Vintage Mugs for the Vintage Lover

I live and love life with vintage mugs. One of my favorite morning rituals, aside from pouring and drinking the coffee, is to pick which vintage mug I'll be drinking from. I get many from my friends, which only adds to the charm of the collection.

While it's ridiculous to think I need more than a few mugs to choose from (I really don't), I still have a couple dozen in my own collection. And I love every one of them and use them, rotating through them every month.

And because I love them so much, and know I can't keep every one I come across, I sell what I love: so I sell, and have sold, a lot of vintage mugs over the years. Something like 500 of them. That's crazy to think about.

August through December is when I list them because vintage mugs make great gifts. What better way to find a niche mug that works for the person you're buying for? Love camping? Get a camper mug. Love Snoopy? Find a Snoopy mug that works for them. It's a fun way to love them for what they love. And who doesn't feel seen when you play into their interests?

I went to a fun rummage sale a month ago and found a good twenty mugs I could sell. Sure, I kept a couple, but most of them are in my shop now or will be over the next couple of months. I love it when this happens! Saves me time. And I love seeing what people have in their cupboards and decided to give up.

So, hop on over to the shop to see what I have listed! As I said, they make great gifts... especially for yourself. 

My vintage friends, may your day be blessed, your coffee hot (or iced, I suppose), and your mug vintage.♥

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.

Vintage Mug Monday │ Vintage Otagiri Golf Mugs

So... I thrifted this lady golfer mug for myself a week or two ago. It's by Otagiri. I love it and I added it to my vintage mug collection. 

Then I thought: Surely there's a guy golfer mug out there? Surely they made one of those too.

I hopped onto eBay and found it. I bought it for my husband (the real golfer in this family) and gave it to him as a stocking stuffer.

This morning, we used our special mugs. I had to snap a picture. We've never been more coordinated... as far as our morning coffee mugs go. I suppose this is all part of the aging process. We're starting to match each other all the time, especially in our clothing choices. Granted, this is unintentional matching.  

But, before I know it, I'll be going out of my way to match him. Even on our next vacation. We'll have matching hats and sweatshirts or something. 

I hope you have a spectacular New Year's Eve evening ringing in the new year. Or, as it would be for me, the most unspectacular. I plan to watch the ball drop at 9:00, find a good book, read, and go to bed at a reasonable hour. 

I've never been much of a New Year's party gal. And my husband works this year on the eve, so, this sounds like a perfectly good evening.

Happy New Year!

Vintage Mug Monday │ A Small History of the Otagiri Mercantile Company

Otagiri mugs are among my favorite vintage mugs. They began production in the late '60s, ended in the early '90s, and now, there are hundreds of designs out there to choose from. But, I'm not the only one who thinks they're amazing. Many people collect them and there's a huge, almost cult-like, following behind them. 

While they are vastly popular, varying in designs from teddy bears to nautical scenes to flowers, for me, it's the quality that takes my breath away. They were designed to look like pottery pieces - as if they were created from clay and thrown into a kiln to cook. I've been collecting them for the better part of almost 15 years before it was a trendy thing.

Modern-day mugs look and feel nothing like their vintage counterparts, and it's not just because of materials - it's because Otagiri chose to create a quality product. Meaning, that their creations would outlast most of its competitors.

There isn't a whole lot of information about Otagiri, or the Otagiri Mercantile Company (OMC). They were a San Francisco company, importing from Japan where the products were made (which explains why I find it quite regularly here in the Sacramento Valley), and were in production for 46 years. Enesco bought them out in 1994, which is when the line essentially died out.

This beautiful Otagiri mug appeared to me last week. It is unused and still with its original Otagiri stickers (two of them!) While I can't date this specifically, I do know it was made before 1994, and per the design, probably no later than the late '80s as they seemed to transfer from an etched design to a painted-on or screen-painted design as the collection aged. (I prefer the etched.)

I've never seen this pattern or design before, even the color is unique. I'm thrilled to offer it in my shop.

I do have a mug collection. About 32 mugs (that you can see here.) I rotate through them all month, trying to use a different one every day. Sometimes, I'll find a new one I have to have, and add it into the mug party that is in my cupboard. 

Then I'll find one I own that I don't like as much as I thought I did, and take it out to sell in my Etsy shop (I've sold hundreds of mugs in my shop - 396 to be exact.) I cycle through them, but I almost always have about 32 mugs in my cupboard and no more than that (since I don't have room!) 

Though many of my mugs are unmarked, probably more than half of them are Otagiri. The quality and craftsmanship can't be beat. I also happen to love the size of them. Today's standard coffee cup is large - as in, 12 to 16 ounces large. 

Here's one of my favorites that I found for .50 cents a few years ago. 

Contrary to the very American and popular belief, larger isn't always better. And when it comes to drinking coffee before it gets cold, large mugs are virtually impossible to work with. These Otagiri vintage mugs are almost always eight ounces or smaller. There are a few larger styles, but even then, they were no larger than 12 ounces.

Otagiri mugs are fun, beautiful, and diverse. In most cases, they are an extremely inexpensive collection to acquire (I spend anywhere from 50 cents up to three dollars. It varies from thrift shop to estate sale.) This cost-effective collection is also utilitarian. I use mine every day.

You can't beat a collection you use! It's a win/win in my vintage book.

As a side note, I sell more mugs during the holiday season than at any other time during the year. They make such a great gift and are inexpensive. If you're looking for a unique gift, check out my site for a variety of fun mugs (a good chunk of them being Otagiri, of course.)

Happy Mug Monday. May your mug be vintage and your coffee hot.

Vintage Mugs │ You and Me Vintage Mugs

This lovely duo is in the shop.

I've sold two other sets just like it over the years.

I love them. So sweet.

Happy Vintage Mug Monday!

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

 

Vintage Mug Monday

I suppose I should call this "vintage mug Monday" thing more of a "confessional Monday."

Because half of the vintage mug Mondays I've been writing about this year on the blog are mugs I could've sold but decided to add to my collection. 

This one? I was supposed to set it aside for my friend who loves them as much as I do. But (to my credit) I found a set of two vintage mugs that go together that she'll like which both she and her husband can use instead

Or, that’s what I’m telling myself.

So yes, I confess. I'm keeping this beautiful mug and adding it to my collection. As the saying goes, "Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission." 

I actually despise that saying because it doesn't work for most situations.

But, knowing exactly how my husband will roll his eyes at my newest mug addition, well... let's just say I'm sorry (forgive me) and be done with it.

Happy vintage mug Monday, my vintage friends.

May your mug be vintage and your coffee hot. ♥

She's a beauty.

Vintage Mug Monday │ Vintage '70s Floral Speckled Mug

This little guy was 99 cents. Didn't have this pattern, so he came home with me last week.

And he looks great with the rest of my vintage mug collection. 

Have a wonderful Monday, my vintage friends.

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

I don't actually keep ALL of the mugs I don't have. It's tempting, always. But I sell many of the ones I find in my Etsy shop. Just an FYI. 

Happy Mug Monday.

Vintage Mug Monday │ Vintage Owl Mug

I have a beautiful little screech owl living outside my bedroom window.  He looks just like this family of owls on one of my own favorite vintage mugs.

Small, quiet, sweet, and the best guard western screech owl anyone could ever want. Owlie (my clever name for him) deserves to have a children's book written about him one day. So, I'm adding that to one of my writing goals. 

Have a wonderful week and a blessed Monday, my vintage friends. 

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

Vintage Thrift Haul │ My Thrifted Finds - 2 July, 2024

Today's thrifted finds were fantastic. I love how they all go together. This happens a lot ... the matching. But that's probably because I love neutrals and denim. So naturally, that's what ends up in my cart.

My thrift haul is this:

• Two pairs of overalls - one from the '70s, the other from the '90s. Again finding overalls (for me) is like finding money... they sell, they sell fast, and I never have enough in my shop. Having sold over 500 pairs over the years, they're my best-selling item.
• Two vintage '70s mugs (may keep one, but I will sell one too... aren't you proud of me?)
• Three vintage belts - all circa '90s.
• One pair of capri pants, circa late '60s
• One sweater, women's circa '80s, by Furstenberg
• One vintage '80s Shenandoah pattern Pyrex 475 casserole (for my collection... I didn't have this size yet! Such a fun find for $7.50.)

Have a great week. All items will head to the shop this week.

And stay cool. In Sacramento, we're headed for 110 degrees or so today (which isn't normal.) 

I'll be in the pool...

-H

 

Vintage Haul │My Thrifted Finds June 26, 2024

Yesterday's thrifted finds were very colorful.  And quite repetitive. 

You know how if we like something in one color, we tend to want to buy it in multiple colors? Even if we don't need them?

I found other folks' need for repetition today. Four '80s sweatshirts of different colors. Three bandanas are all similar and three other bandanas of a similar type too. I'm positive they all came from the same household.

 And it's not like I don't understand this concept. I do.

When you find something good, you want to have more of it!

Anyway, I love the vintage '70s skirt too. Not only is it a maxi skirt, which is fun and perfect for fall, but it's deadstock. Meaning, it still has tags on it. Never worn!

I do fit it, so it may end up in my closet for a little bit. Alas, it's a work hazard I'm willing to deal with if I have to... ha.

Found vintage denim, vintage belts, and even a few mugs not shown here. Great haul this week. Lots of finds and I'm so grateful.

By the way, the whole shop is 20% off for the next few days. Get on over if you've got your eye on something.

Thanks for checking out my latest thrift haul! All items are headed to the shop this week.

Vintage Mug Monday │ Gary Larson Mugs

Gary Larson has been a staple comedian in our house for years. My boys and husband crack up over his material.

For me, living with Larson's humor has been with me for decades. His syndicated comic made itself known as it appeared in our daily paper back in the ‘80s. And my dad had books of his comics and we kids loved to look through them through the years growing up.

These mugs... well, they're just something else. 

They sell almost as soon as I list them (or close to it) because his humor is classic as it is actually funny.

There are copycats like him out there, with their graphics and words, but no one just like him.

Larson is a classic. Comedy gold.

Mugs are in the shop.

-Heather

Vintage Mug Monday | Vintage Mug by Frankoma

I mentioned finding this mug a week or two ago. I had plans to sell it but I love it too much. At least for now.

It’s by Frankoma, a vintage Oklahoma-based pottery company. Small and stout, this mug is the cutest size. A touch smaller than I normally like, but really, the pottery makes up for it.

Pottery pieces - true pottery mugs - are a treat to drink from. Thick, smooth, quality… the mug one drinks from matters!

Happy Monday. May your mug be vintage. And your coffee hot.

Thrift Haul │My Vintage Thrifted Finds froom May 30, 2024

Some weeks, the thrifting finds could be better. 

And some weeks, they're terrible.

This week was one of those terrible. It's not like I didn't find anything, but those special pieces weren't to be found. Instead, small simple finds were my finds. Which, truth be told, are my bread-and-butter items... which keeps my shop running.

However, I do the best I can with what's been given to me (my motto for just about darn near everything in my life if I can help it)! Here's what I found:

• 1 Vintage '80s dress- I love that design and bird on the front.
• 4 Vintage '70s-90s belts - I sell a ton of belts and particularly love the large brown one on the bottom in pics - that may be older than '70s- I'm thinking '60s based on the patina of the buckle.
• 1 Vintage '90s thermal - Theremals sell like crazy - I get it. They're a staple.
• 1 Vintage '80s Mug made in Korea - Mugs are my jam.

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The total of all things purchased this week was about $20. Small finds. But as I said, they're the staples that make my store run well.

So, how can I be ungrateful? PTL I even found these things. All are headed to the shop by this weekend.

Thanks for checking in on my vintage finds. 

Until next week...

Vintage Mug Monday │ Cowboy Mug

As I've repeatedly said - and demonstrated with my frequent vintage mug purchases - I love vintage mugs. They're a force to be reckoned with and I'm losing badly. I love them all.

Saw this awesome pottery cowboy mug and had to get it. Adorable. Perfect for the western wear person, cowgirl, or cowboy. For Cowboy poetry and living "home on the range."

Hee haw, y'all. Would work great as a vase, or decorative piece as well. It's in the shop.

Have a great Monday... may yer mug be vintage and yer coffee hot.

Vintage Mug Monday │ April 15,2024

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Here is today's vintage mug. I have enough vintage mugs to use a different one every day of the month. And guess what, that's what I do. I rotate through them.

I love the “rays” of this mug. Sun rays for this sunny morning.

May your coffee be hot and your mug vintage.

-Heather

Coffee + Thrifting with a Friend = The Perfect Saturday

I went to coffee with a friend today.

This friend happens to be "family" (she's the sister-in-law of my sister so I'm not sure what that makes us...) and we end up seeing each other - to do this wonderful "coffee thrift" event - once a year. It should be seasonal at best. But, life sidetracks us.

We live in the same town. It's kind of a deplorable thing to see one another so little. But it's always a great time to catch up on life events over a cup of coffee.

It's also a great time to head to a thrift store together and treasure hunt.

While she found tons of things she needed, I only found one thing and I definitely didn't "need" it. I didn't even find anything for the vintage shop.

But this mug I found was perfect. I'm adding it to my vintage mug collection. 

Do you know what I love about '60s and '70s vintage mugs? They're either obvious in their design or abstract. Like, you know it's a flower because it looks like a flower or you end up with a design that you think is a flower.

It's either one or the other.

This mug is of the abstract kind. I believe these are flowers with designs all around them. Maybe.

And I love it.

Today was a success. Friends, family, and finds.

-Heather

Vintage Fire-King │ Turquoise Blue Fire-King

My love for vintage Fire-king dishes has been around for over 35 years. 

I collected the blue. It's called "turquoise blue." What is Fire-King? The Anchor Hocking Company produced the dinnerware. They began production of Fire-king in the early 1940s and continued through the 1970s. There's a long history of its use and it was a staple for American dinner tables and diners through the decades.

Some pieces were put into cereal boxes as a free promo item! What a treat that would've been.

Hunting for Fire-King began when I would go to antique stores with my mom and sisters back when we girls were in our early teens. We all wanted to collect something. My mom discovered Fire-King and began to collect it in the Jadeite color (green). And we decided to do the same. (This was before prices became sky-high for the stuff.) 

The thrill of the hunt was pure joy (and probably why I'm selling vintage today... still looking for the high).

My sisters collected the gray, white, and azurite colors and we all still have our collections today. 

However, despite loving them with all of my heart, I found I wasn't using my collection. Other than the mugs and mixing bowls, I rarely used plates, cups, saucers, or small plates. And since I collect Pyrex as well, and use it, I decided to do the right thing and sell it to people who can use them. 

I can't collect everything (even if I want to).

I currently have some cups and saucers listed on my Etsy site, as well as a platter. I'll be listing the dinner plates soon. I've sold a few pieces already and it feels great to send them off to people who appreciate it like I do and want to use them. 

I'll miss "owning" them because I've had them for so long, but when I don't use my collections, it's time for me to send them off to others who truly can. I've had decades to enjoy them. 

And now others can too.

-Heather

Why all the Vintage Blog Posts? │ Perennial Vintage Supply

Did you know I had a vintage blog like this one to go with my Etsy shop back in 2017?

I had it for several years, but I let my desire to write for it wax and wane. I wasn't happy with it. I tended to use it more for posting my vintage outfit of the day, and I was getting tired of that.

So, I started over and have created a blog that truly lines up with my Etsy shop. It means posts that coordinate with newly listed items, sales notifications, and most importantly, all things vintage.

Because it is a vintage blog, it covers my vintage life. It covers what I am treasure hunting out in the wild (thrifting and estate sales) and what I'm selling.

I called it Perennial Vintage Supply. My Etsy shop is called Perennial Vintage. The supply is exactly what it sounds like: me supplying you with knowledge and information about the vintage things in my world.

It's also a play on the "old timey" name of selling in a store. A supply store.

For the last few years when I wasn't blogging about my vintage life, all of these wonderful vintage things were happening around me so it's partly the reason why I'm not posting once a week or twice a week like a "regular" blogger. 

I have so much to post, that I'm pulling out all the stops and posting the backlog of things I've been wanting to write about for the last few years.

I feel like a faucet turning on after years of being shut off. It feels wonderful.

I wanted a place to post vintage pictures, vintage quotes, vintage items I didn't buy, vintage items I did buy, or vintage family photos. I wanted to have a place where I could post a random vintage outfit of the day, but really focus on the clothing; focus on my vintage life and how much vintage is a part of it.

Vintage has so infiltrated my everyday life that I forget how much it's a part of me. And I want to share all of it with fellow vintage lovers. You!

So, in summary, this means I will write posts that have to do with:

• vintage clothing listed on my Etsy site
• vintage quotes (I love literature and vintage so this is a win/win)
• vintage gardens 
• vintage labels
• vintage kitchenware (vintage mugs, as you know, are a part of this).
• vintage celebrities 
• vintage photos
• vintage holidays
• vintage EVERYTHING

I don't plan on posting five times a day in the future. Understand that my goal is to post once or twice a day (some days, there is more vintage goodness to post). But as I've said before, the faucet is on - and there is a whole world of vintage at my fingertips I want to share with you.

Also, the more I post, the more people will find my blog. Again, I'm here to promote my Etsy shop, but more importantly, it's a place to share knowledge and to post about the ordinary but extraordinary goodness behind all things vintage. That's what I love so much!

Vintage living and choosing a sustainable lifestyle, redolent with vintage clothing, is my favorite way to live. And I hope that, through my posts, you'll get a glimmer of why I love it so much.

Please, let me know if there is ever a topic you want me to cover. Feel free to comment on my posts at any time. I love feedback. I love knowing there are others out there like me. 

Thank you for walking with me on my vintage blogging journey. So glad you're here.

-Heather

Vintage Mug Monday │ March 11, 2024

 

Good morning.

The daylight savings time change never works for me, whether it's "springing forward" or "falling back." The adjustment hijacks my sleep and takes me weeks to get back to "normal."

I think many people feel this way. How wonderful it would be to banish this time-change nonsense. Hawaii and Arizona figured it out, didn't they?

Nevertheless, it is what it is. And this fine Monday morning means it's time for vintage mug Monday.

I picked up this sweet vintage mug last week. With neutral colors, and a floral design, it fits right in with the rest of my mugs.

May your mug be vintage and your coffee hot, my friends.

Happy Monday.

Saturday is for Thrifting Vintage│ Weekend Thrifted Finds

I don't always get to thrift on Saturdays There's usually quite a bit to do around the house, events to go to, or something involving my sons and extracurricular events.

But I hopped into my local thrift store, the one that's a mere mile away from my home and on the way to just about any errand I run, and found a few more goodies. I'm a huge fan of getting into thrift stores as often as you can for even a mere five minutes. It's consistency that brings in the findings. Like this dress.

This 1950s / 1960s house dress is one of them. The pattern is so fun, as is the rhinestone piece.

I sell a great deal of vintage belts because I love belts, and think they're undervalued as far as accessories go. I always look for good quality leather, and Ralph Lauren belts usually fit the bill.

Also got this sweet vintage Christmas mug for .99. I'm going to hold onto it for a little while... add it to my collection and maybe sell it if I don't love it. But, let's be honest - I'm such a sucker for vintage mugs. This one is a cutie. It may be in my cupboard for a while.

The dress and belt will be added to the shop next week. Stay tuned.

Have a great weekend. 

-Heather