Collecting Rooster And Hen Collectibles...Cock-a-doodle-doo

Chicken Lovers Adore Rooster And Hen Collectibles.....

Cock-a-doodle-doo....finally a post on collecting roosters and hens. First of all what is the
difference between a rooster and a hen? Well to begin with they are both chickens! The rooster is the male chicken and the hen is the female chicken.

What Do You Call A Male Chicken?

Now cover your ears...the male chicken (Gallus gallus) is also called a cock. Oy vey...I told you to be prepared.O.K. now that we have introduced you to the world of chickens..guess what they call an immature male chicken? The answer is that a male chicken under 1 years old is called cockerels. But here is my 64 dollar question? What do you call an immature cock over one years old? I betcha, a lot of you can fill in the blanks.

Collecting Roosters And Hens

So back to collecting roosters and hens. How can you tell the difference between whether you have found a rooster or a hen? And can you apply chicken theory to collecting figurines and kitchen-wares? According to my on-line sources, male chickens (rooster) have bigger egos and females (hens) tend to be short and fat. But the key difference is that roosters crow and hens don't. Yikes...that won't help us when we are shopping for a ceramic figurine...will it?

Roosters Are Colorful And Guard The Nest

Roosters tend to have more colorful feathers and are generally standing up and showing off. While hens are hanging around on their nest watching Oprah. You will find that it's easy to find lots of lovable roosters and hens for all different budgets. Many of these popular collectibles are unmarked and were probably Dimestore imports.

So Many Types Of Rooster And Hen Collectibles To Buy

Buyers will discover rooster and hen images on so many vintage kitchen collectibles including canisters, bowls, textiles, plates. refrigerator dishes, cookie jars, match holders, beverage glasses, coffee mugs, clocks, etc. You will also come across plenty of rooster and hen figurines in pairs or singles used as salt and pepper shakers, planters, wall pockets, toothpick holders, egg cups, decorative figurines, spice shakers, molds, spoon holders etc.

Check For Chips, Missing Paint, Cracks Etc.

When buying these collectibles check to see if the item is part of a pair or single. The price should reflect that difference. Examine your items and be sure there are no cracks or chips, paint or parts missing . You can find these collectibles in all price ranges. Royal Copley and Holt Howard collectibles are priced higher than everyday Japan novelties. Milk Glass hens and roosters are also popular. There are lots of reproductions out there so buyer beware.

Rooster tablecloth photos courtesy of
http://dancinglady.tripod.com/

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.comVisit my website, CDianneZweig.comDianne is a member of:The American Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe Authors Guild, Inc.

Vintage Rooster Collectibles: Symbols of Country Life and Simpler Times

Rooster collectibles continue to attract collectors of all kinds , especially folks who adore "country farm" accessories. You can be sure that if you are a dealer and have rooster figurines or patterned items in your shop....if they are priced right...they will be scooped up very quickly. You will find rooster objects or designs associated with kitchenwares, vintage advertising, glassware, egg cartons, textiles, figurines and more.

Did you ever wonder why so many people today continue the tradition of decorating their kitchens and dining areas with rooster designs? In my book, "Hot Kitchen and Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s, I included a small section on this topic. My theory is that many women today secretly wish for a return of the days when life was simpler. Yes country life was very difficult, but manageable because family members lived on the farm and everyone pitched in with chores. If you wanted to eat or have clothes, you needed to do your job!

There were not the typical distractions of today such as cell phones, computers, televisions, iPods, blogs etc. Women (and men) were not disrupted with modern conveniences. Leisure time was spent quilting, sewing and mending practical items need for home life. Evenings were generally a time for family members to gather around the fire together, unlike the habits of modern families who tend to disperse to individual rooms. Or go out to dinner and be more interested in texting friends than talking with each other.

My sense is that by bringing symbols of country life back into today's home, collectors are trying to bring back the good ole days, when life in many ways was less complex. Families were accustomed to feeding chickens, gathering eggs, milking cows, churning butter, and enjoying the fruits of their labor. Women did not have to stand in front of the dairy counter and figure out which brand of butter or margarine or substitute product to choose from.Ii can say the same thing for bread.

Please return me to the days when I looked for the colorful packaging of "Wonder bread" and I was done with that aisle. Now I literally spend 10-15 minutes trying to figure out if I want thin slices, with calcium, low sodium, multi-grain, whole wheat, sandwich size, wheat free and on and on. I JUST WANT BREAD! And the same goes for milk, eggs, juice. It takes so long to go grocery shopping now.

So to me, the desire to have roosters hanging on one's walls, or to keep sugar in cute rooster canisters or to drink from glasses with rooster designs are all efforts to return to the country farm days when life may have been physically hard but actually quite less complicated.



C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.