Thursday, December 29, 2011

No Mad Men Chain Smoking Going On In This Office. Why Do I Have Such Huge Ashtrays? Status: Useless.

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The Girlfriend gave up smoking a couple months ago and hasn't smoked in the house in many years yet I've got dozens of ashtrays.  Only one has ever seen a butt and actually, it's hers.  It's a cool ashtray on a stand that sits just outside the front door that has been abused by mother nature (and the weight of hundreds of butts) for two years.  Maybe I'll clean it up and see if it can be saved this winter.  Until then, check out these enormous smoking apparatuses!


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Hmmmm... Is this an ashtray? I'm not sure. There aren't any divots into which one would

wedge their smokey smoke. I don't know what else this might be used for though. I guess

you could toss some candies on it or something. I'm going with "inconvenient ashtray"

since neither I nor anyone else will ever be using it. I've actually seen this same shape

before at one or another of the retro shops or antique malls around town. This was

likely a somewhat popular piece to decorate yourself...in 1970!

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This blue and green beauty was not only one of the first vintage modern ashtrays I acquired

but also one of the first pieces of Royal Haeger in my collection. I do have one other Royal

Haeger ashtray in this color combination
but the rest of my Royal Haeger is in bright brilliant

orange. These Royal Haeger pieces (designed by Royal Hickman) are the perfect launch
 
pad for the budding vintage modern collector. They aren't everywhere but they aren't super

pricey either and they have classy yet somewhat radical shapes and colors. Haeger is still

making pottery and they even have a Royal Haeger gallery in their factory store.

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This last ashtray is from an unknown manufacturer but I have seen it before in other venues

with a different finish. Speaking of finish...making ya hungry for some popcorn? Doesn't it

remind you of the ubiquitous Popcorn Ceilings we've all had above our heads at one time

or another? I actually like popcorn ceilings but not the pre '77 Asbestos variations. This

ashtray is kinda cool because one end of the "tube" is closed off but the other end was left

open to pour out the ashes otherwise you'd never be able to get them all out! This is by far

the classiest ashtray I've got in my collection and I doubt I'll ever find a cooler one. If you've

got a picture of a cool ashtray or collection of ashtrays, leave a link in the comments for the

rest of us to check out!  Don't worry if you can't make it a clickable link...I'll leave a

comment where I'll make them clickable after every few that show up.

3 comments:

  1. There is a new mid-century store on Cherokee. It's called momoderne. They had some neat kitchen stuff and furniture in the window. I can't remember the address but it is at Compton and Cherokee. You should check it out.

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  2. My parents had that green Royal Haeger.... might still be around.

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  3. I also collected huge ashtrays that I sold at my yard sale after quitting. Then I saw them at an antique mall the next weekend. odd feeling...

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