1930,S .
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MFG; BY GIBBS MFG;CO;
OR GIRARD MODEL WORKS
THE TOP WAS APPROX;12 INCHES IN DIAMETER .
I WOULD APPRECIATE A REPLY IF YOU HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ITEM
THNX;
DON
November 17th, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Donald,
The type of top you are refering to is refered to as “Pump Top” or “Helix Top”. A twisted flat rod was pushed down thru a rectangle opening atop the metal top. The rod had a ballish shaped handle. With force the top would spin for some time. Holes placed on the sides or near the top would create a sound, some sounded like a whistle or hum.
Several tin toy companies from the 20s and earlier come to mind. Ohio Art, Chein, Marx, and Aladdin. We do not recall Girard as as a toy maker. Gibbs of Ohio worked in wood and tin and did make some tops but seems to lack the quality graphics of Ohio Art or Chein.
We often find Ohio art and Chein in our searches at antique stores and auctions.
Good Luck hunting
The Dean
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:51 AM
Donald ( all)
Re: tops & tie clips
It is an odd co-incidence that you should mention tops and also the Gibbs name. Gibbs was indeed the inventor of that type of top back in the late 1890s. The Gibbs family (plow manufacturers) were supporters of McKinley’s presidential bid and the top (with suitable inscriptions) was produced as a campaign promotional item. It was Gibbs first toy and was so successfull that it let Gibbs to embark on a long history of toy manufacturing including, in 1965, the purchae of “Mercury Industries” toy line. As I mentioned in a previous posting “Mercury Industries” were a prolific manufacturer of tie clips and other promotional men’s jewellery. An update to my previous posting is that “Mercury Industries” was in business from 1952 to 1978.
APPEAL for HELP:
If anyone has literature and/or photos from “Mercury Industries” or can shed any further historical info including contact information of former employees or their relatives please let me know. I can be reached via this blog.
Best Regards from “The Great White North”.
Peter
February 4th, 2009 at 10:06 PM
Peter,
I do hope some of our readers can help. One question, I knew of a Mercury Industries in Wisconsin many years ago, and believe they had a parent company in Chicago. Is that were Merc was located?
The Dean
dean-ferber@sbcglobal.net
February 7th, 2009 at 3:27 AM
Dean,
The only locations for ”Mercury Industries” that I can confirm are facilities in Montreal, Quebec (head office & factory) and Plattsburgh, NY (factory & U.S. distribution center). Judging though by the number of their items that turn up in England, Australia and New Zealand plus the possible existance of a Toronto, Canada sales office I just can’t say for sure. All of the original packaging that I have seen say either Montreal or Plattsburgh (about a 1-1/2hr drive apart).
Regards,
Peter
February 8th, 2009 at 7:48 AM
Peter,
I checked an old Wisconsin Manufacturers Directory from 1998, and it lists Mercury Industries in Richland Center WI, as do several on-line industrial listing services. My book gives some officers names and tells me the products made were small electro mechanical devices.This book does not list any out of state operations for Merc Ind. but info on each company is supplied by that company, and some only supply the bare minimum details. On-line I could only find the company address.
I called on this company years back, and I’m not sure if our current salesperson for that area calls on Merc, as its in a remote area.
If my memory is correct, Merc needed to have larger orders Ok’ed by an out of state parent.
We have a newer book at my office and I’ll check to see if the still excist.
Best Regards
The Dean
Staff Writer
dean-ferber@sbcglobal.net
dean@collectorsquest.com
December 15th, 2009 at 10:42 AM
was wondering where i can buy a sockethead capscrew tie pin?
March 4th, 2010 at 12:55 AM
I'm looking for a source of a tie clasp that looks like a rotary blade saw cutting a piece of lumber. Any suggestions?