String Holders - Antique & Vintage
Before scotch tape, before paperclips and before desk staplers came about, the only way to fasten wrapped packages, letters, documents and files was with string or twine. Early patents for cast iron string holders date back to the 1860s and by the turn-of-the-century string holders were common place. Every general store and most retail stores had string holders (often called twine boxes) either sitting on or hanging near the check out counters. Sometimes they were affixed directly to the wrapping paper holder but most often they were free standing or hanging above the counter. They kept the string handy and helped to prevent it from tangling. Often a string cutting device (such as a pair of scissors or a knife) would also be at hand while some string holders had a cutting device built in or attached to the holder. Many string holders had a pocket or place to keep a pair of scissors.
From the mid19th century until around World War I, government offices generally used a special string or twine to wrap documents and to keep them together in their assigned files. The twine government used was a flat string and similar to a thin ribbon and had a reddish color to it. Hence the term: "red tape" which generally meant the more government string that was used the heftier the file and the greater the number of documents entwined therein.
Sometime during the Great Depression, chalkware string holders started showing up at Kresgis's stores and at Woolworth Dime Stores. They were an immediate success. During the 1940s most homes in America had a string holder of some sort. They remained a common household item until the early 1950s. Popular subjects included celebrities of the times, cartoon characters, cats and other animals and especially popular were black maids and black children. The later are the most popular with collectors today and generally command the higher values.
Prices can range from $50 to $250 for the cast iron models depending on size, age condition and degree of uniqueness, etc. Chalkware pieces usually range from $25 to $150 depending on condition but are getting hard to find and are therefore likely to increase in value. The black themed ceramic holders can command high prices and range from $100 to $1,000. String holders as part of advertising displays command the highest prices and can range to $2,000 and more depending on subject matter and condition.
This is a black boy string holder on painted chalk. He is about 12 inches high, 7 inches wide and 6 inches deep. He is is pretty good shape with very little paint loss and no significant cracks, nicks or chips. He is about 12 inches high, 7 inches wide and about 6 inches deep.
$175.00
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This boy with pipe is a painted chalkware string holder from the 1940s. it has a little paint loss but no significant cracks, chips or nicks. It is about 10 inches long, 5 inches wide and about 3 inches deep. It was designed to hang on the kitchen wall and dispense string or twine as it was required.
$120.00
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Here we have a man with a pipe and a blue hat on a painted chalkware string holder. It is from the 1940s was and intended to hang in the kitchen. It is about 10 inches long, 5 inches wide and 3 inches deep. It has a little paint loss but no structural damage, no cracks, nicks or chips.
$145.00
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This girl in a bonnet is on a painted chalkware string holder. It dates back to the 1930s-40s. She is about 8.5 inches long, 6 inches wide and 4 inches deep.
$145.00
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"The Senior" man in a samborro on a painted chalkware string holder. He has a little paint loss but no significant cracks, nicks or chips. He is about 8 inches long, 6 inches wide and 4 inches deep. He dates back to the 1930s-40s.
$125.00SOLD |
This is a cat with a ball of string on a painted chalkware string holder. It dates back to the 1950s and still has its original label "Devon Ware".It is 7 inches long, 6 inches wide and 4 inches deep. it is in very good condition with very little paint loss and no scractches, cracks, nicks or chips.
$125.00SOLD |
This is a boy with a pipe in a soda fountain hat on a painted chalkware string holder. He dates back to the 1930s. It is approximately 8 inches long, five inces wide and about 3 inches deep. He does have a little paint loss but no cracks, chips or nicks.
$110.00SOLD |
This is a boys head on a painted chalkware string holder. It is about 8 inches long, 6 inches wide and 4 inches deep. It is in very good condition with no paint loss, no chips, nicks and cracks.
$60.00SOLD |
This is a Barbours Irish advertising tin string holder and provides twine or string: "for shoe work" and "for harness work". It is about 2.5 inches high and about 3 inches in diameter.
$135.00
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This is a signed McCoy Black Mammy string holder and from sometime after 1940. It is a painted chalkware piece and is 7 inches tall, 4 inches wide and about 3 inches deep. It is in very good condition with no paint loss, chips, nicks, cracks or scratches.
$135.00SOLD |
This is a signed McCoy Black Mammy string holder and from sometime after 1940. It is a painted chalkware piece and is 7 inches tall, 4 inches wide and about 3 inches deep. It is in very good condition with no paint loss, chips, nicks, cracks or scratches.
$125.00SOLD |
This is an early original McCoy black mammy on a painted chalkware string holder. It is not signed, as was generally the case before 1915. It was the one that was later copied by McCoy and reissued in the 1940s and 1950. She is in pretty good condition with very minor paint loss and no chips or nick. She is about 7 inches long, 4 inches wide and 3 inches deep.
$250.00SOLD |
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