The Saturday Evening Toast

TOASTER COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION
SPRING 2007
The Saturday
Evening Toast
Mecky “Twin Bowl Toaster passes the $1000 mark on
eBay.
Known as the “Ledig Mecky”, “Ledig”, or “Mecky” in collecting circles, this rare toaster
was called “The Twin-Bowl Triple-Purpose Toaster” in its advertisements. It was manufactured by the A. Mecky company of Philadelphia, PA who stock-in-trade, was bicycles
(VELO-KING velocipedes) rather than appliances. The three different racks allowed for a
variety of cooking applications. Eggs were to be “boiled without water” in the tall basket.
In 1923 this toaster delivered to your home cost $7.50.
This one sold in late December for $1052.77 after 18 bids. You will notice the Westinghouse box that was included in the eBay sale. Obviously this is another example of the
old-but-still-working appliance being stored in the box from its replacement.
Photo used by permission of the eBay seller Steve Ball who sells under the username
“Steviebaby” and operates the eStore “Horsefeathers Antiques”
T O AST ER C O LLECT O R ’ S A S S O C IAT IO N
P AG E 2
Breaditorial
Not too long ago I wrote about collecting in my life and how I have
collected many things over the
years. It seems to go in spurts with
me. I collect like mad and then
coast for a while. I maintain my
inactive collections and don’t ever
really lose interest in any of them.
Recently I started four new collections. Well to be fair one was a restarted collection from my highschool days.
The bulk of my festering youth took
place in the 70s and culminated in
my graduation from Berkley High
School in 1980. During that time
there were several fads that came
and went across the cultural landscape of the United States. The Pet
Rock, platform shoes, CB Radios
and the “statement” belt buckles. I
probably had 20 or 30 belt buckles
that I rotated on and off my belt
through my high-school years.
Many of you have seen my 1978
Chevy Corvette hood ornament
buckle that I still wear. I bought
By Eric A. Murrell - Editor
The Saturday Evening Toast
that
new
from a
belt
buckle
shop in
1978.
It is one
of the
few
remaining
buckles
from my original collection.
The buckles made by the Bergamot
Brass works Company were particular favorites. So this winter I
started watching the “Bergamot”
listing on eBay originally to recollect those buckles that I had as a
teenager. The collection has grown
beyond its charter to include some
other neat Bergamot buckles. I’ve
also (God help me) bought some
brand new buckles. This 70s fad
has seen a minor resurgence in the
past year or so.
I have long thought that everyone
should be able to recite a poem by
heart. As part of our passage to
adulthood we should be required to
find a poem that inspires us and
learn word for word. My father the
plumber knew “The Flag Goes By”
by Henry Holcomb Bennett. For
me I have always liked the work of
Robert Service. The imagery he
creates with his prose is breathtaking. I know his poem “The spell of
the Yukon” by heart. I guess this
affinity that I have for verse and
lyrics has turned into a new collection.
Above: An automotive-themed Buzza
Motto dated 1925
Starting in the 20s the Buzza Greeting Card Company marketed
framed “mottoes”. Some of these
sentimental poems were to be used
(Continued on page 3)
Published by the
Toaster Collectors Association
We are a membership association of people interested in collecting and research, documentation and preservation of toasters
and socializing with other appliance enthusiasts.
We welcome new members who
share in the group's interests.
We meet once a year for show
and tell, demonstrations, and an
auction to raise funds for the
organization.
We publish a
newsletter several times a year.
President: Mr. Bruce Coates
675 Brook Hollow Circle
Combine, TX 75159
[email protected]
Vice President / Secretary
Ms. Marlys Jones
3160 Marion Road SE
Rochester, MN 55904
[email protected]
Treasurer: Mr. Richard Matthies
1615 Winding Trail,
Springfield, OH 45503-2812
[email protected]
Editor of the Newsletter:
Eric A. Murrell
3929 Kenmore Road
Berkley, MI 48072-3507
[email protected]
Membership is open to anyone,
anywhere.
Annual dues are
$30.00 per year.
Send Membership inquiries to:
Ms. Vicky Matthies
TCA Membership Chairperson
1615 Winding Trail,
Springfield, OH 45503-2812
[email protected]
T H E S AT U RD AY E V EN IN G T O AS T
P AG E 3
From The President …
By Bruce Coates - TCA President
With 2007 well underway, it’s not to soon to begin to think about the 2007 convention, to be held in Winston-Salem North Carolina, and hosted by TCA member Richard Mock. For those of us thinking that this might be the year we get a blue ribbon in
one of the various judged categories, it’s not too early to begin to polish and detail that
special toaster for the judging event at the Toaster Collectors Association’s annual
meeting! Also, I encourage each member to be thinking about program ideas for the
Annual Meeting/Convention agenda. Let one of the Board members know if you have
a topic for discussion or something that you would like to see presented / demonstrated. Of course, more details will be announced about the Winston-Salem TCA
convention as the October 12-14 date draws nearer.
The TCA has its great new website up and running, with our immediate Past President, Craig Miller, serving as the Webmaster on this long-awaited and important internet resource for the TCA members and others who are interested in collecting toasters. Check it out on the Internet at toastercollectors.org if you haven’t already! There’s great information, research references and links to
other websites, and some great pictures of toasters and many of our good TCA members available on our new
website!
Toaster collecting is enjoying a healthy period if eBay sales are any indication. Like many of us adding to or
thinning down our collections, I often check out eBay to see what is up for bids or what is selling. One toaster
that seems to have gotten stronger in the past few months is the automatic (self-lowering) Sunbeams. They are
demanding higher prices, and are averaging $50 or better at almost every transaction. Within the past 5 months, I
have also noted the following toaster sales on eBay: a Delta 3 sided toaster sold for $1380 in January; a Commander type 101 sold for $842 in January; a first edition Model A Toast-A-Lator sold for $1027 in January; an
Electro Automatic Toaster sold for $357 in February; a 1928 Bersted Auto Toastmaker with the corner wheels
sold for $324 in February; Helen Greguire sold a Commander for $765 in February; a “Ramp” by Dominion sold
(Continued on page 11)
Breaditorial (cont’d)
(Continued from page 2)
as gifts to your friend or loved-one who might be far
away, or leaving to make their fortune. Others were a
statement of principal to be proudly displayed in the
parlor for all to read. They were decorated in
equally-sentimental themes. I first saw a big collection of these for sale at the Thanksgiving weekend
Antique Show at the Fairgrounds in Columbus Ohio.
I bought our first one in February in Springfield OH.
It called “The House by the side of the Road” part of a
longer poem by the poet Sam Walter Foss
“Let me live in a house by the side of the road.
Where the race of men go by. The men who
are good and the men who are bad. As good
and as bad as I. I would not sit in the scorners
seat. Or hurl the cynic’s ban. Let me live in a
house by the side of the road. And be a friend
to man.”
(Continued on page 8)
T H E S AT U RD AY E V EN IN G T O AS T
A toaster from days of yore.
In the early fall of 2006 Richard & I made one of our
occasional trips to The Heart Of Ohio Antique Center
here in our hometown of Springfield which claims it
to be the “biggest” antique mall in America. We were
hoping to possibly find something to take to the upcoming toaster convention. While wandering one of
the first isles of glass cases Richard sent me down to
the end of a particular isle to “look around and see
what you find”. As I carefully looked in every case to
see what treasure he might have found, I finally spotted “it” on the very top shelf. Being a little vertically
challenged compared to my husband, it took me standing on my tip-toes to get a better view of the
“treasure”.
This looked suspiciously like a fireplace toaster of
some sort, but none like we owned or had previously
seen. We stood there together for a few minutes looking it over and discussing it’s attributes, including its
price. Since this item was found within our first 3
minutes in the mall, we decided to “think about it” and
continue our trek through the mall. I will admit to not
P AG E 4
By Vicky Matthies
Above: The hanging trivet toaster purchased by the
Matthies at the Heart of Ohio Antique Mall. Right:
One from eBay.
concentrating on much else because I definitely had
my sights set on that fireplace toaster. I was also
paranoid enough to think that one of you collectors
just happened to stop by Springfield that day to shop
and would snap up “my” toaster before I had a chance
to buy it. Every time we even got close to that isle I
would check to make sure it was there. Well, we
bought it !! I was absolutely in love with this addition
to my “non-electric” collection.
Of course I began searching the Internet as soon as I
got home hoping to find some information about our
find. There is not a lot of information available, but I
did find one in an antique store in Louisville, Kentucky, actually at a much higher price than we had
paid. They refer to them as a hanging trivet toaster or
a hanging trivet with toaster attachment, it’s all ac-
T H E S AT U RD AY E V EN IN G T O AS T
Continued...
P AG E 5
Update: Is it Pite or is it Rite
By Dieter Schill
I had noticed this toaster on ebay and according to the impression from mine, I am of the opinion that the name reads
RITE. The embossed marking in the bottom reads : "RITE
ELECTRIC TOASTER PAT.PEND: 110-115 VOLTS * 550
WATTS. NEW YORK (model?) 501".
Besides the mint green color of the base my toaster has a
unique pink coloring underneath on the bottom. The very
light-weight body is thin sheet metal galvanized (zinc) and
the holes for the electric curled wire hooks are insulated
with asbestos. Supposedly it was manufactured in the twenties of last century. Jim Hyde once told me he thinks it was
manufactured for sales in department stores like the Five &
Dime and Drug stores and sold for a retail price of 1.-$!
What times!
cording to your source. The one described in the antique store puts it around circa 1780, with an attachment that is curved to hold bread or plates for warming. The attachment on ours is flat and could hold 2
pieces of bread. Since it’s not curved, I would be
afraid a plate would roll off. Further research has
produced other types, shapes & sizes of fireplace
hanging toasters, most of them very primitive.
There were 2 ways that a hanging toaster could be
used. The hanging trivet toaster was hung directly on
the front top firebar of the fireplace grate that held the
logs. The basket or rack holding the bread allowed
the bread to be toasted on both sides with the direct
heat from the fire. Depending on the mechanics of
the toaster, it was manually or mechanically
turned. They operate the same way as fireplace toasters that sat on the hearth called a swivel or "toe"
toaster. Colonial fireplaces roasted their meat on
spits that were placed directly in front of the fire. The
"spit" or iron bar that stretched between the two firedogs (andirons) also provided a place to hang a
toaster so the bread would toast from the direct heat.
To continue our story, early this year, Eric (your
newsletter editor) steered me toward another hanging
brass fireplace toaster on Ebay. Once again I fell in
love. This one was different as it holds only one piece
of bread. There is a knob attached to a ratchet device
underneath that when turned the bread holder switches
directions to toast both sides. Obviously, a very early
“swinger”. We were the only bidders and I now own
the second “treasure” – (Thanks! Eric).
We will be bringing both of them to the convention
this year. Hope to see everyone there.
Above: Deiter Schill’s Rite Toaster
Below: The stamped emblem on the bottom of the toaster
appears to read “Rite” and not “Pite” as previously reported.
P AG E 6
The Tost-wich non-electric sandwich toaster
T O AST ER C O LLECT O R ’ S A S S O C IAT IO N
By Eric A. Murrell - Editor
Left: the Tost-wich
with basket in place
ready to use.
Below: the open
sandwich basket.
Note the hansle
latch with its small
wooden knob.
Below left: the name
plate stamped on the
steel under-frame.
This is the “Tost-wich” stove-top sandwich toaster made by the Make-Well
Corporation of Long island City, New York. The construction is mostly
aluminum with a steel under-frame and wood handles. The amount of aluminum used on the toaster would lead me to believe that this was a postWW II product although it seems odd that this much effort would be put
into a non-electric product after the war.
T H E S AT U RD AY E V EN IN G T O AS T
P AG E 7
By Deiter Schill
Value and Price
If you are lucky to buy a Rembrandt painting for 5000 -$ the price is low and the value is high. If you buy a
toaster for 5000 -$ the price is high and the value most probably low. So, what determines price and value? In
our competitive market economies price is the value expressed in money for given merchandise or service and
myriads of books have been written on supply and demand and pricing principles. But how does pricing work
with toasters? Those of you, who follow eBay sometimes wonder why the same toaster in comparable condition
often varies in price by a few hundred percent. Which is then the true value?
After 20 years of toaster collecting I have a feeling, toasters have no value!! They only have a price - sometimes
a stupid one. This price is determined by individuals who happen to see a certain item and if luckily they want
to have this item and are prepared to spend a certain amount of money at that given moment which then is the
price. Next time it may be different. Fellow-collectors who have tried to sell a collection or part of it or even a
single piece may agree that not only price and value differ but also the valuation between buyer and seller.
Now, why am I writing that nonsense? Because I will list some toaster prices that I have gathered over the time
from eBay auctions. If somebody can explain them, he is heartily invited to comment in the next issue of Saturday Evening Toast. My record lists well-known toaster models, in which I was sometimes interested myself, if
price was right. Mostly it was not! The value was rated higher by somebody else.
The listing is not complete nor a representative statistic. The prices quoted are the auction results without freight
or costs and the date is month and year of the respective auction transaction on eBay.
(*=Euro, others =$)
General Electric
D76/X2
D12/1
D12/2 flowers
D12/3 flowers
Toastrite
Red Willow
Yellow
Flowers
1652 - (9/04)
3178 - (12/03)
787 - (12/02)
460 - (10/06)
1250 - (9/02)
355 - (7/04)
367 - (1/06)
10800 - (10/06)
2025 - (3/04)
4340 -(5/04)
6331 - (3/03)
613 - (1/04)
371 - (12/03)
OSI (German)
358 -*(def10/06)
1220 -(2/03)
1800 - (4/04)
1360*-* (6/03)
Super Electric Oven/
ThoroBread
1264 -(10/06)
1317 - (1/05)
245 - (5/06)
Universal
525 - (2/06)
255 - (3/05)
565 - (9/06)
317 - (6/05)
215 - (7/03)
510 - (2/06)
167 - (6/05)
230 - (7/03)
Pelouze
900 - (9/06)
687 - (1/05)
1202 - (3/03)
566 - (4/06)
830 - (10/04)
1045 - (6/03)
565 - (6/05)
2314 -! (9/04)
898 - (9/06)
Dalton
3227 - (10/06)
Jos Heinrichs
2650 - (5/06)
E 9410
E 9411
3395 - (10/03)
T O AST ER C O LLECT O R ’ S A S S O C IAT IO N
P AG E 8
Value and Price (continued)
Edison/Edicraft
630-(2/02)
3579-(5/05)
356-(11/03)
1525-(10/02)
475-(1/03)
327-(8/03)
255-(4/06)
4550-!(1/05)
Superlectric Mod 66
281-(3/06)
1010-(12/02)
105-(7/04
178-(7/02)
)810-(5/03)
Excelsior
104-(5/05)
215-(6/04)
154-(2/05)
134-(4/03)
237-(1/05)
360-(3/03)
1274-(1/05)
372-(8/04)
2183-(4/02)
214-(3/04)
Commander Nr101
1325-(5/05)
620-(11/2)
711-(11/02)
850-(11/03
Steelcraft
255-(5/05)
286-(4/03)
229-(10/04)
327-(4/02)
412-(1/04)
American Heater
Mod 5825(1911
45-!(8/04)
3571/03)
263-(4/03)
Nelson Reversible
60-(2/04)
285-(3/04)
Royal Rochester (1910)
92-(1/04)
Cutler Hammer
3200-(2/03)
Toast-O-Lator Model A
Model C
1313-(1/03)
5100-(7/04)
Cookenette
Double
Single
Breaditorial (cont’d)
(Continued from page 3)
I originally thought that these Buzza mottoes would
end up out in the tree house, but after seeing what was
out there on eBay (and picking up a few ) I decided
that at least some of them would end staying in the
house. They now adorn the hallway with the clocks
and the buttonhooks. I’ll still get some for the tree
house too. Most of what you see out there are dedicated to “Mother” usually a short poem nicely composed with a color drawing of a rose-covered cottage.
These are plentiful and therefore inexpensive.
We stopped at an antique mall south of Rochester
MN. During the convention and on a whim, I bought a
$4.00 compass – the kind that points north not the
kind that draws circles. Well somehow that one compass has turned into four so by Murrell’s rule of “three
makes a collection” I guess I’m in business. This collection will most likely grow slowly as they are usually displayed by dealers inside locked cases and I
dislike having to wait for someone to come and open a
case just so that I can look at something.
Finally, I have started picking up the occasional Whiskey Pitcher or Pub Jug as they are called by true collectors. These are premiums that the various liquor
manufacturers gave away to the establishments that
used their products. Like toasters, they run the gamut
between old and new, rare and common, beautiful and
ugly. I have 3 so far. I started this collection specifically for the tree house. The collecting society for
Pub jugs has a great web site. Check out
www.pubjug.com .
- Take Care Folks
T H E S AT U RD AY E V EN IN G T O AS T
P AG E 9
Value and Price (continued)
Toilectro (french)
112-*(2/06)
280-(1/06)
455-(9/04)
Homepride/Colombo/
HOVIS(UK)
123-(12/05)
35-(8/04)
246-(3/03)
137-(2/05)
235-(4/04)
160-(10/04)
366-(3/04)
MESCO
75-!(8/05)
10100-!!(6/05)
1148-(1/05)
2506-(10/04)
2550-(1/03)
Black
Metal
White
Unknown French
(cast) (1910)
5433-(9/05)
Universal
52-(1/03)
60-(11/03)
127-(6/05)
136-(11/02)
64-(7/04)
Ledig/Mecky No 505
1001-(7/05)
1480-(12/03)
1750-(2/03)
775-(4/05)
1812-(12/03)
2222-(5/05)
1875-(12/02)
Electroweld Reverso/Gas
743-(11/05)
Simplex (UK) (1910)
890-(12/04)
E941
Mind you, not all toasters have such prices; there are also lower priced ones which may have their value!! Good
luck that you find one with low price and high value! - Dieter Schill
Above: This unnamed but very ornate French percher
sold in September 2005 for $5433.
Left: A Reverso Gas-fired toaster like this one sold
for $743 in November 2005
P AG E 1 0
The Winchester Toaster - a Universal design!
T O AST ER C O LLECT O R ’ S A S S O C IAT IO N
By Eric A. Murrell - Editor
When the Winchester Repeating Arms Company of New
Haven Connecticut felt they
need to market a toaster with
their name on it they went
inland about 35 miles to
Landers, Frary, and Clark of
New Britain Connecticut for
their product. A toaster identical to this model was offered by L, F, and C in their
Universal line (Model E7312
see Greguire p57).
As you might expect, this
toaster is highly-prized by
gun collectors. Specimens in
excellent condition have sold
on eBay for over $800.00.
This particular specimen sold
in mid-January for $676.66
Whatever lead Winchester to
decide that marketing a
toaster was a good idea is a
mystery. The effect is that
we have a cross-over collectible that appeals to two different groups and there fore
commands a higher price.
For us toaster collectors this
is a run-of-the-mill toaster
with a unique tag. For the
gun collector this is a rare
gun-related item from a well
known manufacturer
These photos are used by
permission of the eBay sellers Nancy and Wayne Nowlan who sell under the eBay
user name “Thrumb”.
T H E S AT U RD AY E V EN IN G T O AS T
P AG E 1 1
Edicraft model H sells on eBay
By Eric A. Murrell - Editor
This excellent example of Thomas Edison’s “other” toaster was
sold on Ebay on January 7 for
$282.00 Another one of these
toasters in slightly worse condition sold via eBay on January
15th for $179.28.
Photos used with permission of
the seller Eric Bever who sells on
eBay under the user name
“Modern Artifact”.
From the President (continued)
for $441 in February; a rough LFC E7732 tipper with
a porcelain base sold for $114 in February; a Bersted
Donut Mold sold for $67 in March; a Ledig-Mecky
sold for $317.00 in March; another Ledig sold for
$461 in April. Many other examples could be shared,
but these are representative of eBay sales for the more
unusual, more sought after items.
2007 should be an interesting and exciting year, as the
TCA moves forward with the proposal to create the
Electric Breakfast Club (EBC)! The EBC concept is
to expand the TCA’s horizons to include early kitchen
appliances other than toasters that would have been
found in early homes. It’s possible that the members
attending the 2007 TCA Annual Meeting will be addressing the inclusion of additional early electric appliances such as waffle irons, egg cookers, coffee percolators, etc., to become part of the TCA purview
within our members’ collections. The Board of Direc-
By Bruce Coates - TCA President
tors will be discussing and refining the Electric Breakfast Club for possible inclusion of additional kitchen
collectibles as an additional part of the TCA’s charter.
A presentation and discussion about the Electric
Breakfast Club will be made at the Convention.
On a personal note, I am finding my TCA duties are
facing strong competition with other post-retirement
activities. With a planned move to the Austin, TX area
by year’s end, my “extra” time is being absorbed in
getting my home ready to sell. I must admit that I hate
it when other priorities get in the way of the enjoyment that toaster collecting gives me. Most of all, I
want to reiterate that we in the TCA have a great
hobby, and a great membership of passionate and talented toaster and appliance collectors!
Best regards and Happy Collecting!
Bruce Coates
Toaster Collectors Association
Spring 2007
More Shing Tai toasters
By Eric A. Murrell - Editor
World Publishing Headquarters
3929 Kenmore Road
Berkley, MI 48072-3507
Recently at an antique mall, Susan and I ran across these two toasters. Dedicated readers will remember a brief article in 2003 in Craig Miller’s mysterious “Shing Tai” brand toaster. The toasters below are close relatives of the
Miller’s toaster. They are both from the same Universal pattern and the
toaster on the right has the same top design. Both of these toasters, however
have Chinese characters on their name tags. The Miller’s version did not although theirs is 220 volts whereas these are 110.
I wonder if these toasters were made to be sold to the residents of San Francisco's China-town? The inclusion of Chinese text on an other-wise American toaster make me believe that this may be the case. Craig Miller believes
that his 220v version was perhaps for use in Hong Kong
Upcoming Conventions:
2007
Winston-Salem,
North Carolina
2008
Diamond, Missouri
We’re on the web :
www.toastercollector .org
Above: Two “Shing Tai” toasters. Note the similarity between these toasters
and the common Universal E947 swinger.
Left: Both toasters shown
here carry a name plate with
Chinese characters, US electrical power information, and
the Shing Tai “ST” cartouche.
Below: A top view of these
toasters shows the differences
in their top plates.
T HE T OASTER C OLLECTORS
A SSOCIATION