Vintage Easter Collectibles
04.08.07By Deanna Dahlsad
First it was Christmas decorations, then vintage Halloween items — now, vintage Easter items are growing in popularity.
We just can’t seem to get enough of buying back our holiday memories, can we?
When it comes to Easter collectibles, one of the most popular areas is antique postcards. (I know, you thought it was the Easter bonnet; but it’s not.)
The Golden Age of Postcards was from 1898 to 1918, so these are the most sought after, but cards of all eras are increasing in popularity.
The most popular Easter postcards feature bunnies, chicks, lambs and kittens.
(Somewhere along the way, we’ve stopped putting kittens on our Easter things… They lost their mittens; they got no pie; but not on the cards, oh why?)
Other popular designs include religious designs, eggs, and comical kids (including comical kids dressed as eggs). Also popular are photographs of cherubic children.
Collectors of Easter postcards will find themselves competing with other postcard collectors — and there are a lot of them. (Deltiolgy, the study of postcards, is currently the third largest collectable hobby in the world.)
Because these old postcards are most loved for their graphics many collectors find themselves with many foreign language postcards. And in fact, among the most popular and sought after postcards are those which were published in Germany.
John O. Winsch of Stapleton, an American publisher, had cards printed in Germany and imported to the U.S. John Finkenrath of Berlin (P.F.B.) was a German company with U.S.A. patents. Gottschalk, Dreyfuss, and Davis had several studios but the postcards were made in Germany. The ever famous International Art Publishing Company and Raphael Tuck & Sons also had their printing done in Germany.
Like Halloween, Easter also brings us candy and so collectors seek vintage candy holders.
The most popular of these are vintage tin and paper mache pieces from Germany (which is also true of the Halloween candy holders — those Germans sure made a lot of money off world holidays once upon a time).
Popular themes are eggs, rabbits, duckings and chicks.
Some designs are easily identified as candy holders. For example, bunnies with baskets on their backs and eggs with tops that lift off are easy to notice.
Others are a bit trickier.
For example, this paper mache rabbit’s head pops off (eeeiwwww) exposing a hollow inside in which to hide treats.
Details to look for with vintage paper mache pieces include flocking, tin or glass eyes, and paint which is not too chipped or worn.
Other decor items, such as paper mache bobble heads and decorated tin eggs are also popular.
Again most of the oldest and most desireable were made in Germany. The most sought after pieces are circa 1920 - 1940.
Collectors of any Easter items will find themselves also competing with other collectors. For example, those cards and candy holders which feature rabbits will find themselves vying with general bunny collectors.
So if you want to get in before vintage Easter items become as high priced as Halloween and Christmas collectibles are, you’d best hop to it!
(Think of it as a life-long Easter Egg Hunt!)
For more, read:
Bonnie A. Shockey’s Vintage Easter Postcard Collection
Paper Mache Conservation & Restoration
Click any photo to fing out more — or to buy!
