Shayne made me this big stuffed Jack O'Lantern when he was a wee child...he stuffed it with newspaper...from The News Tribune, Oct. 5, 1983 ! That was right before his 9th birthday, if I did the math right. I haven't uncrumpled the papers inside to read them....though I love reading history...because Shayne crumpled them with his little hands....I'm sentimental like that.
From time to time, I'm gonna highlight some Made In USA products!
As a vintage dealer I get to see, fondle, buy, own and sell......the best of American ingenuity. About 10% of the vintage I buy to sell, was made outside the US. It used to be...almost everything was made here, and very little was imported.
I've been encouraging folks to shop for the USA labels since the early 80s, because buying products made overseas destroys factories here, sends jobs away, but buying American protects our economy. Sadly, far too many people started shopping at WalMart and Target, and not giving a thought to this.......everytime you buy something new, made in China or wherever, from a country that doesn't pay living wages...you are weakening the American economy.
One of the many reasons I'm proud to be a vintage dealer....I get to highlight the mid-century goodies that gave us a great economy until Geo. Bush the Lesser was appointed by the Supreme Court.
Here's a few of my Beistle Company Halloween decorations.
Beistle decorations have always been made in the US, and are made in Pennsylvania!!
Beistle was founded in 1900 in Pittsburgh. Martin Luther Beistle used to make decorations for hotel lobbies with his family company, working from his home basement. He worked his day job as a calender salesman until his Halloween decor company could stand on its own.
Mr. Beistle ended up buying the calender company, and Beistle Co. grew and grew, and he moved the large successful company to Shippensburg PA.
Happy Jack!
This is marked (c) Beistle Made in USA, and that makes it pre-90s.
my vintage Beistle cat sitting on the crescent moon's nose!
Vintage Beistle skeleton....and a few of my Big Eyes....
In 1910, Beistle bought the means to make honeycombed tissue, which used to only be made in Europe and Japan.
No product was made during WWII, but afterwards....full steam ahead!
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This witch isn't Beistle, but we love her anyway!
No markings on her, but I'm gonna guess Dennison. I bought her at a yard sale from a retired teacher, back in the late '90s.
She's taped and stapled together....She's got a big skull medallion necklace that looks kinda gangsta...
Beistle used a few different trademarks.....Copyr H.E.Luhrs, the name of a son-in-law, and The Beistle Company, Beistle Diamond, Bee-Line with a bee, and Art Tissue Westminster Bells, the well-known honeycomb tissue bells at all those weddings in the 50s and 60s..and beyond!
Want to know more about Beistle..... clicky here!!
and if you want to see their repros from their vast archives.....go here!!
This crazy cat is marked (c)1990 so it's a Beistle reproduction. The plastic pumpkin is probably a Union blow mold lamp. go here to read a blog post I wrote about plastic blow molds.
I had my yard all lit up with the pop-up...but the winds made me take it down...but ...it lives on in my heart!
Here's my Bela Lugosi.........
his back.....
and his face ...Booo !!!
Of course, my favorite plastic skull......
it stars in my handmade necklaces....
here's the Halloween festivities around the pad....
yummy !!
clicky for the story and the recipe....
and Squash....I love it!!
