Tuesday, June 7

Showing My Smokin' Stuff...Yes Really!

Answering the call from Zootsuitmama, here's my 'smoking stuff'!

As I am actually a smoker, tobacciana (as it's technically called) is one of my favourite things to collect. I haven't bought myself any new pieces for about 18 months now, but this is what I have stashed away so far...the collection *will* grow at some point though!





This is how my china cabinet looks at the moment, as you can see it's not full yet, but I'm working on it! Below are the ashtrays it contains.










This is my everyday ashtray, 60s (?) Italian




My crappy downstairs ashtray, 60s or 70s I think




Vintage outdoor ashtray, drop a butt in and it falls to the bottom, unscrew the weighted base to clean, very practical, you know this is why we all love vintage, everything was designed with so much more thought than nowadays



Midcentury *musical* table lighter, looks like an Evans but isn't




One of the many 50s ashtrays that is used to hold various small piles of crap useful vintage bits and pieces on my stockroom desk



Ok so I'm cheating a bit here, this isn't really an ashtray but it is a very cool 50s dish, another that holds little things on my desk




I love that the base is blue!




30s french celluloid cig case, one of my better pieces, imho




Deco cig case and lighter combo by Marathon




Ok another cheat but this was in my 'collection box' too, celluloid trinket box




Another of my special favourites, actually a cig case with elasticised bands along each side, see below




Do you love todays impromptu photo backgrounds or what?? Ha ha, its called I-really-only-have-5-mins-to-take-these-pics-so-hmm-whats-on-my-desk. They're some 1930s magazines I picked up on the weekend, very pleased with that score!



Another special piece, celluloid cigarette case




Deco bakelite table top cigarette box




Evans enamelled tabletop cigarette box, Ranchie has one of these too, I love them




Evans cig case, bad flash pic here, it's a beautiful rich black enamel in person. I have a BIG thing for Evans stuff, I want heaps more of it!




Evans table lighter




Evans cut glass table lighter, I use this all the time, nearly 60 years old and it works beautifully




Another solid glass table lighter, this one will be sold eventually





Kigu barrel shaped cigarette case, I have 2 more of these packed away with different designs on the front...yes I have a BIG thing for these too!





Yet another atomic one that holds bit of things on the desk




Fab atomic metal lighter, as you can see I haven't cleaned it yet, actually it's never been out of the cupboard. The flash pic makes it look worse though




Kitsch lucite table lighter with a shell inside...yes, this is definitely not being kept!





Ronson mastercase, I have better examples than this but this was close at hand today


Cat/book/lamp ceramic lighter, also not clean and living in a cupboard, it will come out on display in the china cabinet when I get around to changing the flint, which is a rather tricky job.

I challenge ANYONE to come up with more tobacciana than me!



Speaking of getting around to things, I've again been slack with my commenting, sorry peeps but I'm pretty snowed under at the moment. 

Fabulous Vix sent me a parcel which arrived a few days ago, thank you darling! I love everything and have worn it all (even though the skirt is way small I kinda cheated, ha ha). She also sent me a set of awesome celluloid Christmas bells, no photo as I had to hide them, VB took a bit too much of a shine to them!



17 comments:

1950s Atomic Ranch House said...

Wow!!! I love your collection, and you have a real collection!

My favorites are the ones on the wire stands. :)

doradadama said...

Ay Mama! Even I am tempted to start smoking only to use all these glamarous astrays and cigarette cases.I use cigarette cases as an ID case too.my fave are the cig deco cases.

Vintage Christine said...

Ah, I KNEW you'd be the one to have the most tobacciana stuff! All so very cool, but that deco bakelite case is incredible. This is all your own personal collection, right? I'm soooooo jealous!

Zootsuitmama said...

You are ahead of the drawing so far! But, you forgot to mention your dear ole Zootsuitmama!!!

Unknown said...

Wow what a great collection. The circle like cigarette holder that looks a bit like a space ship my last partner had one on his 50's bar i loved it. I love the 30's cigarette case that is just beautiful. And so are the box's. Gorgeous collection thanks for sharing ;-)) dee x

Vix said...

That is an awesome collection, so much so that I'm almost tempted to take up smoking. Absolutely love everything. xxx
PS Glad it arrived safely, sorry about the skirt!

Suzanne said...

i only have two pieces right now, but i so want one of those big honkin table lighters! i am jealous!

Vintage Coconut said...

DEAR LORD!! Do you ever have a collection! my gosh everything is sooo great! wow

the old boathouse said...

What can I say its all smokin! I agree it does make one want to take up smoking again...I always say if I make it to 65 i am going to take it up again, cheers Katherine

khristie B said...

How Fabulous. Sigf, smoking use to be so glamorous!!

GhostlyGarden said...

I love how things were designed back then! They last an age because they were made out of quality materials unlike nowadays!

Some of them look like some scientists invention but some are really gorgeous like the Evans ones! Quite a collection! xxx

Lyndel said...

oh that's a great collection. I love the cig.case with the 'hand' . Sorry to burst your bubble on the long stand one, Dad had one of those in the 1950s when I was growing up. The top held a 2-layer blue glass round ashtray.♥

Nelly said...

Wow now everytime I see any smokerama items I will think of you.

DearHelenHartman said...

The stripey dish and the atomic case are my picks of the day but so much to pick FROM. Great collection.

Christina @ Fashion's Most Wanted said...

Dear Kitty, what a fabulous collection! I absolutely love all the Evans stuff and the celluloid case with the hand is beautiful. I have something similar to your cut glass lighter and lots of ashtrays. I still haven't smoked in four weeks now. I'm nowhere near coming off patches. It's very odd not being a smoker after thirty years. I still have ashtrays everywhere but mine are more like ornaments too xx

Pull Your Socks Up! said...

Lordy, what a collection! When I got to the 30s cases and lighters I was nearly running out the door to grab a box of 20s!! Thank god I can still remember coughing up my lungs when I did smoke ... so I won't. But what beautiful works of art:)) xo

Lucky O'Day said...

Hello, missy! I'm now officially a follower! Your blog is so fun.
I LOVE your collection, it's so diverse! I used to be a smoker, and I always had my tin and cigarette holder. I must have looked pretty spiffy, just saying! Haha.. xo