Ceramic Advertising Telephone Knick-Knack

..... · February 18, 2019, 06:31:37 PM

Picked up this small green ceramic advertising Telephone knick-knack. It was made for The New York Telephone Company. They used it as an advertising tool to get girls (Women) to apply for telephone jobs.

HarrySmith · February 18, 2019, 06:32:52 PM

Cool. Ceramics, door knobs, do I sense a pattern here?

..... · February 18, 2019, 06:40:55 PM

Seems to be, I do have more telephone oddball related pieces.

Toys
Patches
Signs
Blotters
Books, Magazines, Manuals, Directories
Tools
Pictures
etc, etc, etc.

HarrySmith · February 18, 2019, 06:49:33 PM

Telephone Ephermera.
Lots of cool stuff out there for that category! The list goes on & on. Like the "Mini" 500's I collected or telephone locks that I have a pile of or Bell System pens & pencils I have sitting in a Bell Sytem coffee cup ETC, ETC!

Also knows as C.R.A.P.

(Communications Related Apparatus & Parts)

jsowers · February 18, 2019, 06:56:37 PM

That same company made ceramic items for motels and hotels with advertising on them about Long Distance. The same green 500 set is on them, but in a smaller scale. Sometimes it's yellow. I've seen ashtrays and penholders and such. The font they used to print on these items is called Park Avenue. So there are more items to collect and probably some we haven't seen before.

Below are auction pictures of an ashtray like I mentioned above. It's a bit on the high side.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153377959819

..... · February 18, 2019, 07:04:50 PM

I take it these are from the late 50's early 60's?

Russ Kirk · February 18, 2019, 09:39:43 PM

I like this item, but the very high price will scare off some buyers.

jsowers · February 18, 2019, 09:59:39 PM

Quote from: Duffy on February 18, 2019, 07:04:50 PM
I take it these are from the late 50's early 60's?

That's when they look like they were made to me. The price on the auction is way above what I'd ever pay for one, but it was the only example available at the time.

Dan/Panther · February 19, 2019, 12:55:40 PM

Does that say...

Girls / Telephone Jobs Now, OR
Girls I Telephone Jobs Now ?
Either way it sounds dumb.

D/P

..... · February 19, 2019, 01:55:09 PM

Quote from: Dan/Panther on February 19, 2019, 12:55:40 PM
Does that say...

Girls / Telephone Jobs Now, OR
Girls I Telephone Jobs Now ?
Either way it sounds dumb.

D/P

It says: Girls! Telephone Jobs - Now!

HarrySmith · February 19, 2019, 02:34:11 PM

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing at first. I had to enlarge the picture to see the exclamations.

..... · February 22, 2019, 08:57:43 AM

Quote from: jsowers on February 18, 2019, 06:56:37 PM
That same company made ceramic items for motels and hotels with advertising on them about Long Distance. The same green 500 set is on them, but in a smaller scale. Sometimes it's yellow. I've seen ashtrays and penholders and such. The font they used to print on these items is called Park Avenue. So there are more items to collect and probably some we haven't seen before.

Below are auction pictures of an ashtray like I mentioned above. It's a bit on the high side.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153377959819

I found a picture of a pen holder from an older eBay auction . This was the auction title. "Vintage ATT Bell System Long Lines Dept"

jsowers · February 22, 2019, 10:16:24 AM

Yes, that's what I was referring to. I have one of those penholders exactly like that. They put them in motel rooms to welcome guests and "remind" them to call home long distance, in those days before cell phones and long distance credit cards.

I think they did have the Bell System Calling Card in the 1960s but those had a small audience. My uncle, who worked for Southern Bell, had one and he used it to call home when we were all at the beach. I don't know why I watched Uncle Don call home, but I was always fascinated with telephones. As an executive working for Bell, he got free long distance for life.

Thanks for finding and posting that piece.

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Ceramic Advertising Telephone Knick-Knack