01/04/2025
Reposted from Facebook... very helpful information...
In conversations yesterday around trying to date an item, it occurred to me that some of these points may be helpful. Understanding the age of collectible pieces can be important, especially if you are the buyer of items.
1) if packaging has a UPC code on it, the manufacturing date is 1974 and later.
2) If packaging includes a zip code in the manufacturer’s address, it is 1963 or later
3) Anything labeled as Made in West Germany was made during the Cold War, roughly the time period between 1949 and 1990.
4) anything labeled as Made in Czech Republic was manufactured 1992 - present.
5) Anything labeled as Made in Czechoslovakia was manufactured between 1918 and 1992
6) Anything labeled as Made in GDR, East Germany or German Democratic Republic was manufactured during the Cold War, roughly between 1949-1990.
7) Anything labeled as Made in Germany is tricky. It could be prior to WWII or after the end of the Cold War when Germany was reunited in 1990. Look for other dating tells such as use of UPC codes.
8- Anything labeled as Made in Occupied Japan is generally dated as 1945-1952. Following WWII, conditions for Japanese exports was that at least 50% of exported items had to be identified as made during occupation. As a result, it is common to see S&P shakers with one piece marked as Occupied Japan and the other marked as Japan.
9) packaging can sometimes be more collectible than what was in the package. The artwork and absence of things like a UPC code add to the nostalgia of vintage collections. Even if a piece is broken beyond repair, find a home for its packaging when truly vintage.
10) plastic decorations became commonplace in the late 50s and even more so in the 1960s. A general rule of them is that the harder the plastic, the more vintage. As plastics technology evolved, flex plastics were introduced for more detailed shapes and sizes, resulting in thinner items that felt less rigid. An example of hard plastics would be items made famous by Rosbro, who made the candy holders sold at dime stores across the country and some of the earliest blow molds that were injection molds.
11) Blow Molds are popular collectibles, but they have a much more recent history than antique stores often try to represent. Some blow molds will have a date either on the bottom or the back. This is the date the mold was created, not when the mold was blown.
