The Papel Mug Company

Just recently, I picked up a vintage mug for my shop and looked at the bottom of it. It was made by Papel. Papel is a company I've seen for decades. I've owned Papel mugs for years, and I remember seeing it growing up. I just figured Papel was another gift-making company, like Hallmark, that had been around since the '80s.

Well, I finally did a deeper dive into the brand, and what came up totally shocked me: Papel began at Walt Disney's Disneyland in 1955. What? How did I not know this? Papel's mug invasion all started and thrived because Walt took a chance at letting the owner and creator, Phil Papel, set up a small shop on Main Street, USA, of Disneyland. He called his shop "Ruggles China and Gifts." This wonderful storefront was there from 1955 to 1964. 

The rest is history.

I'm such a Disneyland fan, have gone dozens of times, love the joy Walt Disney created, and am in awe of his visionary and creative endeavors. I also love vintage mugs, have a slight obsession with collecting and selling mugs, so this combination of two loves into one is sort of over-the-top incredible. I'm having a hard time believing two cherished things - Disney and vintage mugs - get to be celebrated together!

I've had issues tracking down, tracing, and researching other brands of vintage items I sell in my shop. It's as if some designers disappear after having a wonderful career. And if no one is recording the history of the brand, it disappears with them. Which is a horrible shame. Papel, on the other hand, actually has a history (thankfully, his son is making sure the name continues in the history books!) and there's even a website, through his son Stanley, which is remarkable.

Stanley is still making sure his father's legacy is written down, recorded, and known. He's on LinkedIn with lots of information regarding a book or two he's written about his father. The current one is called "Generation to Generation," and you can find it here. I look forward to reading it. 

There is another page of information I found about Papel through Phil's granddaughter, Melissa (Stanley's daughter), and it is loaded with images of designs. They were the FIRST company to do personalized name mugs. Amazing.

300 million mugs sold later, even though the mug production is no longer, the history, love, and incredible tenacity of a man named Phil Papel created a corporation that put smiles on millions of American homes over the years. 

What a legacy. Thank you, Phil Papel, for your ingenuity and vision for filling a void in the coffee mug industry. And thank you, Stanley, for continuing that legacy. 

If you're anything like me, you have had - or still have - a Papel mug (or more) in your cupboards. And guess what? You have Phil Papel to thank for that.

Cheers. May your mug be vintage and your coffee hot.

-Heather

Picture sourced by Stuff from the Park

The fun Papel mug that got me interested in Papel, in the shop!

Love this.

John Romain Handbag

The thing about living on the West Coast is that we don't always get the colloquial style or fashion of designers from the East or South, particularly if the designer is from that area. At least, this is how it used to be before advertising was as big as it is now, which includes the invention of social media. But decades ago, a designer from the East Coast may not have been as popular on the West Coast, all because of locality.

Take Lily Pulitzer, which originated in the late '50s in Palm Beach, Florida. Ask the random girl or woman out here in California who that is, and they'd have no idea. Even today. Ask any random girl or woman in the south or east coast, and everyone would not only know who it is but would probably be wearing something Lily on their person. I've only found a handful of Pulitzer dresses over the years because I'm in California. Head over to Florida, and that changes dramatically. I went thrifting with one of my best friends when I was in Jacksonville last year, and Lilly was everywhere.

So, when I sourced this beautiful John Romain handbag, I had no clue who this was. The bag was worn out, needed a good cleaning and a whole lot of conditioner, and she perked right up. This bag dates back to 1968, and it remains challenging to find information about the Staten Island designer from the 1960s. There is no website dedicated to him and his designs, so all I can find are blog posts from people like me who own these bags, want them, or have a little more historical background. (If John Romain's family is reading this, PLEASE dedicate a website to him, his history, and all of his designs! The designing and fashion world, particularly the vintage world, needs it.)

This one post, written by Arlene Lassin a few years ago, was a fun read, and she gave me quite a bit of info. I also found this little blurb on a Substack blog, Handbag Designer 101,  which said this:

 Founded by John Romain, his eponymous handbags were a symbol of classic American style and rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. John Romain Handbags were known for their distinctive combination of high-quality leather and woven fabric panels, paired with shapes and brass hardware, creating a signature preppy aesthetic that appealed to the collegiate and country club set. While the brand faded from prominence as fashion trends shifted, its legacy endures among vintage collectors who value its mid-century design and enduring appeal.

Below is the beautiful bag I sourced. Look at how well it was made, the rivets to the leather. Such quality. Purse is in the shop right now (and in two people's carts waiting to purchase), so get it while it's here! ♥

Have a wonderful weekend.

-Heather

This is the after! Beautifully restored.

This is what she looked like when I found her.
A little worse for wear and extra thirsty for some conditioning.

John Romain Handbag, from August of 1968

Gorgeous clasp

Beautiful rivet work

The backside of the finished product. She could use a few more conditioning sessions!

Perennial Vintage on Instagram

So, now that I've started my fifteenth year selling vintage on Etsy, I've finally given in to showcasing my finds on Instagram, as well as here, Etsy, and Pinterest.

To be honest, thrice I've started an Instagram account solely for my vintage on Etsy. And two of those, I gave up and deleted the account after a few weeks. Posting on Instagram is a mindset all on its own. And if you're not in it, not motivated, it won't happen. Which is exactly what happened to me.

This month's sales have been on the (very) low side, so the time I  usually spent shipping and sourcing, I've had a little extra time to set up my Instagram. I love it. I know what I want to post (the best of the best), and while it may not be every day posting, it will definitely be a couple of times a week.

With this Instagram account, I get to document the amazing vintage and reach a larger audience, and hopefully increase sales for the summer (which is notoriously slow... everyone in the world is on holiday. Most Etsy sellers loathe the summer because of it).

If you'd like to get updates on what's new in my shop, look for Perennial.Vintage.Shop on Instagram.

I look forward to connecting with you there.♥

-Heather

Vintage Hawaiian Clothing at Perennial Vintage │ Summer 2025 Vintage Tiki Wear

As soon as summer arrives or is knocking at the door (temps in the '90s), I shift to listing a lot of Hawaiian items. I pick up vintage Hawaiian things year-round, but this is the time I list them. 

Lots of folks go to Hawai'i for vacation (particularly here on the west coast), and people have Luau's as their themed party. Warm weather means we need cooler clothing.

Welcome, vintage tiki wear! I've just listed all of these fabulous vintage dresses and shirts, including kids' vintage shirts. Visit my shop for all the latest Hawaiian finds. ◄

Mahalo, my vintage friends.♥

Y2K Hawaiian Luau Dress

Isn't this an amazing shirt? It's in kids' sizing, a small one, made of barkcloth.

This is a kid's one too by McInerny.

Super colorful haul from last week of Hawaiian goods, along with some killer '40s items too - white eyelet dress and wool buffalo plaid shirt. And a Pyrex piece for $6.99, I didn't have!

This sold within an hour of listing it, but I had to give it some space here in the blog. Aren't the colors and pattern fantastic? By Royal Hawaiian, circa late '60s.

 

Flat Lay Fun│ Vintage Thrifted Finds for April 2025

My son got married a few days ago, which meant I'd been mentally preoccupied with many other things. And yet, I didn't stop thrifting. Thrift shopping is darn near therapeutic, so it was a wonderful distraction, and I got great finds for my shop. A flat lay a week shows me what I picked up and shows you what's headed to my Etsy store.

 Here are April's month of vintage finds from Tuesdays (my big thrifting day of the week). I love the diversity each week brings.

Okay, so this was the first week of April, and it was "red" day apparently, so it was not as diverse as usual. But still, a '60s dress, a  '70s dress, a '60s cardigan, and a '90s linen blouse and a '70s Frankoma mug (for myself), it was a nice haul.

This was a fun week. I loved the color palate of this one from '60s butternut men's shirt, to a '70s Pendleton wool jac-shirt, a '90s USA made women's jacket, a '70s thermal, and an '80s acid washed Guess jeans (holy moly this takes me back to my youth), this haul covered all the decades.

The bonus to this haul was the "pocket finds," as I like to call them. There was a receipt from February of 2000 from Safeway. (I was engaged by then and planning my wedding in early 2000!) A hair clip and $5.55 of pocket change, which always makes my day. These finds are a wonderful snapshot of times past. Who says you can't travel back in time? I do it all the time. ♥

You know what I love best about this flat lay? How truly diverse it is. There's a '60s Hawaiian dress (that I sold within an hour of listing it. It's headed back to Hawaii (as most 90% of my Hawaiian vintage finds do. I wrote about that earlier right here!) There's a '60s robe made in the USA, there's a '70s Irish sweater, there's a '90s Guatemalan skirt, and a '30s (!!) Chinese blouse. This is the conglomeration of four corners of the earth all within a couple of hours shopping period. How cool is that? What other kind of job can do this? I love what I do!

Happy May!