Albany Antique Mall

Did you know that in 1903 an English judge ordered a group of women to remove their hatpins and hats because he feared they may use them as weapons?  The women were on trial for campaigning for the right to vote. By 1909, the Illinois and Arkansas legislatures established laws mandating that women acquire permits if they wished to wear hat pins longer than 9 inches. The pins were considered deadly weapons. Many ladies had to cut their pins in order to wear them in public. By 1910, to ensure that people were not accidently hurt, special ordinances were passed requiring hatpin tips to be covered.

Over the years hatpins have proven to be both necessary and fashionable.

Hat pins actually date back as far as the Middle Ages. In Europe, proper ladies used the pins to secure their veils and wimples to keep their hair hidden. Pins were used this way for hundreds of years.

By the 1800’s, hat pin making had become a cottage industry which often included the entire family. By the 1820’s in Britain, demand for the hatpins outgrew the number that could be made by hand. As a result Britain began importing them from France. The British Parliament became concerned at the effect the imports were having and ended up restricting the sale of hatpins to two days a year, January 1^st and 2^nd. Queen Victoria taxed her people at the beginning of each year to pay for her hatpins .This left only the wealthy able to obtain these unique handmade pins. Prior to the 1830’s, theft of a handmade hatpin was punishable by hanging. In 1932, a hatpin making machine was invented in America.

It was in the 1880’s when hatpins really became a necessary accessory. Bonnets gave way to hats.  The hats became bigger and bigger as fashions changed causing the popularity of hatpins to soar. Hatpins stayed popular until WWII when women began filling the jobs once occupied by men. Hats were impractical in factory conditions and soon fell out of fashion.

Collecting hatpins can be a fun hobby and a great way to learn a bit of history. Earliest hatpins were simple metal skewers. Later they were made with silver stems topped with gems, ivory, pearl, sea shells, buttons, glass and more. As always, do your research before starting any serious collection.

Find hatpins and hatpin holders at Albany Antique Mall. Open daily at 2^nd and Ellsworth in historic downtown Albany.

Freshen up your old china set by combining your patterned pieces with solid color pieces. Our staff took several different china sets from around the mall and combined them with different colors of Fiesta ware.

Fiesta ware is perfect for complimenting your patterned dishes because it comes in so many beautiful colors.

Here we have mixed Periwinkle Fiesta with Inverness pattern china by Noritake.

These fancy gold rimmed Limoges plates look fabulous paired with the tangerine Fiesta.

Black is always classy. Here we paired some black amethyst dishes (not Fiesta), with Towanda pattern china by Seizan. Gorgeous!

At home I like to mix my Desert Rose pieces with the Fiesta Rose color dishes. I also mix in a little bit of green depression glass and it all goes together beautifully.

The dainty pink and blue flowers on this Prestige china by China Garden work well with many of the Fiesta colors. Here we have paired it with Turquoise Fiesta. 

The possibilities are endless. Have fun mixing and matching colors and patterns to get whole new looks for your home. Remember if you need some spots of color, Albany Antique Mall carries the largest collection of Fiesta ware around . We also carry many different old and new china sets.

Albany Antique Mall, open daily in Historic Downtown Albany, Oregon.

No matter your age it is hard to resist soft fluffy bunnies, sweet little chicks and brightly decorated eggs in the springtime. When it comes to whimsical and colorful Easter collectibles most items are from the more secular celebrations that happen around springtime.

Favorites among collectors include paper mache and glass candy containers, paper eggs, tin eggs, celluloid toys, small porcelain Easter themed figurines and postcards.

The oldest and most collectible Easter items were made in Germany from the 1830’s through the 1950’s. Collectors can also find items made in Japan beginning from the mid 1930’s.

Here is a guideline for determining the age of Easter collectibles from Germany.

Pieces marked German were generally produced before 1918. Items with a German Republic stamp can be dated between 1918 and 1933. East Germany, German Democratic Republic, West Germany and Federal Republic of Germany marks all date after World War II.

Older German Easter collectibles generally hold more value than those from other parts of the world.

How did eggs and cute baby animals become symbols of Easter?

It is said that Ancient Persians presented eggs as gifts in the springtime to be a symbol of new life. When eggs became more plentiful the people began to decorate them in bright colors to mark the end of the long hard winter.

Some believe that the “Easter Bunny” actually originated as a hare. Ancient Egyptians fittingly considered the hare a sacred symbol of fertility. It took until the 19^th century for the word hare to be translated into “rabbit”. It was also about this time that German candy factories began producing chocolate bunnies, eggs and chicks for the Easter celebrations. This tradition was brought to the United States by German immigrants.

The staff at Albany Antique Mall would like to wish you a Happy Easter and invite you to our “Customer Appreciation Sale” on Saturday, April 7^th. Everything in the store will be 10% to 50% off, no exceptions. This sale is to say “Thank You”, to all our loyal customers who make this antique mall possible. We appreciate your patronage.

Shop at Albany Antique Mall to find your favorite vintage Easter collectibles. Open daily and located at 2^nd & Ellsworth in downtown Albany.

Albany Antique Mall sponsored a table at the annual Pink Ribbon Tea at the Albany Senior Center. We took our team of girls and left the guys to run the shop. We had a fabulous time. Our table was elegant and beautiful decorated with items from the mall.

“If a newly married couple receives a piece of Belleek, their marriage will be blessed with lasting happiness.” (Old Irish saying.)

Belleek porcelain was first produced on the shore of the Elbe River, just outside of Belleek, Ireland. The story goes that a gentleman named John Caldwell Bloomfield one day decided to whitewash his home using a flaky white powder he found in the soil on his property. A neighbor passed by and commented on the pearl like appearance of his home prompting Bloomfield to test his soil. The luck of the Irish was on his side. All the ingredients for making porcelain were right there on his land. Bloomfield teamed up with a couple of partners and began making first earthenware and then porcelain. This is how Belleek china was born. Belleek is now the most famous pottery producing business in Ireland.

Belleek china is known for its delicate eggshell thin pieces and fine quality. The oldest pieces are a creamy color with a pearl like luster. The pieces were always hand painted and often show off shamrock designs. In 1863 a picture of a castle tower with a wolfhound and a harp on either side seated on a bed of shamrocks became Belleek’s official mark. The earliest marks were black and were used until 1946.

It is hard to copy such fine quality but as with all famous sought after pieces there are always some people out there producing fakes. Here is what you should look for:  Belleek china will always be very thin and almost translucent. There should be no flaws. The glaze should be shiny and smooth without drips. Belleek pieces should have a pearl-like luster and changes in color should be almost undetectable. Some of Belleeks more famous lines are its seashell designs, marine themes and basket weaves.

You can find many beautiful Belleek pieces at Albany Antique Mall, on 2^nd & Ellsworth in downtown Albany. We are open daily. Come share a cup of coffee with us.