Collecting Early Cutters

Good Morning All...

 

I am finally finding a minute to post!!!

 

A "little extra time" is something that I have very little of these days, so much is always going on around here!!

 

This morning's post is going to be about "early cookie cutters". I am going to share a little story with you about how I began collecting these fascinating little pieces of cut-and-shaped tin in just a few minutes, but first, I wanted to up-date you all on a couple of things...

 

My first and most exciting news...Hannah and baby are still hanging in there! Tomorrow she will be at 36 weeks and at her appointment last week she was FINALLY taken OFF bed rest!!! She has started to dilate a little and Baby could come at any time, but we are still hoping for our little "Nugget" to stay put for another week or two if possible.  This certainly has been a trying time for us all these past few months, and I couldn't have gotten through the bad days without all of my good friends and followers from this blog! Thank you all once again for your prayers and friendships...you guys ROCK!!! :)

 

Second, I will be having a small up-date on my PT tonight at 7:00 CST. I will have a few cross-stitched items as well as a couple small hookings...AND...if I have time to dig them out, maybe even a few more "gently used" items as well. I have several errands to run today, so time will dictate that, but...if you can find a minute to stop by, I'd love to see you there! :)

 

Collecting Early Cutters...

 

It was back in the early 80's that I first fell in love with the "country" look. I had purchased a few old things here and there at garage sales or auctions, but I didn't really start "collecting" until the early 90's. My very first collection started with a small, tin-backed cookie cutter in the shape of a dog. I don't remember where we were going, but we were driving through the down town where we were living at the time and I asked my husband if we had time to stop at this little antique shop that was there on the corner. I had driven by it many times, but had never taken the time to stop, so that day we did.

 

I remember how fascinated I was as we browsed through the place and looked at all of the things they had for sale and I think that it may have been that very day that I first truly realized my appreciation for all things old. Because we had never collected antiques before and this was all so new to us, we had no idea of the cost of things either, and back then we didn't have a whole lot of extra money, so when we saw what some of the things we were interested in were going for, we were a little surprized....not a lot by today's standards, but for us just starting out, it sure was.

 

We were just getting ready to leave the shop when I spotted something in a little back room. It was an old corn dryer hanging from the ceiling and it was filled with old cookie cutters. Not the kind that my mom or grandma used either...these were cookie cutter like I had never seen before. They were all made of hand cut tin with flat backs and in all kinds of shapes! (If I had only known then what I know now about antique cutters!!) I specifically remember an eagle cutter that was just wonderfully detailed and it was priced at $18.00...can you believe it...just $18.00!!! I also remember one shaped like a boot, it was much more expensive than the eagle, but the man told us that it was very rare and so the price was quite high. They were both amazing and I would have loved to buy them both that day, but...

 

Then I spotted it...a darling little cutter in the shape of a DOG!!! By now you all know what a dog lover I am, and at that time, we had our first Golden Retriever, his name was Bo. I always say that he was the "love of my life...of dogs" and even though we lost him many years ago, there isn't hardly a day that goes by that I don't think of him, even  now...he was "my boy"!! Anyways, that cutter instantly reminded me of Bo, and...it was reasonably priced at just $6.00, so I left that day with what I thought of back then as "the buy of a lifetime"!!

 

I don't know about any of you, but when I leave a shop or show with a wonderful new treasure, I love to sit and look at it...all the way home if I'm not the one driving!! I don't know why, but I always take my smaller treasures out of their bags and I look at them...I look at the patina, wonder about every little bump or bruise, think about the hands that crafted it all of those years ago...maybe that sounds silly to some of you, but to me, that is all a part of the thrill of finding a new piece. Needless to say, I held that little cutter all the way to our destination and all the way home as well! :)

 

For today's post I want to share a few of my favorite cutters with you...starting with...you guessed it, my very first cutter...the little dog that reminds me of my Bo...here it is...

...the little $6.00 purchase that started my collection all of those years ago!

The little lady here is my newest addition, she was purchased by my husband from my friend Darlene Lesicko when we stopped in for a visit on our way home from MO last December. He gave her to me for Christmas this past year. The Colonial man is probably my rarest piece and my second favorite, after "Bo".

I have bunnies and rabbits...

...and hearts in all sizes.

I especially love the little heart on the top right with the flat bottom...I like to imagine that it's maker didn't have a big enough piece of tin for the back, so he had to adjust it's shape to fit, I think that it's just precious!

Leaves for Fall...

Another favorite...a sweet little horse!!

Folky birds...I just love that comb on the head of the top bird...and their sweet little feet...too cute!!

A whale, cat, bear and lion!!

Rooster, Chicken and chick...

I think that the guy on the left is a sailor...though I can't be certain. Another little lady and a Parson!

A Santa and reindeer...

Stars, stars, stars...

And last, but not least...a couple of eggs...or at least that's what I think they are!!!

 

Well, my friends...I reeeeeally have to get going. Times a tickin' and I have another busy day ahead of me. I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at some of my early cutter collection...maybe it will inspire you to start collecting them too! ;)

 

As always, I thank you so much for stopping by!

 

Have a safe and wonderful day!

Tina