Dishwasher Worthy Westinghouse Ovation Melmac for Fifty Nine Cents

I just had to share this great item, for sale at VintageGoodies on Etsy,  for only $10 a box!

Leave it to Lisa Price of VintageGoodies Etsy shop to find these way cool melmac sets by Westinghouse in their original boxes. Ultra rare indeed is to have such original boxes still existing. This was a three piece place setting which was set to sell for $3.20 manufacturer price, but as you can see was marked down in the (five and dime, or A&P where Hemcoware and Westinghouse was often sold?) store to only .59.  Fifty nine cents, sort of hard to believe when you think of what things cost these days now isn't it? I would have thought that the production of the melmac alone would have cost more than that. Not to mention the printing of the boxes.....

Lisa says they are dated 1957 and she's selling them for $10 a box, a really cheap price in the world of vintage melmac. What is even better than the price are the clues given to us, of how "Ovation dinnerware may be washed in boiling water or an automatic dishwasher".  Wow. Crazy.

The ad goes onto caution about using abrasive scrubbing compounds. I guess they weren't counting on us trying to clean melmac dinnerware  55 years later.....

Westinghouse Electric Corp
Bryant Division
Bridgeport 2, Connecticut.

If you love melmac, get over to Lisa's store VintageGoodies and grab some of these before they are gone. The advertising along is worth $10.

If you like Westinghouse Melmac history, then check out this other article:
Westinghouse Melmac History: A Million Bucks in Ten Weeks

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Checked for quality assurance 11.22.18  If you notice any broken pictures or links, please report to RetroChalet.etsy.com

Westinghouse Melmac History : A Million Bucks in 10 Weeks

Newport cream and sugar by Westinghouse. Find it at  loves2frame.

Yep, that's right. Westinghouse as in those "appliance folks" that date back to 1886. They acquired the  Bryant Electric Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1901.  Bryant acquired Hemco plastics in 1928.  So, therefore, the whole Westinghouse - Bryant - Hemco - associated thing came to be.  

Oh how cool it would be to mold up your own promo items. These are only $14 at MyRetroStuff.

The plastics division in Bridgeport was big in 1940's wartime production of helmet liners and economy plastics.  On top of that, it made parts for their electrical lines such as housings, switches, and casings. Now add on all the plastic parts for their appliances.  They parts would be for their fans, stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, freezers, fridges, just about anything you can think of appliance wise coming out of Westinghouse. From a plastic dishwasher rack to a plastic stove knob. So why not dishes?  Not that far off right?

Backstamp Courtesy and pieces available at Loves2Frame on Etsy

By the 1950's Westinghouse had a good market share for plastic dinnerware between the Westinghouse "Newport" , "Darien" and "Ovation" lines ,among several others. Add that to the fact Hemco, Hemcoware, and Hemcolite were being alternately produced under the Hemco backstamp (these wares ranging from a lightweight picnic ware to heavier melamine pieces.)  I do find it odd that Westinghouse's lines were competing with it's own Hemcoware lines but perhaps that's part of their whole marketing tactic. You can see more photos of products here on my other blog post about Westinghouse.

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

My research has led me to a very interesting article published in 1958 by Decker Communications. It appears Westinghouse wanted to sell their melmac in grocery stores. They went to A&P stores ( The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc., which operates A&P--some may still be in operation today.)  With the help of an 8 foot corregated cardboard display unit, also called a "merchandiser", the sets were spot tested in 400+ stores in and around New York City.  Sales hit a million dollars in ten weeks.

Newport Creamer and Sugar at OldLikeUs

That's a lot of dough for plastic dishes, even back then. So  it's safe to say I'm giving Westinghouse a pat on the back. I do have to sit and wonder, if that was the case, and they sold so many darn dishes, where the heck did they all go?   Sadly most of the Westinghouse marked examples I've seen are on the thin side, and have lots of scratches. I suppose it's safe to say the housewives may have really used them to death. 

Did you use Westinghouse? Tell me about it!