Hm-m-m. Today I received a newsletter from the Association of Collecting Clubs. It reminds me that several years ago we aluminum collectors called ourselves members of HACA (Hammered Aluminum Collectors Association). With no large group in any location we were unable to be anything but a widely scattered group of collectors who wanted no set rules or meetings. The title did give us a bit of prestige and we made friends through the Aluminist and the ten Hammered Aluminum shows before the scarcity of aluminum and the great distances so many of us had to travel made further shows impossible.
Those were the "good ole days" of our collecting. While today the Aluminist is widely read with over 28,000 page views from dozens of countries, we no longer have that close association with each other. I miss it. Comments are often sent to my email address instead of being posted in the comment section of each posting for other readers to see and possibly respond to. And that is okay. But it makes me wonder if it's difficult to post a comment? Are my readers shy? Afraid to show their name or have others read their comments?
It really isn't all that complicated to sign in. And you can remain anonymous! It would be so interesting to know where you are from and what your interests are - or even a bit about your country's customs. Did you start collecting the U.S.A. or just get curious about this aluminum giftware industry?
I'm a bit embarrassed that with all these thousands of viewers, I have an official number of followers of TWENTY-ONE. Do me a favor, readers. Don't be shy. I'm a really friendly Texan who'd like to hear from you. Make a comment - say "hi" or simply say where you are located. Also, on the right side of the blog is a blue high-lighted "Join this site" ready to be clicked. Then follow choose one of the options to become a follower.
And then there's email. I welcome it all.
The last two months have been extremely busy ones and in a few days I'll be telling you all about what's been happening and the questions I've received.
Until then.....
Dannie
Posts
Hi Dannie, I have just discovered your blog today as I was researching the estimated value of a small piece of aluminum I found at our local flea market. I am just a casual collector. I inherited a few pieces from my mother when she passed. I have since added it to them when I find pieces at yard sales, thrift shops and flea markets. I enjoying learning about each new item I discover and the cost for a collectible is within my small budget. I only have about 20 pieces and I don't think our children will get rich after I'm gone but I think they are lovely. I was excited to find your blog and will become a follower. Look forward to reading all your past and future posts! ~Donna, Redding CA
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you...glad you found this blog. In CA you may be able to find a few pieces of Town or California Made. They're nice pieces and not really plentiful. More on that later.
ReplyDeleteDannie, I am going to try this again since someone has been able to get through on the comment page.
ReplyDeleteBefore I told you about my two purses with the water lilly motif. I also have 90% of one of the tea carts with the falling leaf motif.
It worked, it worked!
ReplyDeleteYea!!! Now we're going!
ReplyDeleteSomeone just called and invited me to supper next week (I am new in the area) and our comomon interest is aluminum!
ReplyDeleteDannie,
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to discover your blog recently in researching how to clean my Wendell August Forge pieces. I have a couple of questions for you or your readers: Is the Mother's paste cleaner the same thing as Mother's Aluminum Polish that I see in a plastic jar? Do I have to be careful to keep this paste away from the darker carbonized areas of the motifs or will they survive the cleaning with Mother's?
About me: I am still new to collecting aluminum. Over the last few years, my sister in Western Pennsylvania has given me a couple of modern Wendell August Forge pieces as well as several of their annual Christmas ornaments. During a visit to Pennsylvania she took me to visit their Grove City facility. That was a probably a year or two before the building was destroyed by fire. I was captivated by the intricacies of the designs in the metal and the entire process by which these lovely handworked items are/were created. About two years ago, I thought it would be nice to look for the retired annual WAF Christmas ornaments so that I would have a full set, and I found that I was able to purchase them on Ebay. In the process, I remembered seeing those lovely older pieces on display in Grove City, and I thought maybe I would search Ebay to see what I could find. Since then I have purchased more than a dozen aluminum pieces and I am definitely hooked! So far all my old aluminum is Wendell August except for one Continental dish. I love them more all the time. I am currently busy admiring my latest acquisitions: a thistle motif tray with rolled handles, the coffee bean cylindrical pitcher, and a set of late 1930's candlesticks.