Collecting Cats and Dogs

Look at what I found at an estate sale this weekend for $3! 

It's a framed vintage Buzza motto and I love the sentiment and the fitting artwork: a faithful friend awaiting a loved one's return.

According to the Hennigan County Library in Minnesota, "George Buzza founded the Buzza Company [in Minneapolis] in 1907. The company started out by selling college advertising posters and posters for retail clothing stores. When the market for these disappeared, he decided to manufacture greeting cards".  Framed mottos like this one were added and by 1927 sales reached $2.5 million. The Buzza Company continued in business until 1942.

Although the little gem pictured above is a "keeper" for my own collection,  I do have quite a few more cat and dog treasures available for adoption right now in my other Etsy shop, CurioCabinet.  Here are just a few to wet your whistle:

Scotty Dog Tie Clip

A classic retro tie clip or money clip for your favorite Scotty Dog Dude...This unique Art Deco piece features a reverse painted image of a Scotty Dog under convex glass set on goldtone metal.

I have black cats on the brain, thanks to the recent arrival of our little foundling, Inka, so I am particularly fond of this little glass plate: 

Black cat glass plate

This is a vintage bent glass dish or ash tray by Houze featuring a black cat and the words "Have a purrfect birthday . The L. J. Houze Convex Glass Company was formed in Point Marion, Pennsylvania in 1914 by Leon J. Houze and his son, Roger J. Houze. In 1952 the company developed the ‘smoked glass’ product line of screen printed trays, souvenir items, and even a line of formal dinnerware under the ‘Houze Art’ trade name. 

Here's the perfect something to help organize the desk in a pampered poodle home:

Poodle Pen Holder

 This vintage faithful friend will keep your vintage pen at hand whenever you need it (pen not included..It doesn't write anymore anyway).

Check out all of my treasures currently for sale here:  CurioCabinet.

Thanks for visiting!

Collecting Cats and Dogs

Cat Lady Rose Gates wears many hats. Not only is she a founding member of Angelcat Haven Feline Rescue and a Petfinder phototographer, she also writes the "Kitty Corner" column in the Pet Day section of the Sun Chronicle Newspaper in Massachusetts. I was thrilled to be mentioned in this week's column about collecting cats! You can read the article here: Cat Items Purr-fect Gifts for Collectors


Speaking of collecting cats (and canines too!) here are a few of the offerings direct from my storage shed that are for sale this week as I continue in my quest to thin down my own collection:

TEAK CAT AND MOUSE BOOKENDS

These cool cats are from the 1960s and are up for auction on Ebay! But you'd better act fast-- the auction ends tonight, Friday March 9th. Click here for more information and to place a bid: Teak Cat Bookends

RUNNING DOG FRIENDS VINTAGE PLANTER

This happy duo are off to find mischief, no doubt. The auction for this vintage pottery planter ends tomorrow, Saturday March 10, at around 6 p.m. Pacific Time. Click here for more info: Running Dogs

BONZO DOGS ANTIQUE SALT AND PEPPER

Bonzo the Dog was a fictional cartoon character first created in 1911 by George Studdy, and he became wildly popular. His likeness adorned all manner of things, including household goods like these salt and pepper shakers. These are currently for sale in my Curio Cabinet Shop on Etsy for $12. Click here for more info: Bonzo Shakers

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Do you collect the collectible kind of cats or canines? We'd love to see photos of your collection! Here are some of the figurines I've collected over the years, and below is but a small sampling of Cat Lady Rose's collection of sparkly and fun vintage cat brooches! Show us photos of your own collection of vintage cats, dogs, or other animal collectibles on my Facebook page and with your permission, I'd love to feature them in future blog posts. (you must be a "liker" of my FB page before you will be able to post pictures there...)

Happy Collecting!

Do You Collect Cats or Canines?

If you collect the REAL kind of kitty or canine, it's good to remember that Tuesday is World Spay Day, an annual event of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International to inspire people to save animals' lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats. If your pets are already spayed or neutered, you may want to make a donation to one of the agencies providing low-cost services, to enable someone else to spay their pets at a low cost. You'll find lots of great information here, including a locator for finding low-cost spaying and neutering: WORLD SPAY DAY 2012


If you collect the collectible kind of cats or canines, we'd love to see photos of your collection! Below is but a small sampling of Cat Lady Rose's collection of sparkly and fun vintage cat brooches! Show us photos of your own collection of vintage cats, dogs, or other animal collectibles on my Facebook page (you must be a "liker" of the page before you will be able to post pictures there...)

Cat Lady Rose is one of the founders of Angelcat Haven, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing the homeless and stray cats in the vicinity of Plainville, MA, who are in need of a HAVEN while waiting for their loving new homes. Find out more about their participation in low-cost altering of cats as part of Spay Day, and vote for Simon Gates in the Spay Day Photo Contest here!

Here are a couple of "keepers" from my own collection of collectibles:
salt and pepper shakers!

A couple of svelte and winking twins

And some of Disney Figaro Cat's long, lost cousins...

Currently up for adoption in my Etsy Curio Cabinet: DOGS IN HATS SHAKERS

These little lustreware cuties are looking for a new home and are ready for any climate in their jaunty caps! See what else I have for sale in my Curio Cabinet here.

Thanks for visiting!

The Poodle-Pup-In-Pink Mystery

As mentioned a few days ago, I have a penchant (a nice way of saying crazy obsession) for collecting small vintage cats and dogs. Among my favorites are several Steiff miniature animals from the 1950s. These mohair cuties are each 4-5 " long with movable heads and glass eyes and I adore them.

They are keepers.

So last summer, when I got to tag along with the menfolk and go to The Great Oregon Steam-up (a country fair devoted to steam-powered antique machinery!), I was thrilled to find this darling little poodle at the flea market there:

I knew by her detailed features that she was a Steiff poodle from the 50's or 60's and I was amused that someone had taken such care to dress her in a pink taffeta and lace skirt with a bejeweled ribbon around her neck.

When I peeked under the skirt, I found a very professional tag that said "Helen Ratkai is my Couturiere". Who was Helen Ratkai? Was she somebody's funny grandmother? Was she a ditzy doggy dame? Was she a famous designer? Was it time to call the History Detectives?

No, it was time to do a little Googling. After a bit of research I discovered that Ms. Ratkai was a fine art artist in New York who also dressed hundreds of different Steiff animals back in the 50's and 60's and they were sold through Lord & Taylor and FAO Schwarz. And apparently these little creations are now highly collectible! A very informative article can be found at The Teddy Bear & Friends website:
Helen Ratkai Is My Couturiere...But Who is Helen Ratkai?


Now we all know that due to space limitations I can no longer keep all of my keepers and I am thinning out the menagerie. So I have put this little cutie up for auction on Ebay, and the auction ends tonight at around 9:30 PST. Click here if you would like to check out what the bid is currently at. Will it go sky high or will somebody get a real deal? I'm on pins and needles and can't wait to see what happens!

(And if you happen to find this little poodle-pup-in-pink completely irresistible, you are certainly welcome to throw in your own bid!)

Thanks for visiting!

I Have A Problem...

There is more than one way to earn the distinction of being called a "Crazy Cat Lady."

The most obvious, of course, is to have a lot of actual cats in your home. The kind that meow and purr and charm their way into your heart.

Another way to qualify as a Crazy Cat Lady might be to paint several hundred paintings of cats, often with their people.

I've discovered yet another way to enjoy cats of every kind in one's home-- but this technique does not involve loose fur, allergies, annoyed neighbors, or shredded armchair arms. Which leads to my problem:

I collect cats of the collectible kind.

Old ones, nostalgic ones, curious ones, tiny ones, retro ones.

They must be vintage, charming, small and very inexpensive. I adopt them from yard sales, flea markets, rummage sales, and estate sales. I have been doing it for 25 years. I can't stop.

You might notice that there are also a few canine cuties in the mix. Yes, I also collect dogs. And here is my problem: This box of collectible curios is only but a small fraction of my little darlings. And I have moved into a new house where I have fewer places to display my magnificent menagerie. And I have a deep, dark, secret fear that the producers of "Hoarders" are going to show up on my doorstep any day now. And that's where you come in.

I'm hoping that you might find it in your heart to give some of these treasures a new home. Over the coming months I will be putting a lot of my collectible felines and canines up for adoption. A few on Ebay, but mostly in my Other Etsy Shop: Sweet Sue's Curio Cabinet. If you choose to adopt one or more, you must promise to love them and cherish them and most of all, to keep them dusted.

Here are a few items that have already been listed (click on photo for more info):




Stay tuned, and thanks for your help. (And don't you dare breathe a word of this to "Hoarders")