Original Packaging Ups Melmac Value but Don't Ask Me What It's Worth

Credit: AmandasTresors offers this texasware item mint in package cost $225

Update:  The Item Sold within 48 hours of me posting it and networking it. Congrats to the lucky collector who has this great item in their stash now!

Here's some information you can use.  I hope you find it helpful!  Readers may get upset that I don't answer emails about the value of their melmac. Let me explain why. I'm not an appraiser LOL. 

When I started the blog, I didn't anticipate the amount of exposure it would get, I was simply writing about something I loved and passing the time.  I share FREE information to the reader based on my expertise and collecting over the past 3 decades.  I'm glad you landed here, and I'm glad your reading. I don't get paid to write, so it is just a hobby for me. 

It got a little crazy after a million people landed here, which I am really wowed by to this day, some of them started to think I just did nothing but appraise plastics. Now I get 50-200 emails weekly asking me questions on melmac and sadly I am just a girl with a life and family a job and can't possibly respond or answer them all even as much as I would like to talk about melmac. There will be and there has been months of inactivity based on the fact I run a full time  bbq business with my husband, that has nothing to do with plastic. 

Not just that I'm a much too busy girl, but the value is subjective. Let me explain. 

Since I collected Russel Wright, back then, I would pay TOP DOLLAR for something to complete my collection in mint shape. Yes, he was a great designer, and yes the pieces were hard to find; however; that doesn't mean what I paid is technically worth that, because other examples may be found for less.  That doesn't mean you would consider paying that. Or the next guy. So on, and so forth. My friends still refuse to pay top dollar for plastic, because they claim "it's only plastic" and swear examples are out there to be found for less. 

So in fact, the value of melmac is subjective based on what's trending, what condition, what markings, what colors,  who's collecting, who wants it, and if this particular style was featured on some hip and trendy magazine cover or tv show. 

I have written a helpful article on What is My Melmac Worth that you can read. 

Also, part of the reason I don't answer all those emails is because part of the thrill of collecting melmac is the hunt to find your pattern name or style, which I'll write more about later.  

 Today however, I wanted to explain that packaging certainly ups the value of the item.  The reason is simple, back in the day melmac wasn't cheap, in fact it was sometimes as pricey as china. 

Housewives bought the melmac to use, not to covet like we today do as collectors.  Often times the original packaging got discarded or lost. Many times melmac came in display boxes and those are worth their weight in gold to collectors.  

Today I found this item on Etsy.   In this case, I ask you, the reader, would you pay the seller's asking price for the Texasware listed here in this blog post? I found it on Etsy and to be honest, I'm not a Texasware Collector, but it seems rare to have this type of sleeve in existence.  Perhaps if I was a texasware collector, I'd want this example for my collection, granted I get the three bowls too, so maybe it's not so pricey as one may think.  I guess we will know, how long it takes to sell, after posted here. 

Too much, not enough, or just right? You be the judge. You may also like this information I recorded on my podcast about texasware: 

Texasware Texas Ware Dallasware Melmac Tech Giant of It's Day Plastics Mfg Co

 

A look inside a boxed set of Texasware Melamine Dinnerware from a set I had.

Gary Joy wrote me on February 14, 2015 saying, "My grandfather started Plastics Mfg. Co. in Dallas in the late 40s - my father ran the company until his death in 83. For many years it was the largest manufacturer of melamine dinnerware in the world, as well as the only plastic dinnerware sold at Neiman-Marcus! I worked in the outlet store while in college in the early 70s ..."

As I was reviewing his correspondence I never thought for a minute that they meaning the PMC molding company could have been the largest manufacturer in the world of melamine dinnerware back in their day, but this sure explains why there is so much of it.  If we compared this company to the "Big Tech Giants of Today" the only thing we could say is Google, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter.  

On one of my first podcasts I talk about the beginning of Melmac brand, and soon that manufacturers like PMC got wise and made their own powders/molding resins and what essentially happened is you had molders selling melamine dishes not having to buy the powders from American Cyanamid. 

Small attentions to detail in the design of packaging, and brochures involved were often overlooked by the unboxing process, but these things took time to design. 

So essentially the giant PMC company had a huge army of employees doing this :

Making Powders

Design Concepts of Dinnerware

(this part would be mold making I wonder if they did?)

Molding Dishes

Designing Boxes and Packaging Materials, Pamphlets and Store Signs

Quality Control

Marketing and Distribution

A start to finish conglomerate if you will.  Even if they did not have a machine shop to make their own molds, then still they cut out so many middlemen by doing the marketing, molding, and distribution themselves.   

Design and placement was key.

Kudos!

Imagine the accomplishment back then of getting your plastic dishes into Neiman Marcus! Competing with mid century modern ceramic and china designers like Eva Ziesal, Bauer's Art Pottery, Homer Laughlin and even the ceramic designs of Russel Wright.  If that high end department store housed only Texas Ware melamine that is saying something. 

Others have written me about their "seconds" factory store which was right down / across the street.  It seems they had so many they had to open a store for it.  Not to mention millions of pieces of Texasware and Dallasware are still in existence today. 

Do you love Texasware or Dallasware? 

See my post on Texas Ware Factory Tour Here. 

listen to my vintage podcast here.

find out more

Cadence by Prolon : From 1956 to Now

Cadence by Prolon:

VINTAGE Cadence by Prolon on Etsy RetroChalet 19 Plates $34

Cadence (one of the lines, sounds similar to their other line Florence) was found early in Life Magazines, like this ad I found from 1956 ... says:  Cadence" and "Florence" by Prolon are products of: Proton Division Pro-phy-lac-tic Brush Company Florence, Mass."   Perhaps if interested, you will jump over to my history of the ProPhylactic Brush Company and find out how these wonderful dishes started.....................but now back to Cadence.

Many articles in my research indicate the release of Cadence for institutions, restaurants, hospitals, and schools. It was widely promoted in melmac advertisements as far back as 1956, perhaps earlier but none the less the 1956 ad looks like these dishes are on the thinner side.  The Cadence above in the photo has some meat to it.  Cadence of today is also thinner.

Cadence in Melmac Ads like this one featured in LIFE 1956

So how is it that Cadence still survives and is being made today? Technically Prolon is still around, having been acquired by Thermo-Serv in August of 2017.  A statement via press release issued by the company explained,  "DALLAS – Sept. 1, 2017 – New ThermoServ Ltd., a leading provider of domestically manufactured, innovative drink and dinnerware, today announced that it completed the acquisition of all assets of United States Dinnerware Inc.’s Prolon® Dinnerware on Aug. 25. (2017). 

I don't care who owns who, I for one am technically thrilled that a company of today has acquired and / or kept the age long tradition of plastic melmac dinnerware being made in the good old USA.  (Some of their items most definitely are.)

This is but one of the few, if not sole melamine companies who have "survived" the times. Now visible under prolon.biz, the Cadence line is still being made today , in America!

By the way, when first marketed, Cadence was referred to as "graceful coupe shapes."

You may also like:

Prophylactic Brush Tour (History of Prolon!)

Zak Designs Update and Emeril Lagasse : New Kitchenwares Coming

"Learning to Fly" designs made for Zak Designs my Marimekko,(famous Finnish textile and clothing design company dating back to 1951) 
was a quick sell out in most stores. 

It's been awhile since I gave new melamine manufacturer Zak Designs a 94% Satisfaction rating, on their four piece mottled mixing bowl set. (See the video and my review here) so I thought I'd check in with you and let you know some updates.

First my bowls are still holding strong! We use them for everything from mixing cake batter, tuna fish, fresh tossed salads, and mixing meat balls.  We wash them in semi-hot water and they do get a little abuse from hubby when he's in the kitchen. I have to say they are more durable than I ever imagined.

Secondly, I recieved a letter from the company's representative after they saw my review on YouTube. Please note the last line (IN GREEN) is the best part of the message.

Hi Ira,

I recently stumbled across your YouTube review of our Confetti Bowls. I wanted to thank you for such an honest and thorough review of our product. I was sorry to hear that you email our company and never received a response, and I wanted to assure you that that isn't standard operating procedure at Zak. I checked with both marketing and customer service, and neither department has a record of receiving your email, so I'm wondering if it might have got trapped by our spam filter and never reached its intended recipient. I apologize for that. I can understand how that must have upset you, but I greatly admire that you provided an honest review despite that. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions in the future, and I'll do my best to direct you to the appropriate person at Zak to help you.

Much thanks,

Chris

Christopher Cogley
Communications Manager
Zak Designs, Inc.     www.zak.com

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

I read about this on GourmetRetailer.

Lastly, Zak Designs is teaming up with Emeril! I love this idea. Can you imagine Zak putting some more "BAM" into their bowls?  You can read all about it HERE on Gourmet Retailer!  If anyone is going to the Zak will launch the Emeril line of serveware and kitchen prep products at the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago (booth #S-4448) located at McCormick Place, March 6-8th.  I can't wait to see this line!  If anyone is going send me some pictures!

Monsanto: Plastics History Mega Giant

Monsanto Plastics: It's no secret this company has been under scrutiny for decades, and may be viewed in history as a spectacle of concern with activist groups due to their decades long environmental issues.  Looking back in time, we cannot deny in the area of plastics history they were one of the top plastics manufacturers of the 1940s, making them a "plastics giant."  Unfortunately where there is plastics, there are chemicals, and that's another story.   At any rate, here are some snippets of things in regards to Monsanto's early days.

This Monsanto Plastics ad I found is unique because all of the little "M's" are actually color samples and I thought how cool it would be to find them now.  Where are they all?  Did any survive? I don't know when this ad was from, I bought it on Ebay years ago. Note the plastic "crystals" in rainbow colors.

 

Many "Monsanto" post cards exist where the company set up exhibits at Disneyland and talked about plastics being the wave of the future, or showed the wonders of plastics though setting up a "Hall of Chemistry." One could find out a lot by collecting post cards. 

Plastic mebel food tray advertising Monsanto's plastic cafeteria and plastic ware.  I find it odd because it's a plastic tray showing plastic ware, how ironic is that? This item  for sale (and photo by) Fun Vintage Living.

  Rare Wall Art by Monsanto - plastic letters courtesy of OldeTymeStore

This item is really strange.  I really didn't know what to think when I saw this.  Partially because I recognized it. I have a small 5"x7" section of this at my home.  Originally purchasing it thinking it was a wooden letterpress collage, I quickly found it to be some form of plastic resin.  I kept trying to identify it but never found another.  Look how happy I was to learn that my mini collage was part of something grand! It appears those crazy folks at Monsanto decided to cast resin letters and show the wonders of plastic in some type of mod art form, according to the seller circa 1976, this one still having the original paper tag, how rare is that?

Rare Wall Art by Monsanto - photo courtesy of OldeTymeStore

Possibly the best thing Monsanto ever did was House of the Future!  this special print or poster available from the above "original slide" at VintagePix on Zazzle HERE

The House of the Future (torn down yesteryear) was a "model" home built in 1957, as a Disneyland attraction.  This sexy mod pod the entire house was supposedly "made of thousands of pounds of plastic" to show the wonders of plastic and what homes may look like "in the future."  According to Christopher McPherson's website below, it also had other materials (which we don't care because it was so groovy anyways.)  I'm sorry to say it was torn down,  a true work of good design.  According to Yesterland, a groovy outdoor dome was across from it.

Postcards range from $8-$15, this one available at Antiques Plus Judy Posner for $12

Much like a bad Jaws sequel, (or the Rocky Balboa 6th in series movie) Disneyland and various investors spent $15 million dollars "making a new one"circa 2008 which they call "The Innoventions Dream Home".  This for whatever reason, just doesn't sit as well with me.  What's worse than wasting all that money, making a spacey new futuristic building trying to mimic a gorgeous vintage version that you ripped down years before with absolutely no appreciation for preserving good design?  You decide---you can view that information here.   

Original Monsanto House of the Future informational sites:

1) This great website, Plastic Living has a whole section of information intelligently researched by Christopher McPherson, dedicated to the House of The Future here.  

2) Original Wikipedia Monsanto House of the Future information HERE.

3) Journey into Yesterland to see the real deal House of the Future HERE!

While we're on the subject, here's a few Non-Monsanto Mod Homes Links you might like: 

a) Read something noteworty about Lumenhaus who has a real house of the future HERE..    

b) Too bad this Woody Allen house of the future sold for 1/10 of it's original price, I wish I lived in this thing, but then again, maybe not after Woody Allen was there.  ☺

Harmony House : Sears Melmac

Photo and Item offered by palimpsette store on Etsy.  This is the Catalina Sugar Bowl.

Gorgeous in Design, sturdy and well made were the Harmony House melmac liens.  Some of the styles included "Catalina" and "Talk of the Town" melamine. Many of you may have seen Harmony House in ceramic or china, and that's because Harmony House was a generic brand name for Sears!

Life Magazine,  May, 1957

In fact, many manufacturers created items under this generic name, whose point was "to increase Harmony in your home."  Sleek designs, affordiblity, and color pallete were key to the good design items offered by Harmony House.  One may call it the "Macy's" department at "Sears."  Any discriminating housewife in the 50's would not be complete without a Harmony House room - from furniture, linens and spreads to cool ceramic dishes or Melamine designs.:

This photo and grouping for sale by palimpsette store on Etsy shows the lovely, 

sleek design of the Catalina Sugar & Creamer.

Sleek detailing of cups makes for good design. Photo /Item by RicRacandButtons on Etsy.

Close up of backstamp as shown by Magark, who deals in vintage items.

I love these bowls photo and item by TimeforVintage on Etsy.

The Talk of the Town line was square and modern in design as opposed to the round designs of the Catalina.  The backstamp still donned the Harmony House logo.

Photo: LindaPaloma

In my experience it's been a slight bit harder to find.  Although I do not have proof I only can offer a few guesses for why:

•  Catalina may have been more popular and carried for longer, which is why it is more plentiful.
•  Perhaps Catalina was priced lower than Talk of the Town, who knows?  
• My personal #1 theory would be that the Talk of the Town looked too similiar to the already rapidly selling "Brookpark Modern Design" by Joan Luntz, and the "Arrowhead" commercial line.  Just a thought.....look at the photos below and tell me what you think?

 Jadite Talk of the Town, items &  photo by BantamHouseAntiques.on Etsy.

Undersides of "Talk of the Town" Melmac photo and items at LindaPaloma on Etsy.

Top View of "Talk of the Town" Melmac photo and items at LindaPaloma on Etsy.

 Talk of the Town Cups, not as square as Brookpark. These items &  photo by BantamHouseAntiques.on Etsy.

Very Rare Brookpark Fantasy Melmac Dinnerware by Joan Luntz

Brookpark Melmac 

I don't know why this is so rare and hard to find, but it is.  This is Brookpark's Fantasy line designed by Joan Luntz.  Mr. Melmac aka Robin Ptacek, (now deceased) who was writing a book on Melmac had done a lot of research and made contact with Joan Luntz several times.  Many melmac lines had "designers" on hand to come up with new styles, colors, and patterns. Some patterns were simple transfers ordered from books, others were actually designed by the designer itself.  Enter Fantasy:  

This set , original listing was being sold by grtest8 on Ebay.

This set has brown accompaniments, but you have to take what you can get.  Currently this seller is selling it on ebay, starting bid for the lot only $99 for 65 pieces, even with shipping, that's not bad for a monstrosity this size.

Good Design:  Note the retro stylized leaf, so modern in design. The gravy boat is hard to find, and stylized wonderfully.  The seller indicates that a black inkstamp was used on the base of the pieces.  So imagine after use all the ink washes off over time, how would one know exactly what they have? I guess I'm just not a big fan of ink stamping.

More about Brookpark:

Ad from Etsy shop NostalgicDreamsCND

Joan Luntz married the owner of Brookpark, and she was key designer. I am unsure if she made the standard line Gaiety or not, but I love the speckles: 

Gaiety Design by International Molding, Brookpark pic: Retrochalet Etsy

I did manage to find a few Brookpark pieces that had black ink on them. As I was washing them gently, the ink did wash off. I suppose examples with the ink will be hard to find.

Recently updated in 2019 is a new article about Joan Luntz and Brookpark here on my blog.

Read all my posts on Brookpark here. 

Make sure to share my site, all of this plastic information is kept free by my retrochalet shop and only done so thanks to people like you sharing it!  Quality checked 1.29.19