This vintage telephone is one of our vintage finds discovered in an antique store in Arundel, Maine. The nameplate says, “Flygvapnet”, which is the name of Sweden’s Air Force. It’s probably from the ’60s or even early ’70s and is a great example of how far communication equipment technology has come. Pieces like this are

Tiki mugs have been around nearly as long as the first generation of Polynesian-style restaurants.  The first of these, Don’s Beachcomber Cafe – later named Don the Beachcomber – opened in Los Angeles, California in 1934.  A second, Trader Vic’s of Oakland, California, quickly followed suit.  Both establishments served up exotic homemade cocktails, filled with

Looking to start some kind of a collection, or merely to add some color and charm to a kitchen or dining room? Then consider starting a salt and pepper shaker collection. Salt and pepper shakers of all sorts are highly collectible nowadays but most are still very affordable, so it doesn’t have to cost a

It’s hard to imagine (or remember, if you’re old enough) how pervasive smoking was in our society not so many years ago. I mean, people smoking in places where if it happened today they would be arrested. Theaters, planes, restaurants, laundromats, and grocery stores all were perfectly ordinary places to light up. And with all

In honor of an ever-expanding line of foot-powered vehicles, let’s talk about collecting! Pedal cars are hot collectibles that come in countless styles, and they’ve been coveted by both kids and adults since the very beginning. Say you’ve scored a cool vintage pedal car at a yard sale, flea market, or online auction. Your first

NOS Popcorn Bags and Boxes Want an easy way to start collecting vintage items? Collecting vintage popcorn bags and/or boxes is both inexpensive and fun. These items can be found quite easily online, at flea markets and in antique stores. Vintage bags and boxes are colorful, and can have interesting detail depending on who they

Here is photo of a small collection of brass submarines I have on display at the Retro Planet offices. You can find these statues in a variety of shapes and styles, but the WWII era subs seem to be the most desirable. I was always under the impression that these would have been handmade by

Christmas Year Round With Christmas fast approaching, what better time than now to share my little collection with you. Having the luxury of working at the coolest place on the planet (Retro Planet), collecting is second nature to me. I have lots of little collections, but my favorite is by far my Vintage Santa display.

Vintage Restaurant China Coffee Cups & Mugs Vintage China cups, saucers and mugs are great items to collect. It is impossible to know how many different cups are out there so you can always have something for which to hunt. Big restaurant chains and little local joints could have had their logo on cups and

Back when the majority of soda was sold at fountains almost every brand had their own designed glass used for serving. The result? Hundreds of different brands and styles of soda fountain glasses and paper cups available to collect. Early soda fountain glasses have a syrup line – the mark to which servers filled with