Red Ball Brand Glass Deer with Japan Sticker: The Destiny of Things, Story 297
Remember these? Another blast from my past!
This yellowish deer sold, but a pink one is available
here
My Aunt and Grandmother had a large collection of both glass Red Ball brand animals and the porcelain animals in families. There were only four things to play with at her house. The animal figurines, a BB gun, an old abandoned house and barn.
The BB gun was not considered a toy and if you used it, you had to go shoot at the birds that were eating the produce on her farm. I was a good shot and after hitting a bird, I found it too sad to use the BB gun. We weren't allowed in the abandoned house and barn unless we went in a group and the green houses were off limits, unless with an adult.
So mainly we played with the animal figurines when we were extremely bored.
This yellowish deer sold, but a pink one is available
here
Anyways, that's my story. Here is the wonderful heartfelt story I received from an Etsy buyer:
Hi Kennedy,
I just got the deer today, he arrived in perfect condition.
Just left you a 5 star review! I also wanted to thank you for the
little treasures you sent me! I am going to use them to brighten up the
gift packages I give people. Thank you again, what a sweet surprise.
You asked about why I purchased something from you, well I have a long
story to tell about the little deer. I have been collecting glass
animals since I was about 8 or 9 years old (I'm 52 now.) There was a
Five and Dime store in my neighborhood (remember those? - they were like
a discount store - or maybe you are too young).
Anyway, all of us kids
would go there after school. Most of the kids went straight to the
candy or toy isles, but I gravitated to the shiny and colorful glass
shelf that had miniature glass animals. They were different sizes and
sold from .19 cents to .99 cents. I could never afford the .99 centers,
I usually bought the .29 to .79 centers. I still have some of those
original pieces after all these years.
I still see them in antique
stores and on Etsy, they were made in Japan. Over the years I have
collected information about glass miniatures and can recognize styles
and where or when the piece was made. When they were first sold, they
all had stickers, I even have some that have stickers saying "Made in
Occupied Japan." Those are some of my favorite pieces, they are small
and very colorful.
Japan restarted their economy after the war by
making little items that American servicemen could send home to their
wives and children. Some pieces that have the "Made in Occupied Japan"
stickers look like pieces that have the "Red Ball Animal-Japan" sticker
like the one you sold me.
I think it was a company started during the
Occupation that continued to manufacture glass animals well into the
1960s or later. Every time I find a piece with a sticker I gain more
knowledge about the origins of my collection. I have other pieces with
the red ball stickers, and have learned that I have quite a large group
from this company.
They are by far my favorites and I am trying to find
out more about this company, I wish I could find a catalog that
illustrates their entire line - I might have even more than I thought!
I
now have thousands of glass animals from the 1930s to some that were
made for me by Etsy crafters just months ago. They make me happy and
represent the beauty and innocence of childhood. Do we ever love
anything in our lives more than the treasures of our childhood?
Only a
child can give love so unconditionally, so intensely, even to an
inanimate object. I unfortunately suffered and endured some terrible
experiences when I was a young child, but at least I can recapture that
feeling of wonder, awe, love and excitement when I acquire a new animal
or look at my collection.
This hobby allows me to keep the one magical
and precious aspect of youth - the intense joy only a child feels and it
has helped me over the years to realize I am a survivor and life is a
beautiful thing. I think it is wonderful what you are doing by getting
people to share their stories - you understand joy and you have found a
way to share it with as many people as possible. Thank you for reading
this and I hope to keep in touch with you.
Peace and joy to you!
The sticker reads, Red Ball Glass Animal and inside the red ball it reads, JAPAN.
This yellowish deer sold, but a pink one is available
here
That is the most heartfelt story I've received in a long while and has brought me more than one insight to my hoarding ways. I think she explains many of the reasons of why I hoard, except I'm not just recapturing positive feelings from my childhood, but all kinds of feelings through out my life time! I think I have so many defining life moments and I'm keeping them all in my things!
Here is what I wrote back:
Your email was the nicest surprise this morning! Thank you so much for
sharing your heart felt story! I can so relate to your story about
going into Five and Dime stores and watching all my friends stand in
line for the cash register while I could only browse.
I would love to see your entire glass animal collection! Can you send
photos? I was hoping when I saw your online name, glasskeeper1 that my
deer was going to a special new life and home. I think I have one more
glass animal figurine with the Redball sticker. I will dig it up for
you and try to list it this week! As a recovering hoarder, thank you
for the motivation and inspiration!
I have several more glass animal figurines without stickers.
I know what you mean about loving things from our childhood because as a
recovering hoarder, I still collect a lot of toys from our childhood
era, mainly those made in Japan. We are about the same age! How cool,
is that?
My Grandmother and Aunt had a collection of Redball animals and the
porcelain animals in sets of families and my Aunt who was going to
school to be a teacher at the time taught me all the names of the
animals when they traveled in groups.
I too, have been interested in the history of toys, Made in Japan of our
childhood era and I have not found much about Redball or Shiken. I
have seen toy catalogs or books of Antique toys of Japan, but don't have
one, but have always been curious about them and would love to look
through one, however I've have not come across a Redball catalog. If I
do, I'll send you the link.
I love your childhood perspective and I love how your collection is a
reminder of how to keep the magical little child within us alive and
healthy.
I hope with your permission I can use your story on my Hoarder Rehab:
The Destiny of Things blog. I will leave you anonymous, of course!
Many many thanks for sharing your story, it brought so much joy and happiness with it. I just LOVE it!
Yes, I would love to keep in touch!
~Kennedy at VintageToGoEasy
PS. Here is the link to my blog where I share the stories:
hoarderrehab.blogspot.com/
This yellowish deer sold, but a pink one is available
here
Saying Goodbye: I have my own collection of Red Ball and porcelain animal figurines, but my Mom has most of my Aunt's and Grandmother's collection. I have a few strays that no one would claim, like Snow White and one of her dwarfs and a little Bambi.
They were the first props we used in photos to list my hoard! I'm sure you'll recognize them when you see them.
The original childhood prop trio from my Aunt and Grandmother
24 0r 20 treasure chest lockets, available
here
What I Learned:
1. Kind Etsy buyers continue to bring me insight about my hoarding ways and give me clues on how to change my habits to be more productive other ways, so my life is more balanced.
2. Some items I keep are indeed magical and hold many strong feelings of awe, remembrance and precious innocence for me too. And are reminders that I am a survivor too and some things can never been taken away.
3. Life is a beautiful thing and I hope I can continue transforming it into something very meaningful and special to me without having hoard around me to feel secure in my life.
I don't know if this is a Red Ball glass animal, but it is available
here
She definitely needs a bath by her new owner!
Thank you Etsy buyer from
VintageToGoEasy for sending me a story that helped me so much because I could relate to it all and it expanded my insight from my childhood hoard to my never ending toy hoard and more! Also the information on hand made glass animal figurines from the past to present about Red Ball Japan and your own collection is very interesting!
I think you know how much joy and peace I receive when someone takes the time to
send their story to help me out!
And I think you've inspired me to return to my old blogging schedule! Thank you so much!
Thank you
Etsy for the best
Hoarder Rehab venue ever! Endless thank
yous!
I am very grateful that my items are making new stories and are being shared with me and are either making new memories or bringing magic wherever they are! or both!
Thank you all readers from all over the world who have stopped by to visit my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!
My continued dehoarding
goal is to maintain at least 200 items at each shop!
Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 198 items, The Destiny of Things- 200 items, VintageToGoEasy - 201 items and now JunkDrawerAndMore - 205 items! Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too! Thanks for looking!
"Harmony. It's not what's lasting or
permanent. It is about individual voices coming together for a moment.
And that moment lasts a length of a breath, or in my instance a
transaction. That's what I think about my time here."---Frank Underwood
from House of Cards or in my case, I think it's "destiny, as well as harmony" for me.
View my House of Cards - Frank Underwood, Harmony quote double sided reversible washi tape collage art here, here and here! It's a series of three so far!
