Well, turn about is fair play.

As a child it took me a long time to understand what that phrase meant because I thought my grandmother was saying, "turnip 'bout is fair play."

Sweater clips were featured yesterday and it's only fair that we showcase men's vintage accessories today.  More specifically - tie clips.

Chic Vintage Brides

"What, exactly, is the purpose of a tie clip?" you ask.

It clips the tie to the front of the shirt (usually close to a button hole) and keeps it from flapping in the wind or interfering with the wearer's activities.

Chic Vintage Boutique

Tie clips (sometimes called tie bars) and tie pins were popular from the late 1800s to the early 1980s.  Then along came Miami Vice and men's fashion changed forever.  But, that's another post all together.

Rachel McCauley Photography

A groom who is a huge Star Trek fan gave his groomsmen

vintage tie clips commemorating the series.  $pecial!

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The good news?  Most vintage men's fashion accessories are quite affordable.

The bad news?  They're becoming harder to find.

Thanks to the popularity of AMC's Mad Men,

tie bars, clips and pins are making a comeback.

Etsy Source

Clips with initials are particularly popular among collectors.

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Etsy Source

In the past many companies would give

tie clips as promotional items.

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Collecting Tip:  Concentrate on acquiring

a specific type or category of clip or pin.

Incredibly, on eBay, the high bid for this lot of vintage tie clips, pins and cuff links is currently less than $30: 

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What a bargain!

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For a change of pace I thought I'd end today's post with a little eye candy, the most manly of men, aka Sean Connery. If you look very closely you'll see that he is, in fact, wearing a tie clip.  Sigh.

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You're welcome.

Collectible Alert!!!

Once upon a time women wore sweater clips
to keep their sweaters from gaping open.


Sweater Lady
Trust me, your grandmother had several pairs of sweater clips, also called cardigan clips or sweater guards, in her costume jewelry box.

Frocks & Frou Frou
One of my elementary school teachers had dozens of clips - one for every sweater she owned.

Up until a few years ago you could easily find sweater clips in trinket boxes at flea markets and thrift shops.  They were so inexpensive that the vendors were practically giving them away.

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Today a pair of vintage clips will easily run $20 to $25.  Yikes.

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Don't want to pay such high prices for a pair of guards?  Make your
own by repurposing a pair of vintage clip-on earrings and a delicate chain.

Rose Petals

What's so cool about sweater clips is that women aren't just
collecting them - they're actually wearing them on their sweaters.

Punks 'r Us
You have to admit - these really are adorable.

Such a beautiful way to dress up a 'jumper' (as the British say!)

Next time you're at your favorite browsing shop
look for sweater clips.  You just might get lucky!

Don't you feel sorry for the day after a holiday?

It's especially bad for September 2nd - it's the official date

to stop wearing white and patent leather shoes and purses.   

Surely there's a better reason to celebrate September 2nd?!

Bet you don't know that the first ATM was introduced on September 2, 1969, at Chemical Bank in Rockville  Center, Long Island, New York.

While I doubt that any of us could find a vintage ATM for sale at a flea market or thrift shop, there are tons of old office machines showing up on the market.  And, boy, are they becoming collectible.

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A Burroughs portable adding machine, ca 1930

You can't get more basic than this 1933 Victor adding machine.

Old office equipment has a tendency to look darkly industrial but occasionally you'll run across a colorful piece.


This big boy is a precursor to our modern day computer:

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One Kings Lane offers this 1900 Burroughs
adding machine for $199:

Better Homes and Gardens
A battered old typewriter adds
character to any cottage decor.


The 1890 Blickensderfer typewriter, below,
just sold for $300:

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Large metal file cabinets are still plentiful and relatively inexpensive:

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A vintage metal filing cabinet, an old door, and
a neon 'a' combine to make a charming office.

Discover Attic

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Etsy Link
If you're thinking about a decor change,
consider vintage office equipment.  

And, remember - the date after a holiday is worth celebrating, too!

In 1887, President Grover Cleveland declared the first Monday in September as the first official Labor Day, saluting the social and economic achievements of U.S. workers.

Two young ladies take a break from the paper mill

where they work, Appleton, Wisconsin, 1890

Labor Day parade, Buffalo, NY, 1900

1900 Census - Average Annual Salary: $449.80

Coal miners near Hazelton, PA, 1905

Copper miners, Calumet, MI, 1905

The Biloxi Bakery, Biloxi, Mississippi, 1913

Fred Klein, Sr., center with folded arms, was the founder of the Biloxi Bakery.  He and his sons ran the family business until 1973 when the plant was shut down to make room for an urban renewal project.  The project subsequently failed.  The bakery never reopened.

1920 Census - Average Annual Salary: $1,407

The staff of People's Drug Store located at the

corner of 11th & G St., Washington, DC, 1924

Office workers at the American Nature Association, Washington, DC, 1925

Mary Ramsey, an assembly line worker at the

Atwater Kent Radio Factory, Philadelphia, 1925

Construction workers, Washington, DC, 1929

RCA Victor five-tube radio chassis assembly line, Camden, NJ, 1937

Consolidated Vultee plant, Nashville, TN, 1943

Chicago Sanitation employees, 1948

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Worker in the blast furnace at Bethlehem Steel, 1951

Behind-the-scene photo of the filming of an episode of The Honeymooners.  Shown, left to right, are Joyce Randolph, Art Carney, Jackie Gleason, and Audrey Meadows, April, 1955.  Notice the cameraman is wearing a suit?

A training session for Helena Rubinstein
cosmetic sales associates, NY, 1961

Super Giant grocery store, Rockville, MD, 1964

Thank you to the manual laborers and blue collar
workers who made this country great.