A while back, I wrote about my love of old hand mirrors. Most in my collection are silver, either plated or sterling, and full-sized, displayed on my bedroom wall. They are so beautiful, but seem to be getting more appreciated and the prices go up and up.
This may bode well for those who are ‘in the will’, but for the time being, I have not been able to add to my grouping. (This, of course, is good news to hubby who has very little room for his collections.)
So, I decided to ‘downsize!’ No, not that I am getting rid of some of my existing treasures! By that, I mean I have gone to collecting smaller mirrors. Sometimes they are called ‘doll-size’ or ‘purse-size’, I’ll just call them dainty! My first was this little silver-plated beauty. Nice detailing, and only 3-1/2” long!
The next one I found was a little larger, measuring close to 5” long. It has wonderful flowers on it, very art nouveau looking. How could I pass it up?
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This one was found on a trip to North Dakota to visit family. We always take the time to stop along the way, taking an extra day or so for the journey. It was at an antique mall, but somehow was not appreciated by the dealer who presented it. But I loved it! It has an old-fashioned stove on the front, nice detailing on the handle. But the words are what sold me.
It reads “PRINCESS NOVELTY – Requires no Blacking, Handsomest Range Made – For Handsomest Girl, See Other Side.” When you turn it over – you find a mirror – how cute is that? The handle has more verbage“, it reads “Duplicate Mirror Send for 10 cent Stamps Abram Cox Stove Co. Phila.” I would gladly try to get another for just a thin dime, but it is doubtful that I’d be successful!
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I continued the hunt and found a little brass mirror with an ‘open’ handle. Nice 3-dimensional flower on this one – even though I lean toward the silver items, it was too darn cute to resist.
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This charmer has a clasp so you can attach to a chain if you wish. That way, you could see your sweet face all the time. It is marked “925” so I know it is sterling silver. It has a very ornate pattern of flowers and vines and leaves, measures approx. 4” long. Probably the prettiest one I own.
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The next is another advertising mirror, very well-done with lots of detailing. It features a distinctive building as the focal point and reads “Compliments of the Manufacturers National Bank, Racine, Wis.” This, too, has the art nouveau styling. It was found near Green Bay, Wisconsin, a long way from Racine and one can only guess how it got there.
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My last purchase (or should I say latest so as not to jinx my quest!) is this silver and black mirror. It has a grouping of flowers, perhaps daisies, on the front and nice ornamentation down the handle. A sweet find!
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The wonderful thing about these is that they take no room at all to display! They rest on a dresser in our ‘guest room’ and I still have space for more! I will keep my eyes open for additional mirrors and never ‘reflect too long’ on a decision to buy another one! They are such fun!
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April 8th, 2009 at 3:38 PM
We also collect vintage small hand mirrors. Do you have any good sites to buy on line?
April 9th, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Denise & J.D.
I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.
Since I am first a seller of collectibles, most of my searching is done at yard sales, flea markets, antique stores and antique shows. The collection of these small mirrors was an extension of the long time collecting of hand mirrors.
Many that you see in my posting are more recent purchases (in the last five years), and lately I have seem a rise in prices, even among the real common designs. My interest remains and I’ll continue to search. I have only found one on line at ebay for a resonable price. It was an advertising mirror. If searching on line use Doll, miniture, tiny, advertising, purse and/or small mirror.
CQ has a place to share your collection with others and recently added a Market Place for the community to buy and sell items. I wish you happy hunting.
Best Regards,
Val
June 16th, 2009 at 8:42 PM
I have one of the mirrors in your blog…the Princess Novelty mirror from the Abram Cox Stove company. Do you know the age of these mirrors?
Thanks,
Peggy
June 18th, 2009 at 8:49 AM
Hi Peggy! Thanks for reading CQ’s blogs. If I was a ‘bettin’ folk’, I’d venture it was from the 1915-25 timeframe. That’s based on style and the price, etc. Definitely an oldie – wish I could be more helpful. It is a fun item, huh? Val
November 20th, 2009 at 1:46 AM
hi, I have a big collection as well. See my video on you tube under handmirrors. I tell you they are getting harder and harder to find or is it that I have them all? I mostly stick with jeweled, porcelain, or very unusual ones instead of buying them no matter what they look like.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:03 PM
Hi Anne, I’ll have to check out your collection. They sure are fun. Yes, they are harder to find, but as my husband says “you are getting pickier” and pass up a lot of them. wish you luck in adding to your collection, Val
March 5th, 2010 at 7:37 PM
I am just beginning a collection of hand mirrors. Mine are wooden, silver, lucite……anything that suits my fancy. I would like to dispplay them on my bedroom wall but am not sure how to attach them. Any suggestions? Thanks!! Loved the pictures of your collection.
March 9th, 2010 at 8:20 PM
Carolyn,
I hang my hand mirror’s on narrow plate hangers found at a decorator shop in Lake Geneva Wisconsin, and should be available all over. This version has the extensions closer together then many i had found before and worked better. They came in four lengths for single to four plate size. If you start to search for them, take your smallest one along with you to confirm the hanger will work.
Thanks for enjoying my article and please revisit Collectors’ Quest again.
Val