Kitchen Collectibles

Though disposable items like these were made by the millions, very few survive. So kitchen collectibles of this sort are very hard to find.

Above: I don’t think I’ve ever tasted “Mixed Vegatable”-flavored Jello, have you? Don’t think I want to either. Perched above that Jello box is a little dispenser for Sweet*10 coffee sweetener cubes from the mid ’60s. These contained not only saccharin, but sodium cyclamate too, a sweetener banned in the United States in 1969.

The radio and TV commercial jingle went: “Any place can be a soda fountain now, with Great Shakes, new Great Shakes.” I loved Great Shakes in the ’60s and searched a very long time before I found this new-old-stock box of mix packets and shaker.

Early cereal boxes are fun to collect. Before the ’50s, they were rather staid in appearance as you can see in the bran flakes and puffed wheat examples. By the late ’50s, the likes of Sugar Jets appeared with bright colorful packaging. Jets was my favorite as a kid and I miss them and I want them back now!

And here are the details, from the top: Sweet*10 No Calorie Coffee Sweetener (probably Pillsbury) 1960s, Mixed Vegatable flavor Jell-O from General Foods, c.1960s, Birds Eye (General Foods) Quick-Frozen Chicken Pie and French Fried Potatoes c.1960s, Brillo Soap Pads c.1940s, Novelty Birthday Candles (boat-shaped) by Gurley Novelty c.1950s, Scott Cut-Rite Wax Paper 1962.

The greatest thing since sliced bread, this c.1933 Wonder bread label proclaims it is 'wonder-cut' and features the NRA (National Recovery Administration) symbol. I'm not much on framing or mounting collectibles that were never intended to be seen in that manner, but this one was all framed when I bought it and it went on my kitchen wall just like that. From the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/kitchen-collectibles.htm

Next row: Great Shakes Vanilla Imitation Flavor Drink Mix packets and dispenser (General Foods) mid-late 1960s, Minute Maid Concentrated Orange Juice (Minute Maid Corp, New York) c.1950 "Important: Store in ice cube unit of refrigerator until ready to use," Minute Maid Concentrate for Grape 'N Lemonade and Minute Maid Concentrated Orange Juice (both Minute Maid Corporation, Orlando Florida) c.early 1960s, Citra-Gold Grapefruit Juice (E.A. Silzle Co.) 1938.

Kellogg's Rice Krispies c.1950, Post's Bran Flakes (Postum Company, Battle Creek, Michigan) c.1930, Quaker Puffed Wheat (The Quaker Oats Company) "Steam Exploded 8 Times Normal Size!" c.1940s, Sugar Jets (General Mills) late 1950s.

Clove Life Savers, Gum: Warrens Mint Cocktail, 1947, Wrigley's Juicy Fruit & Wrigley's Spearmint from the WW2 years when foil was conserved, Adams Black Jack, 1960s, and Wrigley's Doublemint. Beech-Nut Black Cough Drops c.1960, Kool-Aid 'base for soft drinks and desserts' (Perkins Products), patent date 1936, this pkg dated 1942, Tums (Lewis Howe), c.1950. From the web's largest private collection of antiques & collectibles: https://www.ericwrobbel.com/collections/kitchen-collectibles.htm

The “greatest thing since sliced bread,” this c.1933 Wonder bread label proclaims it is "wonder-cut" and features the NRA (National Recovery Administration) symbol. I'm not much on framing or mounting collectibles that were never intended to be seen in that manner, but this one was all framed when I bought it and it went on my kitchen wall just like that.

And in the last group, delicious Clove-flavored Life Savers candy c.1958 USA (delicious!), Warrens Mint Cocktail chewing gum, 1947 (Bowman Gum, USA), Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum and Wrigley's Spearmint gum (these gums are here wrapped in paper, not foil, indicating that these are likely from the World War 2 years when foil was conserved), Adams Black Jack gum, 1960s, USA, Wrigley's Doublemint gum, Beech-Nut Black Cough Drops c.1960 USA, Kool-Aid "base for soft drinks and desserts" (Perkins Products, USA), patent date 1936, this package dated 1942, Tums (Lewis Howe, USA) c.1950.