Melmac Melamine Magazine Issue #1 Is Here and Free!

Click to view Melmac Central: Melamine & Plastic Vol 1 Issue 1 on GLOSSI.COM

Finally, our first Magazine is out published on Glossi, it's free, so click on the link above and go read it!   You should know if you don't  Google Chrome, Safari 5.1+, Firefox 14+, and Internet Explorer 9+ it may not look right, nor will the links work properly. 

If it's viewed properly, you'll be able to click on the links and the product photos that have a price tag on them to find out where to get the latest and greatest items!

Thank you for all the wonderful readers who have written me asking where to get this and where to get that, now you will know!

Arrowhead Brookpark Melmac Galore

Look at this huge Arrowhead Brookpark Dish Set on Etsy!

If you are thinking this looks just like Brookpark's Modern Design, you are right. Pieces are marked marked Ever Wear Arrowhead Pattern Brook Park Modern Design. Joan Luntz of International Molding was the designer making Brookpark's Modern Design line, and the budget line called  Arrowhead EverWare . As you can see  most are mix and match with colors and square styles! This set is being offered by CraftySara for $68.  There's a lot of melmac here.  What a cool deal.

Rosti Melamine now Rosti Mepal Oh So Mod Pod!

Set of four Rosti Bowls by MagicMuti on Etsy, $39 and lovely.

The Rosti - Mepal company is still in business making lovely plastics today. The original Rosti Company was founded in 1944.  Mepal (another Dutch company) was founded in 1950. Mepal and Rosti collaborated in the early days, and over time their modern and functional designs became timeless icons in the kitchen industry (cookware, storage, and baking plastic products.)

This photo, from the official Rosti Mepal site, shows the popular Rosti bowl design kept alive !

In the early 90's, (1993 to be exact) Rosti and Mepal merged, so the company is now known as Rosti Mepal and is located in the Netherlands. It keeps alive the old popular lines of kitchen cookware like the mixing bowls, but adds other cool household products from time to time.

See the whole line of these MARGRETHE mixing bowls & Rosti Mepal products here.

Egon Wolff started the Mepal company--and since 1950 was known for his high end plastic products. Although the same "Margrethe" mixing bowl designs are still produced today, vintage ones are still easy to find, and highly sought after. They can be functional in your retro kitchen today!

ModernSpecific on Etsy offers this lovely mixing bowl in bright yellow.

ThankHugh offers this wonderful Rosti pitcher in lime green.

Some find it hard to tell vintage Rosti items from newer especially when the products are still being made and sometimes in similiar colors! Certain colors are discontinued which may help you date age.  The older backstamps differ and have changed over time--I've counted four plus of them.  Good designs stay true over time.

This backstamp, as shown by BeggarsandChoosers on Etsy  , was on my mother's mixing bowls from the 1970's. 

More variations in backstamp as shown by Midwest Splendor on Etsy.  (Left-cursive, Right-words going around the outside and no inside backstamp.)

So how else to tell?  Even more confusing, the vintage items also had rubber non-slip bottoms --like the new, but the old often show rubber that may be dry rotted with age.  Just when you think dry rubber can help you, it can't, as this however could also have happened when a 1990's housewife put in the dishwasher too much.  Some rubber rings will be missing altogether. 

Luola offers this great set.

Whatever the case, mixing the old with the new can make for an interesting kitchen!

Plastic Celebration: Congrats to Melmac Central, the Retro Chalet Blog Where Plastic is Fantastic

Chunky Mattel Three, SitDownSetDown

"Looks like we made it"

  to a page rank three.

 

Three Plastic Strainers, available at The1950sHouseWife

Three plastic sheep, by RetroFool.

Three plastic buttons by VintageVendor, in the shape of soldiers!

 Three Vintage Bracelets by TrueColorsforYou.

Texasware Melmac and the Mug Trees : Texas Ware Never Ceases to Amaze Me

Amazing, the metal mug tree was sold in a set of four "melamine" Texas Ware Mugs.

I was surfing around Genoa City Delights shop on Etsy and found this cool set of Texas Ware melamine mugs in the original package. These are probably later years (not 1950s) but what's cool is they are perfect for coffee being "stainproof!" What's odd is that they come with a metal mug tree! I've seen these trees before, usually holding Fire King mugs.  This is a real steal from this shop, the entire set boxed and in the original package is only $10~!  Buy it here!

!

Vintage Goodies Etsy Shop Loaded With Melmac and TexasWare

Vintage Goodies, how I adore thee!

These saucers she has are pretty hard to find, I think they could be called Fantasy...

Lisa Price has a real eye for cool melmac, in fact, her Etsy shop Vintage Goodies has proof of that.  She's from Grand Rapids, MI and opened her Etsy shop in 2006.  She lists her new plastic and melamine finds under the "Melmac Attack" section.  It's definitely worth a look-see....her prices are fair and good bargains are waiting to be had!  Here's some previews of what you may find!

Just lovely..

I was shocked to see Purple Texas ware style bowls in her shop.  This is a Texas Ware Design.

I was astonished to see so much Texasware Purple stocked, because normally the only "purple" I see is the Marcrest/Royalon Corsage Patten (see it here.)  The good thing about Lisa's shop, is you can buy a few pieces here and there to build your set, and assemble it over time! This is a more affordable option than investing in a whole set at once.  Plus, if you only need the plates, or mugs, you've come to the right place.

I love solid purple melmac!

Lisa explains, "I just LOVE a good estate sale. I love to reuse things from the past because they are made so much better than things today, and they are much more interesting. From the color to the design they evoke a feeling and often a story. I am particularly fond of items from the 1950s and focus on 40s-60s wares in my shop."

A sweet little set of cups and saucers. Love the styling on these handles!

Lisa's shop has more than just melmac, in fact, it's cool of all kinds of great linens, textiles, aprons, kitchenalia, mod things and more!  She explains, "These finds already have a story to tell, and I think it is amazing to walk into someone's life and see what books they read and what clothes they wore. I am offering things that I like but either don't quite fit my decor or I just know is a good find."

Her retro style block printed towels are a must have as a melmac-go with. What great gift ideas!

She has a second shop, Art Goodies, which has block-printed towels, great for any vintage kitchen or baking diva! The designs here are amazing.  They are cute, stylish, and the best part, handmade with love!   Nothing like adding that....to this:

SO MODERN!

Beautiful Boontonware.

So I wonder, why the love of vintage?  Lisa says, Vintage is also a way of shopping green. Use something fun and interesting from the past, it creates a unique and fun look while being nice to the environment! :)"    Kudos to you Lisa, ding ding, I'm adding your shop to the sidebar, YOU ROCK! 


Catch up with Lisa: 
VintageGoodies on Etsy
ArtGoodies on Etsy 
ArtGoodies Blog
See her photos on FLICKR!

More Spaulding : Found in the Original Box by Junk and Howe Etsy Shop Melmac and Melamine Lover's Dream

Spaulding Ware Melmac

Chad over at Junk and Howe sent me these great pictures to share with you all, of an amazing IN THE BOX Spaulding Ware set he has stumbled upon. These dishes were MADE IN THE USA and of course you know how much I adore vintage, and reuse, and items that were made here!   Originally, the set was featured in LIFE magazine and retained for $66.40 for a 55 piece set. Amazing.

Chad says, "I stumbled across your very interesting post about Spaulding and thought I'd at least tell you about a recent Spaulding find of mine: 49 pieces of a 55-piece set, still in the original box."  Chad explains, "Unfortunately, the stamp on the box was been smeared and duct-taped over, so I can't make out a date of delivery. "

He continues, "However, the inventory sheet is on the box, and it has the price of the set: $66.40. 'Advertised in Life Magazine' is also printed on the box, among other copy. "   Chad notes, "It's also a different style than all the other Spaulding stuff I've seen - this set's cups have flat bullet-hole handles."

This sure is a rare find, and gives us hints and clues about Spaulding. Advertising in LIFE magazine was not cheap but proves that from Chicago they would have reached target audiences all over the USA.  Their box design was clever--and well thought out. The colors seem  60's to me, but we know (in reference to my previous post on Spaulding)  that in 1962 the company was kaput or in huge trouble so this has to be earlier than that --I know for a fact they advertised in 1956 because I have an ad from Life.  Chad is right, the design is somewhat off from the other Spaulding ware you see--how clever for them to have different styles, lines and options.  Many melmac manufacturers offered a "premium" line,  and a "non-premium" line which would be not as fancy and be priced less.

Chad's best point is this, "The crazy thing is that with inflation, that set would cost almost $500 today!"      WOW!


Thanks Chad & Julie.  They used to sell on Etsy under Junk and Howe, but when I revisisted them in November 2018 their shop was closed.  Here's just a few things they had featured at one point:

Byrd Tranquil Ware Plastic Set, $18 so great in RED!

King Seely Thermos Set, $24, Atomic!

Find Junk and Howe Here:

Blog

Article Updated 11.22.18, Thank you for reading RetroChalet , my melmac  and vintage blog.  Please LIKE  Melmac Dinnerware  on Facebook!  

Visit my Etsy Shop!  RetroChalet.etsy.com

Holiday Colored Plastics

'Plastics Fantastic Get Your Red and Green Holiday Melmac Here' by RetroChalet

Melmac and plastic fantastic offerings in red and green . Featured here and on my blog about plastics retrochalet.blogspot.com which is dedicated to plastics, history of plastics, and great finds on Etsy.

Vintage Tupperware Brand Sta... GoodGollyMissL... $15.00	vintage melmac ash trays in ... ionesAttic $8.00	Red Vintage Melmac Creamer a... orangedoorvint... $20.00
Vintage Mod Dansk Dinner Pla... yokohiyoko $38.00	SALE - Set of Two Texasware/... modapple $9.00	Red and Cream Retro Burrite ... RetroChalet $16.00
Modern Therm Ware Genie Bott... holliewouldvin... $12.00	Vintage Red Melamine Pitcher modernspecific $12.00	Vintage Kitchen Utensils Set... DoNotDestroy $28.00
Vintage Melmac Melamine Avoc... PickwickVintag... $8.50	8 VINTAGE RED BOLTALITE MELA... lilmikey1000 $10.00	1950's Green and White I... gaelianna $38.00
Vintage ANHOLT Lime GREEN Me... SunsetSideVint... $6.50	Vintage Handpainted Red bowl... ZenHen $30.00	4 Fall LEAF Plastic Snack Di... damore4 $9.99

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Fantastic Plastic: Online Museum of Good Design Plastic Finds Part Uno

Aside from only melmac, I'd like to touch on plastic for a bit.  There's something special about the design of plastic. Look at the photos and see if you think this is museum worthy design!

Vintage lucite brooch photo and item by Karmalings of North Carolina.

Plastic toy coin bank item and photo by RogueValleyVintage. 

Hard plastic tray with mottled design and raised floral motif from Retro Chalet.

Retro plastic cannisters by Zoeken , of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Upcycled plastic button ring displayed on Barbie Doll Leg, Retro Chalet Studio

Plastic vintage bangle (and photo)  by Rage of the Age.

Vintage Eames style booster chair from Louisiana, photo and item by TheVintageRugby

Plastic Poker Chip Wearable Pendant, RetroChaletStudio, Maine.

Vintage clock sides are cream plastic, photo and item by Retro4U

Vintage plastic sequins, photo and item from Israel , courtesy of  Oritdotan.

Red Dansk Tray, photo and item by SwitchBladeandCookie, from Boston.