Happy Father’s Day!

 

A “smart” woman created Father’s Day in 1910. Sonora Smart Dodd wanted to honor her father, William Smart, in the same way mothers were honored on Mother’s Day. The idea caught on and in 1972 Congress made the third Sunday of June the official holiday. It’s difficult to find a gift for Dad, but to hunt for an affordable gift, check local flea markets and antiques shops to find items that are “different” and collectible. Here are 5 ideas to get you started. Happy Father’s Day! Grandfathers, too!

 

 

 

 

1. For the father who likes a fashionable look—cuff links. Stylish cuff links of the past 100 years are back and many shirts come with cuff link holes on the sleeve instead of buttons. You can spend a little or spend a lot – collectors can find many vintage examples for $10 to over $1,000. An expensive pair of 14K gold and reverse-painted glass cuff links that picture shore birds sold for $1,560 at a Massachusetts auction.

2. For the history or politics-loving father—find an unusual political item relating to the President in office the year dad was born ($5 to $500 with rare ones costing more). This 1961 Souvenir Edition John F. Kennedy Inaugural Spectacle Issue by the editor of Life magazine sells for under $10 in an online shop and makes for memorable reading.

3. For the father who never misses a game—old sports memorabilia like a seat from the old baseball stadium ($1,000) or something related to his favorite sport like this sterling silver desk note pad with a golf clubs, hallmarked London 1912, sold for $108 in a specialty golf auction in New Jersey.

4. The mechanic father or the Dad who likes to work on cars—anything petroliana. Tin or porcelain gas station and automobile advertising signs, road signs, license plates or even an old traffic light ($144) could be decorative additions to his work space. Gas pump globes are popular, and some that are rare or significant can sell for thousands. But this Texaco Sky Chief milk glass gas pump globe sold at auction in Georgia for $505.

5. Does Dad enjoy a bottle of good wine? Handsome accessories from trolleys and cradles to coasters and corkscrews are popular. This steel and brass corkscrew has a spring design and an industrial vibe. It’s 5 inches high, made about 1920, and cost $111 in an online auction.

 


 

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