Holidays - Random Selection of Vintage Decor

Hello! Today I want to show off a random collection of vintage Christmas items. All but one were purchased on the cheap at thrift stores or at a rummage/garage sale. One item was purchased at an antiques mall. 

Let's get on with the show (and tell!):

The page above is from Childrens' Party Book,  which was put out by  A. E. Staley Mfg. Co, Decatur, IL in 1935. Judging by the recipes in the back of this booklet, the company produced Golden Table Syrup, Crystal White Syrup and Cream Corn Starch (those syrups, I assume, had corn syrup in them). 

Here's the page opposite the one previously shown:

Purchased the booklet for 50c at a garage sale in Williamsport, PA four years ago. It's currently listed on eBay for between $9.95-$24.97. Both listings mention only slight wear -which is the condition of mine.

As an historical aside, when I showed my husband this find he commented that Staley had once owned a professional football team by the name of the Decatur Staleys. (Gee, I wonder how they ever came up with that name?)This team later morphed into the Chicago Bears. 


Next up is this:

I purchased this small metal tray for 25c at a garage sale. There's some advertising on the back for Die-Draulic, Inc. of Grand Rapids, MICH. In case you didn't know what the company supplied, why, it's "Simplified Hydraulic Die Pad Pressure". 

Anyway, I liked the vintage-style vibe.The tray could date from the 1950's.

Here's another tray of sorts:

I purchased this the other day at a thrift store for 25c. By its size and shape, I'm guessing it was an ash tray. On the back it says Houze Glass Corporation, Point Marion PA. Not sure of its age, but I liked that it looks vintage. From doing a bit of research on the Internet, I learned that Houze was in business from 1902-2004. 

This was one of my favorite finds from last year:

Purchased for 25c at a thrift store. Not sure of its age but the graphics suggest possibly the 1940's. Manufactured by the Metal Goods Corporation, St. Louis, U.S.A. The box had either come loose or had been opened at the bottom - it's been taped shut. The box is still about 1/3 full of mica snow flakes. It boggles my mind at the thought of someone having kept the box around all this time, but I'm glad they did! 

The lone antique mall purchase was this:

I paid $6.00 for this at an antiques mall in St. John, MI. It's normally hung up on our side door. I bought this because it reminded me of a very similar item:

Ever since I can remember, the above has hung up by the fireplace at my parents' home. My mom told me it had been her mother's. It's not in the best of shape anymore; for one thing, the bells are attached with paper clips, whereas mine are affixed with small metal rings. But then again, perhaps my Noel hanging was never subjected to kids like me ringing the bells on my mom's Noel every time they walked by it. 

So as you can see, a random selection, but there's nothing random about the fun of finding and displaying these blasts from Christmases past.