Past Times Newsletter - February 2002

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FEBRUARY HOT SHOP: WELCOME TO JOY'S DOLLS!

Joy's Dolls offers the finest quality antique dolls you'll find
anywhere! You'll find such unique gems as an antique George
Borgfeldt Girl ($875 USD), an antique Max Oscar Arnold 24"
German Girl ($625), and an antique Porcelain Elaborate Bust Half
Doll ($475) to name just a few examples of what's available. All
items are carefully researched, photographed, and are guaranteed
to be as described or better.

Joy Bradley of Joy's Dolls is just back from a buying trip with
a van full of wonderful dolls and accessories to add to her
offering. You'll find many items on sale as well.

And Joy stands behind her selection. Although she consistently
strives to delight her customers, should you receive an item
that you believe is "significantly" at odds with our photographs
AND description, you may return it within three days of receipt.
Of course Joy gladly accepts PayPal Visa/MC: our shop is a
Verified Business account, BidPay.com (Visa, MC, Discover),
Visa, MasterCard, Personal Check, Money Order.

We invite you to visit Joy's Dolls at Joy's Dolls
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THE SECRETS OF CIGARETTE DISPENSERS BY BILL TOWNE
OF THE JOURNAL OF ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES

Motivation to begin a collection can sometimes come when you
least expect it. One day I was at a show when I happened upon
an unusual looking item. It was comprised of a wooden bird that
swiveled down to receive a cigarette in its beak from a "secret"
hingerd door in the bottom of the box.

I was both intriqued and repulsed by the item, because only the
month before I had been hypnotized to quit smoking and I was
afraid the piece would rekindle my urge to smoke. I pased on
the item that day but went back the next day and purchased it in
spite of my fears. From that day on I was hooked on cigarette
dispensers.

At first I believed dispensers came only in the form of the brd
and box, but over the years I have discovered an immense array
of items producted from the 1920s to the 1960s designed to
deliver a cigarette. The most recognizable dispensers are the
aforementioned bird in the box dispenser. These items were
manufactured in Japan around 1925. The intricate workings
consist of springs and pulleys concealed in the base and covered
by the wooden bottom.

Another popular piece produced in the 1920s and 1930s is the
genie dispenser. Its basic design is similar to that of a
cookie jar with a wooden lid. Cigarettes were placed inside,
then enter a chamber to await retrieval. Whe the lever on the
base is depressed, the cigarette id dispensed out of the the
genie's mouth.

Other dispensers are disguised as music boxes, champagne
bottles, even boats with dancing ballaerinas and a gondolier.
The ingenuity that went into producing a device that would
deliver a product as simple as a cigarette never ceases to amaze
me. For more on cigarette dispensers including full color
illustrations please visit The Journal of Antiques &
Collectibles at The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles and
look for the Ruby Lane newsletter link on our homepage.

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ABOUT RUBY LANE

We are one of the largest Internet sites for collectors, with an
active community of hundreds of shops from all over the world
offering antiques, fine art, arts & crafts, and collectibles.
Our site displays quality inventory in over 2,000 categories.
We feature a Global Search Engine, which searches all
inventories in a particular category from Ruby Lane shops and
online auctions. Visit us at www.rubylane.com

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