Interesting Items - Mastercrafters Clock

[AET]

Another Great St. Vinnie's Find.  I came across it and fell in love with the retro look of it immediately.  When plugged in at the counter, no noise was heard, the guy told me to throw it away.  I asked him if since he was just going to throw it away, could I have it?  He said sure and off I went.  I tightened a couple wire nuts and put in a new bulb and had a great working clock! 

The clock is the Starlight Model 146 and is from about 1958 as I have seen Newspaper ads for this clock from that year.




Here's an ad from 1958 of the clock

[BDM]

That thing screams 50s!

[AET]

That's exactly why it caught my eye.  My dad was born in 59 and my mom in 65.  They grew up with this stuff and hated it.  And I have quite a bit of it and plan on buying a perfectly period-correct eames-era home one day to display all this stuff, complete with blonde wood finish and lannon stone.  They just pull their hair out with me sometimes.  And being the 50's type guy I am, I just tell 'em love, peace, and brylcreem! Hahaha.

[BDM]

One look at you, and that screams 50s also.....lol

[AET]

Yup, I hear that a lot.  I am pretty much stuck there, I drive a fifties car during the summer, my first car was a 1960 Chevy.  I dress always in collared shirts, tucked in, jeans that fit properly, and black shoes.  Listen to the oldies and the classic country stations (Almost always an AM station) And people laugh because I use words like 'swell'.  But I guess that's just me.  My mom tells me, "You've been an old man since you were 4 years old" 

Ironically enough, my nickname given to me by my dear friends is "Sixties" which again my mom argues it should be "Fifties" but "Sixties" just stuck I guess.  And everyone has my ringtone on their phone as some oldies song, usually "Build me up Buttercup" for reasons beyond my knowing haha.

[McHeath]

That clock was a deal!  One of the great helps to collecting mid-20th century stuff is that most of the folks who grew up with it hate it and toss it freely away.  I mean, who wants an old rotary phone?! 

[BDM]

That's ok Tom, nothing wrong with that. At least you put heart into what you do say or think. You beat many of your fello teens out. I won't even go into what I see the teens on my block doing, or not doing for that matter.

[Perry]

I like their "TV" clocks with the rotating digits. I have been looking for a nice one for a while, although I probably have too many clocks already.

[mienaichizu]

great! I love the 50's!

[bingster]

I always liked their moving fireplace clocks.  They usually go for more than I'm willing to part with, though.   

[HobieSport]

Bingster; Is this the Mastercrafters Fireplace Clock you are referring too?

I love the 50s' too, (born in '57) but my preferences lean towards simple designs.  Googie etc. is all fun, but sometimes I just like quiet simple elegance and not a lots starbursts, extra decoration, etc.. So one of my favorite 50s' clocks is the Dreyfuss designed Sentinal Wafer Clock by Ingraham, only about 7 inches diameter.  They are still available in good condition.  Mine was $25. on Fleabay with good chrome and good working order.

[bingster]

That's the one, Hobie.  This particular photo lights up the "screen" from the front, but in a darkened room, you can see flickering flames projected on the back of the screen, right behind the fireplace.  It's quite a neat effect.

[HobieSport]

Okay, I get it now, Bingster.  I just didn't notice the screen and rotating log light in the first photo. That does sound like a neat effect to have on the desk. Do you have any MC fireplace clocks?  There are usually several on Ebay: 

http://tinyurl.com/akusaw

And here is a clock on Ebay just like Toms' (I think).

http://tinyurl.com/caokbl

[Ellen]

A mantel clock- too cute.  Where was it made?  And the Sentinel?  That's more my style - what do you know about it?

All my jobs were cancelled for snow today.  No money.  And then some guy wanted to take over my aerobic shovelling workout and thought I should pay him for it!  Huh.  About 8" and the plow left 4' undone beside the cars.  Too much for me.  I am going to go lie in the back yard and let the snow fall on  my face.

I was looking for pictures of deep snow, but found this:

[HobieSport]

Hmm.  A googie snowmobile.  What kind of car is that, folks?

Ellen, here is a link to a little info on the Ingraham Wafer Clocks:

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/2460

They come up on Ebay a lot, just do a search for "wafer clock" or "Ingraham clock". But you have to be patient.  They can go from anywhere from $20 to maybe $120.  They came in chrome or copper.  Watch out for deteriorated plating, faded faces, scratched glass, and ask the seller if the clock runs silently and keeps good time.

Sounds cold there.  My sister lives in North Central Maryland and is in the blizzard and they are keeping hundreds of confused wild birds alive on their back porch during the storm.   I'm on the North Calif Coast just getting a little drizzle and 50 degree temperatures.  Makes me feel guilty!