Novelties - Part 2

Carnival Glass101 | home Quick Reference to Carnival Glass Patterns on This Site

More Great Carnival Glass Articles!

Novelties - Part 2

NOVELTIES - Part 2

PUMPKIN - 12 in. around x 3.5 in. high

PUMPKIN: This item speaks for itself? Not quite perhaps!

With October 31st approaching as it does each year, we begin seeing jack-o'-lanterns appearing on neighborhood porches, and complimenting Fall flower arrangements on front lawns. Among many Christians, the attitude toward Halloween can be termed, “torn”. The nagging question is - HALLOWEEN: Haunted or Harmless? Articles and books have been written covering the subject. Summing it up quite nicely in his book Halloween: What's a Christian to Do? Steve Russo writes, “Whatever we do on or around Halloween, Halloween should glorify God.”

Certainly, we can all agree that a field full of ripe pumpkins is a celebration of Fall Harvest, signifying God's provision of plenty!


ELEPHANT NOVELTY - 4.25 in. tall
Sign on back says - THE END. Purpose for such a novelty might be as a paperweight.

ELEPHANT Figural: Original intended purpose for this “diplomatically dressed” elephant is not known, but it certainly is a conversation piece!


Signed Hanson 8.5 in. Teal VIOLIN. Very Scarce - Signed RGH	One-tenth of a pint of GOLDEN WEDDING Whiskey never opened.

VIOLIN Vase: a signed Hansen piece is always collectable. In visiting with one of the three Hansen brothers in Northern California a number of years ago, we were told that in the beginning, in order to gain a trend for the market, they would iridized examples purchased from glass manufacturers, load them into the trunk of their car and sell as they traveled, also discovering preferences of their buyers.

GOLDEN WEDDING: This whiskey was made by Jos. B. Dinch Co. Schenleys, PA - founded 1856. Their motto: Had no peers for 50 years.


Atomizer is 8 in. tall	CANOE Novelty item in Marigold. 6 in. long x 2 in. wide. These are also found with Souvenir lettering.

ATOMIZER: Iridization on this piece is mindful of the Christmas Tree ornaments which were manufactured following the Mt. St. Helens eruption, supposedly comprised of the ash. They can be found in several sizes and designs and were quite expensive when new.

CANOE: This novelty can also be found having Souvenir Advertising printed along the sides.


CANADA DRY Gingerale Bottle-amazingly with the two labels intact!	IMPERIAL GRAPE Wine Decanter with labels--tax stamp

CANADA DRY Bottle: Please believe me when I tell you that one of these bottles provided impetus for Dean & I to form the San Diego County Carnival Glass Collectors Club in June 1985!! We had begun to pursue Carnival Glass with “fervor” after moving to San Diego in 1970. Following a contact from Don Moore, we had become members of the ICGA Club, and the Southern California Club in Los Angeles area in 1980.

We were in a store on one of our searches, and observed two ladies purchasing for a very high price, one of these marigold bottles having no top, and no original labels. After leaving the store, we asked them whether they knew anything about the piece they had just purchased. “NO” was the answer…………they just simply liked the flow of color. We began discussing possibilities with Dee and Michael Sponsler, some friends of ours who also collected Carnival Glass, and very soon afterwards, posted notices in public places, of the approaching organizational meeting. There were 26 attendees for the charter meeting, and we were “up and going now”, on a wonderful new aspect of appreciation for Carnival Glass!

IMPERIAL GRAPE Wine Decanter: Have you ever found one with such labels? A lady sent pictures of this one to our friend Donna Adler. Curious, yes?


DOG Figural	ROOSTER Ashtray

DOG Figural: Looks for all the world like anybody's Fido, but as to his purpose, we haven't a clue! Paperweight perhaps?

ROOSTER Ashtray: There was a restaurant we recall in San Diego area, called The Chicken Shack. Perhaps such an ashtray was produced for service in such a place of business? It is marigold.

PINK FLAMINGO Shot Glass-Iridized!

Courtesy Bob Smith

PINK FLAMINGO Shot Glass: Sept. 8, 2005, in an email from Bob Smith, he tells us that one of the reasons he believes he has more fun collecting than the other collectors is because he collects all the eras of carnival glass-vintage, late, contemporary, and made the day before yesterday. He derives enjoyment from the strange and unusual.

“Here is a tumbler that just came in the door two hours ago. A Flamingo shot glass from Las Vegas - in pink. It wasn't listed under carnival on eBay, but I saw that it was iridized and could have a bit of history. Here's part of that history:

The Pink Flamingo Hotel and Casino (original name), had only 77 rooms when built and opened by Bugsy Seigal and his partner Meyer Lynsky in December, 1946. The hotel was referred to as the “pink hotel”. It was the first to open on the now famous “Strip”. Flamingo was the pet name for Bugsy's girlfriend Virginia Hill. Funds for the hotel came from mob money. When Bugsy was caught skimming money from the till he was shot and killed.

The hotel was sold in 1967 and again in 1972 when it became the Flamingo Hilton. The last of the original structure was torn down in 1993.

Since the name on the pink shot glass is “Flamingo”, the tumbler was most probably made between 1946 and 1967. This kind of tumbler makes for a good conversation piece.”

Dean & Diane Fry - 10/05