Collectible of the Day 048 - Unlicensed Mugs

[darthskellington]

Collectible of the Day​

Today’s collectibles are unlicensed ceramic Darth Vader mugs from the late 70s and early 80s. Throughout the 80s home painted ceramics were very popular. All manner of ceramic items could be purchased, including pieces inspired by popular movies or kids shows. These items could be painted with a glaze however one chose, and then taken back to the ceramics studio to be fired (baked in a kiln, setting the glaze). These mugs are perfect examples of such pieces, and have been in my collection since childhood. I remember drinking milk and eating cookies with these. They were both purchased second-hand at thrift shops.

There are numerous unlicensed ceramic items out there, including a Chewbacca mug, and several different styles of lamps or banks shaped like R2-D2, Darth Vader, Chewbacca and Yoda. These items can sometimes still be found quite inexpensively, although this area of collecting has become increasingly more popular in recent years.


Discuss this collectible here.


If you have an item you'd like to have featured, please PM me and provide a detailed description and a link to a medium sized, relatively in-focus photo. ​

 

[chewykingwookie]

growing up I had all sorts of ceramic SW stuff. my mom did ceramics poured her own molds, painted them, and then used the kiln. I had R2-D2 lamp, Chewbacca and 3P0 banks, cookie jars, etc.. Unfortunately my mom sold that stuff when I got older at yard sales. Kinda bummed now because I would love to have some of that stuff back.

 

[darthskellington]

Very cool. My mom did some ceramics. We did a haunted house together that is pretty awesome. This was back before you could buy Halloween villages, and it's a way cooler.

I remember seeing a pretty awesome ceramic Yoda lamp at a flea market when I was little....I think he was standing next to a tree stump. Don't think I've seen one like it since.