by Cindy MichalakHappy summer everybody! It is time to sit back and kick your shoes off to let me entertain you for a few moments. I never thought of myself as an entertainer before but in a sense, I guess you could call this a form of entertainment! I'm not trying to slight the gentlemen out there, but this issue of Unique Zoitiques is For Ladies Only!
First are two pins from Germany showing Borzoi running in full stride! Both are made of plastic, however the white one in the top position is made of a much nicer material than the one on the bottom. I almost mistook this pin to be a Greyhound because of the smoothness of the coat; however, you'll probably never see a Greyhound with tail feathering like this. The bottom pin is red and more of a thin plastic, yet has much greater detail. These were purchased quite some time ago but I believe I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 each, which I think was a good deal.
Next is a very old and rare pin showing three extreme Borzoi heads made of plastic attached to leather. The pin part is so old that it is starting to come through the leather. It is a very pretty pin and I would love to wear it but it does not have a locking clasp at the back, making me fear it will fall off. It would probably be fine but rather than take the chance, I just look at it every now and then in my jewelry box. The pin is still valuable and worth around $60.
Now comes part one of a two-part collectible. First is this silver cigarette case (above) showing an art deco Flapper walking her Borzoi. I am not certain what the case is made of but I believe the attached design is made of silver and has tarnished. It is hard to see the entire piece because the dog wraps over the edge of the case but I can tell you the ears are pretty horrible. However, we've all “been there, done that” with some of the Borzoi things we have purchased for our own collections. This cigarette case is the only one that I have seen, as opposed to its mate in the following picture.
With the same deco design as above, this purse has a nice long chain for use as a shoulder bag. Inside, the purse is shaped like a pouch so you could open it and not have your belongings fall to the ground. Although not a common piece, this has appeared on auction from time to time. I would guess these were both made in the 1920s. The purse can be found in a price range of $40-$100 and with the addition of the matching cigarette case (above), the value could be $150.
Why anyone would want a clear handbag for everyone to see what's inside really baffles me! I wouldn't want anyone to know what I carry in my purse! But in the 1940s, this type of purse was used more for carrying their gloves to formal affairs than to carry a checkbook or huge wallet. The purse is made of a thick plastic or clear vinyl and is held together with brass trim and handles. The brass patina has mostly worn off but the silhouettes of the classy crowd are in perfect condition. Hopefully you can see the elegant lady walking the Borzoi, which does appear on both sides of the purse. An elegant and rare collectible, I value this at $75.
Keeping with the ladies theme is this darling little coin purse, made of leather but suede on the outside. The Borzoi is made of real fur, although Mike and I are arguing over what type of fur. I say it is cowhide due to the fact the purse is leather, while Mike says it is white mink. The Borzoi is from one piece of material and where the fur is shorter, it feels like suede. The collar on the dog is real gold and looks like it may have come from a gold necklace (it has serpentine links). It only measures 3" tall. It is hard to determine the actual age of this but I think it is older and value it at $35.
I decided to end the column with this lovely hatbox. Back in “the olden days,” as I used to refer to it when I was a kid, women wore hats. I remember going to church with my cousins and seeing all the women wearing hats, a common practice in that era. If you ever look at old magazine ads from the 1940s and '50s, most of the women are wearing hats! And if you wore a hat, you needed a place to store it to keep it free from dust and dirt, thus the old cardboard hatbox came about. This one just happened to have a lovely litho showing a classy lady walking her white Borzoi. It was produced by Emery-Brown Company of Waterville, Maine for LaRose Hats. Rare as can be, I value this at $50. Again, I apologize to the men for gearing this column towards the ladies out there. I will try my best to find something suited towards the men for the fall issue of Unique Zoitiques. If you feel you might have something that would fit into this category, why not send me a picture and share it with everyone! In the meantime, I wish you continued success in loving, showing and raising your Borzoi kids.§ |
