Advertising - Part 2

As we continue this study of Advertising pieces, I want to reiterate the importance of positive research and promotion of whatever we as collectors concentrate on. John D. Resnik, a northern California resident when he performed the necessary inquiries into this phase of Carnival Glass in 1989, is due accolades and congratulations for the accomplishment! Until that time, so little was known of the history attached to each design, that little or no attention had ever been given to value. If each of us would contribute at least that much positive force into preservation of Carnival Glass, along with offering encouragement to developing new collectors, the future would be more secure.

Fairly available is a good term to use with this particular design. The bowl, hand grip plate and the flat plate shapes all went to auction during 2002 with the two flat plates bringing $775 and $800. A handgrip style brought $925. The bowl went for $750. A handgrip plate sold @ $1100 from the Adams’ collection in Nov. ’03.

The Dreibus Candy Company was established in 1884 in Omaha, Nebraska by a German immigrant named Anton C. Dreibus. As the business grew, relocation took place several times. By 1919, the necessity for two additional floors came about, and for a reported $40,000, these were added to the original three story structure on South Ninth St. Mr. Resnik says he can find no mention of the business after 1931. At risk of making yet another “assumption”, we could say that it was a victim of the Great Depression. “Parfait Sweets” refers to a line of candy made by Dreibus.

Should you take a look at one of these pieces in your own collection, and discover that the base glass appears to be somewhat more lavender than some of your other amethyst glass, the answer is: “No, this does NOT make your piece more rare.” The lighter shade or lavender cast is quite typical of this lettered piece.

This furniture company first appeared in 1908 with Amos G. Rhodes as President and James J. Haverty as Vice President. By 1910, the business had moved to the location given on this lettered piece, and Mr. Haverty had assumed the role of President. After 1917 the business ceased to exist under this name.

There's a rub to all this. James J. Haverty had started in the furniture business, in Atlanta, Ga., shortly after the Civil War, expanding his business to Memphis, TN (where Eagle was located) in 1900, arriving as a successful businessman. With the intervening eight years, Mr. Haverty had assumed the position of a fledgling businessman with a status of less than top dog. Perhaps finance, leverage and absorption were the contributing factors.

After 1917, business continued at the same location under the name of J.J.Haverty. By 1930, Haverty's empire had grown to encompass 22 stores, located in eighteen southern cities. The chain continued to exist as John Resnik published his Encyclopedia on this subject in 1989.

Here is a case where the ruffled bowl is the most difficult shape to obtain and the Double Hand Grip is the most common. Single hand grips are scarce and the flat plates are very scarce.

We have owned our plate since 1995. ………A lavender colored flat plate sold for $920…7/5/03. The flat plate included in the Adams' collection, sold by Seeck Auctions in Nov. '03, brought $1500.

This particular bank was founded in 1901, in the 100 block of Merrill Ave. in Glendive, Montana. Not until 1911 did the bank become chartered. Prior to 1900, most banks were privately owned and totally unregulated. The bank survives today as First Security Bank; although not in the original building. Probably a good think, because pictures of the original building's interior show only one teller's window, with no creature comforts of any kind!

This Advertising design is available in the usual amethyst color, with known shapes being: ruffled and ice cream shaped bowls, handgrip and flat plates….all considered to be RARE.

Prices for the flat plate shape since 1999 have ranged from $1500 to as much as $3250 at various auctions around the Country. Iridescence and damage factors, along with the number of determined buyers present, determine the outcome of any purchase, of course. Until the research efforts of John Resnik resulted in the publishing of his Book on the subject in 1989, many of these pieces were not given the credit they so well-deserve.

We had never been in the right place at the right time to purchase a plate in this pattern, so you may imagine our complete surprise when in opening the HOACGA Bulletin one day during 2001, an example was listed for sale. Further surprised to find in calling the seller, that it could be sent on approval, we quickly agreed to such thoughtfulness! It is exactly what we were looking for, and could not have been more pleased had we sat for hours waiting for the piece to come up for bid at an auction!

A flat plate was sold from the Adams' collection on Nov. 22, '03 for $1700. We hope you are beginning to understand the relative FEW of these Advertising items, no matter the pattern, which sell each year. When a nice example is available, it quickly becomes a buyers “treasure”.

This is one of the more available patterns among the 6” Advertising pieces, although a nice flat, colorful plate will usually command a price of at least $1000. The only other shape is a single or double handgrip style plate.

You'll notice that instead of the usual two Mums springs, this design has a very appropriate fern frond over top of the writing…The floral arrangement differs from all other Northwood Advertising pieces, as well.

A single flat plate is listed in the Mordini 2002 auction price guide. It brought $1500! Compared to the dozens of some other patterns which sell with regularity every year, we must conclude that these are very scarce.

Ray and Verda Asbury of Burlington, Iowa; home of Fern Brands Chocolates performed research even before John Resnik. Their findings indicate that Gardner and Gould was the parent company. Established in June 1900 at the corner of Elm and Third Streets, the company produced a wide range of confections, until their demise in July 1955.

If your interest extends to media products, you may want to be alert to wooden and cardboard boxes bearing the Fern Brand Chocolates Advertising. John Resnik mentions that he found some examples during his research.

This lovely plate has been in our collection since July of 1998. It was purchased from a long-time friend, Dennis Sutton. He found it in a La Jolla, CA mall.

A recent sale of this pattern occurred on 11/22/03 at the Wentzville, MO Seeck sale of the Adams' collection. A very pretty double handgrip plate brought $950. A nice example of the double handgrip, or card tray shape plate brought $457. with a ¼” chip on the back of one point, in a March 2004 transaction. Another lovely single handgrip style plate sold over Ebay in late March 2004 for $960.

I was pleased to stumble upon (via Google) your mention of my Mom and Dad’s research into Fern Brand Chocolate items. Mom passed away three weeks ago (Dad died in 2001).

I have learned lately that there is a story behind their interest. Mom and Dad met in 1942 in Burlington at the drug store where she worked at the soda counter. Dad had come to town from NE Missouri to look for work at what was then called the Iowa Ordinance Plant. Mom was still in high school. As their relationship progressed, Dad spent more time at the drug store – and one of the things they did together was emptying, cleaning, and re-filling the Fern Brand Chocolate display case.

He was drafted just before Pearl Harbor. They wrote all through the war (he was in N. Africa and Italy). He returned and they were married within a month: September of 1945.

Having the familiar Wide Panel exterior design, this is the Fenton 6” “blank” for their line of various Advertising pieces. It can be found in an ice cream shape bowl, a handgrip plate, or a flat plate shape. It should be considered rare in any of those shapes. This plate takes its place as the forerunner of any lettering added by use of an interior “plunger” having the required advertising statement on.

Since it may have come to someone's attention that Mrs. Hartung lists the item as being available in green, we must say that during our nearly 30 years of paying close attention to these advertising pieces at every opportunity, we have never actually encountered a green example - in any of the patterns.

With no intent to denigrate Marion's many contributions to furthering this phase of collecting, we suggest that perhaps in following another party's observation, an error was made in the statement as it went to print without confirmation of fact, or perhaps if such an example exists, it is the result of an experiment during a lettered run?

On occasion, one of these plates will be found having white script lettering across the face, which appears to have been “painted on”, such as was done at State Fairs at least into the middle `50's, when purchase of some small clear/ruby flashed mug, or lidded box was purchased for souvenir purposes. We observed one such example sell while attending a carnival glass auction.

Advertisements for Mr. Getts' business indicate establishment as early as 1889, although the first telephone directory listing did not appear until 1907. A full line of musical instruments was sold here, along with sheet music and other associated musical merchandise. Apparently pianos were the sales leaders.Getts' store was located at 123 South Third Street in Grand Forks, North Dakota. With the demise of Mr. Getts in 1923, the business was discontinued.

The descending order of rarity by shape is: Bowl, H/G, Plate. Descending order of desirability is very likely just the opposite. All known examples have the “S” in the word Forks, reversed.

Recently, a very nice example of flat plate brought more than $4,000 in an Ebay auction. A Remmen auction in St. Louis, May of 2003, sold a handgrip style for $2,100. Some years come and go without sale of this pattern…. NOT at all surprising! We searched for a nice plate for many years.

Thanks are in order to Robert and Betty Stremming of IL. They had been traveling in ND, and walked into a store where this beauty was on display. It was for sale in their room during the 2000 Sunshine State Convention………Finally we were in the right place at the right time! Bob collects Advertising items, but he needed a new piece of farm equipment worse!......Cannot say: “Bargain Here”, as Jim Seeck says when something sells cheap, but we are grateful to finally have a lovely example of this design!

There is nothing to equal notoriety when extolling the virtues of collecting. There is a built-in feature within the soul of most humans, urging us to preserve that which went before. It is one of our more admirable traits. This in turn, conjures up the need to preserve the best of whatever lies within our interest. (All this flowery discussion brings attention to the fact that the plates in this particular design are nearly always “fabulously” iridized!)

We notice that one bowl and one plate sold at auction in 2001, with the plate realizing $2100!.........This is not at all surprising, for even if the collector of these lettered pieces has already satisfied the desire, anyone else would be drawn to admire the color portrayed.

The computer went into a frenzy over the spelling of Gevurtz, and Mr. Resnik says that during his research, seven different spellings were confronted in various auction brochures and reference books.

The Gevurtz company was established in the late 1800's, and after several locations, arrived at the corner of Union Ave. and East Burnside St. in downtown Portland, Oregon. This move occurred around 1902. 1919 brought them to the corner of Second St. and Morrison Ave. During the time spent at this location, several branches were opened in the surrounding area. The Gevurtz family still maintained the business at 6600 S.W. Bonita Rd, Tigard, Oregon when John Resnik created his Encyclopedia of Lettered Pieces in 1989. The move to that location had taken place sometime during the 1960's. Recent information indicates the business only closed its doors sometime in 2001.

Fenton manufactured this design, and it has the Wide Panel exterior. Ruffled and IC shape bowls, along with the plates are scarce, with the H/G considered to be very scarce.

Our lovely plate example was purchased from Fred Roque in Nov. of 1992, while we were still living in San Diego. He has said he regrets selling it. However, we have given it a great “home”!

Two plates sold for $1900 and $750, the lesser having sharp points; along with a couple of bowls at $650 and $675 during the auction season of 2002. On July 16, 2003, a very FINE plate example sold over Ebay for $1200. A beautiful bowl sold at $525. over Ebay in mid-March 2004.

As with much of the research associated with developing history for the various Advertising pieces, Mr. Resnik had difficulty gaining pertinent information about this company background. John is to be congratulated for his skills and persistence . Prior to publishing his 1989 Encyclopedia of Lettered Pieces, little attention had been given them. With sale of the Jack and Mary Adams collection of these very desirable pieces in Nov. 2003, a new appreciation has been gained surrounding their value.

Max Greengard arrived in the Chicago area in 1885. Sometime between then and 1889 he opened a retail furniture store at 11020 Michigan Ave., Roseland, Michigan. At that time, Roseland was a suburb of Chicago, annexed to the city in 1889. Around 1928, the company moved to 3400 S. Halsted St. and changed their name to: M. Greengard and Sons. The business continued in that location until 1974.

Attribution is given to Millersburg Glass by virtue of the smooth (unserrated) edge and the typical Millersburg many rayed star (same as found on the two-eyed Elk).

The only known bowl is said not to exhibit the excellent color of the double handgrips. It resides with a longtime collector in Northern CA. One single handgrip plate has been reported. Its location is not known at this writing. When one of three known double handgrip plates sold during the April 2001 HOACGA Convention auction, it brought $5,500. The most recent sale of another in that shape realized $7,000 when the Adams' collection sold in Nov. 2003. Both of these D/H/G displayed the same beautiful, multi-colored iridescence.

This company was born as the C.D.Hudson Furniture Co., in 1897 at 711 Travis St. , Houston, Texas. By 1903 Clarence had turned the reins of power over to his son Eugene, and the company bcame known as E.A Hudson. By 1923 the business had moved to 1905-1919 Winters St. It was there that the company became known as E.A.Hudson Furniture Warehouse. During the early stages of WWII, E.A. Hudson ceased operation in furniture sales and became a moving and storage facility. There is no record of the company after 1953.

Northwood provided this design on ruffled bowls, hand grip plates and flat plates. All have the Basketweave exterior, and all shapes can be considered very scarce.

There were no examples sold at auction during the 2001 or 2002 auction season. It is interesting to note that on 4/13/03, what appeared to be a very nice flat plate, did not meet the sellers reserve. The plate failed to sell at $1,526. Then on 4/20/03, another flat plate sold for $1499.

It would be interesting to know just how many examples exist today in the various designs found in the lettered pieces, but with another assumption looming into view here, we feel confident in saying that many of those presented with such a “souvenir” at the time of “purchase”, when the various entrepreneurs were handing them out as an extension of “goodwill”; would have disposed of them almost immediately, lacking a “taste for such frivolity”. Many of the examples which are displayed in auctions, illustrate obvious signs of neglect or abuse, while others seemingly have been “protected” in cupboards for many years.