Top 5 Vintage Father’s Day Gifts

Father’s Day is certainly a day to honor fathers. But it is also a great excuse to go thrift store or flea market shopping, looking for that perfect gift!

Father’s Day was created in 1910 by a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd. She wanted to honor her father, William Smart, in the same way mothers were honored on Mother’s Day. In 1972 Congress made the third Sunday of June the official holiday.

Here are our editors’ Top 5 vintage Father’s Day gifts this year:

1. Vintage Father’s Day cards, with imagery directly out of “Father Knows Best.” Most old cards can be found for under $5.

Vintage Father’s Day card, pictures a dad as a fisherman, Hallmark Expressions, envelope, unused, $5.
Photo: sumnergal on eBay

 

2. Before there was the Weather Channel or Weather.com, there was the Farmer’s Almanac. Nothing is more fun than looking back to the weather in, say, 1910. A 1968 Farmer’s Almanac, for example, sells for about $10.

Massachusetts Farmer’s Almanac, 1808, $31.25.
Photo: Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers

 

3. Vintage records are great for music lovers and, if the records are too scratched to play, frame the covers as art.

Large collection of vintage vinyl LP records, $115.
Photo: Neal Auction Company

4. Petroliana. Did you know that old oil cans are great collectibles?  There are many affordable cans but prices for rare ones can run in the thousands and a motor oil advertising sign can sell for even more.

Hudson Motor Oil can, Hudson Oil Co., Kansas City, empty, 1 qt., rated 7.25, (wear, paint loss, new top), $338.
Photo: Route 32 Auctions

 

5. Nothing brings a smile back than toys you remembered playing with as a child. Dads are no different. They are just big kids who have kids. Our top picks for today’s dads are space toys, superheroes, and Matchbox cars.

Matchbox No. 41 Collector’s Case, includes 48 Matchbox vehicles, $322.
Photo: Toystrainsandotheroldstuff LLC

 

P.S. Need a Last-Minute Gift for Your Collector Dad?

If your dad loves collecting and antiques, check out these gifts from Kovels with no shipping required. Kovels All Access Membership (online subscription). For a limited-time, save $10 with code DAD10.  You can also get a print subscription to Kovels On Antiques & Collectibles newsletter.