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: 

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!)

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.

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.