Who would collect ashtrays?
After Marlene Dietrich’s death in 1992, more than 20 ashtrays were found among her belongings, most of them from hotels and restaurants she had visited: the Villa Medici in Rome, Maxim’s in Paris, the Restaurante Los Caracoles in Barcelona.
At the time, the ashtrays were estimated to be worth about $250. But, ashtray collectors shelled out more than $3,000 when the lot was auctioned off by Sotheby’s in 1997.
Ashtrays seem pretty unnecessary these days, with smoking linked to illness and people instead getting their oral fix by crunching granola. Yet ashtrays continue to occupy a distinctive place in design history. The item once thought of as the obvious vacation souvenir or amateur potter’s project is now a coveted collectible.
Nancy Wanvig describes the “thrill of the hunt” that drives most ashtray collectors. “I thought (ashtrays) were the perfect collectible because they were cheap and plentiful,” she writes in the “Collector’s Guide to Ashtrays” (Collector Books, 1997).
If that’s not reason enough to keep a few old ashtrays around the house, consider this: Actor John Cleese says sniffing an ashtray full of butts helped him quit smoking – forever.
So for anyone who has hoarded ashtrays over the years but has no idea of their value, or for those considering ashtrays as their next collection, the following is a description of the vintage characteristics of collectible ashtrays produced during the heyday of American smoking.
Art Deco
1920s The advent of luxury travel on trains and ocean liners, and the emergence of Hollywood glamour, produced Art Deco’s simple geometric shapes. The sleek, stylish lines of ashtrays from this era reflect a time when smoking and smoking accessories were actually cool.
Depression era
1930s During the Great Depression, glass manufacturers such as Federal Glass, MacBeth-Evans and Hocking Glass forged affordable, attractive, mass-produced decor items that proved popular because of the glitz and style they provided during otherwise hard times.
Early plastics
1940s Although Bakelite first was patented in 1907, its manufactured cousin Lucite was more popular for decorating during this era. Collectible Lucite ashtrays often are imbedded with coins, glitter, rhinestones, sea shells and the like.
Modern optimism
1950s After World War II, abstract, colorful patterns and whimsical designs reflected the country’s upbeat mood. Bright, pop-culture imagery and Tiki style ruled, including the comedic head-shaped ashtrays that stood with mouths open in homes from coast-to-coast.
Groovy glass
1960s Pop culture reflected a new wave of open-mindedness. That unconstrained attitude produced free-form designs and psychedelic colors.
