While visiting my parents for Thanksgiving this past weekend, I took a little trip in the basement with Mom to see if there were any thrifty goods that I had not yet carried away to my house. It's pretty picked over, but Mom and I came up with this collection of vintage ashtrays.
Neither one of my parents smoked when I was growing up, but my mom explains, "You had to have an ashtray to offer to your guests!" Boy how things have changed. I hardly even know anybody who smokes. And many people who do smoke must do so in the garage or on the porch. Not something you want to do in Ontario in winter, in my opinion.
What I love about these ashtrays, particularly this cheery vintage orange plastic ashtray, is that they speak of fun times - parties with friends over drinks and hors d'oeuvres, warm nights gathered around card games while the snow falls outside. I know my parents and their friends liked to party, because back in the seventies and eighties, the kids would come with. My sister and I would fall asleep on a pile of coats or curled up next to each other on a couch. None of this, "I'm tired and I want to go home...right now" stuff.
Granted you can have just as much fun hanging out with friends without poisoning your lungs. I recall one party my parents had at which almost everybody was smoking. My black lab went into a sneezing fit the likes of which I never saw before or since.
Anyhoo, this stylishly shaped white ashtray was made by patients at the psychiatric hospital where my parents worked. The hospital had a little shop where they sold turtle-shaped plant holders and the like.
What would you do with these ashtrays in lieu of using them for cigarettes?
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What to do with ashtrays other than use them as ashtrays...hmmmm...have you checked pinterest lol?
ReplyDeleteI hope an etsy jewelry wish list works as thrifty finds!
Pinterest is a great idea! Thanks for linking up Taby! :) Jo
DeletePinterest sounds like a fun place to check. You could put acorns in them! lol Thanks for the party! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny because I gathered some acorns this weekend too! Good idea! Thanks for joining the party. Jo
DeleteFor some reason I enjoy browsing the ashtray section of my thrift store too. I use the ashtrays for sewing notions (pins, etc), and have just a few. My mom gave me a few really teeny tiny ashtrays with a "willow" pattern (probably from her mother!). I use them for tea bag holders when I make a single mug of tea ;) Wendy
ReplyDeleteThose are great ideas Wendy! (You always have great ideas.) Jo
DeleteSo funny to see ashtrays now. You have a cool selection.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it Pam? :) Thanks.
DeleteWe always had ashtrays too but not many people ever came by that smoked! In particular, I remember a heavy purple one! I can't remember the last time I ever saw one, well, maybe in an antique shop!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great sign that our society is getting healthier I guess!
DeleteMy parents didn't smoke but ashtrays were still so commonplace everywhere including restaurants that they bring back lots of memories. Some of them are actually very cool. I think you will find some great uses for them. How how about candy dishes?
ReplyDeleteThey WOULD be cute candy dishes! (Oh, the smoke in restaurants! I'm glad that's gone!)
DeleteI love ash trays too, but my parents were never smokers and have long since got rid of theirs from the 60s and 70s. We had one of those round side tables with the swivel ash tray when I was growing up, I see them on eBay for megabucks! I still want one, even though it's completely impractical and we have no use for it!
ReplyDeleteMy mom was just talking about a side table ashtray like that. She almost got one just for the fun of it. I bet she would have if she knew it was worth megabucks!
DeleteI think the larger ashtrays could be used as candy dishes.....or just cool display pieces. Thanks for sharing your basement finds with us at Make It Monday!
ReplyDeleteSo true. I think they would be awesome in a house with retro styling. (Not my house!) Ha ha. Thanks for hosting!
DeleteHi Joann, ashtray were such a common sight when I was growing up and now they are collector finds. Very retro. Thanks for hosting Vintage Bliss Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteJoy
It's great that they are "collecting" dust. ;)
DeleteLike the white one. Could be for jewelry or office smalls like paper clips etc
ReplyDeleteJewelry is a great idea!! And office smalls too!
DeleteI think the white one is abstract enough that it would work as an air plant holder or even candy dish. I see people use the glass ones as candle holders.
ReplyDeleteNo clue on the orange one but it sure is cool!
So true, the crystal ones would be great for candles. Yes, I like the orange one too Anny! :)
DeleteYou are so funny the way you pilfer your mom's whenever you're there. I can't beleive she has anything left! I love the ashtrays... I actually use them because I do chinese moxa (but yeah, no one does smoke these days!).
ReplyDeleteShe barely has anything left! Ha ha. But there is an office chair I have my eye on! I had to google chinese moxa...never heard of it before. :)
DeleteOH I jUST donated turquoise AND orange ashtrays because I couldn't even sell them! I never thought to keep them and do something ELSE with them...hunh I hope you share what you plan to do with them! Sorry it took so long get back here from Thrifter Share the last two weeks have been CRAZY! Thanks for linking up and showing me what I'm missing.
ReplyDeleteNice..
ReplyDeleteHowdy Admin,
ReplyDeleteCool staffs. Really like it.
Thanks.