Stetson Marcrest Melmac Plastic Dinnerware

This set, for sale has all the pieces from Etsy seller EddyEtcetera

In the 1940's every housewife wanted a new China dinnerware set, for her family or for entertaining, ceramic was pricey and often kept in the corner china closet for special dinners.  By the 1950's, melmac was the rage.  At first, companies selling plastic had to do some hefty marketing to compete with china, can you imagine the fact that their claim to fame was that it was "unbreakable" or would be replaced if broken or stained (coming from the person who worked at Meladur, she was in the replacement division, and had so many coffee cups weekly that were stained by coffee to replace.)  

Now, keep in mind melmac wasn't exactly cheaper than china dinnerware in a fancy department store, in fact, some lines were downright pricey at the time and would be on display at Macy's or Hecht's and a set for four or six would be just as costly as a high end ceramic set. Some housewives had to save for weeks just to afford a set of dinnerware.  

I have to give kudos to the marketing alliance that would make plastic dishes as expensive as ceramic, and make the housewives want them.  This however wasn't so easy on the china dinnerware manufacturers. It was direct competition to them and at first there was a whole ceramic dinnerware manufacturer alliance that plotted and planned on how to boycott the melmac and reinforce the fact their dishes were better. 

Note the tabbed sugar bowl in the Marcrest line is almost identical to the Stetson line. 

This set from Baxters Collectibles on Etsy.

By the mid to late 1960's the smart manufacturers like Stetson decided to have melmac dinnerware molded for them (by a plastics molder) and add their name to it. It was an appendage of their regular lines, so in fact if you opened a department store catalog, you would see their ceramic dinnerware plus their plastic lines too.   Smart companies like Oneida, Stetson, Russel Wright's designs, will be found both in ceramic and melamine.  Others simply refused to jump on the plastic bandwagon, and this was their loss of profits in my opinion.  At first in the 1980's when I was collecting plastic, most dinnerware collectors scoffed at collecting the plastic lines, because they thought they were junk in comparison to ceramic.  However, over time, it was realized that even the designers who designed the plastic lines put great effort into making them.  From the details and designs on the dishes to the box, marketing and promotional material. 

Stetson stems from it's owners Louis B. Stetson who started the china company in 1919 and was located in Lincoln Illinois.  It was a family business and his nephew worked there too.   It is said that early production included other companies "blanks" along the way, and an article on Worthpoint indicates Stetson manufactured both melmac dinneware and pottery dinnerware.  Now, no discredit to the author but I am unsure if this was true.  If Stetson manufactured their own plastic line (they would have had to have a moulding facility just for plastics)  in their factory, but perhaps they were like many companies who contracted another moulding company to do so . Either way, the history on it is minimal and one day I will delve through my plastics encyclopedias's and debunk this one way of the other, but today I do not have the time. 

History indicates that Marcrest products would buy them out, and this makes a lot of sense because later examples of Stetson melmac and Marcrest Melmac look similar in design.  Marcrest had a great marketing mindset, and would sell a lot of melmac premiums from grocery stores to magazine mail order and relatively affordable at that.   You can see the similarities in the covered tabbed sugar bowls and the funky S design divided round serving bowls. 

Even after Stetson was "out of business" Marcrest continued the solicitations and selling of the Stetson melmac products.  By 1963 the classic 1950's patterns were reworked into a new "Contour Line" which was super cool and hard this day to find.  Melmac collectors may scoff at the 1960's wheat and brown leafy designs but what's truly exquisite is the shape of the coffee cups.  They look like something out of the Jetson's. I personally call them cat eye cups. How fun it would be to have a set of just the cups and saucers in a 1950's kitchen! 

I have several sets of Marcrest and Stetson tucked away.  I always thought they were the perfect weight and design.  The 1950's pink Stetson sets will hold the most value if you are collecting them.  Everyone loves 1950's pink, and if you decided to collect only Marcrest or Stetson, you would be surprised just how many designs there are, many will remain unidentified unless you are lucky enough to search old magazines and find their official names. 

Collecting is fun, and keeps the items out of the landfill and at use in the home. 

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Melmac Dinnerware 1962 Christmas Department Stores

Find out how to get these great items below!

We know the fun melamine of the fifties is never ending, but what about the 1960's? Yes, indeedy, it was still going strong.  Just imagine, living back then and nearing the holidays. Not having Amazon or Ebay , or Etsy to search on, you would have quite possibly enjoyed a coffee or tea and then having opened a Reader's Digest.   

This look screams 1962*. Set of 5 plates $8 @ RiversideTradingCo on Etsy.

An old marketing book refers me to this:   "The Melmac® Dinnerware spread in the Reader's Digest's 1962 gift insert was a huge success".  This was reported by a gentleman by the name of Ernest K Hunt, who was the Merchandising Manager in the Plastics and Resins Division of American Cyanamid in 1962.  He was indicating that inside brochures are often ripped out and taken (with) by smart shoppers. 

Melmac Patterns from 1962: Lots of flowers and wheat, thinner styling.

Melmac Patterns circa 1962

I can only imagine from this, that housewives rushed out to buy (quite possibly for themselves) a new set of superior melmac dishes.  Perhaps they ripped out of the insert and handed it direct to their husband so he would bring home the most perfect gift.   When I see old melamine dinnerware, right away I notice the dishes of the 60's appear in a different color palette and different thickness of the original. Perhaps many manufacturers decided to cut the original bulky designs of the 50's and / or production costs were higher for the materials.  

However, I love the names, and some manufacturers I don't see often: 

• Golden Glory by Royalon
• Floating Leaves by Stetson
• Whispering Pines by Harmony House
• Sunburst by Lenoxware
• Rambling Rose by Brookpark
• Autumn Glory by Newportware
• Windblown by Kenro
• Folklore by Oneida
• Summer Idyll by Miramir
• Enchantment by Metro
• Curry by Durawear
• Dellwood by Prolon
• Mayan by Texasware
• Regal Leaves by Mallory

An insert from 1962 from a Magazine, to show you some 60's designs.  

According to one magazine, The Department Store Economist  already trained their salesman hard in January 1962 store associates were ready in the beginning of the year for that coming holiday.  They write "Of course you have to have a good display of Melmac quality dinnerware on your shelf...where its beauty will catch a woman's eye as she passes by. (Allow about 2 seconds for those attractive patterns to turn her head ...stop her dead.) "   The book goes on to indicate that you have a 58 second sales pitch including answers to popular questions. 

Amazing 60-ish* wheat design by Boonton Molding Company in Somerset Style, find this whole set 41 pcs for $78 at shop FromtheSeller on Etsy.

Note: * The designs  noted with * above are not guaranteed to be 1962, but are reminiscent of the look of 1962 based on ads and brochures available.

Marcrest Melmac of Chicago Royalon and Stetson: Connected by Melamine

One of many Marcrest backstamps, this photo courtesy of oragracevintage on Etsy.

Marcrest Melmac is backstamped Chicago, so I know it was most likely molded there. It has direct relations to Royalon Melmac and Stetson Melmac.  Oddly, all three lines were tired to ceramic dinnerware companies.  A Supermarket Merchandiser for 1962 mentions that Mar-crest was into earthenware, cookware, and plastic dinnerware.  In fact I verified this to be true, and here is a list of MarCrest "earthenware" aka china patterns at Replacements, LTD.  Perhaps you've seen their ceramic dishes, such as this one: 

There is a very informative site on Marcrest China here (Daisy and Dot) and a bonus is looking at the old vintage ads there that shows the dinnerware being sold in so many different grocery stores like Kroeger and IGA.  Perhaps you could buy out right or collect coupons....

Marcrest divided bowl, in melmac by AtHomeInNapa.

So it seems in the 1960's china companies didn't want to miss out on melamine sales, however odd that they would sell it in competition with their own china lines.  There used to be huge debates in the 1950's and 1960's between china manufacturers and melmac manufacturers about which was better. I think it was more of a war if you read some of the old archives. I do want to add that I've seen Marcrest with several different backstamps and many different cup handles and versatile style. From squarish handles to triangular, from pastels to brights, it was a great line.

OraGraceVintage features this great Marcrest Pattern, melamine is rarely seen with such a lovely design!  Love the handles!

Marcrest then was tied into Royalon Inc. as you can tell by the markings on the box below.  This ties into Royal China, who had potters such as Don Schreckengost (yes this is Vicktor's brother) who were hired to create lovely patterns for them. It was announced in 1963 that Don was hired to create and coordinate new product development for Royal China, Inc., and Royalon, Inc. via the American Ceramics Bulletin. It is uncertain if Don designed any of the actual melmac patterns, and perhaps we'll never know. 

Royalon backstamp by QuinlanQ on Etsy .

Marcrest Melmac "Styled by Royalon" box at RetroChalet.

The "Royalon" melmac guarantee indicates that the Royalon company was out of Sebring, Ohio. George L. Traner was President and put his warrantly in with the boxes which also had the care and cleaning tips. One can surmise that Marcrest produced melmac for Royal China Company, and although returns went to the Ohio Main Office , one wonders if replacements would have come from Chicago. Many patterns and solids exist in Royalon, but albeit my favorite was the Corsage which was violets on a white background. The completer pieces and parts of the set were in lilac.

Original Paperwork, Courtesy: RetroChalet

Corsage Melmac Plates Marked Royalon by QuinlanQ on Etsy.

Come to think of it not many melmac lines used the color purple, perhaps just Texas Ware and Royalon to name a few.....To further complicate the Marcrest melmac saga, Stetson China Company also had melmac again somehow tied into Marcrest .  To understand the melmac history we have to understand what was going on with the company itselt. Hill Housewares indicates that Marshall Burns Company in Chicago, Illinois had Marcrest produced by many manufacturers, with Stetson being one of them due to pattern likenesses (as confusing as it all is.) 

Lovely Stetson melmac set was offered by ExtreamEcclectics on Etsy.

Applying that same theory to the Stetson and Marcrest melamine patterns, we can say that although many shapes were unique to Stetson melmac, some shapes are the same as Marcrest--down to the same creamers, sugars, squarish platters and divided "S" serving bowls (and sometimes the same cups). This indicates the same molds were often used by the same factory.  

CityFleas offers this Stetson.  Note how the bowl is identical to Marcrest!

Originally I had evidence that Stetson melamine was produced by the Lapcor Factory in Manitowoc Wisconsin (who made the late end Meladur...) However, I do not know which came first, the chicken or the egg. We do know however that all of these wonderful lines are still out there waiting to be collected.

Our Vintage House offers this Stetson melamine set.

Help keep my Site Free and Clean by reporting broken links or pictures that no longer work by texting me at 4109089241 or shooting me an email right here. Let me know what article you're on and I'll fix it in a jiffy . This article last checked for quality assurance on 10/28/16 and dead links removed.

Welcome to the Melmac Center : Russel Wright Melamine Ephemera at it's Finest Shows Rarities in Modern Design

Update: January 27, 2012: Mr. Melmac aka Robin Thorne has identified lots of new patterns! 

Not only do I love the Melmac of the 50's but the advertising too.  This ad is from one of my Etsy customers, who is enjoying their melmac dishes I sold them in their travel camper. I must say, they were very smart as they found a perfect match in Boonton's maroon and Meladur's burgundy.  I would not have thought of mix matching the two but they worked!

CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO SUPERSIZE!

What I love most about old ephemera, is learning new clues.  I don't know what year this ad was from, but I think I' would have estimated it at 1953-1955, but I stand corrected by plastics great Christopher McPherson ! UPDATE: He has one very similiar if not exact from 1957.  So there you have it.

 I do know Russel Wright's Residential was really being advertised a lot in 1953-1954.  There seemed to be a huge campaign by Cyanamid for advertising the super duper Melmac dishes around this time.  I'm sure that companies may have paid to be included in their "Melmac Center" ads, as many different ones exist and sometimes the manufacturers will change.   We can also date the ad around the early 50's due to two other reasons a) the fab colors used and b) the 2 digit zip code. (by the early 60's the zip codes were changed.)

What I'm shocked at is in my opinion a lot of the dishes here are considered rare and hard to find now. Something so plentiful then, is dried up now. Rare in the sense that in my 20+years of collecting I've not seen enough of the below starred items to make an entire set.  To me, that's rare.

Obviously I'm not counting the dishes behind her. Be sure to click the hyperlinks to see "real melmac examples"!

First Row: 

Brookpark Modern Design  Update: Robin aka Mr. Melmac says, "This is the famous TROPICANA PATTERN in orange! This also came in turquoise, tan, red, and yellow although the orange and turquoise were by far the most popular." ( See a set similar here.)

TexasWare

Classic*(by Mallory, this is rare and hard to find,  If you are looking for other Mallory go here.)

Lucent Update: Robin aka Mr. Melmac says "Spring Bouquet by designer Raymond Lowey for Lucent, this is very rare indeed!"  (You may also like  Evening Song which is most often found Lucent also by Raymond Lowey)

Second Row: 

Holiday (by Kenro)

Branchell* (Branchell is common with their Color-Flyte lines, but this pattern, Button Flower is a rare pattern. See it here.)

Harmony House    Update: Robin aka Mr. Melmac says "This is a popular pattern called Woodland!"
 
Fostoria Melmac is hard to find much less this awesome champagne bubble pattern! Update: Robin aka Mr. Melmac says "This is one of my favorites called Kismet. There was a popular MGM musical by the same name at the time references the middle east. These are a little like moque domes, but also abstract and remind me some of the logos of the time like the ones for US Steel and Alcoa! Pure whimsy! "

Row Three: 

Prolon  Update: Robin aka Mr. Melmac says "This Prolon Florence pattern is called "Blue Poppy". I bought a complete set in Palm Springs about 20 years ago for $12--a steal today! It's heavy duty and often you will see this in brochures and articles."


Stetson

Russel Wright (Residential)

Lifetime (Watertown. I have never seen this pattern. Where have I been?)

Row Four:

Newport  (by Westinghouse)

Melmac Tag* these have care and cleaning tips and were included with sets.

Royalon* (Marcrest is common but this pattern isn't. Most often you see Royalon's Corsage. See it here and just for the record, I've always been confused why it says Marcrest styled by Royalon, no doubt just to sound fancy...)

Durawear (not to be confused with Duraware!)


So I consider 8 of these patterns to be rare.

Russel Wright obviously got special treatment. Not to mention a RetroChalet fave!

What's even better is that you could obtain clues by these old ads. For instance, why is the tiny tag on Russel Wright's Residential the only one that has a second name on it....  Everything else just has one line, but Russel Wright's name being associated with his design was imperative.  Note how his card is "special."  I rest my case.

What about the fact you could mail away a quarter and get a little melmac book?  How adorable.  What about the fact you could TRUST sending your "coin" away?  I so want to live back then. The two digit zip code is what I noticed right away.  Sometimes a silly old ad can be our best clues of what existed, and when.  Or clues to what else we may not have found...just yet!

For Sale: Lapcor Meladur Melmac Dish Building in Manitowoc, Wisconsin also made Stetson Melamine Too

Old Lakeside Plastics Building as named in 1952, Lapcor circa 1955 plus additions. Photo Credit: Courtesy LoopNet

Now you can own the commercial building originally built in 1945 at 2214 Franklin Street for a mere $295,000.  Too bad I don't live near Manitowoc, I'd probably be living in it with my Meladur dishes! Interviews with Marge Miley (local newspaper historian since 1943) and Jan Burkart (Ruh) led me to realize that Meladur dishes while at Lapcor were very popular circa 1955-1958 (unlike production in earlier years at General American). The factory produced other melamine dinnerware lines for outside companies such as Stetson. Aside from dishes this molder was big into production of industrial components.  I found indication this factory was still being used according to Hardware Age, circa 1966, but later addresses for Lapcor (1983) - give a 2702 Division St., Manitowoc. Wl 54220 (414-682-4666).  So is this picture a factory or storage house back in the day?

Meladur had a new following when at Lapcor, almost 10 years after it's original design.

For years I've done research on Russel Wright and melmac dishes. Originally designed and produced by Russel Wright to do market tests, (on the request of William Bell of American Cyanamid), they later went into production by General American Transportation Company (GATX).  With much contractual issues, the molds were later sold to Lapcor Platics circa 1955 after Wright's much disputed contract was defunct. 

More Meladur Info Needed: 
I'm pretty much finished my MELADUR page here on the blog, so check it out.  I'm really trying now to put together PROPER color names, ephemera, and this will take me many more years of research.   I can't tell you how many letters I've received from the citizens of Manitowoc, about Lapcor plastics, and how it employed someone they knew or loved.  Good town citizens like the late Mary Jane Wachal, who dedicated 19 years of her life to Lapcor Plastics, or the late Dorothy J. Gordon, who had 30 years in! Thank you for all the information!  It's getting harder and harder to find out information due to the fact the employees I'm looking for worked there in the 50s, which (even if they were in their 20s or 30's) puts them at 80 years old now.

Know anything?  Contact me!

Melmac Galore

Melmac Dinnerware, piled in boxes, makes for a good retirement plan someday. Back before no one wanted Melmac collectors were stashing it in their storage units and containers. Some of these boxes were given to me by Derek Schultz, a fellow collector I once knew, now deceased. He was attempting to collect it to write a Melmac book, as were several people I know.  These samples were collected from all over North America on outings.  Do you see any Melmac or melamine that you collect in these boxes?

Much older Melmac contains knife marks and needs a good cleaning.  I like to use a blend of comet paste and hot water and a toothbrush for scrubbing the dirt out of knife marks on most light surfaces.  Melmac was labeled as indestructible but over time it did lose it's sheen thanks to washing in hot dishwashers.

Some have yucky sticker residue on them.  Peanut butter helps remove the sticker good.

Rare Watertown Butter dishes in Olive green were found. Was this a mistake or did Watertown Ware come out with this fugly green?  Sorry grandma, I hated the 70's.

So where can you find all this Melmac for sale? RetroChalet.etsy.com look for it soon! I had went through and sorted it on the driveway once. The neighbors looked a bit puzzled. I put it in order by sets, and ended up donating a plethora of badly scratched examples to Goodwill. 

Derek Schultz, owned the collection, and I tried selling some of the best pieces and sending his wife some of the profits.  Unfortunately, sending melmac via the USPS turned out to be not profitable when postal rates soared and much has to be packed well in large oversize boxes. 

So some still remains, sitting in a dark and dusty place, perhaps, until the time is right.  

FURTHER READING:

You may wish to read more about Watertown Ware here on the Watertown Page!

OTHER PROJECTS I AM WORKING ON: 

White Witch Magazine is my new project.  It's for modern day nature lovers, and good witches! Hope you will check it out! 

This page last updated November 16, 2024.