Allie Jo, my little Aljoa Sportsman camper, according to the build certificate in her closet, is a 1954 model. That yellowed piece of paper proclaiming her date of "birth" helped me decide how to proceed with her new decor. She would be cute. She would be retro. From the moment you stepped inside she would be a blast from the past. A real classy chassis!*
So began my journey back to the 1950s...
It was enough to razz my berries when I discovered all the retro items that were hiding in thrift stores and flea markets! If the 1950s items were not a bargain on eBay or Etsy, then having seen the item online would make it jump out at me in the Goodwill or Salvation Army stores. Here are jut a few photos of the bargains that will create the perfect mid-century atmosphere in my new "pad". [Sorry, just couldn't resist the 1950s slang]
I don't know the age of this mustard/ketchup set, but the gals imprinted on the bottles looked so retro that I could not resist them. I paid ten cents apiece at a thrift store!
An eBay search for 1950s kitchen items scored this stackable set of red canisters at a bargain price. The red plastic pepper shaker in the first picture came with this set.
This yellow mid-century sugar/creamer/salt/pepper set was waiting for me at an antique store in Burlington, Colorado. I had been eyeing this set in a red color on eBay at a much higher price than this one was marked. I asked and got it even lower than the sticker price! Stamped on the bottom of the tray, sugar, and creamer shows it was made by the Federal Tool Company Chicago USA.
Blisscraft of Hollywood was a 1950s California company that made plastic kitchen wares with their trademark "ruffled" or "wavy" edges. I found the pitcher on eBay, the cups on Etsy, and the butter holder at a thrift store.
Last but not least is Little Miss Sunbeam, the iconic little girl advertising Sunbeam bread. This is a photo of the back side of a single playing card with the Queen of Spades on the other side. My plans are to turn it into a magnet for the camper icebox. It might not be from a deck of cards made in the 1950s but it certainly reminds me of that era.
That's all for now but I'll be posting more photos soon because my retro, mid-century stash is growing by leaps and bounds!
